Battle Field DLC information and hands-on demo! (It's free!?!)

The new Battle Field 2: Bad Company (BFBC) "Conquest" DLC was taken by the ninjas at IGN for a hands-on demo. (Videos are bellow.)

The BFBC DLC comes with a new game type called "Conquest Mode" which is a form of capture the flag where instead of picking up an enemy's flag and bringing it back to your base, players will follow certain check points and raise there own flag, the game ends when one team captures the most check points so the opposing team's reinforcements grow smaller until they can't hold there ground any longer.

The current maps in BFBC were slightly modified to support this new game type and to make it play out better. A new game type added to BFBC will definitely make this game more enjoyable and be less predictable.

Harvest Day conquest game play.

Oasis conquest game play.

When HollyWood runs out of ideas, they bring in the big guns.

Check it out.
T4! (Terminator Four)

Christian Bale (Batman) will be playing Sean Conner in the newest installment to the Terminator series and in an interview, the director and producer even confirmed that Arnold will be making a cameo.
Guess who's excited?

Source: IGN.

Wii Music is Nintendo’s latest lackluster announcement

Nintendo’s media briefing today confirmed what we already knew (and feared). The Japanese gaming giant is focusing primarily on the casual audience. Hardcore gamers looking for confirmation of a new “Legend of Zelda” or a new installment in the “Pikmin” franchise were probably massively disappointed with today’s Nintendo press conference. Instead of a new adventure for Link, gamers got “Wii Music.”

“Wii Music” looks to appeal to the same audience that enjoyed “Wii Sports” and “Wii Play.”

“We designed ‘Wii Music’ to allow everyone, including people who can’t read music and people who can’t play instruments to experience the joy of performing music,” Miyamoto said (through a translator).

For those in need of a translation, “Wii Music” will be an easily accessible, watered-down experience that even your grandmother can enjoy. Unlike “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero,” gamers are not cued to press a certain button at a specific time. Thus, there is no need to worry about making mistakes. “Wii Music” is not about winning and losing. It is about making awful virtual music.

“Hold the Wii remote and move your hands and your body like you would if you were playing an instrument,” Miyamoto said. “The Wii detects that and plays the note for you that matches the song.”

Basically, you play the virtual instruments as you would their real-world counterparts. For instance, to play drums you use the Wii remote and nunchuck like drum sticks. To play the saxophone, you just need to hold the remote up to your mouth with the top pointing outward.

“Wii Music” will feature a total of 50 instruments, including piano, guitar, violin and cowbell (sans Will Ferrell). It will also allow gamers to record their own music videos and play with up to four people simultaneously.

Personally, this game doesn’t appeal to me at all. As a hardcore gamer, this year’s press conference disappointed me even more than Nintendo’s E3 2007 briefing. At least last year we got “Mario Kart Wii.” How does Nintendo top that? By showing off “Wii Music” and “Animal Crossing: City Life.” Wow, wait to go all out for the people that have supported you company for more than two decades (hardcore gamers).

To top off the lackluster series of announcements, Nintendo decided to close its conference with a laughably bad “Wii Music” demo. For the most part, the motions on the big screen did not mirror what was done by Miyamoto and the other Nintendo representatives. For instance, during the exhibition of some of the instruments, the game started playing before any input was made using the Wii remote and nunchuck. I realize the videos were probably pre-rendered, but for a game that is expected to ship this holiday season, they could have at least done a live demonstration.

Nintendo has let me down yet again. The company’s perpetual quest to please casual gamers seems to drive the wooden stake further into the hearts of hardcore gamers. I guess there is always next year when the third installment of “Wii Sports” is announced.

Source: SarcasticGamer.com

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Today's E3 Highlights.

It was a big day for the gaming world, E3's Xbox Microsoft press conference took place today and the announcements made were suprising to say the least:

Ensemble Shows gives us more Halo Wars content -

Along with a few new screenshots, Ensemble Studios released a new trailer, links are available in normal and HD quality below.

Normal Quality

Pretty HD Quality.

Final Fantasy XIII moves to the 360-

I guess Square Enix wants more bang for their buck. With the 360's power and saving money by making games on 360's less expensive processor, Final Fantasy has moved to the 360. Square Enix's announcement shocked fans but Square Enix promised it would be for the better. This announcement will help branch the 360 to Japan.

Final Fantasy XIII.

(Unfortunately, no HD quality is available.)

Guess who is "Still Alive"-


Portal: Still Alive. 'Nuff said.


