News

What we're playing this weekend

Posted by: Chuck at 6/28/2008 12:29 PM - Comments (0)
More On: What we're playing Gaming Nexus
Elliot Bonnie
Still playing my usual mess of games... teaching myself how to drift in Forza 2 and hopefully spending some quality time with Battlefield: Bad Company.

Charles Husemann
This weekend I'll be wrapping up Battlefield: Bad Company which is a hell of a lot better than I expected. I've almost completed the single player side of the game and while it's not Call of Duty 4 it's a pretty solid experience. I imagine I'll also be firing up Team Fortress 2 and Civilization:Revolutions.

Randy Kalista
I'm piggybacking Dave's Wii review of Kung Fu Panda with the Xbox 360 version. It's too bad all video game developers don't have the capital and/or desire to unequivocally go as cross-platform as movie tie-ins typically do. Otherwise, in mental preparation for a pre-E3 food/folks/fun meeting with video game publisher CDV and developer Ascaron, I'm brushing up on my isometric-RPG skills with 2005's Sacred.

Dan Keener
It's Guys weekend on the Bourbon Trail! In-between swigs of Maker's Mark and Jim Beam fresh from the Distillery, we will be breaking out the 360 and jamming to some Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Probably play some NCAA Football and Burnout Paradise as well. Also it looks like I will be pulling some strings of pots fishing for crab, as we have a quick turnaround to meet our quota....

Nathan Murray
Finally got Live working so COD4 has become my life. Well not really but it is kind of hard to play other games.

Tyler Sager
Not sure exactly what I'll get into this weekend. I've been having a blast with Galactic Civilizations 2: Twilight of the Arnor, so I'll undoubtedly be diving into some galactic conquest. I might also fire up The Witcher, but we'll see if I get into it too much before the big patch comes out...

As always leave what you're playing in the comments

Classic Gaming Trivia for 10/13/08

by: John - posted: 10/13/2008 3:22 PM - Comments (0)
Last Friday's game was the classic One on One: Dr J. vs. Larry Bird on the Commodre 64. It was one of the first basketball games I played and being a fan of both of the players at the time I played this game a lot. I always chose Bird though cause I just love his outside shot.


Today's game gave me the fits and I surpressed the memories of this one until just recently.

Age of Booty sails onto XBLA this week

by: Dan - posted: 10/13/2008 1:24 PM - Comments (0)
Age of Booty, the Pirate based RTS from Capcom and Certain Affinity, is hitting Xbox Live Arcade this week. It sounds like you can create your own little empire while plundering the high seas with your pimped out pirate ship (customizable options) and the ability to make your own maps. The game will be available at 5:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, October 15th for 800 MS points. [READ MORE]

Details on the Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer beta

by: John - posted: 10/13/2008 1:01 PM - Comments (0)
Things are looking pretty good for Call of Duty: World at War and you'll be able to play it soon. Pre-orders and those that register at www.callofduty.com will be eligible for a chance at a beta key for the Xbox 360.  Four gametypes spread across three different maps will be available once the beta goes live. You'll be able to play as the U.S., Germans, Japanese, or the Russians. All this leads up to the release of the game on November 11th. There'll also be a PC beta but there's no word on a PS3 one. I'm more interested to see how co-op plays in this one so I have some high hopes for the game even though it's not by Infinity Ward. [READ MORE]

Red Alert 3 trailer brings the fromage, butterfly effect

by: Chuck - posted: 10/13/2008 8:34 AM - Comments (0)
It looks like the folks at EA LA are really embracing the cheese factor in Red Alert 3 as Tim Curry is in full effect in this new trailer for Red Alert 3 that debuted on Gametrailers over the weekend.  Personally I'm digging the style and you can't beat the giant robot Samurai at the end of the trailer.  Hopefully the gameplay lives up to the trailer.

Wiikly wiileases wiivealed

by: Chuck - posted: 10/13/2008 8:07 AM - Comments (0)
Nintendo has added four new downloadable titles for the Wii this week as they are once again releasing a set of WiiWare and Virtual Console titles this week.  World of Goo (1,500 points) and Art Style: Cubello (600 points) make their way to the WiiWare side of the DLC store while the Genesis version of Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (800 points) and the SNES version of Secret of Mana (800 points) are now available in the Vitual Console side of the store.

