the daily gamer

Hackers are unstoppable

2011-02-02T02:58:00.000-08:00

If for some reason you haven't heard about the recent PS3 hacks, this is what happened: a guy named George Hotz, Geohot, broke through the security encryption on the PS3. Now Sony is having a hard time trying to undo this mess, people started playing pirated games, unlocking trophies illegally, cheating at Call of Duty, and basically being general F*$&&#$^&#&$s to Sony (yes thats a real word google it).

Sony filed a temporary restraining order against Geohot, which the courts have recently approved. Hotz also has been given ten days to turn in all his computers, hard drives, and miscellaneous hacker-type things to the court.

In an effort to curb stomp the rest of the hackers (or just break thier hacking fingers ) a security patch has been issued to the PS3's firmware.

Score one for Sony. What's this? Less than twenty-four hours after the firmware was released, it was hacked. hackers win again.

you actually googled it didnt you
info source cheatcc.com

black ops the big spray

2011-02-02T02:50:00.000-08:00

As if Treyarch didn't have enough to celebrate, Call of Duty: Black Ops has reached a major milestone According to The Numbers Mason, Treyarch's online tally keeper, players have fired 1.11 trillion shots since the game's launch. Aside from the fact that it's sold more copies than its predecessor, and broken records for all forms of entertainment, including film,

other statistics : cars destroyed (994,665,956), times players ran around the Earth (129,069), and Tomahawk Bankshots (28,494.020). Treyarch seems to have a winning formula with Black Ops

May is when "its" coming (Duke Nukem Forever)

2011-01-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

source:cheatcc.com

I've lost count of how many times Duke Nukem Forever has been given a release date, but it seems that Gearbox Software feel that May 6th is when it's really coming.

Duke's coming back after 14 years of being the longest running joke in videogaming and the crowned king of Vapourware titles.

"New York, NY – January 21, 2011 – 2K Games and Gearbox Software announced today what will be a landmark date in gaming history - legendary hero Duke Nukem will make his return in Duke Nukem Forever on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC on May 3, 2011 in North America and May 6, "

Duke Nukem is one of the biggest and most recognizable brands in the interactive entertainment industry.Where will you be when Duke Nukem Forever launches? Better mark your calendars, Duke’s legend is being told this May and his brand new trailer, viewable at www.dukenukemforever.com, promises to blow your mind!

dead space 2 review

2011-01-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

source: Ausgamers.com
Space, the final frontier... for horror. Dead Space 2 has set a new benchmark for horror, action and even science-fiction; expanding upon the original in every way conceivable. From the intense opening sequence that sees series protagonist, Isaac Clarke, escaping from a mental facility; arms wrapped and held in a straight-jacket while avoiding a seemingly endless outbreak of Necromorphs, Dead Space 2 never lets up. Not for a single minute. The level of polish and poise throughout is among the best in the business - there are few games out there capable of displaying such maturity and consistency in design, and even fewer development studios capable of making it happen at this level - Visceral Games should be applauded for the job they’ve done here.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dead Space, go out and buy the first one, play it , then buy the second one and repeat the process. Both games can stand proudly alongside each other; Dead Space 2 clearly showing just that little bit more thanks to the maturity factor, but knowing the pedigree, and just why you are where you are (and in a straight-jacket, no less), is important to the consistency of the universe Visceral have crafted. And make no mistake, the story-writing powers that be at Visceral, have really let loose with their expansion of all things Dead Space lore.

As Isaac, who was sole survivor of the outbreak that occurred on the USG Ishimura, and victor of one hell of an epic boss-battle at the end of the first game, his spoils are nothing more than a heady dose of drugs, the aforementioned straight-jacket and a lot of unanswered questions. You literally do awake in a hospital, bound and on the move - the building is crumbling around you as Necromorphs smash through windows, doors and walls hungry for your limbs. But unlike the first game, in the first few moments of Dead Space 2 you have no weapons, and no means to fight. Even when your hands are eventually cut free from your restraints, the only tool you have is a torch.

