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Information About Video Games
Video Game News - April 2007
Information About Video Games
April 30
Many More Games in Nintendos Lineup
The president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata has recently stated that there are no less than 124 games in development for their systems. There will be 45 for the Nintendo Wii and 79 for the DS. Iwata has said that the next batch of first party games will come at the end of summer. Although no titles have been named it is good to know that many more games will finally be in my nerdy hands soon.
Virtual Console Downloads High
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's president, has stated that Virtual Console downloads on the Wii have surpassed more than 3.3 million. Those are some pretty good numbers. I wonder which game is being downloaded the most?
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Debut
Here is some video of the upcoming game from Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This game looks great.
April 27, 2007
Get a Free UMD Demo of God of War
Now that you've seen some video from the upcoming PSP game God of War: Chains of Olympus, why don't you get ready to play it. If you go to the official website, you can order a free UMD demo of the game. Sign up quick before supplies run out.
Win a Signed Copy of Mass Effect
You have to read the novel's prologue and answer three questions. Sounds easy enough. The contest closes next week on Monday.
Playstation 3 EyeToy Coming Soon
Playstation announced today that the EyeToy for the Playstation 3 will be coming soon. It is scheduled for a summer release as a matter of fact. The next generation EyeToy will be more advanced than the previous PS2 version too. It will have a microphone with accurate speech recognition and background noise reduction, faster frame rate, low light functionality, and will also come with editing software.
Ninja Gaiden for Playstation 3
Just the demo though, but that's good enough for me. On the Playstation Network, you can now download Ninja Gaiden Sigma. The demo will support 1080p and will feature new weapons and combos that weren't included in previous games in the Ninja Gaiden series. The retail version of the game will be released later this year in June. Also included in todays update to PSN, is a demo of Virtua Tennis 3 and video game trailers, such as The Wheelman, Stranglehold, The Godfather, and Guantlet II.
Calling All Cars Delayed
There was supposed to be another game coming out on the Playstation Network today for the PS3 called Calling All Cars, that many people have been waiting for, that still isn't here. This is one of several delays for this game already, and I just want it already dammit! David Jaffe has promised that it will be out on May 3rd though, so I guess it's ok. They are working on fixing a few bugs, so I'm ok with that, since I would rather have a working version of the game anyway.
April 26, 2007
Hots Shots Series Spin-off
The extremely popular series Hot Shots Golf has a younger sibling it seems. Hot Shots Tennis for the Playstation 2 has been announced for release in July. The game will be priced at $29.99 and will support up to four players simultaneously. I will probably buy this, because I loved Hot Shots Golf and I'm betting this one will be just as fun. You can't beat that price either.
Hot Shots Golf 5
While we are on the topic of Hot Shots, the next version of Hot Shots Golf will contain free online play as of day one of it's release in Japan. There will be somewhere around 14 playable characters and a similar amount or courses to what Hot Shots 3 had, which was 6 different ones. The online lobby will hold 50 players where you can customize your avatars from a set of characters and items. The game will be releases for the Playstation 3 on July 26 in Japan, but a release date has not yet been announced for North America.
Another Exclusive Lost
But this time the exclusive belonged to the Xbox 360 instead of Playstation 3. The upcoming game Kane and Lynch: Dead Men which was supposed to be released only for the 360 and PC, will also be released for the Playstation 3 now. Kane and Lynch is described as an action game that will contain disturbing realism where Kane is a flawed mercenary, and Lynch is a medicated psychopath. Sounds fun.
God of War for PSP Looks Awesome
If you have been eagerly awaiting God of War on the PSP, you can now be even more excited. A video recently released on Gamevideos.com shows off the upcoming game and it looks great. I can't believe how fun it looks. Well, it is God of War, so I guess I can believe it. See for yourself.
Call of Duty 4 Revealed This Saturday
Infinity Ward has been busily working on creating Call of Duty 4 while Treyarch was creating Call of Duty 3. During the NFL 2007 Draft this Saturday, April 28th, ESPN will air a commercial showing of the upcoming Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at 10am PDT. It hasn't been announced yet what the trailer will show, but since I will be watching the Draft anyway, I don't have to worry about missing it. Broncos are going all the way this year, Baby!
