If you like a proper shooter and remember the genius that was R-TYPE back in the day (I certainly remember shoving 5p's in the coin-op on Worthing Pier when I was a kid) you should download OMEGA 5 from the marketplace, it really is the closest thing to R-TYPE I have seen in years. A proper Japanese 3D/2D shooter that will keep everyone happy until IKARUGA comes out... Get it!!!
click here for the original r-type audio....aaahhh memories!
Oh, and is anyone else far too excited that REZ is coming out this year?
Friday, 11 January 2008
Footfall doesn't. (fall)
Gold star from teacher and a little round of applause from the other kids in the class...
On Live last night [CODD] FOOTFALL managed 46 kills with a streak of 25 kills, only being killed twice.
Which is great as FOOTFALL nicely balances out how shit I am in clan matches!!!
I'd hate to think how good he's gonna be when he gets an HDTV and can really see what's going on!!
On Live last night [CODD] FOOTFALL managed 46 kills with a streak of 25 kills, only being killed twice.
Which is great as FOOTFALL nicely balances out how shit I am in clan matches!!!
I'd hate to think how good he's gonna be when he gets an HDTV and can really see what's going on!!
Thursday, 10 January 2008
First Details of this years day out.
TANK PAINTBALL!!!!!!
Right.....
We are going to be going tank paintballing on 14th June. It costs (give or take a few quid) £100 for the day, I realise this is double the cost of last years event at Warfighters but the variation sounds good. Start with Tank Paintball (every time I type that, I laugh a little inside) which will be something like several tanks in a field with three people per tank firing 40mm paintballs at each other....awesome. The organisers throw us some lunch, and then in the afternoon we all have a lash at some regular paintballing in the woods.
The company is called CHAOS PAINTBALL and their site can be found here
CHAOS PAINTBALL also have Off-road buggies, hovercrafts and archery to piss about with.
It's not too far from the hotel in Northampton we stayed at last time which works out at about £25 each for the night. Might look for another hotel cos that one was a bit shit, but it did have plenty of parking and was in the town centre. It's grim up north (so they tell me) and Northampton was alarmingly full of evil Friday night sluts which made for an interesting (albeit rather frightening) night out.
If you're coming, we will need to know and have your money (perhaps only a deposit) by the END OF FEBRUARY so we can book. Once we have a final list of names we can make the booking and final prices per person will be set, depending on the numbers we will be able to get a small discount. You will also receive a personalised CODDAY T-Shirt as a momento of the day, T-shirt design can be seen elsewhere on this blog.
If everyone would prefer to go to Warfighters this could be arranged, however most of us have already done that and something different would be good, that and some of us were a little disappointed at Warfighters because of a lack of vehicles and grenades, only due to the fact the guys had moved site and not everything was up and running. However Warfighters are now more established at their new site and also have fantastic new weapons and a Rainbow Six style day. We all had a real blast last year at Warfighters and I think we would all like to go back, but we're thinking in the autumn for Jonzee's Birthday instead of the CODDAY big day out.
If you're up for it, the usual restrictions apply, send either MGB DUDE or PAWNK1NG a message over xbox live, over 21s only, don't bring your mum (unless she's fit), make sure you have plenty of beer money as we will get horribly pissed afterwards.
Right.....
We are going to be going tank paintballing on 14th June. It costs (give or take a few quid) £100 for the day, I realise this is double the cost of last years event at Warfighters but the variation sounds good. Start with Tank Paintball (every time I type that, I laugh a little inside) which will be something like several tanks in a field with three people per tank firing 40mm paintballs at each other....awesome. The organisers throw us some lunch, and then in the afternoon we all have a lash at some regular paintballing in the woods.
The company is called CHAOS PAINTBALL and their site can be found here
CHAOS PAINTBALL also have Off-road buggies, hovercrafts and archery to piss about with.
It's not too far from the hotel in Northampton we stayed at last time which works out at about £25 each for the night. Might look for another hotel cos that one was a bit shit, but it did have plenty of parking and was in the town centre. It's grim up north (so they tell me) and Northampton was alarmingly full of evil Friday night sluts which made for an interesting (albeit rather frightening) night out.
If you're coming, we will need to know and have your money (perhaps only a deposit) by the END OF FEBRUARY so we can book. Once we have a final list of names we can make the booking and final prices per person will be set, depending on the numbers we will be able to get a small discount. You will also receive a personalised CODDAY T-Shirt as a momento of the day, T-shirt design can be seen elsewhere on this blog.
If everyone would prefer to go to Warfighters this could be arranged, however most of us have already done that and something different would be good, that and some of us were a little disappointed at Warfighters because of a lack of vehicles and grenades, only due to the fact the guys had moved site and not everything was up and running. However Warfighters are now more established at their new site and also have fantastic new weapons and a Rainbow Six style day. We all had a real blast last year at Warfighters and I think we would all like to go back, but we're thinking in the autumn for Jonzee's Birthday instead of the CODDAY big day out.
If you're up for it, the usual restrictions apply, send either MGB DUDE or PAWNK1NG a message over xbox live, over 21s only, don't bring your mum (unless she's fit), make sure you have plenty of beer money as we will get horribly pissed afterwards.
Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote
I know its not X-BOX but check what this chap has done with the Wii
Wear your COD with pride!
OK, here we go...BIG DAY OUT PART DEUX! We're thinking about "Tank Paintball" (more details to follow) but here is the current preferred Tee Shirt design. Obviously all personalised to your individual gamertag. Design may alter slightly as the next few months pass, usually down to costs, more colours, more ink, more money...you get the idea. Leave comments if you like, and I'll ignore them at my leisure.
Cheers
The Dude & The King.
Monday, 7 January 2008
Call of duty 5
Call Of Duty 5 Heading For The Pacific?
Yes, Treyarch are indeed hard at work on Call of Duty 5. And that, yes, the series is heading back to World War II.
That's the stuff we'd heard already. What we didn't know is that, according to this tipster, the game's set in the under-utilized Pacific theater, something only one major WWII shooter - the awful Medal of Honour: Pacific Assault - has tried before. While (if true) the move back to well-worn WWII is mostly disappointing, if this game can branch out and explore some of the less "popular" aspects of the conflict
Free Gift to say Sorry !
Dear Xbox LIVE Members:
During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history and just yesterday you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service.
As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.
At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.
Thank you again for helping make Xbox LIVE everything that it is today!
Sincerely,
Marc Whitten
General Manager, Xbox LIVE
During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history and just yesterday you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service.
As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.
At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.
Thank you again for helping make Xbox LIVE everything that it is today!
Sincerely,
Marc Whitten
General Manager, Xbox LIVE
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Third Party "360"?
UK, January 3, 2008 - Microsoft's head honcho Bill Gates is due to make his final keynote speech at next week's Consumer Electronics Show, and many are speculating he is to go out with a bang with the announcement of a new flavour for the Xbox 360.
The murmurings began with a column by Brier Dudley in The Seattle Times, a source close to Microsoft, in which some educated guesswork about the contents of Gates' swansong was aired. These ranged from the fairly pedestrian – a focused convergence between the Xbox Live, Zune and Media Center teams to offer a one-stop service for content – to the more bravado anticipation of a new variety of Xbox 360, adding to the various choices already available. Dudley outlined the possibility of Microsoft licensing out their technology to a third party "…to develop a digital video recorder with a hard-drive, high-definition HD-DVD drive and Xbox gaming capabilities."
