Monday, March 3

The Dark Defender Pixelized



One of my favorite shows, Dexter, a Showtime original about a serial killer who kills murderers (how bad ass is that) is going to be getting it's own video game.

Not too many details as of now besides knowing that Marc Ecko Entertainment will be developing the game while working closely with Showtime.

Dexter has plenty of elements that would make a great video game, a tight story, fun ways to kill and torture people (always a plus), and an awesome character set. To top it all off Marc Ecko Entertainment is a pretty nifty developing team.

However it's still a game based off a television show, and I'm hesitant to get my hopes up for this one. Please prove me wrong Marc Ecko, I reaaaallly love Dexter.




-Undrallio


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Sunday, March 2

TF2 Update Released




On Thursday, Valve released an update to Team Fortress 2, which addresses some class balancing issues and adds several new features. Also added was Tournament Mode, along with a win/loss tracking and a team creation UI. Valve has also made searching for custom games is now easier, thanks to the feature added that allows players to search for custom games via tag filtering.


Added "Custom" tab to the server browser

* Servers can now specify metatags describing the custom rules they've adopted
* Players can use tag filtering to find servers running the custom rules they want to play
* Added options for servers who want to become custom games: Disable critical hits (tf_weapon_criticals), eliminate respawn times (mp_disable_respawn_times), and raise maxplayers above 24


Initial release of Tournament mode (mp_tournament)

* UI for handling team naming, ready mode, and win results
* Disables team player limits, autobalancing, and intermission


Class balancing

* Reduced Soldier's maximum rocket reserve ammo from 36 to 16
* Reduced Demoman's maximum sticky bomb reserve ammo from 30 to 16
* Reduced Demoman's maximum grenade launcher reserve ammo from 40 to 24


General

* Added protection against voice command spamming. Dramatic reduction in teleporters needed
* Fixed mp_timelimit ending the map during the middle of a round on maps like Dustbowl and GravelPit
* Fixed "lastdisguise" command not remembering if you were disguised as your own team
* Added "Toggle Disguise Team" binding in Options->Keyboard to toggle the disguise team for the Spy's PDA
* Changed PDA menus to accept keys bound to "slot1", "slot2", etc., and "slot10" cancels
* Fixed Spectator targetID not using team colors
* Changed team autobalance code to not balance the teams when the active round timer shows less than 60 seconds
* Fixed "-maxplayers" on the command line not correctly setting the maxplayers value for the server
* Fixed Badlands never having Sudden Death triggered
* Fixed Engineer being able to detonate buildings that are being sapped
* Changed Engineer buildings to detonate when a player disconnects instead of blinking out
* Fixed potential client crash for players being healed by a Medic or dispenser
* Made several improvements to server-side stat reporting (not related to individual player stats)




-Ryizzel


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Week 1 of the March Game Releases

Here we go, the first week of March and all the great (or not so great) games that you'll be spending all your hard earned money on. We've got some good ones this week including God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP and Army of Two for Ps3 and 360.

To read up on all of the releases this week simply click on "Read More" and let your heart flutter with the gaming glory, and remember our pick of the week is found at the bottom of each list.


Nintendo DS

Out of all of the systems, the Nintendo DS is tied with the PC for getting the most additions to the family, they've each got 9 new titles to add to their library. Here's the list of DS games and the days they're coming out on, looks like the blunt of them will be rushing in on the 4th.

Let's Ride: Friends Forever - March 3rd, 2008. A nice little horse care-taking sim from THQ. Now you can obsess over that pony that your parents never got you.

Chicken Hunter - March 4th, 2008. The title makes it seem so non-child friendly, but I swear it is. Your mission in this game from Mumbo Jumbo is to stop all the chickens during their crazy antics. Sounds like an Ape Escape mimic to me.

Imagine Figure Skater - March 4th, 2008. One of the "games for girls" that Ubisoft is trying out. In this one you take management of a figure skater and divvy up her time between schooling, training, and leisure time to hopefully become the best figure skater in the world.