Folding@home Kicking Ass
The Folding@home project has been kicking out some major progress on the Playstation 3 since it was introduced for the console in March of this year. Now there is an update so that you can help even more. The new update will improve calculation speeds, protein viewing, and the viewing of donor machine locations around the world.
April 25, 2007
BioShock LE
The much anticipated game, BioShock will also be available in a Limited Edition version. The Bioshock Limited Edition will include a Big Daddy figurine, a soundtrack cd, and a "Making Of" DVD. The packaging will have the winners design of the Cover Art contest which is going on right now and will be ending on May 2nd. The Limited Edition will be available exclusively at EB Games and Gamestop for $69.99 on the Xbox 360 and $59.99 on the PC. You can pick up Bioshock (regular or LE) on August 21st.
Blu-ray Winning The War
The Blu-ray association has announced that the Blu-ray disc has become the first high definition optical disc to sell over one million discs. The Blu-ray discs have been outselling HD DVD two to one since the beginning of 2007 and is gaining more and more popularity quickly. This accomplishment has been acheived in less than a year.
Silent Hill: Origins
The Silent Hill series has always been one of my favorite games and everytime a new one comes out, you will hear me say that. I just watched some gameplay from the upcoming PSP version titled Silent Hill origins and I think it looks great. Check out the video below and tell me it doesn't look scary. It might be a little hard to see, but that has always been one of the things that made this game so scary. Look for the game on August 28th later this year.
April 24, 2007
Miyamoto Nominated for 2006's Most Influntial People
Time magazine has an annual honoring of the 100 most influential people of the year and for 2006, Shigeru Miyamoto is a candidate. Time has labeled him as the most successful game designer as well as mentioning that his perfectionalist tendencies cause games to be significantly delayed. This is the first time he has been nominated and in my opinion, that is ridiculous. This should have happened a long time ago. Here is the profile for him on the Time's website.
God of War II Top Selling Game in March
According to the market research firm NPD Group, God of War II was the best selling game in the United States for the month of March. The game sold 833,000 units at retail. Here are the top five for last month in order.
- God of War II - Playstation 2
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - Xbox 360
- Guitar Hero II - Xbox 360
- Wii Play - Nintendo Wii
- Motorstorm - Playstation 3
PSP Price Drop in the UK
The US got a price drop on the PSP earlier this month and now so does the UK. The retail price of the PSP will be dropped down to £129.99 from £149.99 as of May 4th. They will also be receiving some Platinum titles which are Ridge Racer 2, Killzone: Liberation, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, MotoGP, and LocoRoco that will sell for £14.99 each.
April 23, 2007
Ryu Vs. Scorpion
That Haloid video was so great that I thought I would share another really cool video that was created with the same thought in mind. This one is a fight to the death between Ryu from Street Fighter and Scorpion from Mortal Kombat.
3 More Games For Virtual Console
This week the Virtual Console gets the TurboGrafx 16 game, Battle Lode Runner, the Sega Genesis game, Wonder Boy in Monster World, and the SNES game, Gradius III. Gradius III and Wonder Boy in Monster World are both 800 points and Battle Lode Runner is 600 points.
XBL Gets 2 More Games This Week
Two more games have been added to Xbox Live Arcade this week. Eets: Chowdown is a 2D puzzle game that incorporates humor and weirdness into its gameplay. Pinball FX is, well, a pinball game.
April 21, 2007
Problems With Guitar Hero II on PS3
Just an update about the new PS3 firmware update. I tried it out by testing Guitar Hero I and II, as well as the dance pad for Dance Dance Revolution. Both Guitar Hero I and Dance Dance Revolution worked perfectly, but Guitar Hero II didn't work so great. The green button on the guitar worked as the blue button and the blue button allowed me to progress through screens but did nothing else. The other colored buttons did nothing, but the fret, start and select buttons worked. I guess I'll have to wait for another update before I can play Guitar Hero II on my PS3.