Already the rumour has snowballed, with Stuff Magazine going as far to outline specifications of the new Xbox, alongside a speculative street date of Autumn 2008 and the moniker of Xbox Ultimate. Among the features they expect to see are the aforementioned HD-DVD drive, built-in Wi-Fi, a more muted fan and a 320GB hard disk that would enable users to fully benefit from the Xbox IPTV service.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft UK were not willing to offer comment on the growing specula
Thanks to IGN.COM for the info.
Reminds me a little of the DVD enabled, chrome Panasonic Gamecube which only came out in Japan...There's one for sale in Cambridge in a shop called GAMETRON EXCHANGE incase anyone is interested....
On another note, it's 2008 which means REZ HD is out this year!!! W00T!
The murmurings began with a column by Brier Dudley in The Seattle Times, a source close to Microsoft, in which some educated guesswork about the contents of Gates' swansong was aired. These ranged from the fairly pedestrian – a focused convergence between the Xbox Live, Zune and Media Center teams to offer a one-stop service for content – to the more bravado anticipation of a new variety of Xbox 360, adding to the various choices already available. Dudley outlined the possibility of Microsoft licensing out their technology to a third party "…to develop a digital video recorder with a hard-drive, high-definition HD-DVD drive and Xbox gaming capabilities."
Already the rumour has snowballed, with Stuff Magazine going as far to outline specifications of the new Xbox, alongside a speculative street date of Autumn 2008 and the moniker of Xbox Ultimate. Among the features they expect to see are the aforementioned HD-DVD drive, built-in Wi-Fi, a more muted fan and a 320GB hard disk that would enable users to fully benefit from the Xbox IPTV service.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft UK were not willing to offer comment on the growing specula
Thanks to IGN.COM for the info.
Reminds me a little of the DVD enabled, chrome Panasonic Gamecube which only came out in Japan...There's one for sale in Cambridge in a shop called GAMETRON EXCHANGE incase anyone is interested....
On another note, it's 2008 which means REZ HD is out this year!!! W00T!
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Help!
My 360 has decided to ruin christmas by being a muppet.
It starts out ok, lets me log in, start games, navigate menus, watch any cutscenes, all ok.
As soon as I move, or sometimes if its being particularly annoying, lets me play for a bit, or press the rt trigger, it freezes up and crashes on me.
Any Ideas on what is causing it? It isn't limited to certain games, isn't limited to either online or offline play, and i don't get any red lights.
Bollocks.
It starts out ok, lets me log in, start games, navigate menus, watch any cutscenes, all ok.
As soon as I move, or sometimes if its being particularly annoying, lets me play for a bit, or press the rt trigger, it freezes up and crashes on me.
Any Ideas on what is causing it? It isn't limited to certain games, isn't limited to either online or offline play, and i don't get any red lights.
Bollocks.
Friday, 21 December 2007
Sensible Soccer, Pt II
Argh, It has been pulled! Apparently it was suffering from 'Connection Issues' and was kicking people trying to play one another.
I don't care about that, I want it now!
Full story here
I don't care about that, I want it now!
Full story here
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Codday Wallpaper
Click the image above and a larger version will load, right click and do something like "save target as" or if you're on a mac, just drag to your desktop, or CTRL click the image and follow the instructions!
We're afraid the image quality is a little ropey at the moment, a higher resolution file will be up for download soon!
300 In HD For Only 120 MS Points!
For 24 hours starting midnight 28 December, anyone with a broadband connection and Xbox LIVE membership (Silver or Gold) can take advantage of this terrific limited offer. “300”, critically acclaimed as the “Citizen Kane” of cinematic graphic novels, can be yours to rent in HD for the bargain price of 120 MS Points. Why? Because the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store is now open for business, and you really must experience it for yourself to know fantastic it is.
“300” is widely praised as one of the cinematic events of the year. Zack Snyder’s stunning visualization of the Frank Miller graphic novel must be seen to be believed, and then not forgotten. As the billboard poster says, Prepare for Glory! The Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) takes on the might of the Persian Empire fronted by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his million-strong army. With just 300 Spartans by his side, Leonidas marches bravely toward the Battle of Thermopylae.
Although the action packed “300” is showcase cinema it’s only one of many genres available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store. There are blockbusters to suit all tastes, making this Christmas one to savour for all the family. Recent hits “Looney Tunes: Back in Action”, the complete “Matrix” trilogy and “Ocean’s Eleven (2001)” line up alongside classics “The Fugitive”, “The Perfect Storm” plus family favourites “Risky Business” and “Clash of the Titans”. Upcoming movies include “Batman Forever”, “Batman Returns” and the hilarious “Analyze That”.
These great movies are easily accessible from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace blade, from as little as 250 Microsoft Points to download in Standard Definition and from 380 MSP for High Definition. Remember, anyone with broadband and Xbox LIVE membership, Silver or Gold, can take full advantage today!
“300” is widely praised as one of the cinematic events of the year. Zack Snyder’s stunning visualization of the Frank Miller graphic novel must be seen to be believed, and then not forgotten. As the billboard poster says, Prepare for Glory! The Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) takes on the might of the Persian Empire fronted by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his million-strong army. With just 300 Spartans by his side, Leonidas marches bravely toward the Battle of Thermopylae.
Although the action packed “300” is showcase cinema it’s only one of many genres available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store. There are blockbusters to suit all tastes, making this Christmas one to savour for all the family. Recent hits “Looney Tunes: Back in Action”, the complete “Matrix” trilogy and “Ocean’s Eleven (2001)” line up alongside classics “The Fugitive”, “The Perfect Storm” plus family favourites “Risky Business” and “Clash of the Titans”. Upcoming movies include “Batman Forever”, “Batman Returns” and the hilarious “Analyze That”.
These great movies are easily accessible from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace blade, from as little as 250 Microsoft Points to download in Standard Definition and from 380 MSP for High Definition. Remember, anyone with broadband and Xbox LIVE membership, Silver or Gold, can take full advantage today!
FREE GAME!!!
Who knows if it is any good or not, but FREE is always OK!
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/y/yarisxbloxlivearcade/default.htm
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/y/yarisxbloxlivearcade/default.htm
Sensible Soccer
Today, I believe, Sensible Soccer FINALLY gets rolled out onto the XBL Arcade. I have been waiting for this day for months, and downloading it will be the first thing i do when i get back home tonight.
Bring it on!
Bring it on!
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
LIVE Activity for week of 12/10
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty 4
3 Gears of War
4 Guitar Hero III
5 Assassin's Creed
6 Mass Effect7 Madden NFL 08
8 Burnout Paradise Demo
9 Guitar Hero II
10 Forza Motorsport 2
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Arkadian Warriors
2 Sonic The Hedgehog 2
3 GripShift
4 UNO
5 Marble Blast Ultra
6 Bomberman LIVE
7 Bankshot Billiards 2
8 Geometry Wars Evolved
9 Small Arms
10 Worms
The arcade list is based on full versions purchased.
