The Blizzard U.S. Battlenet website is sporting word of a new StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty custom map, Burning Tide.
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Featuring timed lava surges and collectable mineral caches, Burning Tide is a 3v3 map that combines several thematic elements from the epic single-player campaign mission "The Devil's Playground." Like the campaign mission, the goal of this game is greed, and the first team to reach the specified resource total wins! Players hoping to achieve victory on this map will need to work together, carefully managing their team's unit production and safeguarding their vulnerable workers as they defend against enemy forces.
And to paraphrase, "By the pricking of my thumbs, something evil this way comes." - Stay tuned...
With no official announcement, Battlefield 1943 has appeared on the EA store for $14.99. While we don't know if this was a mistake or not, you can make it all the way through and start downloading the game. Keep checking this post as there may be an update in the morning if the game gets pulled at some point.
I'll be checking this post in the morning to make sure it wasn't a mistake, but if you download and play it let me know!
Nintendo rolled out some new updates recently for their DSi handhelds and Wii consoles which don't do anything, again, but try and get rid of those pesky homebrew 'unauthorized' applications.
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But forum posters at GBATemp.net report the new firmware breaks many popular brands of DSi flash cart, including the Acekard 2i, Supercard DSTwo, M3i Zero, iPlayer, DSTTi. Some flash carts reportedly still work under the update, including the popular Hyper R4i.
The latest version of the Wii firmware, Wii Menu 4.3U, warns updaters that "if your Wii console includes unauthorized modifications this update may detect and remove unauthorized content causing immediate or delayed inoperability of your console."
It'd be nice if they added some cool features instead of just trying to foil those bad pirate people.
ESPN.com has the scoop on the finalized roster for the Eastern Conference teams in Electronic Arts' over-the-top roundball reboot, NBA Jam. And while the lifelong Hawks fan in me wants to cheer the inclusion of my two favorite team players (Dominique Wilkins & Spud Webb) as Legends, the Celtics fan in me has to wonder why they decided to go with Kevin McHale over Robert "The Chief" Parish. What an epic boss battle that would have been:trying to score on the big double-UH-OH as he slaps down everything you put in the air. Oh well.. here's hoping he makes the inevitable NBA Jam - Tournament Edition release.
To view the full Eastern Conference roster, click here.
I know it was a pipe dream to hope that Jordan might allow his likeness to go in as a Bulls Legend, but I'm still disappointed that it didn't happen.
In a world where videogames could fall in love with one another only to subsequently engage in various shocking procreative acts, one might easily reach the conclusion that Disney Interactive's upcoming movie tie-in Tron: Evolution was the result of a passionate, unprotected tryst between parkour-heavy platformer Prince of Persia and neon-blinged racing title Blur. Unfortunately, the world in which we live requires a more tedious and (one would hope) less sweaty process to produce such a genre hybrid. So stop your perverted daydreaming about the potential mechanics involved with game-on-game copulation and instead watch the below Tron: Evolution gameplay trailer from PAX. Sicko.
Looks pretty good for a game set to coincide with a film release, although I'll admit that I'm more than a bit disappointed that it won't be positioned as a direct sequel to the fantastic Tron 2.0.
According to a study conducted by the University of Liverpool in the UK, the percentage of women actively employed in the games industry has fallen to just 4%. This is a significant drop from the 8% reported in 2006. Why the drop-off among the XX crowd?
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The study’s author said dissatisfying working cultures in game studios, as well as other related companies, was the key reason for the sudden drop in female workers.
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She said 43 per cent of those surveyed believed the industry’s infamous long-hour and crunch culture had a negative impact on their well-being.
An even more alarming finding from the survey was that even though fewer than 1 in 20 games industry workers were female, a full 2 out of 5 are regularly watching Glee. Now THAT'S something to be concerned about. KIDDING! I made that last part up (but I'd still bet it's true).