Petz Bunny - March 4th, 2008. Yes, it's another adorable animal sim game from Ubisoft from it's Petz series. This time bunny rabbits. Shhhh, I'm wabbit hunting. *note, you do not hunt the rabbits*

Pet Store - March 4th, 2008. First Petz Bunny, now this one also from Ubisoft. One more animal sim this week, just getting flooded with them aren't we? Well, this one isn't species specific as you can "care for a variety of pets" in Pet Store.

Ninja Reflex - March 4th, 2008. Take on a series of martial arts challenges in this reflex-testing game by competing against your sensei or in multiplayer sessions in this one from EA that's also coming out for the Wii.

Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery - March 4th, 2008. Explore the world in this 18th century sim from Ubisoft. Essentially it's Civilization, without the fun.

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest - March 4th, 2008. Control the cutesy animal filled ecology in this adventure-management game from Majesco Games.


B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR NINTENDO DS:


Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer - March 4th, 2008. Coming to us straight from Japan, Sega's re-hashed this game that was originally released on the Super Nintendo. It's a classic turn-based, role-playing game and came with plenty of screen shots throughout it's media lifespan. We picked this one because we are always glad to see a remake of a classic game, especially an RPG one.


PC

The PC game release slate for this week tied with the mighty Nintendo DS at 9 games each, and here's the PC line-up, there's actually a few good ones in there this week.

Galactic Command: Echo Squad - March 3rd, 2008. A space combat sim from GamersGate, pilot your spaceship as you explore levels and blow crap up.

Tom Clancy's Chronicles - March 3rd, 2008. Joining in on the "sell more of the same game by putting them in convenient cost-efficient box sets" Ubisoft presents us with Tom Clancy's Chronicles which includes Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and Rainbow Six 3: Raven's Shield.


Field Ops - March 3rd, 2008. This one's definitely interesting. It's a war game from Atari that brags up the player's ability to switch between RTS and FPS play modes any time they want.


Stranger - March 3rd, 2008. Your basic fantasy RTS coming to you from Fireglow, take control of a variety of fantasy characters and fight through the light and dark sides of the realms.

Mysteryville 2 - March 3rd, 2008. Return to Mysteryville in the sequel to the original puzzle game from Activision. Now with more mysteries and clues to find in this hidden object game.

Arctic Stud Poker Run - March 3rd, 2008. When I think Poker, I think hectic races and devious tricks. What, you don't? Well now you will, in this game from Got Game Entertainment you have to race around and screw your enemies up as you attempt to assemble the best poker hand you can.

Imperium Romanum - March 4th, 2008. Take on the role of a Roman emperor and lead your country to wealth in this historic RTS from SouthPeak Interactive.


Legends of Norrath: Inquisitor - March 7th, 2008.
The third installment in the online card battling game based on the Everquest world. Sony thought this one up, have fun losing your social life.



B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PC

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm - March 4th, 2008.

The third standalone expansion to Warhammer 40k published by THQ and developed by Iron Lore Entertainment up until a few days ago when they shut down, it was finished up by Relic. This one got our pick simply because standalone expansions to awesome games are cool as hell, and this is one hell of a game, we highly suggest this one.


Xbox 360

Hitting 3rd place in game releases with only 4 games, and only one of them being 360 exclusive.

Though of the 4 that are being released, three of them are good and definitely worth a play-through.

Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. Baseball game from 2K Sports. My prediction? MLB '08: The Show will destroy it on all consoles, but since MLB '08: The Show isn't coming for the 360, MLB 2K8 found a safe home on the 360.

Bully: Scholarship Edition - March 4th, 2008.
Rockstar Games brings you the same game that you've played before in Bully, and with added content. If you didn't play Bully before, now might be a good chance to try it out.

Rocketmen: Axis of Evil - March 5th, 2008. In complete cell-shaded joy Capcom brings us the only 360 exclusive coming out this week. It's a Sci-Fi FPS and looks to be a little cartoony and zany, fun for the family. If dealing out death is fun for the family.


B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR XBOX 360:

Army of Two - March 4th, 2008. EA is giving us what looks to be one of the best co-op shooters coming for the next-gen (now current gen) systems. This game is pretty much meant to be played with a friend, as all the cool things come from utilizing all the co-op abilities. Stopping up bullet holes with a tampon For the Win.


