News

Zero Punctuation takes down Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Posted by: Chuck at 2/27/2008 4:58 PM - Comments (0)
More On: EIC Ramblings Gaming Nexus
It's Wednesday which means yet another dose of Ben "Yahtzee" Crenshaw tearing apart yet another game.  This week it's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, a game that I enjoyed much more than Mr. Crenshaw did.  Oh well, opinions are like noses and what not.

Midway sold for $100k and a lot of debt

by: Chuck - posted: 12/1/2008 12:57 PM - Comments (0)
Summer Redstone has sold Midway to Mark Thomas for $100,000 in cash.  As part of the deal Mr. Thomas will also assume $70 million in debt for the company who hasn't had a major hit in years.  It's a bit weird to see one of the major pioneers of the video game industry getting sold to a third party but you have to wonder why they weren't able to sell the company to EA, Ubi, or Activision.  It will be interesting to see what happens to Midway now as the company could be closed, have it's IP's sold off, or any number of things.

Guy creates real-world Lancer, not quite as cool as Dom and Marcus

by: Chuck - posted: 12/1/2008 12:54 PM - Comments (0)
Here's a video of a guy who added a chainsaw to his AR-15.  While the gun is a bit of an homage to Gears of War it turns out that it is not quite as cool as it appears in the video game and probably not overly useful in real life.  Still it does peak the "Damn that's pretty cool meter.  Here's a video of it in action:
Thanks to Gizmodo for the link

Wiikly wiileases wiivealed

by: Chuck - posted: 12/1/2008 12:43 PM - Comments (0)
Another week another set of DLC from Nintendo.  On the Wiiware side they are releasing Space Invaders Get Even(500 points) and Pit Crew Panic (800 points) while the virtual console gets the NEOGEO version of Metal Slug 2(900 points).  Kind of a slow week all around, enjoy this trailer for Space Invaders Get Even while trying to figure out why they are trying to get even.
[READ MORE]

Gaming Gibs for 12/1/2008

by: Chuck - posted: 12/1/2008 12:36 PM - Comments (0)
Here are a few things I missed while watching people scramble for Black Friday deals:
  • Gaming faces captured, like the "O" face but different.  Somewhere my girlfriend and John's wife chuckle silently
  • EA building a Dungeon Keeper MMO for the Korean market?  Don't make me move EA!
  • CD Projekt bringing The Witcher to the 360 and PS3?  Will we get downloadable cards for new chicks we conquer?
  • This week on M&A Planet, Eidos is the wounded deer at the back of the back, EA and Ubi are the wolves circling in the dark.   Who will get the kill first?
  • Gran Turismo 5 to hit this time next year?  Let's hope so, I want to be racing the Top Gear track by Christmas 09
  • Got Halo Wars questions?  The folks at GSB want them, no you can't ask about why Microsoft closed down Ensemble
  • Game On talks about Fallout 3 and other stuff

Experience the joy of moving bullets in new Wanted trailer

by: Chuck - posted: 11/30/2008 10:11 PM - Comments (0)
We all know the drill when it comes to movie-tie in games but that rule doesn't always apply to games that take place before or after the movie in question.  In the case of the new Wanted game from Warner Brothers the game takes place after the events of the movie and therefore has at least some potential to not suck.  Here's the new trailer for the game which gives you a taste of the bullet bending you'll be doing in the game.

Half NBA teams use NBA Live to evaulate talent, perhaps Isiah Thomas was one of them

by: John - posted: 11/30/2008 9:04 AM - Comments (0)
LA Times has a story saying how some teams use EA's NBA Live to evaluate NBA talent. All I have to say is .. WHAT? Has anyone on the teams play the game and see how terrible it does in simulating an actual game? I haven't played a good NBA Live game in a very long time but to use it as part as your professional job to evaluate and also gauge other teams seems a little.. I don't know, absurd to me. Now we have the reason Isiah Thomas screwed up the Knicks. He probably did all those trades on the game and was able to run up the score while playing on Rookie mode and thought, "Hey, it's so crazy it just might work." What's next? Marvin Lewis using Madden to simulate his upcoming games so he can tune up his coaching gaming plan?

