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World of Warcraft 2.4 patch arrives
2008-03-27 03:26:10
Here's hoping your computer doesn't need fixing and your office voicemail stays online, because if you need anything from the IT department at your place of business you're straight out of luck. Blame it all on World of Warcraft patch 2.4, which hit the game's servers today, adding two new "Sunwell" instances, a giant arena tourney and other features you can read about right here.The patch even offers something for the non-World of Warcraft player: For the next few days, we get to learn what Left Behind would be like if Jesus only came back for nerds. ...

Warhammer Online Delayed, Collector’s Edition Revealed
2008-03-27 03:25:01
Originally slated for Q2 2008, Warhammer Online’s developer, EA Mythic, has announced that the game will in fact be delayed until sometime in fall with a definite launch date not announced at this time. In light of this dim announcement, Mythic also let us know that they will be releasing a special Collector’s Edition of the game limited to 60,000 units in North America, priced at $79.99. The Collector’s Edition will include a 128-page graphic novel, exclusive miniature figurine, and a 224-page art book. That is not all though, virtual items bundled with the Collector’s Edition include 12 additional in-game character heads, 12 bonus quests, and an EXP boosting item limited to 3 uses of 60 minutes a piece. But it doesn’t stop there, pre-order the Collector’s Edition from a selected list of retailers and secure yourself access to the open beta, early access to the live game, and 2 more virtual items. Retailers that offer this promotion include Gamestop, GoGamers.com, Bestbuy, ...

New Resident Evil 5 footage
2008-03-27 03:23:32
It's nothing to get too excited about honestly. First of all, the entire video is in Japanese, which makes sense considering it was taken from a Capcom 25th anniversary DVD found in the latest Famitsu. That said, we do get to take a look at Chris Redfield taking out the latest batch of not-zombies in Resident Evil 5. Honestly, it's probably a good thing that most of the footage was taken off-screen, as the sheer size of Chris Redfield's muscles might be overpowering in high definition. Seriously, it looks like he's smuggling T-bones in the back of his shirt (thick T-bones). Check out the new footage after the break.Continue reading New (off-screen) Resident Evil 5 footage ...

Halo 3 Heroic maps free today
2008-03-27 03:22:15
Happy free Heroic Map Pack day everyone! For those with a little patience, you'll be rewarded today with Halo 3's former $10 set of maps for the cost of air (but not PerriAir; that the Spaceballs still charge for). The pack includes Standoff, Rat's Nest and Foundry. While we'd love to tell you all about these levels, we're getting our first taste of them today.With all that said, there's currently a hiccup in the system and the content - which was supposed to be free at 2AM pacific last night - is still listed for $10 on Xbox Live Marketplace. Bungie's forum has a nice thread (about to break 100 pages) on the issue and we're trying to get an answer from Major Nelson for the Microsoft angle. We'll update when the map pack actually becomes, you know ... free.Gallery: Halo 3 - Heroic Map Pack ...

Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy MMO is a go
2008-03-27 03:20:23
The rumors have been confirmed, Ubisoft is really attacking the MMO market using Clancy's name as its secret weapon. After acquiring all the rights to the author's name, the French developer decided to use his popularity as a launching pad for its new MMO project. “Having no fees, it’s going to give us a full return, [so] we’ve really decided now to go for an MMO on the Clancy name, which is big” said Yves Guillermot, the boss of Ubisoft. Guillermot estimated that the Clancy MMO would cost between $40 million and $50 million to make and added that the company “has the technology to create MMOs… We have lots of games in the Clancy franchise that are already multiplayer. So to create an MMO, we need to have larger teams to actually spend the time to create it.” (more…) ...

9Dragons Liadong Map
2008-03-26 23:08:40
Japanese Invade Ancient China as Team PvP Event Launched in 9Dragons MMORPGLos Angeles, CA – Acclaim Games announces the latest content releases for 9Dragons with the new Liaodong map and Storm vs. Storm PvP event. Players of the free to play martial arts MMORPG must defeat Japanese invaders in the beautiful and challenging new Liaodong map. In the new Storm vs. Storm event, they can team up with other players to take control of the manors, and then fight to defend their territory against other teams. These amazing new game updates will give players all new and exciting challenges to test their martial arts skills!The Liaodong area expansion represents a new direction for 9Dragons – a journey into history and the age-old Sino-Japanese conflict. Players must come to the aid of the villagers who must deal with the “invaders from the east” and vanquish their mystical Samurai monsters, such as the legendary Oni and the magical Phantom.Liaodong offers a whole new map area, with new ...

