Wired Circuit

Instant Lockerz Invites!

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:24:00 +0000

I'm guessing you've heard of Lockerz before right? No? Well, it's basically the newest "free" site on the block. The difference between this and other GPT sites is that you don't do surveys. You get points to spend by just answering a question once a day and referring your family and friends. It's easy! However, you must get an invitation to join from a member.

I've become a member just recently and can invite some people if they want to at least try it out. So, if you want one, fill out the form with just your email and your first name. I'll get you one right away!

Wet - Share to Win Promotion (Win Prizes!)

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:19:00 +0000

Hey all, haven't found the time to properly update this blog day in, day out, but I'm always here.

Well today I'm here to tell you about the new game known as Wet developed by Bethesda Software (The guys behind Fallout and Elder Scrolls!) and its new promotion. The promotion is called Share to Win and the rules are simple. Just get as many people as you can to view your link. They don't need to download or sign up for anything. Simply send your friends your specific link. All they need to do is watch the video at the end.

PRIZES:
5 Shares Total - 3 Exclusive Wet Wallpapers
Top 50 Sharers - Exclusive Wet Signed Poster
Grand Prize - Wet Skinned Xbox 360

>>>Click here to sign up for this promotion<<<

Text Instructions:
*Click Link
*Click to Skip Intro Video
*Watch the Video with the guys singing

And that's it!

Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition Details

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Coming straight from Infinity Ward is a video of the unboxing of one of the year's most anticipated games; Modern Warfare 2 (video at the bottom of the page). Now, there comes a twist. There are 3, yes 3, editions of Modern Warfare 2 you can get your hands on. First there is the regular old game in the regular case. The second edition is called the "Hardened" edition and comes complete with an exclusive Steelbook case.

Now I want a complete new paragraph for the third edition. This edition is known as the Prestige Edition. Now this aint your grandma's special edition videogame. No, this is 21st century stuff. In the Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 2 is a pair of night-vision goggles. Real, full sized night vision goggles. I can't even express how cool that is. Also included is the Hardened edition of the game plus an artbook and a token for redeeming the original Call of Duty 1 game for the Xbox Live marketplace.

Now I don't know what the prices for these games will be but I'd speculate:
Regular - $59.99
Hardened - $79.99 (Confirmed)
Prestige - $129.99 - 159.99

Now those aren't final, but my personal guesses. Now here is the unboxing video:

Bruno - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 04:27:00 +0000

I'm just going to come out and say it: the funniest movie of the year.

If you loved Borat, then Bruno will be right up your alley (just like Bruno's finger, but that's a whole 'nother story!) The creator of comedic characters such as Borat and Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen, is back to prove a point. In his newest movie, Cohen proves that he is the most bold and daring actor in the business.

Bruno revolves a gay Austrian fashonista who believes his place in life is fashion. In Austria, Bruno is a pretty famous fashion designer with his own show. This however all seems to hit the fan when Bruno decides to don an all velcro suit. While in this "suit",he manages to wreck an entire fashion show going on and is immediately thrown out. His TV show is canceled and he no longer is allowed a front seat anywhere. So he decides he go to Los Angeles to become a celebrity.

Sacha Baron Cohen is a comedic genius. The timing, the well rehearsed script, everything seems to flow well. Roger Ebert said that Bruno "doesn’t contain 30 boring seconds" and I totally agree. I about gagged laughing numerous times (one time involving a floppy penis..) Coen doesn't even has limits. At one point in the movie he tries to seduce Ron Paul (yes, the presidential candidate!)

Coen shows no limits and I appreciate that. He exploits the stereotypes and issues that are wrong with society. Sure, he does it in a way that is appalling and vulgar, but hey he's doing it!

If you go see this movie, prepare for complete shock as Bruno will leave you grossed out beyond your mind yet will keep you laughing the entire 80 minute run time. I'd recommend.

Most Anticipated Games of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:55:00 +0000

This year, there are a huge arsenal of games coming out. New Rock Bands, yet another Guitar Hero and Madden game. There are just tons of them. It was hard picking out the game I was most anticipated for. So here are mine:

Call of Duty4: Modern Warfare was easily the best shooter of 2007. The campaign was stellar, with haunting surroundings found in Chernobyl as well as many other things that truly left me in awe of the detail that was put into the game. The multiplayer however was what kept me coming back for more. Besides Gears of War 1, I had put more time into this game than I have before. Modern Warfare 2 should be one of the best titles of the year.