Nintendo Wii

Unlike Nintendo's DS, the Wii only has 3 games this week. I guess they were focusing too hard on the portable simulation games (holy crap there's a lot of them).

Ninja Reflex - March 4th, 2008. Take on a series of martial arts challenges in this reflex-testing game by competing against your sensei or in multiplayer sessions in this one from EA that's also coming out for the DS.

Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008.
Pretty much the best MLB game the Wii will see, unless you count WiiSports' baseball game, which is damned fun. What can I say? 2K Sports knows what they're doing. Though MLB 2K8 will be great for all of you baseball enthusiasts out there.

B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR NINTENDO WII:


Bully: Scholarship Edition - March 4th, 2008. Like I mentioned before in the 360 section, this version of Bully brings the original back with all new content. So all you big fans of Bully, you'll love it. Also, this version should bring in a bunch of new fans who didn't get to play the original.


Playstation Portable (PSP)

It's a good week for PSP, even if two of the three games are multi-platform baseball games. The third one is what makes up for it all, not surprisingly it's also our pick of the week.

MLB '08: The Show - March 4th, 2008. Sony's bringing you this one personally to all of their current systems (PSP, Ps2, Ps3), and if you're looking for a baseball game this is going to be your best bet. Go for it on any of the Sony consoles. You wont be disappointed.

Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. One of the two baseball games being released this week, and really if you're given the choice between this one and MLB '08: The Show they're both great games. Go for The Show if you can though, I have a feeling that one is the better of the two, even if 2K Sports has more experience.

B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PLAYSTATION PORTABLE:


God of War: Chains of Olympus - March 4th, 2008. This one was a no-brainer. Not that we don't like sports games, just we like Kratos and his deliciously demented God murdering more. A hack and slash in it's finest, if the Ps2's God of War one and two show anything, Ready At Dawn know what they're doing when it comes to a great and fulfilling action/adventure game.


Playstation 3
Not much to show here on the Ps3 this week, the two baseball games that are being circulated virtually everywhere else and Army of Two that was also for the 360. Hmm, I wonder what our pick will be?

MLB '08: The Show - March 4th, 2008. Sony's bringing you this one personally to all of their current systems (PSP, Ps2, Ps3), and if you're looking for a baseball game this is going to be your best bet. Go for it on any of the Sony consoles. You wont be disappointed.

Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. One of the two baseball games being released this week, and really if you're given the choice between this one and MLB '08: The Show they're both great games. Go for The Show if you can though, I have a feeling that one is the better of the two, even if 2K Sports has more experience.

B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PLAYSTATION 3:


Army of Two - March 4th, 2008. EA is giving us what looks to be one of the best co-op shooters coming for the next-gen (now current gen) systems. This game is pretty much meant to be played with a friend, as all the cool things come from utilizing all the co-op abilities. Stopping up bullet holes with a tampon For the Win. (Yeah I know I just copied the text from the 360 part, but it's essentially the same. Shoosh, I'm tired.)


Playstation 2

Playstation 2, the same two MLB games and one other. Simple, and brilliant. I think the Ps2 has got to be one of my favorite consoles of all time, but that will never make me biased (damn you haters for not letting me say that without getting thrashed). Anyways, here's this week's line-up.

MLB '08: The Show - March 4th, 2008. Sony's bringing you this one personally to all of their current systems (PSP, Ps2, Ps3), and if you're looking for a baseball game this is going to be your best bet. Go for it on any of the Sony consoles. You wont be disappointed.

Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. One of the two baseball games being released this week, and really if you're given the choice between this one and MLB '08: The Show they're both great games. Go for The Show if you can though, I have a feeling that one is the better of the two, even if 2K Sports has more experience.

B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PLAYSTATION 2:


Silent Hill: Origins - March 4th, 2008. I love the Silent Hill series, they've always scared the crap out of me. Haha, I remember this one time I was playing Silent Hill 4: The Room with the lights out. Well, I wont tell the story but let me tell you what, if you're already afraid of the dark....don't do what I did. At any rate this is a great way to extend the life of the Ps2, bring in a PSP port and put it on a home console.