Two Worlds 2: The Temptation announced for PC and Xbox 360 due autumn 2008
2008-03-25 04:42:47
SouthPeak Games has announced that it will be releasing a sequel to Two Worlds, its popular open-world role-playing game. Entitled Two Worlds 2: The Temptation, this second episode from the world of Antaloor is set for release on PC and the Xbox 360 in autumn 2008, Two Worlds: The Temptation will build on its prequel by including a host of improvements and new features, including a completely overhauled graphics engine. Taking place shortly after the events portrayed in the first Two Worlds, The Temptation takes place in Eastern Antaloor, mostly in the regions surrounding Oswaroh and the Drak'ar Desert. Two Worlds: The Temptation will also include a host of improvements and all-new game content on the same scale as the original Two Worlds' epic game world. From more intricate missions, improved voice-overs and animations to re-tooled horseback riding, completely revamped combat and a new graphics engine that delivers visuals that have to be seen to be believed, Two Worlds: The Temptat ...

Rock Band Wii 'Special Edition' on June 22, $170
2008-03-25 04:41:33
Harmonix confirmed today that Rock Band for Wii will be released on June 22nd for $169.99. The so-called "Special Edition" bundle will include the game, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Standalone instruments will also be available for purchase on June 22nd. The Wii edition will feature 63 songs, including five unspecified "bonus" songs.[Via press release] ...

Trion CEO says there's room for more than WoW
2008-03-25 04:38:57
Trion World Network CEO Lars Buttler believes there's room for more than World of Warcraft on the MMO playground. One would hope he'd say that as Trion is attempting to break into a market dominated by Blizzard's juggernaut. In an interview with GI.biz, Buttler reiterates his assertions, which brought him to our attention originally, that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick was trying to scare competition off by saying even with a $1 billion investment Activision couldn't challenge WoW (good thing for Kotick the company owns it).We're hoping that Trion starts making some game announcements soon, as it allegedly has $30 million in funding, along with some former executives from top publishers. It'd just be nice to talk about Trion in some other context than Buttler saying WoW isn't the only game in town. ...

Ticket to Ride, Golf, Gin Rummy Coming to XBLA
2008-03-25 04:37:54
Via Xbox 360 Fanboy comes word that a couple of games for Xbox Live Arcade have been revealed through listings at the German game ratings board USK as well as ESRB, its American counterpart. First up is Ticket to Ride, a downloadable version of the award-winning board game. It has players compete to build a railroad network across the countryside. A golf game titled Golf: Tee it Up! is also heading for the service, as well as an Xbox Live Arcade version of Gin Rummy, a popular card game. No details were provided on the titles. No release dates either. ...

Wii Fit priced for $90 at GameStop, pre-order $10
2008-03-25 04:37:23
According to a blurry GameStop release list image posted by WiiCast over the weekend, the charge for admission into the Wii Fit club will be $90. We've confirmed with various local GameStops that the game is listed in its system for $90. Pre-orders are being offered for $10 instead of the regular $5, but the two-fold increase is something we've heard has been in the GameStop pipeline for a while.Nintendo confirmed with Joystiq that "the only thing released is that [Wii Fit] will be 'under $100'" when it debuts on May 19. North America is the only announced region for Wii Fit without a confirmed price tag, with Europe and Australia ready to pay over $100 USD for the pressure-sensitive sweat board.[Via Wii Fanboy] Gallery: Wii Fit ...

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 PS3 online issues
2008-03-25 04:36:54
Reports are starting to come in about Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 saying that the online multiplayer in the PS3 version is experiencing some serious issues. Mainly that it’s not working. If you look in the official Ubisoft forums you will notice a few threads regarding a connection error messages that people are receiving when they try and connect to an online game. Inviting or joining gives them “Connection to Host has been lost” or “Connection Failed” messages, when their not kicked out after 10 minutes or suffer frome extreme lag. So if you’ve got the choice, go for the Xbox 360 version. ...

