Joystiq [Xbox]

Guitar Hero: World Tour gets punk rock DLC injection

David Hinkle — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST

Break out those tattered jeans and torn up flannel, because Guitar Hero: World Tour is getting a new DLC pack for the punk in all of us. Dubbed the Epitaph Punk-O-Rama Track Pack, the download features three tunes from three separate well-known Epitaph artists. It may be a bit more on the mainstream side of punk, but they're good tracks nonetheless.

Here's what you'll get (440 XBL / $5.49 PSN):

"21st Century Digital Boy" by Bad Religion ($1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points)
"Linoleum" by NOFX ($1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points)
"Ruby Soho" by Rancid ($1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points)

The track pack is available for download now in the US and Europe. Who's about to rock? We may or may not salute you.

Guitar Hero: World Tour gets punk rock DLC injection originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Interview: Valve's Doug Lombardi

Jem Alexander — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST

Valve's PR overlord, Doug Lombardi, answered our burning Left 4 Dead 2 questions at a recent event in London. We discuss PS3 development, the new cast and clarify some of the game's features, so read on.

So first thing's first. Where's Half Life 2 Episode 3?

Laughs. Stay tuned! No news on that today.

Worth a try! What's the real deal with PS3 development? At the end of last year you seemed quite up on the idea and then nothing since then.

We're still up on the idea. The thing that we've come to the conclusion on is that we've got to get some PS3 developers at Valve. We always look at everything as if we were customers of our products -- what would we want and what would we expect? If you look at The Orange Box -- PC: 96 on Metacritic, 360: 96 on Metacritic, PS3 like... 84 or something. And then you look at Left 4 Dead, I think it was 89 or 90 on both platforms.

Continued after the break.

Continue reading Interview: Valve's Doug Lombardi

Interview: Valve's Doug Lombardi originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumor: Skate 3 in the works

David Hinkle — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST

Apparently EA is working on a sequel to Skate 2, if the Epicly Trife twitter is to be believed. Epicly Trife (NSFW) is a site dedicated to skating, and its twitter account said the following: "I just got told 'tonight we gotta celebrate,' one of the bro's got offered to be in SKATE 3." By no means a confirmation, we're still excited, as Skate 2 was not only a great sequel, but pretty much the best skating sim around. Plus, it's much easier to get up after falling down four flights of stairs in a video game, as gravity is a much more harsh mistress in real life.

We've put in word to EA for comment, but with almost everyone taking the day off today, don't hold your breath for a response. We sure aren't.

[Via Kotaku]

Rumor: Skate 3 in the works originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gears of War 2's Title Update 4 now live

David Hinkle — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:46:00 EST

Heads up, COG soldiers. Epic's Gears of War 2 has just received its highly-anticipated fourth Title Update. The new update not only adds experience to Horde mode, but also fixes a variety of bugs, according to the update notes on the Gears forums. Aside from fixing some issues with the new cringe-inducing smoke grenades, the new update also tweaks the Wingman match type, doing away with some of the issues involving weapon spawning and a particularly nasty exploit where players could get credit for two kills while only killing one opponent.

Hopefully, this will fix some of the persistent issues plaguing Gears of War 2's online component. So, grease up your Lancer and head out into battle. This weekend is chock full of XP, after all!

[Thanks, Paul!]

Gears of War 2's Title Update 4 now live originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Advocacy FAIL: L4D2 pre-order sales double of original, says Valve

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:00 EST

For all the talk of petitions and boycotts over Left 4 Dead 2's sooner-than-expected release, the game doesn't seem to be suffering much. A Valve representative tells Eurogamer that pre-orders for the sequel are currently double that of the original's pre-order figures from the same time last year . Although that sounds impressive, it's possible to see some spin in there -- Left 4 Dead didn't really have its big coming-out party until E3 2008, which technically wouldn't occur for another two weeks from now. Couple that with general sequel buzz and you might have your inflated pre-order figure.

