Friday 30 January 2009
SOME OF THE CHAPS YOU WILL BE SHOOTING IN JUNE!!!!!!
TsB Pigeon,IINII Sniper,Mr Ryan22,Rogue Hippo,PainfulWolf,EliteSanta, Digitalburnout
cod pickles, benonsp1,PAWNK1NG,Footfall,MISTERSTAPLES,mobyslayer jc,Smoky Mcpot jr,
Double-XP for The Big Game this weekend!
callofduty.com have decided to initiate yet another weekend of Double-XP Jan 30 – Feb 1 to compliment The Big Game!
Not only will you be receiving Double-XP, but we're introducing two new playlists to the Xbox 360 and PS3 by popular request: Team Tactical (4v4) and Mercenary TDM (no parties allowed)! Team Tactical will pit two teams of four against each other in a random rotation of all the Team-Based gametypes.
Not only will you be receiving Double-XP, but we're introducing two new playlists to the Xbox 360 and PS3 by popular request: Team Tactical (4v4) and Mercenary TDM (no parties allowed)! Team Tactical will pit two teams of four against each other in a random rotation of all the Team-Based gametypes.
Thursday 29 January 2009
Biggest selling game of past year is...
Edge Online has revealed that Grand Theft Auto IV is the biggest seller of the past 12 months.
It has sold 13 million games in the past year, seeing off competition from Mario Kart Wii, Guitar Hero and Wii Fit.
The highest ranking Xbox 360 exclusive is Gears of War 2, which sold 4 million to earn itself tenth place on the sales chart. It's not a surprising list overall.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV - 13 million
2. Mario Kart Wii - 11 million
3. Guitar Hero (various) - 10 million
4. Wii Fit - 9 million
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 7 million
6. Call of Duty: World at War - 7 million
7. Madden NFL 09 - 6 million
8. FIFA 09 - 5 million
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 5 million
10. Gears of War 2 - 4 million
It has sold 13 million games in the past year, seeing off competition from Mario Kart Wii, Guitar Hero and Wii Fit.
The highest ranking Xbox 360 exclusive is Gears of War 2, which sold 4 million to earn itself tenth place on the sales chart. It's not a surprising list overall.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV - 13 million
2. Mario Kart Wii - 11 million
3. Guitar Hero (various) - 10 million
4. Wii Fit - 9 million
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 7 million
6. Call of Duty: World at War - 7 million
7. Madden NFL 09 - 6 million
8. FIFA 09 - 5 million
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 5 million
10. Gears of War 2 - 4 million
Microsoft made mistake, no Gold Lancer for you
Microsoft has clarified that it made an error when making the Gold Lancer in Gears of War 2 available to all.
Advertisement:
They told Joystiq that those who grabbed the Gold Lancer from Xbox.com's Marketplace will have the item removed from them in a forthcoming fix (part of the third update for Gears of War 2?), as it was released in error.
The Gold Lancer is still on Marketplace but has had the price bumped up to 99999 Microsoft Points. It seems like Microsoft is having a technical issue removing the item and that's the next best thing it can do.
Advertisement:
They told Joystiq that those who grabbed the Gold Lancer from Xbox.com's Marketplace will have the item removed from them in a forthcoming fix (part of the third update for Gears of War 2?), as it was released in error.
The Gold Lancer is still on Marketplace but has had the price bumped up to 99999 Microsoft Points. It seems like Microsoft is having a technical issue removing the item and that's the next best thing it can do.
Wednesday 28 January 2009
How true.
Anybody else feel like this chap? A brilliant article worth reading. It may change the way you work forever.
Silly, wrong & Brilliant.
Go on, chav up your car with the awesome editor in Midnight Club Los Angeles!
Grab the in-game Gears 2 Gold Lancer for free
If you picked up your copy of Gears of War 2 used, you now have a chance to get your hands on the elusive gold-plated Lancer, which was -- until today -- only available via a voucher code included with new copies of the game. It's available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace as a free download.
European National Football Teams Avatar items available
European National Football Teams’. Here is a list of sport shirts that are now available in the avatar editor:
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
England
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Wales
As usual: All clothing choices are free, and will remain available. It is easy to tell what is new when you are in the avatar editor, just look for the gold star. Any item of clothing with a gold star is new since the last time you signed in.
thanks major nelson for the info
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
England
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Wales
As usual: All clothing choices are free, and will remain available. It is easy to tell what is new when you are in the avatar editor, just look for the gold star. Any item of clothing with a gold star is new since the last time you signed in.
thanks major nelson for the info
Tuesday 27 January 2009
World at War Death Card Guide
One new addition to Call of Duty: World at War is the presence of Death Cards.
Advertisement:
These hidden collectibles are scattered throughout the game, with one on every level except the vehicle levels.
They can be collected in co-op and single player. When you find one, you'll unlock a new setting for co-op while finding them all will see you unlock an achievement.
So where exactly are these cards? Worry not, for our guide will reveal the location of them all...
Thunder
Level: Semper Fi; Eight of Hearts
Effect: Steady hands pack a powerful punch. headshots cause enemies to explode.
Location: At the start of the level, move forward and you'll see a small hut to your right. It's over the dead body here.
Hard Headed
Level: Little Resistance; Four of Clubs
Effect: Keep your finger on the trigger. Enemies take less bullet damage.
Location: Before going into the last buidling to end the level, you'll see it in the bushes to the right.
Suicide King
Level: Hard Landing; King of Hearts
Effect: Go down fighting. Fire explosive pistol rounds while downed.
Location: There's a big building with mounted machine guns, with a nearby truck with a M1 Garand w/ Grenade Launcher pick-up. In this building, when you enter the dark room with the stairs, check the right of the room to find it.
Cold Dead Hands
Level: Vendetta; Five of Diamonds
Effect: Save your brass. Enemies take their weapons with them to the grave.
Location: After completing the sniper part of the mission, follow Reznov to a building with a bar. Follow the bar and the card is at the end.
Sticks & Stones
Level: Their Land, Their Blood; Joker
Effect: Hope you've got a strong arm. your weapon arsenal consists of a knife and a bunch of rocks.
Location: When you destroy the tank in the barn, search the barn. The card is near a dead cow with a dead soldier slumped on top.
Vampire
Level: Burn 'Em Out; Queen of Hearts
Effect: Steal life from your prey. Only recharge your health by getting kills.
Location: When you get to the second bunker position, check the samll room to the left for this death card.
Flak Jacket
Level: Relentless; Nine of Diamonds
Effect: No more easy grenade kills. Enemies take less explosive damage.
Location: Right at the end of the mission is a pathway which connects the two routes you could have taken. Midway down this final path is the death card.
Body Armor
Level: Ring of Steel; Jack of Spades
Effect: Hone your accuracy. Enemies die by headshot only.
Location: When the tank bursts through the wall, you'll notice a large building in the background. This is the asylum - as soon as you enter the building, check to the left to find the card.
Undead Soldier
Level: Eviction; Ace of Spades
Effect: This is a different kind of war. Enemies are back from the dead with a vengeance.
Location: After you pass through the kitchen, you'll notice a huge hole in the floor, in a room to the right. Drop through this hole to find the card.
Painkiller
Level: Blowtorch & Corkscrew; Ten of Clubs
Effect: Make your weapon useful for a change. Shoot downed Co-Op teammates to revive them.
Location: After clearing out the first bunker, look out for a Japanese soldier hanging upside down on the left. This is where the second card is kept.
Berserker
Level: Breaking Point; Three of Diamonds
Effect: You have an animal rage. Get three kills in five seconds to unlease the Berserker..
Location: Once you kill everyone in the mortar pits (so there are no more stars left on your map), enemies stop spawning. Use this break in the action to explore the small shack to the south to find another death card.
Paintball
Level: Heart of the Reich; Six of Clubs
Effect: Can't handle the brutality of war? Try paintball guns.
Location: When you start the mission, you'll come out of a subway station. Check the entrance across the street to find another death card.
Victory
Level: Downfall; Two of Spades
Effect: You've defeated the entire Nazi empire at the Reichstag. Now go back and do it again with the merciless nature of real war. Limit your HUD, turn on friendly fire, and bleed out in half the time.
Location: When you notice your allies burst through a locked door, check this immediate area for the death card.
Thanks to OXM for the help
Advertisement:
These hidden collectibles are scattered throughout the game, with one on every level except the vehicle levels.
They can be collected in co-op and single player. When you find one, you'll unlock a new setting for co-op while finding them all will see you unlock an achievement.
So where exactly are these cards? Worry not, for our guide will reveal the location of them all...
Thunder
Level: Semper Fi; Eight of Hearts
Effect: Steady hands pack a powerful punch. headshots cause enemies to explode.
Location: At the start of the level, move forward and you'll see a small hut to your right. It's over the dead body here.
Hard Headed
Level: Little Resistance; Four of Clubs
Effect: Keep your finger on the trigger. Enemies take less bullet damage.
Location: Before going into the last buidling to end the level, you'll see it in the bushes to the right.
Suicide King
Level: Hard Landing; King of Hearts
Effect: Go down fighting. Fire explosive pistol rounds while downed.
Location: There's a big building with mounted machine guns, with a nearby truck with a M1 Garand w/ Grenade Launcher pick-up. In this building, when you enter the dark room with the stairs, check the right of the room to find it.
Cold Dead Hands
Level: Vendetta; Five of Diamonds
Effect: Save your brass. Enemies take their weapons with them to the grave.
Location: After completing the sniper part of the mission, follow Reznov to a building with a bar. Follow the bar and the card is at the end.
Sticks & Stones
Level: Their Land, Their Blood; Joker
Effect: Hope you've got a strong arm. your weapon arsenal consists of a knife and a bunch of rocks.
Location: When you destroy the tank in the barn, search the barn. The card is near a dead cow with a dead soldier slumped on top.
Vampire
Level: Burn 'Em Out; Queen of Hearts
Effect: Steal life from your prey. Only recharge your health by getting kills.
Location: When you get to the second bunker position, check the samll room to the left for this death card.
Flak Jacket
Level: Relentless; Nine of Diamonds
Effect: No more easy grenade kills. Enemies take less explosive damage.
Location: Right at the end of the mission is a pathway which connects the two routes you could have taken. Midway down this final path is the death card.
