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Need for Speed: Most Wanted Review @ VE 11:11 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Racing
(9 comments)
Sorry it's a couple days late, but here's our review of Need: For Speed: Most Wanted, EA's latest arcade racer for just about every system known to man. Here's a snip about the new police chases: There's a real art to losing the law once the man is after you in full force. SUVs out the ass come out of nowhere and ram you head-on. Roadblocks and spike strips are laid out in your predicted path so its always a good practice to drive as randomly as possible. High speed chase cars can be a pain, plus in the last few tiers, special units work together trying to bring you down. Did I mention they have a helicopter too? The chases get crazy! Its easy to earn the milestones, it's another matter to actually win the chase and keep the points.
(Dig in)
Top 10 Reasons to get an Xbox 360 07:02 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: Xbox 360
(20 comments)
Countering attacks from PC and Playstation IGN, 360.IGN gave it's top 10 reasons to be an early adopter for Microsoft's latest system. It's starting to get nasty! 8. The Xbox 360 Launch Lineup
Yes, it's been said the launch lineup isn't the greatest in the world, and any dumb-ass can repeat what he's heard on a message board without really knowing what he's saying. The facts are these: Never in the history of consoles has there been a better all-around lineup. No, there aren't any knock-out single games that will bowl you over, but several are right there on the cusp. The 19 titles appearing before the end of this year on Xbox 360 represent a healthy, well-rounded set of games led by Microsoft's very own trio of spanking hot titles. With exclusive titles like Condemned: Criminal Origins, Dead Or Alive 4, Amped 3, and a handful of sequels such as Call of Duty 2, Need For Speed Most Wanted, and Madden NFL 06 available, the roster has variety, exclusives, and refined, well-established sequels to lead the way. My five must-have titles are Call of Duty 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo, King Kong, and Condemned.
I guess Doug no likey Perfect Dark Zero... My number one reason why not to jump on board early is, THERE ARE NO MORE SYSTEMS TO BUY! Right now its a members only club that excludes 99% of the gaming population. You can't get one even if you wanted to until next year. Case closed. Wake me up when I can buy one.
Update: Cube.IGN now has online a rather funny bash against the 360.
Is your 360 Defective? 04:35 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: Xbox 360
(26 comments)
I'm getting a bit of feedback that folks are having some issues with their newly purchased Xbox 360s ranging from the audio not working to defective DVD players and more. Some stuff I'm sure is due to people not knowing which settings should be used / cables are plugged in wrong, but others appear to be legitimate issues. So don't feel so bad if you weren't able to get one on launch day as typically there are more defective units in the first wave of hardware releases. If you are among the affected, I suggest cruising over to the official support page and check if its a user error on your end, or if you really got stuck with a 180 dud. Reading the instructions helps too.
Microsoft Selling Each 360 At A $126 Loss? 04:34 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: Xbox 360
(12 comments)
Business Week Online today has a breakdown of a new analyst report suggesting that Microsoft sells each Xbox 360 at a $126 loss:
An up-close look at the components and other materials used in the high-end version of the Xbox 360, which contains a hard drive, found that the materials inside the unit cost Microsoft $470 before assembly. The console sells at retail for $399, meaning a loss of $71 per unit -- and that is just the start.
Other items packaged with the console -- including the power supply, cables, and controllers -- add another $55 to Microsoft's cost, pushing the loss per unit to $126. These estimates include assumptions that Microsoft is getting a discount on many components. That was the case with the first Xbox console, which contained about $323 worth of parts and materials when released, but sold at retail for $299.
