• The MAME list updating now does a more thorough search for recommended and games in series.
• In addition, when updating the MAME list - MAME32 favorites and custom lists are loaded at the start and any games in these lists are now forced to be present, overriding any other filters.
• There is a new "remove duplicates/clean list" feature which defaults to on if using a game filter and clones. This produces a clean list of games for MAME, and is more like what I intended from the beginning for GameEx MAME support. Supporting clones but a filtered list.
• Video box art downloading was broken and is now fixed.
• Another new feature is now GameEx will try to download a description for DVDs and Videos.
• When in thumbnail view, video and DVD preview thumbs will be created even if the preview videos setting is off. In addition if it cannot create a preview thumb it will not try again.
• The preview videos feature has been extended to allow not previewing for DVDs and large video files (ie HD).
• When selecting ebooks, pictures or videos, GameEx will now navigate directly to within the folder if you only have one path setup.
• Note: If you are upgrading, the new features are configurable.

• Fixes error when using a custom genre.
• Fixes issue not finding drives if many are installed.
• Lyric download working again.

• For registered users:
• The ebook and game manual viewer now supports txt files.
• Although already supported in GameEx cbz and cbr comic files can now also be used for game maunals for MAME and emulators
• Fixes issue where MAME game manual would not show if for the games parent
• The package in the setup and the offline installer for ebooks and game manuals has been updated and will need to be installed again for txt file support

• Spesoft Image Converter 2.5 released
• Allows batch conversion of PDF files
• Converts from text files to any format including PDF
• Product Home Page

• Fixes logo drop down selection not updating in Setup Wizard
• Fixes error when using the MAME emu map feature with certain MAME versions
• Fixes parameters not working when using Also Launch with an emulator
• Development has been moved to visual studio 2008 from 2005. Not really relevant apart from the fact the executable is a little smaller and therefore might perform a bit better

• Fixes minor bug in the Setup Wizard

Always trying to improve and make setup more accessible in the world of emulation front ends, we are pleased to release GameEx version 10.35.

Featuring an updated Setup Wizard application by Ben Baker, with help and support from Brian Hoffman and Matt (Tempest), this release brings further enchancments and seamlessness in making the download, installation and configuration of retro gaming systems easier than ever before.

Here are the technical release notes for Setup Wizard 2.1.2

• 'Download Emulators' section will now prompt to import profiles.
• You are now always prompted for default paths, database download and emulator download when you import. You can now turn these off using the 'Always Show' checkbox.
• Sorting emulators via Name, Category, System and Emulator.
• You can now move multiple emulators up and down at once by shift/ctrl selecting emulators in 'Emulator Selection.'
• Logos now have a drop down list.
• Columns showing all the extra info added to profiles such as System, Category, Emulator, Version, Rating, DownloadUrl, RequiredFiles, Website, Info.
• Automatically creates the file structure for you when you import.
• POV Joystick support.
• Lot's of work remaking the profiles and getting downloads updated (thanks alot to Brian and Matt for the help with this).
• Updated logo's for all systems.

Happy New Year.

• New wrap around/loop list input setting feature. This was a highly requested feature.
• The start menu program group has been reorganised and now looks much better on newer windows versions.
• Note: If your upgrading the old start menu items wil not be deleted. You can however just delete the program group prior to installing

• Several small bug fixes
• Background now fades in when changing when using default display settings
• Emulator theme layouts now load after a list change rather than incorrectly before

• Adds conversion from RA (Real Audio), AU, and ATRAC audio files.
• Supports audio files with no or the wrong extension.
• Product Home Page

• Removed windows media player detection, requirement and install from setup package.
• Removed Windows Media Player requirement from Video and DVD Playback. Windows Media Player is now only optionally required for Jukebox WMP mode

• Several enhancments to audio visualizations. Windows Media Player is no longer a requirement, and Sonique, BassBox and windows media player plugins are supported. You can select which visualization to show directly within GameEx and additional ones can be added in the media\visualizations folder. Fixes issue where audio would lose sync coming in and out of visualizing, and the whole process is much more seamless. When GameEx shows the currently playing track it will also show a visualization while in the menus. This is also now shown in all modules.
• New screensaver mode to suspend the system.
• Fixes issue where audio not working after a resume from suspend

• Windows Media Player is no longer a requirement in the setup package.
• Improved performance of roms in folders

• Fixes intermitent startup intro display issue
• Improved startup speed
• Other minor work