Just in case you are wondering how I hooked my accessories up, I have an adapter that lets me hook up my Playstation controllers to my computer using USB. I bought it at Radio Shack a while back, in case you don't want to wait for the one coming out from Pelican next month that is made specifically for the PS3. It's probably the same thing anyway.
April 20, 2007
Master Chief Vs. Metroid
If you haven't seen this video yet, you better check it out. This is an awesome user created fan video. You'll love every second of it.
Take Two and Jack Thompson Case Dropped
First of all, I want to say that Jack Thompson is an idiot. Now then. If you remember, last month Take Two sued Thompson before he could sue them to block the release of Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Well, the suit has been dropped and the games can be released without a hitch. Thompson has agreed to these terms (Info provided by Game Politics):
- Will not sue or threaten to sue to block sale or distribution of any game published by Take Two or its subsidiaries (i.e., Rockstar).
- Will not communicate to Take Two or anyone doing business with T2 (like, say Wal-Mart) any accusation that the company committed any wrongdoing by selling its games. Thompson is not restricted from criticizing the content of T2 games, nor is he prevented from acting as counsel in lawsuits brought against Take Two by other parties
- will make any future contacts with T2 through its attorneys
More Sega on Nintendo
Virtual Console has some more games for you to enjoy in the coming weeks. Sega has announced that they will be releasing Kid Chameleon, Streets of Rage 2, Shinging in the Darkness, and Toe Jam & Earl in Panic on Funkatron.
Backwards Compatibility Update for 360
The latest update from Microsoft will let you play even more Xbox games on your Xbox 360. The backwards compatibility update will include several games, including Champions of Awesome, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Call of Duty 3, and Jet Set Radio Future. Here is the full list:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Breakdown
- Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
- Call of Duty 3
- Cars
- Crash Bandicoot5: Wrath of Cortex
- Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics
- FIFA Soccer 2007
- Full Spectrum Warrior
- Guilty Gear Isuka
- JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future
- MechAssault 2: LoneWolf
- Mercenaries
- NASCAR 2006:Total Team Control
- NFL Fever 2004
- Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
- Panzer Dragoon ORTA
- Phantom Dust
- Reservoir Dogs
- Return To Castle Wolfenstein
- Rugby League 2
- Sonic Riders
- Star Wars Republic Commando
- Street Fighter Anniversary Collection
- The King of Fighters Neowave
- The King of Fighters 2002 & 2003
- Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07
- Tony Hawk's Underground
- Ultra Bust-A-Move
- Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict
- Xiaolin Showdown
New PS3 Firmware Update
There is a new firmware patch to download for your PS3 available right now. This patch will allow PS3 owners to play downloaded Playstation 1 games on their systems. You can also transfer your Playstation 1 save game data with a PSP memory stick, so that you can continue to play your games away from home. Another really cool feature is that any PS1 or PS2 accessory is now compatible. So now your Guitar Hero controllers, dance pads, and controllers with the rumble feature will work. This is a huge update. I already put away my Playstation 2 about a month ago, so I can't wait to play Guitar Hero again.
April 19, 2007
Rumble Fighter Beta
Wanna play a beta version of a casual action game that is based on fighting? Rumble Fighter is the game for you. Up to 8 players can battle in simultaneous action. There are basic offensive attacks as well as combo and counterattacks for the more advanced player. There are four different styles of characters that have their own special abilities. Learn more about Rumble Fighters.
Beautiful Katamari Damacy for PS3 and 360
Namco has announced another Katamari Damacy game in the works. Beautiful Katamari Damacy will be available for the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, and that a version for the Nintendo Wii will be released later. There will be more than 50 characters to choose from and the environment will be a lot larger compared to earlier games in the popular franchise. The game will also feature network compatibility, but the details have not be released. A release date for this game has not been announced yet.
More TV on XBL
Microsoft has announced that they will be adding more of Comedy Central's content to Xbox Live. They started with HD versions of South Park and now you can check out "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report." You can download them within 24 hours of the time the episode originally aired on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Vortex 2007 Video Game Competition
Do you like to create videogames or need a reason why you should. Vortex 2007 started last month on March 15, and will end on July 19, 2007. Prized will be given out to designers of the best game concepts from four categories. The four categories are console, mobile, personal computer, and the web. There is more detailed information here if you are interested. This is a great opportunity for up and coming game developers.