Apparently they get some nasty weather out there in Telara. I mean, sure--we all get the occasional cumulonimbus formation giving way to a flaming stone demon head in the sky. But in the world of Rift, that head starts sneezing out assorted devils and ghouls like flaming balls of hell. See for yourself in the brief preview trailer below:
Now where have we seen something like that before?
See what I did there? Because "hail" and "hell" are pronounced the... No, you know what? Screw you; it was a great joke. I don't have to explain anything.
The 11 people in Japan who fall into the cross-section of "Owns an Xbox 360 but not a PS3" and "Hardcore Final Fantasy enthusiast" will be pleased to know that Square-Enix is finally releasing the 360 port of Final Fantasy XIII (that's "13" for you Roman numeral haters out there) for their region. The game is set to hit retail in the Land of the Rising Sun on December 16--almost a year to the day from when Japan saw the PS3 version of the game drop. EDGE magazine also reports that the belated release will include some bonus content not available to owners of the Japanese PS3 version:
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Dubbed Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits Edition, it will be an international edition boasting content from the Western versions of the game not present in the PS3 original. It will also feature an easy mode, English voice-acting, a post-completion quest called ‘Episode I’ and sections of content cut from the original release, which had sold 5.5 million copies as of May 2010.
On a more disappointing note, the game's director has confirmed that DLC plans for FFXIII have been effectively cancelled.
Still waiting to pick this one up on the cheap. I hope to find a good deal on it before Christmas so I can play through it over the long break.
Just about an hour ago, iOS 4.1 went live and with it comes their latest social gaming application, Game Center. If you've got a device that'll support it, go on and check it out. It's interface is very late-90's-online-casino-esque, but the theory is sound. Now we just have to wait and see how fast the developers update their apps.
There's a button that's setup to help you find Game Center enabled games, but sadly it just opens up a default Safari Game Center explanation page without any actual games listed. Not very helpful at all. I expected it to have some sort of built in app store, or at least push me into a special app store listing, but I guess I was looking for too much.
Within seconds of signing up with Game Center, I received a friend request from "wozniak" who I can only assume is some random user that thought it was clever to steal The Woz's last name. I accepted of course, then reported the user.
Capcom Entertainment has revealed a whole new batch of artwork from the highly-anticipated Mega Man Universe, revealing the endearing cartoon style of some of the included characters. Mega Man Universe is coming to Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Store next year, and is the latest entry in Capcom’s long-running Mega Man franchise.
Over on Machinma.com, they've got an exclusive extended trailer for the live action trailer "Deliver Hope" from Halo: Reach. Check it out below, or you may want to click through to YouTube for the bigger version.
I still wish Halo games were as epic as their trailers.
Remember back when Destination: Arcade was announced, Major Nelson said it would only be available through the Summer of Arcade? Well, here we are, a few weeks after Summer of Arcade has ended and you can still download and use Destination: Arcade.
Some people like it, some people don't, but at least Microsoft didn't make the boneheaded decision of only having it available for a month. Still, these one-off apps are kind of stupid. I miss the old dashboard.
I've been waiting for this announcement since E3: BFBC2 will be shown next week at the Tokyo Game Show.
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As you may already know, Vietnam is an expansion pack to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with 4 brand new maps built in Frostbite, as well as Vietnam specific weapons, vehicles, persistence, unlocks, and achievements/trophies.
EA announced today that EA SPORTS NHL SLAPSHOT and NHL 11 are both available in North American stores today. Both games will be available worldwide September 9, 2010. EA SPORTS NHL 11 is available for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, while NHL SLAPSHOT is available exclusively for the Wii.
"We are extremely excited about our hockey offerings this year,” says Brent Nielsen, executive producer, EA SPORTS. “Our NHL product is consistently one of our strongest titles on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and this year with NHL SLAPSHOT, we feel we’ve created a hockey experience that is unlike anything that has come before it on the Wii."
EuroGamer's, Robert Purchese caught up with American McGee, to find out what's new with Alice: Madness Returns.
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Eurogamer: Why has it taken so long for us to get a sequel? The old EA was often criticised of exactly the opposite.