Gears of War 2 steals the floor at E3, no surprises there-

Epic Games gives the press another look at the much anticipated Gears of War 2. With a ridiculous amount of new content, this game looks like a lot of fun. Epic Games gave us another trailer, and a new in game look.

Normal quality of gameplay.

HD quality of gameplay.

__

Normal, boring quality of trailer.

HD Quality of trailer.

I have a rendezvous with death.

Although Bungie has not announced anything today, there is speculation that Bungie will announce a Halo expansion pack on Wednesday. With Bungie.net's mysterious "clean up" done by the Superintendent, there has to be something announced.

Is This Xbox 360's Motion Controller in Action?

We get a look at Half Life 2: Episode Three. Sorta.

The guys over at Kotaku say they have real concept art of Half Life Two: Episode Three. In the picture, (link is above) you can see who is presumed to be Gordon Freeman, crowbar in hand, taking on a "Combine Advisor". Players of Half Life 2: Episode Two know what the Advisers are capable of and what they have done to affect the storyline of the Half Life series greatly. If this picture is legit, and a playable part of the game, this doesn't seem like a very fair match. Crowbar VS insane telekinesis abilities plus tentacles that can take a guys' brain right out of his head? Not very fair if you ask me.

Although Valve dismissed the rumor of a trailer or some sort of look at HL2: Ep.3 at E3, Kotaku states that Valve has been known to "Twist Words". Only time will tell.

Source: Kotaku.

Happy Birthday Nintendo Power!

It's Nintendo Power's (NP's) 20th anniversary, and for there new issue they whent all out: NP looks back at old retro games that were rocked back in the day, and gives exclusive previews only they can provide.

First NP gives you a look at the Wii's first original M rated game, "Mad World ". NP states that this game can be so gruesome and creatively bloody, that sometimes you just have to laugh at all of the thought put into the overdone violence. This game does not only posses the potential to get Sega back on the right track, but give the Wii a better name for more hard core gammers that enjoy violent games.

Later in the issue NP gives an overview of the top ten games to hit all of Nintendo consoles. Most of consoles first places were Zelda games. No surprise there.

Castlevania is brought to life on the Wii! Surprisingly the game will be a fighting game instead of it's normal platformer side scroller that the franchise is famous for.

Finally, NP says that they are kicking off their new year with a big issue. They hint towards a Kingdom Hearts game coming to the Wii: The picture hinting their new issue has what appears to be Mickey's ear with a glowing sword on it. NP also says that the new issue is fit for a "king" and it has a lot of "heart". I have my fingers crossed!

All info was taken out of NP's official magazine, no links needed.

Inside the Mind of a Professional Video Game Cheater.

For some people they feel a rush or sense of pride when they hear the accompanying *bloop* sound after a feat like beating COD4 on Veteran. For others, achievements are an annoyance and the notification after earning one is barely noticed. The average 360 gamer likes them, loves to earn them, but probably won’t spend two straight days finding all 500 agility orbs in Crackdown for a lousy 50 points.

For a growing group of gamers, achievements become an obsession. An obsession that, for some, leads to cheating. Not the famous Contra Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A kind of cheating, the kind that will give you 1,000 gamerscore in Perfect Dark Zero in a few seconds. There are several forms of gamescore cheating, all of which are in direct violation of the Xbox Live Terms of Use (ToU). The players who participate in this dastardly act are often referred to as “gamesavers.”

Gamesaving is unknown to many. What exactly is it? Who does it? And most commonly heard, “Why do people do it?” Why would anyone want to have 1,000 points in a game like Assassin’s Creed if they’ve never even played it? Is it for status; some sort of perceived respect from other gamers? Whatever their reasoning, there are literally thousands in the 360 community who have used gamesaves.

Some players will do whatever it takes to get ‘the edge’ over the next guy.

I see it similar to the steroids issue in baseball. It forever tainted the integrity of the game and made fans question the accomplishments of the perceived ‘clean’ players. The steroid users and their falsely inflated numbers, smacked disrespect in the face of the clean ballplayers, much like the gamesave crowd does to the 360 Community and the legit achievement hunters out there.

Back on March 25th, 2008, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson made a formal announcement on his site that there was going to be “Gamerscore Correction” performed on those who Microsoft (MS) deemed as the most serious offenders of “gamesave tampering.” They were seen as the worst of the worst violators of the Xbox Live Terms of Use, by tampering with their gamerscore and achievements. Their punishment? All of their gamerscore, legit or illegitimately earned through gamesaving was reset to zero; nada, zilch—with no chance for an appeal—it was wiped out for good. They could begin to earn achievements again, by playing games the way Microsoft intended. Most of the original seven gamers who found their score reset lost over 200K gamerscore apiece and thousands of achievements. Even if 90% were earned legit, it didn’t matter. All gone.