Original Xbox Top Live Games
1 Halo 2
2 Fable
3 Battlefield 2: MC
4 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
5 Counter-Strike
6 Madden NFL 08
7 Call of Duty 3
8 Crimson Skies
9 Rainbow Six 3
10 Ghost Recon 2
These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade, full versions purchased that week
Thanks Major Nelson for the info
The K1NG
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty 4
3 Gears of War
4 Guitar Hero III
5 Assassin's Creed
6 Mass Effect7 Madden NFL 08
8 Burnout Paradise Demo
9 Guitar Hero II
10 Forza Motorsport 2
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Arkadian Warriors
2 Sonic The Hedgehog 2
3 GripShift
4 UNO
5 Marble Blast Ultra
6 Bomberman LIVE
7 Bankshot Billiards 2
8 Geometry Wars Evolved
9 Small Arms
10 Worms
The arcade list is based on full versions purchased.
Original Xbox Top Live Games
1 Halo 2
2 Fable
3 Battlefield 2: MC
4 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
5 Counter-Strike
6 Madden NFL 08
7 Call of Duty 3
8 Crimson Skies
9 Rainbow Six 3
10 Ghost Recon 2
These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade, full versions purchased that week
Thanks Major Nelson for the info
The K1NG
Monday, 17 December 2007
Elite Console Problems
Check the link below before you upgrade to a 120GB drive....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7147753.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7147753.stm
Something for the Halo Fan-boys...
A bit of this has already been posted here before but here is all 3 segments of the viral Halo "movies" stitched together.
Big Call of Duty 4 changes coming...
Most of the tweaks comes in the form of new maps being added to the playlist rotations, such as Sabotage, Team Deathmatch, Free-For-All and Hardcore Team Deathmatch now getting the Showdown map. Each map will also be granted nine new spawn areas while the overall online netcode will be tweaked to ensure it's more solid - players will no longer be kicked out of games altogether should the host leave, for example.
The most obvious change though, and one that should look fairly cool, is the addition of Kill Cam to all the weapons. That includes Air Strikes, Claymores, C4 Packs and yes, Martyrdom grenades, the 2007's Noob Weapon Of Choice. No date has been given for this impending update though, so keep pounding the multiplayer to make sure you're in good shape for when it hits...
The most obvious change though, and one that should look fairly cool, is the addition of Kill Cam to all the weapons. That includes Air Strikes, Claymores, C4 Packs and yes, Martyrdom grenades, the 2007's Noob Weapon Of Choice. No date has been given for this impending update though, so keep pounding the multiplayer to make sure you're in good shape for when it hits...
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Friday, 14 December 2007
Fony Grey-station
HO HO! PS2 is outselling PS3 in America.....1.4 million COD4 gamers on Xbox 360 and 440,000 on PS3......nice.
Free BioShock Content Download
Stuck in a rut in Rapture? Has a Big Daddy been beating you down in BioShock? Need a little more zing to your arsenal? Download these Gene Tonics and Plasmids and get your step back.
The free content download includes new Plasmids and Tonics, Achievements, and interface upgrades. Don't miss these four new plasmids and gene tonics:
• Sonic Boom: Hurls creatures and objects back with a blast of force.
• EVE Saver: Enables plasmids to use less EVE.
• Vending Expert: Reduces prices in the vending machines.
• Machine Buster: Increases the amount of damage you deal to cameras, bots, and turrets.
In addition, there's a new Achievement and extra gamerscore points in the free download (exclusive to Xbox 360). You can gain 100 points for the "Brass Balls" Achievement by beating BioShock on the "Hard" difficulty setting without dying.
Widescreen Option In response to gamers' requests and feedback from the Cult of Rapture community forums, BioShock fans now have a widescreen option, granting a wider horizontal field of vision, as well as additional enhancements to the game. The Xbox 360® Title Update will be automatically applied at the game's startup when you log into Xbox LIVE®.
Dunno if you lot are...but I'm a big fan of Bioshock, can't wait for the new plasmids and a 'proper' widescreen mode
Laters...The Dude
The free content download includes new Plasmids and Tonics, Achievements, and interface upgrades. Don't miss these four new plasmids and gene tonics:
• Sonic Boom: Hurls creatures and objects back with a blast of force.
• EVE Saver: Enables plasmids to use less EVE.
• Vending Expert: Reduces prices in the vending machines.
• Machine Buster: Increases the amount of damage you deal to cameras, bots, and turrets.
In addition, there's a new Achievement and extra gamerscore points in the free download (exclusive to Xbox 360). You can gain 100 points for the "Brass Balls" Achievement by beating BioShock on the "Hard" difficulty setting without dying.
Widescreen Option In response to gamers' requests and feedback from the Cult of Rapture community forums, BioShock fans now have a widescreen option, granting a wider horizontal field of vision, as well as additional enhancements to the game. The Xbox 360® Title Update will be automatically applied at the game's startup when you log into Xbox LIVE®.
Dunno if you lot are...but I'm a big fan of Bioshock, can't wait for the new plasmids and a 'proper' widescreen mode
Laters...The Dude
Xbox Live Movie Down Loads
Ok Maybe I'm a bit Stupid But I didn't Realise that the movie download was only a rental and it only lasts 14 days and you can only watch it once.
In normal format this cost 250 points about £2 ish , I can buy most of those films they have for £5.99 or even less with some of the offers i've seen. Then I can watch then whenever I want!
Until they put on some of the latest films on at this price I wouldn't even contemplate it.
Think we might be being ripped off again here ?
From Play.com
Xbox Live 2100 Points Card In stock.Usually dispatched within 24 hours.
our price: £16.99 Free Delivery RRP: £17.99 You save: £1.00 (5%)
From Play.com
The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne & Carrie-Anne Moss
(8 customer ratings)
£5.99 Free Delivery
In normal format this cost 250 points about £2 ish , I can buy most of those films they have for £5.99 or even less with some of the offers i've seen. Then I can watch then whenever I want!
Until they put on some of the latest films on at this price I wouldn't even contemplate it.
Think we might be being ripped off again here ?
From Play.com
Xbox Live 2100 Points Card In stock.Usually dispatched within 24 hours.
our price: £16.99 Free Delivery RRP: £17.99 You save: £1.00 (5%)
From Play.com
The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne & Carrie-Anne Moss
(8 customer ratings)
£5.99 Free Delivery
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Video Marketplace - Worth bothering with?
If Microcock pulls it's finger out we should all have the ability to download movies this evening from the video marketplace. Personally I won't be able to download anything as I only have a 20gb hard drive, and like most gamers out there already have it reasonably full of Arcade games and additional content for full games. I only have about 3gb spare on my drive so even a SD movie may well not fit onto the remaining space.
Personally I am a little disappointed that the HD movies are about 5gb and the SD movies will probably come in at about 2.5/3gb, surely there is a way to compress the video into smaller files (DIVX springs to mind). It would seem that only people with the (hideously) overpriced 120gb drive or the Elite system will actually have the space to take advantage of the new service.
If anyone who has the space for movies on their hard drive actually does start to download movies, let us know how you get on and I wonder how long it will take to actually download a 5gb file, I suppose you may well have to plan your evenings movie viewing a whole day in advance. Hopefully we will also get the TV shows at some point which will be of a much smaller size, and a more practical "multi-media machine experience" for Launch machine owners!
