I don't normally post release dates for games.  Frankly, they're not usually announcements worthy of our time 'round these parts, but Bioshock is one of those games that has me absolutely falling all over myself with anticipation.  

Am I hyped?   Yeah.

This is why I've been lurking their community site over at CultOfRapture, where today the community manager flat out announced that Bioshock will be street legal on August 21st.    A little later than I hoped, but I won't complain -   Hey Irrational!  How bout letting us indie media in for a sneak peek?!

From the post:

BIOSHOCK STREET DATE IS AUGUST 21
February 28, 2007

The headline says it all: BioShock's street date is August 21st. That's a Tuesday, for all you who might be planning your "sick" days in advance.

Let the countdown begin!

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here alive but right handed only. (Long story)  I haven't had much time lately what with 70 hour work weeks to do.. well.. anything.  But I could NOT let this go by without bringing it to your attention.

Gabe from Penny Arcade went off on a rant this past Monday about that nutbag kid who killed a homeless guy, and I agree 100% with what he said.  Go here, and check out his article called: Here we go again.

But that's not even the BEST part.  No the best part is when the kids step-mother, responds.  Go here, and check out the article called: A rare opportunity.

Bless you Gabe, and blessings to you and your family you poor woman.

Semper Fi!

Discuss this topic in our forums.

Speaking to C&VG, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon has revealed that he wants Mortal Kombat 8 to achive the same level of graphical accomplishment as Gears of War. During the interview, he states that "When I saw Gears of War, I was like, "Holy s***! That's the look that we've been talking about". If I'm frank, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Mortal Kombat would have achieved it's own graphical style, it being in it's eigth incarnation.

Over the years (the few years, I might add) of listening to developer types, and publisher types, and all manner of marketing types, I think it would be fair to say that I have quite a good skill for noticing when said types are being a mite shallow. When you hear a former EA employee talking about Gears being devoid of originality, you prick your ears a little, and with good reason. The same should apply here. What this man, this Ed Boon, is doing is trying to dissasociate himself with any failures the previous games have had. How can it have taken 15 years for a game to 'find itself'? At what point does Mr. Boon think "Shit! We haven't been doing what we talked about for 15 years at all! Maybe we should try something new!"? If a series really does need such a kick up the arse that it requires an entirely new approach really deserve a new title? MK has endured so many changes, each of which meant to do "something ... that's unbelievably unexpected" (thanks Mr. Boon), and revitalise the genre?

Boon proceeded to pour words further, adding that MK8 will have brand new fighting system (for the umpteenth time) - "We're not going to have three fighting styles, we're not going to have the same punches and kicks and the same kind of control scheme. Everything is getting trashed. We're reinventing everything from the ground up. We really think that's needed". Wait, didn't he say that with Shaolin Monks, or whatever the last bastard child of MK and Zelda was? Or was that Deadly Alliance? Or is it the forthcoming TableTop MK - Which I've titled "Mortal Dear God Why Are We Still Playing Tabletop Games Kombat"?

Boon gave a vague sounding (because Christ knows it won't come out on time) "Novemberish time" release date.

Some of the readers from the UK (there has to be one other than me), and even some from across the pond, may have heard of MP Keith Vaz, outspoken critic of violent video-games, and, crucially, politician. He is essentially the UK's Tank Flompson, minus the outright lunacy, and plus the traits that usually come with politicians.

MP Keith Vaz's name will now be humorously changed to prevent him gaining any ill-deserved credibility

MCV has 'obtained details' from a meeting that the Rt Hon Vazmobile has had the displeasure of sitting through, regarding game legislation, and how bleeding well the industry is regulating itself within the (rather loose) confines of the UK's PEGI ratings system.

It has long been the opinion of Sir Keith Vazbury III that the ratings system over here don't do enough to "protect children". You have to keep in mind that it is illegal to sell somebody underaged an 18 (or 15, or even 12) rated game, punishable by the full force of the law, and that finding out this helpful nugget of information would have taken little more than a click of the mouse (or in the case of His Majesty Pope Vazzington IV, a click of the fingers to hail a researcher) to the PEGI's website, this one right here.

In the meeting, both the Minister for Trade and the Minister for Creative Industry, Margret Hodge and Shaun Woodward respectively, stated that they "respected the steps the industry and PEGI had already made", and that "the games industry had been very successful on the matter".

In what may have been the final, crushing blow to Vazwang, President of Sealand, a spokesperson is reported to have said "that a change in Government policy couldn’t come about because of one MP’s concerns". Having studied British Government and Politics for just 9 months, I'm almost afraid to say that this would be a little obvious, and for King Vazpin, an embarrasing wake-up call.