Gears of War 2 updated, multiplayer issues fixed

by: Chuck - posted: 11/27/2008 12:30 PM - Comments (0)
Those of you who are carving locusts with a chainsaw rather than a turkey with a knife will be happy to know that Epic has released a title update for Gears of War 2 that should fix all of the issues people have had playing matches online.  Here's the bug list fix from the official community site:

* Adjustments to make Public matchmaking faster, especially in the single player party and the four player party case. Some of these adjustments should be felt immediately and some will play out over several days as our update enables us to reduce player segmentation by reducing the number of servers required to do matchmaking. This will increase the number of possible matches available for you to join.

* A tweak that should prevent us from losing some of our additional detailed stats data that we gather for gearsofwar.com. Due to the large number of concurrent matches, our stats gathering servers were not able to collect data for every single match played. The Xbox LIVE leaderboards are 100% accurate but our existing stats web pages may have some missing data prior to the update.

* A fix to address the issue where some players were unable to start the story-based campaign if Xbox LIVE was down or unavailable.

Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon cancelled for the PS3

by: John - posted: 11/27/2008 7:49 AM - Comments (0)
Add this game to the list of games where the PS3 versions are cancelled. Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon drops next week but you'll only be able to pick it up on the Xbox 360. Shacknews has confirmed that the PlayStation 3 version was cancelled due to "development issues" or as we like to say, "We can't get the Unreal Engine running well on the PS3 so to hell with it.". It's the last game for the studio as THQ is shutting down Sandblast so kind of sad to see them go but at least you'll get one last game from them albeit only on the Xbox 360. Sorry PS3 folks.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

by: John - posted: 11/27/2008 7:45 AM - Comments (0)
From the staff at Gaming Nexus, we all hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving! Eat up those turkeys and cheer on the Detroit Lions as they strive for 0-16.

Vizio Drops Some Prices before Black Friday

by: Dan - posted: 11/26/2008 4:53 PM - Comments (0)
If anyone is looking for a new HDTV or to upgrade your gaming rig, Vizio is giving you some options with price drops on several models. Here is a list of five of their models (including locations, prices and restrictions) found at either Costco, Sam’s Club, WalMart or Sears have seen s price reductions. This is not the entire list, so visit these retailers to see all models involved:

• VIZIO 19” HD LCD HDTV (VA19) $199.99 at Costco Locations Nationwide through 12/7/08 with Member Only MVM Coupon
• VIZIO 32” Plasma HDTV (VP322) $437.00 at Walmart effective Wednesday, 11/26/08 - New Everyday Low Value
• VIZIO 37” HD LCD HDTV (VW37) $499.99 at Costco Locations Black Friday weekend while supplies last Friday-Sunday, 11/28-30/08
• VIZIO 32” Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV (VOJ32LF) $559.99 at SEARS Stores Nationwide thru Sunday, 11/30/08
• VIZIO 42” Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV (VS420) $698.00 at Sam’s Club Locations Nationwide now while supplies last for the Holidays. [READ MORE]

Lineage II Challenges Players to Enter Kratei' Cube

by: Eva - posted: 11/26/2008 2:45 PM - Comments (0)
Lineage II continues to invent new challenges for their players who crave the heat of combat. The latest arean comes with the release of Gracia Part 2. Kratei's Cube provides both PvE and PvP in twenty minute timed matches. Contest start every 30 minutes for non stop action.

One of the special features of Kratei's Cube is that players will score points for player as well as creature kills in these matches. KOed players come back strong with CP, MP and HP fully restored and no point loss ready to rejoin the fray. Winners will earn Fantasy Isle coins to spend during downtime.

The screenshots of Kratei's Cube show off the attention to detail the NC Soft artists put into Lineage II. I keep hearing Jonathan Coulton's "Creepy Doll" every time I look at the Cursed Boys.
You can check out the full details on Lineage II Kratei's Cube after the break.
[READ MORE]

PlayStation 3 firmware update adds full screen flash

by: John - posted: 11/26/2008 2:17 PM - Comments (0)
The latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 to be released today should add full screen Flash support. Nothing else is known but hey, I like these small updates. It makes it so if something breaks, it's easier to go back for the developers and for those updating we don't have to lose some features that we like in previous updates.

Disney Throws Founders Feast for Pirates of the Caribbean Online

by: Eva - posted: 11/26/2008 1:45 PM - Comments (0)
Disney Interactive is starting a new annual event for Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Now that Jolly Rogers curse has been lifted and pirates aren't turning into ravening zombies Tortuga is celebrating with a Fall Harvest festival in the European tradition. Starting November 27, players will find a fantastic spread on the beaches of Tortuga.