The “on-edge” experience throughout Dead Space 2 is amplified to the nines, and in many, many parts, leaves the first game for so much space dust. There’s also a much greater emphasis on epic set-pieces; the kind of stuff that would have Nathan Drake turning away, totally emasculated. There’s a slew of new enemy-types, such as the Stalkers, who are so devastating, surviving your first encounter with them awards you its own Achievement, as well as a greater host of mini-bosses, sub-bosses and, well, bosses. But it’s not just reanimated corpses with razor-sharp limbs you’re fighting in Dead Space 2, there’re also sinister corporations, mental religious zealots and Isaac’s own deeply emotional internal struggle.

All of this is paced beautifully, and offered to you in entirely in-game cuts, text and speech. There’re no CG buy-ins, nothing over-the-top in the ‘aesthetic’ delivery department - from the outset you’re almost always in control, and the few moments you aren’t, you’ll probably be thankful, because your hands are going to be too busy picking your jaw up from the ground anyway.

There’s a deeper story here, too. And you’ll notice I’ve avoided much of it, and with good reason. The first game was more of an experience; a splice of life within this twisted universe, while Dead Space 2 is oh-so much more. It takes the themes and glossed-over ideas of the first game to new heights, as if the team always planned to take you on this ride - teasing you at first, before pulling you into its narrative nexus; a vortex of gross wonderment.

On the Ishimura, you found out details regarding the ship's inner-workings alongside reports of what had transpired to lead you there in the first place. On the Sprawl, things are fleshed out on a grander scale - there's much to consume in the game's Unitology religion; a clear and concise play on today's Scientology, while the sheer building of the Sprawl itself, along with man's deeper ventures into space, is meaty lore for the dinner table. For the discerning sci-fi fans out there, you're going to have your investigative tickler tickled pink with what's in story store.

But beyond the stunning visuals, engrossing on-the-fly narrative, intensely epic set-pieces, gruesome (and imaginative) enemies, incredible sound and piss-your-pants scares, is the game’s combat, and it’s here the team have really dialled things up to 11.

In the first game, everything was new. The Necromorphs were new, the game’s style of horror and suspense was new and you knew nothing about why. Here, however, the team are more than aware Dead Space aficionados are coming in armed with knowledge, and knowledge is power. And while there’s definitely a lot here to keep you on your toes, your arsenal is greater, the tactical options at your finger-tips are greater and everything feels much more fleshed out and satisfying as a result.

Old weapons return with better secondary fire functions (barring your Plasma Cutter, that baby is like vinyl - it just gets better with age), while newer weapons give you even more recourse to deal with the myriad enemies you’ll be constantly swamped with. The Javelin Gun, for instance, fires a single bolt that will pierce a Nercomorph and either knock them down, or send them flying to a wall to be hung up on it, like some twisted holiday decoration. However, the Javelin’s secondary fire function, which is an electrical charge, can be used to take out multiple enemies if you time it right. You can even aim for a spot on the floor, instead of soft Necromorph flesh and just set a simple trap to give you some breathing room.

Other familiar tools also return, such as Stasis, which you can use to slow enemies momentarily in their tracks, or to slow down functional items in the world for a bit of puzzle-solving, and just like the first game, you can collect or buy Nodes to then upgrade weapons, suits and items at Work Benches. And even this carried over system has been tweaked for a more satisfying experience.

And that’s the crux of this game. At no point throughout my play through have I felt short-changed. There’s so much more to see and do. Isaac is an engineer by trade, which is what got him into all this mess in the first place, yet in the first game there weren’t enough scenarios or puzzles to really explore this. Dead Space 2 does though, and you’ll be hacking terminals, commandeering tools and crawling through claustrophobic vents throughout the game, stopping momentarily to stare at the awe-inspiring view of the Sprawl, the city in which you’ve awoken; nestled upon the shattered remains of one of the first moons humans ever mined, Titan. Off in the distance, you’ll see the haunting beauty that is Saturn and her rings. It really is breathtaking.