At last I've reached the end of the releases for this week. It looks to be a fairly eventful week with a good amount of flow of games coming in. Of course it would be optimized if you had aaallll of the systems, but we know how hard that is. Still, I'm digressing, I complain, but I'm glad that Army of Two is finally out, not to mention Silent Hill: Origins. Haha, and who can forget God of War: Chains of Olympus. Yes sir, I've got even more games on my to-get-list now.

Happy gaming guys.



-Undrallio


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Saturday, March 1

Worms: A Space Oddity coming to the Wii in March



Orignally slated for a Fall release, THQ has announced that Worms: A Space Oddity will be hitting store shelves on March 17th. Worms: A Space Oddity makes full use of the Wii's controller, allowing players to launch attacks with large variety of weapons using force sensitive maneuvers and gestures..


Game Features:

* Built from the ground up to take advantage of the Wii controller, get closer to Worms than ever before as you launch attacks with a variety of force-sensitive gestures using the Wii controller! The more players put into the game, the more they get out!
* A more casual experience—With more intuitive controls, and handy on-screen hints, it’s never been easier to pick up a Worms title and join in the wormy fun!
* Classic Worms with a twist!—The ultimate blend of classic Worms game modes with a host of all new party games. Experience a reinvented single player experience, multiplayer modes, and even more customization for the most rewarding Worms experience ever!
* It’s Worms in Space!—Immerse yourself in 6 all new environments with a whole new visual style as the Worms battle their way home through Space! (Cavernia, Tenticlia, Frostal, Kaputzol, Mechanopolis, Earth!)




For more Info check out the official site here.




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Resident Evil Zero On the Wii?


This is one of those announcements that makes me go "lol whud?". Capcom has confirmed that there will be a Resident Evil Zero remake for the Wii, with the "Wii's motion sensor controls in mind".

Whatever they mean by that eludes me because from the screen shots it seems like the game will be kept in traditional form. Which would make the Wiimote fairly difficult to use with much ease. Though Capcom did mention that a "traditional" style will be available to use as well.

I'm also not sure why they're even doing a remake of Zero, it was released on the Gamecube, which is perfectly playable on the Wii still. I'm sure Resi fans will be happy about this one, heck I'm even kind of excited to see what they do with it.


-Undrallio


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Friday, February 29

Valkyria Chronicles, Arr Pee Gee On the Pee Ess Three



Sega has announced a Ps3 exclusive RPG, Valkyria Chronicles, that will be invading your homes by the end of 2008. The project's head developer will be the devs from Skies of Arcadia, Shuntaro Tanaka.

The game will be set in a futuristic Europe based in the 1930's. Which will surely cause gleeful confusion from us RPG lovers.

For more information on what's known from the game read the article from Sega themselves below.

SEGA's Valkyria ChroniclesTM Journeys To The West

Visually Stunning Role-Playing Game Heads to the PLAYSTATION® 3

LONDON AND SAN FRANCISCO (February 25, 2007) - SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that Valkyria Chronicles™ a fresh new take on the traditional role-playing genre, is coming exclusively to the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system. Soon to be released as Valkyria of the Battlefield: Gallian Chronicles in Japan, where it has already gathered the interest of legions of gamers, Valkyria Chronicles combines strategy elements of tactical role-playing games with real-time action sequences. All of this is played out in an innovative and beautiful visual style.

Valkyria Chronicles is set in a fictitious continent reminiscent of 1930s Europe - divided in two and ruled by the Empire and the Federation. The Empire has set its sights on invading a small neutral country called Gallia, which is situated in the middle of the two great empires. The game follows a hero named Welkin and his fellow soldiers of the Federation's 7th Platoon as they engage in a series of epic battles.

Built upon the new "CANVAS" engine, developed internally by SEGA Game Studios Japan, Valkyria Chronicles' stunning 3D graphics resemble a watercolor painting in motion, taking full advantage of the processing capabilities of the PLAYSTATION® 3. The power of the PLAYSTATION® 3 also allows the development team to exploit the full potential of this new engine, giving players many different stunning environments to explore. A new type of tactical battle mechanic has been specifically designed for Valkyria Chronicles. Known as "BLiTZ," this gives players freedom to strategically move around the environment and attack enemies using real-time controls, something never before seen in the tactical role-playing game genre. The new "CANVAS" engine technology, the "BLiTZ" battle concept and an epic storyline offers players hours of exciting gameplay.

