Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance (often shortened to GBA) is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia on june 22, 2001, in Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People'sRepublic of China on June 8, 2004 (excluding Hong Kong).
In 1996, magazines including issues 53 and 54 of Total! and the July 1996 issue of Game Informer featured reports of a new Game Boy, codenamed Project Atlantis. Although the expected release date of "early 1997" would make this machine seem to be the Game Boy Color, it was described as having "a 32-bit RISC processor" and "allowing similar to SNES standard games-playing to be played in the palm of your hand"—a description that more closely matches the Game Boy Advance.

PlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable (better known and abbreviated as PSP) is a handheld game console released and manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. Its development was first announced during E3 2003, and it was officially unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, North America on March 24, 2005 and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005. It is the first handheld video game system to use an optical disc format (Universal Media Disc).
A new slimmer and lighter version of the PSP, appropriately titled Slim and Lite, was announced on July 11, 2007, during Sony's press conference at E3 2007. It was released in the US, Europe and Japan in September 2007 with various colours and a different box packaging to the original PSP. Among these versions, three were physically shown at E3 2007: a white version with a Star Wars imprint, a piano black version and an ice silver version.

PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3,[5] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game systems.
A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network,[6] which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on games' developers for online play.[7] Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities,[8] connectivity with the PlayStation Portable,[9] and its use of a next-gen optical media, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.[10]
The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan,[11] November 17, 2006 in North America,[12 and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania,[13][14] with two stock keeping units (SKUs): a basic version with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD), and a premium version with a 60 GB HDD and several additional features.[15] (The 20 GB version was not released in Europe or Oceania.)[16] Since then, the console has had several revisions made to its available SKUs and has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles.[17] As of December 20, 2007, the PS3 is in third place in home console sales for its generation.[18]
The Playstation 3 is unique among games consoles in having a Blu-ray Disc player. Sony are hoping that this will boost its sales, now that the Blu-ray Disc has beaten HD DVD in the High definition optical disc format war, after many major U.S Studios backed the format. This caused Toshiba to announce that they were stopping the development of HD DVDs.

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 (abbreviated "PS2") is Sony's second video game console, the successor to the successful PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3 as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was released a year later in Japan.
The PS2 is part of the sixth generation era, and is the best-selling console to date,[5][6] having reached over 120 million units in sales in 2007.[2] On November 19, 2005, the PS2 became the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch. This achievement occurred faster than its predecessor, the PlayStation, which took "9 years and 6 months since launch" to reach the same benchmark

Only a few million people had obtained consoles by the end of 2000 due to manufacturing delays.[8] After its release, it was difficult to find PS2 units on retailer shelves.[9] Another option was purchasing the console online through auction websites such as eBay, where people paid over $1000 for a PS2.[10] The PS2 initially sold well partly on the basis of the strength of the PlayStation brand and the console's backward compatibility, selling over 980,000 units by March 5, 2000, one day after launch, in Japan.[11] This allowed the PS2 to tap the large install base established by the PlayStation — another major selling point over the competition. Later, Sony gained momentum with new development kits for game developers and more PS2 units for consumers.
A notable piece of advertising for the PS2 launch was accompanied by the popular "PS9" television commercial. 9 was to be the epitome of development, toward which the PS2 was the next step. The ad also presaged the development of a portable PlayStation[citation needed] (first released in Japan on December 12, 2004).
Many analysts predicted a close three-way matchup between the PS2 and competitors Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube (GameCube being the cheapest of the three consoles and had an open market of games); however, the release of several blockbuster games during the 2001 holiday season maintained sales momentum and held off the PS2's rivals.[12]
Although Sony, unlike Sega with its Dreamcast, placed little emphasis on online gaming during its first years[citation needed], that changed upon the launch of the online-capable Xbox. Sony adapted in late 2002 to compete with Microsoft, with several online first–party titles released alongside it, such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs to demonstrate its active support for Internet play. Sony also advertised heavily, and its online model had the support of Electronic Arts. Although Sony and Nintendo both started out late, and although both followed a decentralized model of online gaming where the responsibility is up to the developer to provide the servers, Sony's attempt made online gaming a major selling point of the PS2.
In September 2004, in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Sony revealed a new, slimmer PS2 (see Hardware revisions). In preparation for the launch of a new, slimmer PS2 model (SCPH-70000; also known unofficially as the "PStwo"), Sony stopped making the older PS2 model (SCPH-5000x) during the summer of 2004 to let the distribution channel empty its stock of the units. After an apparent manufacturing issue caused some initial slowdown in producing the new unit, Sony reportedly underestimated demand, caused in part by shortages between the time the old units were cleared out and the new units were ready. The issue was compounded in Britain when a Russian oil tanker became stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking a ship from China carrying PS2s bound for the UK. During one week in November, British sales totaled 6,000 units — compared to 70,000 units a few weeks prior.[13] There were shortages in more than 1700 stores in North America on the day before Christmas.[14