Speaking of which, Dead Space 2 carries with it even more nail-biting moments out in the coldness of space, with the new ability to control Isaac in zero-g a full 360 degrees, thanks to one of his new suits. There are countless puzzles and enemy encounters in moments like these, and as you would expect, physics, inertia and all the proper science are in-check

It’s the attention to detail that carries everything so seamlessly throughout, and if it’s not in your face, it’s in your periphery, or in your rear-speakers. From the incredibly functional city and its believable components and “lived-in” feel, to the creepy sounds off in the distance; that single spanner dropping from up on high to create a disturbing and disrupting echo, Dead Space 2 will unnerve you, it will scare you and it will grab you, by the throat, or your legs as you scurry to get away, and devour you. Whole.

bulletstorm preview

2011-01-20T03:43:00.000-08:00

Bulletstorm is less than two months away and I can’t wait to be thrown into this next creation developed by Epic Games, with help of course from People Can Fly. Through the numerous reports and videos I’ve seen, Epic may just have a serious contender for game of the year on their hands. Of course I don’t expect this to rival future games this year in story like Mass Effect 3, but I think it has the potential to provide new gameplay mechanics that could become a mainstay much like Gears of War’s cover system.

In Bulletstorm, you’ll play as Grayson Hunt, a space pirate, who was exiled from a military group known as the federation. Grayson then attacks a federation ship which leads to both crash landing on Stygia. The story is being penned by Rick Remender, who created the Fear Agent series. So there is potential that this game could have an actual story that matters, but after playing the last two Gear of War campaigns, I’m not expecting much.

Gameplay for Bulletstorm is going to center around skill shots. Skill shots are the bread and butter of Bulletstorm. The idea is to find the craziest ways to kill your opponents. You will receive point totals for your kills. You can also get combos by stringing your kills together and using the environment. Epic has said there are ridiculous amounts of ways this can be achieved. Some examples include; kicking your opponent into a cactus, throwing him up into the air and then shooting off an exploding barrel, or even something subtle like shooting an enemy in the privates and then kicking in his face while he’s kneeling. Hopefully, Epic follows through and provides endless ways for you to exterminate your enemies.

From everything that I’ve seen, the graphics look gorgeous. When this game was first announced, my initial concern was that the color pallet would be too much like Gears of War. If you can remember, everything in Gears of War was a mixture of browns and darks. This is not the case, as Bulletstorm has a much more vibrant and colorful look to it. Hopefully as you venture around Stygia, there will be a variety of environments that will show off the beauty of the planet. We’ll just have to wait until the game launches to see.

Bulletstorm will also feature a mode called Echo mode. While you’re going through the levels tearing your enemies to shreds, you’ll come across opportunities for a huge combo kill that can result in ridiculously high scores. If you executed properly and score well enough, you can post it to the leaderboards. Your friends will then get the message the next time they get on and your triumph will be exhibited for everyone to see. A similar system was used this past year in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, where you would be notified if your friends would beat your track score. If this system works as intended and there are as many different variables in scoring, as Epic claims, than this could be the coolest new feature.

Multiplayer will also be a little different in Bulletstorm. There will be a four player co-op called Anarchy mode where players will need to defeat the enemies and earn a high enough score to move on to the next level. It looks very much like Horde mode, but the fact that you need to get creative with your kills adds a whole new dimension to the experience. Players will also need to protect one another while performing co-op kills to maximize their total. This will be available for you and three friends.