Bioshock, bioshock, bioshock, oh how I love thee? The sequel to the 2007 GOTY Bioshock is set to come out in November and boy am I ready. The original was single-handedly the most unique experience I have ever felt in a game before. The sounds, the environments, the enemies were so ingenious. No game surprised me more that year. Now Bioshock 2 comes this year with all new special features. The biggest one however is that we get to play as a big daddy. Now I know you're saying, "we got to play as a big daddy in the first one, what's the big deal?" In Bioshock 2 hoever, we get to use the drill (can I get a hell yeah!?). Oh boy, that drill will be fun :)

The Rock Band franchise has decided to take page out of Guitar Hero's book and adopt a game that focuses on one band. The Beatles: Rock Band comes sort of as a sequel to my favorite rhythm game ever, Rock Band 2. Knowing Harmonix, the game will be twice as good as RB2. I'm sure of it.

Ever since the release of The Dark Knight, us fans can not get enough Batman. Arkham Asylum looks to be the first big budget videogame adaptation of the Caped Crusader. With the appearance of the Joker and the brutal fighting, it's no wonder this game appears on my list.

There are my picks, what are yours?

NERF 2 Coming Armed with All New Gun

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Nerf 2: N-Strike Elite is set come loaded with an all new snazzy gun. The 'NERF Switch Shot EX-3' comes loaded with a built in decoder "which reveals hidden elements when the screen is viewed through its ruby-red lens".

New options for your in-game gun also come loaded with your copy and co-op is supposedly been upgraded.

I may be a little old for these types of games, but I totally want to try it out. I never got to play the first NERF game for the Wii, but these games give me the greatest nostalgia of playing Duckhunt for the NES as a kid. Hopefully I get a chance to try this baby sometime.

NERF 2: N-Strike Elite should release sometime this autumn.

[Source: Kotaku]

Alan Wake: Possibly Timed Xbox 360 Exclusive?

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:52:00 +0000

According to a post by a Dev working on the upcoming hit game, Alan Wake, PC gamers might have to wait to get their hands on their copy Alan Wake. The user says, "Unfortunately all I can say at this point is that we're focusing all our efforts on the 360 version and will be making comments in regards to the PC at a later in time." In a nutshell, it seems that they're working on getting the Xbox 360 version of the game done first. This seems to be clear indicator that Xbox 360 owners will get Alan Wake first, leaving PC gamers in the dust.

There isn't a confirmed release date as to when Alan Wake will hit shelves but a rough guess-timation would put it around spring of next year (2010).

[Source: Joystiq]

Preorder 'Left 4 Dead 2', Get Early Demo Access

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:08:00 +0000

According to Joystiq.com, Valve is planning on giving an incentive to gamers who pre-order the sequel to the 2008 massacre of the zombies, Left 4 Dead. Every gamer who reserves a copy of Left 4 Dead 2 will receive a code to download the demo earlier than everybody else. You may get the code by pre-ordering from a retail store such as Gamestop or by ordering through Steam. No details as to when the demo will start or for how long we get early access.

Left 4 Dead 2 will release on both the Xbox 360 & the PC on November 17th.

Public Enemies Review

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:43:00 +0000

Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp released this past Wednesday and I got a chance to view it earlier this week.

Public Enemies, directed by acclaimed director Michael Mann, focuses on the story of John Dillinger. An American real life gangster, Dillinger was notorious for robbing banks throughout the midwestern United States. According to him the police were "not tough enough,smart enough, or fast enough" to catch him. He was glorified by the public and was hated by the Chicago police. He was virtually uncatchable until July of 1934 where he met his demise in front of the Biograph theater in Chicago.

The plot for Public Enemies is certainly an interesting one. Melvin Purvis (Bale) heads the FBI team in charge of hunting down Dillinger's gang who never seem to be in the right place at the right time. Dillinger escapes capture for more than two years even while keeping his 'daytime job' and wooing a girl (Cotillard).