Battlefield 2 v1.12 Patch 03:03 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(6 comments)
EA and DICE unleashed the new patch and Linux server for Battlefield 2. Highlights include multiplayer compatability between the original game and expansion, plus some graphical tweaks and bug fixes. The v1.12 update weighs in at an obscene 281 megs. Here are a few mirrors (in order of submission):
360 Launch Day Nightmares 01:57 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: Xbox 360
(23 comments)
Gamespot recounts some amusing launch day stories from today's 360 fiasco. Some sound more like urban legends: On Tuesday, GameSpot staffers witnessed even more chaotic scenes at the local Target in Colma, on the Peninsula south of San Francisco. There, a lone security guard spent most of the night shooing an increasingly unruly crowd away from the parking lot. The situation nearly spun out of control around 7am, when the guard left his post for five minutes, prompting a mass influx of would-be customers eager to receive vouchers good for a 360.
When he returned, the security guard's attempts to get the over 100-person crowd to form a line were rebuffed until the arrival of police and a California National Guardsman around 8am. A trio of veteran GameSpotters witnessed the Guardsman quickly take control of the situation and move to the head of the line--where he promptly turned around and asked for a 360 voucher himself. The Guardsman then promptly fled the scene, voucher in hand, leaving police, Target employees, and a visibly agitated crowd to fend for themselves.
King Kong Ships 01:56 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action / Adventure
(3 comments)
King Kong is now available in the North American territories:
Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that its critically-acclaimed game of the year contender, Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, launched today in North America - rated "T" for Teen. The game, based on Universal Pictures' December 14 release, King Kong, from three-time Academy Award winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), is positioned to be the top-selling title for the holiday season.
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system ($49.99), Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft ($59.99), Xbox video game system from Microsoft ($49.99), Nintendo GameCube system ($49.99), Windows PC ($49.99), and Nintendo DS ($39.99). Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World (rated E10+) is available for the Game Boy Advance system ($29.99). The PSP (PlayStation Portable) system version ($49.99) will launch in mid-December.
EA Downloader Snafu 01:54 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(0 comments)
The launch of EA's digital distribution service didn't go all that smoothly as numerous Battlefield 2: Special Forces users have reported problems that have now been addressed:
We have discovered (as some of you have) an installation problem with a limited number of EA gamers who downloaded Battlefield 2: Special Forces through EA's Downloader. If your account is affected, you will see the following error when you try to install the expansion pack:
"BF2CDKeyCheck.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."
We apologize for this problem and are working quickly to resolve it. We will contact the gamers affected by this issue via email later today with a solution.
Warren Spector's New Title To Be Released Via Steam 07:09 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(26 comments)
It appears that Warren Spector is shunning the traditional retail distribution model in favour of Valve's Steam as a job page on his dev house's website reveals that Junction Point Studios is searching for experienced level builders, artists, and concept artists for a new title being built on the Source engine in conjunction with Valve:
unction Point Studios, Inc., founded in November of 2004, is an independent developer of innovative console and PC games that focus on player-driven, improvisational gameplay in the context of strong, traditional narratives. The company's goal is to tell stories with players, not to them, allowing them to craft their own, unique experiences through in-game choices.
The company's founder, award-winning game industry veteran Warren Spector, has been a pioneer in the "player-driven gameplay" arena for over a decade. In that time, he has been involved in the creation of such acclaimed titles as Ultima VI: The False Prophet, Ultima VII: Serpent Isle, Underworld, System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex, at companies like Origin, Looking Glass and Ion Storm.
Warren Spector working outside of the purview of a pressuring publisher? Chalk me up as interested.
Battlefield 2: Special Forces Ships Out 06:59 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(12 comments)
EA sends word that Battlefield 2: Special Forces is on the shelves - and unlocked via the EA Downloader service - in North America, although you will have to wait for the v1.12 patch due later today to be able to play online:
Electronic Arts and Digital Illusions today announced that the expansion pack for the award-winning Battlefield 2 PC game is now shipping to retail outlets and available via download at www.downloader.ea.com. Powered by the Battlefield 2 game engine, Battlefield 2: Special Forces brings the intensity and excitement of its predecessors into the realm of covert ops with the latest, most technologically advanced vehicles and weapons systems available to man.
