News

BioWare comes to senses, won't authenticate Mass Effect every 10 days

Posted by: John at 5/10/2008 6:51 AM - Comments (0)
It's nice to see a company listen to the consumers for once. While I can understand BioWare wanted to protect Mass Effect from pirates, the way being done would've only hindered consumers. They've now gone the route of letting you install the game on three PCs with more on a case by case basis with one DVD. Also, the game will only authenticate on install and when downloading new content. That's it. Good way to go I say and let's hope we see something about Spore doing the same thing as well in the near future.

-Update- And Spore gets the same treatment.

Gaming Gibs for 5/16/98

by: Chuck - - Comments (0)
Here are a few things I missed while reading the Foo Fighter's awesome tour rider:
  • Microsoft explains their policy on the word Gay in gamertags
  • Gory games cut crime?  Expect new lows of real world violence when Ninja Gaiden II hits
  • CBS buys C|Net (owner of Gamespot) for way more than it's worth
  • Is Call of Duty 4 a MMO?  I guess I missed the Morloc mission
  • Lucasarts gets pithy about the lack of multiplayer in Force Unleashed
  • Ars Technica takes Microsoft down a peg or two about the Xbox 360 numbers
  • New racing rig is totally awesome, Dave might have to sell the plane to get it though
  • Capcom wants to know which Street Fighter IV figure you want, no Stretch Armstrong Dhalsim available
  • Haze questions answered, I guess we find out next week if the game was worth the wait

Debut trailer for Dracula:Origin online

by: Chuck - - Comments (0)
Here's the debut trailer for Dracula:Origin the upcoming adventure game that's supposed to suck (your blood).

New screenshouts show Jason Bourne being Jason Bourne

by: Chuck - - Comments (0)
Here are seven new screenshots from The Bourne Conspiracy that show off all the fun things you'll be able to do in the game.  Things like hitting people in the head with a wrench, throwing them into signs, and driving around Paris in a mini-Cooper while getting shot at (just like my last vacation there).

Sega partners with Platinum Games

by: Nathan - - Comments (0)
SEGA and Platinum Games have become partners. Platinum games will be the development force behind three new Sega inspired intellectual properties MADWORLD, Infinite Line, and Bayonette. There is also a fourth title yet to be announced and Sega has dropped the name Shinji Mikami.

MADWORLD is slated to be released for the Nintendo Wii and is a third person action game with "...a unique black and white style..." Oh and one of the weapons in the game is a chainsaws so I don't think it will get below a Teen rating. "entertaining sports commentary", "irreverent humor", and "over-the-top violence" could make this game hit or miss but one thing is for sure it will be unlike most of the kiddy "come on grandma let's go play" games that have come out for the Wii so far.

Infinite Line (working title) is a RPG for the DS and will give players the ability to build space ships. Lots of spaceships. More than 150 spaceships and over 200 characters could make this the most immersive RPG handheld title yet. Or it could make it incredibly complicated and too bogged down to be fun. We won't find out until next year.

Bayonetta is a "stylish and cinematic" action game coming out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the year 2009. It features a witch facing off against "angelic enemies". Almost feel like I'm going to Hell just for typing that. Theological funnies aside the game will focus on action so it might just be as easy to picture yourself as a ninja facing off against demons, oh wait... [READ MORE]

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit demo now available on Xbox Live and PSN

by: Chuck - - Comments (0)
I'm not sure why but I've never gotten into the Dragon Ball Z franchise but I'm guessing they are fairly popular as Atari keeps cranking out games based on the series (which Cyril ends up reviewing).  If you want to get a taste of Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, the new high-def version of the game be sure to check out the demo which was released on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network this afternoon to see if the move to the HD era was good for the franchise or not.

Soul still burns in new Xbox Live Soul Calibur screenshots

by: Chuck - - Comments (1)
Soul Calibur was the game that convinced me to buy a Dreamcast back in the day.  The combat was fairly easy to learn but took a while to master and the graphics were drop dead gorgeous.  I used to own the guys at work with Kilick and Cervantes except for the weird guy who liked to use Voldo all the time.  Anyway, these ten new screens from the Xbox Live version are looking pretty good so far and I think this will certainly be a good warm up for Soul Calibur IV when it's released later this year.