Part of the draw is GM participation. Players will have the chance to find the GMs outside of the taverns to swap stories and fire off questions. Participating pirates will be rewarded with some signature loot. The dancing, music and games of the Founders Festival will last through November 30.

Just as a reminder, be sure to get your entries together for the Live the Pirates Life Anniversary Contest. Check out the Grog Blog for all the current news for Disney's POTCO.
[READ MORE]

PSN 50% off Sale

by: Dan - posted: 11/26/2008 12:41 PM - Comments (0)
Sony is having a bit of a sale over at the Playstation Store from now until December 4th, as five titles are now half off. Echochrome, Novastrike, PixelJunk Eden, The Last Guy and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 all have had their price reduced from $9.99 to $4.99 for the next week. This is a nice way to build your collection of games, especially if you recently purchased a PS3 like myself. I may have to pick a couple of these up.

First Impressions: Need for Speed Undercover

by: Randy - posted: 11/26/2008 2:44 AM - Comments (0)
When it comes to evaluating a racing game, it can be tempting to simply squint your eyes and estimate where the game falls on the sliding scale of simulation vs. arcade.  So, to get this bullet-point quickly out of the way, Need for Speed Undercover is wholeheartedly racing in the arcade lane.

To wit, vehicular damage modeling is purely cosmetic and, in fact, the body molding automatically fixes itself back up to pristine condition at the conclusion of each race; said damages are charged to the State as opposed to garnishing your own wages; and straight-up driving posits greater emphasis on forward momentum as opposed to precision handling and sharp cornering.

The four tiers of cars do, however, handle differently enough from one another that some getting-to-know-you time is required for each.  The variations don’t exactly run the gamut from monster trucks to Vespas, but more like from Chevy Camaros to Ford GTs, Volkswagen R32s to Pagani Zondas, and Mazda RX-8s to Nissan GT-Rs.  As expected, it’ll take a lot of miles raced and a lot of money in hand to unlock those third-, second- and first-tier vehicles.  I’m counting over 50 vehicles on the block, with a reasonable spread between American, European, and Japanese models. [READ MORE]

News Roundup: Wrath of the DC Universe

by: Randy - posted: 11/25/2008 11:58 PM - Comments (0)
  • The Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe mash-up actually dodges a potential fatality.
  • The suspects are lined up as Massive Gamer examines "Who Killed Tabula Rasa?"
  • Five MMOs to play other than WoW: Wrath of the Lich King.
  • Is the cost-benefit ratio for DDR3 finally worth it?  APH Networks looks at Patriot Extreme Performance PC3-14400 2x1GB DDR3 RAM.
  • TechwareLabs compiled its Official Netbook Buying Guide.
  • One of the most feature-rich chassis to come along in a while, it's the Thermaltake Armor+ LCS.
  • The only criticism the Biostar TA790GX A2+ Motherboard deserves is that is lacks interesting addons.
Thanks to Defunct Games, Massive Gamer, APH Networks, TechwareLabs, and Digit-Life for today's news roundup.

Second Council of Stellar Management appointed in EVE Online

by: Randy - posted: 11/25/2008 11:47 PM - Comments (0)
There's no other MMO that does this sort of thing.  None.  But EVE Online has now got in the final tally of votes from their second CSM (Council of Stellar Management).  The CSM is a completely player-run, player-elected forum of nine EVE Online subscribers.  Their mission, should they choose to accept it, is to be the voice of their people (their in-game race) and bring relevant player-voiced concerns to developer CCP.  But the Council doesn't just shoot CCP an email list of grievances.  CCP actually flies these players out to meet in Iceland for a face-to-face summit where the nine reps handle in-game business in an up-close-and-personal manner.  The nine Council members are from all over the globe:  Serbia, Netherlands, Denmark, the US, the UK, Hungary, and Australia.  Good luck trying to not to be impressed with the boundaries EVE Online pushes with the word "videogame."

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand new screens and video

by: Randy - posted: 11/25/2008 10:56 PM - Comments (0)
Despite 50 Cent's precipitous fall into rap irrelevance, he's still got his name gracing a videogame.  To wit, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.  And while it's easy to be dismissive of anything with his name on the box -- 50 Cent: Bulletproof was a critical disaster yet still a commercial success -- Chuck is sounding like he wants to give this one a fair shake, saying that the game is actually better than the license would let on.