April 18, 2007
Don't Download the Guitar Hero II Patch for 360
If you read my post about the whammy bar fix for the Xbox 360's Guitar Hero II controller, then you know about the risk involved in downloading that patch. Users have reported that their systems have been bricked and various other problems resulting from the patch. RedOctane has stated that they are aware of the problem and are looking into it. I wonder if they will cover the costs of the consoles that their patch has rendered useless? And all you wanted to do was play a little Guitar Hero and brighten up your day. Instead you get a bricked console and your whole life has gone into a dark black hole of sadness and abjection.
PS Networks Rising Popularity
The Playstation Network's senior director, Susan Nourai, has stated that in the four months of the Playstation Networks existence, they have had more than 600,000 users register. Of those people, there have been over 3.7 million files downloaded. SOunds like some good numbers to start with. As long as they keep putting good stuff on there, I will add to their growing list of downloads. I bet when Home launches, the numbers to the Playstation Network will jump drastically.
EB Games 360 Elite Trade In
If you have an Xbox or Xbox 360 and want to get an Elite, EB Games has just given you a reason why you should. If you want to trade in an Xbox 360 Premium it will get you 250.00 dollars closer to the Elite. The Xbox 360 Core will get you 200.00, and the original Xbox will get you 50.00. This promotion ends April 27th though, so think quickly.
April 17, 2007
Sonics Return to the DS
Fans of the old Sonic the Hedgehog games made popular by the Sega Genesis will be happy to hear that the Sonic will be returning to the Nintendo DS in 2D. Sonic Rush Adventure will contain the side scrolling gameplay that you fell in love with and will also use the DS wi-fi capabilities, so you can compete in racing and other modes online. The game will be released sometime this fall.
Some Huge Titles Hit VC
There hasn't been anything bigger to hit the Wii's virtual console until today. Nintendo is now offering Sega's Virtua Fighter 2, TurboGrafx16's Bonk's Revenges, and the biggest news of the day.....Mike Tyson's Punch Out from the NES. Mike Tyson's name has been dropped from the title though and his character has been replaced with Mr. Dream. I'll still always remember it as Mike Tyson's Punch Out though. Pick this one up right away.
Guitar Hero III
Kai Huang, President and founder of RedOctane, has confirmed details about the much anticipated Guitar Hero III. It will be available for the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, and Playstation 2. The game will feature wireless controllers as well that will be available in a variety of colors and a new design. They will of course have more and more great music added to the game also. One of the coolest things though, is that game will contain online modes. There will be both cooperative and competitive online modes, and I really can't wait for that. It will be released right before the holidays this year.
April 16, 2007
Guitar Hero II Whammy Bar Fix
Recently, Red Octane has released a Guitar Hero II patch for the Xbox 360, in order to fix the whammy bar problems that the guitar has had. It seems that it works most of the time, but people have claimed that the update has caused the game to crash and possible console issues. Update at your own risk.
Dance! Online
Capcom has just released an open beta for a new dancing game online called Dance! Online. This dancing game is an MMO which is developed by Dave Perry. You can create an avatar and play against up to six other players. To play the game, you can use the keyboard or a PC compatible dance pad if you have one. This game is free to download and Acclaim will sell players clothing and accessories for their characters and song packs from Warner Music Group artists.
April 15, 2007
Bethesda Buys Fallout From Interplay
Bethesda, known for popular games such as The Elder Scrolls, and Interplay already have an agreement that would allow Bethesda Softworks to develop a new game in the Fallout series, but an SEC filing has shown that Bethesda actually purchased Fallout. They have confirmed this news but have not released any other details about the deal. On April 4th of this month, Fallout was purchased for $5.7 million.
