It's the summer summer time - June 19 2005 @ 21:00 PM GMT+1 ~ Ferry

You'll see new photos and articles appear at random all over the site during the course of the coming three months. As my studies wind down I'll find more time to upload these hundreds of images, but like in the past, I won't be updating every single time I do this, mainly because it's boring to both you and me, but I'll post when something cool comes up. After cleaning up the spam on our email address, I'd like to once again give you my apologies for replying so slowly to the nearly 250 people waiting for a response or to get their reader tributes posted. I'll get to it soon and don't blaim Ikoda nor Pete, it's cold in Australia and they are probably too busy warming up playing Virtual Boy. There isn't a better excuse really, I mean "Have You Played Your Virtual Boy Today?"

Rumor mill, 3D technology, E3, Nintendo and the future - April 25 2005 @ 20:00 PM GMT+1 ~ Ferry

This is a rumor about the Nintendo Revolution (aka N5). Don't skip this though, because it's has to do with your hopes and dreams as well as mine and those are nice to read about. If you don't feel like reading it all, skip to the "Okay" part. I'd be the first to say spong isn't the most credible source, but they are always fun to read and in this case they are bringing someone else's news. Broken Saints has been in talks with various Hollywood studios of late about its franchise, as well as several major games companies. Anyway, here are Burgess’ thoughts reproduced in full:

"As you’ve read in the last couple of posts, I’ve yapped with journalists and developers who are pretty confident regarding some of the Revolution’s features. I had been hearing about these bits and bobs for months, but as a diehard Nintendo fan there was nothing to really spark my passion - especially considering the Cube’s lacklustre software showing several YEARS into its life cycle. But, for the sake of the lazy multitudes, here’s a quick feature recap:

GYROSCOPIC CONTROL: Several sources have suggested that the new control scheme will SUPPORT positional shifts a la Kirby’s Tilt ‘n’ Tumble. This means that not EVERY game will require you to pull a Pisa, but that Nintendo is championing the integration of this feature into at least one of their launch games. Talking with several developers, we agreed that this could work well for navigation games and maybe some sports experiences…but it’s nothing they’d be eager to program for.

TOUCHSCREEN INTEGRATION: I’ve heard from more than one reputable source that either a DS style touchscreen or an actual proprietary PDA device with be part of the new controller. As you discussed yesterday in COMMENTS, this makes sense with Nintendo’s technology partners, the creation of the DS, and Nintendo’s push towards ‘tactile’ experiences. Not a hard thing to program for and most likely a smart move, as Microsoft and PS3 will almost assuredly support some sort of integrated screen/handheld configuration.

WIRELESS: I popped up some clues yesterday regarding what I’ve heard about their wireless plans, and can most assuredly state that the unit will ship with wireless controllers like X-Box 2. But as IGN and others have pointed out, Nintendo’s pushing hard with their wireless technology and partnerships, and my sources support that it will go well beyond mere controller connection and into the realm of some serious data transfer: touchscreen/pda and machine, player-to-player, Rev to DS, Rev to PC, and Rev to Rev (both in-home and with locally based wireless ‘tribes’).

Okay. No major revelations there, but I bet its got you thinking about future game design and interactive potential, yes? Yes…but for me, the first twinge of excitement regarding this machine didn’t come until the final pieces of the long-rumoured DISPLAY puzzle fell into place:

- the IGN boys posted this regarding a patent for Nintendo’s upcoming display technology, which I linked to a few days ago. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to glean that this conceptually portrays a form of 3D image projection.

- at a major film conference called ShoWest just last month, a panel featuring George Lucas, Robert Zemekis, James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez, and a satellite feed from Peter Jackson has studio reps, journalists, and theatre owners seriously jazzed about their plans to integrate cheap digital stereoscopic 3D (like recent IMAX features or the old school Captain EO experience at Epcot) into ALL major chains by 2007. Lucas even showed several minutes of the original STAR WARS with remapped visuals that popped off the screen and hovered in front of audience members. When an agent friend of mine was chatting with Rodriguez (there to pump Sin City and discuss his experiences with Spy Kids 3D), he mentioned how they were aware of a game machine beating them to the mainstream 3D market.