To Chuck's credit, the video above looks like it's got some things down on paper that should work well.  Third-person over-the-shoulder cam.  Close-quarters combat.  Functional cover system.  Blind fire around corners.  Army of Two-styled help-your-buddy-up-to-the-next-floor co-op.  The "relevant" Middle Eastern setting.  A rap soundtrack that would only otherwise be found in a Rockstar game.  Strippers.

The following screenshots will slow down the action enough for you to focus on 50 Cent's vein-rippled biceps, the maps filled with sand-colored mazes, the bullet-riddled architecture, and eye-in-the-sky minigun action.
[READ MORE]

UFC 2009 Undisputed screens

by: Randy - posted: 11/25/2008 8:21 PM - Comments (0)
Judging from these screenshots of UFC 2009 Undisputed, there's a thin line between Ultimate Fighting and the Kama Sutra.  Still penciled in for a Spring 2009 release, these pics will have to whet your mixed martial arts appetite until then.  [Actually, I'm waiting for a game to be made out of David Mamet's awesome, awesome Redbelt film.]
[READ MORE]

Too Human soundtrack now available for $15.98

by: Chuck - posted: 11/25/2008 12:37 PM - Comments (0)
If you were one of the people who played Too Human and thought "These controls are a bit wonky and the game is clunky but HOT DAMN I love the music" then you're in luck as the sound track is now available on Amazon for $15.98 as well as Best Buy, iTunes, and Sumthing Distribution (the CD label).  The key tracks include must from when you totally killed that guy with a sword and the theme from that one cut scene that you totally skipped.  [READ MORE]

Gaming Gibs for 10/25/2008

by: Chuck - posted: 11/25/2008 12:29 PM - Comments (0)
Here are a few things I missed welcoming home the 2008 MLS Soccer Champions (Still Massive):

Left 4 Dead gets a little blue

by: John - posted: 11/25/2008 10:54 AM - Comments (1)
I really, really like Left 4 Dead and I can't resist jumping into a server for a half hour of zombie killing. That said, I don't think I can look at Bill the same after listening to this clip. The person used canned clips from the game itself to produce this... well you just have to listen for yourself.

New Nintendo DS Bundles coming this Friday

by: John - posted: 11/25/2008 9:10 AM - Comments (0)
Black Friday will see some new Nintendo DS bundles hitting the stores. The Mario Red Nintendo DS will give you the system with a red coloring complete with a copy of New Super Mario Bros. The Ice Blue Nintendo DS comes with a custom carrying case and Brain Age. If you want to pick them up, it'll cost you $149.99 this Friday. [READ MORE]

A boatload of new content coming to Fallout 3

by: John - posted: 11/25/2008 9:03 AM - Comments (0)
If you are owners of the PC or Xbox 360 version of Fallout 3, good news for you as new content is coming your way. Sorry PS3 owners, you get the shaft. For PC folks, G.E.C.K. or Garden of Eden Creation Kit is coming to you in December and lets you add your own content into the game. I know a lot of folks love to create new content for Bethesda games and here's your opportunity to use the official editor and let your creativity run wild. The editor sounds like it'll give you a lot of freedom in modifying the game so I'm hoping for some good user generated content from the PC folks that won't get moderated.

In December, Operation: Anchorage is coming for the the 360 and PC. In this DLC, you'll participate in the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from the Chinese Communist invaders. The Pitt takes you to Pittsburgh and is scheduled for February. In March, Broken Steel lets you join the Brotherhood of Steel.

Sounds like some really good stuff coming to Fallout 3 folks. Let's get the game patching too to fix some issues so we may enjoy the new content without any problems. [READ MORE]

Arkham Asylum, it's a nice place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there

by: Chuck - posted: 11/25/2008 7:40 AM - Comments (0)
Here's the new teaser for Batman:Arkham Asylum that shows off various parts of the mental hospital where you'll be spending most of your time.  It looks very solid and maybe my mind is playing tricks on me but there's a bit of the Bioshock aesthetic going on in some of the rooms.  It certainly looks good and I'm interested to see how the game actually plays as there really hasn't been a solid Batman game yet.