Lost Planet Coming to The PC
If you don't have the money for an Xbox 360 but have really wanted to play the very popular game, Lost Planet, you're in luck. Capcom has confirmed that they are now in partnership with nVidia to produce the PC version of Lost Planet. The new version will support DirectX10 so if you have Windows Vista you can get the full effect of the game, but it doesn't require it, so there's no rush in purchasing the new operating system. It is expected to have a June release in the US and Europe.
Sony Drops the 20GB PS3 Model
I reported a few days ago about many stores dropping the 20GB Playstation 3 model, but Sony themselves has announced that they have discontinued production. The 60GB unit has outsold the 20GB model 10 to 1 since it release in November so this is an obvious decision.
BlizzCon 2007 and QuakeCon 2007
Blizzard has announced that Blizzcon 2007 will take place this year at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. There will be discussion panels with Blizzard developers, artist and developer signings, tournaments, contests, and many other activities. It will be held on August 3rd and 4th. There will be a $100 charge for entry. QuakeCon 2007 will be taking place at the same time. QuakeCon will consist of exhibitors showing of the latest games and computer hardware, pro gaming tournaments, contests, conferences, announcements, and entertainment. It will take place August 2-5 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Which one will you attend?
April 13, 2007
YMCA Using Wii For Excercise
Nintendo recently donated the Nintendo Wii video game console in 100 party packs to YMCA chapters nationwide, to promote an active lifestyle. They YMCA's plan to use the consoles to create a closer relationship between the kids and their parents by using their Adventure Guides programs. On April 14, many YMCA chapters will also include some of the more active Wii games into their Healthy Kids Day events, such as Wii Sports. I wish the YMCA was that cool when I was younger.
Get the Full Featured Wii Browser Before It's Too Late
Nintendo has released the full version of the Opera browser on the Wii, and it is much better than the crappy trial version that you have probably tried out. The full version has several new features such as manual zoom, improved scrolling, collapsible toolbars, and built in search engine functionality. The search engines you can choose from are Google and Yahoo. You can get the full version as a free download, but only until June 30. After that, it will cost you 500 Wii points. After you have downloaded the Opera browser is is free for the lifetime of the system. Even if you don't plan on using it, you might as well download it while it's free.
April 12, 2007
Check Out Games At Your Local Library
If you live in Kentucky three branches of Campbell County Public Library will start to carry games. They will carry games for several systems withing the next few months. The Fort Thomas branch will be carrying Xbox 360 games, the Newport branch will be carrying Wii games, and the Cold Spring branch will be checking out Playstation 2 games. They will only be carrying family friendly games though, and have stated that they will not carry violent or offensive games. I wonder what the local video rental store has to say about this. Oh well, finally a reason to visit the library again.
MKII on the PS3 This Week
Mortal Kombat II was supposed to be a downloadable game last month, but for some reason it never came out. Sony Online Entertainment confirmed that is would be released this month though. It will be released today as a matter of fact. It will only set you back $4.99 too. It will have everything that it used to and will include online play. That's really cool in my opinion. This was probably the best of the Mortal Kombat series and now you can fight other people around the world. There will also be a dedicated leaderboard that will track wins.
Video Game Art Competition
Into The Pixel is an art exhibition that explores and celebrates the art of the video game. It will exhibit 16 works of art that will be selected by a panel of jurors from many submissions from artists from around the world. The 2007 Into The Pixel Art Exhibition will premiere at Creative Artists Agency in June. It will be open to the public at the E for All Expo at the LA Convention Center from October 18-21 later this year. If you have some art to submit visit the site. Hurry though, because the deadline is May 4, 2007. You've got less than a month.
Guitar Hero Track Packs on XBL
Red Octane has just released 3 Guitar Hero II Track Packs for a pricey 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25) on Xbox Live Marketplace. Red Octane has also released two picture packs for 100 Microsoft Points and one theme for 150 Microsoft Points. Here are the cover songs that the new track packs include.