Be sure to check back on Friday for Cyril's take on the Virtual Console titles but until then here's a little World of Goo to get your Monday started with.
[READ MORE]

Gaming Gibs for 10/13/2008

by: Chuck - posted: 10/13/2008 7:46 AM - Comments (0)
Here are a few things I missed while calculating how many LEGO blocks I need to build a LEGO Battlecruiser:
  • The first step in realizing you have a problem is admitting it...seriously though...36 accounts?
  • NXE + Xbox 360 without storage mechanism = boned.  Here's why you might want to go out and buy storage to get it.
  • Edge lists the top 20 games at TGS, no shocker who's number 1
  • First inevitable expansion pack for Spore announced
  • Blizzard explains why Starcraft II was broken out into three parts, skips the greed thing
  • Resident Evil 5 controls fixed, now OK to recommend to people

Wii is host to more family partying

by: Sean Colleli - posted: 10/12/2008 6:27 PM - Comments (1)
Just in time for Christmas, D3Publisher will release Family Party: 30 Great Games for the Wii on December 2nd.  The game supports four players and sounds like a collection of imitations of Nintendo's hot casual properties, like track and field and Brain Age.  I'm sure this will be something the kids will enjoy on Christmas morning, but personally I'm getting a little tired of hearing Wii and "Fun For The Whole Family" in the same sentence.  I might have to ask Dave Gamble's permission to condense it into a new acronym: FFTWF. [READ MORE]

Namco keeps punny name for We Ski sequel

by: Sean Colleli - posted: 10/12/2008 6:21 PM - Comments (0)
I thought putting a game on the Wii called We Ski was wearing out the welcome for the console name jokes, but Namco is doing it again with We Ski & Snowboarding.  Arriving next march, the sequel will again utilize the Wii Fit balance board and add snowboarding to the mix.  It probably won't be long before the Wii is host to an entire franchise of cuddly Mii-filled sports titles, competing with 2K Sports and EA Sports. [READ MORE]

LittleBigPlanet does math

by: John - posted: 10/12/2008 8:10 AM - Comments (2)
What better way to show off the editor in LittleBigPlanet then to create a working calculator with over 1,600 parts? That's what this guy did in the video below. Ars has the details on what went into this monstrous creation. Sort of makes the GN logo by Chuck very lame in comparison. :)

Tearing up the floor with Mickey

by: Sean Colleli - posted: 10/12/2008 12:19 AM - Comments (1)
Konami has been known to pair their DDR series with the odd license now and then, but this is pushing it--DDR Disney Grooves.  Coming exclusively to the Wii next March, the game will include famous Disney characters and 40 Disney songs.  Don't get me wrong, Goofy and Donald breakdancing sounds pretty entertaining, but I can't imagine anyone actually dancing to "A Whole New World," unless it happens to be my uncle drunk off his rear at a wedding reception. [READ MORE]

Midway gives Wii more minigames with Game Party 2

by: Sean Colleli - posted: 10/12/2008 12:10 AM - Comments (0)
I guess for Midway, one collection of party minigames just wasn't enough.  Game Party 2 will be coming to the Wii with 11 new minigames, and hopefully continue the million-selling success of the first Game Party.  Midway should be careful here--the casual market they're targeting doesn't buy many games, and as a result doesn't adopt sequels very well.  A good example is Nintendo's Brain Age; the sequel, aptly named Brain Age 2, didn't do nearly as well as the first game because the casual consumers didn't make the distinction.  Maybe that's why Nintendo is naming the Wii Sports sequel Wii Sports Resort.  Casual gamers are easy to please, but because they are satisfied with one or two minigame collections, they don't buy nearly as much and sooner or later the market is going to get saturated. [READ MORE]

NFS: Undercover Cops and Robbers mode demonstrated

by: Chuck - posted: 10/12/2008 12:07 AM - Comments (0)
Here's a new video from EA that shows off the Cops 'N Robbers mode in Need for Speed:Undercover.  It's all pretty simple, as the robbers you grab the money and take it to the home icon.  The cops just have to stop you.  It certainly looks interesting but I wonder how well it will work on bigger maps.