American McGee: When we did the first Alice game it was actually the first M-rated game EA had ever done. There was some trepidation about the release of the title and the effect it would have on people's perception of the EA brand.
It took them a really long time to come back around to see that after 10 years not only had it not damaged people's idea of EA as a brand, but it had in fact continued to sell and was in hindsight a really good, really solid selling game. Over a million-and-a-half units sold, which is just a single PC SKU, which they were quite surprised by. They saw that there was potential for a success in there.
But another part of it was that I had gone off into the world and wound up in China and built a studio out here. There was a moment where I realised that the studio was capable of revisiting the IP in a way that I thought would honour the quality and the experience of the first game, so that's when we reached out to EA. By that time they were ready for it, we were ready for it, and it just so happened that 10 years had gone by.
The Disney/Square Enix prequel has landed in a store near you...
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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7 --- Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep is now available at North American retailers. Developed exclusively for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, this latest installment reveals the origins of the hugely popular franchise and is an essential experience for new players jumping into the series for the first time as well as returning players uncovering the secrets of the iconic franchise.
A unique gaming experience that unfolds through the perspectives of three different main characters, KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep allows players to explore the worlds of their favorite Disney stories. With settings new to the series, such as Sleeping Beauty'sEnchanted Dominion, the Dwarf Woodlands from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Deep Space from Lilo & Stitch, this prequel takes players through a magical journey of courage and friendship, all with an enhanced, action-packed battle system.
Also available today is the limited edition KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep PSP system Entertainment Pack from Square Enix and Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC, exclusively at GameStop stores nationwide. This bundle includes a "Mystic Silver" PSP-3000 system, KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep on UMD® (Universal Media Disc), a 50-song voucher for Sony MusicPass and a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo™.
With four all-new multiplayer modes that allow players to enjoy the action with their friends as well as brand-new features for the North American release, KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep is a robust portable gaming experience. Additionally, the game features the voice talents of an incredible cast of actors including Jason Dohring, Mark Hamill, Willa Holland, Jesse McCartney, Haley Joel Osment, Leonard Nimoy and James Woods.
Valve has proved time and time again that if you cut the price of digitally downloaded games really really low, people will buy tons of copies and you'll actually make more money than you would at the higher price point. For some reason though, that logic hasn't found its way to many other outlets.
Capcom however, priced their prequel to Dead Rising 2 at a price that some would argue is a STEAL, and guess what? It sold boatloads during the first week of release. Over 300,000 at $5 a pop and you're looking at least $1.5 million for something that they weren't looking to make money on.
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Gamasutra sister site GamerBytes notes that over 328,290 entries appear on the game's public Leaderboards, suggesting strong sales for the $5 title.
The strong response to the game is significant given the game's critical reception as the kind of release you would usually see as a free demo made available in advance of an anticipated game's release.
Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter gazes into his crystal ball and sees a decline for both hardware and software due to online offerings.
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Multiplayer was “the biggest driver” in the last 18 months
According to Pachter, strong online offerings are keep gamers happy enough for the moment that they’re not purchasing new titles, and the analyst has predicted a 6 percent decline in software sales, and a 7 percent decline in hardware for August.
“Based upon statements made by Microsoft earlier this year, it appears that millions of people are playing multiplayer games online for an average of 10 hours a week, making a serious dent in the time available to play other games,” he said.
“We remain convinced that the popularity of online multiplayer gaming has caused a decline in overall packaged product sales, and we expect this decline to persist unless the publishers change the multiplayer model.”
You know how we were all excited about NBA Jam on the Wii? How about this to cool that excitement a bit. Despite being the "full version" of NBA Jam, the full, disc based Wii version will not have online multiplayer. Both the 360 and PS3 versions, you know the one that comes with NBA Elite 11 but no where else, that one WILL have online multiplayer.
Apparently, all the cool retro-styled games that I've been looking forward to playing online just decided they don't want to support online. Granted the Wii online has always been trash, but to quote SSFIV's Hakan... "SERIOUSLY?!"