I met one high-profile gamesaver in an Xbox forum debate over a year ago. His gamer tag is Shuckey. At that time, he was consistently found on Trixie360’s Top 25 list of most viewed gamer profiles. We naturally had a cobra/mongoose relationship because of my anti-gamesaving views. After zero contact in a year, last month I saw he’d sent me ten XBL messages. A little confused and expecting the worst, I began opening them and found instead he told me he wanted clear the air on the subject of gamerscore cheating and tell me the depth of his involvement in the gamesaving community. Although I was skeptical of his motive, I invited him to tell me whatever he thought I needed to know.

He quickly responded to me by e-mail. I was taken aback with the amount of information he gave to me on the subject, including naming names and his own personal admission to directly violating Live’s ToU. Not only is he claiming to be a gamesaver, but one of the original gamesavers who’s partially responsible for the whole process. He admitted to writing some of the saves that spread throughout that sect of the community.

Cheating has become a business, with it’s own sub-culture. Sites exist to sell gamerscore for money. There are other sites and forums where cheaters meet daily to trade saves and come up with new ways to circumvent the system MS put in place.

Shuckey, aka Marc C. shared with me that he is a 1996 Purdue graduate in Architectural Engineering, worked at GamePro Magazine for a stint, and at 3D0 and Midway as a game designer and programmer within the last ten years. He’s been married for six years, with a toddler son. Assuming that information he shared is accurate, he isn’t the booger-picking little troll I envision coming up with elaborate ways to cheat at video games.

Here are excerpts from what he told me, in his words:

So why am I telling you all this you ask? During all those years of playing and programming, I collected every video game system and at least 80% or more of each game catalog for each system. I owned a Game Genie, Game Shark, Pro Action Replay, or other such device for every system I’ve owned, including my Neo-geo Gold.I did not buy these things to collect. I used them to be able to beat games and do things you could not normally do. I am what you call a compulsive person. I do things 100% until I can no longer keep up at the same pace. I want all the cars unlocked in Gran Turismo. I want all the characters unlocked in Soul Calibur 2. I want 100% completion in Grand theft Auto 3. This is just my personality. Am I a cheater? According to the big companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Sega, yes I was, even then.

But I paid $50 dollars for a game and if the learning curve or difficulty were too high or too hard, or worse, the game was super cheap, people in general feel ripped off and did not get to fully enjoy their purchase. Same goes for 360 games. I paid $60 for the game which includes the achievements.

I got my 360 before launch but never had time to play it online due to the fact we were about to have a son and were moving from our condo to our house. But when GRAW came out, I wanted to play online. So in March 2006, I started playing on Live. I played every game that came out and became compulsive about Gamerscore. I have played with CerealKiller5 and StripClubDJ (Two of the original Major Nelson reset gamertags) since Xbox days. I became friends with StTheKing (the #1 gamerscore leader for much of the first year of the 360’s release) because of Strip. I got caught up in the whole Gamerscore group. I actually got a transfer kit because I wanted to do sports rosters without having to do them by hand. Just download a save someone else made. I had done it for every College Sports game that had come out on the PS One.

hen the Gamerscore scene got hot when an article about STtheKing, StripClubDJ, and TheGrayWolf hit. At that time, we were all Legit. Then it just got away from us. We let it consume our lives and bury the real gamers we were. Without gamesaves we were still the best…..with the saves, we just had a higher gamerscore number.

"By the time Strip hit 100k it was out of control … all those awesome gamers were reduced to just a bunch of gamerscore addicts waiting to get a fix."

Then STtheKing started dissing on others when gamesaving and trading began. It then just became a contest of who could do which game first Legit to make saves. It got ugly with Rance6 becoming #1 by paying people to do his stuff, then it became an all-out war.

Leaderboards have nothing to do with it, that’s the biggest misconception out there. Proof if it, were it not for MGC (MyGamerCard.net) nobody would know who was the highest achiever unless it was printed in a mag or online somewhere.

I was one of the original members along with CerealKiller5 , Ang R Wound, and Roofus (aka Sufoor) on the 360GS site. (This is in reference to the most notable site dedicated to gamerscore cheating. I’ve read claims to well over 10,000 registered members. All three gamertags mentioned were victim to Major’s gamerscore reset). Now I can not tell you specifics on what the Resigner is nor how it does what it does, only what it can do.