"Valkyria Chronicles has been enthusiastically requested by European fans" said Gary Knight, European Marketing Director SEGA Europe ltd. "The unique graphics and compelling gameplay are just two reasons why we're delighted to bring it to them."

Valkyria Chronicles will be available for the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system in Autumn 2008.




-Undrallio


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Thursday, February 28

Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out June 12



Today Konami confirmed that June 12 is indeed the release date for its upcoming hit, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This comes as a bit of a shock, after Sony distanced itself from that date just yesterday.

Also confirmed, was the Pre-order program, which gives anyone who Pre-orders MGS4 a DVD entitled Metal Gear Saga 2.0 (a refresher on the past 8 games in the series)and a beta code for Metal Gear Online.


-ryizzel


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PC: Mass Effect


EA has announced a PC version for the "controversial" Mass Effect to be released on May 6th. With the PC version comes fixes for a few things that Xbox 360 users weren't too keen on.

These fixes include an improved squad control interface, re-designed Mako controls......new inventory GUI, the ability to map your own hot-keys, a quick-save button, and a totally new decryption mini-game.

Sounds good for non-360 owners and well running PC users. I'll get to play this game before I die, I swear it.



-Undrallio


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Iron Lore Entertainment Goes Kaput


Iron Lore Entertainment, the company behind Titan Quest, and the group that was working on the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War expansion, Soulstorm have gone belly up.

The reason given behind ILE shutting down is simply "Several unrelated events occurred which resulted in Iron Lore being unable to secure funding for its next project."

Not much to say here besides I wonder who will pick up the expansion now.



-Undrallio


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Disgaea 3 coming to America




I called it, Disgaea 3 is coming to North America. Today NIS announced that Disgaea 3 will be hitting store shelves sometime in August 2008,"and makes a bold new step towards the next generation console with a whole new cast, story and game system." Disgaea 3 has new features, such as the ability to alter terrain during battles, enabling players to reach enemies they wouldn't normally be able to reach.

No other major details have been released at this point, but I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of screenshots and videos in the coming months.


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Wednesday, February 27

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for Ps3, Out Now



Lost Planet:Extreme Condition released today for the Ps3 months after the 360 and PC versions, and weeks after an online multiplayer demo for the Ps3 version was released on the PSN. For some the demo was enough to maintain the level of excitement behind this release, for others (myself) it was less than extraordinary. However, it seems this version of Lost Planet brings more to the table than the PC or 360 versions.


The PS3 version has a number of specific features not previously available in retail editions of the PC or Xbox 360 versions of the game, which are:

* All 16 previously released multiplayer maps (including the extra downloadable content from Xbox LIVE) included on the disc.
* New unlockable characters for single and multiplayer mode, including Frank West from Dead Rising, Megaman, and others.

Lost Planet also features:

* Intense multiplayer modes with support for up to 16 players online.
* Frenetic action - Lost Planet is a fast-paced third-person shooter with all the depth, intrigue and intensity of a science fiction classic.
* Connect to gamers around the world via PSN and participate in a variety of cooperative and versus battles with up to 16 players:

1. Elimination - It’s every snow pirate for themselves in this death match mode where the victorious are rewarded for the most points earned.
2. Team Elimination – You’re only as good as your teammates so strategy and cooperation is key in eliminating the opposing side.
3. Post Grab - Teams are tasked with capturing and holding as many Posts as possible.
4. Fugitive - One player is assigned as the “Fugitive”, and he or she will earn points for various actions (staying alive, killing enemies, capturing Posts). Dying deducts points and winning is determined when a maximum total is reached or when the score ticks down to zero.

* Foot and robotic Vital Suit-based gameplay – Command high powered VS and weapons not only to help players traverse the treacherous terrain, but to eliminate enemies that lie ahead. Strategically switch between VS and on foot gameplay to best face each situation and challenge.
* Vast environments - Snowstorms, arctic winds, towering buildings and mountains of ice are all stunningly realized as battles occur above and below ground, creating a truly immersive and cinematic event of epic proportions.
* A premier team of developers – The creators of the critically acclaimed Onimusha and Devil May Cry series have come together to create the expansive world of Lost Planet.