• GameEx will now detect gamepad attachment and removal
• Gamepad POV support. Currently can only be customised via custominput.ini. Will be configurable via the setup wizard in the next release.
• New setting to enable gamepad support just for activity checking. This allows gamepad detection for the screensaver and inactivity timer but ignores usage in the front end. If your using gamepads but using something like xpadder instead of the gameex support then turn this on.
• Ive spent several days working on the video and dvd playtback resulting n the following fixes and enhancments:
• Fixes DVD menu overlays not showing
• On Vista and Windows 7 the Enhanced Video Renderer (EVR) is now used instead of VMR 9. This improves quality considerably on windows 7 as VMR 9 does not use any scaling filters on Win 7
• When EVR is used 4:3 content on widescreen displays will be dynamically streteched as it reaches the edge of the display improving the viewing experience
• Fixes mouse moving during playback
• Fixes issue where 4:3 DVDs could not be stretched on widescreen displays
• Improved memory usage
• Responsivness improved
• Removed old compatibilty code used for when Vista RTM was buggy with Aero Glass turned off. GameEx wil now run much better on Vista and Windows 7 if Aero not turned on
• By default Gameex will use its own player for WMV files and not windows media player now. If you want to play DRM content there is a new setting to use windows media player
• Fixes first preview video not playing if first item in the list when GameEx starts up
• New startup animation for default theme
• Fixes window animations not being restored on exit
• Headkaze has been working hard on some nice enhancments to the Setup Wizard. They should hopefully be available soon

• Lyrics now working again thanks to lyricsplugin.com
• Daphne launch before and after now accepts rom as variable in command line

• Now allows batch conversion of audio in video files instead of previously only one file at a time.
• New options to stream files to a web browser. In built mini streaming server.
• Product home page

• Can now select an alternative MIDI sound font to use for conversion.
• New settings to specify play length for emulated game music files.
• Product home page

• Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Convert images into text files; with recognition performed after image processing to allow effects and resizing to improve accuracy.
• Convert to and from PDF files
• DPI Increased when converting from vector formats
• Handles files with no extension
• Improved handling of multiple page images

• Enhancments:
• DVDs on Disk now features a resume option when returning to a movie
• When playing videos and DVDs the window can now be resized without stopping playback
• Snap images and preview videos are now loaded on a thread, providing smoother navigation
• Faster brigtness adjustment (alpha blending) in 32 bit colour when playing preview videos as the background image
• Slightly quicker startup and return from emulators
• Changes:
• New windows media center start page logo thanks to Alan Reddan
• Pictures and videos now default to standard user documents paths for new installs
• VMR9 now default for new installs
• Detection if preview videos fail and turning off future previews
• Fixes:
• Fixes aspect ratio getting distorted in slideshows
• Some image fille types not playing in slideshows
• Fixes movie database info not showing for DVDs on Disk when video previews are off

• Just a maintenance release
• Fixes custom setup types in the setup wizard
• When using custom menus and logoff, now works with Ben Baker's login application

• Fixes album art downloading

• Fixes various emulator database and map file matching issues
• Improved caching of emulator databases. May result in speed increase
• Due to the above emulator databases will recache on first run after installing this release
• Setup Wizard now allows configuration of the three custom emulator artwork paths
• When selecting to edit keyboard or joystick controls in the advanced config tool the setup wizard will now launch on the appropriate page to allow easier configuration
• Several other minor fixes

• Movie/Album artwork and description download working again
• Fixes issue where album cover downloading was not accurate
• Videos with 3GP and M4V extensions are now supported

• New launch before and launch after settings for Daphne
• Fixes issue showing wrong system Biography
• MAME is now linked to the all games list when selecting more games from the same category, developer or year

• Jukebox can now read MP4 tags
• Key/Combo to toggle external sub titles. As per previous release audio and subtitle stream switching is now supported. Ill also be adding a pop up menu to the video/dvd player in a future release to simplify selection of audio streams, subtitles, zooming and dvd navigation.
• New setting to allow turning off of the launching game dialog shown when running MAME and Daphne games

• Now converts ADX files
• Now converts OptimFrog files
• Improved converting from video files
• Now converts AC3 from video files.

• Fixes utilization issue, affecting smoothness of DVD and video playback

• Theme Editor 2.2 by Ben Baker
• New feature to right justify title text
• New option to hide list number text
• Font styles (bold, italic etc) are now implemented
• The settings have been tidied up and now both the title font and main font can be changed seperatly
• Emulator Databases
• Lawrence has been diligently carrying on Flash's work on the databases, and updated and improved files are available with this release. Thanks Lawrence
• To get the files do a manual install of GameEx and ensure to keep the database download option selected. As always GameEx will automatically upgrade
• Other changes
• Keyboard remapping now supports mouse buttons
• After GameEx has launched something it now uses less cpu time when running in the background
• Fixes error at end of install launching setup wizard when UAC is turned on

Spesoft Text To MP3 Speaker uses "Text to Speech" technology and can convert text into a MP3/OGG/WAV audio file.