The last Fall Dashboard Update stopped 80% of all gamesaving because it required an offline, non-updated Xbox 360. But the Resigner (see full story for more information on the Resigner) changes all that, thanks to me. I know how the non-updated Xboxes were able to “resign” saves so they now became yours. You could use them no matter what. So the Resigner was thought of, developed and then implemented. It works by removing half the data that was the other persons ID from the save then infusing your ID with the save, making it yours.

I do not condone hacking games because at least with a save, someone did it legit at some point. Hacks at first were done without having dates, then they found the key to putting on dates. Now they can put any date on they want and can make a tag look 100% Legit if they took the time to do it, which I doubt they would really do.

This is just a taste of what gamesaving is, how it became what it is, and why some of us, not most of us did it to begin with. Most of us were the best players in the world and competition, just like in professional sports destroyed us all. Now people think we are just a bunch of losers who just load up a save someone gave us and get 1000 in something without having to do the game. Some do, most do not.

My take on the whole thing is this….I could care less what people do or don’t cheat….it’s their time and their choice. Me, gamesaving anything does not impede on anybody’s fun on Xbox Live. Going into a Ranked match in Gears of War and hearing a 12 year old kid say “Achievement Match, this is for achievements, if you are not going to do it, leave now”. That hurts my fun on Xbox Live. People boosting in a game or better yet kicking you out of a game because they are boosting impedes on my experience on Live in a derogatory manner.

These are some of the highlights. When Shuckey sent this to me, his original profile had over 159,000 gamerscore. It has not yet been part of Major’s reset movement although, he would certainly qualify to get the same cheater watermark as given to the others. If gamerscore had a tangible value, I could maybe understand a little better what motivates gamers to go to these kinds of extremes. As it is, it would seems a more pleasurable alternative to finding ways to cheat, would be to enjoy actually playing these games.

I often see the suggestion that MS should offer some kind of reward for gamers who earn gamerscore. Maybe something like a 1600 MS points card for every 5,000 or so gamerscore earned. On the surface, that’d be a nice incentive and would encourage some people to play through a game again to boost their score. But today, with people out there going to these kinds of levels for something currently worth nothing, imagine how far some gamers would go if you added greed to the equation…

Source: The Blue Skittle

-djdsf

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Wednesday’s Rock Band 2 fix

According to Joystiq a Harmonix representative has refuted reports that Rock Band 2 owners will be able to download every track that shipped with its predecessor as free DLC. IGN, the original source of the information, has reportedly retracted the statements made by Nate Ahearn. I was unable to access the retraction as it requires an Insider membership.

Though the Harmonix representative seemed adamant that no such DLC would be available, he/she could simply be protecting sensitive information. Obviously, Harmonix and MTV Games would like to sell a few more copies of Rock Band before the sequel hits the Xbox 360 in September. Offering the entire set list as free DLC would completely crush any hopes of additional revenue.

Also, the comments from IGN, as they appeared on Joystiq, did not say the original Rock Band set list would not become DLC at some point. They simply said the comments were made by someone who hoped such content would be available.

These types of rumors will continue to pop up until the game’s September release for the Xbox 360. Hopefully, Harmonix will clear up some of the confusion when they debut Rock Band 2 at E3 next week.

Alright, with the bad news out of the way, it’s time for some good news.

Kotaku, the popular game blog, has received some new information on Rock Band 2 straight from the folks at Harmonix. The fact sheet is full of interesting tidbits, but you only care about the most important stuff.

Harmonix has gone to great lengths to improve the Rock Band experience. In addition to improved peripherals, Rock Band 2 will also feature improved online functionality. Chief among these improvements is the ability to take World Tour mode online.

This was something that was inexplicably absent from the original Rock Band. Playing World Tour mode locally with friends was a blast. However, what if you didn’t have any friends? Sure, you could go solo, but we all know that it’s much more fun to play with actual people (even if those people are strangers). This expansion on the popular formula is sure to please fans of the series, as well as newcomers who plan to burst their Rock Band cherry by purchasing the sequel.

What else does Harmonix have in store for gamers?

Rock Band 2 will also feature a new Battle of the Bands mode. Think your pseudo band is the king of the mountain? Now is your chance to prove it.

Is little Billy from down the street getting cocky? Challenge him and the rest of the “Pokemon Trainers” to an epic battle of plastic instruments. Don’t want to see his ugly mug? You don’t have to. Battle of the Bands will be playable online and locally. However, don’t lose. You will never hear the end of it.