-Undrallio
source


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Bundle of Blood


Sony has announced a new "Deep Red" PSP with Kratos' menacing stare silk screened onto the back for the most brutal gaming experience you can imagine, but that's not all that the new PSP is including in it's deal, oh no.

The bundle is quite awesome indeed and will include God of War: Chains of Olympus, a UMD of the movie Superbad, and a voucher for a free download of Syphon Filter: Combat Ops from the Playstation Store.

How much will all of this run you? The low price of $199. A very satisfying deal if I do say so myself.

To be honest with you all, I wasn't too pleased with the look of the red PSP when I first saw it. Now however, I've looked it over and it's grown on me, any other color would have just detracted from Kratos' straight out awesome.





-Undrallio
source


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Tuesday, February 26

Metal Gear Online Beta




Anyone eagerly awaiting the Q2 2008 launch of Metal Gear Solid 4 should goto their nearest EB games or Gamestop now and place a pre-order for Metal Gear Solid 4. Sony announced today it will launch a Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack", that allows players to have a single player experience or battle it out online with up to 16 players. Anyone who pre-orders Metal Gear solid 4 has guaranteed access to the multi player Beta Test due out late April.

Heres the press release:

Sony Computer Entertainment America Introduces Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of The Patriots PS3 Bundle Available in Late Q2 2008 in North America

Company Also Announces Limited-Edition God of War(R) PSP(R) Entertainment
Pack and April Availability of DUALSHOCK(R)3 Wireless Controller for North
America

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual retail and
publisher conference Destination PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment
America (SCEA) announced details of upcoming PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) and
PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) (PSP-2000) hardware bundles with two of the
most highly anticipated 2008 titles. The company also announced the April
2008 availability of DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller in North America.

To coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal
Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008, SCEA will introduce a
PS3 bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal
Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller
for $499 (MSRP).

SCEA also announced the June 2008 availability of the limited-edition
God of War(R) PSP Entertainment Pack for $199.99 (MSRP). The God of War
Entertainment Pack will include a "Deep Red" PSP with God of War himself,
Kratos, silk-screened on the back of the unit, a copy of the highly
anticipated upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus game for PSP, the hit
comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, "Superbad(TM)," on UMD(TM) (Universal
Media Disc), and a PLAYSTATION(R)Network voucher to download Syphon
Filter(R): Combat Ops from PLAYSTATION(R)Store. The stand-alone version of
God of War: Chains of Olympus launches on March 4, 2008.

"Working closely with our retail and publishing partners and sharing
our hardware and software roadmaps at Destination PlayStation gives us a
great opportunity to outline some key milestones for the year. In response
to incredible demand, we will be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North
America and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 80GB PS3 bundle is
an ideal way to offer that continued value to our consumers," said Jack
Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With Blu-ray having won the format war,
our stellar software line-up and a broad product portfolio, we will
continue to drive the incredible momentum we've been generating since last
fall."

SCEA will introduce the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for the first
time in North America in April 2008 for $54.99 (MSRP). DUALSHOCK 3, which
incorporates both rumble and motion sensing SIXAXIS(TM) technologies,
maintains the award-winning design and precise, responsive features of
PlayStation controllers. The added rumble feature, combined with the
SIXAXIS system, enhances the gamer experience with more interactive,
intuitive and immersive game play experience and will work with more than
100 current PS3 titles.

In additional news coming from Destination PlayStation, SCEA announced
Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots will be available in North
America in late Q2 2008. A Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" will also be
launched to support online game play. Gamers can select a single player
experience or take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it
out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques. For those eager to
take on Solid Snake's nemesis, Liquid Ocelot, a nationwide pre-sell
promotion will enable gamers to pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the
Patriots and be guaranteed access to a multiplayer beta test for Metal Gear
Online scheduled for late April.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the
entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation(R) and PS one(R) game console,
the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, the PSP(R)
(PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking
PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system and its online and
network services PLAYSTATION(R)Network and PLAYSTATION(R)Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer
Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and
develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game
console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 and
the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif.,
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all
North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc.

Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com

"PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", "PSP", "PS one" and the PlayStation logo
are registered trademarks and "PS3", "SIXAXIS" and "UMD" are trademarks of
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.




-ryizzel


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Dualshock 3 Western Bound



Hooray the Ps3's Sixaxis controller will finally be replaced with the Dualshock 3 that will bring the rumble that us humble Playstation 3 owners have been asking for since release.

DS3 should be hitting American shelves on April 15th at the same time as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. It also seems like there will be a new 80 gig bundle featuring MGS4 and the DS3 for what will be a much more enjoyable bundle than the Motorstorm one.

Don't get me wrong, Motorstorm is a pretty good game but wouldn't you rather have good old Solid Snake welcoming you into the Sony family?



-Undrallio


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Monday, February 25

3 New Maps On the Way for Call of Duty 4

Great justice CoD4 fans, in a recent GDC interview with Robert Bowling (community manager of CoD4) he announced they have been taking the consumer's ideas and making them realities in 3 new maps that we'll be seeing by Spring of '08. Click read more to watch the interview.




-Undrallio


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Top 7 Anti-Hot Characters In Gaming


The good folks over at Games Radar have made a fun little top 7 list that goes over the ugliest characters in all of gaming. Definitely worth a read so check it out here.

Any monster from the Doom series would have fit great on this list, but what they really missed out on in my opinion is Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid. Nasty old bugger.


-Undrallio


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Sunday, February 24

Take Two Turns Down EA





Today Take-Two Interactive refused an offer of $26/share (that's 2 billion dollars) from the corporate monster known as Electronic Arts. Take Two states in it's press release, the offer by EA was "inadequate in multiple respects and not in the best interests of Take-Two's stockholders."

Take two goes on to call the offer highly opportunistic and is trying to advantage of Take Two's upcoming release of GTAVI.

Hehehe Owned.

I love how Take Two refused the Borg's...eer EA's offer. Its a damn shame that this is only prolonging the inevitable.

-ryizzel


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Saturday, February 23

GoW Chainsaw Dueling Rumor

Remember when Gears of War first came out? People praised it for it's beautiful visuals and fun gameplay. I only cared for one thing however, killing every enemy I encountered with my chainsaw bayonet. The Lancer Assault Rifle has to be the coolest weapon in gaming history. The only problem was that it was bit unbalanced (like Halo's energy sword) in online matches. This problem may be fixed in the upcoming sequel, according to a Variety blogger who claims to have spoken with two people who are close to the development team at Epic.


I was talking to two people last night who are close enough to the development team at Epic to know and they confirmed for me that this will be a mechanic in the game: When somebody tries to chainsaw you, there will be a way to push back with your own chainsaw gun and potentially fend them off or, possibly, end up chopping them into a bloody pile of flesh chunks.


If this is true, I hope it doesnt turn into some shitty button mashing minigame.

-ryizzel


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Retro Review: Run, Run, As Fast As You Can...


Greetings B&W followers and happy Saturday. Well, as happy as it can be I suppose. I'm delightfully sick as a dog and have just reviewed an absolutely horrid NES game just for you guys. So let's step inside here and see what there is to say about Kid Kool and the Quest For the Seven Wonder Herbs.

Developed by Vic Tokai, the makers of one of my favorite NES games ever, Golgo 13, I went in on this one with somewhat high expectations. How bad could it be, really? Turns out it can be pretty bad indeed.

You are Kid Kool who looks absolutely nothing like the super cool guy on the cover (picture right) and your mission is to run as fast as you can around the world and collect the Seven Wonder Herbs for your King who has some unfortunate disease from which only the herbs can save him.

Kid Kool and the Quest for the Seven Herbs is a 2-D side-scroller, and feels like Mario got drunk at a frat party and retched this abhorrent piece of crap out in a final attempt to sober up. What I mean to say is the controls are god-awful. You can't control Kid Kool at all, he runs real fast but not until you run for a too-long period that will more than likely get you killed. Otherwise he crawls at the pace of a dead gerbil and jumps about as well as Dr. Phil playing basketball.


