Monthly Archives: November 2009

Team17 has announced that a title update was released for Worms 2: Armageddon on Xbox Live Arcade.

The free update includes design changes, gameplay tweaks and a large list of fixes, which are posted below the break.

It was also announced that more DLC is planned for release during the early part of 2010, but no details on that were provided.

Should you be a Facebook user, Team17 are also holding a Fort design competition for players through here.

Hit the break for more.

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Below the break there’s a video for the Lost in Nightmares portion of the DLC for Resident Evil 5, or the Gold Edition – however you prefer it.

We posted this video before, but since the news of the Gold Edition was announced, we decided to post it again.

At first we thought we’d dreamt of posting it before because it took a while to find it. We even thought Capcom may have beamed it into our brain while we slept innocently in our bed – but no. It was posted way back on October 1.

Anyway, here it is again courtesy of Joystiq.

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Modern Warfare 2 writer, Jesse Stern, has told GamePro that the airport level in the game was a “risk we had to take”.

“When we tested the level, it was interesting. Steve Mancuda, who ran a lot of the testing, said people would get angry or sad or disgusted and immediately wonder what the Hell was going on here. And then after a few moments of having that experience, they would remember that they were in a video game and they would let go.

“Every single person in testing opened fire on the crowd, which is human nature. It feels so real but at the same time it’s a video game and the response to it has been fascinating. I never really knew you could elicit such a deep feeling from a video game, but it has.

“I hope that people don’t just look at it as being this simplistic and brutal sequence. We’ve done our best to treat it with care and not to make it gratuitous. The effect of it is you absolutely hate this guy, and the war that takes place in the game is set in motion.

“I hope that game developers take the lesson that you’ve got to try things. You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes. This is a triple-A game and the top grosser of all time with this huge budget behind it, yet we’re still taking major chances wherever we can and the airport level was a risk we had to take.

“Sometimes you take huge risks and it really works. Sometimes it doesn’t work at all. But if you don’t take the chance, you’re not going to make something new.”

Via BigDownload.

Here are your WiiWare and DSiWare releases for the week, and the list is bound to have something you’d like.

WiiWare

• Pokemon Rumble (1,500 Points)
• Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem (500 Points)

DSiWare

• A Little Bit of…All-time Classics: Strategy Games (500 DSi Points)
• UNO (500 DSi Points)
• Army Defender (200 DSi Points)
• MYNOTEBOOK: BLUE (200 DSi Points)

Full descritpions of each can b found over on CVG.

KOEI has announced that Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce will be released worldwide on February 16 for 360 and PS3.

The PSP version is already out.

This is the first time the series has gone online as well, and it has 40 playable characters, four player co-op, voice and text chat, 40 console-exclusive missions, and command of up to three AI-controlled officers,

Guest characters from Warriors Orochi 2 will appear in the Xbox 360 version, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 characters in the PS3 version.

By completing guest character challenges, players will win the right to use that guest character’s signature weapon in combat.

Full PR below the break.

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UK intelligence organization GCHQ, which works with MI5 and MI6, has announced that it is to run an ad campaign on Xbox Live to attract new recruits.

The six-week campaign was put into the works by recruitment firm TMP Worldwide which uses recruiting criteria through “reflected in game-play experiences on Xbox, such as quick thinking, problem solving and team work” and is aimed at 18 to 34-year-olds.

“As well as tackling ‘traditional threats’ GCHQ’s work is also about helping government departments, such as the Ministry of Defense, to protect their information and communication systems,” said a GCHQ spokesperson.

“This means we can offer excellent training and careers for people with specialist technical skills. However, the fact remains that many potential candidates remain unaware of GCHQ and what we do. Using video on Xbox LIVE helps carry our message to the right people in a creative and innovative manner.”

More through Guardian UK.

Black Friday deals set to go off at GameStop were leaked upon the internet today, and there are loads of stuff on there to cause a stampede.

One standout, is a Doorbuster deal with a 120Gb PS3 containing a copy of both the God of War: Collection and LittleBigPlanet for $299.

There’s also a 360 Elite Bundle for $299 with Bakugan or the original Modern Warfare, and Wii Sports Resort for $49.99 complete with an extra WMP.

The rest of this grand list is over D’toid.

GameStop has acquired a majority stake in free-to-play publisher Jolt Online Gaming, according to a report on Edge.

“Acquiring Jolt is significant building block in our digital business strategy. This is further evidence of our commitment to building a world-class digital business platform,” said GameStop general manager Chris Petrovic through a Game Informer subsidiary before the report was pulled.

“Combining Jolt’s expertise as a successful publisher, developer and aggregator of browser based games with GameStop’s vast multi-channel resources will enable us to shape and grow new market opportunities within the videogame entertainment industry.

“Going forward, our vision for Jolt is that it will continue its focus on working with our game publisher partners to create online games for game titles and brands that aren’t currently being exploited by the publishers themselves and then leveraging our global retail footprint to offer those games to GameStop’s customers.”

According to The Sunday Business Post, GameStop will invest between €15 -€20 million in Jolt over the next few years.

More through the link.

Here’s the list of HD movies that arrived on the US end this week include Star Trek, Bruno, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and others.

HDTV shows include: American Dad Season, Heroes, Family Guy, The Simpsons, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Cleveland Show, WWII in HD (great show!) and others.

The top HD movies are as follows:

1. Land of the Lost
2. Up
3. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
4. I Love You, Beth Cooper
5. Star Trek
6. The Proposal (2009)
7. Bruno
8. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
9. Orphan (2009)
10. Aliens in the Attic

Full thing through the link.

