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Intel may be giving up on smart TVs, ceding market to ARM
Well, it looks like Intel is throwing in the smart TV towel. As originally reported by AnandTech, and now confirmed by the company itself, Chipzilla is closing down its Digital Home Group and folding the team and resources into its tablet division. Its CE processors, which are found in the Boxee Box and the Logitech Revue, will continue to be sold, but it sounds like the focus will shift away from consumer-facing products. Obviously, that leaves the door wide open for ARM to sweep in. We already know that Google TV will be making the move to ARM-based hardware soon and the Boxee Box started life on Tegra before making the move to an Atom CE4100 (not to mention the A4-sporting Apple TV), so this isn't entirely new ground for the big players. Still, we're a little shocked to see Intel abandon the market just as it seems to be picking up steam.
Motocross Challenge rides back from the sunset for another go
We couldn't pay Motocross Challenge enough compliments when indie developer DHG Games released the Excitebike-inspired GBA racer last year. For those of you unfamiliar with the game's history, it never saw a commercial release after its publisher backed out of the project due to declining sales for GBA titles. Not letting its code go to waste, DHG eventually released Motocross Challenge to the homebrew community as a free downlodable ROM and a limited edition flashcart. As great as the game was, we thought, with a tear in our eye, that we would never see it again. The Montreal-based studio wants another crack at getting its game in stores, however, and has announced a DS remake! The graphics look mostly unchanged, but there are a lot of additions to get hyped about -- a track editor, three new game modes, a skinner mini map on the bottom screen, more AI opponents, a new Challenge Mode mechanic, and a new soundtrack. DHG is still looking for a publisher, so make sure to direct your industry friends to this arcade racer! Turbo boost your bike up a ramp and fly past the post break for a trailer of Motocross Challenge DS. If you'd rather try it out yourself, you can still download and play the GBA ROM, too!
Homebrew carts for Motocross Challenge and more
Remember Motocross Challenge, that cancelled Excite Bike GBA clone we raved about last April? Developer DHG Games posted a downloadable ROM for the homebrew community to play with, but for those of you who prefer tangible products, RGCD has a limited run of less than a 100 Motocross Challenge cartridges for sale for £7.00 to UK customers (£8.25/$17.00 for worldwide customers). As we made sure to mention several times in our preview, it's a terrific title, and this physical release even has a limited save function included as a bonus.Several other GBA homebrew carts are available for purchase at RGCD's shop, the latest of which is a Christmas Double Pack containing Santa's Chimney Challenge, Santa's Skidoo Scarper, and a hidden game. While you can find descriptions and ROMs for the titles at developer Ian Jeffray's site, keep in mind that Santa's Skidoo Scarper is meant to be played with your handheld turned sideways. UK residents can pick up this Christmas Double Pack for as low as £5.50, while the rest of the world will have to fork up £6.75 ($13.91).
Motocross Challenge loses publisher, passes savings onto you
Developer DHG Games poured its heart into completing Motocross Challenge. The small studio built the GBA title from the ground up, hoping to one day see the game on store shelves. Despite months of negotiation, however, Motocross Challenge's planned publisher backed out of the project, citing declining GBA software sales. After having invested three years into creating Motocross Challenge, DHG found itself with a finished game and no way to commercially release it. Not wanting to see its hard work go to waste, DHG has made Motocross Challenge available to the public, offering the GBA ROM for FREE to anyone who will play it. We've already put a couple of hours into the racing game, and it plays a lot like an updated Excite Bike or Motocross Maniacs. There's a slight learning curve with figuring out how to land, managing your boosts, and memorizing the tracks, but it's all worth it when you start hitting ramps at full speed and racking up points with mid-air stunts. The fact that Motocross Challenge's publisher dropped the game says nothing about its quality. If you are a fan of motocross titles and want to support independent developers who slave over a project for the sake of making a great game, it won't cost you anything but a few minutes to try this one out. Head past the post break for a trailer of the different tracks and game modes.