Gaming Nexus' hometown hockey star Rick Nash appearing on the cover of NHL 2K9

by: John - - Comments (5)
I don't know there's much of a "Madden Curse" for hockey cover athletes but Columbus Blue Jacket's own Rick Nash has been selected as the NHL 2K9 cover athlete. I'm sure Chuck's got something to say about this good or bad. It's nice to see the Columbus star headline the game so let's hope this leads to a playoff appearance next year for the Jackets and not being out for the year for Mr. Nash. [READ MORE]

Footy to make your foot hit the floor

by: Nathan - - Comments (0)
Undeniably GRID is looking to be pretty if not pretty fun to play. Code Masters released this new trailer that showcases some of the tracks located in Japan and focuses on street courses and drift racing. You get a real feeling of bone crunch when you see the way collisions are done. Yet another racing game that I will play simply to destroy my collection of pretty cars. Muah ha ha ha.
[READ MORE]

More weapons to blast to Uranus

by: Nathan - - Comments (0)
Blobber Bomber Lord Angelica Falcon Screw bomb. That may look like gibberish but it is in fact a short list of some of the new weapons and enemies available for Capcom's Rocketmen: It Came from Uranus. The expansion pack was released yesterday on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. The expansion will run buyers about $5 and will come with new maps, weapons and enemies. The screw bomb is my favorite. It is a rocket that turns into a proximity mine on impact. So even if you miss the enemy is still screwed. For a complete list click more for the press release. [READ MORE]

OCZ promoting DIY notebook

by: John - - Comments (0)
OCZ is touting to be the first to offer DIY notebooks. While notebooks have become more customizable in the recent years, I wonder what OCZ has planned to really make this a DIY solution. Having the ability to swap out CPU and video card would be great start and I am hoping OCZ's solution offers this. Just purchasing a notebook from Dell a few weeks ago, you're already given plenty of options to choose from so I guess we'll see what OCZ has in store to improve on this. [READ MORE]

X-Fire hits 10 million users

by: Chuck - - Comments (0)
The folks at Xfire announced today that they've hit the 10 million registered user mark.  The service which allows gamers to hook up and play games together was launched in 2004 and has become a defacto install for a lot of gamers.  John and I have used the service in the past as it's very easy to use and the in-game chat feature is nice for helping to kill time between rounds of Counter Strike.

This has to be a little bittersweet for Microsoft as their Live for PC service was supposed to do a lot of the same things and while it's only been out for a few years it hasn't exactly lit the world on fire.  One almost wonders what could have been in Microsoft and not MTV had bought the service out a few years ago. [READ MORE]

Picture of the Guitar Hero IV drum set

by: John - - Comments (3)
Yes it looks like Guitar Hero IV is going the Rock Band route and adding drums and singing. So how do you make it different? Why move one pad to the cymbal area and add another cymbal. Joystiq has a picture from Game Informer showing off a prototype. This just means another drum set I need to keep in the living room because I bet this thing won't work with Rock Band. My house isn't big enough to hold all these faux instruments.

XPS is not dead yet. In fact it feels fine and might go for a walk

by: John - - Comments (0)
Looks like the WSJ was a little quick in determining the demise of the XPS line for Dell.  Dell's blog has stated that both lines will continue to co-exist and there are no plans to phase out that line. I know some people will be happy to hear this as they like the XPS line of systems with a more subtle design and lesser price over the Alienware counterparts.

Rabbit virus infects windows, multiplies rapidly

by: Nathan - - Comments (6)
Sierra Online has let the bunnies run loose and soon they will be running right onto your Windows PC. Boogie Bunnies is a causal match three puzzle game that recently came out on Xbox Live Market place that "...revolutionizes the popular genre with... wacky critters full of personality." The game didn't get horrible reviews on the Xbox 360 so here's hoping mouse controls, improved graphic capability, and more memory space make this port onto PC a real winner. Cost is $19.99, rating is E and the game is out now. Oh and there is a FREE TRIAL . [READ MORE]

Chinese Fortune Cookie say...

by: Nathan - - Comments (0)
Let your smile be your umbrella. But enough of fortune cookie wisdom let's talk about fortune boxes. K2 Network Games has added new content for their game Red Stone a fantasy based MMORPG. Fortune boxes are one of the new features and are more like lottery tickets than fortune cookies. Each box has at least one item and some have tickets of varying values (bronze, silver, gold) that can be exchanged for uber items. Who knows? Maybe you'll be running down the street singing "I've got a golden ticket, I've got a golden ticket..." [READ MORE]

News Roundup: Nuts & Bolts Gears of PixelJunk

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
Demos
Articles
Videos
Screenshots
Thanks to Xbox America, Techgage, TheTechLounge, Cryptic Studios, Digit-Life, and Strategy Informer for today's news roundup.