In all, it was a remarkable step in the right direction for British government, which for all too long has been stuck in the Mary Whitehouse, BAN THIS SICK FILTH, Sensationalist phase.

So much stuff.

Weeks like this, the hardest part isn't finding the news, it's elevating the cool from the merely exciting.  Major announcements left and right, gargantuan displays of corporate might, spectacular screwups.

More after the break...

Continue reading "Josh Talks The News"

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here, asking you to take this with a heavy grain of salt:
 
Engadget is reporting that the next Xbox 360 will have HDMI built in. (They even have a very convincing picture to boot.)
 
Here's the text:
 
Ever wonder why Microsoft hasn't released an HDMI cable for the Xbox 360, or whether the AV port was really capable of digital out? Well, here's your answer: we landed pictures of what appears to be the second Xbox 360 -- the Xbox 360 v2, if you will -- codenamed Zephyr. (The original Xbox 360, if you recall, was codenamed Xenon.) The long rumored about and awaited update to the console won't just feature a new, cooler 65nm processor, it's also finally added an HDMI port for full digital 1080p pleasure, as well as a 120GB drive, just what the doctor ordered. The 120GB drive may or may not come bundled with the kit, we don't yet know, just as we also don't yet know how much a Zephyr 360 is going to run (we imagine it'll go for the same price as currently so they can keep up a little on their expanding margin). But our very kind Xbox insider seemed happy to let us know we'd be able to get them "soon."
 
And here's the rant:

Continue reading "Xbox 360 with HDMI?!? Oh no you DIDN'T!"

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here, what begins here is a "blog" of my time without my Xbox 360. Please keep a sense of humor when reading it and know that while parts are quite serious, others are very tongue-in-cheek.
 
I leave it to you to figure out which is which.
 
December 21st 2006:
 
"Gimmie a beat boys and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your Rock 'n Roll and drift away" – "Drift Away" - Doby Grey  (Not the crappy remake)
 
Music has picked up the slack for my gaming addiction. I hadn't realized it but even when I wasn't gaming, I was at least turning on the Xbox 360 to download some form of content or another, usually sneaking in a quick Arcade game or two. I'm finding that there are songs on my iPod I haven't listened to in some time, whose lyrics are suddenly strangely gaming relevant. It's probably just my mind playing tricks on me.
 
Today I took my Xbox 360 to work.

Continue reading "Separation anxiety: The Cooper Hawkes Xbox 360 saga."

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here:

Today is December 18, 2006. In seven days it will be Christmas morning, when millions of gamers will be opening their tired little eyes after playing marathon WoW, or Gears of War, or SOCOM games the night before. They will wipe the sleep crust from their eyes, and hope, pray, maybe even sacrifice a small part of their souls in the foolish hope that under the Christmas tree will be a PS3 and/or a Wii.
 
I am not one of those people. Yes, I consider myself a gamer. I find myself playing Gears of War more than what is probably healthy. I have also recently picked up Assault Heroes, and I cannot get it out of my grubby hands. (Note to Microsoft: Games like Roboblitz and Assault Heroes are what I want in my Xbox Live Arcade.)

I look at the price of the PS3, and to a lesser extent the Wii, and I just can't imagine putting out the money for it. This is the problem with console ownership. Since we have three companies vying for our attention (and our wallets), and since I am married with a kid, my personal time to even try to game has diminished to the point of near nonexistent. Throw in a job that has me working 60 hours a week, and that takes away nearly all of my time. (This last sentence should explain, as I haven't posted the past couple of weeks.)

More after the jump...

Continue reading "The Flaming Sword #19: Goodwill towards men"

Last week, or maybe it was longer -- one day just runs into another lately -- we told you about an incident in which a suspected PS3 thief was shot and killed by police sent to his apartment to serve warrants.

Peyton Strickland, 18, was killed when he came to the door carrying a Sixaxis controller from one of the PS3s he was suspected of stealing. Police reportedly mistook the controller for a weapon and opened fire, killing Strickland and his dog.

I and many commenters on the orginal post were quite concerned how a controller could be mistaken for a gun.

Well, apparently the district attorney in Wilmington couldn't answer it either. He presented the case to a grand jury earlier this week in hope of securing second-degree murder charges against one of the deputies involved in the shooting, Chris Long.

Unfortunately, the grand jury didn't see cause and decided not to charge him.