Spectrobes 2: Beyond The Portals DS sequel named by Disney. Original sells 1 million
2008-03-25 04:36:17
Disney Interactive Studios today announced the name of Spectrobes 2: Beyond The Portals, the sequel to Spectrobes, which shipped more than 1 million units worldwide and was the best-selling third-party Nintendo DS game of 2007 in North America. In Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, players can take on the role of either Rallen or, for the first time, Jeena. Jeena uses her research and technological skills so the duo can solve puzzles and complete their missions. Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals is currently planned for a Fall 2008 release. Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for Nintendo DS continues the story of Rallen and Jeena, interplanetary patrol officers who discover, excavate, awaken and train mysterious fossilized creatures known as Spectrobes and then use them to battle enemies. The story surrounds the origins of mysterious portals that lead to distant dimensions. Developed by Kyoto, Japan-based Jupiter Corp., the studio behind Spectrobes, Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals has a wealth ...

Botched PC Game Launches
2008-03-25 02:12:57
We’ve all had our fair share of pain and trouble installing a PC game, but what happens after that? Some games turn out to be atrocious, while others heavenly, though that is not the point of the article. 1UP takes a look at the five top-most botched PC game launches in history, listing the usual suspects. The most recent one has to be Hellgate London, the highly anticipated action-RPG that fell flat on its face upon release. Here’s a sample: When Hellgate opened on Halloween, 2007, s*** hit the fan. Never mind the ongoing demonic invasion and dimensional gash in no-longer-jolly-old England; players paid up to fight it off. But persistent crash bugs were a bad start. And while lost progress in an action-RPG is always painful, double and triple billings chafe in any context. Many subscribers to Hellgate: London’s optional membership program, who exchanged $9.99 a month or a flat lifetime fee of $149 for priority server access, easier in-game transportation, and other perks, repo ...

US Trade Commission investigates Blu-ray patent
2008-03-25 01:54:31
While we hear Sony has kept the party going non-stop since HD DVD's demise, the US International Trade Commission has stepped in as the role of the party pooper. Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, a former Columbia University professor, has filed a complaint with the ITC over what she says is infringement for patent she owns on certain light-emitting and laser diodes contained in Blu-ray players and other electronics.The commission has voted to investigate the claim, though they have "not yet made any decision on the merits of the case." Rothschild's complaint lists over 30 companies, including Sony, Samsung, Toshiba and Nokia. ...

Wii Getting Rock Band
2008-03-25 01:53:44
Games like Guitar Hero came on the early tides of the explosion of casual gaming and the Wii has climbed to the top of that wave and is riding it on a surfboard of cash. It’s no big surprise that Rock Band, the ultimate in buddy/party games is coming to the Wii. Harmonix announced that the game will be available as a Special Edition bundle starting June 22nd for the Wii at a cost of $169.99. The bundle will feature one of each of the instruments and microphone along with sixty-three songs. Stand alone instruments will also be available starting that day for people starting out solo. ...

The accidental ninja
2008-03-25 01:51:04
Spensi on WoW LJ says she may have accidentally ninja'ed -- it was clear before the raid that if Moroes' Pocket Watch dropped, she would get it. But when it actually dropped, she apparently looted it herself as main looter without saying anything, and her guildies didn't quite remember the deal before the instance started. Was it a ninja? I don't know -- there are good points on both sides.In fact, it seems the only way to really avoid loot drama is to, unfortunately, be as selfless as possible. Last night, I did a run of Ramparts on my up-and-coming hunter, and on the first boss, the Hunter mail pants dropped. The other Hunter in the party needed them as well, so we rolled on them, and I won. Later in the instance, another green piece came up that we both needed, but to be fair, I let him have it. And finally, on the second boss, the mail hands dropped, and I did need them, but once again, to avoid drama, I just let the other Hunter have them. I could probably have made a ...