Nitpicks aside, Valve has already stated that it plans to continue supporting Left 4 Dead with more content. The company expects to announce more DLC near the end of summer and has expressed that people will understand the big L4D picture within a year. Assuming it hasn't announced Left 4 Dead 3 by then, of course.

Advocacy FAIL: L4D2 pre-order sales double of original, says Valve originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst: 2 more GTA IV episodes on the way, GTA V by fiscal 2011

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST

Do you want more Grand Theft Auto? Well, that's what Todd Mitchell, analyst for Kaufman Bros. Equity Research wants. Nay, expects! Speaking to GI.biz, Mitchell stated that he's anticipating two more downloadable GTA IV episodes to launch after The Ballad of Gay Tony. "It's been indicated to me that would be the case," he said. Additionally, with Microsoft's exclusivity deal covering only two episodes, these DLC add-ons may also appear on PS3.

In addition to new GTA IV episodes, the analyst believes GTA V will debut some time in the 2011 fiscal year. The only reason it wasn't announced or teased in any way during E3, he believes, is "Rockstar's track record with delivering on time."

The most curious of statements Mitchell made was regarding the possibility of a new Grand Theft Auto hitting the PlayStation 2 system. No, you read that right. He believes a PS2 port of the PSP port of the formerly DS-exclusive Chinatown Wars may hit the aging Sony system, although he admits he's not too "confident" about that prediction. Pachter, eat your heart out.

Analyst: 2 more GTA IV episodes on the way, GTA V by fiscal 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Activision explains DJ Hero pricing, says game offers 'tremendous value'

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST

(click to Afrika Bambaataa-size)

The retailer pricing of DJ Hero found recently -- $120 bucks! -- has some folks wondering why Activision may have upped the price for its usual game-plus-peripheral combo. The company has offered an ~~explanation~~ answer to Eurogamer, saying, "We believe that DJ Hero will provide tremendous value for our consumers by delivering an all-new interactive music experience with over 100 individual songs that are highlighted in over 80 unique mixes, a wide variety of ..."

...

Sorry, we nodded off there for a minute. Between the $250 for The Beatles: Rock Band and another $120 for Tony Hawk: Ride, we're up late a lot, worrying about affording all these plastic game controllers -- and a bigger house to put them all in.

Activision explains DJ Hero pricing, says game offers 'tremendous value' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Metanet: N+ next week's Xbox Live deal

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:15:00 EST

Developer Metanet has revealed that its excellent platformer, N+, will be XBLA's Deal of the Week for July 6-12. The developer states that the title will be sold at 50 percent off, making it 400 ($5) and a must buy.

Of course, as we've learned countless times, nothing is official until Microsoft says so on Monday. Check back next week for final confirmation -- and loads of sad emoticons if the company decides otherwise.

Metanet: N+ next week's Xbox Live deal originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trine dev: Project is 'a big mess'

Justin McElroy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

To be clear, Frozenbyte spokesman Joel Kinnunen wasn't saying that the company's fantasy action platformer itself is a mess, but everything surrounding it -- like price point disparity between regions and territories -- has become quite the kerfuffle.

The problem, apparently, is that Trine started life as PC game before migrating to PSN and (maybe) XBLA. While that may be good for getting the game to as many people as possible, it's not ideal for a game launch.

"Trine as a project is a big mess," Kinnunen said, "as opposed to Trine as a game, which is pretty sweet. Ultimately it's the game part that really matters and helps us sleep at night, though."

Trine dev: Project is 'a big mess' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Military gets its own gaming network, the MOG

Justin McElroy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Though you might think they'd welcome a break from shoot-'em-ups, members of the military are known to be a rich breeding ground for hardcore gamers. Now, just in time for Independence Day, they have their very own space in which to catch each other in the friendliest of fire: The Military Online Gaming program, a Global Gaming League-powered service that kicks off on the 4th with a Call of Duty: World at War tournament.

Though support will start with the 360, a rep from the group responsible, Pro vs. GI Joe, told Shacknews that our fighting men and women will soon be able to blast one another on PC and PS3 too.