If you don’t feel like challenging annoying little kids to an epic battle of plastic instruments, search for opposing groups online.

I understand that Battle of the Bands might not be your cup of tea. If that is the case, you can always rock out to your favorite songs in quickplay mode. Owners of the original game might remember the arduous task of selecting tracks one at a time. After finishing one song, you were prompted to select another song to play. Harmonix has rectified this annoyance by allowing gamers to create their own set lists in Rock Band 2.

In this, the era of iPods, custom playlists seem like a no-brainer. I don’t mind navigating menus every once in a while, but having to do it after every song interrupts the experience. Thus, the feeling of performing in front of a live audience is diminished. This was a problem that was also present in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Harmonix also revealed that the game will ship with over 80 songs (I’m hoping for a billion) and confirmed a number of tunes previously revealed on an episode of X-Play.

Cheap Trick “Hello There”
Dream Theater “Panic Attack ”
Elvis Costello “Pump it Up”
Foo Fighters “Everlong”
Journey “Anyway You Want It”
Motörhead “Ace of Spades”
The Muffs “Kids in America”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away”
System of a Down “Chop Suey”
The Who “Pinball Wizard”

Are you fully satiated yet? I hope not, because we will be bringing you the latest news as it becomes available.

Source: Kotaku & SarcasticGamer.com

-djdsf

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Amazon briefly offered pre-orders for Star Wars Battlefront III… Wait, what?

For a brief moment last night, Amazon brought joy to all gamers pining for a return to the battlefields of the Star Wars universe. The online retail giant provided information on a previously unannounced, though rumored to be in development, title from the folks over at LucasArts.

However, those same gamers awoke this morning only to find shock and disappointment.

Last night, gamers had the opportunity to pre-order Star Wars Battlefront III from Amazon. The 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS and PSP versions of the game were listed to ship simultaneously on March 15, 2009. Those listings were removed from the site late last night/early this morning.

Was this an error on Amazon’s part or is a new Battlefront game currently in development?

Rumors of a new Battlefront game first surfaced after LucasArts fired a large chunk of employees in early June.

Those rumors, based on information from one of the former employees, looked to be gaining some traction. However, since the Amazon listings have been removed, we are left with more questions than answers. LucasArts has yet to confirm or deny the existence of the game.

Could this have been a goof by Amazon? It is certainly possible. We are all human, and thus, we make mistakes every so often. Unless Amazon currently employs cyborgs, I image the company is not devoid of human error.

However, LucasArts could be behind all of this. The company, in an attempt to keep Battlefront III a secret, could have contacted Amazon and asked them to remove the listings.

Do I think that a new Battlefront game is in development? You bet I do.

Development of another Battlefront game seems like a no-brainer. The previous titles in the franchise were immensely popular to say the least. No doubt, another sequel would produce tons of cash for the company.

Some might point to the aforementioned layoffs as a point of contention. It has been speculated that, with the reduction of its internal teams, LucasArts would be unable to develop a sequel to the hotly-anticipated Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. However, this wouldn’t necessarily affect a new Battlefront game. LucasArts published all of the previous games, but did not develop them. Pandemic Studios was responsible for the original game and the sequel, while Renegade Squadron for the PSP was handled by Rebellion (seriously).

Therefore, the recent layoffs would have no affect on the development of Battlefront III. However, since Pandemic is under the EA umbrella, the company probably wouldn’t be involved in the development of a new Battlefront game. But that’s not really a problem. LucasArts could simply find another studio to develop the title, similar to what they did with Renegade Squadron.

If you ask me, the elements for a new Battlefront game are all in place.

Battlefront is a proven franchise that is popular among gamers and has the potential to produce a lot of revenue for LucasArts. In an age when developers and publishers pump out a continuous stream of sequels, another game in the popular “Star Wars” franchise doesn’t seem so radical.

This is all my opinion, some of which is based on my affinity for the franchise, but a fourth installment seems extremely plausible.

I never owned the original game, but promptly scooped up the sequel after playing it with some friends. The Battlefront games were extremely popular third-person shooters set in the Star Wars universe. Previous titles in the franchise allowed gamers to select one of four factions (the Empire, the Rebellion, the Republic and the CIS) and re-live the most memorable battles from George Lucas’ famed saga.

The previous titles were extremely successful for a couple of reasons. First, and most obvious, they had “Star Wars” branded on their covers. Second, and more importantly, they were insanely fun. In fact, it was a comparison to the Battlefront games that convinced me to purchase Warhawk for the PS3.