Will Bulletstorm be a success? Regarding sales, I expect it to do very well. The new gameplay mechanics and beautiful graphics have and will continue to grab the attention of the gaming community. The hype train is in full motion right now with trailer after trailer being released. Also, don’t forget this game comes with an invitation to play the Gears of War 3 beta. That beta key alone will be the deciding factor for most to pick up this title. Critical success is much harder to judge. It will depend if the reviewer isn’t expecting a serious shooter. Bulletstorm isn’t trying to be full of melodrama. It is a game you play with your buddies and just have fun.

Thankfully we won’t have to wait much longer to finally get our hands on it. As always, check back after the release for a full review and hear what we thought of Epic’s latest venture into the action genre.

sources: ng4.com and myself

crysis 2 preview

2011-01-19T04:44:00.000-08:00

Set in 2023, three years after the events of the first game, Crysis 2 exchanges the foliage of the jungle for the steel and concrete of iconic New York City. This "urban jungle" has fallen under invasion by an alien force bent on the destruction of humanity. Amidst the chaos of a crumbling metropolis only one supersoldier, using the newly enhanced Nanosuit, has a chance of stopping this unrelenting threat to the world.

So begins Crysis 2 from developer Crytek Studios who have done everything they can to top their own critically acclaimed game, Crysis from 2007. By the looks of things, they've done just that--Crysis 2 provides the same freedom and options of its predecessor while opening up new possibilities in the chaos of the smoldering ruins of New York. Despite this shift of location, the game is still focused on providing open-ended approaches to levels with large outdoor environments that emphasize vertical exploration as the player leaps from one story to another while avoiding enemies and snipers peppered throughout towering buildings and structures. Destructible environments add to the mayhem, keeping the player constantly on his toes when bullets and grenades are flying, reshaping the city around him. And thanks to Crytek's CryENGINE 3, the city is portrayed with exquisite detail and top-notch dynamic visual effects

Crytek put a lot of work into perfecting the Nanosuit from the first game. The new 2.0 version grants the player a massive amount of freedom when approaching obstacles and enemies. Two main suit modes, Armor and Stealth, allow for a heavy, direct combat approach or a sneakier style, respectively, while a secondary mode can be toggled between greater power or greater tactical awareness. This streamlined approach to the Nanosuit opens up the gameplay for each individual player to play differently: for example, a stealth approach works great for locating outlying enemies and sneaking into the heart of the opposing forces, then a switch to pure strength can plow through the unsuspecting enemies. With new upgrades available as the story progresses, the gameplay style is all up to the player. And adaptability is crucial here; Crytek has also developed a brutal artificial intelligence system that is sure to challenge and surprise the player in any number of ways.

Multiplayer mode puts these options and principles into the fast-paced, hectic atmosphere of online competition. By customizing the Nanosuit in multiplayer, the player can approach the battle from various perspectives--sneaking up to enemies with stealth invisibility, using raw power to plow through them, using speed to quickly flank retreating opponents, or using the Enhanced Visor module to sniff out hidden enemies. The abilities are all up to the player and by progressing through the eighty general ranks, more and more supersoldier powers are unlocked.

Multiplayer features twelve maps in various New York City locales designed around using the Nanosuit's multitude of abilities. Additionally there are six game modes including Team Instant Action, a standard team deathmatch mode, and Crash Site which has two teams working against each other to control Ceph Drop Pods to earn points. With so many options and features, Crysis 2's multiplayer looks like it'll provide some of the most varied and expansive multiplayer action available on any of the three platforms.

Amidst all of these unique features and possibilities, Crysis 2's most ambitious feature may be that the game will be available in true stereoscopic 3D. Crytek CEO and President Cevat Yeril explains that "the 3D experience represents a quantum leap in interactive entertainment. With all of the same story and action seen in the 2D version of the game, the 3D version adds another dimension of intensity and immersion to the action." It remains to be seen just how 3D support will bolster the game, but if the various other features of Crysis 2 are any indication, it will push the boundaries of FPS gaming.