Stories written Monday reported that Long, 34, had been charged, but on Tuesday the foreman of the grand jury contacted press to note that he had mistakenly checked the wrong box on the paperwork and that the grand jury had indeed decided not to charge Long.

This is not the first time this deputy has been in hot water for being quick on the trigger. According to the local NBC affiliate, Long been involved in a previous shooting in which two teens were injured. He was cleared of wrongdoing in that case.

On the plus side, Long did lose his job. Now maybe he has time to use those lightning reflexes for something less lethal -- like, oh, a video game?

First, let me purge my stomach. Because actually reporting about SpikeTV on a gaming website -- intimating that they have anything at all to do with each other -- makes me nauseous.

That being said, it should be noted that SpikeTV's Video Game Awards were handed out in a star-studded gala.

You watched, right? Ahahahahahaaaaa... Yeah, me either.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was named game of the year. Yeah. I kid you not.

It garnered four awards for the evening, including best game, best original score, best RPG and most addictive game.

Gears of War nabbed three: best shooter, best graphics and best multiplayer.

The entire winners' list, if you care -- if anyone cares -- can be found after the jump:

Continue reading "SpikeTV Names Oblivion Year's Best Game"

I only post this non-gaming issue because it seems so many of us have been deeply affected by the death of CNet's James Kim.

The San Francisco Chronicle's website, SFGate.com, has posted an online condolence book for well-wishers to post their thoughts about the man who, in an effort to save his family, lost his life. It also allows an option to send a sypmathy gift -- ostenesibly to the family, but it's pretty unclear.

You can find the book and the sympathy-gift link here.

If you would like further information on what exactly happened to James Kim and why he died, the Chron also posted an excellent graphic and several very good stories to show in detail how a Thanksgiving trip to Oregon could go so wrong.

I only post this, firstly, for those who really feel they need to understand what happened to the Kim family.

Secondly, this is excellent information for all of you who travel to snow states in winter. This was avoidable at so many levels, and it was a series of miscalculations, misinformation, bad decisions and bad luck that led to James' death. Please learn from his mistakes so we lose no more of the Geek Community in such a sad and preventable way.

Here are the links, including a map of where he was lost and where he walked and a story on the hinkey nature of internet maps.

If tech-types have a national pasttime, forgoing activities like football and baseball that take us away from our screens, it's speculating on what Apple might do next.

So it's no surprise that, given the intense attention being given to game consoles, someone would opine that the House that Steve Jobs Built might be thinking about throwing its hat into the gaming ring.

Prudential Financial analyst Jesse Tortora did just that Monday, according to an article reported at AppleInsider.com.

Tortora says he believes Apple is already working its busy little noggins on how to capture some of the gaming market, given that the company has recently announced that it will make video games available on iPods via the iTunes Store.

From the article:

"The game console device could be morphed out of some combination of the MacMini and iTV, while the handheld player could be developed as an enhancement to a future version of the widescreen iPod," the analyst explained.

Question is whether the market is already oversaturated. If a handheld device, Apple would have a hard time wresting the market share from the Nintendo DS. If a home console, its arch-rival Microsoft pretty much owns that game, with Sony and Nintendo already biting at its heels.

The pervasiveness of the iTunes Store and Apple's history of slick, efficient electronic devices does give Apple a distinct advantage over any other new contender thinking of entering the field, but would it be enough?

Of course, this is all speculation by one analyst. It also could be a crock of bull.

[From AppleInsider]

In South Carolina, a 12-year-old boy was arrested for opening his Christmas gift a wee bit early.

After the box was found to be empty, the boy's mother questioned him about where the GameBoy he was to get on Christmas went. At first, he denied taking the GameBoy and pleaded that he didn't know where it was. Then his mother threatened him with calling the police. He relented and gave back the GameBoy, but she had already called the cops. He was charged with petty larceny but wasn't jailed.

Now, this might sound a bit harsh for opening a Christmas present, but no, it's somewhat justified. You see, the boy has had a history of misbehaving. Being a single mother, she didn't know what to do with him. He has shoplifted, stolen money from her, punched a police officer, and is close to being expelled from school. Her justification for having her son arrested was to give him a wake-up call so she wouldn't have to get a call from the police saying he was killed.

See her side now?

[via NBC30 WVIT]

If you and a guest are interested in listening to Samuel L. Jackson yell for a few hours and give awards to crappy games, then Spike TV wants YOU. If you're in Los Angeles on December 8 and have nothing better to do, print out these free tickets* to attend their little video game award show at USC.

Apperances by:
50 Cent
Tony Hawk
Method Man
Tyrese
Seth Green
"and more!"