Unfortunately, we are left in the dark until LucasArts decides to grace us with an official statement. I doubt E3 will bring confirmation of Battlefront III. LucasArts will probably devote most of its time to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Day 1 Studios’ Fracture, which are set to release in September and October, respectively. However, be sure to keep your ears to the ground, as more news is sure to slip out sometime. Now, we just have to hope that sometime comes sooner rather than later.

If you did pre-order a copy of Battlefront III, let us know if your purchase has been cancelled or honored by Amazon.

Source: SarcasticGamer.com

-djdsf

Blogged with the Flock Browser

If Only…Brand New 360 Dashboard Concepts

After the disappointing Spring Update, or lack thereof, you may be expecting some massive overhaul to the 360’s user interface. Alternatively, you might be expecting a restructuring of Xbox Live Marketplace? Either way, the guys over at The Fanboys have come up with some really cool conceptual dashboard redesigns.

Basically The Fanboys split up the current 360 dashboard into a grid and worked out that 11.5% of the dashboard is user space like gamercard and messages, 22.5% was advertising space, 29.5% was interactive space such as the disc tray and 36.5% was unused space. Which is pretty interesting (that wasn’t sarcastic. Neither was that. Or that)

Anyhoo, they came up with a redesign. Take a look.

(Hi-res version here)

Ok there’s quite a lot on there so let’s look at it bit by bit.

Completely forget the right section of the screen for the moment, lets just focus on the left hand section. As you can see the friends and messages are still on the same button, then the Chat and IM button, and finally the gamerscore (which I presume would go to your gamercard when clicked. That’s all fairly standard stuff, but next there is a search box that can search either your 360 or the Marketplace. I don’t think this is really that useful as things can be sorted alphabetically anyway, and it doesn’t take that long to navigate through the menus, but it certainly wouldn’t do any harm. There’s also a ‘In your tray’ section which, for the sick minded amongst you (you know who you are) might have various sexual connotations, but for us here in the non-innuendo (in your endo!…sorry) obsessed world, I think its a bit of a waste of space. I mean, on the current dashboard the achievement progress is displayed and I don’t think the box art adds anything significant. Also, what will be displayed there when there’s no disc in your tray? Unused space? It’s a nice idea, but I think it could have been made a bit smaller. The advertising has been moved to a small strip at the bottom left of the dashboard, which is always a good thing.

Just so you know, when you select the yellow gamercard section, the entire right area becomes your background (look at the first image in this article).

Right, now let’s have a look at the right hand side. This is the market place blade, and as you can see it has undergone some major changes. The best feature that The Fanboys have put in, is the user rating system. If you look closely (better res here) you’ll notice that each game has a star rating next to it. I’m not quite sure why Assault Heroes 2 has a full four out of four stars, but this is just a mock up after all. You’ll also notice that there is a strip of advertising on the far right, but this only appears on the marketplace. Now here’s the stuff I don’t like [brace for rant]. We all know that scrolling through the barrage of useless content on the Live Marketplace is a chore, but this redesign by no means alleviates the problem. Firstly instead of a small bit of text for each game, we now have images. This basically means that everything will take ages to load (as can be seen in the XBLA menu on the current dashboard). Granted, the space is used more wisely as there are now two games on each row instead of one, but I don’t want to have to slowly scroll through hundreds of pictures with the right analogue stick just to realise that the Eragon demo has been removed from the marketplace. It does not solve the problem, and might even exacerbate it. Useless. Anyway, let’s get onto some more positive things. I like the ability to view all the free content available…

I’m done with the good stuff now. Ok, maybe I’m being a bit too harsh. I did like the fact that the points balance is constantly displayed, but the bad scrolling system is unforgivable. The person who wrote this post says that he didn’t take technical aspects into account, but isn’t it obvious that hundreds of images would cause problems? What would have been good is the ability to see all content that you can afford. For instance: if you have 245 points left on your account, why not view all the content that is 245 points or less. I would find that pretty useful when trying to burn the 20 points I have left.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the Inside Xbox feature has been moved to a small ticker strip at the bottom, which is both good and bad.

Good: The most pathetic feature on Xbox Live, in my opinion, is hidden nicely away at the bottom of the screen.

Bad: It’s animated and will constantly annoy me. I do not want to know that Major Nelson can tell me how to download items, or that MrPointyHead (UK) went to Ubi Days and I don’t want to see stupid interviews that have been edited and chopped up so that they’re 30 seconds long. I use the Internet for all my news and don’t need my 360 to keep me up to date with the latest Alone in the Dark trailers that are hitting the marketplace. It’s not even like the content is good. Some of the jokes made are so poor, I almost burst into tears.