- the next day, I contacted another strangely influential industry pal/pundit and shared my thesis purely for fun’s sake (and perhaps some extremely lame bragging rights). The final shiny block of tetrisy knowledge slid into place when he excitedly shared the following - that the Big N had shown a real-time 3D add-on for GameCube behind closed doors…AT LAST YEAR’S E3. It has since gone MIA. This is the sound of four rows dropping.

More details and potential software discussion to follow…for now, I’m eager to hear YOUR thoughts. How will stereoscopic 3D gaming usher in the ‘Revolution’ that Nintendo has been trumpeting? Will it end up nothing more than a Virtual Boy style gimmick, or will custom 3D glasses become the big fashion accessory of 2007 and beyond? With graphics chip codenames like Hollywood and Broadway, does this signal Nintendo’s plans to make more cinematic games that mimic the upcoming 3D theatrical experience? If (and, from what I’m hearing, this will be a VERY big IF) Nintendo shows their hand at this year’s E3 by giving everyone at their annual press conference a pair of 3D glasses to wear, will players care?"

GAMES mag features VB - April 06 2005 @ 20:33 PM GMT+1 ~ Ferry

Sometimes it's good to see a nice article being written about our Virtual Boy in print. Rick sure seems to like his, and gave it some well deserved praise a few months ago. If you're thinking of buying a Virtual Boy or if you're a just fan of the system, I think you'll enjoy reading this. Here are pages 142, 143 & 144 from the December 2004 25th issue of GAMEStm magazine's Retro section.

With these scans added, I only have 1012 more images to add to the website, yay or something!

Lost In Translation? - April 01 2005 @ 18:00 PM GMT+1 ~ Ferry

Hi all! Ferry is back from busyland :) I got this amazingly cool, yet terribly disturbing, email from a contact in Japan. The big news should be obvious, don't pay any attention to the Engrish. "in me there is a store of the game in japan。the housing of the game of extreme famicom of nintendo was given to me in 1996。that is kind is shown 3d battle'ball which is not released when my camera has been bad as for state that therefore image is bad for you the many ways is to in fact it is the boy。" Although I haven't gotten any more replies, I've already asked for more pictures and a price for this proto if it's for sale!? Wow 3D!

BLINK 182 BREAK UP! oh and Nintendo DS released in Australia - February 23 2005 @ 1:32 PM GMT+1billion ~ Iko Da

Ok so not VB news but my Fav band of all time Blink 182 have broken up! I'm sure there are some VB fans who love Blink so this is relevant! (It is Ferry!!!)
Photo Courtesy of CRX media.

The Nintendo DS launches in Australia Officially Tomorrow but it has been released early by a few retailers (who will probably get reamed for it). Planning on picking one up but Pete tells me I'm a stupid head if I do, email me and let me know what I should do! :)

WTF has happened & The great VB Development Cart - February 16 2005 @ 12:41 PM GMT+1billion ~ Iko Da

I go away for a few months and what happens? I really don't know actually because I haven't checked my emails. Ferry could be on a one way trip to the Caribbean for all I know, so if your reading this buddy give us a yell.

Ok for those who haven't already seen it, a VB Dev cart is on ebay. Purchased from "Athena" the cart with EEPROMS could be anything, but most likely nothing. The item is sold "as-is", the seller has questionable Feedback, the starting bid is $5k US and he didn't have a VB (worth a few pennies) to check it. My advice folks is that if it was that "valuable" the seller would have taken the time to get access to a VB and test it. Explaining what is on it would be of much more value, or did he and is it blank? Who knows but I for one am not spending 5K to find out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8170790667

and head down to our friends at ASSEMbler for a discussion on this topic.

Soon a new Main page will be arriving and some more great updates. Actually HUGE updates as ferry has 1000's of new items to put up! For now check all the previous updates HERE.

Virtual-Boy.Net 2004 News Archive
Virtual-Boy.Net 2003 News Archive
Virtual-Boy.Net 2002 News Archive
Virtual-Boy.Net 2001 News Archive
Ferry's New VB Page 2000 News Archive
Weird Shit Zone 1998 - 2001 News Archive