Videogameheads

First 30 games in the Game Room revealed...

2010-01-09T07:39:00.000-06:00

Microsoft recently announced the 'Game Room' for it's Xbox Live and Windows Live users. The first 30 games available consist of games made originally for the Atari 2600, Intellivison and arcade games from Atari and Konami.

These first games will be:

1. Centipede (arcade)

2. Asteroids Deluxe (arcade)

3. Tempest (arcade)

4. Crystal Castles (arcade)

5. Lunar Lander (arcade)

6. Jungler (arcade)

7. Road Fighter (arcade)

8. Scramble (arcade)

9. Finalizer (arcade)

10. Tutankham (arcade)

11. Shao-Lin's Road (arcade)

12. Super Cobra (arcade)

13. Red Baron (arcade)

14. Gravitar (arcade)

15. Battlantlis

16. Astrosmash (Intellivision)

17. Mountain Madness Super Pro Skiing (Intellivision)

18. Armor Battle (Intellivision)

19. Space Hawk (Intellivision)

20. Sub Hunt (Intellivision)

21. Sea Battle (Intellivision)

22. Space Armada (Intellivision)

23. Astrosmash (Intellivision)

24. Star Raiders (Atari 2600)

25. Outlaw (Atari 2600)

26. Yar's Revenge (Atari 2600)

27. Millipede (Atari 2600)

28. Football (Atari 2600)

29. RealSports Tennis (Atari 2600)

30. Combat (Atari 2600)

Just got new GI...Halo Reach

2010-01-09T07:13:00.000-06:00

Newest Issue of GI Has in depth info for the next installment of the halo series ,Halo:Reach and some first looks of the ins and outs of the game itself. GI also will be updating the Halo:Reach hub with new info as the days go on...

Bad Company 2 'reaching' Uncharted 2's graphics

2010-01-09T07:09:00.002-06:00

Upcoming FPS Battlefield Bad Company 2 is "reaching" the graphical quality set by last year's stunning PS3-exclusive Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but it will not surpass it, developer DICE had admitted.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com, producer Gordon Van Dyke said no game can claim to better the graphics seen in Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2.

"I wouldn't make that kind of claim," he said. "Uncharted 2 is an amazing-looking game. But we're reaching that level of quality. It's going to be hard for any game to be able to make a claim that they look better. But we are getting to, I feel, that level, where it's looking very impressive. When you see it - and I've heard other people say it as well, so it's not just me - other people are saying it's getting there."

Uncharted 2, released last year, raised the bar for video game graphics, with incredible animations and detailed environments wowing PS3 owners.

But Van Dyke reckons Bad Company 2, which is our 37th most anticipated game of 2010, will surpass Uncharted 2 in one key area: vistas.

"The thing is though, we have much bigger environments. To even be close, to me is quite an honour as a developer. The one thing I did was, when I looked at their game I was like, damn them! What have they done to the rest of us? I was looking for something where I could say, okay, that we're doing better. I looked at their vistas, and I think that our vistas, because it's in game, this is actual in-game terrain you could theoretically take your soldier and walk up to, our vistas are better. Naughty Dog, if you hear this, I challenge you versus our vistas!"

Seems like Bad Company 2 might s**t on MW2

2010-01-09T07:06:00.001-06:00

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition

iPhone game Penguin Bounce free for next 2 days

2010-01-08T04:35:00.000-06:00

Penguin Bounce is a little known but surprisingly fun iPhone game that was 99 cents in the app store. It is now free for the next couple days.

[youtube.com]

Appstore Link [apple.com]

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Will Feature Mii Support

2010-01-07T07:51:00.000-06:00

SEGA has revealed on the SEGA America Blog that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will allow players to race as their Mii in the Wii edition of the title. Just like the SEGA mainstays, Miis will have a unique "All Star" move that can give straggling racers a helpful boost.

