UNIX / Linux – David Eggleston is working on a new UNIX port of BeebEm V2.3. Get the latest release from his web site: UNIX BeebEm

 

UNIX / Linux – Patrick Kaell V0.9p1 if still available from his web site: BeebEm V0.9p1

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Future Pinball is a real time Pinball Development System. It allows you to design and play your very own pinball simulation in True real time 3D. It uses Advanced Physics to provide the best possible Simulation of a true to life pinball machine.

 

Tables are built up out of Standard components (Plastics, Pegs, Bumpers, Lights etc..) which are placed onto the playfield via the Editor. Objects like Surfaces, Lights and Rubbers are shapeable within the editor and generated real-time when the table is played. Other objects (Bumpers, Flippers, Gates, Triggers, Targets etc..) use pre-made 3d Models

(of which there is a nice selection of each type).

 

The Table logic is scripted in Visual Basic Scripting (via the Microsoft Scripting Technology's built into Windows XP). Scripting is designed to be simple but flexible enough to allow a wide vararity of Original Games to be created. Only a limited subset of the Visual Basic Scripting Language is used as a lot of extra functionality is provided by the game engine.

 

Full Sound / Music Support is also provided with multiple Music Channels to allow cross fading.

 

Future Pinball uses the Newton Game Dynamic Physics Solution (link) for the real time simulation

of a Pinball's Physics Environment. This allows the ball to behave correctly on the playfield and interact

with other objects as it does in the real world.

Newton has allowed Future Pinball to take the next step into truly realistic play.

 

As Future Pinball is a Game Construction Program it contains some advanced concepts which may require a little

bit of time (and patience) to learn and fully understand (such as computer graphics and scripting concepts).

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Credits to the MAME32 site, who gave this opinion:

Just a note that the monumental Future Pinball has finally been released and it's instantly rekindled my interest in pinball.  Its graphic presentation and game play is so far beyond Visual Pinball it's amazing.  A full 3D World, real lighting, photo-realistic and 3D modeled components, glass reflections, hardware Open GL support, 13 camera angles including scrolling cameras add to the fun.  It's settings are scalable with various tweaks, and the full effect will require a decent machine and modern video card.  My AMD64 3700+ was hampered w/ the ATI Radeon 9600 so it accelerated the purchase of the ATI All-in-Wonder X800XT.  Just like the when VP debuted, the first tables are beginning to trickle in.

Have a look at some of the screen shots, you will be blown away!

The Neogeo CD emulator NEOGEO CDZ has had a new release, version 20051104.

The site is in Japanese, and after translation it made no more sense than before.

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Credits: Emulation64

The Official Playstation Magazine reported that Sony has elected not to use a central online gaming service for its upcoming PS3 console. Instead of using a unified system like Microsoft's Xbox Live or Nintendo's soon-to-be-launched Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Sony is taking the same path as it did with the PS2. This means that it will be up to publishers themselves to provide players with online features and, likewise, for the players to have a separate account for each publisher in order to play online.

 

While this means that Sony's publishers will have more freedom to do what they want in terms of their online content, it also means Sony will have a more difficult time controlling the quality of the online experience.

 

Many members of the gaming community consider Microsoft's development of the Xbox Live network one of the most significant aspects of the Xbox system. Because of the prevalence of Xbox Live, online support has become increasingly common on games released for the Xbox. Microsoft hopes to make their online service an even more integral part of console gaming with the release of the Xbox 360, which includes support for a free version of the online service.

 

Nintendo is also moving forward with plans to create a unified online service with the launch of their Wi-Fi Connection come Christmas. Previously considered the lagging competitor in terms of online support (the GameCube has virtually no online games available for the system), Nintendo has been aggressively promoting their service, recently striking a deal with McDonald's to offer free Wi-Fi access to Nintendo DS units.

 

Sony's decision to remain with a non-unified online network seems to be going against the grain of the next-generation consoles.

 

Whether this will turn out to be a mistake for Sony remains to be seen. Poor promotion was one of the key factors to the lackluster online support for the PS2. Sure, it worked well for a couple games, but overall it was a dud. If Sony puts a decent amount of effort into showing that it wants to be in the online arena, the PS3 could very well be right in the middle of the online mix this next generation. However, seeing that Nintendo has recently opened its eyes to online gaming and is preparing to go head to head with Microsoft's already strong online support, one would have to wonder why Sony is relatively uninterested in trying to get its own piece of the pie.

No Xbox Live-like service for PS3 = Bad decision, espeically after playing on it, a very good service. Crazy kids aside that is.