Crytek Studios blew gamers away with the first Crysis game, and they will no doubt do it again with Crysis 2. From stunning visuals and 3D support to the myriad customizable options, Crysis 2 seems to have everything an FPS fan could ask for. It's been a long wait, but it looks like Crysis 2 will be well worth it.

source cheatcc.com

frogster accounts held hostage

2011-01-19T04:16:00.000-08:00

Frogster, publisher of games including the free-to-play MMO Runes of Magic, has come under attack by a hacker, who claims to have stolen login data for 3.5 million user accounts. This hacker, known only by the message board title Augustus87 , demands that the Berlin-based company offer more secure clients, stop deleting forum threads, and stop its alleged spying on its employees or else the stolen information will be released to the public and the game servers will be shut down.

Lead community manager for Runes of Magic, Mike "Silberfuchs" Kiefer, posted in the forums: "This incident is very distressing to all of us. It is targeted not only at Frogster as a company, but also at Runes of Magic as a virtual biosphere and at you as players. We are always open to constructive suggestions. However, giving your opinion on blackmail and extortion is surely not the correct approach."

Frogster has notified the authorities and is working hard to find out how this could have happened.

sources cheatcc.com

gears of war gets triple packed

2011-01-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

Microsoft and Epic Games have announced the Gears of War Triple Pack will be available February 15. It includes Gears of War, Gears of War 2, and Gears of War 2: All Fronts Pack, and only costs $30 in the States.

The disc will also include the "Road to Ruin" DLC pack. Multiplayer Map Pack 1 and the "Hidden Fronts" map pack will not be on the disc, but owners of the Triple Pack will be able to download them for free via Xbox Live.

Gamers on a budget who still haven't experienced the Gears series now have the chance to get caught up before Gears of War 3 launches during the 2011 holiday season.

portal-2 cross platform features

2011-01-18T20:57:00.000-08:00

Valve has announced that the upcoming Portal 2 will include some great cross-platform features between the PS3 and PC/Mac versions of the game.

Multiplayer gaming on multiple consoles will be supported; if your friend has Portal 2 on PS3 and you have it for PC, you and your friend will still be able to team up. Also, saves are cloud-based and there will be cross-platform chat. And to top it all off, those who purchase Portal 2 for PS3 will get a free PC/Mac copy of the game registered to their Steam accounts.

Josh Weier, project lead on Portal 2, said, "PS3 gamers will be able to simply drop the Blu-Ray disc in the PS3, link to their Steam account from inside the game, and all their Steam friends (on PC and Mac) will be visible and accessible for chat and game invites."

Portal 2 hits stores in April.

source: cheatcc.com

square enix announces final fantasy XIII-2

2011-01-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

Square Enix announced today that it plans to make Lightning strike twice with a direct sequel to its 2010 RPG hit, Final Fantasy XIII -- the awkwardly titled Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Final Fantasy XIII launched in March 2010 and quickly became the fastest selling title in the 24-year-old franchise, with more than 1 million copies sold in North America in just five days. The game would go on to ship more than 6 million copies worldwide. Square hopes to repeat that success with a sequel.

"Final Fantasy XIII-2 is currently in production with an aim for producing high quality game content which exceeds Final Fantasy XIII in every aspect; namely, a brand-new story which stems from the previous title as well as a battle system which has evolved further since XIII – and more," Square stated in a brief press release. "We will be disclosing further details about the new game in the future."

Square also gave Japanese gamers the first look at the game with a cinematic trailer shown at yesterday's Tokyo Game Show. Thanks to the power of the tubes, that trailer is now available for the world to see:

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is being developed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game is set for release sometime next winter.

sources: gamespy gamespot

gears of war: exile......kinect compatible?

2011-01-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Epic Games has filed three trademarks for something called Gears of War: Exile.

The filings, which were first spotted by Siliconera, are registered for "Video game software," "Series of computer game hint books and instruction manuals," and "T-shirts."