The SEGA-centric racer is being developed by Sumo Digital, makers of the home ports of OutRun 2 and last year's Sega Superstars Tennis. Interestingly, the Wii version of the game is not the only one to get an exclusive feature. Rare's Banjo Kazooie and the Xbox 360's Avatars will appear in the Xbox 360 version of the title.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is slated to hit store shelves in March for both the Wii and DS.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Modern Warfare 2 DLC Coming

2010-01-07T07:49:00.000-06:00

Exclusivity. Love it or hate, it's a big part of modern day game publishing and according to information released during Microsoft's recent CES keynote, Xbox 360 players will be able to get their hands on Infinity Ward's first round of downloadable content for Modern Warfare 2before PlayStation 3 and PC users sometime this spring.

Xbox Live's very own Major Nelson confirmed this over on his official Live blog late last night stating "This Spring, the first Modern Warfare 2 content packs will be available exclusively first on Xbox LIVE."

Back in November of last year, IW's man in the spotlight Robert Bowling dropped hints that the DLC would be hitting in the spring, but made no specific mention of any kind of exclusivity deal. We're wondering how much cash Microsoft parted with to make this happen.

Details of the DLC remain locked down tighter than Captain Price's underwear drawer at time of writing.

Alan Wake to receive post-release DLC

2010-01-07T07:44:00.002-06:00

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft has confirmed that Alan Wake, their upcoming thriller for Xbox 360, will receive downloadable content post-release.

“Imagine the TV show Lost, as written by Stephen King, and filmed by David Lynch, and you have Alan Wake. Story driven like a TV series, Alan Wake will be told in episodes, with even more episodes available on Xbox Live after it’s launch this year,” Robbie Bach, President of the Entertainment & Devices Division, told the CES crowd.

No word on a release date for the content or what it will contain. Let’s try to find out a release date for the actual game, first.

Pre-order> Alan WakeAlan Wake

Microsoft Drops Natal Chip!

2010-01-07T07:42:00.000-06:00

Microsoft has dropped a chip from its upcoming Natal motion control hardware, reports website Games Industry. The chip processed data for Natal's "bone system". In its place, Microsoft will use a software solution.

This decision, sources tell Games Industry, does not affect the existing 100ms system lag. However, the decision to go with a software solution will enable Microsoft to update in a regular and consistent fashion.

According to Games Industry, the majority of the processing chip work will be done by one of the three main Xenon processors. A percentage will be lost, but most games don't use a hundred percent of processing power.

"The full Natal hardware/sensor combo always looked like an expensive proposition in a market where Microsoft really needs to turn a profit," Digital Foundry editor Richard Leadbetter told the site. "The notion of offloading the processing to the 360 CPU in the name of lower costs and easier upgradability makes sense.

"Patching up older games to run with the new hardware now looks rather unlikely unless they have the CPU time to spare, but hopefully this will serve to focus developers on Natal-specific concepts as opposed to revisiting old classics."

GI points out that in support material Microsoft distributed for the recent keynote, the company hinted there was no longer a single chip solution, stating, "A proprietary software layer makes the magic of 'Project Natal' possible."

The decision to use a software solution will also ensure that Microsoft can release Natal at a competitive price point.

Halo Reach Anyone???

2010-01-07T07:39:00.000-06:00

Halo Reach will be "THE biggest title of 2010", Microsoft's said in a statement released today.

The Bungie shooter is the prong of Xbox 360's Christmas attack this year, the other sides of the spear being Fable III and whatever it decides to release with Project Natal.

"2010 will deliver our biggest line-up ever of exclusive blockbuster releases," the platform holder said in a statement.

"Kicking off the first-half of the year with back-to-back Xbox 360 exclusives like Splinter Cell Conviction, Crackdown 2, Mass Effect 2, and Alan Wake. And the first content packs for 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' from Activision will be available this Spring, exclusively first on Xbox 360."