Body Armor
Level: Ring of Steel; Jack of Spades
Effect: Hone your accuracy. Enemies die by headshot only.
Location: When the tank bursts through the wall, you'll notice a large building in the background. This is the asylum - as soon as you enter the building, check to the left to find the card.
Undead Soldier
Level: Eviction; Ace of Spades
Effect: This is a different kind of war. Enemies are back from the dead with a vengeance.
Location: After you pass through the kitchen, you'll notice a huge hole in the floor, in a room to the right. Drop through this hole to find the card.
Painkiller
Level: Blowtorch & Corkscrew; Ten of Clubs
Effect: Make your weapon useful for a change. Shoot downed Co-Op teammates to revive them.
Location: After clearing out the first bunker, look out for a Japanese soldier hanging upside down on the left. This is where the second card is kept.
Berserker
Level: Breaking Point; Three of Diamonds
Effect: You have an animal rage. Get three kills in five seconds to unlease the Berserker..
Location: Once you kill everyone in the mortar pits (so there are no more stars left on your map), enemies stop spawning. Use this break in the action to explore the small shack to the south to find another death card.
Paintball
Level: Heart of the Reich; Six of Clubs
Effect: Can't handle the brutality of war? Try paintball guns.
Location: When you start the mission, you'll come out of a subway station. Check the entrance across the street to find another death card.
Victory
Level: Downfall; Two of Spades
Effect: You've defeated the entire Nazi empire at the Reichstag. Now go back and do it again with the merciless nature of real war. Limit your HUD, turn on friendly fire, and bleed out in half the time.
Location: When you notice your allies burst through a locked door, check this immediate area for the death card.
Thanks to OXM for the help
Monday 26 January 2009
The Next Chapter
Ok you can pre-order now on HMV website, released date 27th Nov 2009?
Watch this space!
RESIDENT EVIL 5 DEMO TODAY!!!!!!!
Go to our web site, click on the games tab and click on Resident Evil 5 and it will take you to your download Que.(faster than Microsoft haha)
Friday 23 January 2009
Brand new Ghostbusters screens
Atari has released some brand new screenshots of Ghostbusters The Videogame.
We've already enthused about the game and how it's shaping up and the new screenshots should provide further evidence of how good Ghostbusters looks right now.
With several months of development to go, expect it to look even better by the time the finished game rolls around too.
We've already enthused about the game and how it's shaping up and the new screenshots should provide further evidence of how good Ghostbusters looks right now.
With several months of development to go, expect it to look even better by the time the finished game rolls around too.
GTA IV: The Lost and Damned Hands-On
US, January 22, 2009 - Downloadable content is about to get a major kick in the ass. The release of GTA IV: The Lost and Damned on February 17 is going to change the way people think about DLC. The standard for a DLC expansion pack is some new locations and a few new missions either shoved into a story already told or tacked on to its ending. But Rockstar has a unique vision for Liberty City. What if Liberty City--as fully detailed and realized a city as you'll find in a videogame--were a platform itself? What if the LC were a template where new games could be inserted? While The Lost & Damned features the same gameplay mechanics and storytelling style of GTA IV, it is as close to a full new game as I've seen for "add-on content."
Depending on skill level and amount of time you spend messing around, Rockstar expects The Lost and Damned to take anywhere from 12-20 hours to complete. And that's just the single-player story. For $20 (1,600 MSP), L&D offers a full-fledged campaign, new locations, new mini-games (arm wrestling!), refined gameplay mechanics, new vehicles, new weapons, a hefty new soundtrack, new DJs, new TV shows, new Internet sites, and new multiplayer. One thing's for certain: Rockstar isn't dicking around with horse armor.
To access The Lost & Damned, boot up a copy of GTA IV and start a new game. You can now choose between GTA IV and L&D. Though both take place in Liberty City, the two are separate stories and separate game worlds, meaning you don't gain access to the new interiors in L&D if you're playing GTA IV. You can't take Niko into The Lost clubhouse to kill a bunch of bikers, sorry. Aside from the initial download, you won't need an Xbox Live connection to play L&D. Unlike some downloadable content, there's no online verification required. So if the 'net goes down, you can still take L&D for a spin.
Click to check out more images for the GTA DLC.L&D stars Johnny Klebitz (aka Johnny the Jew), Vice President of a motorcycle gang, The Lost. Since Billy, the president of the gang, has been in rehab, Johnny's been running things. However, when Billy returns, a power struggle ensues. Billy enjoys random acts of violence and selling dope; Johnny thinks there are better ways for the gang to be successful. It seems that, inevitably, these two are going to clash. However, in the three missions I played, the two were still struggling to stay friendly.
The thought of playing a dozen hours of GTA IV with a focus on bikes had me a little worried before picking up the controller. However, Rockstar made a number of fixes for L&D that should dissipate any frustrations. You really have to work hard to get knocked off your bike. In fact, it took me plowing head-first into a fence to finally get thrown. Bikes are easier to control overall, but even if you bump cars, nudge walls, or slam against the occasional light post, you will most likely stay on your seat.
With bikes as a focus on L&D, you'll see more on the streets as you're driving around. A few new vehicles have been added to GTA IV's roster, none more important than Johnny's customized ride. This special bike is Johnny's and Johnny's alone. You won't find others riding it on the street. Don't worry about riding safely to avoid nicking the paint; you can call Clay for a replacement anytime you destroy or lose your ride.
While the gameplay in L&D sees no drastic changes, there is a different feel to Johnny's story. Niko was a lonely guy, fresh off the boat, trying to get his bearings in the big city. Johnny's been in Liberty City a long time. He has friends, established hang-outs. He doesn't have a funny accent or any of Niko's naiveté. In the three missions I played, I was never alone. There was always at least one other biker along with me for the ride. This is a gang, after all.
Though there is conflict between Johnny and Billy, there's also a war raging between The Lost and the Angels of Death. In "Action/Reaction" Billy demands retribution for an earlier transgression by the Angels of Death. He leads the gang, with Johnny in tow, to one of the AoD's hangouts. As with GTA IV, you're going to have to drive yourself to the objective. However, Rockstar is attempting to spice this up a bit. At various times throughout the ride, you'll see the Lost & Damned logo appear on the ground. If you position Johnny inside the logo for a few seconds, the gang rides in perfect formation, with your reward being some additional dialogue.
Action/Reaction plays out like a typical GTA IV mission. You show up, kill some folks, and then run from the cops. But you do get to try out some of the new weapons in the game. When you reach the AoD hangout, you'll need to toss a pipe bomb through one of the windows. As the AoD storm out of the building, meet them with a shot from the new grenade launcher. This is one weapon you are certain to love. Though it has a little less explosive power than an RPG, it fires more quickly and is far less cumbersome. It also seems much easier to aim grenades through car windows with this baby. And thanks to its arching trajectory, with some practice, you can get shots to land just over barricades.
For a personal touch, you can switch to the sawed-off shotgun. This powerful and easily concealed weapon is a real beauty and certain to quickly become a favorite. It can also be fired while on your bike and certainly makes taking out a cop's tires a bit easier than with a pistol.
Things got a lot more interesting when I gave "Buyer's Market" a run. Johnny's story runs parallel to Niko's and, as this mission shows, the two intersect at times. Remember the mission "Blow Your Cover" where Elizabeta sent Niko and Playboy to make a pick-up with some other dude you didn't know and it turned out the dealers were undercover cops and the whole deal went to hell? That dude you didn't know was Johnny, the character you play in The Lost and Damned. Now you get to experience that mission from a different perspective.
As Johnny, Elizabeta hooks you up with Playboy and Niko for this very mission. You pick up the heroin, then meet with Niko and his buddy to complete the deal with the buyer's. When things go to hell, Niko and Playboy split from Johnny, who must make his way downstairs through a group of the LCPD's finest.
Click to check out more images for the GTA DLC.The scripts for GTA IV and L&D were written at the same time and Rockstar had this crossover in mind from the very beginning. Instead of just tacking on a few elements from the GTA IV story, Rockstar has been able to fully integrate characters into both. Niko isn't the only character you'll recognize on your journey and subplots barely touched on in GTA IV will be more fully explored.
Though my brief encounter with Niko was enjoyable, I have to say that the best mission of the three I played was "Shifting Weight." This on-rails mission puts Johnny on the back of a bike, with someone else driving. The cops are in heavy pursuit in the lengthy chase. But don't worry, you're armed with an assault shotgun. This aptly named weapon is a terror. With decent aim, it's easy to tear through the cop cars and helicopters giving pursuit. It doesn't hurt to have unlimited ammo.
Being free of the burden of driving allows you to do something rare in GTA IV -- focus on shooting. And it allows Rockstar to offer some cinematic moments, since it can't disrupt your driving. This is one of those missions that feels like a reward. It's not about story, it has no tedious elements, and it's unique from anything else in GTA IV. It's just pure shooting glory.
And it adds something many gamers have been begging for from GTA IV -- mid-mission checkpoints. About halfway through Shifting Weight, you'll pass a car dealership. Die after this point and you have the option to start from this moment. Hooray.
GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned is looking like one of the best deals around. You're essentially getting a full game for just 20 bucks. While we haven't been given any details on the multiplayer, we're told it's as robust an offering as the single-player. Oh, and if you've noticed L&D listed for sale at a retail outlet such as GameStop, know that this is not a disc. It's just a card with a code you can enter on Xbox Live to download the DLC.
THANKS IGN FOR THE HEADS UP
Depending on skill level and amount of time you spend messing around, Rockstar expects The Lost and Damned to take anywhere from 12-20 hours to complete. And that's just the single-player story. For $20 (1,600 MSP), L&D offers a full-fledged campaign, new locations, new mini-games (arm wrestling!), refined gameplay mechanics, new vehicles, new weapons, a hefty new soundtrack, new DJs, new TV shows, new Internet sites, and new multiplayer. One thing's for certain: Rockstar isn't dicking around with horse armor.
To access The Lost & Damned, boot up a copy of GTA IV and start a new game. You can now choose between GTA IV and L&D. Though both take place in Liberty City, the two are separate stories and separate game worlds, meaning you don't gain access to the new interiors in L&D if you're playing GTA IV. You can't take Niko into The Lost clubhouse to kill a bunch of bikers, sorry. Aside from the initial download, you won't need an Xbox Live connection to play L&D. Unlike some downloadable content, there's no online verification required. So if the 'net goes down, you can still take L&D for a spin.
