Monthly Archives: February 2009

Activision has released the Makin’ map for Call of Duty: World at War on Xbox Live.

It’s free.

Sure, it’s the same map that’s already in the game, but this one’s set during the day.

Call it a bit of diversity, if you will. Go download it.

Variety reports that, despite Sony having 20 million registered PSN users, Xbox Live has made Microsoft more than five times as much in its lifetime.

The story says that Sony may have accumulated $180 million from PSN in the last two years, but it’s a paltry sum compared to the $1 billion earned by Xbox Live in the last five-and-a-half.

Essentially, PSN has been around about 40 percent as long as Xbox Live, but made less than 20 percent of the revenue.

Lots more through there.

Blizzard’s updated the Diablo III website by adding The Unburied to the ever growing Beastiary.

Screens of it in action and a background story telling the sad tale of a creature “born out of pits of human misery” can be found here.

Sounds creepy, looks creepy: we can’t wait.

A new iPhone app, released by UIEvolution, gives PS3 users a new way to search for Trophies on the go.

It’s free, providing you don’t mind a bit of advertising, and allows you complete Trophy information on all available titles.

“We’ve compiled a detailed and constantly up to date guide and branded it with the high quality user experience we are known for,” said UIEvolution’s Travis Beaven.

“Now PS3 gamers can keep their attention and focus in the game, with their trophy guide always just a few quick touches away.”

Press release after the break.

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Creative Assembly’s released a new video for post-apocalyptic RTS game Stormrise, this time showing how to control spider/crab beast thingies as you do your warry stuff.

Nifty.

Watch the trailer below. It’s out next month for PC, 360 and PS3.

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de Blob has sold more than 700,000 units worldwide, THQ boss Brian Farrell told the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco this morning.

Despite a disastrous retail environment, the game has held its $49.99 price point after around five months of availability.

“We can make money on games like that,” Farrell said.

“The competition on the Wii right now is from Nintendo. That’s what we’ve got to attack,” he added. “The people who buy Nintendo games, [we want to] get them to buy things like de Blob.”

More on Edge.

Remember that Halo Wars: Expanded Universe thing we told you about earlier? The one that’s releasing on March 2?

The first part’s after the break.

It’s lots of people talking about Halo in general, including everyone’s favourite Halo person, Frank O’Connor.

What the Sam Hell are you waiting for?

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Creative Assembly’s released a trailer for Empire: Total War showing how to deal with heavy cavalry in the RTS. Watch it on Shacknews.

Not being set in Middle Ages Scotland, you have to shoot the horses instead of sticking trees through them, which is nowhere near as fun. Also, your po-faced soldiers don’t paint their faces blue or show their “arses” to the English.

Sounds crap. Not really. Watch and see. It’s out next week.

EA Redwood’s Glen Schofield has told GI that he’s told EA employees that those involved with the creation of quality games at the company will survive the current round of job losses.

“People who aren’t making great games are going to lose their jobs,” said Schofield.

“But if you’re making quality and we continue to push on that, and you’re a quality person then you’re going to keep your job.”

He added: “If we continue to make great games, if we continue to push this, we’re not going to lose our jobs. Because we’re making great stuff.”

EA’s position as a major brand means the company’s a good place to be, said the exec.

“I think the fact that it’s happening all over the world, and that it’s happening in every industry, makes it a little easier because you say, look guys, we still have a job, EA’s a big brand and it’s a great company – we’re going to survive this. We’re looking to fix things. And they realize that: it’s a big, big brand.”

Redwood Studios was behind Dead Space, which did not perform at retail as well as EA had hoped.

Kotaku’s posted a proper trailer for GTA: Chinatown Wars, and it looks as good as you’d expect.

There’s a bit of gameplay in there, and a whole lot of art. Essential stuff for the DS-loving hardcore out there.

It’s out in March.

Konami’s released a trailer showing off first game footage from SCENE Expansion, the latest Metal Gear Online booster pack.

SCENE includes:

Maps

• Outer Outlet – An Industrial Wasteland, made up of buildings and underground/above ground areas. Suitable for medium to long range attacks.
• Hazard House – An enormous three story mansion. Suitable for close to medium range combat.
• Ravaged Riverfront – Clock Tower, made up of underground, above ground, and under water areas. Suitable for medium to long range combat.

2 new special characters

• Raiden and Vamp – two highly anticipated characters with extraordinary physical abilities and overwhelming offensive power.

Pre-orders for SCENE will start the week prior to launch via Metal Gear Online’s in-game shop and Konami’s shop. Do so and you net some “cardboard man” head gear as a special free gift.

You’ll be able to use PayPal along with the PlayStation Wallet for this transaction.

Read on for press release and the trailer can be viewed here.

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Telltale’s announced that Sam & Max Seasons One and Two are heading to Xbox Live Arcade.

This is the wacky dog and rabbit thingies’ 360 debut.

PC and Wii users will be getting Season Two sometime soon, said the firm.

No release dates were mentioned in the press release.

Read on for more.