Pre order here> Link Halo Reach

Project Natal will go on sale in November 2010

2010-01-07T07:36:00.000-06:00

Project Natal will go on sale in November 2010, Microsoft has announced.

The system allows users to play games controlled by body movements and speech rather than a handheld device.

Visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, also heard that Natal will work on all existing Xbox 360 consoles.

"With Project Natal we are allowing you to have the experience you want with technology that's natural for you," said Microsoft's Robbie Bach.

Natal's body gesturing system relies on cameras, sensors, microphones and software to understand voice commands and capture the motions of a player as they jump, kick or wave.

"We are removing the last barrier to gaming - the controller," said Mr Bach, President of Entertainment and Devices at Microsoft.

Project Natal was first announced at the E3 video games conference in June last year. Since then, Microsoft has been inundated with questions about when it would go on sale.

At the company's keynote presentation at CES, Mr Bach did not say how much Natal would cost or which countries it would launch in.

The audience that packed the Hilton Hotel was also told that in the 10 years since its debut, the Xbox has sold 39 million units and 500m games - generating around $20bn in retail sales.

Microsoft to Announce '360 Game Room' Tonight

2010-01-07T07:26:00.002-06:00

Watch interview here

Microsoft will be making an announcement tonight during CES about a new Xbox 360 application called Xbox 360 Game Room. The interview was originally posted on Channel 9, but it was soon pulled from the site. Thankfully, some people were able to view the interview before it was pulled off the website.

According to NeoGaf posted Iced_Eagle, Robbie Bach of Microsoft talked about the new application for a short time during the interview session. He described the service as something that will link this generation to previous generations. The goal of the service seems to focus on classic titles and how they are still fun in the modern day. What this means exactly is unclear. Could it be something like classic arcade titles where your avatars walk around in a PlayStation Home like environment as you play classic titles from the past? Anything is possible, but we'll have the official details later tonight.

No other details about the service were explained, but the official announcement is scheduled to occur later tonight at around 9:30PM Eastern once Microsoft holds their CES conference.

Capcom teases new Mad Catz Super Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition Fight Stick

2010-01-07T07:17:00.001-06:00

With Super Street Fighter IV right around the corner and CES 2010 getting underway, Capcom just released a snap-shot teaser of their collaborated arcade stick with Mad Catz, a new Super Street IV Tournament Edition Fight Stick.

With everything getting well underway at CES, expect Mad Catz to make a full, official announcement in only a matter of time.

More details on this product as it becomes available. Stay tuned.

Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond Hits XBLA Today

2010-01-06T10:44:00.000-06:00

Matt is back for another adventure this time in the Xbox Live Arcade service. Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond is available for 1200 MS Points today.

Dragonball: Revenge of King Piccolo $20

2010-01-06T07:17:00.000-06:00

Amazing price drop... This game came out less than 3 months ago!

LINK: > Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo

NBA Jam Is Coming Back For The Wii

2010-01-06T06:51:00.003-06:00

ESPN reports that Electronic Arts has secured the rights to remake the Midway classic NBA Jam for the Wii. Gaming enthusiasts who were in grade- or high school in the mid-90s are bursting with excitement; everyone else will probably be left cold.

BOXER SAYS VIDEO GAMES HELPED GET HIM READY TO FIGHT

2010-01-06T06:48:00.000-06:00

WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner credits playing video games for helping rehab his injured hand.

The 155-pound mixed martial arts fighter broke the right index metacarpal in his hand, had two fractured bones in his left foot and a lesion in his right eye in a win over Donald (Cowboy) Cerrone in January.

The 25-year-old Varner thanks his doctor for the gaming advice.

"He told me to stay playing video games because that would strengthen everything up," he told a media conference call Tuesday.

His Xbox was on loan to fellow fighter Ryan Bader, however. But he got it back a couple of months ago, just in time for the release of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2."

"So I've been on that non-stop pretty much," he said.

Call of Duty: Vietnam!?!?