[Pictured: Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals]

We Ski challenges Wiikly Wiileases Wiivealed for sequential vowel sounds

by: Sean Colleli - - Comments (0)
Namco Bandai isn't content to let Nintendo have all of the Wii sports pie, so they jumped on a sport Nintendo hasn't gotten to yet.  We Ski is shipping to stores and allows for control with the Wii remote or the brand new balance board bundled with Wii Fit.  Namco Bandai also smartly stamped We Ski with a very reasonable $29.99 price, putting it squarely in the impulse buy range.  I'm curious to see how the balance board works--it's rare to see a game get released before one of its peripherals launches, especially a first party one. [READ MORE]

Rock around the clock

by: Sean Colleli - - Comments (1)
Blockbuster is hosting a 24 hour Guitar Hero 3 tournament at one of their Dallas, Texas stores.  It goes from Friday the 16th to Saturday the 17th, with Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert starting the ceremonies.  A donation of $5 will get you unlimited playtime, and even better, your donations go to improve children's education in Dallas.  Oh, and there are some cool prizes for the winners too.  I wish they were doing one of these in Columbus, although I probably wouldn't make it out of the medium bracket. [READ MORE]

Exteel finally flexes some mech-sized biceps in new trailer

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
Week after week of painfully weak screenshots hasn't helped NCsoft build momentum for their upcoming free-to-play mech assault MMO, Exteel.  But this video finally sets off some sparks.  No, it ain't gameplay, it's cinematic -- but it injects some much-needed life into the idea of massively-multiplayer robo-blasting action.

Requiem: Bloodymare opens a vein, and opens beta

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
If there's one thing Requiem: Bloodymare does in a gratuitous fashion, it's make things awful bloody when it comes to dismembering monsters with a +5 Vorpal Sword of Cuisinart.  If you're itching to get in on that action, open beta sign-ups began yesterday, with gameplay commencing on May 15th (just five days before Age of Conan takes the MMO world by storm).  We've got seven new open beta screenshots to tempt your morbid palette.
[READ MORE]

Zoids Assault releases pics, video -- and needs to seriously consider a name change

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
In what looks like a mecha-suited update to the classic alt-chess game, Arkon, in what sounds like an acne-medicated infomercial, Zoids Assault is bringing "an intense covert military campaign in the middle of a tense cold war."  The video, however, doesn't make it look like "covert" is the tactic du jour, and the "cold" war is looking far beyond greasy politics and arms races.  Zoids Assault is coming to the Xbox 360 on August 26th.  We've extracted some video and screenshots to set things off.

Upcoming Rock Band downloadable content is nothing if not Disturbed

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
We know exactly why you and your Xbox 360 may be feeling increasingly disturbed in the coming weeks.  Individuals that pre-order Disturbed's upcoming (June 3rd) album, Indestructible, from Best Buy will receive two free downloadable Rock Band tracks from the album:  The titular "Indestructible" and "Inside the Fire."  Disturbed will be featured as Xbox LIVE's Artist of the Month for June. [READ MORE]

Digital Crack Report for 5/13/2008

by: Chuck - - Comments (1)
Here's the recording of the Digital Crack Report, our weekly segment on CD101.  Due to technical issues we haven't been able to get the shows from the last few weeks up but we should have that fixed now.  This week Joe, Rachael, and I talk about Deca Sports, Drone Tactics, Myst, Assault Heroes 2, and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (although not in that order).  We also chat about movie tie-in games in general and the possibilities of a Sex in the City game.

Rumor/Speculation: Gears of War 2 to go beyond two player co-op?

by: Chuck - - Comments (1)
While surfing all the Gears of War 2 coverage I saw this short quote over at MTV's Multiplayer blog

It came after I asked him to define what “Gears of War” is to him, and how it differs from “Halo.” He threw out words like “co-op” and “tactical” and then he said “squad,” which prompted me to ask about the number of players that could team up in a “Gears of War 2″ mission. He looked for help.

No.

Not something he can talk about at the moment.

While this certainly isn't proof that Gears will go beyond two player co-op it does look like that part of the game is in flux and we could see a bigger co-op experience in the game.  Given that Halo 3 had four player co-op and Resistance: Fall of Man 2 is going to have eight player co-op it's nice to think that Epic will be expanding their experience as the co-op in the first game was so well done.

Penny Arcade game to be released next week

by: Chuck - - Comments (0)
At the big Microsoft event last week, Hothead games revealed that they will be releasing Penny Arcade Adventres: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One next Wednesday on both Xbox Live Arcade and the Greenhouse digital distribution system.  The game has you playing with 1920's era versions of Gabe and Tycho as they try to solve mysteries and stop evil.  The cost will be $20 or 1600 MS points which is a bit on the steep side if you ask me.

I checked the game out at PAX last year and I think fans of the strip are really going to enjoy the game as they've really captured the spirit of the series.  If you don't then you might want to hold onto your money for something a little more mainstream. [READ MORE]