"Since its original debut, The Battlefield franchise has been a community favorite and globally acclaimed multiplayer experience. The hugely successful launch of Battlefield 2 proves that the franchise continues to deliver on our promise to the community -- innovation in gameplay, superior technology and state-of-the-art graphics," said Patrick Soderlund, CEO at Digital Illusions. "Battlefield 2: Special Forces builds on the series' award-winning design and adds dramatic new gameplay that will keep this passionate community engaged."
In Battlefield 2 Special Forces, players will choose to fight as one of 6 different Special Forces soldiers -- Navy SEALs, British SAS, Russian Spetsnaz, MEC Special Forces, rebel groups and insurgents. Armed with the latest Special Forces weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 10 new vehicles to engage in major conflicts with up to 64 players.
Equipped with gear including grappling hooks and zip lines, each map is transformed into a true three dimensional battlefield allowing players to use brute force in the streets or stalk the rooftops in silence. Players will also clash in nighttime environments equipped with the latest in night vision technology. Additionally, persistent character growth allows players to continue to rise through the ranks.
Developed by Digital Illusions Canada, the creators of the original Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 2: Special Forces is rated "T" (Teen) by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $29.99. Battlefield 2: Special Forces requires Battlefield 2 in order to play. For more information about Battlefield 2: Special Forces, please visit http://battlefield2.ea.com.
SiN Multiplayer Up & Running On Steam 06:57 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(1 comment)
Big J.C. sent us a link to Ritualistic where yesterday it was revealed that the multiplayer component of the original SiN is up and running on Steam, and while there were no firm details as to whether it would be a free taster to get people excited for SiN Episodes, a comment on the news post did reveal that the porting of the SiN single-player campaign to Source has been temporarily postponed.
Let's Wait in Line! 03:46 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: Xbox 360
(41 comments)
1Up has an article that looks at what people are willing to do to get a console on launch day. Here's a clip:
The simple fact of the matter is that most consoles are grossly overpowered and shockingly underpriced at launch. Sony, MS and Nintendo all cram as much cutting-edge technology into their boxes as they can manage, creating a proprietary hunk of kit capable of pushing graphics as nice as anything a current top-pf-the-line personal computer can create. And somehow they manage to sell them for a fraction of what a PC costs -- and a fraction of the actual production costs. To further complicate things, the chips used in the system are usually newly-developed, meaning the fabrication process initially results in a high percentage of duds.
Which leads to shortages. The physical limitations of manufacturing combined with the uncertainty of a new piece of hardware means initial production quantities are limited. If the system takes off, the manufacturer will open more factories, bringing the cost of production down. Fabrication becomes more reliable over time, too, meaning less money wasted creating faulty machines.
$600 bucks in my pocket and I can't spent it on a 360 because no one has them in stock. I doubt I'll get one later as the impulse shopping moment is over and sanity has crept back in. Instead of going into Microsoft's pocket it's going into Candy's G-string (or a PS3 pre-order). Yes, I'm bitter.
45% of Mario Kart DS Owners Have Played Online 01:46 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: Nintendo DS
(24 comments)
DS.IGN shares the news that 45% of the 112,000 people who bought Mario Kart DS in the United States have played online through Nintendo's free gaming service:
In just one week, more than 112,000 copies of Mario Kart DS have been sold in the US. Of that number more than 52,000 unique system/game pairs have connected to the online service for Wi-Fi multiplayer gaming.
"We are ecstatic with the results, and this definitely sets the standard for future Wi-Fi online gaming," said Beth Lewellyn, Nintendo's senior director of public relations. "Mario Kart should easily be a million seller in its life cycle, and we'd love for everyone with the game to touch the Wi-Fi experience. We've got Animal Crossing just around the corner, and Metroid Prime Hunters next year, with more to come."
Comparatively, Microsoft reported last year that after three weeks on store shelves, just 18 percent of Halo 2 owners had played that game on Xbox Live.