Click to check out more images for the GTA DLC.L&D stars Johnny Klebitz (aka Johnny the Jew), Vice President of a motorcycle gang, The Lost. Since Billy, the president of the gang, has been in rehab, Johnny's been running things. However, when Billy returns, a power struggle ensues. Billy enjoys random acts of violence and selling dope; Johnny thinks there are better ways for the gang to be successful. It seems that, inevitably, these two are going to clash. However, in the three missions I played, the two were still struggling to stay friendly.
The thought of playing a dozen hours of GTA IV with a focus on bikes had me a little worried before picking up the controller. However, Rockstar made a number of fixes for L&D that should dissipate any frustrations. You really have to work hard to get knocked off your bike. In fact, it took me plowing head-first into a fence to finally get thrown. Bikes are easier to control overall, but even if you bump cars, nudge walls, or slam against the occasional light post, you will most likely stay on your seat.
With bikes as a focus on L&D, you'll see more on the streets as you're driving around. A few new vehicles have been added to GTA IV's roster, none more important than Johnny's customized ride. This special bike is Johnny's and Johnny's alone. You won't find others riding it on the street. Don't worry about riding safely to avoid nicking the paint; you can call Clay for a replacement anytime you destroy or lose your ride.
While the gameplay in L&D sees no drastic changes, there is a different feel to Johnny's story. Niko was a lonely guy, fresh off the boat, trying to get his bearings in the big city. Johnny's been in Liberty City a long time. He has friends, established hang-outs. He doesn't have a funny accent or any of Niko's naiveté. In the three missions I played, I was never alone. There was always at least one other biker along with me for the ride. This is a gang, after all.
Though there is conflict between Johnny and Billy, there's also a war raging between The Lost and the Angels of Death. In "Action/Reaction" Billy demands retribution for an earlier transgression by the Angels of Death. He leads the gang, with Johnny in tow, to one of the AoD's hangouts. As with GTA IV, you're going to have to drive yourself to the objective. However, Rockstar is attempting to spice this up a bit. At various times throughout the ride, you'll see the Lost & Damned logo appear on the ground. If you position Johnny inside the logo for a few seconds, the gang rides in perfect formation, with your reward being some additional dialogue.
Action/Reaction plays out like a typical GTA IV mission. You show up, kill some folks, and then run from the cops. But you do get to try out some of the new weapons in the game. When you reach the AoD hangout, you'll need to toss a pipe bomb through one of the windows. As the AoD storm out of the building, meet them with a shot from the new grenade launcher. This is one weapon you are certain to love. Though it has a little less explosive power than an RPG, it fires more quickly and is far less cumbersome. It also seems much easier to aim grenades through car windows with this baby. And thanks to its arching trajectory, with some practice, you can get shots to land just over barricades.
For a personal touch, you can switch to the sawed-off shotgun. This powerful and easily concealed weapon is a real beauty and certain to quickly become a favorite. It can also be fired while on your bike and certainly makes taking out a cop's tires a bit easier than with a pistol.
Things got a lot more interesting when I gave "Buyer's Market" a run. Johnny's story runs parallel to Niko's and, as this mission shows, the two intersect at times. Remember the mission "Blow Your Cover" where Elizabeta sent Niko and Playboy to make a pick-up with some other dude you didn't know and it turned out the dealers were undercover cops and the whole deal went to hell? That dude you didn't know was Johnny, the character you play in The Lost and Damned. Now you get to experience that mission from a different perspective.
As Johnny, Elizabeta hooks you up with Playboy and Niko for this very mission. You pick up the heroin, then meet with Niko and his buddy to complete the deal with the buyer's. When things go to hell, Niko and Playboy split from Johnny, who must make his way downstairs through a group of the LCPD's finest.
Click to check out more images for the GTA DLC.The scripts for GTA IV and L&D were written at the same time and Rockstar had this crossover in mind from the very beginning. Instead of just tacking on a few elements from the GTA IV story, Rockstar has been able to fully integrate characters into both. Niko isn't the only character you'll recognize on your journey and subplots barely touched on in GTA IV will be more fully explored.
Though my brief encounter with Niko was enjoyable, I have to say that the best mission of the three I played was "Shifting Weight." This on-rails mission puts Johnny on the back of a bike, with someone else driving. The cops are in heavy pursuit in the lengthy chase. But don't worry, you're armed with an assault shotgun. This aptly named weapon is a terror. With decent aim, it's easy to tear through the cop cars and helicopters giving pursuit. It doesn't hurt to have unlimited ammo.
Being free of the burden of driving allows you to do something rare in GTA IV -- focus on shooting. And it allows Rockstar to offer some cinematic moments, since it can't disrupt your driving. This is one of those missions that feels like a reward. It's not about story, it has no tedious elements, and it's unique from anything else in GTA IV. It's just pure shooting glory.
And it adds something many gamers have been begging for from GTA IV -- mid-mission checkpoints. About halfway through Shifting Weight, you'll pass a car dealership. Die after this point and you have the option to start from this moment. Hooray.
GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned is looking like one of the best deals around. You're essentially getting a full game for just 20 bucks. While we haven't been given any details on the multiplayer, we're told it's as robust an offering as the single-player. Oh, and if you've noticed L&D listed for sale at a retail outlet such as GameStop, know that this is not a disc. It's just a card with a code you can enter on Xbox Live to download the DLC.
THANKS IGN FOR THE HEADS UP
Thursday 22 January 2009
F.E.A.R. 2 Single Player Demo
Price: Free
Availability: Not availabel in Asia or Germany
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE,PARTIAL NUDITY,SEXUAL THEMES,STRONG LANGUAGE] A routine mission turns into a fight for survival when an explosion of unknown origin decimates the city and unleashes the wrath of Alma Wade, whose terrifying power threatens to surge out of control unless Special Forces Sgt. Michael Becket and his squad can find a way to destroy her.
Availability: Not availabel in Asia or Germany
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE,PARTIAL NUDITY,SEXUAL THEMES,STRONG LANGUAGE] A routine mission turns into a fight for survival when an explosion of unknown origin decimates the city and unleashes the wrath of Alma Wade, whose terrifying power threatens to surge out of control unless Special Forces Sgt. Michael Becket and his squad can find a way to destroy her.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
Sony is "out of touch", says Microsoft
Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has responded to claims by Kaz Hirai that Sony is the best, telling the Sony Computer Entertainment boss that it is in fact Microsoft who is the best.
Yesterday, you may recall, Hirai declared that Sony is the "official" industry leader. Even though they haven't sold as many consoles as Nintendo (who is not a competitor because they make machines for playing videogames on, not machines for playing videogames and other things like films on). Or Microsoft. And didn't sell as many last week and aren't this week and let's face it probably won't next week.
"This sounds like an old hardware company that's comfortable with its market position," Greenberg told The Bitbag.
"That complacent attitude is out of touch with where the industry and consumer is today."
He continued, "This generation won't be won over just hardware specs, but who can out-innovate when it comes to online and software. This is the kind of stuff that's in our DNA, and frankly moves the console war onto our home court."
Unlike Hirai, fuddy-duddy Greenberg likes to use the traditional method of measuring how successful a videogames machine company is by counting the number of videogames machines it has sold. And according to his crazy old fashioned standards, Microsoft is winning.
"I'm confident we will outsell the PS3 throughout the entire generation by providing more innovation and building the best and broadest games library while growing our entertainment experiences on the leading online network," he stated.
"With a US install base lead now of more than 7 million units (according to NPD), I can't imagine any scenario where the PS3 can catch up with us. In fact, even if you doubled the current PS3 sales and Xbox 360 remained flat, they couldn't close the gap until 2014."
Yesterday, you may recall, Hirai declared that Sony is the "official" industry leader. Even though they haven't sold as many consoles as Nintendo (who is not a competitor because they make machines for playing videogames on, not machines for playing videogames and other things like films on). Or Microsoft. And didn't sell as many last week and aren't this week and let's face it probably won't next week.
"This sounds like an old hardware company that's comfortable with its market position," Greenberg told The Bitbag.
"That complacent attitude is out of touch with where the industry and consumer is today."
He continued, "This generation won't be won over just hardware specs, but who can out-innovate when it comes to online and software. This is the kind of stuff that's in our DNA, and frankly moves the console war onto our home court."
Unlike Hirai, fuddy-duddy Greenberg likes to use the traditional method of measuring how successful a videogames machine company is by counting the number of videogames machines it has sold. And according to his crazy old fashioned standards, Microsoft is winning.
"I'm confident we will outsell the PS3 throughout the entire generation by providing more innovation and building the best and broadest games library while growing our entertainment experiences on the leading online network," he stated.
"With a US install base lead now of more than 7 million units (according to NPD), I can't imagine any scenario where the PS3 can catch up with us. In fact, even if you doubled the current PS3 sales and Xbox 360 remained flat, they couldn't close the gap until 2014."
New Gears 2 Achievements revealed News
Microsoft has published details of seven new Achievements arriving with the Gears of War 2 update this month.
There's a potential 175 gamerpoints up for grabs, according to Xbox.com, and they're tied into winning on levels released in the Flashback and Combustible map packs.
Epic has yet to set a date for the patch, however, and boss Mark Rein warns that Achievement sightings are no clear indicator that change is imminent.
"Whenever new Achievements are added they will show up ahead of the update," said Rein on the Gears of War forum yesterday. "That's just the natural order of things."
"The update is still in testing and we don't have a firm date for its release yet. Hopefully we'll know soon"
Most of the update focuses on fixing online multiplayer bugs and exploits, such as hitting foes through walls and obtaining infinite Lancer ammo. Also, the shotgun should work better during high-latency matches now.
On top of that will are tweaks to the ruleset to punish early quitters more heavily and protect freshly respawned combatants from grenades and chainsaw attacks.
Those are only some of the fixes; a full list will arrive with the update
There's a potential 175 gamerpoints up for grabs, according to Xbox.com, and they're tied into winning on levels released in the Flashback and Combustible map packs.