2010-01-06T06:11:00.000-06:00

t's only a matter of time before it was explored, and now there are some rumors rumbling out there about the next installment into the Call of Duty series.

Rumors are that Treyarch's next offering up in the franchise, assuming it's during Winter of this year is that the next game will take place in Vietnam. According to PlanetXbox360 the game will focus heavily on the story and the individual stories of each person in your squad.

Also according to the PlanetXbox360, the game will lean heavily on other war films for inspiration such as "Platoon", "Apocalypse Now", and "Full Metal Jacket."

These are just rumors for now but considering that Treyarch is pretty predictable with their upcoming games, I'd think it's save to assume these are probably true.

Electronic Arts standing behind Tiger Woods

2010-01-06T05:56:00.000-06:00

Electronic Arts Inc. said Monday it will stand behind Tiger Woods — at least for the release of a new online golf game featuring the embattled athlete.

The relationship between EA and Woods stretches back more than a decade, and Tiger Woods-branded games have pulled in hundreds of millions of dollars for the company over the years.

Woods' image has been tarnished following a Thanksgiving holiday car accident at the golfer's Florida home, which led to an admission of extramarital "transgressions." He is taking a break from golf and has been dropped by major corporate sponsors AT&T Corp. and Accenture.

Gillette, a unit of the Procter & Gamble Co., and Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer, a unit of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, have also said they will cut back their use of Woods in their advertising campaigns.

On Monday, EA Sports President Peter Moore said the company decided to stick with Woods because he is "still one of the greatest athletes in history" despite his "mistakes" off the golf course.

Moore added in a statement that the company has spent "considerable time" developing and testing the new "Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online" game, which he called a "breakthrough experience."

The game will be released in so-called "open beta" later this month, which means it is still being tested but anyone can play and help find areas that can be improved. EA said it doesn't have a date yet for the launch of the finished game.

The company, which is based in Redwood City, wouldn't comment on whether Woods' sex scandal will affect EA's plans for a new edition of Woods' popular console game, "Tiger Woods PGA Tour," a franchise that that doesn't do as well as the company's enormously successful "Madden" football series but is still a serious moneymaker. EA has raked in more than $670 million from the Woods franchise in the United States alone over the length of the partnership, according to estimates by market research firm NPD Group.

The most recent installment of the console game, "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10," was launched in June 2009. The next one is scheduled for the summer of 2010. The games are especially popular on the Nintendo Wii, whose intuitive motion controls lend themselves to sports games.

EA can continue to make "PGA Tour" games without Woods. It could pick another golfer with a more pristine family life. Or it could go back to the pre-Woods days, and simply call it "PGA Tour."

The game has no real competitors. EA is the only company licensed by the PGA to make games that carry its name. It lets players play in a setting that looks as close to the real thing as possible.

Most of Woods' $100 million in annual earnings have come not from tournament winnings but from companies that wanted to be associated with his persona.

Best Buy Caught Ripping Off Computer Buyers

2010-01-06T05:29:00.001-06:00

It's best to avoid Best-Buy when buying computers. On some of their sale items, they add a mandatory fee for "computer optimization" which is nothing more than a scam to part you & your money.

Link

Quote:
One shopper was told that optimization made the computer's processor "200% faster." The same shopper was told that he could try to optimize the computer on his own, but without assistance he would not be able to increase the processor speed.

When the shoppers asked if they could duplicate the optimization themselves, they got a variety of estimates of the time they would save if Best Buy did it for them. One shopper was told she would save "an hour and a half," while another was told that downloading Windows updates alone would take 6 hours. One shopper was even told that optimizing a computer at home would take about two days!

Another shopper was warned that the laptop was "incomplete" without optimization.

When she asked what the salesperson meant by "incomplete," he told her that it didn’t come with anti-virus software or Microsoft Office. The salesperson went on to tell her that optimization was her choice, but that Best Buy didn’t "recommend getting online" without it.