Nintendo reminds you about a lot of stuff you don't care about, promises better stuff in 09

by: Sean Colleli - posted: 10/12/2008 12:00 AM - Comments (0)
I know I've been hating on Nintendo a lot lately, but 2008 was supposed to be a good holiday year for real gamers.  Instead, Nintendo is promising titles like Wii Music and Animal Crossing, and a substantial increase in Wii consoles so that the casual mob can play those casual games.  Maybe this will be the Christmas where all the soccer moms finally get their hands on the eternally scarce console, and the baffling supply shortages end.  At least 09 will be good, with the promise of Punch Out!, Sin and Punishment 2, expanded SD card use, and of course the amazing Conduit.  Next year is definitely shaping up to be more satisfying for the hardcore crowd (this year's E3 was almost as big a blunder for Nintendo as "Riiiiidge Racer" was for Sony in 06), but I'm still waiting for some real surprises.  After all, we still haven't seen any brand new, hardcore-friendly IPs from Nintendo, although The Conduit seems like a worthy substitute.  Let's just hope Nintendo uses WiiMotionPlus for something besides foam bats in Wii Sports 2...Zelda, please?  Please? [READ MORE]

Harpoon gets an update

by: Sean Colleli - posted: 10/11/2008 11:54 PM - Comments (0)
Matrix Games has released a new patch for Harpoon - Commander's Edition.  This patch has a lot of fixes in it but also adds some substantial new content as well, so if you have the game you might want to check the update list and download the patch.  Check the press release for the contents of the update and where to get it. [READ MORE]

New Far Cry 2 trailer completely Trigenless

by: Chuck - posted: 10/11/2008 11:46 PM - Comments (0)
Far Cry 2 is shaping up to be a very pretty, very fun looking game but I'm still not sure why Ubisoft kept the Far Cry name as there are few elements from the original game in the game.  The game does look like two tons of fun in a one ton bag but we'll know that for sure when the game ships in two weeks.

News Roundup: Diablo Inferno Pyroblazer

by: Randy - posted: 10/11/2008 3:05 PM - Comments (0)
DEMOS, UPDATES
VIDEOS
ARTICLES
  • Mario Golf and Shining Force II:  It's a good week for retro gamers at Defunct Games.
  • I4U published a review of the Coosh Headset for iPod and iPhone.
  • ActionTrip calls out Fracture on its "carbon copying" of most top shooters and its "unoriginal design."
  • CaseCritics got their hands on the first pics of an "Unnamed Project" Raidmax All Aluminum Chassis.
  • Fuzzle isn't your run-of-the-mill iPhone puzzle game -- but OS X Reality will break down why.
  • The only low point, as far as I4U is concerned, is Spore's DRM.  Otherwise?  Editor's Choice.
Thanks to Defunct Games, I4U, ActionTrip, AtomicGamer, CaseCritics, Tweaknews, and OS X Reality for today's News Roundup.

Rock Band prescribes Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood

by: Randy - posted: 10/11/2008 2:44 PM - Comments (0)
Motley Crue's #1-selling album, Dr. Feelgood, is the sixth album to join the Rock Band Music Store's downloadable content.  This 1989 headbanger is available starting October 14th for Xbox 360, and October 16th for PlayStation 3.  I love the All Music Guide's summation of Motley Crue:  "[Their] albums were a lot like episodes of Married With Children in the sense that they may not be great works of art but can be darn entertaining."  Brilliant.  The full 16-track album will be available for $15.99 (1280 Microsoft "space bucks") or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) per track.  (The PS3 prices were absent from the press release.)  Here are several of the tracks included on the Dr. Feelgood album, some of which gave Motley Crue their first #1 hits:
  • "Dr. Feelgood"
  • "Slice of Your Pie"
  • "Rattlesnake Shake"
  • "Kickstart My Heart"
  • "Without You"
  • "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)"
  • "Sticky Sweet"
  • "She Goes Down"
  • "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)"
  • "Time for Change"
[READ MORE]

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe relaunches official website

by: Randy - posted: 10/11/2008 2:33 PM - Comments (0)
Midway has relaunched its Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe website at the slow-loading worldscollide.com, which is all full of thunderstorms, Flash-y swaying of the screen, and the standard conglomeration of videos, screenshots, and official forum community (sorry, "Kommunity") link to the Midway boards.

Halo 3 Picks up Another Award

by: Dan - posted: 10/11/2008 12:27 PM - Comments (0)
Even though the game has been out for some time, Halo 3 has picked up one more award, this time outside of the normal Video Game channels. The award is the 2008 TEC Outstanding Creative Achievement award for Interactive Entertainment Sound Production by the Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio.  The creative team for Halo 3 beat out stiff competition from The Orange Box, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and BioShock to win. Last year the award was picked up by the team behind Tomb Raider: Legend.