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It’s official: simulation racing is old news. EA said so, and – to be honest – knows oodles more about turning left and occasionally exploding than we do, so we’re deferring to the mega-publisher’s opinion.

As such, EA told Joystiq that its NASCAR sim racing series has stalled out for now, but that there are few go-carts sitting in the garage should you really need to get anywhere.

“NASCAR Kart Racing on the Wii is the only NASCAR-licensed video game that will ship this year from EA Sports. Due to the family-friendly atmosphere of NASCAR, we felt that a title developed exclusively for the Wii platform was the best scenario for the NASCAR racing video game franchise and fans of racing alike,” a representative from EA Tiburon said.

However, the future holds infinite possibilities, and EA still slips into its bathing suit and lounges atop NASCAR’s hood for photo shoots or whatever, so anything’s possible.

“We maintain a strong relationship with NASCAR and will continue discussions regarding future NASCAR racing titles,” the EA rep emphasized.

So there you go.

Creative Assembly’s communications manager, Vispi Bhoptihas, has said that trying to fight priacy is “pointless”.

Speaking to Videogamer.com regarding upcoming RTS Stormrise, Bhoptihas said that releasing a PC title later than its console version is no way to combat the problem.

“That’s pointless,” he said. “If people are going to pirate a game they’re going to pirate a game. All you can do is delay the piracy, really. But that’s just the nature of the beast.

“We are a PC developer, that’s where we started, so you do what you gotta do. We’ve got Games for Windows Live activation, so it’s pretty solid.”

Game’s out in March for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

More through the link.

fiddylicious

On March 1, 50 Cent plays his own game, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, with Xbox Live Gold members.

Those interested in going toe-to-tow with the rapper himself need to be online half an hour before the Game with Fame session starts this Sunday at 6.00pm EST.

Send a friend request to the following Gamertags:

• Fifty Cent GWF
• Fifty GWF 2
• Fifty GWF 3
• Fifty GWF 4

If you get in on this, let us know about it.

The HAWX demo’s the big cheese for European PS4 owners today, and SFIV obsessives will be glad of the first DLC. Full thing below, courtesy of… us.

Demo

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X (FREE)

Packs

• Street Fighter IV – Brawler Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
• Lord Of The Rings: Conquest (£6.29/€7.99)
• Buzz! Quiz of the Year (£3.99/€4.99)
• Skate 2 – San Van Classic Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
• High Velocity Bowling Candy Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
• High Velocity Bowling Dwayne Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
• High Velocity Bowling Trickshots Pack 2 (FREE)

Guitar Hero World Tour

• Bob Seger Track Pack (£4.39/€5.49)
• Old Time Rock & Roll By Bob Seger (£1.59/€1.99)
• Get Out of Denver by Bob Seger (£1.59/€1.99)
• Her Strut by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (£1.59/€1.99)

Rock Band

• Alt Country Pack 01 (£4.89/€6.59)
• 3 Dimes Down (£0.99/€1.49)
• Can’t Let Go (£0.99/€1.49)
• People Got a Lotta Nerve (£0.99/€1.49)
• Satellite Radio (£0.99/€1.49)
• Time Bomb (Live) (£0.99/€1.49)
• Jimmy Eat World Pack 01 (£2.49/€3.99)
• Futures (£0.99/€1.49)
• Lucky Denver Mint (£0.99/€1.49)
• Sweetness (£0.99/€1.49)

Videos

• FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Intro Video Trailer
• Burnout Paradise Ultimate Bundle Trailer
• Echochrome Master Maze Makers
• Prince Of Persia Epilogue Trailer
• Lumines Supernova Promotional Trailer
• DISGAEA®3:Absence of Justice Trailer
• Flower Behind the Scenes Trailer

Themes

• LocoRoco 2 MuiMui House theme

Good gravy. The latest Japanese hardware figures show just what the power of the RPG does in the Japanese console market. Microsoft’s probably loving Square a bit.

Think we missed a week with these. Here’s the last lot.

• DSi – 41,839
• PSP – 29,552
• Xbox 360 – 25,334
• Wii – 16,973
• PS3 – 16,149
• DS Lite – 9,975
• PS2 – 5,029

Both 360 and PS3 versions of Guitar Hero: World Tour get a dose of Bob Seger today.

Get Out of Denver, Her Strut, and Old Time Rock & Roll will run you 160 MS Points ($2.00) each, or 440 ($5.50) for the three song track pack.

And that’s that. Rock on.

[UPDATE] Apparently you can win a Fender Stratocaster signed by the man himself according to the Guitar Hero Community forums.

The Vault DLC contest features two instrument divisions (Bass, Guitar), supporting all four difficulty levels. Highest score wins.

More through here.

Atari just sent out a mail saying its previously confirmed Champions Online date has been changed from June to “spring”.

No reason was given for the move.

The game will be the studio’s first release since being bought by Atari in December.

The studio’s also working on Star Trek Online, which is pencilled in for 2010.

Blue Omega has released a few new shots of upcoming steampunk-inspired shooter, Damnation.

Images show some guns, people hanging from things, and a dark, dreary environment.

Codematers says it’ll be out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime this spring.

After the break.

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