Epic has yet to set a date for the patch, however, and boss Mark Rein warns that Achievement sightings are no clear indicator that change is imminent.
"Whenever new Achievements are added they will show up ahead of the update," said Rein on the Gears of War forum yesterday. "That's just the natural order of things."
"The update is still in testing and we don't have a firm date for its release yet. Hopefully we'll know soon"
Most of the update focuses on fixing online multiplayer bugs and exploits, such as hitting foes through walls and obtaining infinite Lancer ammo. Also, the shotgun should work better during high-latency matches now.
On top of that will are tweaks to the ruleset to punish early quitters more heavily and protect freshly respawned combatants from grenades and chainsaw attacks.
Those are only some of the fixes; a full list will arrive with the update
Monday 19 January 2009
Chip Architect Speaks About Xbox 360 and PS3 Creation
Read on... perhaps now we can all shut up about the console war? They are both good and rubbish all at the same time.
US, January 16, 2009 - Gamasutra.com secured an interview with David Shippy who was the chief architect of the power processing unit for the Cell (the engine that drives the PS3). The chip began the research and design process in 2000 when Sony asked IBM for an "order of magnitude increase in processing performance." Ironically it was that very ambition and the design that followed that would one day be the foundation for Microsoft's Xbox 360.
Shippy describes the design goals as shooting for a "supercomputer on a chip" and says "We came along with Cell and we were double the frequency of any PC out there." Then in 2003 Microsoft comes to IBM and, much like Sony, asked them to design a chip unlike anything that was currently on the market. Naturally, IBM showed The Big M their latest and greatest tech which, at that time, was the multi-core "road map" that was used to create what would eventually become the Cell. Keep in mind, that all of this original technology was originally financed by Sony and Toshiba for use in the PS3.
Shippy maintains that Microsoft never got a look at the actual Cell processor and maintains that it was IBM's right to sell the technology to other platforms, such as the Xbox 360, but also states, "The Cell itself and the fundamental architecture that went into that -- that was all proprietary for PS3."
Even still, the fact remains that Xbox 360 chip designers and PS3 chip designers were, at one time, working side-by-side with one another at IBM. Shippy details distaste that developed between the two teams, "when this whole Xbox thing came in, there were certainly a lot of guys -- even on my team -- that were fairly upset about it."
But when asked the flame war inducing question, "which console is actually more powerful?"
Shippy tells Gamasutra, "I'm going to have to answer with an 'it depends.' Again, they're completely different models. So in the PS3, you've got this Cell chip which has massive parallel processing power, the PowerPC core, multiple SPU cores… it's got a GPU that is, in the model here, processing more in the Cell chip and less in the GPU. So that's one processing paradigm -- a heterogeneous paradigm."
"With the Xbox 360, you've got more of a traditional multi-core system, and you've got three PowerPC cores, each of them having dual threads -- so you've got six threads running there, at least in the CPU. Six threads in Xbox 360, and eight or nine threads in the PS3 -- but then you've got to factor in the GPU," Shippy explains. "The GPU is highly sophisticated in the Xbox 360."
"At the end of the day, when you put them all together, depending on the software, I think they're pretty equal."
Shippy then goes on to dissect each console's flaws: for the Xbox 360 it was the initial heatsink and cooling problems and for the PS3 it's the coding issues experienced by developers. While Shippy was not directly involved in the programming of the Xbox 360's power consumption, his best guess is that Microsoft brought their system specs right up to the edge of functioning properly and melting down which Shippy describes as "playing with fire."
On the PS3's supposed programming issues Shippy says it's "definitely a new paradigm" but claims that once developers wrap their head around the nuances of the system, they can actually get impressive results for "low-level coding."
thanks to IGN.COM for the text
Friday 16 January 2009
R-Type is coming soon!
According to this months OXM R-type is out now...it isn't, but hopefully on a wednesday soon!
OXM free gifts
As i ripped open my new copy of OXM earlier, i was surprised to find I had an exclusive free 'gift'. A small piece of bacon, well it smelt a bit like bacon anyway. Nice.
Top ten most rented games 2008
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Here's the complete list of the top 10 rented games of 2008,PlayStation 3 entirely absent from the top 10? need I say more.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360)
3. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
4. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Xbox 360)
5. Army of Two (Xbox 360)
6. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
8. Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
9. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)
10. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
Zombies + Weekend of Double-XP for All!
In celebration of the outstanding online success of Call of Duty: World at War, we are pleased to present the community with two gifts this weekend!
First, because of the huge popularity of the Nazi Zombies game mode, we're unlocking the Nazi Zombies Co-Op playlist for Xbox LIVE and PSN public games. Even if you haven't completed the Solo campaign, you can now play Nazi Zombies online right away!
Second, this is a Double-XP MP weekend. Everyone will be eligible for Double-XP starting Friday, January 16, 2009 @ 10:00AM PST!
This update also includes "hot fixes" for a number of competitive multiplayer issues that have been reported. Stay tuned to the forums for news about the upcoming full patch/title update.
First, because of the huge popularity of the Nazi Zombies game mode, we're unlocking the Nazi Zombies Co-Op playlist for Xbox LIVE and PSN public games. Even if you haven't completed the Solo campaign, you can now play Nazi Zombies online right away!
Second, this is a Double-XP MP weekend. Everyone will be eligible for Double-XP starting Friday, January 16, 2009 @ 10:00AM PST!
This update also includes "hot fixes" for a number of competitive multiplayer issues that have been reported. Stay tuned to the forums for news about the upcoming full patch/title update.
Thursday 15 January 2009
Cheaters NAMED AND SHAMED
Firstly, Thanks to majornelson.com for the text, I'm sure he won't mind us stealing it!
Alright, Xbox Live™ members. It's time for a refresher course on online cheating, banning, and feedback. Make sure you know what's expected of you online … and what's at stake if you don't abide by the rules.
Just what is considered cheating?
In a nutshell, we consider cheating to be the act of manipulating or interfering with aspects of the game or networking to give yourself or your team an unfair advantage.
The variety of modem/bandwidth cheats that are taking place online are absolutely considered cheating. All of these are done with the sole intention of exploiting bugs in the game code or taking advantage of basic elements of networking in order to screw your opponents. We have different ways of identifying people who practice certain types of cheats, and depending on what it is you do, you will be punished in a variety of ways.
How do players actually get banned from XboxLive?
Players who find their Gamertags banned from Xbox Livehave wound up in that situation due to violations of the XboxLive Terms of Use. The Xbox Live team monitors players for not just cheating, but also for things like threats, racism, profanity, and just being an all around poor sport and ruining the game for others.
When a Gamertag comes up as violating our policies for online behavior, the person who owns that Gamertag is punished by being banned from the service. Keep in mind, this isn't just a ban on a particular game. This is a ban on the Xbox Live service as a whole, so you won't be able to go online at all during your ban. Initially, you may be banned for a day, a week, or depending on severity, permanently! Kiss that $50 goodbye.
What kind of stuff would get me suspended?
A good rule of thumb is to follow the Xbox Live Code of Conduct. This is a list of dos and don'ts for the XboxLive community, and it will give you a good idea of what is acceptable on the service.
Please keep in mind that it's not just cheaters that get banned from Xbox Live. Jerks that spew racial slurs, shout profanity, threaten other players, and generally create an unpleasant environment on Xbox Live are all subject to potential bans.
How much evidence and data does Xbox Live need to support a ban or suspension?
It's important to point out that just one piece of negative feedback from that ticked off person you just owned on Lockout won't get you banned from Xbox Live. While I won't say how much feedback it takes to get banned, remember that the XboxLive in-game feedback system has been successfully used for more than two years across hundreds of titles. Using a variety of tools and reports, we are able to confidently stand behind the actions we take to create a stronger Xbox Livecommunity.
"It wasn't me!" What if someone was cheating using my account?
How many times have we heard that? Maybe people should not let their "little brother" or "friend" on their Xbox Liveaccount. You should protect your Xbox Live account with the same level of security that you protect your e-mail account with. You would be pretty ticked off if someone sent e-mail from your account, wouldn't you?
A lot of people don't know this, but you can protect your XboxLive account with a pass code that's triggered when you go to sign into Xbox Live. All you need to do is turn on your Xbox without a game, go to Account Management, and choose Pass Code.
Now you've got me scared. How can I avoid being suspended or banned?
Just follow the rules. Some people throw all social graces out the window when playing, but they need to realize that there are consequences for bad actions. If you and your team play fair, then you'll have uninterrupted gaming pleasure on Xbox Live.
"It wasn't me!" part 2: What if my Clan cheats but I don't?
Clans that cheat are subject to the same punishments as individual players; however, we won't necessarily be banning every player in a Clan. First piece of advice: If you're in a Clan that cheats, get out of it. No sense being dragged down and potentially banned because you're in a game where they start cheating.
Players who repeatedly cheat while playing for a Clan are subject to all the various penalties listed above. The Clan itself can also be removed from the score boards. And, don't think you can just create a new Clan. We look at the Gamertags within the Clan itself and act accordingly.
What should I do if I've been the victim of a cheater?
First off, please make sure your opponent actually cheated. As much as it may suck to be beaten, just because you lost doesn't mean the person cheated.
The more important thing you should do is leave in-game feedback for the player(s) you caught cheating. To do this, simply go to your Recent Players tab, select the player, and choose Leave Feedback. This also applies to anyone who has threatened you, spewed racial slurs, etc. The Xbox Live team monitors this feedback, and it will lead to offenders being banned.
Why don't game publishers just "fix" the game to stop the madness?
Hey, great idea! Publishers do work on potential solutions to some of the issues being encountered online. But, please keep in mind that the very nature of the Internet makes it impossible to ever completely stop someone who knows what they're doing from creating a poor game experience for others. Between potential game updates and stricter punishments, we will continue to work to alleviate the problem of cheating and help improve the Xbox Live community.
Cheaters suck, but racists are worse. How do I deal with them?
Use the Xbox Live in-game feedback to report them! This behavior is not tolerated on Xbox Liveand is a violation of the Terms of Use.
Now, play nice. Major Nelson
Alright, Xbox Live™ members. It's time for a refresher course on online cheating, banning, and feedback. Make sure you know what's expected of you online … and what's at stake if you don't abide by the rules.