Johnny Depp certainly has some acting chops. His portrayal of the gangster Dillinger was outstanding, top notch. The look, the expressions, the wittiness was all above expectations. He blew me away. He had this 'flare' about him that told me he was John Dillinger.

Christian Bale disappointed me however. He played the lead FBI agent, Melvin Purvis, who had a strong southern accent. Nothing seemed to flow about him and his character. The dialogue seemed forced and out of place. His accent felt as if he was doing a MadTV skit. With Depp, I felt I was watching Dillinger. With Bale, I felt as if I was just watching Christian Bale trying to be someone he wasn't. I know he can act, but this wasn't the right role for him.

Marion Cotillard played the girl of Dillinger's affection, Billie Frechette. She may not be a household name, but she held her place. It never felt as if she was being overpowered by Depp's presence. From the trailer, Frechette seems like a helpless girl, caught up in Dillinger's world. By the end of the movie, Cotillard had me believing she was the real person. She brought toughness to her character by the end of the movie. She surprised me the most of all the performances in this film.

There are some things I have to complain about. The running time was a bit too long. Some scenes were just too drawn out. The action filled scenes will Dillinger and his crew robbing banks seemed dwarfed by scenes involving Purvis and his team trying to catch him. I wanted more Depp and guns and less Bale. Please Mr. Mann.

There was no characterization anywhere in this. This kind of stuff isn't the fault of the actors however but it falls on the shoulders of the screenwriters. We never see Dillinger before he becomes a bank robber, we never know why he wants to do this. He just tells Billy that there are places he wants to go. The same thing happened with Bale. It seemed like starting a TV show 15 minutes in and stopping before it ends. We never learned motivations for any of the characters' actions and we never know what they felt about each one. Dillinger > Robs banks and goes home. Takes his money and sleeps... Purvis > He shows up to stop Dillinger. That's it. We don't see Purvis's personal life, nothing.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Public Enemies. It was great seeing Depp take a more conventional approach to his character. The plot was great, I was never bored. There were some major and minor flaws present but it's easy to look past them while gazing at the beautiful shots of Michael Mann's offspring. My rating: B+

I'm Back :)

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:38:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Well, I came to post here to say that I'm bringing this blog back. Hopefully we will get this train running full speed in no time. Any requests for stories or movies to review is always helpful too.

(Yeah, I know short post haha)

Bye!

Call of Duty 5 Beta Released

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:49:00 +0000

Activision has officially announced that select Xbox 360 gamers can now access the multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: World at War, with word that the PC beta is coming soon.

Those who preorder the upcoming shooter from GameStop will receive a key to download the beta, which will run for a few weeks. Unable to preorder? You can try your luck at the game’s official website.

For those who got in, the beta features four playable factions – US Marines, German Wehrmacht, Japanese Imperial Army and the Russian Red Army. It also offers four game types – Team DM, Free-for-all, CTF and War – and three maps.

The full game will be released on PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii on November 11.

[Source: DigitalBattle.com]

New Halo 3 Achievements

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:06:00 +0000

Luke Smith over at Bungie lays out some of the new achievements coming to Halo 3 when the next patch and Assembly map hits.

Smith points out that the included list of achievements aren't all of the new ones coming with Title Update 2.

As folks have seen, these aren’t the only achievements we’re adding. But without proper context, there’s not a whole lot else we’re going to say. Stay tuned.

The update may slip as well, Smith points out, to closer to the Halo 3 one year anniversary. Now for those achievements which can be earned via the Legendary Maps and Halo 3 Campaign:

Vidmaster Challenge: Lightswitch (0 points) – Get to the rank of Lieutenant in any playlist in the new EXP progression system.
Vidmaster Challenge: 7 on 7 (0 points) – Enter into any ranked or social playlist with 7 EXP on the 7th of the month.
Vidmaster Challenge: Annual (0 points) – After 9/25/08, complete Halo on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron, and everyone in Ghosts.
Double Double (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get two Double Kills during any ranked or social match.
Poor Yorick (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get 3 Oddball melee kills during any ranked or social match.
Came…From…Behind (50 points) – On a Legendary map, get 3 assassinations during any ranked or social match.
Defend This (50 points) – On a Legendary map, get a flag melee kill during any ranked or social match.
Flag Dropped (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get 2 flag carrier kills during any ranked or social match.
Road Rage (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get 5 Warthog chaingun kills during any ranked or social match.
Look Both Ways (50 points) – On a Legendary map, get a Splatter Spree during any ranked or social match.