Wii Guitar Hero III owners get free faceplate
2008-03-25 01:50:32
We think that those playing Guitar Hero III on the Wii have every right to feel like the cast-aside stepchild. Not only does their system of choice not get the DLC from the other consoles, they also got the fun of sending their discs in to be replaced when it turned out that the game was mixed in mono rather than stereo sound. Now, Activision is attempting to make up for one of those slights with a free guitar faceplate for those who had to send their game away.What's especially cool is that the company didn't make a big announcement about the deal, they just quietly went about trying to make things right with jilted fans. Good show, Activision. Now, about that DLC ... ...

New games this week: Dark Sector edition
2008-03-25 01:47:59
We've got to be honest, this pick is as much for nostalgia as it is for the game's importance: Just four short years after it was announced, Dark Sector, the very first next-gen game, is being released to store shelves. Way to never give up, little guy, you did it. Now please be good.If you haven't been holding your breath (and it's lucky for you that you haven't) there are a few other interesting picks this week like Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core on the PSP. Check the full list after the break.Gallery: Dark Sector (360)Continue reading New games this week: Dark Sector edition ...

Ninja Reflex on Steam
2008-03-25 01:47:13
Valve sends word that an exclusive version of Ninja Reflex, built with the Steamworks tool set, is now available on Steam. Dubbed Ninja Reflex: Steamworks Edition, the revised reflex-testing game features Steam-exclusive features including 50 achievements, as well as a couple of Half-Life and Portal-themed Easter eggs to be discovered. The game also features over 300 challenges, local multiplayer support, player customization and more. It can be bought with a 10% debut discount for $8.95. ...

On Wii Virtual Console today: King’s Knight and Powerball
2008-03-25 01:42:47
Today Nintendo adds new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon (see to your right). We've included videos of each of today's games for nostalgia's sake or so you can see if it's for you. This week’s new games are: King’s Knight (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points = $5): In the kingdom of Izander, the fair Princess Claire has been kidnapped by a foul and insidious dragon, and it is the mission of four brave fighters to save her. Through five thrilling, fast-action stages, our gallant heroes-a knight, a wizard, a monster and a thief-will take on an army of incredible enemies. You must help them reach their goal, as you are now part of the team that will fight to free the princess from her imprisonment. Keep your wits about you, p ...

Sonic Unleashed game revealed in leaked video
2008-03-25 01:40:50
Sega Magazine announced Sonic Unleashed, a new game for next-gen systems (presumably PS3, Xbox 360 & Wii). Apparently the game has a massive budget and the development team has the following mission statement: “To rebuild the Sonic brand and prove it could work in 3D environments.” Although it looks like there’ll be 2.5D platforming too, similar to Sonic Rush. After this news leaked online, Sega Europe officially confirmed the game for a November 2008 release. Play as Sonic, Knuckles or Tails through 12 packed stages. Sonic Unleashed will be the next Sonic canon game, a follow up of Sonic 06’s Iblis disaster, which explains the dark Sonic werewolf character shown in the screenshot above. Also shown is a yellow Super Sonic attempting to stop Eggman once more, but the bad guy has a new trick up his sleeve, which results in Sonic having to deal with a rather unnatural curse that creates a werewolf alter-ego of himself. At various points he will change into his werewolf form, a ...

UK Gamers Get Incentives to Pre-order GTA 4
2008-03-25 01:40:05
Gamers in the UK are lucky this time around, as HMV has announced that those who pre-order Grand Theft Auto IV, an upcoming magnum opus from Rockstar, will get 1000 Microsoft points for free; it would usually set gamers back at least 8.50 GBP. The store is also giving a book of vouchers to those who pre-order, offering them a combined saving of 130 GBP. GAME, an UK retail chain, has also gotten in on the action, offering 500 Microsoft points with the Special Edition version. The HMV deal is only for the standard pack, making it a better deal. GTA 4 will be unleashed on the PS3 and Xbox 360 on April 29. ...

Heroic Halo 3 Map Pack Goes Free
2008-03-25 01:33:24
Following the revelation of the Legendary Map Pack, Bungie has announced that the Heroic Map Pack for Halo 3 will become a free download starting tomorrow, March 25, at 2 AM Pacific time. The map pack includes the maps Rat’s Nest, Foundry and Stand Off; it was originally released in December 2007 for 800 Microsoft points. “Remember, as of the April playlist update, the Free Heroic Maps will be required in Ranked Big Team, Social Big Team, Team Slayer and Rocket Race playlists,” writes Bungie’s Luke Smith on the studio’s website. “We’re requiring these maps in the following playlists to give players more options with the map rotations and by including a high population playlist like Team Slayer, we hope that the maps will permeate through the Community, resulting in more games played on these maps in Matchmaking.” The Legendary map pack is set for release this April for 800 Microsoft points. It is unclear as to when this pack will become free. ...