He explained, "You’ll get online, get a virus, and end up spending $200 to clean it up."

When she asked if she could install anti-virus software herself instead of paying Geek Squad to do it, she was told installing software yourself, "negates the vendor’s warranty."

Blu-Ray Gets Bigger

2010-01-05T15:58:00.000-06:00

Now PS3 games can cram even more uncompressed data onto one CD, as Sony and Panasonic voodoo masters have worked technological wizardry to beef up the capacity of a Blu-Ray disc.

Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 have their strengths and disadvantages in the console war, but one area where Microsoft is clearly at a loss is its choice of media: Sony's proprietary Blu-Ray format can hold 25 GB of data on a single layer (and can be dual-layered), where Microsoft's DVD-9s can barely stomach a third of that. Now, the disparity is going to get even wider, reports Nikkei Electronics Asia.

Sony and Panasonic have tag-teamed to create a method with which the storage capacity of the Blu-Ray can be increased from 25 GB to 33.4 GB using existing Blu-Ray reader diodes. There's some really complicated technology at work here that depends on reading infinitesimally small amounts of jitter, and that's way, way over my head, so instead of the actual technobabble I'll just explain it as this: Sony and Panasonic unholy priests performed a dark voodoo ritual to give their media disc even more power. That's all you need to know, right?

Apparently, it won't even require a hardware update - it can be accomplished with firmware and work on your existing Blu-Ray players, too.

Now, the Sony and Panasonic technicians should work on getting the data actually read at a decent speed so that we don't have to sit through crazy loading screens or install times.

Darksiders, no MP nor DLC coming up

2010-01-05T15:38:00.000-06:00

Vigil Games' Joe Madureira stated in a live interview that there will be no DLC nor multiplayer for Darksiders: Wrath of War. Not now and not in the near future. At least, not by Vigil Games themselves.

"We realised early on that we wouldn't be able to pull off the scope of game we wanted to and have it be multiplayer," Madureira explained. "We were a new team building new tech and a new IP. We had our work cut out for us.

"Vigil has a very strong all-or-nothing mentality, and if we're not confident we can pull it off, we're not doing it. So we focused on making the most kick-ass single-player game possible."

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars Preview

2010-01-05T15:24:00.000-06:00

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is coming to North American on January 26th, and to commemorate the

release (and provide Wii owners with a competent control scheme) MadCatz has announced their latest licensed FightStick peripheral, the first for the Nintendo Wii.

The stick is expected to debut at CES 2010 in Las Vegas this week and functions almost identically to it's PS3 and Xbox 360 brethren. In addition to standard features like the dual-speed turbo function, eight-button arcade configurations and an integrated D-Pad the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Arcade FightStick will also be the first wireless FightStick (it plugs into the WiiMote.) Other Wii-specific additions include a locking switch, Wii Home button, and stick switch that alternates between right- or left-sided playing styles.

Of course, the new FightStick isn't intended solely for Tatsunoko players and will be sold separately from the game. ?Many Wii owners are already enjoying Capcom fighting games via the Virtual Console facility," said Capcom VP of Business Development & Strategic Planning Christian Svensson. "With the launch of Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, we thought it important to give our fan base the opportunity to play with the Arcade FightStick.?

Xbox 360 12 Month Live Gold Card lowest price on the net $34.99

2010-01-05T15:19:00.001-06:00

Is your Xbox Live Gold Subscription going to end soon? Well, it's going to be hard to find a deal that beats Amazon's current price at $34.99 for 12 months with free shipping. Normally priced at $50, you'll rarely if ever see the price of the 12-month subscription fall lower than this. Link Xbox 360 12 Month Live Gold Card

The Dark Void Demo

2010-01-05T12:07:00.001-06:00

Dark Void Dark Void

The Dark Void demo will be available for download from Xbox Live on Wednesday January 6th and PlayStation Network on Thursday January 7^th