*Deep breath*

So there you have it. A tour of The Fanboys 360 dashboard redesign. Even though I didn’t like some of their choices, it was a high quality image (720p) with several good ideas, but just a few too many annoying points for me to endorse. A dashboard redesign is needed, but I don’t think this is it.

Source: The Fanboys & SarcasticGamer.com

-djdsf 

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Australia Smacks Fallout 3 with the Banhammer

If there’s one thing that seems to get Bethesda in trouble with their games, it’s that they make their worlds too open. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion featured drug addicts, brothels, and full-frontal nudity of burnt corpses that gave the game a M rating after its release. Yum.

Well, they didn’t pull any punches with the Fallout 3 material they submitted for a rating from the Australian Office of Film & Literature Classification. The the jump to see how that turned out, though I bet you can guess. Our readers are pretty sharp.

According to Kotaku AU and the website for the Australian Office of Film & Literature Classification, Fallout 3 has received a RC, or Refused Classification. Since games in Australia aren’t allowed to receive R18+ rating, titles like Dark Sector initially received the RC and was forced to be edited before being able to be sold in the country. Other titles like Grand Theft Auto IV submitted an already edited version of the game to avoid the RC and recieve the MA15+ rating.

It’s starting to seem like the rating systems in many countries around the world are becoming more of a burden to the industry than it should be. I personally believe that developers should be able to make any game they feel like, and get a rating for it, even if it means only older folks like VinDali would be able to buy it.

As for Fallout 3, there’s no information on just why it got the RC. My guess would be the amount of violence and drug use that’s in the game. It will likely be edited for release in Australia, but the most hardcore of gamers will probably import it like they did for GTAIV when it got censored.

Fallout 3 is set for release later this year. Hopefully rating problems don’t cause any sort of delay.

Siurce: SarcasticGamer.com

-djdsf

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Microsoft’s Wiimote is all but confirmed

Some huge news has surfaced over at N4G to do with the rumours of Microsoft’s own answer to the Wii Remote, pretty much confirming that yes, there’s a controller to be announced at E3 and you know what to expect.

In a video posted on IGN, the creative director of Microsoft Game Studios plays through the newest installment of Banjo Kazooie and talking about the titular character’s special wrench in the game which is used to grab objects inside the game which are moved by “twist[ing] the controller around”. In other words, “yes, we are making a controller with motion sensors”.

Apparently codenamed “Darwin” (insert ‘clever’ keynote about the “evolution of game controllers” here) the controller is very real and very much in existence, and the image you see up the top is genuine. The company behind it, Motus Games, has the controller on display in its entirety over at its website with 360-style buttons, triggers and the like present and correct.

However, there’s only one button (namely the green A one) and two triggers (”upper/lower”) meaning that it’s probably not supposed to be a full-blown controller, perhaps just used with games that support it.  Intriguingly though, the controller can work as either a lengthened controller to hold with two hands, or can be broken in half to act as two game controllers independent of each other.

Well, how about that, guys. With E3 just around the corner, I don’t think it’ll be a rumor much longer. Fingers crossed that Microsoft don’t announce Xbox Sports alongside, because that would just be imitation going a step too far.

Source: Newton motion controller finally confirmed? - XboxOZ360-gamer via N4G & SarcasticGamer.com

-djdsf

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Amazon lists release dates for Rock Band 2

The folks at Harmonix might want to change their E3 plans. Instead of debuting Rock Band 2

in Los Angeles, they might want to set up a live feed from their
offices and simply confirm, or deny a recent slew of rumors that have
lit up Internet blogs and message boards.

These rumors have primarily focused on a handful of leaked song
lists provided by a few play testers that supposedly got their hands on
the game early. However, today produced some potentially blockbuster
news that could set the Internet ablaze.

When Harmonix officially announced Rock Band 2, the
company’s representatives provided only vague release dates for the
multiple versions of the title. In an interview with IGN, lead designer
Dan Teasdale said the Xbox 360 version would be available in September,
while the Playstation 3, Wii and Playstation 2 versions would follow
sometime later in the year.

At first, I was simply excited to hear that Rock Band 2 was
on its way this year. However, as the initial excitement passed, I
found myself craving a concrete release date. I thought I would have to
wait until E3 to learn more. I was dead wrong.

Amazon, the popular online retailer, is not known for the accuracy
of its release dates. I often assume that any date provided on the
site, in the absence of an official announcement, is merely an attempt
to attract pre-orders from anxious gamers. However, this time, I really
want to believe the company.

