Xbox 360 Game News, Previews, and Reviews from 1UP

Video Game Rumors from Another World

1UP Staff — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:25:00 PDT

Feature

1UP COVER STORY

1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF?

Video Game Rumors from Another Reality

Cover Story: Not only are these game rumors not true, they're not even real rumors... at least, not in our world.

n another world -- a more interesting world than our own -- the rumors below rule Internet forums, spread like the plague through the school yard, and merit regular debunking by Snopes' video game urban legends section (which doesn't even exist in our reality; that's how lame real life is). Please enjoy this glimpse into the playground lies of another universe's video game fandom.

Parappa the Rapper's Brown Note

From the Chiptuned blog: "Parappa the Rapper's next-to-last stage features the hero rapping through a medley against his instructors for the right to jump to the front of the line of a gas station restroom before disaster strikes, messily. Rumor has it that this rap battle contains a brown note in order to increase the realism of the sequence. Gamers with audio setups capable of rendering a wide range of sound frequencies play this sequence at their own risk."

Does One Award Warrant a Game of the Year Edition for Dead Island?

Chris Pereira — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:19:00 PDT

Dead Island is set to be re-released in a Game of the Year Edition package next month, a fact that is the source of some complaints. It's not so much that the game is being bundled with its DLC that is the problem; it's the labeling of the game as Game of the Year, a title which many feel it is not deserving of.

It is completely understandable why a publisher would want a game re-release to be positioned as a "Game of the Year Edition." That title carries with it a certain connotation of quality, that it was among the very best, if not the best, games released during the year it originally came out. Game of the Year Editions are commonly associated with the likes of Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Red Dead Redemption, and other critically acclaimed games. There is a certain expectation that a GotY Edition consists of a terrific game and bonus content (be it downloadable content or expansion packs) that early adopters had to pay extra for, with all of this often coming at a sub-$60 price.

Breaking the Illusion: Not Playing by the Rules

Chris Pereira — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:07:00 PDT

I like to play games in what I imagine is an unusual manner, or at least I thought this to be the case until 1UP members revealed they share some of my habits. One of these things, my propensity for systematically exploring an area before moving on, has reared its head in particularly noticeable fashion as I make my way through Max Payne 3. Playing in this way was clearly something the game's designers accounted for, as evidenced by the collectables scattered throughout, and yet it feels almost as if I'm being punished for deciding to be a completionist.

My process for approaching each area in Max Payne 3 follows the same pattern, only being altered if I'm low on health and out of painkillers (health packs in Max Payne's world). I kill everyone and then proceed to sweep over the entire room, seeking out any hidden spots or areas which do not appear to lead to the next area. As I make my way from one combat area to the next, I'm mindful of my surroundings and am sure to double back to check behind staircases and to see which doors can be opened. I do this all while searching for golden gun components, painkillers, and clues which can be examined. The latter can fill in the backstory but is hardly needed to get the gist of the narrative. I'm able to comfortably do this because there is no ticking clock, even if what Max is doing at any given time suggests there should be, and because enemies come in limited numbers and only in certain areas.

Can Aliens: Colonial Marines Free Itself from Prometheus' Shadow?

Nick Todd — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:05:00 PDT

With the runaway success of 2009's Borderlands, Dallas-based developer Gearbox created a reputation for itself as more than just the studio behind a few Half-Life expansions or WW2 shooters, but one capable of offering its own serious creative output. With the long-in-development Aliens: Colonial Marines finally set for release early next year, Gearbox's latest trailer is capitalizing on the film franchise's return to theaters with next month's prequel-in-all-but-name, Prometheus.

Activision's "Project Icebreaker" Could Hurt its Reputation Among Devs

Chris Pereira — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:56:00 PDT

More than two years after Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella first sued Activision, their case is finally set to head to trial on May 29. But before the case can be heard, documents have been released which shed light on some unsavory moves Activision made prior to firing West and Zampella in March 2010.