It uses standard SAPI technology and is an easy to use solution to convert any text file or cut and pasted text to an audio file.

The rate of the voice along with volume and pitch can be modified.

Support ID3 Tag for MP3 and OGG Files (you may add such info as Author, Year, etc. into MP3)

Convert text to MP3: full text or just selected parts, quickly and easily.

A quick, free and easy solution when you want to create audio files from professional SAPI speech engines.

Convert articles, emails and more and listen to them on your MP3 player.

Can create standard WAV files compatible withSpesoft free audio converter, if you wish to convert to more formats.

Link

• Allows multiple input videos.
• ISO creating.
• Option to loop/auto repeat created DVD.

• Updated LCD Plugin
• Fixes MAME list update not working first time
• Fixes removable media insert detection
• Fixes merge feature for certain naming conventions
• Now shows please wait animation when building thumbnails
• Fixes title/toolbar fading out then in when mouse over it and pressing a control
• Fixes all games list when using custom menus

• New cursor hiding plugin thanks to Stu. Allows you to hide the mouse cursor in GameEx and emulators.
• Updated advanced emulator configuration application thanks to Ben Baker. Allows the enter key to be mapped
• Ability upon setup to set Windows Media Center to use the lite version of GameEx
• Fixes issue where games do not match on game info page
• Fixes create snaps option not available

• Fixes displaying on secondary device
• Fixes issue where interface would become disabled when the screensaver ran and it had nothing to do

• Added a button to set auto login if user account has a password
• Resolves potential issue if application later deleted or moved.
• Cosmetic fixes.
• Link

• Fixes snap matching

• Faster MAME list update
• Much faster initial load and caching of emulator databases

• Input:
• ALL keyboard controls are now configurable, that means you can specifiy specific keys for volume and page up/down among others. This is of course welcome for control panels, but should also allow a wider range of remote controls to be used
• Directions are now customizable for game pads. Useful for control panels and if you want to navigate the interface with a d pad
• As with keyboard controls, now multiple buttons can be set to perform the same navigation functions with gamepads
• The global gamepad exit combo is now read and set in custominput.ini instead of previously being fixed
• If using an advanced emulator config, and not mapping the gamepad exit combo within that, GameEx will now check for the global exit combo
• Merge feature:
• There is a new merge feature for emulators that will list distinclty only one item for all clones with the same file name. When selecting the parent, the clones will be displayed on the info page. This can work in conjuction with the existing zip/7-zip support if wished. In addition Flag icons for merged and goodmerged games now work with NoIntro and Tosec format on the game info page
• Other changes:
• The MAME only mode now also allows access to favorites, last played, most played, and random game
• The MAWS live list is now working again

• The all games list now uses the start background
• Any music will now resume when retuning from an emulator list that has selection music

• Optimized version
• Fixes secondary monitor support
• Last aspect now remembered for videos

• Fixes CD and DVD insertion detection
• Fixes traditional zip support
• The all games list now includes MAME games

• Resolves stability issue with movie/dvd video previews
• Fixes last played game snap showing transparent background

• Latest Ultrastik and LCD Plugins included
• Fixes last played game snap showing transparent background
• Other minor fixes

Spesoft is pleased to announce its latest in house project and sister site Games Database.

Games Database is a site aimed at 30+ retro video game enthusiasts, with a goal of being a repository for all available media and data relating to video games.

You will find live on line videos for thousands of games. As well as artwork, and information on games, their developers, publishers and the systems they run on. It takes a slightly different approach from existing games sites, with the data being based on emulation information, and available media currently used with emulators and front ends. It also provides media such as game manuals, system manuals and advertisements in a single site.

Visit the site at http://gamesdbase.com and please spread the word about it. Due to the amount of content, hosting is not cheap, so I would like the ad supported site to become reasonably known.

The site would not be possible without the help and development work from Ben Baker of Headsoft (http://headsoft.com.au), and tireless effort from the retrobytes portal (http://retrobytesportal.co.uk) and emumovies (http://www.emumovies.com)

In the near future the site will be expanded to become a community and allow user interaction and contribution. Additional content is also constantly being added.

Feedback and suggestions are actively encouraged and there is a forum here: http://www.gameex.info/forums/index.php?showforum=12

• Updated support for Model 2 Emulator 0.9

• Includes latest version of MAME high score support
• Fixes create snaps option missing if using emulator groups
• Fixes databases not selectable in setup wizard
• Fixes advanced emulator configs retaining wrong information
• Fixes encoded unicode characters in database descriptions
• Fixes issue where a game first selected from most played, favorites or last played where the emulator has a database and is in a group shows the wrong game information