Latest gaming news at UVL

VirtualBox Web Console, Virtualizing via WWW.

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:33:52 +0200

On October 7, 2009, 15:00 UTC/GMT, Sun is launching VirtualBox Web Console.

A little background:
VirtualBox is a virtualizer, not an emulator but similar in its effect. It allows one to install real software on a virtual machine. So Windows, OS X (barring EULA egest), Linux, Solaris and virtually any x86 operating system, and likewise software form them, or bootable media can be run on x86 Windows, Linux, OS X, or Solaris. An entire computer, hardware and software, is contained in a virtual environment. The real platform running the virtualizer is called the "Host". The virtual computer is called the "Guest". The current UVL server is running under such a system (though using a virtualizer called Xen instead of Sun's VirtualBox). UVL runs on a Gentoo Linux guest on a Linux (Debian?) host. Virtualizers can be combined with hardware emulators so that other architectures besides x86 can be used as guest or host. However, VirtualBox is concentrating on x86 and x64 architectures only and the current version is limited to x86. Basically it forwards the x86 code to the CPU with a minimal compatibility layer. Or optionally, the virtual machine, CPU, and memory can be given direct access to each other for usually slightly less stable (in theory) but generally faster performance .

VBoxWeb specifically:
This uses the VirtualBox interface used to create, manage, and run guest machines. But now this interface can reside on a webpage in instead of or in addition to the interface on the host system. Mainly on remote systems, though it also has some practical benefits in a multiuser environment. This is not actually an official Sun project but rather a <[url=http://code.google.com/p/vboxweb/]community project[/url]>. However, it has an unusual amount of support from Sun. If you would rather not wait for October 7th, you can [url=http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads]download web ready VirtualBox 3.0.6 or later[/url] and [url=svn checkout http://vboxweb.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ vboxweb-read-only]svn the VBoxWeb interface[/url] ([code]svn checkout [i]http[/i]://vboxweb.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ vboxweb-read-only[/code])
So what does this mean for gamers? VirtualBox itself has always meant the ability to run games of any x86 OS on Win/Mac/Lin/Sol (except for ones requiring hardware 3D, which was absent from VBox until recently). About all I can think of is the new option to leave a sim game running anywhere and occasionally administer/play from anywhere. And this can theoretically be done with much better performance than desktop sharing.

Zerothis

EA's business response to World of Goo

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:42:51 +0200

EA wanted to [url=http://itsinthegame.ea.com/archive/2009/01/18/learning-from-world-of-goo.aspx]learn something[/url] from World of Goo. Well, it seems they are now acting on whatever it is they learned. They've founded a new "micro-studio" they're calling "8lb Gorilla". Clever. "800-pound gorilla" is used to refer to an obvious, menacing company with vast influence way beyond their field that is impossible to compete with or deal with that threatens to eliminate all compilation to the detriment of the industry. So is EA is poking fun at themselves, or flaunting it? 8lb Gorilla is beginning by aiming at "the 99¢ market". Cell phones, flash games, WiiWare, downloaded games, and the like. It looks like it will be using a more open development process that invites independent developers. EA wants lure developers and keep them trapped in their own little 2D Boy like environment. Well, regardless of their intentions, it may just result in a lot of great games. EA is sharing their 800-pound gorilla resources with independent developers. That has to be good, right?

Zerothis

Will Wright Quits Electronic Arts! Gamers Rejoice!

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:31:54 +0200

He's doing so cautiously but he's left EA and the company he co-founded, Maxis. He's now working full time at [url=http://www.thestupidfunclub.com/]The Stupid Fun Club[/url], a company he had previously founded before quitting. He's supposedly maintaining a partnership with EA, unfortunately. But we shall see if he can now make games without EA mucking them up. I'm praying he'll cut ties completely. He joins [url=http://2dboy.com/]Ron Carmel & Kyle Gabler[/url] as recent artists to be liberated from the evil megacorporation. So, did EA's DRM infection of Spore have anything to do with it?

Zerothis

English closed beta starts on July 28th.

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:36:01 +0200

English closed beta starts on July 28th.

[b]2009-06-24[/b] — [company=Lockpick Entertainment]Lockpi

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:02:49 +0200

[b]2009-06-24[/b] — [company=Lockpick Entertainment]Lockpick[/company] filed for bankruptcy; intentions are to keep Dreamlords running despite this.

[b]2009-02-19[/b] — [company=Electronic Arts]EA[/company]

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:16:55 +0100

[b]2009-02-19[/b] — [company=Electronic Arts]EA[/company] and [company=Spicy Horse]Spicy Horse[/company] team up to create sequel to [game=#428]American McGee's Alice[/game] (2000).

[b]2009-02-11[/b] — [company=Sega]Sega[/company] announced

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:30:12 +0100

[b]2009-02-11[/b] — [company=Sega]Sega[/company] announced a new sequel to be in development by [company=Rebellion]Rebellion[/company], tentatively titled [i]Aliens vs. Predator[/i] for the time being. Projected for release in 2010.

SimCity is OpenSource

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:16:07 +0100

GPL code, called Micropolis, has been donated by Electronic Arts of all corporations! How is this possible?! (Armageddon must be just around the corner). Well, people have been saying for years that [url=http://ea-spouse.livejournal.com/]EA is evil[/url] and sometimes EA even offers [game=#38049]proof[/game]. But EA must have finally believed it when someone pointed out they weren't contributing anything to to the [url=http://laptop.org/]One Laptop Per Child[/url] project. SimCity itself remains proprietary. EA is reserving their right to approve or disapprove of the use of their trademarkes which have been removed from the released code; which is called Micropolis (SimCity's working title). This means that future versions of Micropolis could carry the official 'SimCity' trademark but only with EA's prior approval. The code has been update from 'creative' C to ANSI C++ by Don Hopkins, who did the SunOS port of SimCity.
[url=http://www.donhopkins.com/home/micropolis/]Get it! Get it![/url]

Zerothis

New lightweight Mozilla browser, Fennec

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:23:39 +0100

Fennec alpha 1 was released to the public on 2008-12-23. Named after arguably the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennec_Fox][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Fennec_Fox_%40_Africa_Alive%2C_Lowestoft.jpg/120px-Fennec_Fox_%40_Africa_Alive%2C_Lowestoft.jpg[/img] world's cutest predator[/url][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Fennec_Fox_%40_Africa_Alive%2C_Lowestoft.jpg/120px-Fennec_Fox_%40_Africa_Alive%2C_Lowestoft.jpg[/img][media]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Fennec_Singing.ogg[/media]. Fennec is a Mozilla based browser aimed at the mobile computer market (tablets, cell phones, MIDs). With Firefox 3.0 becoming a bloated beast, some people are discussing the possibility of using Fennec on their desktop instead. It already has [url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fennec/search?q=&cat=all&as=true&vfuz=true&appid=60&lver=any&hver=any&atype=0&pid=0&lup=&pp=100&sort=]over 150 add-ons[/url]. Including noscript.

Its supposed to use less than 6MB, load google.com in under three seconds, download faster, automatically pan and zoom, have and all-in-one search and address bar, block popups, add/update/remove itself and add-ons (No PC host needed), and be QT compatible (KDE users rejoice).

Zerothis

[i]Dungeon Keeper Online[/i] announced by Electronic Arts on

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:08:06 +0100

[i]Dungeon Keeper Online[/i] announced by Electronic Arts on 2008-12-01, to be developed by NetDragon. Release targeted only at Greater China region for now.