In September 2004, Sony unveiled its third major hardware revision (V12, model number SCPH-70000). Available in November 2004, it is smaller, thinner, and quieter than the older versions and includes a built-in Ethernet port (in some markets it also has an integrated modem). Due to its thinner profile, it does not contain the 3.5" expansion bay and therefore does not support the internal hard disk drive. It also lacks an internal power supply, similar to the GameCube, and has a modified MultiTap expansion. The removal of the expansion bay has been criticized as a limitation due to the existence of titles such as Final Fantasy XI, which require the use of the HDD. The official PS2 Linux also requires an expansion bay to function. Currently only the modified MultiTap is sold in stores, meaning that owners of older PS2s must find a used or non-Sony MultiTap in order to have 4 or 8 players during a single game. Third-party connectors can be soldered into the unit giving hard drive support, however IDE connections were completely removed in the V14 revision, thereby eliminating this option.

Comparison of the Slimline PlayStation 2 design with the PlayStation 2, with an Eye Toy on top.
There are some disputes on the numbering for this PS2 version,[citation needed] since there are actually two sub-versions of the SCPH-70000. One of them includes the old EE and GS chips, and the other contains the newer unified EE+GS chip, but otherwise they are identical. Since the V12 version had already been established for this model, there were some disputes regarding these sub-versions. Two propositions were to name the old model (with separate EE and GS chips) V11.5 and the newer model V12, and to name the old model V12 and the newer model V13. Currently, most people use V12 for both models, or V12 for the old model and V13 for the newer one.
The V12 model was first released in black, but a silver edition is available in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, South Africa, and most recently, North America. It is unknown whether or not this will follow the color schemes of the older model, although a limited edition Pink PS2 has become available since March 2007.
V12 (or V13) was succeeded by V14 (SCPH-75001 and SCPH-75002), which contains integrated EE and GS chips, and different ASICs compared to previous revisions, with some chips having a copyright date of 2005, compared to 2000 or 2001 for earlier models. It also has a different lens and some compatibility issues with a different number of PlayStation games and even some PS2 games.
In the beginning of 2005 it was found that some black slimline console power transformers bought between November and December 2004 were faulty and could overheat. The units were recalled by Sony, with the company supplying a replacement model made in 2005

The Law Of Supply And Demand In Xbox 360

The Law Of Supply And Demand In Xbox 360
Microsoft Corp. is well known as a software developer and founder of the most used operating system in the whole word, Windows. In recent years however, they have tried to expand their image by entering the video game industry by releasing the original Xbox. The Xbox 360 is seen as Microsoft cementing their place within the said industry. The Xbox 360 was just recently released to the market and gamers are clamoring over it. All around the United States and even in certain parts of the world, Xbox enthusiasts were eagerly awaiting the official launch in retail stores. Long lines were formed in some cities in anticipation of this video game console from Microsoft.A natural concern for retailers when gamers line up for something such as the Xbox 360 is an adequate number of units to sell. Since there were long lines, retailers had to make sure they had a sufficient supply of Xbox 360 units since they didn’t want the customers to come out unhappy due to a product being out of stock. In anticipation of the number of buyers as well as the hype surrounding the launch of this unit, several retailers asked for additional supplies.The bad news is not all retailers were able to do this. There have been reports of a shortage of supplies in some areas, especially in the first week of sales. This is because customers wanted to get their hands on an Xbox 360 when it was first released, not wanting to wait for the following shipment.As of the present time, there is no shortage of Xbox 360 units as there are adequate supplies particularly all over the United States. This doesn’t mean to say that the demand for the Xbox 360 isn't there anymore – for sales are still on a positive note. Additionally, retailers can expect better news come 2007, the time when most of the anticipated titles will be released – which will mean more Xbox unit sales.Now is the perfect time to get your own Xbox 360 unit if you haven’t yet. There is a high probability that there are still units left, plus the fact that you have time to get used to the better graphics, sound, and controls before the highly anticipated games are released in 2007.The Xbox 360 supply count is now stable. All over the world, there are numbers of units of Xbox 360 available. There certainly is no supply shortage of this console.