Military gets its own gaming network, the MOG originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Alpha Protocol: The Espionage RPG: The Release Date

JC Fletcher — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST

Sega of America has announced the release date for Obsidian's Alpha Protocol, whatever that is. Oh, it's "The Espionage RPG." How helpful! That game will be out on October 6.

In addition to the date announcement, Sega released the North American box art, which can be found in our gallery. We must warn you, however, before you rush into the gallery, full of hope for a more exciting, distinctive box art image: it's exactly the same as the UK box art seen yesterday, with the "PAL" label changed to "NTSC" and the PEGI rating box changed to an ESRB box. It's still the same Pseudo-Bourne standing up in front of geography class.

Alpha Protocol: The Espionage RPG: The Release Date originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tim Schafer walks us through Brutal Legend's beginning

David Hinkle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:45:00 EST

Brütal Legend's Rocktober release is drawing closer, and the game's creator, Tim Schafer, has tossed us a bone in a pair of developer walkthroughs for the beginning sections of the game over at IGN. Be warned: The videos show off a great deal of content, so if you're trying to avoid spoilers, steer clear. For the rest of you, we suggest you don your spiked bracelet and sleeveless leather vest and peer past the break for some glorious metal action.

Source - Brütal Legend developer walkthrough (part one)
Source - Brütal Legend developer walkthrough (part two)

Continue reading Tim Schafer walks us through Brutal Legend's beginning

Tim Schafer walks us through Brutal Legend's beginning originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary gives Batman a terrible evening

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:45:00 EST

As Rocksteady's Sefton Hill and Paul Dini eagerly explain in the video above, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game about torturing Batman. Okay, okay, maybe not directly, but by way of Joker setting up a nasty ruse for Gotham's greatest hero at Arkham Asylum itself. Trapping Mr. Wayne inside with all of his most fearsome enemies, when he thought he was just stopping by to deposit a criminal, leaves him at the mercy of the now-in-control Joker.

From what we played of the game's campaign back at E3, we're not sure exactly how Eidos/Warner Bros. plan to keep the game's T-rating, as evidenced by the few gameplay snippets you see in the developer diary above. We are, however, surprisingly excited for the game's release in late August -- and glad we don't have to bring along Mom to buy us the game.

New Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary gives Batman a terrible evening originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Marvelous looking into HD ports of Wii games

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:00 EST

"Wii has no hardcore games" is about as old, lame and untrue as "the PS3 has no games," and "Xbox 360 has only shooters." Real gamers know that each of the platforms has its gems -- but not everyone can afford all three gaming consoles.

Marvelous may be expanding its portfolio to include more non-Nintendo systems. Already, the publisher is working on a PS3 and Xbox 360 game, Rainy Woods; however, according to a report by Siliconera, the publisher may look into porting some of its diverse Wii lineup onto the HD systems. Games like No More Heroes and the upcoming Muramasa would certainly appeal to the hardcore PlayStation and Xbox crowds. In fact, Suda 51's most recent comments suggest an HD future for his franchise. With just a little bit of polish, those two could easily transform from good-looking Wii games into gorgeous PS3 and 360 titles.

[Thanks, tmacairjordan87!]

Marvelous looking into HD ports of Wii games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cliff Bleszinski explains why there are so many bald space marines

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:15:00 EST

If you think Unreal Engine 3 games feature too much gray and brown, laden with "pillars and girders," all being stomped around on by bald space marines, Cliff "Young Clifford" Bleszinski wants you to blame the tech. Speaking with Develop recently, the man that birthed Marcus Fenix said, "The technology of this generation just happens to be very good at rendering metals and stones and dramatic lighting." He argues that "translucent effects" are much harder to pull of with the technology given and as such, "the tech is good at showing off armor and it's not that good at doing hair ... that's why we have bald space marines."