Here is the group that were presented with the award:

Interactive Entertainment Sound Production
Halo 3, Microsoft Game Studios
Audio Director: Marty O’Donnell
Sound Designers: Jay Weinland, C Paul Johnson
Sound & Music Integrators: Marty O’Donnell, Jay Weinland, C Paul Johnson
Audio Programmer: Mat Noguchi
Re-Recording Mixers: Marty O’Donnell, Jay Weinland, C Paul Johnson
Audio Post Facility: Bungie, Kirkland, WA

LittleBigPlanet's Z-Axis controls annoys Media Molecule co-founder at times, might be fixed later

by: John - posted: 10/11/2008 8:57 AM - Comments (0)
We all know how LittleBigPlanet's been delayed a few times and that's natural on the course of creating a very ambitious game. Another little annoyance will ship with the game and might be fixed later rather then delaying the release. Speaking with Eurogamer TV, Mark Healey of Media Molecule found the Z-Axis control for the game can get annoying at times but thinks they have a good compromise right now. They can fix it later on if they wish via a DLC as well as offer other improvements on down the line. October 24th is the release date so it won't be long before everyone else can get to play it and see if this aspect annoys them too but I'm sure the game will be fun enough to bypass the issue if there is one.

Starcraft II becomes a trilogy

by: John - posted: 10/11/2008 8:10 AM - Comments (0)
Shacknews has a report from Blizzcon where it was announced that Starcraft II's single player campaign will be released in three stages. The decision to do this was so that Blizzard would avoid a lengthy delay on the game. Plans for the multiplayer portion hasn't changed but some units will only be available in the single player game. Terrans: Wings of Liberty will be followed by Zerg: Heart of the Swarm and finally Protoss: Legacy of the Void. They are going to differentiate the campaigns and add more story elements and cinematics with this change.

I'm not really disappointed by this decision as I'll probably play more of the multiplayer portion anyways so it's good they aren't going to delay the game longer for the single player campign portion. Putting the other two out as expansion discs will generate more revenue for Blizzard and as long as the content feels like a full product then I'm fine with the decision. I'm sure most of the folks want to get their hands on the game sooner rather than later anyways.

FIFA 2009 has incredible first week sales. Is Madden jealous?

by: Nathan - posted: 10/11/2008 2:29 AM - Comments (0)
Of course Madden '09 can't be jealous of FIFA '09, their both published by EA sports. However it seems that the FIFA franchise is increasing in popularity, selling over 1.2 million copies in the first week and that's just in Europe. Madden '09 reached reached roughly 2.6 million units, by the end of August 2008, the month it was released. So does Football have the green eye for futeball? Or could it possibly be that the over saturation of past Madden games and other football games of the market has led to no new growth in the ranks of the football faithful? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop? The world may never know. [READ MORE]

Some MacBook PROs running bad Nvidia Chips

by: Dan - posted: 10/10/2008 7:11 PM - Comments (0)
For those of you that like to game (or things like being able to SEE anything) on your MacBook Pro (all two of you), there is some bad news coming out of Cupertino today. Apparently, some MacBook Pros may be suffering the same fate as other companies from a batch of bad Nvidia GPUs according to PC Mag. Apple has issued a support document stating that they will repair any that has failed or fails within two years of purchase. The affected models are:

MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008

-MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz) 
-MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz)
-MacBook Pro (Early 2008)

Vigilante 8 for XBLA dated

by: Dan - posted: 10/10/2008 6:39 PM - Comments (0)
Looks like Activision has cleared certification, as Vigilante 8 for Xbox Live Arcade has finally been dated. According to the Activision game page for Vigilante 8, the game is slated for a November 5th release.

Blue wizard your life force is running out

by: John - posted: 10/10/2008 3:59 PM - Comments (0)
And the new character classes being revealed continues. Blizzard has said the Barbarian would be the only returning class in Diablo III and today they unveiled the Wizard at BlizzCon. In the description, she doesn't use the term sorcerer and prefers the term wizard. I know there were a ton of sorcerer players out there and I bet they'll be turning their sights on the wizard when the game's released. Sorry to all your sorcerer fans.