Rock Band Gets Boston
2008-03-25 01:10:16
The latest batch of downloadable content for Rock Band is a six-song pack featuring tracks from Boston. Slated to arrive this week on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, the pack will include master tracks of “More Than a Feeling”, “Peace of Mind”, “Smokin’”, “Something About You”, “Hitch a Ride” and “Rock & Roll Band”. Each song will be available for purchase at 160 Microsoft points ($1.99), or in a six pack for 800 Microsoft points ($9.99). They can be previewed and downloaded through the in-game store. ...

Battlefield: Bad Company to Let Players Buy Weapons
2008-03-25 01:07:56
Gaming site Game|Life reports that weapons in Battlefield: Bad Company will be up for purchase on Xbox Live Marketplace. This comes straight from a screenshot produced from the recently released beta. The in-game “unlocks” menu lists a variety of weapons, some of which read “buy this weapon on Xbox Live Marketplace” when highlighted. The inclusion of microtransactions in EA games has become quite a worrying trend, having players buy the weapons instead of earning them through playing the game. Battlefield Heroes, an upcoming free-to-play multiplayer shooter, will also include microtransactions in a bid to support its free structure. ...

Rock Band coming to Wii on June 22nd
2008-03-24 22:59:17
Harmonix has finally made it for-really-real official: Rock Band is coming out on the Wii. They announced today that Rock Band will come out for Wii on June 22nd in the U.S. and Canada, in a Special Edition package including drums, a wireless guitar, and a mic, for $169.99. Standalone instruments will also be available.Rock Band will feature 63 songs, which includes five "bonus songs" -- we don't know what any of the songs are or what it means for some of them to be "bonuses." Songs that are available as DLC on other platforms? Nintendo stuff? No idea. But as long as there are songs in the game for us to play fake instruments to, we kind of don't care. We are down with Waggle Rock.[Update: thanks to a post on the Rock Band forum from a Harmonix staffer (via Joystiq), our enthusiasm has diminished somewhat. "The feature-set is a lot closer to the PS2 version of Rock Band which was also developed by Pi Studios," according to the post. Interestingly, he also said that the periphera ...

New Nebraska Network jacks N64 logo for their own use
2008-03-24 22:54:29
Oh, New Nebraska Network. Did nobody inform you about copyright infringement? Of course not. Otherwise, you wouldn't have co-opted the N64 logo into your own. Naughty naughty!And what is the NNN about? Well, they've been around since March of 2005 and "has been the state's premiere source of progressive online political commentary and community-building." Being gamers, we're a bit wary of political stuff, because politicians often take up the cause that video games are a bad influence. Looks like they may have their first proof of that.[Thanks, Michael!] ...

King’s Knight, Powerball on Virtual Console
2008-03-24 22:38:46
The latest additions to the Virtual Console library this week are King’s Knight and Powerball. King’s Knight is a top-down shooter that was developed by Square and originally released on the NES. It features five stages, multiple characters and, most interestingly, a princess to save. It can be purchased for 500 Wii points. Created by Namco, Powerball is described as a hybrid of football and rugby, with its publisher claiming it as a “brand new sport”. Originally released for the Sega Genesis, the game can be bought for 800 Wii points. ...

Electronic Arts CEO Warren Jenson departs
2008-03-24 22:18:58
The head shuffling continues at Electronic Arts, as one week after naming a new chief operating officer and president of global publishing, the company this morning announced that chief financial officer Warren Jenson has left the company after holding down the position since 2002.EA notes that Jenson will hang around to help close the books on the fiscal year-end reporting and help transition the role to someone else, a name that the company adds that it will announce shortly. While the reason behind Jenson's departure remains unclear -- the one-time exec stating only in a press release that "it's time for me to write the next chapter" in his career -- we can't help but wonder who will count up EA's coffers in his wake. ...