* tickets aren't actually guaranteed. I think it's first-come, first-serve or some crap.

Continue reading "Free Game Award Show Tickets (If You Give Up Your Soul)"

Microsoft is worried, ladies and gents. Worried that people in Europe and America are getting things that they just shouldn't have. A fully fledged and quite well-stocked media marketplace simply should not be in the hands of the Europeans! And a demo (which is actually rather good) of Rainbow Six: Vegas should by no means be played by people in America before those in Europe!

In case you were unaware, you can become one of the chosen millions with access to this or that piece of content simply by creating an Xbox Live Silver account in another country. People based in the UK, for example, may want a US account to download South Park or some such show.

However, up to this point, it's all been above board with MS, who hadn't really spoken up about said problem. According to German site Xbox Archiv, a confidential plan was leaked to them, presumably via Microsoft. It has taken down the article since, and attempts to contact Microsoft's UK representative have been met with a stern "no comment."
While some people are put off by this account hogging (Gamertags are bloody hard to come by, though I think I had a lucky break with Refridgeron), it's more about contractual details between Microsoft and, say, Comedy Central. I think Eurogamer said it simplest.

Via Eurogamer

And when is a cow considered wild? During what period of human existance have cows been seen in the same light as, say, a bull elephant? Or a tiger? Frankly, in a brawl, mano-a-mano between a tiger and a cow (vicious as they may be), I think I could safely bet on the cow to lose. And not only to lose, but to lose by an incomprehensible degree. If there were cow pieces left, I'd be worried.
But I digress. Now available, presumably not through popular demand, is a stick-on "skin" for the PSP and 360 pad that allows your game to be as fierce as that of a cow.

There is one redeeming feature, however, as you can also buy it in a leopard print, rather than cow.

Marvel has announced that the next Iron Man game will be produced by Sega. Marvel Entertainment INC. and Sega have a multiyear agreement where the video game company will have exclusive right to develop all Iron Man video games. Sega will have the right to create games based on any upcoming movie adaption or any previous comic books that involve the character to a certain degree.

The interesting part is Sega's first project will be a game based on the new feature film based on the Iron Man comic due for release in 2008.

This is definitely a big deal for Sega, considering that the Activision Spiderman games have taken in a considerable profit due to live-action movie.

Now you are wondering: Iron Man movie? Well, here is a quote from Marvel on the actors who will play Iron man and War Machine for those interested and a link to IMDB's Iron Man page at the bottom:

Iron Man feature film starring Academy Award® nominees Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard and directed by Jon Favreau.

But interestingly enough, if you'll notice, this is another game company move for Marvel. They have had previous involvement with Vivendi Universal, EA, Activision, Konami, and Capcom. Personally, I think this is a really great thing because not only are we getting an Iron Man game for next gen, but we're also finally getting it done by a decent company. We have not seen anything decent since the Capcom days! Sorry but Activision had its chance and its games, while okay, just didn't cut it when it came to gameplay and fanboy expectations.

IMDB  Link
Marvel Link

After the death of Lik-Sang, the import site that had Sony worried about safety, it appears that "grey importing" is still alive and kicking off the faces of unwitting consumers.

I was coming home from Manchester earlier tonight, and on the way home I passed a billboard advetising the PS3. It was very, very poorly done. It was either the work of a monkey with a PS3 picture, some glue, and enough money to begin advertising, or it was shady goings-on. I'm not the only person to see this, though.

Continue reading "Why Lik-Sang Should Live"

So, of the 37 people I know who acquired a PS3 today (in some form or another), only three of them purchased with the intention of keeping them.

Where do the rest go? Ebay.

At the time of this writing, there were 13,490 new PS3 auctions currently up (and 23 used), and that number is going up by the minute

I'll admit it, I had a PS3 preorder that I've since picked up and tossed onto the EBay stack, and in doing that I gotta tell ya -- I wonder if there enough demand to support this insanity.

Even more odd, the image I've attached with this post was pulled from EBay almost immediately after I grabbed it to be replaced with a faux-gold cell phone. Does EBay know something we don't?

And here's the real question: With the majority of Playstation launch titles getting rated as "meh" or lower (the notable exception being Resistance, which is getting nines), and with the supply the way it is, do we really think there are 15,000 people out there who WANT a PS3 and don't already have it?

I really don't know.