Track Pack 1
- Bark at the Moon - Ozzy Osbourne
- Hey You - The Exies
- Ace of Spades - Motorhead
Track Pack 2
- Killer Queen - Queen
- Take it Off - The Donnas
- Frankenstein - The Edgar Winter Group
Track Pack 3
- Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Infected - Bad Religion
- Stellar - Incubus
April 11, 2007
20GB PS3's Disappearing Quickly
They are disappearing fast, but not from being purchased. If you take a look at Sony's official online store, SonyStyle, you will see that by doing a search for Playstation 3, the 20GB version no longer shows up. Looks like everyone is dropping the 20GB version in favor of the 60GB. It hasn't been confirmed if the 20GB model has been discontinued or not, but many places just aren't getting any more shipments of them.
Halo 3 Beta Date Finally Announced
Bungie has officially announced the starting date of the Halo 3 beta that everyone has been waiting for. The beta will begin on May 16 at 12am PDT and will end on June 6 at 11:59pm PDT. Everyone who received an invitation to the beta will have access at the same time, no matter you received the invite. There will be three maps to play, new weapons, vehicles, and game features. The three maps are Valhalla, High Ground, and Snowbound.
Music on the Wii and PS3
The music company Virgin has decided to jump into the gaming business. They are planning on streaming their radio network on Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, but only in the UK. They are working on Xbox 360 compatibility as well. A specially compatible Virgin Radio player will stream the music to the consoles. Users can also but tickets and cd through the Virgin Radio Ticket Store. The service is already in effect as of yesterday just so you know. Learn more from Virgins website.
April 10, 2007
Gears Of War Update
Epic plans to release a new game mode for Gears of War this week for multiplayer users. Annex is a mode where a player will have to capture and hold a spot as long as they can to earn points. The Annex mode will use the already existing spawn points of the game and this mode will be available for all existing maps. The player will earn points for each second the player stays on the spot and when 60 points are drained from the site, it will dry up and a new control point will be chosen at random.
XBL Spring Update
The next update to Xbox Live will provide some new funcionality and features but nothing too exciting. There will be a chat functionality that will allow Xbox 360 owners to sync their gamertag to their Microsoft passport and port over Live Messenger friends to their Xbox Live Freiends List Area. The 100-person friend list still exists but an additional 600-person Messenger Buddy List will be added as well. The new update also includes a few more features. One of the features is a low power mode so that users can leave the console on for long periods of time for downloading content or leaving the console on overnight. Also, You can get a description of the Achievements you earn and how many points were awarded for that achievement instead of just getting an "Achievement Unlocked" message.
New Games For VC
If you are interested in the new games that have been made available for the Virtual Console this week, I will fill you in. This week you can download the TurboGrafx-16 game, Bravoman, and an NES port of Galaga. The game that many VC users have been waiting for, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle has also been released. I don't know why this game is wanted by so many people, because I really don't think it was very great, but hey, to each their own.
Defective Guitar Hero Guitars
There has been a lot of talk lately about bad controllers for the Xbox 360 Guitar Hero and finally, Red Octane has confirmed that there really is a problem. As of right now, it is only two models of the guitar. They have the numbers 95065 and 95055. You have to check this number on the guitar and not on the box because some of the box numbers do not match. Red Octane has not yet released exactly what is wrong with these controllers yet but they have recommended that you return it to where you bought it and exchange it for a new one. If you bought it directly from them, you can visit their website and fill out a warranty claim. If you don't want to drive to the store for an exchange or wait for a new controller you can open up the controller and fix it yourself. Here's how.
Gears Maps...Pay Now, Get Em Free Later
Epic has decided to charge players of Gears of War a small fee to download their new multiplayer maps, but only for a while. They have stated that they want to do something similar to how the Halo 2 Map pack was released. They will release the map pack for a fee and then in a few months it will be given away for free. They said they are doing this because Microsoft thinks the best way to maximize return is to sell the maps, but Epic wants to give them away for free, so they will do a little of both. Sounds ok. The maps aren't too expensive, so if you can't wait for them to be free you can just pick them up right away.
April 9, 2007
Guitar Hero Clone
If you are a big fan of Guitar Hero but want to try some new tracks, check out the clone called Frets On Fire. It is fully compatible with the Xbox 360 X-plorer USB controller or the Playstation 2 controllers using a USB adapter. You can even import your own music into the program. It looks like the official site is down, but you can also get it at Gamespot
MGS 4 Exclusive to PS3
Sony has been losing many of it's exclusive titles lately, but not one of it's most popular. In a recent interview with Hideo Kojima and the gaming blog Kotaku, Metal Gear Solid 4 will stick with the Playstation 3. Well, now there is another really good reason to own a PS3.
