PS3 development to become easier?

RapidMi nd and Terra Soft announced today that they have formed a partnership to make application development for the Playstation 3 easier. As part of an agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated, Terra Soft Solutions announced last month the release of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3. With the RapidMind Development Platform, developers can easily create applications that will run on the PlayStation 3, as well as other hardware solutions based on the Cell Broadband Engine (which is used in the Playstation 3). RapidMind will also be participating in a Hack-a-thon ( www.hpc-consortium.net ) from January 20^th to the 26^th for the optimization of applications for the Cell Engine, hosted by Terra Soft at their Loveland, Colorado headquarters. RapidMind, along with organizations such as Argonne, Oak Ridge, Colorado State, IBM, Mercury, and Tungsten Graphics have committed resources with dozens of other labs, universities, and individuals planning to participate. The intent of this event is to create a set of application examples to showcase the potential of the Cell Engine. This could be good news for Sony, as it may allow developers to create games for less (meaning more developers may want to develop games for the Playstation 3). Unless more developers come on-board for the Playstation 3, we can't see its market going anywhere, anytime soon.

New GameCube game in the works

Just when it looked like developers were completely done with the GameCube, O3 Entertainment steps up to the the plate. The company announced today that it will be publishing a game by Milestone Inc. called Radio All ergy. Radio Allergy is a modern day revival to the classic arcade style shooters like Gradius and R-Type (both of which are available on Virtual Console, by the way). The game sets the heroine, Shizuru Kamigusa against a ruthless group of terrorists. Shizuru must utilize her portable terminal suit to defeat the terrorists and their leader Ruiki Mishima. There are three modes available for play in Radio Allergy, Arcade, Score, and “Full Belly.” Arcade and Score allow players to follow the story and the missions that go with them. In “Full Belly” mode, the portable terminal suit is given maximum power and unleashes its highest damage against non-stop enemies causing even larger explosions. Radio Allergy is set to release in February.

WOW hits the 8 million mark

Bliizard announced today that the number of subscriptions for its extremely popular massively multiplayer online game, World of Warc raft, has reached over 8 million. The news comes with less than a week to go before the release of the company's expansion for the game. World of Warcraft has also achieved new regional subscriber milestones, with more than 2 million players in North America, more than 1.5 million players in Europe, and more than 3.5 million players in China. “We’re ecstatic that the World of Warcraft community has continued to grow steadily since we launched the game,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “This milestone wouldn’t have been possible for us to achieve without the incredible support of our players. With the release of our expansion pack, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, coming next week, we’re looking forward to welcoming more players to Azeroth and offering even more quality content for our community to enjoy.” World of Warcraft is currently available in seven different languages and is played in North America, Europe, mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. The release of The Burning Crusade is only sure to increase the popularity of the game.

The Godfather makes his way to PS3 and Wii

Electronic Arts and Paramount Digital Entertainment announced today that two new versions of The Godfather are in development, one for Playstation 3 and one for Wii. The Godfather: The Don's Edition, for Playstation 3, will take advantage of the SIXAXIS controller. Players will not only be able to manhandle their controllers, but their enemies too. The Godfather Blackhand Edition, for Wii, will take complete advantage not only of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck's directional and motion sensitive controls, but will also allow players to aim their weapons with pinpoint accuracy. The new editions offer brand new ways to go from Soldier to Don as you gain control of the streets of New York. Follow the path of an Enforcer or Operator; each with its own unique perks and abilities to earn. Now you can chat up specific characters to get the skinny on dirty cops, take down two additional revised compounds of rival Families, execute five new contract hits, and call in larger Corleone Hit Squads when the going gets tough. With The Godfather: The Don’s Edition also having the new Shipyard and Rail yard transportation hubs to explore and exploit; players' paths to the head of La Cosa Nostra is wrought with all new perils and excitement. The games are currently scheduled to ship in March and have not yet been rated by the ESRB.

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