Well, not 'die' as such, more 'watch your favorite mod be doomed to eternity'. Yes, that's more fitting.
Anyway, ModDB have started the 2006 mod awards, wherein you get the chance to vote for your favoritest mod evar! Simply send in a nomination (4000 will be whittled down to a significatly lower number), and then hope that your favourite mod gets through to the next stage. At this point, you can vote! Or die!
According to the official website,

Mods unlock and expand the incredible power of games. Mod making is an art form that empowers creative expression. The Mod of the Year Awards recognize the best mods in the world

If you didn't know that already, then head off to ModDB, vote, and begin looking fr some brilliant mods! My vote is going to have to go with SMod: Tactical, a mod for a mod for Half Life 2. Go check it out.

To coincide with the fifth anniversary of Halo, Bungie and Microsoft are planning big, big things: Firstly, and most importantly, a public beta of the multiplayer of Halo 3. That's right, come spring, you could be playing Halo 3. Also available will be new multiplayer maps for Halo 2 (although these are only for the 360 -- a chance to show off the graphical prowess that Halo 2 could handle?), and, come december, a 60-second ad for Halo 3 supposedly showing insight into the Master Chief's character.

Continue reading "Halo 3 - Shiny as Anything"

The recent release of Left-Behind: Eternal Forces has sparked up a lot of controversy, not only in gaming circles, but in religious ones, too. One of the more provocative examples is the stance taken by Christian religious institutions. Gamepolitics.com is reporting on a story with regard to an editorial made by a priest at the "Archangels Orthodox Mission," the Rev. Fr. Germogen Tucker. In this remarkable piece the pastor states that

We need to protect the minds of ourselves and our youth from the violence in the world and portrayed in video games

And the mass genocide ever-present in the Old Testament is the right thing to teach children?

Continue reading "Old Testament - The Most Violentest Game Of Them All!"

A lot of people like to give to the needy around the holidays, and I felt it appropriate to inform Gamer Andy readers about two gaming-centric charities that you might consider donating to this coming holday season.

Get Well Gamers and Child's Play both take donated toys, videogames, and consoles to give to children's hospitals around the world.  In many of these hospitals, most or all other donations are in the form of medical research funds and so there is very little for children to do in an effort to take their mind off the illnesses and injuries they may be suffering, especially during long-term care.

Both of these charities make toys and games available to ill and injured children so that they and their families can have a fun and relaxing time during a stressful situation.

More after the jump

Continue reading "Tis the Season"

(Updated with Pricing after the Jump - Thanks to Tipsy McFragger from the forums)
Hey all,
Just got a call from Morgon (MyGamerCard.net) who is on-scene at the Xbox Showcase in New York right now where they just made a big announcement concerning the future of video content on XBL Marketplace

From the GamerScoreBlog article:

Wow, I honestly didn't see this one coming.... I'll post the full list of content (thats been revealed) after the jump, but the titles that really jump right out at me on the list are Robot Chicken, CSI and Southpark.... Mmm.....    

Full list and commentary after the jump

Continue reading "TV and Movie Coming to Xbox Live! (Updated)"

Happy Halloween Guys, So what gaming news was released this night, why Clive Barker's Jericho. A teaser trailer and screen shots that were released for Halloween which can be found after the jump as well as the little details that is known about the Next Gen horror title.

More After the Jump


 

Continue reading "Preview: Clive Barkers Jericho"

Looks like Sony is at it again.  Popular importer of all things related to video games, Lik-Sang, will be shutting down soon.  According to the news on Lik-Sang:

Sony claimed that Lik-Sang infringed its trade marks, copyright and registered design rights by selling Sony PSP consoles from Asia to European customers, and have recently obtained a judgment in the High Court of London (England) rendering Lik-Sang's sales of PSP consoles unlawful.

The article goes on to say how Sony moved in this way to protect its consumers from buying hardware that doesn't conform to consumer safety standards.

Continue reading "Lik-Sang: 0, Sony: 1"

How many hours have you whittled away on Diablo? Thousands? More?
What if I were to tell you that Diablo 3 was not, in fact, a hopeless dream, resting in the hands of soulless corporations?
In an interview with WCRadio.com, Richard A. Knaak, writer of the Diablo book series, dropped a series of pretty major hints as to the production and development of Diablo 3.

Interview bits after the hop.

Continue reading "Diablo 3 lives?"

Hold on tight, people. This Sunday the 22nd is the beginning of Toys R Us's annual buy 2 get 1 free video game sale.  I'm guessing this is to clear out the shelves for the sparkly, new, holiday buys, but I think of this as early Christmas shopping.  The great part about this sale is that the store lets you mix consoles, which means you can buy an Xbox game, a DS game, and get  PS2 game for free.  This sale ends on the 28th.