Just what is considered cheating?
In a nutshell, we consider cheating to be the act of manipulating or interfering with aspects of the game or networking to give yourself or your team an unfair advantage.
The variety of modem/bandwidth cheats that are taking place online are absolutely considered cheating. All of these are done with the sole intention of exploiting bugs in the game code or taking advantage of basic elements of networking in order to screw your opponents. We have different ways of identifying people who practice certain types of cheats, and depending on what it is you do, you will be punished in a variety of ways.
How do players actually get banned from XboxLive?
Players who find their Gamertags banned from Xbox Livehave wound up in that situation due to violations of the XboxLive Terms of Use. The Xbox Live team monitors players for not just cheating, but also for things like threats, racism, profanity, and just being an all around poor sport and ruining the game for others.
When a Gamertag comes up as violating our policies for online behavior, the person who owns that Gamertag is punished by being banned from the service. Keep in mind, this isn't just a ban on a particular game. This is a ban on the Xbox Live service as a whole, so you won't be able to go online at all during your ban. Initially, you may be banned for a day, a week, or depending on severity, permanently! Kiss that $50 goodbye.
What kind of stuff would get me suspended?
A good rule of thumb is to follow the Xbox Live Code of Conduct. This is a list of dos and don'ts for the XboxLive community, and it will give you a good idea of what is acceptable on the service.
Please keep in mind that it's not just cheaters that get banned from Xbox Live. Jerks that spew racial slurs, shout profanity, threaten other players, and generally create an unpleasant environment on Xbox Live are all subject to potential bans.
How much evidence and data does Xbox Live need to support a ban or suspension?
It's important to point out that just one piece of negative feedback from that ticked off person you just owned on Lockout won't get you banned from Xbox Live. While I won't say how much feedback it takes to get banned, remember that the XboxLive in-game feedback system has been successfully used for more than two years across hundreds of titles. Using a variety of tools and reports, we are able to confidently stand behind the actions we take to create a stronger Xbox Livecommunity.
"It wasn't me!" What if someone was cheating using my account?
How many times have we heard that? Maybe people should not let their "little brother" or "friend" on their Xbox Liveaccount. You should protect your Xbox Live account with the same level of security that you protect your e-mail account with. You would be pretty ticked off if someone sent e-mail from your account, wouldn't you?
A lot of people don't know this, but you can protect your XboxLive account with a pass code that's triggered when you go to sign into Xbox Live. All you need to do is turn on your Xbox without a game, go to Account Management, and choose Pass Code.
Now you've got me scared. How can I avoid being suspended or banned?
Just follow the rules. Some people throw all social graces out the window when playing, but they need to realize that there are consequences for bad actions. If you and your team play fair, then you'll have uninterrupted gaming pleasure on Xbox Live.
"It wasn't me!" part 2: What if my Clan cheats but I don't?
Clans that cheat are subject to the same punishments as individual players; however, we won't necessarily be banning every player in a Clan. First piece of advice: If you're in a Clan that cheats, get out of it. No sense being dragged down and potentially banned because you're in a game where they start cheating.
Players who repeatedly cheat while playing for a Clan are subject to all the various penalties listed above. The Clan itself can also be removed from the score boards. And, don't think you can just create a new Clan. We look at the Gamertags within the Clan itself and act accordingly.
What should I do if I've been the victim of a cheater?
First off, please make sure your opponent actually cheated. As much as it may suck to be beaten, just because you lost doesn't mean the person cheated.
The more important thing you should do is leave in-game feedback for the player(s) you caught cheating. To do this, simply go to your Recent Players tab, select the player, and choose Leave Feedback. This also applies to anyone who has threatened you, spewed racial slurs, etc. The Xbox Live team monitors this feedback, and it will lead to offenders being banned.
Why don't game publishers just "fix" the game to stop the madness?
Hey, great idea! Publishers do work on potential solutions to some of the issues being encountered online. But, please keep in mind that the very nature of the Internet makes it impossible to ever completely stop someone who knows what they're doing from creating a poor game experience for others. Between potential game updates and stricter punishments, we will continue to work to alleviate the problem of cheating and help improve the Xbox Live community.
Cheaters suck, but racists are worse. How do I deal with them?
Use the Xbox Live in-game feedback to report them! This behavior is not tolerated on Xbox Liveand is a violation of the Terms of Use.
Now, play nice. Major Nelson
SF4 - Awesome!
Click on the HD option for the best view of this Video.
Street Fighter IV features a mix of returning favorites such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile along with new characters created for this game, such as Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus. Characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D, while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Six-button controls for the game return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the input system. Mixing classic genre-defining game mechanics the franchise is known and loved for with all-new, never-before-seen gameplay systems, Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over. With the inclusion of Capcom's latest advancements in new generation technology, Street Fighter IV promises to deliver an extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.
Street Fighter IV for Xbox 360 Features:
Classic “2D” Street Fighter gameplay with stunning 3D characters and environments
New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan's wildest imagination, including Focus attacks, Super Combos, and the revenged-fueled Ultra Combo system.
Classic Street Fighter characters recreated for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter II
New brawlers: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more!
Amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game
New gameplay elements provide new challenges for both newcomers and the most seasoned Street Fighter pro.
Street Fighter IV features a mix of returning favorites such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile along with new characters created for this game, such as Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus. Characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D, while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Six-button controls for the game return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the input system. Mixing classic genre-defining game mechanics the franchise is known and loved for with all-new, never-before-seen gameplay systems, Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over. With the inclusion of Capcom's latest advancements in new generation technology, Street Fighter IV promises to deliver an extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.
Street Fighter IV for Xbox 360 Features:
Classic “2D” Street Fighter gameplay with stunning 3D characters and environments
New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan's wildest imagination, including Focus attacks, Super Combos, and the revenged-fueled Ultra Combo system.
Classic Street Fighter characters recreated for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter II
New brawlers: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more!
Amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game
New gameplay elements provide new challenges for both newcomers and the most seasoned Street Fighter pro.
Cheaters NAMED AND SHAMED
Cheating on xbox live is a pain in the arse, people who cheat simply spoil it for everyone else. Whilst playing COD last night we all experienced a large amount of cheating whereby people are finding holes in the maps and are running about killing people from underneith the floor! This is a problem I hope the developers fix soon. We will try to expand on the list and see if we can get a magazine to print them.
Here is our first little sod.
GAMERTAG: maccattack72
He is in a clan and on COD his tag appears as (w33d)maccattack72
Avoid this guy at all costs and probably his "w33d" mates too.
The (track) Number(s) of the Beast
Uh oh.... Rockband Tracks now up to 362, time to actually master some of them now.
Resident Evil 5 Demo premiering exclusively on Xbox 360
Resident Evil 5 will launch on Friday, March 13th but you’ll be able to get your hands on a two-level playable demo the week of January 26th. According to Capcom, the demo will have has three levels of co-op play: single-player with AI support, two-player split-screen on a single Xbox 360 and two-player across Xbox LIVE. There are some trailers up on the Marketplace if you want to remind yourself how good this looked when we saw it at TGS.
Wednesday 14 January 2009
If only it comes out here?
The last little Air combat offering on the 360(Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation), was on sale in the states with complete flight controls. Found this little offering for the up and coming Tom Clancy's HAWX. Let's Hope they might sell it to us poor Europeans this time!
"Home console flight simulator and air combat games just got a bit easier to control. Just in time for upcoming titles like Tom Clancy's HAWX, Saitek is introducing the Aviator, a flight stick fully tested to work Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games. That said, Saitek claims the Aviator will also perform well with the Blazing Angels series of games released earlier on the 360"
"Jeff Bakalar cnet news"
Tom Clancy's HAWX
This looks like fun!
Set in a near future, this flight combat action game inspired by the best-selling Tom Clancy videogame franchises imagines a world where a private military force has cumulated such power that it attacks the USA. Thrust into the cockpits of incredibly powerful and technologically advanced jet fighters, gamers will benefit from hi-tech piloting assistance, providing comfort, security and enhanced perception. As players gain skills and confidence, they will be able to shed the assistance. But before choosing performance over security, they’ll have to weigh the risks carefully.
General Features
E.R.S. is in-game technology that helps turn novice aviators into elite pilots of the future. The Enhanced Reality System is the backbone of your flight experience: radars and incoming missile detection, anti-crash system, damage control system, tactical map and information relay, and weapons trajectory control. E.R.S. also allows you to issue orders to your squadron, making this system as iconic to HAWX as the Cross-Com system is to Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
Want to ease into your flight missions and gain a level of comfort? Turn on the assistance mode and take full advantage of your E.R.S. Need to evade your enemy and execute advanced dog-fighting moves? Switch off the assistance mode and feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins as you play in stunning third-person views
For the first time ever in the Air Combat genre, experience the entire solo campaign in four-player JUMP IN co-op mode. In PVP mode, challenge up to 15 friends in intense dog-fighting sessions and find out who's the top gun
Take the throttle of over 50 of the world’s most famous aircrafts. Dogfight over realistic modern landscapes that have endured years of post-war trauma. With support from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Tom Clancy’s HAWX goes supersonic with its authenticity and breathtaking graphics
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Live to get next big overhaul at Xmas News
Aaron Greenberg has told Eurogamer there won't be another big update to Xbox Live until the end of the year.
However, the Microsoft exec said, the nature of the technology powering New Xbox Experience means it's easier to introduce new features - and we can expect to see plenty of smaller updates in the coming months.
"The great benefit of the design is that we're able to add new features, new channels and things like that pretty quickly. So yeah, you'll see us do more regular updates throughout the year," he said, speaking in an interview published today.
Does that mean no spring update, then? "We will definitely package some things together, but we haven't specifically committed to doing just two big updates," Greenberg stated.
"We want to add new features when they're ready. Then, for holiday perhaps, we'll do something big. But exactly how that will work remains to be seen.
"Primetime's going to be a significant update," he continued, referring to the new channel unveiled last year. "Others will be coming in the spring, but we won't necessarily have a day when the switch gets flipped."
In the same interview, Greenberg confirmed Microsoft has yet to reveal its full games offering for Christmas 2009.
"I can safely say that if you're an Xbox 360 owner today, you will end 2009 with a whole slew of new features, new content, new partners, new games that today you don't know about," he pledged.