Though we'd argue that there are lots of bald men in our lives who happen to not be space marines -- CheapyD and Dr. Manhattan prime among them -- we can appreciate how Marcus Fenix may be more equipped to take down the Locust than an omnipotent blue man. Wait a minute! Interestingly, Bleszinski also notes during the interview that he's got "like five projects going on right now" -- we're counting Shadow Complex and another (still unannounced) Gears of War, which leaves three unannounced projects? Something is afoot at Epic Games. And it almost certainly involves bald space marines.

Cliff Bleszinski explains why there are so many bald space marines originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

FIFA 10 offers brief glimpse of footy-filled gameplay

David Hinkle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:45:00 EST

EA Sports is ramping up the hype machine for its very crucial FIFA franchise, as it has issued out a new teaser trailer for the latest installment, FIFA 10. Thankfully, it's not your average teaser trailer, as though it is short, it does contain actual gameplay footage. It looks like the one big improvement for this year's version will be bullet time.

FIFA 10 offers brief glimpse of footy-filled gameplay originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Man your download stations for Battlestations: Pacific DLC

David Hinkle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:20:00 EST

Click image to fire a volley of screens at your eyeballs

Eidos just fired off a press release, scoring a direct hit on our inbox, informing that Battlestations: Pacific will receive two resupply convoys in the form of the Mustang Pack and the Carrier Battle Map Pack. The first pack is available for download today and offers six new units (including the P-51 Mustang bomber, US Navy Alaska Class battleship, and Japanese Yamato Class battleship), along with 18 different pieces of nose art to be used online or off, and will set players back a cool 160 ($2).

A more substantial DLC offering will come with the Carrier Battle Map Pack, a collection of four new maps that will be playable across all five multiplayer modes. These maps consist of locales such as the Philippine Islands, the Leyte Gulf, and Aleutian Islands, and will fetch a premium price of 800 ($10) when the pack releases on July 23.

Man your download stations for Battlestations: Pacific DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fez coming to XBLA in 2010

Justin McElroy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:05:00 EST

With just the simple image you see above, developer Polytron announced that its dimensional-shifting platformer Fez would arrive on the Xbox Live Arcade platform at some point next year. Though we've seen a date of 2009 in a previous trailer, the teaser image is the best indication we've had so far in terms of a concrete platform for the game.

Though we can't say it's a huge surprise (we spotted an Xbox "A" button in the game back in March), it's nice to have it officially official.

Fez coming to XBLA in 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Splinter Cell: Conviction (aka Badass: The Game) will take about 12 hours

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:45:00 EST

Splinter Cell: Conviction will take 12 hours to complete on normal says the game's creative director, Maxime Beland, in the latest issue of OXM. There will certainly be a harder difficultly level for folks that are into trial and error for 30 hours, but the "normal gamers" will get a well-sized adventure. Beland says this was done because he wants people to actually finish the game. That's quite a good idea.

Also, at around 12 hours of gameplay, Badass: The Game won't wear out its welcome -- if it keeps the action going. Of course, there'll be multiplayer to extend the experience, but we likely won't be able to crack skulls in urinals there ... or maybe we will, which would then confirm Splinter Cell as game of the year.

[Via 1UP]

Splinter Cell: Conviction (aka Badass: The Game) will take about 12 hours originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video Tour: Kodu, Microsoft's DIY game builder

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST

Microsoft released its Kodu Game Lab yesterday, giving gamers everywhere the opportunity to create their very own games. Just for you, we snapped up the tool and set to work creating the Next BIg Thing in video gaming. Well, either that or we created a dinky little 2D shooter. Still, it's hard not to feel some pride after creating a real, honest-to-goodness, functioning game. And we did it all without laying a finger on a standard keyboard.

Check out our video tour and see what created.

Add the trial version of Kodu Game Lab to your Xbox 360 download queue

Video Tour: Kodu, Microsoft's DIY game builder originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No unlockable characters in Tekken 6

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:15:00 EST

That is to say: All forty characters in the game will be available from the first moment Tekken 6 graces your disc drive. Speaking to VideoGamer, Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada stated -- through a translator -- that unlockables in games are "outdated."