[Source:Kotaku]

Gears of War 2 Achievement List Released

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:08:00 +0000

The November 7 release date of Gears of War 2 is steadily approaching and that means that the hype train is steadily starting to pick up steam. As with every massive holiday release, Gears 2 has some serious expectations to live up to. The first game has sold more than five million copies and with Epic's Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski throwing around the phrase "bigger, better, more" at every turn, gamers the world over are expecting a lot from the second entry.

Gears of War 2 Achievements
Green as Grass	Train the rook (any difficulty)	10
It's a Trap!	Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 2	10
Escort Service	Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 4	10
Girl About Town	Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 6	10
That Sinking Feeling	Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 4	10
Freebaird!	Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 5	10
Heartbroken	Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 6	10
Longitude and Attitude	Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 3	10
Tanks for the Memories	Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 4	10
Water Sports	Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 6	10
There's a Time for Us	Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 2	10
Better Wrapped in Beacon	Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 3	10
Have Fun Storming the Castle	Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 6	10
And the Horse You Rode in On	Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 1	10
You Are the Support, Son	Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 2	10
Brumak Rodeo	Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 4	10
Does This Look Infected to You?	Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 5	10
Tourist of Duty	Complete all campaign acts on Casual Difficulty	25
Guerilla Tactician	Complete all campaign acts on Normal Difficulty	50
Artist of War	Complete all campaign acts on Hardcore Difficulty	75
Suicide Missionary	Complete all campaign acts on Insane Difficulty	150
Collector	Recover 5 collectibles (any difficulty)	5
Pack Rat	Recover 20 collectibles (any difficulty)	15
Completionist	Recover all 41 collectibles (any difficulty)	30
One-Night Stand	Complete 1 chapter in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom)	10
Open Relationship	Complete 10 chapters in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom)	30
Friends with Benefits	Complete all acts in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom)	50
Once More, With Feeling	Perform 30 perfect active reloads (any mode)	10
Takes a Licking	Melee 30 Tickers (any mode)	30
Organ Grinder	Kill 30 enemies with a cover mounted Mulcher (any mode)	10
Shock and Awe	Kill 30 enemies with the heavy Mortar (any mode)	10
Said the Spider to the Fly	Kill 10 enemies with a planted grenade (any mode)	10
Crowd Control	Melee 10 enemies down with the Boomshield equipped (any mode)	10
Smells Like Victory	Kill 30 enemies with the Scorcher Flamethrower (any mode)	10
Variety Is the Spice of Death	Kill an enemy with every weapon in the game (any mode)	30
Seriously 2.0	Kill 100,000 enemies (any mode)	50
Standing Here, Beside Myself	Win 3 matches of Wingman (public)	10
Beat the Meatflag	Capture 10 meatflags in Submission (public)	10
It's Good to be the King	Win 10 rounds of Guardian as the leader (public)	10
You Go Ahead, I'll Be Fine	Win three matches of King of the Hill (public)	10
Back to Basic	Successfully complete the 5 lessons of multiplayer Training Grounds	10
Party Like It's 1999	Play 1999 rounds of multiplayer (any mode)	30
Around the World, Again	Win a multiplayer match on each map (any mode)	30
Dirty, Dirty Horde	Survive the first 10 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map)	20
Hoard the Horde	Survive all 50 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map)	30

PS3 Life Going to be Free

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:25:00 +0000

Sony's Life project for the PS3 is set to revolutionise the "get your news from a spinning globe on a console" market. And it was meant to do it this month, too. Now, it won't be, Sony announcing that due to some paperwork issues (ie some wrangling over rights with news agencies) it won't be launching in August. Instead, they're asking we all "hold tight just a bit longer", and are attempting to stem our rising fury at the delays by letting us know the service will be free, it'll launch directly from the XMB and can even work in
conjunction with Folding@Home.

[source:Kotaku]

Halo 4: New Xbox Launch Title?