However, the Microsoft exec said, the nature of the technology powering New Xbox Experience means it's easier to introduce new features - and we can expect to see plenty of smaller updates in the coming months.
"The great benefit of the design is that we're able to add new features, new channels and things like that pretty quickly. So yeah, you'll see us do more regular updates throughout the year," he said, speaking in an interview published today.
Does that mean no spring update, then? "We will definitely package some things together, but we haven't specifically committed to doing just two big updates," Greenberg stated.
"We want to add new features when they're ready. Then, for holiday perhaps, we'll do something big. But exactly how that will work remains to be seen.
"Primetime's going to be a significant update," he continued, referring to the new channel unveiled last year. "Others will be coming in the spring, but we won't necessarily have a day when the switch gets flipped."
In the same interview, Greenberg confirmed Microsoft has yet to reveal its full games offering for Christmas 2009.
"I can safely say that if you're an Xbox 360 owner today, you will end 2009 with a whole slew of new features, new content, new partners, new games that today you don't know about," he pledged.
cheep games
Manhunt 2 (Wii) - £8.77 @ Amazon
Juiced 2 (XBox 360) - £6.99 @ Amazon
DeBlob (wii) £12 @ ASDA
Juiced 2 (XBox 360) - £6.99 @ Amazon
DeBlob (wii) £12 @ ASDA
Guitar Hero III is first $1 billion game
Activision has announced that Guitar Hero III has clocked up sales of $1 billion, the first ever game to do so.
Its multiformat status has helped, as Guitar Hero III has been released on pretty much every console known to man. Given the state of the economy right now, it's safe to presume the record will be safe for a while yet...
Its multiformat status has helped, as Guitar Hero III has been released on pretty much every console known to man. Given the state of the economy right now, it's safe to presume the record will be safe for a while yet...
Wii is most popular console in the UK
The Wii has the highest UK installed base of the big three consoles, with Xbox 360 in second place and PlayStation 3 in third.
That's according to new figures from GfK Chart-Track, released by retailer GAME and reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
The installed base for the Wii is now 4.9 million consoles. The figure for Xbox 360 stands at 3.2 million, while for PS3 it's 1.9 million.
That means 2 million Wii units were sold during 2008, compared to 1.4 million Xbox 360s. Sony shifted 1 million PS3s over the course of the year.
The company also sold 600,000 PSP units, bringing the total installed base to 3.2 million. Nintendo's winning again, though - 8.8 million DS units have now been sold in the UK. In total 3.4 million of those were shifted last year, meaning the DS outsold the PSP by more than 5 to 1.
hahaha sony
That's according to new figures from GfK Chart-Track, released by retailer GAME and reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
The installed base for the Wii is now 4.9 million consoles. The figure for Xbox 360 stands at 3.2 million, while for PS3 it's 1.9 million.
That means 2 million Wii units were sold during 2008, compared to 1.4 million Xbox 360s. Sony shifted 1 million PS3s over the course of the year.
The company also sold 600,000 PSP units, bringing the total installed base to 3.2 million. Nintendo's winning again, though - 8.8 million DS units have now been sold in the UK. In total 3.4 million of those were shifted last year, meaning the DS outsold the PSP by more than 5 to 1.
hahaha sony
Ollie to Faceplant!
Yes I suppose at first it seems too similar to the first SKATE to stop you getting the new one, but it does look better and the actual skating (in the demo at least) feels even more real. I believe it's kick-flipping its way ino the shops at the end of January.
Reader Poll: Best of 2008 Games
Which channel's Game of the Year came out on top?
US, January 12, 2009 - With 2009 now in full swing, the time for reflection is almost over. This Friday, IGN is announcing its overall Best of 2008 awards, including the coveted Game of the Year. While we aren't quite ready to announce the nominees and winners, we did ask readers which IGN channel's Best of 2008 winner they liked the most. Just over 52,000 of you voted and we've tallied the results.
According to you, the best of our individual platform Games of the Year are:
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3): 48%
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360): 37%
World of Goo (Wii): 5%
Braid (Xbox Live): 3%
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC): 3%
The World Ends with You (DS): 3%
Patapon (PSP): 1%
The uncontested winner is Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PlayStation 3. Solid Snake's latest mission (really, who is prepared to truly call it his last?) topped the list with almost half of the total votes. Trailing behind it was Fallout 3, Bethesda's sequel to the popular post-apocalyptic adventure series. Fallout 3 appeared on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC last year, but only the Xbox 360 version topped the individual IGN channel awards.
The battle for last place was handily won by the inventive Patapon on the PlayStation Portable, a rhythm-action game that melded great music with clever gameplay. Existing between Patapon and Fallout 3 are the winners of all other channels, each garnering similar shares of the remaining vote. World of Goo, the WiiWare download, topped the third tier of games. Braid, the only other download game on our list, ranked not too far behind World of Goo.
How did you vote in our poll and why? Hit the comments and tell us which is your favorite game of 2008 -- or make a prediction about which game will win our 2008 Game of the Year!
Thanks to ign.com for the text
US, January 12, 2009 - With 2009 now in full swing, the time for reflection is almost over. This Friday, IGN is announcing its overall Best of 2008 awards, including the coveted Game of the Year. While we aren't quite ready to announce the nominees and winners, we did ask readers which IGN channel's Best of 2008 winner they liked the most. Just over 52,000 of you voted and we've tallied the results.
According to you, the best of our individual platform Games of the Year are:
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3): 48%
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360): 37%
World of Goo (Wii): 5%
Braid (Xbox Live): 3%
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC): 3%
The World Ends with You (DS): 3%
Patapon (PSP): 1%
The uncontested winner is Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PlayStation 3. Solid Snake's latest mission (really, who is prepared to truly call it his last?) topped the list with almost half of the total votes. Trailing behind it was Fallout 3, Bethesda's sequel to the popular post-apocalyptic adventure series. Fallout 3 appeared on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC last year, but only the Xbox 360 version topped the individual IGN channel awards.
The battle for last place was handily won by the inventive Patapon on the PlayStation Portable, a rhythm-action game that melded great music with clever gameplay. Existing between Patapon and Fallout 3 are the winners of all other channels, each garnering similar shares of the remaining vote. World of Goo, the WiiWare download, topped the third tier of games. Braid, the only other download game on our list, ranked not too far behind World of Goo.
How did you vote in our poll and why? Hit the comments and tell us which is your favorite game of 2008 -- or make a prediction about which game will win our 2008 Game of the Year!
Thanks to ign.com for the text
When's the Next Xbox Coming?
Microsoft says the wait will be longer than in previous cycles.
US, January 12, 2009 - The graphical prowess and feature set of the Xbox 360 are still at such a high level that Microsoft execs don't think they can persuade consumers to buy a new version any time soon.
In interview with Bloomberg News that ran in the San Jose Mercury News this morning, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, Robbie Bach, said the company is currently focused on improving the Xbox 360's software library and features rather than launching a new machine.
"Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," Bach told Bloomberg. "The life cycle for this generation of consoles — and I'm not just talking about Xbox, I'd include Wii and PS3 as well — is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations."
The original Xbox was released in 2001, and the Xbox 360 followed four years later, in 2005. Sony executives have spoken publicly about a possible 10-year life cycle for the PlayStation 3, which is considerably longer than previous cycles in the videogame industry. While the next Xbox might not take quite that long to materialize (the 360 hit the market in 2005), the current economic climate could push plans back even further.
"When you look at consumers, they are going to be more value-conscious," Bach said. "We want to make sure that as the economy does start to recover, that we're positioned well."
thanks to ign.com for the text
US, January 12, 2009 - The graphical prowess and feature set of the Xbox 360 are still at such a high level that Microsoft execs don't think they can persuade consumers to buy a new version any time soon.
In interview with Bloomberg News that ran in the San Jose Mercury News this morning, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, Robbie Bach, said the company is currently focused on improving the Xbox 360's software library and features rather than launching a new machine.
"Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," Bach told Bloomberg. "The life cycle for this generation of consoles — and I'm not just talking about Xbox, I'd include Wii and PS3 as well — is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations."
The original Xbox was released in 2001, and the Xbox 360 followed four years later, in 2005. Sony executives have spoken publicly about a possible 10-year life cycle for the PlayStation 3, which is considerably longer than previous cycles in the videogame industry. While the next Xbox might not take quite that long to materialize (the 360 hit the market in 2005), the current economic climate could push plans back even further.
"When you look at consumers, they are going to be more value-conscious," Bach said. "We want to make sure that as the economy does start to recover, that we're positioned well."
thanks to ign.com for the text
Monday 12 January 2009
Shoot the C***
OK, ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES does look sweet, but has anyone ever noticed that the 'mouth' of the face huggers looks a bit like a front bottom?
Cheers Ben/Monobrow/OXM Magazine etc etc.
It was, indeed a frantic little session, but we spanked through the whole game on Co-op on release day! Top fun!
The NXE
Perhaps it's just me, but has anyone else noticed that since the NXE update, things seem to be a little slow.... I realise that there is a bit more stuff being shoved down the broadband pipe but I do find myself getting bored waiting for things to load, particularly the "get demo" links on game marketplace. I just want to see an ad in the main dash, click and get it, not wait for 'featured downloads' to load, or the background. No big deal really but the new system seems to be slower than the old one, perhaps this will get fixed in time. This little gripe extends itself to the friends list and generally to other sections too (guide button).
Don't get me wrong, i prefer the NXE to the old system, but I wish it was faster. My internet is blazing along at a steady (fast) pace, so it can't be that.
It also 'feels' like there is less new content, I am sure some geek will post up some stats that say otherwise, but I always remember there being new stuff to look at, now there seems to be the same old shit day after day. Perhaps the inclusion of community games has slowed the addition of arcade titles, don't know. But I do know that the community games for me anyway are a waste of time and although are a nice touch, they are generally shit, lets face it.
Also does anybody else seem to look at their friends list less with the NXE? Yes it's very cute seeing ya mates wave at you in groups, but I do tire of scrolling through seemingly identical little characters (lack of clothing options) to see who's on and playing what. I have started using the guide button to look at things the old way more than I thought I would.