Cheers
Personally I am a little disappointed that the HD movies are about 5gb and the SD movies will probably come in at about 2.5/3gb, surely there is a way to compress the video into smaller files (DIVX springs to mind). It would seem that only people with the (hideously) overpriced 120gb drive or the Elite system will actually have the space to take advantage of the new service.
If anyone who has the space for movies on their hard drive actually does start to download movies, let us know how you get on and I wonder how long it will take to actually download a 5gb file, I suppose you may well have to plan your evenings movie viewing a whole day in advance. Hopefully we will also get the TV shows at some point which will be of a much smaller size, and a more practical "multi-media machine experience" for Launch machine owners!
Cheers
XBOX Originals - Save your money!
Just been reading a collection of reviews for the downloadable Xbox original games new to the marketplace. It would appear they're all a bit shit. You may well experience picture tearing, dodgy framerates, a lack of online play, no additional content (that was present on the discs) and none of them seem to support a widescreen format....oh, and they're more expensive than going down the shops and buying the games second-hand on a disc.
Don't do it!
Don't do it!
Monday, 10 December 2007
Thursday, 6 December 2007
A New Dreamcast?
Sega has filed an application to renew the patent on the Dreamcast in the United States, prompting optimistic speculation that the Japanese games giant is looking to re-enter the hardware market.
The patent was filed with the US Patent and Trademark office, and covers not only the console, but controllers, floor mats, joysticks, mice, flash memory cards, videogame software and computer game programs – so essentially, pretty much anything related to a console, basically. But will this result in a return to the hardware game for Sega?
As Sega fans ourselves, we make no secret of the fact we’d love to see this happen. The death of the Dreamcast in 2001 was one of gaming’s lowest points, and it wouldn’t be the first time Sega has been linked with a return to the hardware game: on several occasions, it’s been rumoured that Sega’s overlords at Sammy have been looking for partners to launch a console based around its low end ATOMISWAVE arcade board, although unsurprisingly, nothing has come of this.
Likewise, the fact Sega’s high definition Lindbergh arcade board uses many off-the-shelf PC components means it could act as the basis for a Sega console.
However, we have our doubts that it’s true. Even ignoring the fact that much of Sega’s development structure is now geared towards multiformat development, the costs of developing and launching a modern console are astronomical, even with the billions of Yen Sega-Sammy Holdings has stored away.
Indeed, it seems more likely that Sega is simply doing what all good companies do: namely keeping its trademarks up-to-date, should it need them again in the future.
This is a distinct possibility, as Sega has previously released peripherals based on ones from its old consoles for machines such as the PS2. Likewise, with retro downloads proving popular on all three main formats these days (and indeed, with Dreamcast game Rez due to hit Live Arcade soon), hanging onto the Dreamcast name is a wise move.
Still, it would be nice if it was true, wouldn’t it? If you wish to share your thoughts on the topic – or simply wish to get all nostalgic and wax lyrical about how wonderful Sega’s last console was – the comments section is at 360 gamer
Thanks to 360 Gamer Magazine for this information.
The patent was filed with the US Patent and Trademark office, and covers not only the console, but controllers, floor mats, joysticks, mice, flash memory cards, videogame software and computer game programs – so essentially, pretty much anything related to a console, basically. But will this result in a return to the hardware game for Sega?
As Sega fans ourselves, we make no secret of the fact we’d love to see this happen. The death of the Dreamcast in 2001 was one of gaming’s lowest points, and it wouldn’t be the first time Sega has been linked with a return to the hardware game: on several occasions, it’s been rumoured that Sega’s overlords at Sammy have been looking for partners to launch a console based around its low end ATOMISWAVE arcade board, although unsurprisingly, nothing has come of this.
Likewise, the fact Sega’s high definition Lindbergh arcade board uses many off-the-shelf PC components means it could act as the basis for a Sega console.
However, we have our doubts that it’s true. Even ignoring the fact that much of Sega’s development structure is now geared towards multiformat development, the costs of developing and launching a modern console are astronomical, even with the billions of Yen Sega-Sammy Holdings has stored away.
Indeed, it seems more likely that Sega is simply doing what all good companies do: namely keeping its trademarks up-to-date, should it need them again in the future.
This is a distinct possibility, as Sega has previously released peripherals based on ones from its old consoles for machines such as the PS2. Likewise, with retro downloads proving popular on all three main formats these days (and indeed, with Dreamcast game Rez due to hit Live Arcade soon), hanging onto the Dreamcast name is a wise move.
Still, it would be nice if it was true, wouldn’t it? If you wish to share your thoughts on the topic – or simply wish to get all nostalgic and wax lyrical about how wonderful Sega’s last console was – the comments section is at 360 gamer
Thanks to 360 Gamer Magazine for this information.
Oh My God!
UK, December 3, 2007 - Activision Blizzard has confirmed that Call of Duty 5 is in Development!
Original information can be found on www.ign.com
Laters..."The Dude"
Original information can be found on www.ign.com
Laters..."The Dude"
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
I've Got Nettle Rash
For anyone new to this merry little gang of gamers, this is the whole reason the blog was started - Warfighters In June for PAWNK1NG's birthday...
Xbox LIVE Video Store Coming !
Xbox LIVE Video Store Coming on December 11!
We've been waiting a while, but the news is finally here - the Xbox LIVE Video Store will open for business in the UK on December 11! Movies will be priced from 250 MS Points for standard def and from 380 for high def, and here's a selection of launch flicks.
300
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
ZODIAC
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN'S ELEVEN
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
ERASER
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 3
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III
DEAD CALM
"thanks to AceyBongos blog for the info"
" Mme, me thinks they need more than this old bunch and how about some of TV series, like heros or Stargate Atlantis "
We've been waiting a while, but the news is finally here - the Xbox LIVE Video Store will open for business in the UK on December 11! Movies will be priced from 250 MS Points for standard def and from 380 for high def, and here's a selection of launch flicks.
300
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
ZODIAC
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN'S ELEVEN
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
ERASER
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 3
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III
DEAD CALM
"thanks to AceyBongos blog for the info"
" Mme, me thinks they need more than this old bunch and how about some of TV series, like heros or Stargate Atlantis "
Thanks Microsoft...
December dashboard update is here, OK they have tweaked the typography a little and there is a nice new layout of things, so on the whole it all seems good....apart from the fact that my xbox now takes a full galactic week to fucking do anything! Not sure if it's just my machine or if other people are experiencing this problem. Clicking on anything related to xbox live takes so long to appear I actually managed to make a cup of tea whilst I waited. This Sucks.
That and an organized meet up to play COD4 with some old and new friends turned into "Virtual Doctors Surgery 3" by that I mean we spent probably half our time sat in a lobby asking each other "where did everyone go?"
What ever is going on, let's hope it gets sorted quickly.
On a lighter note.... after getting pissed off with COD4 and the useless servers, I did manage to have a great session on SKATE online....spent about 30 minutes with a bunch of strangers doing nollie blunts on a bench! Brilliant!
Laters
Dude...
That and an organized meet up to play COD4 with some old and new friends turned into "Virtual Doctors Surgery 3" by that I mean we spent probably half our time sat in a lobby asking each other "where did everyone go?"
What ever is going on, let's hope it gets sorted quickly.