With the game draught near over, I'm sure everyone can find three games they've been saving for a sale like this.  For me, if TRU has Contact this weekend, I'll be getting Contact, Devil Summoner, and then either Okami or Tales of Abyss for free.

We may be too old to trick or treat, but we're never too old to enjoy Halloween. Starting this month, some games will be hosting in-game Halloween events to celebrate.

In the Azeroth, WoW players can enjoy the decorations of Hallow's End. There will be new NPCs and quests for the occasion and can be found October 18th through November 1st. [WoW's Halloween]

In the world of Vana'diel, there is the Harvest Festival, which will begin on October 19th and end on November 1st. Event stalls will have Festival goods, and a special event, The Dark Lillies will also be introduced. There will be the expecte costumed fun and NPCs will react differently to players wearing costumes. [FFXI's Halloween]

Those playing Phantasy Star Online are not to be left out. There will be a Jack O'Lantern hunt as well as a Pioneer Halloween quest. The Pioneer Halloween quest will feature legendary candy, which beats the razor-filled already-opened candy I used to get when I was a child.[PSO's Halloween]

Inhabitants of the Animal Crossing DS world should prepare for Halloween by stocking up no candy. Rumor is that having plenty of treats will keep you from getting tricked by mischievious neighbors. [AC event calendar]

Ladies and gents, Mac gaming is dead. Long live Mac gaming!
For too long have our machines, beautiful and well-designed as they are, been underused in the field of gaming - but Crossover is here to change that!
Crossover is an app which helps, no, allows you to install Windows applications onto your Mac, but only, of course, if it is an Intel Mac.

What follows is a journey into the dangerous world of cross-platform tomfoolery, a land filled with glaring traps (there's very little DirectX support!) and beautiful vistas (not Oblivion's though).

Continue reading "Crossover - DEFCON hearts iMac"

I spent the better part of the day clearing out some old boxes of junk in the garage, and coming across some of my older gaming stuff I noticed something that often isn't associated with modern gaming any more:  paper manuals that are almost as interesting as the games themselves.

Continue reading "The sad slow death of the manual"

Hi there, I’m Greg a new writer just like josh and I'm here to post about as the title entails...the Need For Speed Demo.  I know this may upset some people that liked the last 2 games, so this is a warning if you liked them than you probably won't like this post particularly awe-inspiring or enlightening like the first time someone saw Jesus in the white light.... oh yah there’s a hit at madden too, so if you look at that game as the epitome of video games (which I really hope nobody does otherwise I'm in deep shit) you would be bright to glance to another article.

Continue reading "Need For Speed Demo....any good?"

NFL fans have Madden, NBA fans have NBA2k or NBA Live, MLB fans have …. You get my point. But for years Xbox wrestling fans have had nothing worth talking about.   The RAW series was a car crash and Wrestlemania 21 was a train wreck that caught fire and blasted though a village of orphans (yes, it really was that bad).  Xbox wrestling fans for the past few years have had to watch in envy as year after year the Smackdown series grew and matured into an essential game for the wrestling afficiando in all of us.  All the while the Xbox failed to even register a victory.  This left fans to wonder why Smackdown wasn't just ported to other consoles to expand upon its success. When THQ failed to respond, it was assumed the Smackdown series would remain a Sony exclusive for years to come...

Then, March 30th, 2006 THQ announced Smackdown was going next gen and it was doing so on the Xbox360

September 28^th, 2006 – Bringing it home – day 9, as X06 begins to wind down Microsoft catches gamers off guard by smacking down (see I can use cheesy puns) a demo onto the Xbox live marketplace. So after putting a significant amount of time playing the demo of Smackdown (I have played close to double figures at the moment) I feel I am able to properly preview this game and do it the justice it deserves.

So come inside and see if THQ have managed to quench wrestling gamers thirst for grappling action in my preview of Smackdown Vs Raw 2007.

Continue reading "Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 Preview"

Hey guys, it's Allan here. I've just returned (Okay, fine, it's been a while since this event. It was several days back. But I blame <another GA writer> for the delay.) from a long journey into the savage heart of... wait, no, it's just an EA Preview Screening of some upcoming holiday release games. That's right, I was at EA Play. It may not be the Tokyo Game Show, but at least it's something.

So down to the titles, the showcase had such games as: Need for Speed Carbon, Sims 2: Pets, Battlefield 2142, and EA Sports titles, such as Cricket 07, Hockey, and NBA. So follow the jump to hear more...