The NXE is certainly cool, but I am looking forward to a major update in the future, there is bound to be one at some point as with all software.
See picture above for an early pic of what we could expect from the avatar side of things.... so where is this stuff, i want the fucking rabbit costume!
Don't get me wrong, i prefer the NXE to the old system, but I wish it was faster. My internet is blazing along at a steady (fast) pace, so it can't be that.
It also 'feels' like there is less new content, I am sure some geek will post up some stats that say otherwise, but I always remember there being new stuff to look at, now there seems to be the same old shit day after day. Perhaps the inclusion of community games has slowed the addition of arcade titles, don't know. But I do know that the community games for me anyway are a waste of time and although are a nice touch, they are generally shit, lets face it.
Also does anybody else seem to look at their friends list less with the NXE? Yes it's very cute seeing ya mates wave at you in groups, but I do tire of scrolling through seemingly identical little characters (lack of clothing options) to see who's on and playing what. I have started using the guide button to look at things the old way more than I thought I would.
The NXE is certainly cool, but I am looking forward to a major update in the future, there is bound to be one at some point as with all software.
See picture above for an early pic of what we could expect from the avatar side of things.... so where is this stuff, i want the fucking rabbit costume!
No Blu-Ray For Xbox 360
Microsoft's Bach explains why Sony's tech isn't coming to your console.
US, January 9, 2009 - Microsoft executives have made it clear for some time now that they have no plans to add Blu-Ray functionality to the Xbox 360, but they've never really delved into specifics.
But Seattle-based tech Web site Tech Flash (via Gamasutra) cornered Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, at CES this week and pressed him on the issue. And this time, Bach talked at length about the subject.
Microsoft still has no plans to bring Sony's high-definition disk format to its console, mainly because consumers aren't asking for it, Bach said.
"It's not a feature we get a ton of requests for. We really don't," Bach told Tech Flash. "When you ask people the list of things they want to see us spending time creating in Xbox, Blu-ray is way, way down on the list."
And even if Xbox 360 gamers were clamoring for the format, it wouldn't be in the company's best interest to make it happen. If future 360 games were to be published on Blu-Ray, they wouldn't play on the current installed base of 28 million DVD-based consoles, which would be a bad thing, Bach said. Oh, also it would apparently be quite pricey. Still confused? We'll let Bach break it down:
"And so the scenario is, OK, let me get this straight: I'm going to add something to the product that's going to raise the cost, which means the price goes up, consumers aren't asking for it, and by the way, my game developers can't use it."
But what about the ability to watch high-definition movies on a gaming console? Bach said he's perfectly happy with the Xbox Live video-on-demand service and the recent addition of Netflix streaming movies.
So if you're still holding out for a Blu-Ray peripheral for your Xbox 360 or a rebooted console model with a Blu-Ray drive, it looks like you're out of luck.
thanks to ign.com for the text
US, January 9, 2009 - Microsoft executives have made it clear for some time now that they have no plans to add Blu-Ray functionality to the Xbox 360, but they've never really delved into specifics.
But Seattle-based tech Web site Tech Flash (via Gamasutra) cornered Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, at CES this week and pressed him on the issue. And this time, Bach talked at length about the subject.
Microsoft still has no plans to bring Sony's high-definition disk format to its console, mainly because consumers aren't asking for it, Bach said.
"It's not a feature we get a ton of requests for. We really don't," Bach told Tech Flash. "When you ask people the list of things they want to see us spending time creating in Xbox, Blu-ray is way, way down on the list."
And even if Xbox 360 gamers were clamoring for the format, it wouldn't be in the company's best interest to make it happen. If future 360 games were to be published on Blu-Ray, they wouldn't play on the current installed base of 28 million DVD-based consoles, which would be a bad thing, Bach said. Oh, also it would apparently be quite pricey. Still confused? We'll let Bach break it down:
"And so the scenario is, OK, let me get this straight: I'm going to add something to the product that's going to raise the cost, which means the price goes up, consumers aren't asking for it, and by the way, my game developers can't use it."
But what about the ability to watch high-definition movies on a gaming console? Bach said he's perfectly happy with the Xbox Live video-on-demand service and the recent addition of Netflix streaming movies.
So if you're still holding out for a Blu-Ray peripheral for your Xbox 360 or a rebooted console model with a Blu-Ray drive, it looks like you're out of luck.
thanks to ign.com for the text
Friday 9 January 2009
Prototype looks so much fun!
Just gets funnier, better and sillier! Gotta have this when it comes out!
Crackdown on... errr.. Crack?
This really reminds me of Crackdown, but with big nobs on! Certainly looks like a good laugh, If you enjoyed Crackdown, this could be a winner!!!
Halo Wars RTS
Perhaps it's just me but does this look really boring? I know I am not a massive fan of the whole RTS thing but Halo was a rather exciting game, but this..... whatever is going on?
Thursday 8 January 2009
Get that thing off my face!
US, January 7, 2009 - Gearbox Software has revealed that Aliens: Colonial Marines, its highly-anticipated shooter, is on track for a first quarter 2009 release. This word comes roughly a month and a half after Gearbox president Randy Pitchford denied the rumor that the game had been cancelled.
Regarding the game's reported "halted" development, "Aliens isn't canned," Pitchford said back in November. Late last year, Gearbox laid off several employees. Some news publications estimated that 15 to 25 employees were let go. Gearbox's most notable, recent release was Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. The WWII shooter was met with lower-than-expected sales.
According to videogamer.com, even though Gearbox confirmed a Q1 2009 release period, the company is not ready to announce the exact release date for Aliens: Colonial Marines.
Gears Of War 2 Flashback maps available to all
The Flashback Map pack for Gears Of War 2 has now been made available on Marketplace.
Which is great news if you didn't get them the first time round. Those who bought Gears of War 2 brand new also received a voucher with a code that let them grab the maps for free.
Obviously those buying second hand missed out but for the price of 400 Microsoft Points, everyone can play on five revamped maps from the original Gears Of War. Just in time for the patch!
Which is great news if you didn't get them the first time round. Those who bought Gears of War 2 brand new also received a voucher with a code that let them grab the maps for free.
Obviously those buying second hand missed out but for the price of 400 Microsoft Points, everyone can play on five revamped maps from the original Gears Of War. Just in time for the patch!
Atari reveals Ghostbusters release date News
Atari has told Eurogamer that Ghostbusters: The Videogame will be released in Europe on 19th June.
It'll coincide with the release of the first Ghostbusters movie on Blu-ray, and the series' 25th anniversary.
The Ghostbusters game was originally down to be published by Sierra, before it was swallowed up and spat out by the Activision-Blizzard merger and snapped up by Atari. It's in development for PC, PS2, PS3, DS, Wii and Xbox 360, and a spokesperson confirmed all versions will be released simultaneously.
Roll on June, then...
It'll coincide with the release of the first Ghostbusters movie on Blu-ray, and the series' 25th anniversary.
The Ghostbusters game was originally down to be published by Sierra, before it was swallowed up and spat out by the Activision-Blizzard merger and snapped up by Atari. It's in development for PC, PS2, PS3, DS, Wii and Xbox 360, and a spokesperson confirmed all versions will be released simultaneously.
Roll on June, then...
Left 4 Dead patch out now, doesn't fix main glitch
Valve has released a patch for Left 4 Dead but it doesn't fix the main glitches people are experienced right now.
In short, that means the infected can still block the warehouse doorway and manhole on No Mercy 3, along with the lift on No Mercy 4.
All the patch has done is fix the PC-style mod exploits, which Valve had previously zapped from Xbox Live. The glitch now ensures they can't be used over system link either.
So expect a lot more moaning from Left 4 Dead players about the lift being blocked by the generator. Until it does get fixed, take a pipebomb with you to move the generator out the way. You can thank us later.
In short, that means the infected can still block the warehouse doorway and manhole on No Mercy 3, along with the lift on No Mercy 4.
All the patch has done is fix the PC-style mod exploits, which Valve had previously zapped from Xbox Live. The glitch now ensures they can't be used over system link either.
So expect a lot more moaning from Left 4 Dead players about the lift being blocked by the generator. Until it does get fixed, take a pipebomb with you to move the generator out the way. You can thank us later.
Halo Wars coming February 28th
It was just announced at CES that Halo Wars will be available on February 28th with a demo hitting Xbox LIVE on February 5th.
Demo: Skate 2 on live today
Content: Skate 2 Demo
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Download the demo and hone your skills before Skate 2 hits stores as you rip around Slappy's, move objects to create spots, and take on new set of challenges. Also compete against up to 4 of your friends in an all out break your bones Hall of Meat challenge. Skate 2 will be in stores worldwide on January 23.
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Download the demo and hone your skills before Skate 2 hits stores as you rip around Slappy's, move objects to create spots, and take on new set of challenges. Also compete against up to 4 of your friends in an all out break your bones Hall of Meat challenge. Skate 2 will be in stores worldwide on January 23.
CoD 4 hits 10 million players
A series of stats posted by Infinity Ward's Community Manager, Robert Bowling, have revealed that the best-selling FPS has notched up 10,006,606 players on Xbox Live - plus other statistics.
Of those he reports 6,886,509 have completed the early Cargo Ship mission - a tolerable but less-than-impressive 68.8%. Only 46.5%, or 5,654,643 people, actually got as far as completing the game on any difficulty setting.
Rarest of all were the people who completed the final "airplane" mission on Veteran difficulty. A mere 283,632 people have managed it, 2.8% of all CoD 4 players.
Weirdest to us is that only 71.1% (7,111,508 people) of players completed the training level. What, the opening credits didn't grab you?
Of those he reports 6,886,509 have completed the early Cargo Ship mission - a tolerable but less-than-impressive 68.8%. Only 46.5%, or 5,654,643 people, actually got as far as completing the game on any difficulty setting.
Rarest of all were the people who completed the final "airplane" mission on Veteran difficulty. A mere 283,632 people have managed it, 2.8% of all CoD 4 players.
Weirdest to us is that only 71.1% (7,111,508 people) of players completed the training level. What, the opening credits didn't grab you?
Wednesday 7 January 2009
Top played Games on Xbox Live
Microsoft have published a list of the top played games for 2008 on xbox live, any surprises?