Back at PAX East, we talked to Mommy's Best Games about their upcoming title Grapple Buggy as well as their already released titles, Shoot 1Up and Weapon of Choice. Back then, Nathan Fouts revealed that they were shooting for an Xbox Live Arcade release with Grapple Buggy instead of just going the XBLIG route.
Today, they've announced that due to not being able to secure a publisher (required for XBLA, as well as for funding), they have to put the grapple on the back burner. Instead, Mommy's Best Games will be working on a new game which will be announced soon. This new title will hopefully help continue funding Grapple Buggy.
Thus continues the plight of the independent game developer...
TenTonHammer was at PAX 2010 and had a chance for a little hands on luvin' with Relic's upcoming dungeon-crawling sequel, Torchlight II.
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PAX 2010 attendees had a chance to tool around the first few levels of the game with two of the game’s classes: the Railman and the Outlander. The Railman is a brilliant blend of John Henry and a garden variety robber baron, sporting both a giant hammer and a fashionable monocle. The Outlander, on the other hand, has a look that combines a little Indiana Jones with Lawrence of Arabia, attacking from range with a quiver of four-bladed weapons called glaives. As we noted in our first look article from GamesCom, player characters will be customizable, but all characters will share the same “faction” and starting area. Depending on your class choice, however, you may hear some subtle dialogue differences that give some color to your character.
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The biggest question I had for the Runic Games team was this: how will gameplay grow to make the addition of multiplayer worthwhile? After all, four-plus groupmates and their pets would make short work of anything in the original Torchlight, even if enemies’ hitpoints were simply scaled fourfold. Travis explained that Torchlight II’s classes would have more support abilities and positional abilities than their predecessors, skills like healing or damage buff rings that players must be inside of to take advantage.
Microsoft sends along a Press Release announcing that there will be some Xtra Xbox Live goodies available as we countdown to the September 14th launch of Halo: Reach.
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“Halo: Reach” Invasion Week Sweeps Xbox LIVE on Sept. 14
To celebrate the launch of “Halo: Reach,” Microsoft will unleash a dizzying array of “Halo” activities on Xbox LIVE from Sept. 14 through Sept. 20th, including new Avatar gear, exciting content, spectacular prizes and a chance to play with the game’s developers. As a special bonus, all fans who jump online will receive the “Halo: Reach” Invasion Week theme for free.
Invasion Week Activities & Programs:
• Connect to Xbox LIVE and receive a free “Halo: Reach” Invasion Week theme
• Game with Developer: Bungie will play with fans on Thursday, 16th from 5PM-7PM ET in the US, and Friday the 17th 8PM-10PM BST in the UK.
• Play & Win: Play “Halo: Reach” any time during Invasion Week and you will be entered to win tickets to the upcoming UFC 122 Fight
• Community Events: Themed nights hosted by the community team to play “Halo: Reach,” including “Xbox All Nighter” and “Community Playdate”
“Halo: Reach” is currently available for pre-order at participating retailers worldwide in Standard, Limited and Legendary editions. Additionally, a stunning lineup of custom-designed “Halo: Reach” hardware products are also currently available for pre-order. The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle will be available day and date with “Halo: Reach” on Sept. 14, along with the “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and Wireless Headset. As a special bonus, fans can receive a token to unlock an exclusive in-game Spartan Recon Helmet by picking up a copy of the game on launch day at North American retail stores.
Developed by award-winning studio Bungie exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo: Reach” launches worldwide on Sept. 14, 2010, and in Japan on Sept. 15.
Two of the higher profile bits of $DLC from BioWare have now hit the internets. First up is Witch Hunt for Dragon Age: Origins. In it, you're supposed to track down what happened to Morrigan. It'll cost you around $7 to buy, but will be the final bit of content you can get into before Dragon Age 2 hits next year.
Also, The Lair of the Shadow Broker is available for Mass Effect 2 and it'll cost you $10. It will be a Liara specific quest, and strangely, have something to do with Shepard, Liara, and the Shadow Broker.