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Master Chief's next big outing could herald the launch of the next generation of consoles, with rumour abound that Halo 4 is to be amongst the first wave of titles for the Xbox 360's follow-up console.

Alluded to in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine, which has been thumbed by Joystiq, Gearbox is said to be working on the fourth instalment proper in the bestselling series. Gearbox's own Randy Pitchford – currently doing the rounds extolling the virtues of the studio's imminent Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway – was recently quoted as saying of the company's next project, "When you find out what this is, you'll likely agree that I can't oversell this one."

Gearbox is also currently at work on Aliens: Colonial Marines, a full-blooded first person take on the film series that's proved such a rich inspiration for the Halo universe.

[Source:IGN]

Left 4 Dead Boxart to change?

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:39:00 +0000

When Valve forwarded us the finalized art for the Xbox 360 and PC retail versions of Left 4 Dead, we were too excited by the visual pun to realize they'd missed out on a more complete version of box art literalism. But others wondered, "Why does it have a right hand?"

Believe it or not, we actually wasted breath asking this very question to Valve's Doug Lombardi at Games Convention.

"All I can say is 'stay tuned'", he said with a smile, noting that we weren't the first to inquire about the missing visual gag. As Valve is wont to do, Lombardi didn't elaborate, but it sounds like the finalized written earlier is more of a "finalized." We hope this long national nightmare of squandered puns on Left 4 Dead box art will soon be over.

[Source: Kotaku]

Head on over to my earlier post on the original box art to see what they're talking about.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo Hits Xbox Live Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:48:00 +0000

Today, the demo for the upcoming Star Wars game was released today to Xbox and PS3 gamers everywhere!

Whopping in at a 930MB file, this demo is nothing short of impressive. As you walk throughout the environment you can see every detail that went into this. It's absolutely phenomenal. But Graphics are what makes a game great. The gameplay is where this game shines. The main focus of 'The Force Unleashed' is well, the Force. Control anyone and anything with a touch of a button. Nothing feels better in the world as picking up an enemy and throwing him over the edge to his death. This game is pure fun and you guys owe it to yourselves to try it.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is set to hit the US on Sept. 16th, the Asian/Pacific countries on the 17th and Europe on the 19th

New Saints Row 2 Gang featured in New Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:39:00 +0000

A new Saint's Row trailer shows off a new gang, Sons of Samdedi. Gets your hands on the game October 14th.

Free Xbox Live Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Oh so you want to know how to get free Xbox Live? Well do ya? Read on then sir :)

I am here yet again to preach about my recent favorite site (Link) and their awesome program, because as of right now I have made over $75 from this website and I want you to at least give it a shot. It's risk-free and I will guarantee you will love it. Especially when you see your free Xbox Live code sitting in your email ;)

In a nutshell, just complete some random surveys and earn points. Free surveys are worth anywhere from 10 cents to a $1.50 EACH. Do ten of these and you will be right on your way to getting your free Xbox Live membership code. Plus once you get sick of doing offers, you can earn points another way: by referring other people. So what is this referring thing-a-ma-bob? Well, on the website you get a unique referral link and have your friends sign up under there. You have them do some surveys and you get 20% of whatever they make!

~~some Q&A~~

Well I signed up, but these surveys take so long! How can I speed them up?
Download Roboform. Just fill in your contact information and Right Click>Fill Forms. This fills in all the info for you!

This site seems like a huge scam. How do I know it's legit?
There have been hundreds of people who have received things from PrizeRebel and posted a testimonial. You can view them here.

What Can I Buy with these points?
Anything in the 'Prizes' section plus you can custom order ANYTHING off eBay or Amazon.com. I recommend ordering an Amazon Gift Certificate, because you can buy anything you want off Amazon without having to wait!

Well Braden, have you received anything from From these GPT sites?
I have redeemed a $15 iTunes Card, 1600 Microsoft Points, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card (which I bought Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle with. (You can view my picture here)) I'm also hoping to get a 3 month Xbox Live Gold card next :)

What offers work? I don't want to waste my time on useless surveys if they don't credit!
Usually the ones on the first page work the fastest. For the BigBrandGiveaways, I recommend watching this tutorial.