EA has announced that a free Team Racing pack for Need for Speed: SHIFT will be available worldwide on December 1 through XBL and on December 3 and 10 via PSN in Europe and the US, respectively.

The Team Racing mode has two teams of up to six racers going against each other along with five new sexy cars:

• 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
• 1967 Shelby GT-500
• 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
• 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
• 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV

Game’s in stores now.

Via PR mail.

This week, a viral video for a “game” called Mass: We Pray was released, and like most of us thought, it was a fake. A hilarious fake, nonetheless.

Turns out, it was the latest in EA marketing for Dante’s Inferno, this time instead of Wrath or Lust, it was Heresy.

When you click on the preorder spot for the game, it takes you to the page for Dante’s Inferno, so no “anointing the stick for you” or playing around with crucifix styled controllers that would make a Goth kid squeal with glee.

Heresy. The worst of all sins. Well, to some folks at any rate. This time, it’s rather hilarious.

Watch below for proof, and then click here to burn in Hell along with us and Joystiq.

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There’s a Jurassic: The Hunted demo up on Xbox Live, according to the Major.

Unfortunately it’s a US only affair at this point, but there is always hope for the rest of the world.

Hope, that is, if you like shooting dinosaurs and getting face to face with the terrible lizards.

It’s out for PS2, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 right now.

PSP marketing manager, Kristin Neirinckx, has posted a video walkthrough over on the US PS Blog detailing how to use the new adhocParty system.

In case you have been living out in the wilderness with wolves and are just now coming back to civilization, the online service allows PSP users who own a PS3 to connect with others via PSN.

We’ve posted the walkthrough below, but you can get it through the link too.

It’s available as of today.

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THQ and Vigil released another Darksiders video this week, and this one focuses on hacking and slashing enemies to death.

Called The Horseman’s Road, it shows War fighting loads of angels and demons with his really big sword.

Everyone wants a really big sword to smite things with, don’t ya know.

Head on over to CVG and have a watch.

It’s out in January for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has posted on the Modern Warfare 2 boards that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 has already outsold the PC version of the original Modern Warfare.

This is despite the PC version having the smallest market share when compared to the console versions.

“The PC version of Modern Warfare 2 has actually outsold the PC version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in its first week,” wrote Bowling,”making it the most successful PC version.”

Bowling did not provide numbers, but it sounds like the lack of dedicated servers didn’t matter to loads of folks.

Via BigDownload.

Square has announced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers will be released on Wii February 5.

Apparently, it has loads of open-world exploration, adventure, and puzzles.

Story: A young mercenary name Layle, a crystal bearer, has been hired to escort the new passenger airship Alexis, the pinnacle of Lilty technology and a symbol of their current dominance. However, when the Alexis is suddenly besieged by a horde of monsters, Layle comes face to face with an adversary thought to have vanished from the pages of history, on a quest that may threaten the future of the world…

Features

• Unique action-based gameplay – with 3D levels, exploration and puzzle solving
• Experience exhilarating real-time battles with intuitive controls
• Gorgeous 3D graphics that push the Wii’s capabilities
• An emotional audio score which creates a beautiful world to explore
• Open world game design
• Fully expressed event scenes with typical Final Fantasy elements

There’s screens below the break, via PR mail.

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Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, has told VentureBeat that there “wasn’t a million people” banned for having modded 360 consoles, and is unsure “why people would think it was a million”.

“These were people that were pirating software. We try to keep sanctity of life from a safety and anti-cheating perspective and we protect our partners. We didn’t release the [banned] number.

“I cannot explain to you why people would think it was a million people. It wasn’t a million people. Check the veracity of that claim. It was one news source.

“I think we do a really good job understanding what people are doing on the system. That applies to intellectual property (piracy) and how we treat the community in terms of harassment. We are committed to making it better and better.”

The original source of the large number was InformationWeek, which reported that up to one million consoles could have been banned globally, but it does not cite where it received those numbers.

More through the link.

Who needs subs? Sony, speaking at an investor conference this week, has said it expects PSN to bring in revenue of $500 million this financial year, more than three times the amount of revenue achieved last year.

More than 33 million people are now registered with the service, which turned three years old this week.

Networked consoles services are clearly “in”: Xbox Live revenues rose over 50 percent in the last quarter, although exact figures remain unspecified.

There’s more on BusinessWeek.

Steam’s popular. How popular? This popular.

“Our estimation is that Steam – as the current market leader – enjoys approximately 70 percent of the overall digital distribution market with Impulse at 10 percent and all others combined at 20 percent in terms of actual dollars generated per month,” said Stardock chief Brad Wardell, writing in the company’s customer report for 2009.

“Steam and Impulse both have the advantage of exclusive content (Left 4 Dead, Half-Life, Sins of a Solar Empire, Demigod, etc.).”

Wardell added that he expects downloads will make up around 25 percent of the revenues “for a typical PC game publisher on a new title” in calendar 2009.

More on Gama.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Week ending November 15. PSP and PS3 have seen off both Wii and DS to take first and second place in this week’s Japanese hardware chart, as you can see below.

Big Kaz will be pleased. Watch in awe as the ten-year plan unfolds before your very eyes. Or not. Whatever.

• PSP – 38,770
• PS3 – 38,498
• DSi – 33,749
• Wii – 26,764
• PSP go – 6,427
• DS Lite – 5,036
• Xbox 360 – 4,124
• PS2 – 2,031