Cheats And Codes For xBox 360: February's Top 4

All xBox 360 fanatics who want to have an edge with the most popular titles know how important it is to get their hands on the latest cheats and codes. If you are one of the brave who isn't concerned with the "ethical" issues of using this information to your advantage, please read on. Below you will find five of the most popular cheats and codes for top xBox 360 titles as uncovered for February, 20007.Cheat Number 1: Increase Your Chainsaw Power In "Dead Rising"If you enjoy fighting zombies as Frank West in "Dead Rising", you already know how helpful many of the items in the shopping mall can be. In some cases, they can even add more power to the weapons you collect. For example, after destroying Adam the clown, you've likely picked up his chainsaws to use against the undead. Here's the cheat: As soon as you've got his chainsaws, go to a bookstore and get a copy of the book "Engineering". As long as this book is in your possession, your chainsaws will last several times longer. Saw away! Cheat Number 2: Unlock All Boxing Venues In "Fight Night Round 3"Fight Night Round 3 is one of the top ranked boxing titles for the xBox 360. The realism of fist-to-face action comes alive with the incredible graphics and audio. On top of that, there are so many great venues to battle in, that this game never seems to go stale. If your patience does wear thin though and you want to unlock all the venues at once, just do the following. First, go to the "create champ" mode. Next, create a new character and give him the firstname "NEWVIEW". When you save this character, all the boxing boards will be unlocked for you!Cheat Number 3: Restore Your Health In "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter"Based on the Tom Clancy novel, this Ghost Recon title is a graphically superior tactical fighting game that has become very popular since it's release. As your character Scott Mitchell is fighting in Mexico City though, he might take a few more hits than you'd like. Before Scott kicks the bucket, try this cheat:First, press pause during game action. Now, hold down the back button and the right and left triggers at the same time. While these are held down, enter LB, LB, RB, X, RB, Y. If you do this, your health should be restored back to 100% and you can continue the battle.Cheat Number 4: Instant Weapons In "Saints Row"Being a member of the 3rd Street Saints and trying to take back the city of Stilwater has plenty of challenges. Luckily, the fight becomes a little easier if you know how to spawn extra weapons when you need them. Want an instant rocket launcher? No problem, just dial "#Rocket Enables". How about a pipe bomb? Punching "#Pipebomb Enables" into your cell will get you one. And if you're about to engage in some hand-to-hand combat, call "#Knife Enables" and you'll have a knife at your disposal.Keep in mind though, never save your game when using any of the above cheats, as it will disable all of your achievements!With theses cheats and codes for the xBox 360 added to your gaming arsenal, you'll soon find you have an advantage over your competitors. Remember to use this information judicially though, as incorporating too many cheats into your gameplay can destroy some of the thrill of the more challenging titles.

The Most Popular Xbox Games

For its solid fans, the Xbox offers a lot of great games, but here are a few that seem to stand out from the rest. In no particular order, they are:Halo 2You've been waiting for this and it's the sequel to the fastest-selling Xbox game ever. It's not a far mutation from its mother game, but Halo 2 has enough action and excitement to be declared as a class A game. Play in single player mode to hoard all the action or share with your worthy opponent/s with the multiplayer mode. The controls are great and so are the graphics. Not a helluva lot different from Halo, but it deserves a place in your game collection just for the extra features of this new version.Electronic Arts Half-Life 2This award-winning game is pumped up for action for Xbox by Valve. You get all the stunning AI and graphics eye-candy. This is a great version of the PC game with added realism on top of its enhanced special effects. The responsiveness will tempt you to keep your doors locked in case somebody sneaks in and tries to pry you away. This game only features a single-player mode, but you'll like the experience so much you really won't care.Splinter Cell: Chaos TheorySo maybe you didn’t enjoy this game's first outing, but this one might convert you. If you like going deep into hostile territory and perform hand-to-hand combat with enemy soldiers, Splinter Cell will give you all the action. Earn rewards for your amazing stealth skills and set off the alarm without having your game stopped. Take on missions with other players for teamwork.Star Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicBattle the evil Sith as a Jedi knight 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire and save the republic. Like the dark side? Play the villain instead. Every move you make will change the future of an entire galaxy. Play at an engaging pace that lets you in on the fantasy of being really there, instead of just 'watching.'Pirates!Prefer the lure of the Jolly Roger? In this game, the whole Caribbean is your playing field. Go out to sea and fight enemy ships, avoid capture, dig up buried treasure or play along with politics and turn privateer. Whichever path you take, this game will take you back to the 17th century and let you be a pirate captain, collect great wealth and build your pirate reputation along with your ship size