A logo for the trademark was also filed:

While still unconfirmed, Gears of War: Exile could be the rumored Gears of War Kinect title that was supposed to debut at the Video Game Awards Show in December.

A Microsoft representative told IGN the company has "no news to share at this time" when asked about the trademark.

Earlier this morning, the Gears of War Triple Pack was announced for Xbox 360. The pack includes Gears of War, Gears of War 2 and the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection.

Gears of War 3 is set to launch in Holiday 2011.

source:ign news

call of duty:black ops- first strike dlc preview

2011-01-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

The first trailer for the first DLC for Black Ops has landed this morning. The details:

First Strike contains 5 incredibly diverse maps spanning the globe; featuring 4 multiplayer maps and a new Zombie experience. Includes"Berlin Wall", allowing combat on both sides of the imposing wall; "Discovery", a desolate, frozen German outpost in the Arctic; "Kowloon", battle in the rain along the rooftops of a towering Chinese sprawl; "Stadium", an intense locale with a pro hockey arena backdrop; and "Ascension", where you fight zombies in a Soviet launch facility.

Available first on Xbox 360 February 1st. More details to come for PS3 and PC.

Maps look great and even for 1200 MS points and I know I'm going to be sucked into buying this when it comes out.

source: ausgamers.com cheatcc.com

elder scrolls skyrim engine details

2011-01-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

sources from ausgamers.com

Probably the most sought after information regarding Bethesda's forthcoming The Elder Scrolls V: skyrim, is what changes to the game-engine they've made, especially since it was revealed they'd be using an entirely new engine and not the Gamebryo one used for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

todd howard spoke to "game informer" about the new engine contents

"The big things for us were to draw a lot of stuff in the distance so we have a really sophisticated level of detail," he told GI. "More so than what we've had in the past for how things stream in and how detail gets added to them as they get closer to the camera.

"Because our worlds are so big all of the lighting has to be dynamic,” he adds. "That's something we had a little bit of in the past with shadowing, but not on everything. Now we have it on everything. It just makes the whole thing a lot more believable when you're there.”

The few screenshots that have leaked from scanned pages from Game Informer do show the game looking much more dynamic and detailed, and according to GI.com, they've revamped the Radiant AI for NPCs as well, making them much more intelligent.

You won't find townspeople loitering aimlessly in town squares anymore. Each denizen performs tasks that make sense in their environment. To impart the towns and cities with a greater sense of life, Bethesda has populated them with mills, farms, and mines that give the NPCs believable tasks to occupy their day. In the forest village we visited during the demo, most of the citizens were hard at work chopping wood, running logs through the mill, and carrying goods through the town.

"Your friend would let you eat the apple in his house,” Howard adds to the feature detail. "If you swing your weapon near an NPC, knock items off their dinner table, or try to steal something of value, they'll react with an appropriate level of hostility given their prior relationship to you."

And finally, some excellent news regarding the real-time pause that takes place when in any meaningful conversation with NPCs:

The increased animation fidelity and diversity has enabled Bethesda to ditch the awkward dialogue camera perspective that paused the game and presented you with an extreme closeup of the person with whom you were speaking. Now camera stays in the same perspective used during combat and exploration, and players are free to look around while engaging in conversation. Rather than drop their activities to give you their undivided attention, the NPCs continue to go about their business while in discussion. For instance, a barkeep may continue to clean cups while talking, and even move from behind the counter to a seat. A mill worker chopping wood may engage in conversation without turning away from his duties, only occasionally glancing toward you during the exchange.

It's a pretty decent read, and has me amped for the game much more - especially if they've thoroughly improved the third-person camera, movement and animation system. Obviously they have months of hype to go through before the game's November release date, so stay tuned for more as it becomes available.

sources... ausgamers.com

my new blog

2011-01-10T06:42:00.001-08:00

hey and welcome to my new blog, i started this so i can communicate with my subscribers properly.
take a look around, ill add some stuff soon