Xbox 360 Keyboard Controller Attachment
Apparently there is a 47 qwerty key keyboard attachment coming to the Xbox 360. It has been sayed that it will be used with the cross-platform instant messaging capabilities that will be added in the spring dashboard update. You can read more about it at Engadget.
April 7, 2007
New Lost Planet Map Pack
If you have been waiting for the new map pack for Lost Planet for Xbox 360, you will be pleased to know that it has arrived. You can download it now on Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft points. The pack includes two new multiplayer levels. "The Hive" is an abandoned mine set on a war-blasted mountainside and "Trial Point" is set in a modern day office complex. That office map sounds like a lot of fun to me.
Best Buy Creating Space In Second Life
You might be getting tired of hearing about Second Life already, but news just keeps popping up about it. This time is involves the huge consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy. They are planning to open Geek Squad Island, where free computer advice will be offered by Geek Squad technical support workers. They will still have regular office hours, which is 6 pm to 3am EDT, seven days a week. From all of the bad stories I hear about the Geek Squad though, I don't really know if I would ever ask them for help.
Resident Evil 4 Wii Confirmed
Capcoms Resident Evil 4 was a huge success on Nintendos Gamecube. It was released in January of 2005 and was later released for the Playstation 2 in October of the same year. Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil 4 for the Wii will be released this summer and it will be using the motion sensing controller for things like aiming and shooting. It will also include all of the extra content that the PS2 had.
The Darkness
The Darkness looks like it will be awesome. The intro to this game pulls you right into the story. Check the video out here.
April 6, 2007
Update To Gran Turismo HD
There is now an updated version of Gran Turismo HD Concept available for download on the Playstation 3, bring the game to version 1.2. One of the updates enables a worldwide top 10 ranking system, which is pretty cool. The other update makes the game force feedback compatible with Logitech's Driving Force, Driving Force Pro, and Driving Force EX steering wheels.
Atari CEO Has Stepped Down
Bruno Bonnell has decided to step down from his position as CEO of Infogrames. Patrick Leleu will take his spot. Bonnell founded the company more than 20 years ago in 1983. Infogrames is the parent company of Atari so in leaving Infogrames, he is also severing his ties Atari Inc.
New Demo on Playstation 3
Another demo has been added to the Playstation Store on the PS3. Now you can play Armored Core 4. This game isn't very good, in my opinion, but it's there if you want to play it.
April 5. 2007
Microsoft Disc Replacement Program
Microsoft has announced that they will be now offering a disc replacement program for people who have damaged Xbox 360 games. They will only be offering this for games where Microsoft is a publisher and for only select titles. The games should take 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. You can download the form from their site here. These games are available for the program right now.
- Crackdown
- Fuzion Frenzy 2
- Gears Of War
- Halo 2
- Kameo: Elements of Power
- Ninety Nine Nights
- Perfect Dark Zero
- Project Gotham Racing 3
- Viva Pinata
- Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1
Wii Radio Contest Results in No Charges
You may have heard about the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest a radio station had a while back that resulted in the death of a 28 year old woman. Jennifer Strange entered a contest put on by KDND 107.9 where contestants had to drink about 2 gallons of water without urinating. The person who drank the most without going to the bathroom would win a Nintendo Wii. After the contest, Jennifer called in to work saying that her head hurt really bad and went straight home. She was found dead only hours later. 10 employees of the radio station were fired as a result and a criminal investigation was opened. The prosecuters office found that the actions of the radio station employees were not criminal and that there were no indications or symptoms that Jennifer Strange was experiencing that required the station to seek medical help.
Play NES Games In Your Browser
If you want to relive the old days of gaming, Nintendo8.com is letting you do just that. You can play NES games right in your internet browser. They use an emulator to the play the game so you don't even need to download anything.