Here's a new trailer from the DS version of Rock Band 3. Interestingly enough, it has some very FreQuency / Amplitude gameplay going on with track switching as a core mechanic. Very cool.
If you want to get your hands on R.U.S.E. before heading out and buying it in the stores, you can do so now with the demo they just released. Doesn't even seem like you need to be a gold subscriber to do so either!
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Play through a full mission designed exclusively for R.U.S.E. demo. Command Allied forces from the Head Quarters and lead you army to a nuclear conflict and combine deceptive strategies to conquer the battleground.
For $9.99 (800 Microsoft points) you can grab the new Transformers: War for Cybertron Map and Character Pack 2. Included in the pack is 5 new multiplayer maps, including 2 new Escalation mode maps and 3 new competitive multiplayer maps. Also included are ZETA PRIME and DEAD END, which will be playable in Escalation.
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The Transformers: War for Cybertron Map and Characters Pack 2 is currently available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points and in the PlayStation®Store for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system for $9.99.
Activision's latest Spider-Man extravaganza, Spider-Man™: Shattered Dimensions, has been released to a retail store near you.
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 7 --- Marvel's famous web-slinger is back in action and on store shelves in Spider-Man™: Shattered Dimensions from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI). Activision development studio Beenox has created a unique, immersive experience allowing fans to play as four distinct versions of Spider-Man in four unique worlds – Amazing, Noir, 2099 and Ultimate – in a race to save their universes against the villainous machinations of Mysterio, Carnage, Deadpool, Vulture, Kraven and more.
"The team at Beenox is giving fans an incredibly diverse Spider-Man™ video game experience," said David Pokress, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions casts players in an epic action adventure where they battle in four different worlds, rife with classic villains re-interpreted within each world, offering a rich variety of gameplay and striking art styles in one unique storyline."
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensionstransports players to a variety of locations, from lush jungles and sand quarries to a futuristic NYC, and allows them to use unique gameplay styles for each Spider-Man, including stealth moves in Noir, gliding maneuvers in 2099, black-suited tendril attacks in Ultimate, and innovative web combat in Amazing.
Penned by acclaimed Marvel comic book writer Dan Slott, the story takes players on a mission to restore the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and scattered across parallel universes. Gamers are challenged to battle fan-favorite villains such as the lethal Kraven and a custom, never-before-seen Noir version of Hammerhead, in a quest to restore the fabric of reality.
Activision has announced that demos for DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock are now available on Xbox Live Marketplace, but they're actually not there yet (at least in the US). They'll be there soon I'm sure though, so keep your eyes out to try out some iterative musical arrangements, BEFORE you buy them.
In the DJ Hero 2 demo, you'll get the following songs:
Pussycat Dolls Featuring Busta Rhymes "Don't Cha" Mixed With Pitbull "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)"
Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O'Donis "Just Dance" Mixed With Deadmau5 "Ghosts N Stuff"
MSTRKRFT Featuring N.O.R.E. "Bounce" (Battle Mix)
Estelle Featuring Kanye West "American Boy" Mixed With Chic "Good Times"
... and in the Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Demo, you'll get these:
Black Sabbath "Children of the Grave"
Foo Fighters "No Way Back"
Slash featuring Ian Astbury "Ghosts"
Dethklok "Bloodlines"
We'll be having reviews for both games later this year.
UPDATE: Warriors of Rock is now available to download for Gold subscribers on Xbox Live.
Activision has announced some of the voice talent for Call of Duty: Black Ops, which will include Gary Oldman and Ed Harris.
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London, UK – 7th September, 2010 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and leading game developer Treyarch, announced today that award-winning actors Gary Oldman and Ed Harris have joined the cast of Treyarch’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops, with David S. Goyer having come on board to provide script consultation and story development support. Oldman, known for his work in The Professional, Dracula, Batman: The Dark Knight and most recently, The Book of Eli, will reprise his role as Viktor Reznov from Call of Duty: World at War; and Harris, best known for his roles in films like The Abyss, A History of Violence, Pollock, Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff, will play one of the game’s main characters, CIA operative Jason Hudson. Filmmaker David S. Goyer’s writing credits include the blockbusters Batman: Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Blade and the upcoming Superman: Man of Steel.