On a lighter note.... after getting pissed off with COD4 and the useless servers, I did manage to have a great session on SKATE online....spent about 30 minutes with a bunch of strangers doing nollie blunts on a bench! Brilliant!
Laters
Dude...
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
mmmm... the smell of fresh ink...
Hey kids...
Well thanks again to the lovely KITT from the FragDolls, we have given us the opportunity to share some thoughts with the rest of the gaming community with a little player review of COD 4
It'll be in issue #37 of 360 GAMER MAGAZINE and on shelves by 27th December.
Laters...."The Dude"
Well thanks again to the lovely KITT from the FragDolls, we have given us the opportunity to share some thoughts with the rest of the gaming community with a little player review of COD 4
It'll be in issue #37 of 360 GAMER MAGAZINE and on shelves by 27th December.
Laters...."The Dude"
Monday, 3 December 2007
The Neutrinos!
Not wanting to have some friends left out and others included....check the video for the Neutrinos below. My mate Simon (bob) is the drummer, we used to live together before he got a place with me other mate Ben, who is the drummer in Shameless, who's vids can also be found on this blog!
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Oh yes he does...Oh no he.... etc etc....
Two years ago.....
OTLEY Little Theatre actor Robin Inman (PAWNK1NG) is moving from his role of the camp Mr Humphreys in "Are You being Served?" to take on the role of the Dame in Bradford Players Christmas pantomime `Mother Goose'.
Rob, from Yeadon, said: "Mmm, maybe I'm playing camp things too much! Anyway, I'm looking forward to Mother Goose."
Rob has performed with Guiseley Youth Players. He was Dr Dentist in `Little Shop of Horrors', Frank in `Rocky Horror Show' and Nurse in `Babes In The Wood', all at Otley Little Theatre. Last year he played Widow Twankey in `Aladdin' at the Priestley with The Bradford Players.
The Bradford Players, one of the oldest amateur musical theatre companies in Bradford still going, was founded 80 years ago in 1925, and their first production was Edward German's `Merrie England' staged at the Princes Theatre in 1926.
They put on several productions there before moving to the Alhambra Theatre, The Library Theatre and then to The Priestley.
If you can, you should pop along and give our very own PAWNK1NG some support.....personally I think Rob should have a pic of him in panto as his gamer picture!!!!
OTLEY Little Theatre actor Robin Inman (PAWNK1NG) is moving from his role of the camp Mr Humphreys in "Are You being Served?" to take on the role of the Dame in Bradford Players Christmas pantomime `Mother Goose'.
Rob, from Yeadon, said: "Mmm, maybe I'm playing camp things too much! Anyway, I'm looking forward to Mother Goose."
Rob has performed with Guiseley Youth Players. He was Dr Dentist in `Little Shop of Horrors', Frank in `Rocky Horror Show' and Nurse in `Babes In The Wood', all at Otley Little Theatre. Last year he played Widow Twankey in `Aladdin' at the Priestley with The Bradford Players.
The Bradford Players, one of the oldest amateur musical theatre companies in Bradford still going, was founded 80 years ago in 1925, and their first production was Edward German's `Merrie England' staged at the Princes Theatre in 1926.
They put on several productions there before moving to the Alhambra Theatre, The Library Theatre and then to The Priestley.
If you can, you should pop along and give our very own PAWNK1NG some support.....personally I think Rob should have a pic of him in panto as his gamer picture!!!!
Fall Dash update coming next week (Dec. 4th.) (THANKS TO MAJOR NELSON FOR THE INFO)
It was just confirmed that the Fall Dashboard update will be released next Tuesday, December 4th.
One of the new features that will be part of the release is ‘Friends of Friends.’ With this new features, you’ll be able to browse the friends list of anyone on your Xbox LIVE friends list and send anyone on your friends list a friends request.
Also adding a ‘Friends List’ setting in the Dashboard* and on Xbox.com to allow you to control who can see your friends list.
Everyone (only available to members 18 and older)
Friends only (available to members 13 and older)
Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)
It’s important to mention that when the dashboard update is released, the new default setting will be Everyone (assuming you are of age). For those members that not want to share their friend list, we’ve added a page on Xbox.com that is available today where you can modify this setting as you see fit. If you want to keep your friends list private, you can sign into Xbox.com now at www.xbox.com/fof and change the setting to Blocked (if you so desire.)
This gives you a full week to decide which setting you would like for this new feature. If you want to fully embrace the new feature, you don’t need to thing except wait for the update next week.
This setting will appear in the dash next week with the update.
Edit: No this is not the only feature for the fall update. There are more, but this is all that is being released at this time (along with the previously announced Xbox Originals)
One of the new features that will be part of the release is ‘Friends of Friends.’ With this new features, you’ll be able to browse the friends list of anyone on your Xbox LIVE friends list and send anyone on your friends list a friends request.
Also adding a ‘Friends List’ setting in the Dashboard* and on Xbox.com to allow you to control who can see your friends list.
Everyone (only available to members 18 and older)
Friends only (available to members 13 and older)
Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)
It’s important to mention that when the dashboard update is released, the new default setting will be Everyone (assuming you are of age). For those members that not want to share their friend list, we’ve added a page on Xbox.com that is available today where you can modify this setting as you see fit. If you want to keep your friends list private, you can sign into Xbox.com now at www.xbox.com/fof and change the setting to Blocked (if you so desire.)
This gives you a full week to decide which setting you would like for this new feature. If you want to fully embrace the new feature, you don’t need to thing except wait for the update next week.
This setting will appear in the dash next week with the update.
Edit: No this is not the only feature for the fall update. There are more, but this is all that is being released at this time (along with the previously announced Xbox Originals)
Monday, 26 November 2007
Friday, 23 November 2007
sneaky, sneaky, catchy monkey...
You've all probably seen this on your telly box, the game's really cool and a refreshing change from all the FPS and racing titles...
The music is "Lonely Soul" by UNKLE from the 1998 album PSYENCE FICTION – featuring Richard Ashcroft....incase you're interested, it's a great album so you might as well buy it.
The music is "Lonely Soul" by UNKLE from the 1998 album PSYENCE FICTION – featuring Richard Ashcroft....incase you're interested, it's a great album so you might as well buy it.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Pawnking?
I realise we can't see each other whilst playing games, but I didn't know PAWNKING looked like this....
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
"Cheats" on COD4
Cheats are unlocked not by inserting passwords, but by acquiring the thirty Intel Pieces strewn throughout the game. The more of them you collect, the more cheats you can access. On the left are the number of Intel Pieces collected, and on the right are the cheats that are unlocked, with an explanation of what each does.
2 - "CoD Noir" Play the game in black and white.
4 - "Photo-Negative" Game colors become inverted.
6 - "Super Contrast" Game's contrast increases.
8 - "Ragtime Warfare" The game feels like an old silent movie.
10 - "Cluster Bombs" One frag grenade thrown equals five in explosion.
15 - "A Bad Year" Enemies explode into tires when shot.
20 - "Slow-Mo Ability" Game plays at 40% normal speed.
30 - "Infinite Ammo" Just what it says.
Unlockable: Arcade Mode
To unlock Arcade Mode, beat the game once through on any difficulty level. Arcade Mode itself is split into two options - Full Challenge or Level Challenge - that add extra replayability to the game.