Continue reading "EA Holiday Preview"

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here, and if you haven't heard, Tim and the gang are back doing "The Widget Show"

That's great and all, but guess what? They came back with an interview with Introversion, creators of Darwinia and the upcoming Defcon. It's in their latest Podcast that can be found here.

Best part of the interview? When they said that two titles are coming to the "major consoles".

Gee, I wonder which games.. Let's see.. they have Uplink, Darwinia, and Defcon. So two of those.. well Uplink is text based.. I wonder.. :)

Semper Fi!

Some of you might remember a little story we ran a few weeks ago that got some attention .... with fanboys on both sides of the aisle crying foul or clamoring with joy. Yes. Clamoring..

Anyhow, my favorite British gaming tabloid, SPONG, sends word today that Robert Kotick (CEO, Activision) has announced the cross-platform love that is the Guitar Hero franchise.

From the article:

 

Previously, as you are most likely aware, the title had been a PS2 exclusive, though rumours of a next gen move over to Xbox 360 in addition to PlayStation 3 have been doing the rounds for some time. Whether or not there are any plans for a Wii-specific Guitar Hero game remains to be seen, although Kotick did mention that the game would appear "on every significant new format."

 

Gloating and prancing after the jump...
Continue reading "Guitar Hero CONFIRMED on Xbox360 (and others)"

That's right folks.  The only way you can reserve a Playstation 3 or Wii at Gamestop or EB Games is to trade in at least $50 worth of games, during the week of September 18th - that's next week.  That and you're not guaranteed a console at launch, nor before Christmas.  Does anyone see something wrong here? 

Perhaps they don't want to be overwhelmed with reservations they can't fill.  Perhaps they feel that this way, people will have a harder time selling their newly bought consoles for double on Ebay.  Perhaps they want us to give them old games and make three times as much what they paid us for them.  My guess is a combination of all three.  Here's the link with the complete lowdown.






And here's where I bid you farewell.  After 8 months of writing for GA, I'll be leaving to its sister site www.360insider.net.  No worries though, I'll still be around.  Hopefully after things get situated over at 360i, I'll get more involved with the GA community.  Thanks for reading my letters that loosely resemble words, and Adios Esposito!

With the summer drought almost to a close, I am finding myself in a bountiful environment of hours upon hours of previously un-experienced gaming goodness.  Instead of going out and buying $60 games that I may or may not like, I have been ignoring my next-gen titles and using my Xbox 360 for backwards compatibility.  What a mistake Peter Moore made when he said backwards compatibility wasn't important.  Not only is it important for Microsoft, it is also important for all the Playstation 2 or Gamecube owners who missed out on some Xbox gems.

Continued after the jump...

Continue reading "Backwards-Compatibility, and Other Stuff Too"

We've all been aware of gaming tournaments, but it seems that the mainstream press is starting to discover it.

Oh, and I hear blogs are the "hot new thing" these days, too.

Today in SF Gate, the expanded online version of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, a story appeared that delved into the Championship Gaming Invitational being held this weekend at Treasure Island (the defunct military base in the middle of San Francisco Bay).

You can find the story here.

Although it doesn't go very deep, the article does broach the big question for the gaming-media industry right now: Could televised gaming tournaments be as successful as televised poker matches?

To be honest, I'm not entirely sold. As someone who's watched a lot of other people playing, expecially games I don't really know much about, I find first-person shooters frantic, confusing, and eventually boring as a third-party viewer.

Sure, if you've played a lot of Halo 2 or Geometry Wars, it's pretty gripping stuff. But if you don't know these games and you don't know what you're looking at, you just don't tap into suspense and tension necessary for compelling television.

And consider this: The major allure of video games is they are interactive. Can a network survive if it takes something inherently interactive andt turn it into something purely spectator?

So gaming television can only, in my mind, program to the choir -- which is fine. But I have major reservations about it being as gripping to the gaming noob as poker TV is to the poker noob.

Of course, that's just my opinion. What do you think? Could televised gaming work? Do you think it will only attract gamers, or could it make gaming more acceptable and accessible to the non-gaming world? Will it attract new players, or will it only bring in hardcores?

Shoot. Fight. Maim. Solve puzzles. Race. Play sports. Rinse and repeat.

The essence of a video game most likely falls under these categories. It has recently occurred to me that every game I buy is either one where I am shooting at something or one where I'm playing sports.

It's sad really: Can games ever be more than shooting and racing? Yes, there are exceptions, such as Guitar Hero and Katamari Damacy, which break the mold in originality. But why are we stuck in the rinse-and-repeat cycle of shooter after shooter after shooter?