Prior to the start of the case, there have been some developments of note. Electronic Arts, the publisher of the game being produced by West and Zampella's new studio, Respawn Entertainment, was added in late 2010 as a defendant in Activision's counter-suit; Activision alleged EA conspired with the former IW heads to derail the Call of Duty franchise, among other things. Bloomberg reported yesterday the two publishers have reached a settlement, details of which were not made available.

Battlefield Getting a Call of Duty Elite-Style Service Makes Perfect Sense

Chris Pereira — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:46:00 PDT

Downloadable content has been one of the most popular trends this generation. Last year Activision tried to find out if a market exists for a subscription service for a non-MMO with Call of Duty Elite. As the latest numbers peg Elite subscriptions -- which cost $50 a year, or were free with Modern Warfare 3's Hardened Edition -- at 2 million, an audience does apparently exist that is willing to fork over money for more than just a la carte DLC. Electronic Arts is now rumored to be preparing a premium service for the Battlefield series which is said to be launching in only a few weeks' time.

Battlefieldo reported on Friday a "very reliable source" had shared with it a timeline for the forthcoming updates Battlefield 3 is receiving. In addition to a mention of a fifth expansion pack (beyond the already released Back to Karkand and the previously announced Close Quarters, Armored Kill, and End Game) is a strategy guide being released in June and, more notably, something called Battlefield Premium.

Capcom Pins Its Hopes on Dragon's Dogma

Nick Todd — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:17:00 PDT

After Bethesda's open-world fantasy RPG Skyrim sold 10 million units, no one could blame Capcom for hoping there's room for more than just one fantasy RPG title about slaying dragons and saving the world. Dragon's Dogma represents a three year development cycle for the Japanese studio, with more than 150 developers plugging away at its design. With the game representing such a large investment, a lot is riding on how well Dragon's Dogma will fare at retail.

Battlefield 3 Relying on its Community to Pay for Servers, Much to Players' Chagrin

Chris Pereira — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:43:00 PDT

The ability to rent dedicated Battlefield 3 servers for use in the console versions of the game was a welcome addition back in March. Unfortunately, playing on these servers appears to have become the only option for playing online multiplayer, a development which understandably has fans of the game frustrated with Electronic Arts and DICE.

As outlined in this thread on the official Battlefield forums, many players are upset that EA- and DICE-operated servers have almost entirely disappeared. These servers were the only ones available prior to the rent-a-server option becoming available on consoles, and were to be complemented nicely by the new custom servers which allow for their owners to establish communities of sorts with rules, options, and admins they decide.

Re-Examining the Role of Digital Death

Nickolai Adkins — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:44:00 PDT

Feature

Re-Examining the Role of Digital Death

How death has evolved over the four decades of gaming.

By: Nickolai Adkins May 9, 2012

There is possibly no greater representative icon for the entirety of gaming than that of the game over screen. That negative void with stolid letters painted cryptically across; there is a certain mysticism surrounding the screen, the dark back corners of arcade holes that once used to thrive, and the natural competition to overcome the inevitability of failure that it represents.

Bore with the medium's creation in arcade cabinets and the surrounding culture that developed after their inception, the challenge of prolonging play time and avoiding inevitable failure in death became the central function for nearly every game created to date. In the form of a barrel throwing gorilla, the simple existence of a play clock, infinite and unseen pits that trail into the unknown below the screens of any number of platformers, or even in competition between players, video games have always been a participatory form of near exclusive survival.

Two Possible Reasons for BioShock Infinite's 2013 Delay

Chris Pereira — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:22:00 PDT

BioShock Infinite was among the most anticipated games scheduled for release this fall. It's still shaping up to be one of the bigger launches of the year, it's just that year will be next year. Infinite's release was officially pushed back today from its scheduled date on October 16 until February 26, 2013. The reason for this is said to be because of a goal to make it as great as can be, and while I don't doubt there is a desire to do that, there may be other factors which contributed to the decision to delay the game's release by four months.

A message to fans from developer Irrational Games' creative director, Ken Levine, was distributed to the press and posted online today. In it he claims that, since announcing the October release date in March, the team realized "that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we've decided to move the game's release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.