Unlockable: Prestige Mode
To unlock Prestige Mode, which is a multiplayer-only mode, you must reach experience level fifty-five. Instead of capping out at level fifty-five, which is the highest level, Prestige Mode allows you to start again from level one. This can be done a total of ten times, giving you ten different icons in in-game lobbies to show your extreme achievement.
Unlockable: New Mission
To play an all-new mission, which is an extra mission after the main quest is completed, beat the game and view the ending credits thereafter. After they've run their course, you will then be given the opportunity to play one last single player mission before all is said and done.
Hint: Intel Pieces
Below is the level distribution list for Intel Pieces, which are enemy laptops full of information strewn throughout the game. There are thirty of them total. The left column is the level in question, while the right column is how many Intel Pieces can be found on that level. Levels with no Intel Pieces are excluded completely.
Level 2 - 2
Level 4 - 2
Level 5 - 3
Level 6 - 2
Level 7 - 2
Level 9 - 3
Level 10 - 2
Level 12 - 2
Level 13 - 3
Level 14 - 2
Level 16 - 2
Level 17 - 1
Level 18 - 2
Level 19 - 2
Hint: Easy Intel
The following works on the mission entitled "Hunted". After fighting your way through a basement (after going underneath a bridge, across a field, et cetera), you'll reemerge outside. A nearby house next to a vending machine and a car should be your target from here. Inside the house, there's a laptop on the table. This is a piece of Intel, and collecting all thirty of them in the game will unlock all of the Cheat options available. If you collect the Laptop, and then head through the nearby checkpoint, it will be permanently acquired on your save file. Kill yourself at this point (a Grenade is an easy way to do so), and backtrack to the house. Collect the Laptop again, go to the checkpoint, kill yourself, and repeat the process. By doing this, you can collect thirty laptops without actually collecting all thirty of them. (unverified)
2 - "CoD Noir" Play the game in black and white.
4 - "Photo-Negative" Game colors become inverted.
6 - "Super Contrast" Game's contrast increases.
8 - "Ragtime Warfare" The game feels like an old silent movie.
10 - "Cluster Bombs" One frag grenade thrown equals five in explosion.
15 - "A Bad Year" Enemies explode into tires when shot.
20 - "Slow-Mo Ability" Game plays at 40% normal speed.
30 - "Infinite Ammo" Just what it says.
Unlockable: Arcade Mode
To unlock Arcade Mode, beat the game once through on any difficulty level. Arcade Mode itself is split into two options - Full Challenge or Level Challenge - that add extra replayability to the game.
Unlockable: Prestige Mode
To unlock Prestige Mode, which is a multiplayer-only mode, you must reach experience level fifty-five. Instead of capping out at level fifty-five, which is the highest level, Prestige Mode allows you to start again from level one. This can be done a total of ten times, giving you ten different icons in in-game lobbies to show your extreme achievement.
Unlockable: New Mission
To play an all-new mission, which is an extra mission after the main quest is completed, beat the game and view the ending credits thereafter. After they've run their course, you will then be given the opportunity to play one last single player mission before all is said and done.
Hint: Intel Pieces
Below is the level distribution list for Intel Pieces, which are enemy laptops full of information strewn throughout the game. There are thirty of them total. The left column is the level in question, while the right column is how many Intel Pieces can be found on that level. Levels with no Intel Pieces are excluded completely.
Level 2 - 2
Level 4 - 2
Level 5 - 3
Level 6 - 2
Level 7 - 2
Level 9 - 3
Level 10 - 2
Level 12 - 2
Level 13 - 3
Level 14 - 2
Level 16 - 2
Level 17 - 1
Level 18 - 2
Level 19 - 2
Hint: Easy Intel
The following works on the mission entitled "Hunted". After fighting your way through a basement (after going underneath a bridge, across a field, et cetera), you'll reemerge outside. A nearby house next to a vending machine and a car should be your target from here. Inside the house, there's a laptop on the table. This is a piece of Intel, and collecting all thirty of them in the game will unlock all of the Cheat options available. If you collect the Laptop, and then head through the nearby checkpoint, it will be permanently acquired on your save file. Kill yourself at this point (a Grenade is an easy way to do so), and backtrack to the house. Collect the Laptop again, go to the checkpoint, kill yourself, and repeat the process. By doing this, you can collect thirty laptops without actually collecting all thirty of them. (unverified)
Monday, 12 November 2007
Christmas Comes early, Thanks Infinity Ward!
YAY! COD4 is out, I spent Saturday playing to to death....still offline, I'll have the broadbean back on next monday. Loved the single player though, quite short but awesome fun! Arcade mode was a nice surprise, found myself spending alot of time on that Saturday night to try and get a few scores done. No doubt my pitiful attempts will be quashed by you all in the coming days!
Hope you're all loving it! Nice to see a load of Green '4's" on the gamercards!
See ya online in a week or so....The Dude.
Hope you're all loving it! Nice to see a load of Green '4's" on the gamercards!
See ya online in a week or so....The Dude.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
info...info...info.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a present-day take on the Call of Duty series that some critics regard as both "the best entry yet in the highly successful franchise," and "one of the best war-based shooters ever."
Already facing competition from well-received recent releases like Halo 3 and BioShock, this year's entry in developer Infinity Ward's Call of Duty franchise shoulders an even greater risk, thanks to its shift in setting from World War II to modern-day warfare. Though this significant change could have potentially put the series' quality in jeopardy, the end result earns an average score of 95 out of 100 at Metacritic.com.
Travis Moses at GamePro awards Call of Duty 4 with a score of 5 out of 5 in Fun Factor. "A prolific single-player campaign, full-featured multiplayer, and an intense photorealistic depiction of modern-day war, makes Call of Duty 4 the most solid first-person shooter I have ever played," he claims. "Yes, in my opinion, it's even better than Halo 3, Half-Life 2, and Bioshock. In fact, I'm declaring CoD4 as my choice for the one must-have game of 2007."
"Taking Call of Duty out of the bastardized World War II videogame genre was a genius move on the part of developer Infinity Ward," praises Moses. "The game still retains the trademark Call of Duty style, however, and the two components combine to form a visceral and realistic experience that truly lives up to the high standard set by the original Call of Duty."
Moses emphasizes that Call of Duty 4's single-player campaign length -- a facet that many speculated would be one of the title's problem areas -- should not be a concern. "Rumors had it pegged at five or six hours on the normal difficult, which is more or less accurate," he explains. "But what gets lost in all the noise is the fact that it is an intensely action-packed experience. I played through the game on the Hardened mode, which the developers feel is the most fulfilling setting, and it took me about eight hours."
In Call of Duty 4's defense, Moses asks, "Would you rather play a mediocre game for twenty hours or play an amazing game for eight? I thought so."
"And yet, as compelling as the single-player mode is, it's just the tip of the iceberg," Moses continues, citing the strength of Call of Duty 4's Arcade Mode and various unlockable cheats. "But my favorite mode in CoD4 has to be the multiplayer, which is so deep that it is practically a game in and of itself."
"From the amazing graphics to the intense and compelling single-player campaign to the feature loaded and addictive multiplayer, this game has it all," concludes Moses. "The holiday season will be jammed pack with quality triple-A titles but this is one title I personally recommend you put at the top of your wishlist."