April 4, 2007
Harmonix's Rock Band
If you are wondering if you will have to purchase new guitars for the Rock Band, wonder no longer, because it has been confirmed by Jason Booth, a developer for Rock Band, that the game will support your Guitar Hero guitars. He has also confirmed that they will also be creating a new guitar peripheral for the game. The creators have stated that the game will contain bass, guitar, drums, and a vocalist. Sounds like it would be a really fun time for a group of people.
Xbox 360 Warranty Changes
It seems that the 360 has had more problems then Microsoft expected so they actually decided to make the warranty better. The warrany has been extended to 1 year as opposed to 90 days. If your Xbox 360 breaks, Microsoft will send a postage paid container to you so you can send your 360 in to be repaired. They have also pledged to repair and return the system to within 5 business days of them receiving it. If it breaks after the one year warranty you will still have to pay for repairs but you will get another new one year warranty when you get the 360 back.
Age of Conan Beta
If you are a GameSpot member, you can sign up for a beta test of Age of Conan on the PC. There are only 500 slots reserved for the beta, so sign up and hope for the best. The testers will be chosen in the Spring and more will be added throughout the summer and fall seasons. The full version will be released on October 30th.
April 3, 2007
Guitar Hero - Cell Phone Edition?
Hands-On Mobile has announced an agreement with Acitivision, Inc that will allow them to bring Guitar Hero to mobile devices. That was pretty much all the information they released about the game. The rest of the press release has a bunch of filler text, like how great and popular Guitar Hero is and how they have lots of experience and success bringing franchises to mobile devices. I think we all know how cool Guitar Hero is. This sounds like it could be a cool idea. How it will work, I have no idea.
EA, MTV, and Harmonix To Form Rock Band
It was announced yesterday that Electronic Arts, MTV, and the creators of Guitar Hero, Harmonix have partnered to create a new music based game title Rock Band. Rock Band will allow gamers to perform music many popular songs and from some of top artists in the music industry with their friends. The virtual band will recreate the music using drum, bass/lead guitar and microphone peripherals. The game will also offer deep online connectivity. It sounds like there will be tons of great songs for this game, because EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chapell Music are allowing access to their catalogs of songs for the game along with Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Rhino Entertainment. If you are a fan of Guitar Hero, I think you better get prepared to be blown away. Rock Band is scheduled for release in holiday 2007 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 game consoles.
More Games For Virtual Console
Nintendo has decided to bring Star Fox 64 to the virtual console finally, so people won't complain anymore probably. They have also made available the NES game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the TurboGrafx-16 game, Dragon's Curse.
PSP Price Reduction
Starting today, you can pick up the PSP for $30 dollars cheaper. The price has dropped from $199.99 to $169.99. Is it worth it yet?
Nights: Journey of Dreams
The game has finally been confirmed by Sega, but it looks like it is only for the Nintendo Wii right now. Probably the most popular game for the Sega Saturn and one of the most popular games in the history of all games, NiGHTS will take it's rightful place in your household this holiday season. If you need more of a confirmation that the game really is coming, check the official site here.
April 2, 2007
Take Two Board Removes CEO
The new board at Take Two is already making changes since shareholders have voted in five new directors. The first step they have taken was having CEO, Paul Eibeler removed. They don't have a permanent replacement as of yet, but Ben Feder will fill the spot for now. They have also restated eight years of financial results due to them being connected with stock option backdating in which the Manhattan district attorney and the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating.
Parody of Second Life
"Get a First Life" is a new website making fun of the popular MMO Second Life. It is only one page and the links don't really work but there is some pretty funny stuff in there. Of course the site has Google ads on it and a Cafepress shop set up for it, so it looks like a gimmick to get some quick cash, but you can check it out anyway.
April Fools Stories
Of course there are going to be Aprils Fools day jokes, but the people over at Team Xbox have gone a little overboard. There are some pretty funny stories though. Stories like an Xbox 360 with a 1 terabyte HD, Microsoft HOMEless, and Halo 3 P.I.M.P. edition, you are sure to get a few laughs. Head on over there to read 'em.