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on unique users)
1. Halo 3
2. Call of Duty 4
3. GTA IV
4. Gears of War 2
5. Gears of War
6. CoD: World at War
7. Guitar Hero III
8. Battlefield: Bad Company Demo
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo
10. Rock Band
11. Fable II
12. Mirror’s Edge Demo
13. Madden NFL 09
14. BF: Bad Company
15. Rainbow Six Vegas 2
16. UNO
17. Castle Crashers
18. COD: World at War Multiplayer Beta
19. Forza Motorsport 2
20. Too Human - Demo
PS2 wins; Xbox 360 beats Wii; original Xbox beats PS3
The Nielsen Media Research group, better known for saying what the American public watched on TV, has released some research on "usage minutes" for games consoles in the US last year (Jan-Oct). It turns out that Sony's PlayStation 2 still leads the way, accounting for 31.7% of the time spent console gaming. However, the Xbox 360 (17.2%) came second, ahead of Nintendo's Wii (13.4%). Even more embarrassing for Sony, the original Xbox (9.7%) beat the PlayStation 3 (7.3%).
Rock anywhere!
Guitar Hero / Rockband on iPhone, actually good! Real tracks, good sound quality, has drums and guitar, achievements n' all. Worth a go if you are an Apple Whore! Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' is particularly good!
The Dead - Given new Life
US, December 29, 2008 - Valve will officially reveal downloadable content for Left 4 Dead, its November-released zombie shooter, "shortly." During a video podcast with Kotaku (via Shacknews), one of the game's writers, Chet Faliszek, confirmed that Valve is working on new scenarios, "What we want to do is just deliver more content you can play at this point."
Faliszek also revealed that Valve has plans on incorporating the Versus mode to the Dead Air and Death Toll campaigns. Currently, only Blood Harvest and No Mercy are playable in Versus.
In addition, the game writer said that, unlike Team Fortress 2 updates, Valve plans on releasing Left 4 Dead DLC for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms at the same time.
During the podcast, which was recorded on December 15, Faliszek speculated that the game's DLC announcement may come before Christmas. That, however, did not happen. Faliszek did state that announcement delays may happen as a result of the company's press guys going on vacation. However, he added, "We'll have an announcement shortly, I don't know exactly when."
Typically, PC versions of Valve releases receive free updates through Steam, the company's popular digital-distribution service, but no official pricing plans for either PC or Xbox 360 platforms have been announced. IGN has attempted to reach Valve for additional DLC details.
thanks to ign.com for the text
Faliszek also revealed that Valve has plans on incorporating the Versus mode to the Dead Air and Death Toll campaigns. Currently, only Blood Harvest and No Mercy are playable in Versus.
In addition, the game writer said that, unlike Team Fortress 2 updates, Valve plans on releasing Left 4 Dead DLC for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms at the same time.
During the podcast, which was recorded on December 15, Faliszek speculated that the game's DLC announcement may come before Christmas. That, however, did not happen. Faliszek did state that announcement delays may happen as a result of the company's press guys going on vacation. However, he added, "We'll have an announcement shortly, I don't know exactly when."
Typically, PC versions of Valve releases receive free updates through Steam, the company's popular digital-distribution service, but no official pricing plans for either PC or Xbox 360 platforms have been announced. IGN has attempted to reach Valve for additional DLC details.
thanks to ign.com for the text
Shift up a Gear
US, January 6, 2009 - Epic Games is kicking off the new year with a hefty patch for Gears of War 2, one that promises to address ongoing multiplayer bugs, fix persistent glitches, improve the netcode and even add a few achievements for good measure.
In a post on the official Gears of War message boards today, Epic Vice President Mark Rein announced that the title update will be released sometime in January, although no specific date has been nailed down just yet. Rein's post is a laundry list of some of the most glaring problems with Gears 2's multiplayer, including the ability to:
Wield an invisible shield
Wield a shield along with a two-handed weapon
Melee opponents through walls
Gain infinite Lancer machine gun ammunition
And "many more"
In addition to these bug fixes, Epic plans to increase penalties for players who quit matches early, add additional spawn protection against planted grenades and chainsaw attacks and include the ability to see the flag carrier position in the Submission mode. Rein also said Epic has fixed the client-side hit detection issues with the Gnasher shotgun, which should improve the weapon's performance in laggy online matches. Along those same lines, a particularly troublesome bug in which non-host Boomshot and shotgun rounds strike the ground (instead of your intended target) when firing from the hip.
There are no specifics on the new achievements yet, but we do know they'll be related to downloadable content. The patch will also increase the frequency of achievement progress notification and add that information to the in-game War Journal.
Rein's forum post hits the high points, but a full list of the update's features hasn't been released yet. And Epic isn't stopping there.
"Once it's done we'll start working on the next update," Rein wrote. "We'll try to do a better job keeping you informed of our progress on future updates and we'll try to be a little more active in the forums once this update is released."
thanks to ign.com for the info
In a post on the official Gears of War message boards today, Epic Vice President Mark Rein announced that the title update will be released sometime in January, although no specific date has been nailed down just yet. Rein's post is a laundry list of some of the most glaring problems with Gears 2's multiplayer, including the ability to:
Wield an invisible shield
Wield a shield along with a two-handed weapon
Melee opponents through walls
Gain infinite Lancer machine gun ammunition
And "many more"
In addition to these bug fixes, Epic plans to increase penalties for players who quit matches early, add additional spawn protection against planted grenades and chainsaw attacks and include the ability to see the flag carrier position in the Submission mode. Rein also said Epic has fixed the client-side hit detection issues with the Gnasher shotgun, which should improve the weapon's performance in laggy online matches. Along those same lines, a particularly troublesome bug in which non-host Boomshot and shotgun rounds strike the ground (instead of your intended target) when firing from the hip.
There are no specifics on the new achievements yet, but we do know they'll be related to downloadable content. The patch will also increase the frequency of achievement progress notification and add that information to the in-game War Journal.
Rein's forum post hits the high points, but a full list of the update's features hasn't been released yet. And Epic isn't stopping there.
"Once it's done we'll start working on the next update," Rein wrote. "We'll try to do a better job keeping you informed of our progress on future updates and we'll try to be a little more active in the forums once this update is released."
thanks to ign.com for the info
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Xbox 360 sales top Sony's PS3 by 8 million units
Xbox 360 sales top Sony's PS3 by 8 million units
Microsoft released a host of statistics early this evening to trumpet what it said was the success of its Xbox 360 video game console.
Microsoft said it has now sold more than 28 million Xbox 360s since the console's launch, expanding the Xbox 360's lead over Sony's PlayStation 3 by 8 million units worldwide. In late November, the company said it had sold 25 million units so far.
Microsoft also said there were now more than 17 million active members of Xbox Live, its online service. The company had said that there were 14 million active members last quarter.
In a statement, Sony called attention to some statistics of its own:
Early internal data points to an increase of more than 130 percent of PS3 hardware sales for the holiday season (since Black Friday) and we're also seeing a growth of nearly 40 percent in total PS3 hardware sales for the calendar year. We remain confident this momentum will continue into the new year.
CODDAY BIG DAY OUT 2009
ok chappys, i have booked this years "BIG DAY OUT" it will be at warfighters again but this yera we are going back to GHOST RECON, now its not like the first year with those shitty guns with leads its all new weapons and all wireless.price for the day £60.00
hotel (on two people shairing) £50 night (£25/EA)
now i need to know if you want to come at the start of march and i need paying for the day by the end of march.
he is a low down of what you can expect on the day, let me know.
WarFighters is not outdated laser-tag by any means. We use advanced Mil-Spec equipment that's second to none. Our games are all mission based and players will have to work together as fire-teams to achieve every objective.
What's Included
Your event includes all your equipment, ammunition and in-game props* Camo Suit / MOLLE SAPI Plate Vest / Camo Paint / Assault Rifle / Magazine. You can buy upgrades on site to "pimp" out your kit if you wanna go all Special Forces on us!
Weapons
A.C.E.S Laser Combat System. Capable of rages in excess of 1,000 ft. in daylight. This is the most advanced civilian laser kit on the planet. The gun broadcasts sound samples via an external wireless speaker box located on the wearer's webbing. Once hit a life is deducted from the player. There's no pain or cheating with laser systems. You have to load rounds to the weapon just like the real thing. Your ammo mag remembers how many rounds it has fired and needs to be reloaded after each game.
Every time the weapon is fired in either fully auto or single fire the gun makes a loud bang. A bright flash emits from the barrel and the shot is released towards the enemy. If you near miss your target the sensors will pick up the shot and play a near-miss sample as the virtual bullet passes overhead.
The Game Format
The morning begins with a safely induction which is followed by a brief overview of the weapon systems function. A quick introduction into field tactics is provide after which players are split in to equal sides. They are then divided into smaller fire-teams. Alpha Team: Play as advanced reconBravo Team: Shock troopsCharlie Team: Mission ObjectiveEach game has a mission objective in which the teams must complete in order to win. Games last between 15-35 minutes and are played over a very large area. Players are re-spawned and reloaded for each game. Around 6-7 games are played per day depending on the missions.
The Missions
Missions vary depending on the weather and season. We don't disclose our missions as it ruins the fun and the trill of the unknown. Themes do include transporting a VIP, sealing enemy data, securing and holding a location and escaping enemy hunter teams.
Things to bring with you
Players who want to wear their own combat clothing are encouraged to do so. There is no lunch break with this event as it runs straight through from start to finish. We recommend that you bring a very light snack and plenty of fluids to drink with you. (A back pack is provided for the group) A change of clothes is also recommended and a rubbish bag to take away your dirty boots or trainers in. You will get wet, either through sweat, or rain. Please don't come under prepared.
Operating Times
Please be on site at least 30 mins prior to the event starting. If you turn up late we may choose not to let you play. Late comers delay the whole day and this has a knock on effect to our other events. Please be considerate to other players who have made the effort. Use the map and directions we offer and don't trust your SAT-NAV.
Conduct
You are our guests and we want you to have a brilliant time with us. We don't tolerate idiots, or Muppets and would ask that you treat our equipment, facility and other players with respect. Our gear is really expensive and we have to protect our investment. Any player/s who are out of line get booted off site without a refund and are sent to bed without a cuddle!
Monday 5 January 2009
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