GameZone's Steven Hopper feels that Call of Duty 4 is not just a great sequel, but one of the best of its kind. "To be sure, Call of Duty 4 can be considered the best entry yet in the highly-successful franchise," he assures in his 9.5 out of 10-rated review. "However, the game does so many great things and is executed so well that it could be considered one of the best war-based shooters ever."
Hopper finds that Call of Duty 4 does a few things in particular exceptionally well. "Call of Duty 4’s level design is phenomenal," he writes. "You’ll go through several different areas, like an enemy cargo ship and a destroyed Middle-Eastern city, each with their own unique feel to them."
Call of Duty 4's pacing is also noteworthy, according to Hopper's review. "The gameplay doesn’t stay at a high intensity level throughout, instead breaking up the combat a bit at points. That doesn’t mean that the situations won’t leave you white-knuckled, as these 'slower levels' have you doing anything from trying to take a town in the middle of the night to being a lone sniper in a field with 20 enemies sweeping for you," he explains. "The pacing in CoD 4 is fantastic, and there’s never a dull moment."
Hopper also heaps praise upon Call of Duty 4's equal strength in both single-player and multiplayer, and describes its graphics and sound design as being up to the series' expected standard of quality. "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of those exceedingly rare games that manages to do everything right," he summarizes. "The graphics are fantastic, the gameplay is intense and well-paced, and the multiplayer elements are very deep. In a year filled with triple-A shooters, Call of Duty 4 actually manages to stay ahead of the pack."
GameTap's Jason Allen feels similarly, and rates Call of Duty 4 at 9 out of 10. "If I ever had any doubt that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 would blow my mind, it's now as annihilated as the many enemy militia I met throughout this hardcore first-person shooter," he begins. "Experiencing five minutes of COD4 will immediately turn you into the most dedicated virtual soldier this country's ever seen."
While Allen shares much of the same praise for Call of Duty 4 as other critics, he describes one particular situation that made gameplay especially intense. "The guns on the AC-130 gunship are some of my favorites," he says. "In one mission, you give air support to Soap's squad on the ground, and you're firing down 20mm, 40mm, and 105mm rounds (from the Vulcan, Bofors, and Howitzer cannons, respectively) at the bad guys."
Allen continues: "What's so chilling about this simulation is that because you're so far up, it's hard to tell who the good and bad guys are. The game gives you some help by making all of the good guys flicker with a little light so that you know to avoid them. But I couldn't help but wonder how the real gunners accomplish this in real warfare. On one level you feel all powerful with such an amazing weapon, but on another, you're nervous because you don't want to hit your own guys."
"It's moments like this that make COD4 great," Allen writes. "COD4 grips the imagination and finds a way to impact the player's emotions. And though we've seen a ton of games on similar subject matter, COD4 distinguishes itself with a washed-out gritty look and profound attention to detail."
Thus far, no reviewer has scored Call of Duty 4 below 90 out of 100. There appears to be little question as to whether the title is a great experience in its own right, but critics also assert that as thematically different as it may be from its predecessors, Call of Duty 4 is a sequel worthy of the franchise.
thanks to: www.gamasutra.com
Already facing competition from well-received recent releases like Halo 3 and BioShock, this year's entry in developer Infinity Ward's Call of Duty franchise shoulders an even greater risk, thanks to its shift in setting from World War II to modern-day warfare. Though this significant change could have potentially put the series' quality in jeopardy, the end result earns an average score of 95 out of 100 at Metacritic.com.
Travis Moses at GamePro awards Call of Duty 4 with a score of 5 out of 5 in Fun Factor. "A prolific single-player campaign, full-featured multiplayer, and an intense photorealistic depiction of modern-day war, makes Call of Duty 4 the most solid first-person shooter I have ever played," he claims. "Yes, in my opinion, it's even better than Halo 3, Half-Life 2, and Bioshock. In fact, I'm declaring CoD4 as my choice for the one must-have game of 2007."
"Taking Call of Duty out of the bastardized World War II videogame genre was a genius move on the part of developer Infinity Ward," praises Moses. "The game still retains the trademark Call of Duty style, however, and the two components combine to form a visceral and realistic experience that truly lives up to the high standard set by the original Call of Duty."
Moses emphasizes that Call of Duty 4's single-player campaign length -- a facet that many speculated would be one of the title's problem areas -- should not be a concern. "Rumors had it pegged at five or six hours on the normal difficult, which is more or less accurate," he explains. "But what gets lost in all the noise is the fact that it is an intensely action-packed experience. I played through the game on the Hardened mode, which the developers feel is the most fulfilling setting, and it took me about eight hours."
In Call of Duty 4's defense, Moses asks, "Would you rather play a mediocre game for twenty hours or play an amazing game for eight? I thought so."
"And yet, as compelling as the single-player mode is, it's just the tip of the iceberg," Moses continues, citing the strength of Call of Duty 4's Arcade Mode and various unlockable cheats. "But my favorite mode in CoD4 has to be the multiplayer, which is so deep that it is practically a game in and of itself."
"From the amazing graphics to the intense and compelling single-player campaign to the feature loaded and addictive multiplayer, this game has it all," concludes Moses. "The holiday season will be jammed pack with quality triple-A titles but this is one title I personally recommend you put at the top of your wishlist."
GameZone's Steven Hopper feels that Call of Duty 4 is not just a great sequel, but one of the best of its kind. "To be sure, Call of Duty 4 can be considered the best entry yet in the highly-successful franchise," he assures in his 9.5 out of 10-rated review. "However, the game does so many great things and is executed so well that it could be considered one of the best war-based shooters ever."
Hopper finds that Call of Duty 4 does a few things in particular exceptionally well. "Call of Duty 4’s level design is phenomenal," he writes. "You’ll go through several different areas, like an enemy cargo ship and a destroyed Middle-Eastern city, each with their own unique feel to them."
Call of Duty 4's pacing is also noteworthy, according to Hopper's review. "The gameplay doesn’t stay at a high intensity level throughout, instead breaking up the combat a bit at points. That doesn’t mean that the situations won’t leave you white-knuckled, as these 'slower levels' have you doing anything from trying to take a town in the middle of the night to being a lone sniper in a field with 20 enemies sweeping for you," he explains. "The pacing in CoD 4 is fantastic, and there’s never a dull moment."
Hopper also heaps praise upon Call of Duty 4's equal strength in both single-player and multiplayer, and describes its graphics and sound design as being up to the series' expected standard of quality. "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of those exceedingly rare games that manages to do everything right," he summarizes. "The graphics are fantastic, the gameplay is intense and well-paced, and the multiplayer elements are very deep. In a year filled with triple-A shooters, Call of Duty 4 actually manages to stay ahead of the pack."
GameTap's Jason Allen feels similarly, and rates Call of Duty 4 at 9 out of 10. "If I ever had any doubt that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 would blow my mind, it's now as annihilated as the many enemy militia I met throughout this hardcore first-person shooter," he begins. "Experiencing five minutes of COD4 will immediately turn you into the most dedicated virtual soldier this country's ever seen."
While Allen shares much of the same praise for Call of Duty 4 as other critics, he describes one particular situation that made gameplay especially intense. "The guns on the AC-130 gunship are some of my favorites," he says. "In one mission, you give air support to Soap's squad on the ground, and you're firing down 20mm, 40mm, and 105mm rounds (from the Vulcan, Bofors, and Howitzer cannons, respectively) at the bad guys."