The graphics are pretty good though, everything looks nice and crisp and you can tell exactly what you can jump on, and what should be avoided at all costs. However, that's where the game goes downhill.


I did sort of enjoy the music. It's simple, catchy, and it'll get right on your nerves and stick with you the rest of the night while you scream blasphemes at your telly and consider joining a cult to end the misery.

There are bags of money cleverly hidden in plain, empty air in the best positions so that they throw you off on your timing and cause Kid Kool to get murdered by one of the three or four enemy sprites in the game. The money bags are useful though, at the end of each level there's a chance for a bonus game that's basically the same thing as press your luck. You can win a free 1-up if you are the most lucky bastard in the world.

Every now and then you find this little fur ball buddy of yours that you can throw around to kill enemies or keep it and give you an extra hit. Much like Mario's mushroom power-up. When I first got the little fluffer I pondered to myself why on earth would they put Kuriboh in an NES game. He is useful though, and will save you from enemies killing you, too bad that doesn't prevent all of the random pits, deep waters, spikes, and any other obstacle that blocks your attempt at winning.

Bosses are definitely interesting, and when I say interesting I mean repetitive and boring. You "fight" the bosses by jumping over them and pounding this stick into the ground that then kills the big baddies. I'm not sure why, it just does.

So let's finish this up, Kid Kool and the Quest for the Seven Wonder Herbs is a game that should be avoided at all costs. Unless you like brain aneurysms, then go for it.

Sound: 7/10
Graphics: 8/10
Controls: 2/10
Fun Factor: 4/10
Replay Ability: 2/10 (You'll never want to jam this cartridge back into your poor NES ever again.)

Overall: 4/10



-Undrallio


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Friday, February 22

Brawl Roster Limited?



Super Smash Brothers Brawl's character roster of thirty-five certainly seems like plenty, and it better be enough to keep you satisfied because there's no DLC coming for this one according to game creator Masahiro Sakurai.

"There are no characters that can be unlocked via connecting to WiiConnect24 or interacting in that fashion," Sakurai said when posed a question regarding the possibility of downloadable content for Brawl. "And I may be mistaken here, but the Wii doesn't have a hard drive -- it's a disc-based system -- so I don't think we'll be doing that, I don't think it's going to happen."

"Seeing the success that Brawl has had with the Wii remote being playing sideways, I don't think that there are control limitations that keep it from being ported to the DS," Sakurai said. "But I personally have no plans to do this myself. If, in the future, such a thing was to be planned, it would be up to Nintendo to decide how and when and in what way they would like to create that sort of game."


So there you have it, the roster of immortality. At least the DS version might have some newbies to the front lines.



-Undrallio


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Thursday, February 21

Still Alive made DLC for Rock band



At a party hosted by Valve on Wednesday night, it was announced that Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" will be DLC for Rock band. The announcement was made as Harmonix employees took the stage and started proforming the song alongside Coulton himself.

Man, Still Alive is going to make a kick ass addition to Rock Band, but I'm still waiting for ...heh...this song to be made into DLC.

-ryizzel


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Havok Unleashed



Do you wish you could finally make that Carebear RTS you've been dreaming of, but lack the tools and resources to put it together? Well, in a few months you can make your dream a reality, using the same technology used to create games such as Guitar Hero III, Oblivion and the Orange Box. The best part of all this is, you can do it all for free!

In May, Havok will be releasing Havok complete, a combination of the Havok physics engine and Havok Animation. This is great news for commercial and independent developers. With powerful tools like these available for free, developers can start producing higher quality games at reduced costs.


-ryizzel


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Wednesday, February 20

Deadly Creatures Follow-Up, First Trailer



Deadly Creatures for the Wii just got it's first trailer that shows some action from the game, it looks like there will be some awesome arachnid body slams going on.

The trailer looks a lot darker than I had imagined it would be, and I feel it's a good thing for the Wii. Currently with being a family console the Wii gets plenty of attention, but for more serious gamers all those mini-games are just a light broth in the Wii's stew.

If you missed the Deadly Creatures preview from about a week ago, check it out.

Beware of large snakes.



-Undrallio


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