Somewhat unfair comparison seeing how you have to pay for Xbox Live and an internet connection, but that's IGN for you.
CSI: Miami's Anti-Gamer Episode Reviewed 12:45 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(23 comments)
News is pretty slow at this hour of the day so I thought I'd bring you a pictorial review of last night's CSI: Miami episode, "Urban Hell Raisers." The episode had already received a large amount of pre-transmission flak for featuring gamers who go on a game-related crime spree, so let us see just how bad it was:
Three gunmen storm into a bank and begin shooting shit up.
They shoot the security guard, steal $18,000, kill the female clerk, and grab the manager. One attempts to rape some hot chick, CSI Delko shoots the guy dead.
The CSIs find the bank manager who reveals that the gunmen only wanted the location of a Federal Reserve money shipment. The CSIs get to the location just in time to stop a gunman who says, "the game is still in play." CSI Wolfe realises that they're playing the game 'Urban Hell Raisers' in real-life, so shows the game to master of the cheesy one-liner, Lieutenant Horatio Caine.
The gunman refuses to give anything up, so we're treated to a flashback of him gaming.
Wolfe plays the game some more "because he's the only one who knows how," and has a conversation with Delko about his disgust of the game and why he stopped playing it at home.
He suddenly stumbles upon a hidden sniper sub-level that leads Delko to a roof where he finds a sniper bullet and mask. Deduction from the clever CSIs leads them to believe that the Federal helicopter blocked the sniper's view, who also happened to shoot dead the clerk at the bank.
Wolfe beats the second level and discovers that that the remaining gunmen are about to attack the CSI headquarters and steal back the mask.
One of the gunmen ends up dead and the other tells Caine to visit a GM who keeps track of scores and will know who the murderous masked gunman from the bank is. Caine & co. arrive to discover that the GM has "gamed himself to death" by playing for 70 hours straight, pissing into water bottles, and only drinking energy drinks that have been 'radly' squashed.
An address on the scoreboard leads them to a photo studio where hot ass awaits. The photographer is arrested for giving guns to the gunmen who are all under 21 and in college (I only cared enough to cap the hot chick).
The arrested photographer gives up the guy below. Turns out he was the head of the publishing company that distributed Urban Hell Raisers and orchestrated the crime spree to help create buzz and sell more copies of the game, presumably because he "only" sold 800,000 copies.
Right at the end of the episode the CSIs discover that the mask was worn by a woman who was previously in their custody but let go. She confesses to murder and other associated crimes and then sobs about how she only did it to fit in with the guys who "game 24/7." Obviously filled with remorse she boasts how she has more points that any other guy on the scoreboard. (33)
I must confess that I'm a regular viewer of CSI: Miami and this was obviously not its finest hour, but it certainly wasn't a Hollywood-fuelled tirade against the games industry despite being full of stereotypes and opinions of violent titles. It was also no where near as inflammatory as a recent episode of FOX's Killer Instinct that bombarded viewers with anti-gaming rhetoric so forceful it could have been written by the deranged Jack Thompson himself.
If you want a good laugh or to cringe about how non-gamers think of sections of the community check out a re-run of Urban Hell Raisers, but perhaps don't show it to suggestible parents who may suddenly motion you to cease your gaming activities to prevent your transformation into a cold-blooded killer as seen in the show.
If you too saw the episode, please leave your feedback in the comments, and if you wish to watch the episode but happen to be located outside of North America, you know what to do...
Game Reviews 12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(1 comment)
And you thought I was harsh with Quake IV!
In Other News... 12:06 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- In-House: In Other News...
(38 comments)
Shortly I will be heading out to an undisclosed location hidden away in the deserts of Arizona where I will attempt to purchase an Xbox 360. Yes, it's cold. No, the store doesn't open until 8am. Thank you, Chuck Norris.
Today's question:
Is the Xbox 360 truly next-gen? Yay or nay. Feel free to brag if you happened to pick one up.
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