Have some people actually earned 400 points for a PS3 or Xbox 360?!
Yes. A couple people have. There have been about 25 people who have made over $400 on this site plus about 4 members who have made over $1000.

Woah! How do people get that many points?
Some people complete 50-100 offers and earn about $100 from there. Other people refer people and make their money that way. Completing offers is a lot quicker but takes a little more work.

So what are you waiting for? Give it a shot! You don't even have to continue with it if you don't like it!

Video:

LittleBigPlanet Cover Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:03:00 +0000

Courtesy of Threespeech.com, the boxart of the upcoming PS3 game, LittleBigPlanet, has hit the internet. Packed with a fuzzy alien and some cool color splatters, this cover gets an A+ from me. LittleBigPlanet is set to release sometime this October.

Xbox 360 60GB Hits UK Shelves August 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Microsoft has formally announced the coming of the 60GB Xbox 360 in the UK. This Friday the 15th, 20GB models will be being replaced with the larger models across the board, with the price remaining at the now rather modest £199.99. The announcement of course came with the obligatory hooray, go Xbox! statement.

[Source]

Get your Hands on a Full Size Lancer Replica!

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:01:00 +0000

So I was surfing Amazon today, when I ran into something peculiar. It looked familiar, like deja vu. A closer look revealed the item to be a full size Gears of War Lancer Replica. Now this ain't your mom's typical gun replica. No this one contains a chainsaw built in on the end(not a real one of course :P) Plus if you order through Amazon you recieve Gears of War 2 for free!. So satifsy your GoW Fix and grab one before they sell out!

Order Yours Now!

Pics:

GTA: IV PC Version Confirmed

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:46:00 +0000

The year may be far from over, but many analysts have already concluded that Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV will go on to be the biggest-selling game of 2008. The crime epic sold 631,000 copies in 24 hours in the UK, while Take Two's financial results revealed that the game had sold 8.5 million units worldwide as of early June.

For all its success, though, perhaps the game's biggest limitation was launching on only two formats--the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. PC owners have been speculating for a while about the possibility of a conversion, as all previous Grand Theft Auto console games have made it to the original gaming platform. Today, Rockstar put the rumours to rest by announcing development of a PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV, which will ship on November 18 in North America and on November 21 in Europe.

As well as featuring Liberty City's original backdrop, story, and soundtrack, the Rockstar North-developed PC version is set to receive an "expanded" multiplayer mode. "The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it."

[Source: Gamespot]

Xbox Avatars: Nonviolent Games Only

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:04:00 +0000

As Microsoft figures out their game plan for how they're going to implement Avatars into the Xbox 360 community beginning this Fall, we're receiving a steady trickle of news surrounding their Avatar decisions. Most recently, Microsoft's Eric Kilgore confirmed with Develop that Avatars will only be allowed to be used in ESRB rated E10+ games which are seen as non-violent, family friendly games. So, we won't be seeing Avatars taking over our Gears or GTAIV worlds which, admittedly, is okily okay with us. Kilgore did say that their E10+ Avatar policy could change in the future depending on how things work out, but again, Microsoft's Avatar game plan has yet to be fully fleshed out.

Source

Xbox Dev Found Dead in Murder-Suicide

noreply@blogger.com (Braden) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:26:00 +0000

"Very sad news from Redmond, Wash. Melissa Batten, 36, a software development engineer in Microsoft's Xbox division, was murdered by her estranged husband, who then shot himself to death, earlier this week.

Batten, a Harvard-educated lawyer, was a Software Development Engineer in Test for Microsoft, supporting Rare on its 360 titles work. She had worked for Microsoft since 2002, earning credits in Halo 3 and Gears of War as an SDET. Earlier, as a lawyer, she had been a public defender for the Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, N.C.) Public Defender's Office.

Her husband, Joseph Batten, was also 36. He had also worked for Microsoft but most recently worked for Wizards of the Coast, publisher of hobby games such as Magic: the Gathering. Melissa had obtained a restraining order against her husband on July 21. Another news story describes Joseph Batten as obsessive and verbally abusive, and when she learned he had obtained a handgun, she sought the protection order. "

You will be missed Melissa.

[Source Kotaku]