“Oldman, Harris and Goyer are considered some of Hollywood’s finest talents and they perfectly complement Call of Duty: Black Ops’ ambitious and immersive single player experience,” says Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch. “Their contributions have helped us to push the boundaries of our story telling and character development far beyond anything we have ever attempted before in the franchise.”
IGN and GamePro have both whipped up previews, based on an Alpha build of developer, Sucker Punch's upcoming third-person lightning bolter, Infamous 2: Cole's New Power.
IGN:
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This super-quick demo also showed a new, massive monster Cole had to fight. It looked like a giant shrimp or crustacean. The multi-legged beast could shoot projectiles from its back and moved by burrowing underground Tremors style. Looks like Cole's up against more than just gun-toting Reapers in Infamous 2.
GamePro:
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The setting offers more than a city to play with. Our hands-off demo took place in a swamp location like the kind of bayou locations you'd see in Louisiana; there's also a New Orleans-style city nearby for when you want to scale skyscrapers and stuff.
The developer wanted to improve traveling so it'd be more fun to get around the city. A second level demoed on the PAX showfloor to fans showed off how Cole could track and run down a car during a chase mission, but we were unable to see this for ourselves.
The developer was not willing to reveal anything about the story, additional playable characters, number of victims non-playable characters possible on screen at one time, or possible multiplayer modes.
Point in development cycle: Pre-alpha -- they wouldn't let journalists touch it and the release date is fixed as 2011.
Yes, BBC Worldwide has got together with Blue Ocean to produce a special Sonic Screwdriver Wii Remote based on the Doctor's device.
There will also be a DS stylus modelled on the screwdriver while accessory packs will feature official artwork of the Doctor and Amy Pond. The accessories will launch in October.
As for the games, Doctor Who: Return To Earth will be released for Wii this Winter along with Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth for DS.
Variety takes a look at 'Halo': the care and feeding of a franchise and ponders the question, "Where's the Movie".
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"Halo: Reach," the fourth installment in the franchise, is expected to ring up blockbuster biz when it storms into stores Sept. 14, almost guaranteeing that "Halo" will live on in sequels and spinoffs for years to come. Since the first game bowed in 2001, the series has sold some 34 million copies.
Also helping build Microsoft's brand is Madison Avenue, which has fully embraced the franchise's main character, Master Chief, and turned him into a pitch soldier, with PepsiCo plastering him on 300 million Mountain Dew cans and 30 million bags of Doritos for the launch of the latest game. Ultimate Fighting Championship is also a tie-in partner, and 7-Eleven has previously ponied up marketing dollars around the games.
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Microsoft retains the film rights to any future "Halo" movies, and is still eager to produce a film when a budget and plotline can be worked out. It's still developing scripts by Garland, Stuart Beattie, D.B. Weiss and Josh Olson as potential blueprints.
"We're still interested in making an excellent 'Halo' movie," O'Connor says.
"We've created an awful lot of documentation and materials to support a feature film. We have a good idea of what kind of story we want to tell, but won't move on it until there's a great reason to do it. We're in no particular hurry."
Any film would likely serve as a standalone story and not be "a verbatim retelling of the game," O'Connor says -- something screenwriter Weiss also has hinted at in interviews, saying, "If you did do a 100% faithful version, 999 times out of 1,000 it would be a mess."
Microsoft is also "intently watching" the TV landscape as a potential outlet for a "Halo" series.
For your very early morning™ news enlightenment, we start off with a new firmware update, 3.42, for the Play Station 3 that has supposedly killed all variants of the USB-hub emulating exploit (PSFreedom, PSGroove, PSJailbreak).
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Update: We can confirm that all variants of the USB-hub emulating exploit (PSFreedom, PSGroove, PSJailbreak) are no longer functional in firmware 3.42.
