The finest in American engineering and pinball amusements.

Been kind of slow lately (could the recession be catching up to me?) so I’ve made a lot of progress on Bill Paxton Pinball. Features now include:

• Up to 4 players per game - Modes are shared between players so it’s a race to see who can activate the big point bonus first.
• High score save - Saved in the unused top half of EEPROM so it’s there forever, unless specifically wiped or of course beaten.
• Animation - Using a separate program from the main kernel, Windows bitmaps are pre-loaded off SD onto the EEPROM for faster access during play.
• Non-buggy sound playback - Sounds can interrupt each other without chance of lockup, thanks to a system of flags that properly closes any playing file before opening a new one.

In some sad news, there will come a point where updates on BPP come to a stop as the unit nears completion and I’ll want to keep its final look a secret until the reveal. This will probably happen when I put the main artwork on the playfield. However the goal still is to have this done in time for the Midwest Gaming Classic 2010 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, so it’s playable at our booth.

Again, this is being done as a personal “fun” project and is not for resale, however if you’d like your own custom pinball made I would be willing to discuss ideas. I may create a “kit” of the circuitry when it’s all said and done.

More info and video after the break!

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In this podcast we discuss game ratings and the double standards that exist between that and movies, morality in games and how the advanced storytelling can affect the way we feel, and finally we go on for quite a while about how the government / nation should get back into the space race.

Listen to Benheck.com Podcast Episode 66

www.benheckpodcast.com

From the press release:

For 2010, Ben Heckendorn and his forums members return to make the benheck.com experience even better than 2009! Project reveals and discussion, real time modding and even the ability for show-goers to bring their own consoles to be modded by benheck.com regulars will be available as the benheck.com Experience moves into it’s own room and they throw out all of the rules about how your console or controller needs to look.

Check out the official site!

We’re back again! In the last podcast we forgot to talk about the Xbox Dashboard update beta that Jones is participating in. Thus, we cranked out this new podcast quickly so we could discuss these changes before the update goes live.

We also - once again - discuss how Robert Zemekis needs to ditch the motion capture and make real movies again, other things we’re tired of in movies, and of course Modern Warfare 2.

Listen to Benheck.com Podcast Episode 65

www.benheckpodcast.com

Free add for Midwest Steel - you’re welcome.

Came across these while cleaning crap off my desk. When I need to come up with a new design I usually go to the bar and doodle on paper / drink beer until I come up with something.

As you can see it’s fairly close to the final design of the PS3 Slim Laptop. More drawings after the jump!

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Finally finished the prototype of the PlayStation 3 controller monitor. It is very similar to the Xbox 360 version that was first used in the development of Modern Warfare 2 and other games. Some notes:

• No analog stick indicators yet. (The early 360 versions didn’t have these either)
• Runs off its own power source (2 AA batteries)

If you feel this would be of use to your game development, please send me an email. I hope to improve this model with future versions.

Inside the controller. It uses a secondary, keyboard-like screen printed conductive ink surface (under the normal button plastic) to duplicate the buttons for the monitor display.

(From The Score Online website)

You might have seen the famous Ben Heck PS3 Slim Laptop around the internet.  He’s taken a PS3 Slim and converted it into a fully-functional, portable PlayStation 3 device. It’s the only one in the known universe.  And it can be yours this holiday season.

For every $50 you spend at The Score of Cool Springs between now and December 19 at 6 PM, or every $25 in trades you bring to The Score during the same time period, you get an entry into the contest for this amazing piece of custom hardware. Buying or renewing a Score Membership, purchasing the ScoreSwap(tm) game rental membership (annual), or booking a birthday or private party in full for sometime in the next calendar year will earn you 3 extra entries apiece.

And plan on shopping with us on Black Friday - besides some killer deals, you’ll get double the entries into the drawing on that day for what you spend.

We already have the lowest prices in town and the best trade-in credit.  Throw in the chance of a lifetime to win an amazing PS3 Slim Laptop, and why would you shop anywhere else?

Check out the official website for more!

Hey we’re back on a sort-of-regular schedule again! (Must be all the fiber)

In this episode we discuss:

1. The ever-fabled Christmas podcast intro.
2. Skymall
3. The current 3D rage in movies. Does it add to the experience, will it last and why don’t you get a discount for re-using your glasses?
4. Retail copies of games including DLC codes as a “bonus” for people that buy it new. Will this curb used game sales, or is it a slippery slope of death towards “crippling” used games?
5. Online gaming in PC’s versus consoles. This stems from the changes found in the PC version of Modern Warfare 2. What things do PC gamers cling too, and what console-like features might they actually appreciate?

We actually rambled on for quite a while in this podcast and completely forgot to talk about the new Xbox Live update which Jones has had for a while. If possible we will try and get the next podcast done before that actually comes out so we’ll still appear timely.

Listen to Benheck.com Podcast Episode 64

www.benheckpodcast.com

I have completed a batch of Xbox 360 controller monitors. These new versions use a PCB motherboard for fast turnaround time. If you think this would be of use for your game development company, please contact me for ordering info. More pics / info below, you can also check out the Sales Page.

Hey, the first game that one of these was used for is coming out soon - Modern Warfare 2! Maybe I’ll get a special thanks in the credits, who knows?

PS3 version prototype should be done in 2-3 weeks, stay tuned for more info.

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Just got back from the Infinite Bits convention - it was a great show and I was glad to join them, thanks everyone!

However, I have noticed that by flying somewhat frequently but not constantly I can see a tangible decrease in service every time. As such, I have prepared this photo montage which pretty much sums up the experience as it stands now…

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