Allen continues: "What's so chilling about this simulation is that because you're so far up, it's hard to tell who the good and bad guys are. The game gives you some help by making all of the good guys flicker with a little light so that you know to avoid them. But I couldn't help but wonder how the real gunners accomplish this in real warfare. On one level you feel all powerful with such an amazing weapon, but on another, you're nervous because you don't want to hit your own guys."
"It's moments like this that make COD4 great," Allen writes. "COD4 grips the imagination and finds a way to impact the player's emotions. And though we've seen a ton of games on similar subject matter, COD4 distinguishes itself with a washed-out gritty look and profound attention to detail."
Thus far, no reviewer has scored Call of Duty 4 below 90 out of 100. There appears to be little question as to whether the title is a great experience in its own right, but critics also assert that as thematically different as it may be from its predecessors, Call of Duty 4 is a sequel worthy of the franchise.
thanks to: www.gamasutra.com
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Hurry up and be Friday...Dammit!
With thanks to the guys and girls at gametrailers.com comes this video review, not sure I agree with all of it, but there's some sweet gameplay footage in there to keep you all entertained til' the weekend!
Friday, 2 November 2007
games like games used to be!
Extend Every Extra Extreme (E4)!!!!!
Played this at Cod Pickles' house t'other day, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!!! Personally I am really glad to see some confusing (only at first) brightly coloured 'old skool' games out there!! It ranks up there with 'Space Giraffe' and 'Geometry Wars' Personally I can't wait for 'REZ' which should be on everyone's XBLA shopping list! Also coming soon is 'Ikaruga' a 2d vertical scrolling shooter, I had it on Gamecube....top stuff!
On another note, anyone who has not got "The Orange Box" should cower in shame and then go and buy it, yes, yes, I know Half Life is a little long in the tooth these days, but it's awesome to play it again, and the bonus episodes and more importantly, Team Fortress online rocks!
If you have not played Half Life before (you know who you are!) go and buy it, then feel happy about throwing washing machines at massive city invading tripods!!! mmmmm...Gravity Gun!
Laters....Dude.
Played this at Cod Pickles' house t'other day, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!!! Personally I am really glad to see some confusing (only at first) brightly coloured 'old skool' games out there!! It ranks up there with 'Space Giraffe' and 'Geometry Wars' Personally I can't wait for 'REZ' which should be on everyone's XBLA shopping list! Also coming soon is 'Ikaruga' a 2d vertical scrolling shooter, I had it on Gamecube....top stuff!
On another note, anyone who has not got "The Orange Box" should cower in shame and then go and buy it, yes, yes, I know Half Life is a little long in the tooth these days, but it's awesome to play it again, and the bonus episodes and more importantly, Team Fortress online rocks!
If you have not played Half Life before (you know who you are!) go and buy it, then feel happy about throwing washing machines at massive city invading tripods!!! mmmmm...Gravity Gun!
Laters....Dude.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Koyaanisqatsi
I try and force everyone I meet to at least give this film a chance, it's quite a few years old now but gives an amazing look into our modern lifestyles and how we behave. It's beautifully shot and art directed, if you have already seen it or even heard of it, well done, you're clearly slightly more enlightened than most! If you have not seen it, buy it, smoke a few and settle in for a movie that will change the way you think about things!
Let me know how you get on! The Dude.
Let me know how you get on! The Dude.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Fragdolls Halo 3 Video Blog
Kitt From the Fragdolls, as gorgeous as ever, certainly brightening up the blog!
Welcome Troops!
A little "welcome to the clan" for...jackanator2, jonzee 72, Mildrop, Nuski, Samanator 1, Sephuron X, Smoky Mcpot jr , Uneasy knave & benonsp.
Hope you all enjoy playing games with us, I'm sure you already are. I am still in the throws of buying a house so the TV and xbox is gathering dust in storage (cry for me). I should be back online in a few weeks, just in time for the COD4 Launch!
See you online soon!
The Dude.
Hope you all enjoy playing games with us, I'm sure you already are. I am still in the throws of buying a house so the TV and xbox is gathering dust in storage (cry for me). I should be back online in a few weeks, just in time for the COD4 Launch!
See you online soon!
The Dude.
Monday, 22 October 2007
Xbox 360 Tops Console Sales in September and outsells PS3 5:1
NPD reported that in the US, Xbox 360 was the #1 console for the month; outselling PS3 5:1
Xbox 360 sales built upon its growth from last month, showing a 50 percent increase for the month of September selling an average of 105,600 consoles per week. Total sales were more than 528,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold, compared to 501,000 for Wii and 119,000 for PS3.
· Xbox 360 software revenue at retail outsold PS3’s software portfolio 8:1 and Wii’s 4:1, selling 3 times more than both platforms combined.
For the month of September according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 74 percent of total software sales for the next generation market compared to 17 percent for Wii and 9 percent for PS3. Even without the sales of “Halo 3” the Xbox 360 portfolio outsold the PS3 portfolio 2:1.
Xbox 360 sales built upon its growth from last month, showing a 50 percent increase for the month of September selling an average of 105,600 consoles per week. Total sales were more than 528,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold, compared to 501,000 for Wii and 119,000 for PS3.
· Xbox 360 software revenue at retail outsold PS3’s software portfolio 8:1 and Wii’s 4:1, selling 3 times more than both platforms combined.
For the month of September according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 74 percent of total software sales for the next generation market compared to 17 percent for Wii and 9 percent for PS3. Even without the sales of “Halo 3” the Xbox 360 portfolio outsold the PS3 portfolio 2:1.
Warning to the idiots!
If I get any more crappy messages from 10 year olds on my xbox moaning about the quality of this blog, how they are going to "own" us online and generally bitching about what we thing of COD or other games, I swear I am going to start posting their gamertags on this site so we can all send hundreds of messages to your xboxes to really annoy you.
If you're that keen on "owning" us, wind the clock back a few hundred years and get a job in a slave trade.
We have created this site and community to make new friends and make gaming a fun past-time...If this kind of crap carries on I WILL delete this site.
Grow up, it's only a game.
If you're that keen on "owning" us, wind the clock back a few hundred years and get a job in a slave trade.
We have created this site and community to make new friends and make gaming a fun past-time...If this kind of crap carries on I WILL delete this site.
Grow up, it's only a game.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Operation Flash Point 2 Dragon Rising - The Best Is Yet to come!
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Codemasters do it again!
From all reports this will be the game of next year. I'm drooling for COD4 to arrive, But if this as good as it looks and plays better than the original it will be well worth the wait!.jpg)
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Thursday, 11 October 2007
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Friday, 5 October 2007
Over $300 million in one week
representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, “Halo 3” players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Since “Halo 3 launched,” gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements. In its first week alone, “Halo 3” drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.
“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE. The game’s online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.
Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. “Halo 3” was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the “Halo” trilogy have been sold worldwide.
Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game’s release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of “Spider-Man 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of “Halo 3” were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.”
Thaks to major nelson for the update
“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE. The game’s online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.
Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. “Halo 3” was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the “Halo” trilogy have been sold worldwide.
Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game’s release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of “Spider-Man 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of “Halo 3” were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.”
Thaks to major nelson for the update
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