According to Amazon, the Rock Band 2 special edition, which
comes complete with game and peripherals, will release for the 360 on
Sept. 14 for $199.99. The standalone game is listed to ship on Sept. 30
and will set you back $59.99.

This is certainly in line with the September release date provided by Harmonix.

The PS3 version, which up until now was slated for a release later
this year, is listed to release on Nov. 30. This version does not
include the peripherals and will cost the same as its 360 counterpart.

The site does not provide any information on the Wii and PS2 versions of the game.

If these dates prove to be accurate, then Microsoft will have two
months of timed exclusivity for the upcoming sequel to the 2007
smash-hit. This will no doubt impact sales, as owners of a 360 and PS3
will obviously choose the the former version.

Those inclined to do so can also pre-order standalone peripherals
for the different versions of the game.  The standalone guitars will
cost $69.99 each and the wireless drum kit for the 360 will set you
back $89.99. The peripherals for the 360, which will both be wireless,
are listed to release day and date with the special edition of the
game.  It was not immediately clear if the PS3, PS2 and Wii instruments
will be wireless as well.

The development of wireless instruments is no doubt one of the
improvements made to the original wired peripherals. Personally, I
favor wired controllers because I hate paying for batteries. However, I
am willing to bet that quite a few people complained that the wires
were a hindrance to their ability to rock.

The move to wireless instruments might also be a response to the upcoming release of Guitar Hero: World Tour,
which will also feature peripherals without cumbersome black chords.
However, offering instruments sans wires seems like a no-brainer, so I
imagine it was always part of Harmonix’s plan.

This latest batch of news is certainly intriguing, but information
provided by Amazon is far from gospel. Make a mental note, but wait for
the official word from Harmonix. Expect to hear something from our E3
coverage when Doc and Dave head to Los Angeles.

Source: amazon.com & SarcasticGamer.com

-djdsf

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Happy Bungie Day!

Merry Bungie day 7o all, and 70 all a sleepless nigh7 of Halo 3!

(I am going 7o be away for 7wo days, so I will hand my normal Scribe du7y over to "Shadow Walking, as I promised him.)

Bungie is going all "Viral' on us. Again.

Go here.

Read some of the posts and the original post of course. No questions asked.

IGN's List of Most Anticipated Games of E3 08

Article is here.

IGN gives us a list of the most anticipated games to announced or be playable at E3.
Go check it out.

(Also, happy 4th of July!)

"Cold Storage" News (New map news.)

Article is here.

Instead of Bungie releasing the rumored "Mythic Map Pack", Cold Storage will be released as a loan map and will hit the market place on 7/7. (Bungie day). On 7/7 Cold Storage will also be free!

Cold Storage will be playable on the Legendary DLC play lists.

A new age has begun.

Those who have been loyal to the city and have stayed on our great journey will be rewarded today. Our Director of Concert now has the new City awaiting all of those who our on the same quest as you and I.
A new age has begun, an age of prosperity and this age welcomes all who are loyal.

CoTH News Update:

According to DJ the move to our very own forums should be ready by tomorrow or Thursday.

I would personally like to thank DJ for putting the time and effort in to make the CoTH community a better place.

-Knowing1

Exciting news for Bond fans.

James Bond games have been known to be the best movie adapted games around. Today Activision announced that Treyarch is currently developing the new James Bond game Quantum of Solace by using the COD4 engine.
Quantum of Solace has a lot of potential, we will just have to wait and see how this game turns out.

-Knowing1

Shadow to the Walking.

A veteran member of the group that suddenly just disappeared has returned!

Welcome back Shadow Walking.

IGN Reviews "The Dark Knight."

Article can be found here.

IGN gives an in depth review of the much anticipated Batman sequel, "The Dark Knight." It is two pages long, so if you have the time, read the review.

I read the article and according to IGN this movie is excellent, they scored it 5 stars/ten out of ten.

Quoted by IGN: "What Nolan and Co. have created doesn't just function as a thrill ride or even a terrific movie, but rather as a substantive and philosophical examination of why we need heroes, and then when we need them, what they mean."

I am definitley going to go see this movie.

-Knowing1.

Bungie gives us another look at the new map remake, "Cold Storage".

Article is here.
Bungie gives us another look at "Cold Storage" in this week's "Bungie Weekly Update."

From what I can see this map is almost a complete remake of the map, "Chill Out". You can get an overview of all of the weapon and equipment placements on the map so check it out if you want to be ahead of the competition when the new map is released!


-Knowing1.