Find out my thoughts after the jump...

Continue reading "Originality In Games - Where Is It?"

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here with some news from our brother site "The Widget Show"

A couple of weeks ago Tim cryptically told me that he had an interview coming up and swore it was "A biggie." And now it seems the interviewee has tipped his hand.

Please go to The Widget Show website, subscribe (if you haven’t already) to their podcast, as episode 53 will include an interview with the legend himself:

(Jump to find out who!)

Continue reading "The Widget Show interviewing BIG developer!"

 
Continue reading "DU Report - Issue 2"

For me, it took a while to finally defect from the nation of Sony.  They called to me to keep buying their products.  They taunted me with MGS4's exclusivity.  They taunted me with the promise of a God of War 3.  They even taunted me with the probable idea of a downloadable content version of Guitar Hero.  Then I had an epiphany because of George's epiphany during the last podcast.  I will not buy a Playstation 3.

Find out why after the Jump...

Continue reading "My Betrayal of Sony"

Gamespot reports:

"The trademark, filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on June 29, is littered with selected keywords and phrases used to describe the company's new endeavor. Among the trademark's listed descriptions are "video game controller in the form of an electronic toy guitar, sold as a unit," "stand alone electronic game machines with electronic toy guitars," and "coin-operated video games.""

As a Guitar Hero freak, I'd actually love to see a competitor on the market. Sure, it'll be another $70-$80 game with another weird contoller, but it's always nice to have alternatives (not that I'm leaving GH or GH2 behind anytime soon). Here's hoping Konami doesn't pull a "Karaoke Revolution" with this one and just totally screw it up or make it an arcade-only game.
While we're on the subject, though, how about some suggestions as to what Konami should add and/or take out of the Guitar Hero formula for Guitar Revolution? I'd love to be able to do string bends and pick slides just like I do on my real guitar, and it's not too far-fetched for Konami to throw those features into a controller. Also, give us some of that crazy Japanese rock, Konami - we can handle it, and some rythym/music game enthusiasts (me) are tired of you "Americanizing" your US ports too much.
What are your suggestions, dear readers? Leave them in the comments section and maybe we'll have some of our ideas put in the game (right after pigs start sprouting wings and flying).

Game ON!
-Matt

I found some more hilarious gaming footage today, and as with the rest of the site, it's totally NSFW - it contains quite gratuitious use of the F-bomb (I swear Hawkes could have made it), and therfore, it's after the break - you've been warned, so make sure the boss/parents aren't around!

But seriously, it's f***ing hilarious!

Continue reading "Slow News Day = More Found Footage"

If you listen to the podcast then you'll know that it's no secret that I really dislike Half Life 2. My reasons? I found HL2 to be a boring game.

It's just that City 17 or Waterways were really quite bland and boring, the gameplay when battling enemies or completing puzzles was really quite repetitive, and it had a lack of information from the story that just had me asking, "Why am I taking this journey and gaming experience with Gordon Freeman?" just a little too frequently.

Which brings me to the purpose of this article.

I took the dive into Valve's episodic content.

More after the jump...

Continue reading "Episodic Rant Part 1 - Half Life: Episode One"

Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here letting you know that I recorded a podcast with "The Widget Show" yesterday, and it's now available for your listening pleasure.

It's hard to hold my own with Ryan and Jason (AKA CountZer0), but I think I did ok.  Let me know what you think.

Check it out!

Semper Fi!

Morning All,
Andy here, freshly showered at this ungodly hour of morning about to go pick up Edie (who should really fill in her bio) and John (who also needs to) and hit the 1st annual SEX IN VIDEOGAMES CONFERENCE. We really have no idea what's going to be happening there, from what I've heard it'll mostly be talks about how to turn on players etc. etc.... As I said in the podcast previously, I really have no idea how much coverage we'll give this event since we're more of a gaming site than a porn site, and all the press releases we've been getting have been like

VISIT THE HOT AND (very) STEAMY SEX BOOTH OF _______ ______ ENTERTAINMENT! WE ARE YOUR PORTAL TO THE WORLD OF ADULTS AND THEIR BOOBIES

....Alright, I made up the part about boobies... But seriously, I feel like i'm walking down a bad alley in Oakland and I got people trying to (at the same time) sell me crack, sell me bootlegs, and mug me.

But we go for you, gentle reader - We three journalists brave the wilds of pr0n and videogames for you....

But we'll only report on the videogames part, since we ALL know that that's all you're interested in.

Right? ^ ^

-Andy