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Move your Boot Camp install of Windows to Parallels
Boot Camp and Parallels: two very different ways to run Windows on your Mac and never the twain shall meet, right? Not so fast, there is a way to migrate your Windows install from a Boot Camp install (or for that matter ANY Windows install whether it be on a Mac or a PC) to Parallels. It isn't exactly easy, and it does require lots of disk space and some third party apps, but if you really want to go virtual follow these instructions.[via Infinite Loop]
Wii pages pop up all over Nintendo's website
A pair of pages have recently been spotted over at Nintendo's web site. The Wi-Fi page has a dead link to a Virtual Console section, but aside from that there isn't anything in the way of new information that may be gained from checking them out other than confirmation that Wii titles will also be utilizing friend codes. Although should each console have one single code or each game have its own code like with the DS, is yet to be determined. On the games page, some of the links to each individual title's pages work, such as Warioware: Smooth Moves, however others such as the link to Fire Emblem's page show nothing more than an error.
Virtual PC goes free - but not for Mac OS X
Good news everyone: Microsoft has released Virtual PC into the wild for free - but not for 'the rest of us'. That's right: an announcement on a MSDN blog (Microsoft Developer Network) has released Virtual PC 2004 as a free download for Windows users, and it offers details of VPC 2007 along the lines of support for Vista and improved performance over version 2004 (who on Earth thought it was a good idea to use years as a versioning system?). Of course, there isn't even an ETA that Microsoft can start delaying for version 2007, so we're guessing around 2010/2011 for the new version. This move makes sense in light of Parallels making headlines virtually overnight (pun intended), sparking what seems like a renewed interest in the virtualization market.[via Daring Fireball]
Weird slots on Wii gamepad
A video posted over at You Tube shows the Virtual Console gamepad being flipped around and the back showing several odd slots. The top of the controller also shows a kind of release button, clearly showing that something is destined to plug into the back. Many are speculating that it could be some sort of SD card slot. I'd comment myself, but I honestly didn't get to play any Virtual Console titles at E3.What do you guys think?[Via Infendo]
Apple's Windows site mentions Parallels Desktop instead of Boot Camp
"If you've ever wished you could enjoy the best of both worlds, now you can" is a phrase at the bottom of Apple's Windows section of their Get a Mac site, and I think they mean that phrase now more than ever. I can't even find Apple's own Boot Camp mentioned on the 'you can even run Windows' page of Apple's Get a Mac site - surprisingly, it's Parallels Desktop that has the spotlight now. Could Apple be giving Boot Camp the back seat in favor of the no-rebooting convenience of Parallels Desktop? Or might Parallels be working with Apple on virtualization (or a buyout) for the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard? Is it possible for us to come up with any more wild speculation? Time will only tell.[thanks blackout!]
Parallels Desktop official release, discount pricing ends July 15th
After months of betas and release candidates, Parallels has brought their fantastic Desktop OS virtualization software to an official release. As you might remember from their last release candidate, they have also listened to user feedback and bundled their Compressor Server tool for optimizing virtual disks and streamlining the amount of disk space they take up, which also brought the final price up to $79.99. However, until July 15th, Parallels is still offering a discount price of $49.99, so get those credit cards out if Boot Camp doesn't quite cut it.[thanks for the tip, Mark!]
Virtual Console titles a virtual bargain [Update]
One of the biggest concerns outside of what kind of content we would be seeing on the Virtual Console was just how much that content would cost the gamer. Well, Iwata has finally revealed the pricing and you'll be able to download these titles onto the Wii for less than $10 US. Pricing titles at ¥500 and ¥1,000, or $4.50 and $8.99 US, makes these games very affordable, and should bring more profits than the classic NES releases we saw hit the GBA for $19.99 US a pop. In offering product at a very close price to what the average game download on Microsoft's Xbox Live service is costing, Nintendo could very well dominate the downloadable market if they release more games on their service than the competition, something very possible thanks to the help of Sega and Hudson.[Thanks Spambot!][Update: It appears the pricing here is for NEW GAMES, not Virtual Console titles. We blame less-than-perfect translation software online and beg for your forgiveness.]
Indie dev speaks about Virtual Console
The VGM podcast was able to snag an interview with Shayne Guiliano of Autonomous Productions, a developer who's primary focus has been games for the mobile market (see: cellphones). In moving to Xbox Live Marketplace and Virtual Console distribution, his company's debut title is Butterfly Garden, a game that didn't have any details revealed in this episode of the podcast, but there is to be more installments that will shed light on the game. Instead, Shayne talks about improving games that are ported over to Nintendo's service (adding multiplayer to Metroid?!) and sees Nintendo backing more and more indie developers such as his company in the future.
Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2, uh, released
Get your mice clicking ladies and gentlemen, as Parallels has offered up the final test version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, their virtualization software that allows you to run almost any OS right within Mac OS X. With this version, however, Parallels has increased the app's final price to $79.99, as they have incorporated their Compressor Server tool (due to user feedback) into the software package for streamlining and optimizing your virtual machines and the amount of disk space they occupy. The beta testing pre-order price of $39.99 is still in place, and probably more appetizing than ever. Other new features and improvements in the Release Candidate 2 include: Significantly improved performance Improved USB performance and broader device support Improved Host-guest networking Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers Fullscreen mode is now customizable Integration with Virtue is now bug-free Customizable Ctrl + Click mapping Guest 32bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed Improved Shared folders performance Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues Windows 98 no longer consumes 99% host CPU even when idle (in VT-x mode) Also note that if you download this newest release, you must re-install the Parallels Tools for guest Windows installations (NT/2000/XP/2003). As with previous beta releases, this download is free before the software package goes official.
Virtual Networking in WoW
ZDNet has a video report today on a group of CEO's and venture capitalists who have taken their business into the virtual realm, holding meetings & networking in World of Warcraft. The piece doesn't cover much that we haven't heard on the subject before, but it's a good example of the growth of virtual worlds & the directions they might take in the future. Alas, ZDNet doesn't have one of those nifty embedable video players, so click here to see the show...
Second Life publisher sued: Bragg v. Linden Research
Attorney Marc Bragg has filed a lawsuit against Linden Lab, publisher of Second Life, alleging that the company unfairly shutdown his game account, cutting off access to his virtual real estate, which includes several nightclubs. In addition, Bragg can no longer withdraw any of the linden (Second Life currency) he has earned, which if exchanged (in total), would be worth roughly $3,200. The West Chester attorney is now demanding $8,000 in restitution.Linden Lab froze Bragg's account after the attorney took part in a suspicious online auction in which he acquired significant plots of virtual land for far below market price. Bragg indeed exploited the auction interface to snag the land at a discount, but maintains that the onus is on Linden Lab to run their auctions properly and securely.[Thanks, chris]
Wii Virtual Console demonstration
For those of you unlucky enough to attend E3 and see it for yourself, a video of the Virtual Console navigation menu and gameplay from Sonic the Hedgehog have made its way onto the net. Also, behold the tiny size of the Virtual Console's gamepad.
A look back at Hudson and Sega
With the bomb that Iwata dropped back at GDC about Sega and Hudson being onboard with the Revolution's Virtual Console, Game Informer wanted to take a look back at the two companies' past offerings in the video game industry to determine exactly what we can expect to see from them come time the system launches. If anything, it's a nice history lesson for all you young whippersnappers who were born after the 16-bit age of gaming and a tear-inducing bit of nostalgia and hope for the rest of us. Who else wants to see a Bomberman build with online play?
WoW: Keeping Families Together
Well, some of you spouses out there might be disgruntled, as Jennie points out, but this article in today's Washington Post has a different take; it takes a look at families, seperated by distance, who spend time together by playing WoW.I think it's wonderful thing that geography no longer has any boundaries on whether we can interact with distant relatives or not, but I'm still trying to picture my Aunt Myrtle playing WoW...she's afraid to even use the TV remote; she thinks she might miss & blow up the vase behind it or something.
Wi-Fi Project Leader interview
During a sit-down back at GDC, DS Wi-Fi Service Project Leader Takao Ohara spoke on all things Wi-Fi, and even tap-danced around some questions regarding the approach towards the Revolution's online service when compared to the success the DS has received. Takao also states that Nintendo hasn't finalized anything about the online service yet.With the simplistic ease of the Friend Code system on the DS, can we honestly expect this same system, or even a variation of it, to appear in the Virtual Console of the Revolution?
Don't expect any Rare games on the Virtual Console...
...according to Matt over at IGN, who claims to have spoken with some key Rare folk about the possibility of some of Rare's past greats to be in Nintendo's Virtual Console's starting lineup during GDC. While it's pretty much a given that this would be the case, what with Rare being alligned under the cold, Borg-like, Microsoft Game Studios, no-shows will undoubtedly be Killer Instinct, Perfect Dark, Banjo & Kazooie, Goldeneye 007, and Blast Corps. That last one hits this Blogger especially hard. I know many people would say the N64's strongest game was Goldeneye 007 or Perfect Dark, some might claim its stellar first-party offerings in Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 were superior, but for this Blogger no other experience on the console could top the sheer ecstasy of uppercutting buildings as a giant mech and bulldozing gas stations in Blast Corps. It was like a digital incarnation of my childhood with Tonka trucks and Transformers.
Apple Second Life Feature
Are you familiar with Second Life? It's a virtual online community where you create your own custom avatar and interact with other losers whose first life isn't fulfilling enough other interesting people in a magical fantasy world beyond your greatest imagination! (Okay, okay, so I'm being a little hyperbolic and also mean with the strikethrough; in the words of the Great McNulty, "I kid, I kid.")