We’ve just been informed that PS3 firmware 3.42 has hit Network Update. Although Sony usually updates its blog ahead of time with information ahead of time on new firmware releases, that is not the case this time — presumably as today is a holiday in the states.
Judging by the incremental version bump, chances are this is a relatively small update. Chances are also high that it blocks the recently PS3 exploit that has been making waves across the net since the PS Jailbreak code was reversed earlier last week.
That said, we’d strongly urge that anyone who wishes to retain the ability to run homebrew should refrain from updating. Unfortunately, staying on 3.41 translates to no PSN access, as Sony has flagged 3.42 as a mandatory update.
While I'm not really one for conspiracy theories, this one does seem interesting. While searching for what the hell the new update (V 3.42) does, I found this article speculating that Sony didn't actually remove BC but rather disabled it!
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As translated from German website PS3Inside.de, PSJailbreak is set to receive an update, with the biggest feature being the Backup Manager v1.1. According to the website, the update will ‘enable’ PS2 gaming, despite the fact that Sony seemingly killed off PS2 gaming on the PS3 ages ago (unless you have an original 60GB of course).
Unless I'm mistaken, I always remembered that the reason why current PS3's aren't BC is because Sony removed the 'Emotion Engine'.....but if hackers can patch in PS2 compatibility, on a system without the EE, then why can't Sony?
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I guess the question that really needs to be asked here is, did Sony keep PS2 Backwards Compatibility on the PS3 all along? As it would seem a pretty big job if the hackers have put PS2 gaming on there from scratch – don’t you think? Speculation is mounting that Sony didn’t remove PS2 support from the PS3, but rather disable it, allowing consumers to focus on their current lineup of PS3 software.
While this is still just wild speculation, it wouldn't be the first time Sony removed a prominent feature.
Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski and Rod Fergusson thank the fans and supporters of the 'Fate of Carmine'.
GearsofWar.com announced the end of the Save/Kill Carmine campaign yesterday. According to a video from Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski and Executive Producer Rod Fergusson the Carmine campaign brought in over $150,000 dollars for the Penny Arcade founded Child's Play charity.
An oversized Ed McMahon style check was presented during the G4 Panel at PAX.
This week we have a quick show for the holiday. It's a day of relaxation, so it's time to chill out and enjoy the unofficial end of summer while we talk about some games. We cover the colossal news that Duke Nukem Forever will actually see the light of day, and weigh in on whether we think it'll be awesome or a total flop.
Jim and Adam give reviews on Gladiator Begins and Shank, respectively, and Kragg joins everyone back in 2005 by beating God of War.
All this and your weekly releases on a special holiday Shotgun!
Games Discussed: duke nukem forever, gladiator begins, god of war, halo: reach, shank
Please feel free to leave us feedback here, to our email address at podcast@evilavatar.com, via our voicemail number (619) 573-6699, or come join us on IRC (irc.slashnet.org #evilavatar)
Well it seems that Bungie plans to do a reset of Halo: Reach's point system come launch.
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Between illegal downloads, and the inevitable leaks from retail chains, Bungie reckons that a fair few people now have the game earlier than they would like.
To counter this, any points earned online before the official release date, as well as items unlocked, will be wiped come next Tuesday.
"Don't get too attached to any fancy new gear you might have already acquired. Consider any expenditures or investments you've made in the Armory the cost of doing business early. It's nothing personal; we just want to make sure the playing field is kept nice and level upon launch. It's only fair,"said Bungie's Eric Osbourne
Warren Spector followed up Friday's keynote address at PAX 2010 by sitting down with a small gathering of press to answer questions concerning censorship generally and, more immediately, Disney Epic Mickey.
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The Epic Mickey developer suggests that the film industry has managed to deflect most censorship legislation by not allowing “questionable content”.
Specifically, he noted that the MPAA rating system created in the 60’s “took the wind out of the sales of most critics.”
By contrast, the game designer noted that games have remained under attack from legislative bodies and religious groups since the industry’s inception. These attacks have resulted in attempts to censor game production and create first amendment exceptions that hedge in the industry.