Harada says that unlockables were originally implemented in order to extend the life of arcade games. As characters are unlocked, players would have more reason to come back to the machine. We definitely wasted a few quarters just for the chance to play as Kuma, so we'd say the plan worked. Harada said that unlockable characters were added to the home version for the same reason, implying that it would discourage gamers from renting the game instead of buying it.

Fast-forward to Tekken 6, and Harada says that unlockables are "outdated now ... especially with online play." He notes that today's gamers would be irritated by competing online against characters that they have yet to unlock. Thus, you won't find any unlockable characters in Tekken 6.

Of course, history tells us we still might see some characters for sale.

No unlockable characters in Tekken 6 originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Grandmaster Flash is a DJ Hero, plays DJ Hero

JC Fletcher — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:45:00 EST

If anyone belongs in a game called DJ Hero, it's Grandmaster Flash. The legendary musician has been at the forefront of hip-hop for basically forever, and is credited with inventing the art of messing with records to create noise, upon which the entire game is based.

In addition to appearing in-game, Flash contributed his own mixes to the soundtrack. In the video above, you can hear a segment of his mashup of Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" and N.E.R.D.'s "Lapdance." After the break, we've embedded a clip of the game featuring a mashup of his own "Here Comes My DJ" and Gary Numan's new wave anthem to isolation, "Cars."

MTV recorded footage of Flash trying the game for the first time, and let's just say his performance in the game is much more impressive than his performance of the game. For a more thorough writeup of Mr. Flash's thoughts on the game, check out GameDaily's writeup here.

Continue reading Grandmaster Flash is a DJ Hero, plays DJ Hero

Grandmaster Flash is a DJ Hero, plays DJ Hero originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reminder: Alpha Protocol is The Espionage RPG

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST

So, in case it wasn't made absolutely clear by the box art, here's what Obsidian Entertainment's head-slammin' Alpha Protocol isn't:

The Overwrought Fantasy RPG
The Contemplative Neo-Classical RPG
The Effervescent Dating RPG
The Number One Best Selling RPG
An Espionage RPG
That Other Game About The Secret Agent and Stuff

Joking aside, it's quite likely that we're simply oblivious to the subtitle's significance to the plot -- the one involving a sneaky rocket-propelled grenade that taps your phone and then blows off your ear. See if you can spot it in the developer diary embedded after the break.

Continue reading Reminder: Alpha Protocol is The Espionage RPG

Reminder: Alpha Protocol is The Espionage RPG originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Games This Month: July 2009

Justin McElroy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST

We're just gonna come right out and say it: July 2009 may be the worst month for new retail releases ever. Unless you like 2D fighters that is, because in that case, it's awesome. Or games about movies about hamsters, those two groups are being really well serviced.

If you haven't fully prepared yourself for the horror, we'd suggest you gird your mind with all the reason and clarity you can muster before continuing on.

New Games This Month: July 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rock Band Weekly: Green Day and Mayhem Pack

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:00 EST

Next week's Rock Band Weekly brings the announced three-pack from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown album. The tracks are apparently the first offerings from an "exclusive partnership" between Harmonix and Warner Music to bring the band's songs to the platform. Green Day isn't even the angriest band this week ...

Green Day Pack (440 / $5.50/ 200 Wii Points apiece)

"21 Guns" (160 / $2)
"East Jesus Nowhere" (160 / $2)
"Know Your Enemy" (160 / $2)

Mayhem Pack (1080 / $13.50/ 200 Wii Points apiece)

"Conquer All" -- Behemoth (160 / $2)
"What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse" -- Black Dahlia Murder (160 / $2)
"Hammer Smashed Face" -- Cannibal Corpse (160 / $2)
"Empire of the Gun" -- God Forbid (160 / $2)
"Embedded" -- Job for a Cowboy (160 / $2)
"Disposable Teens" -- Marilyn Manson (160 / $2)
"Black Magic" -- Slayer (160 / $2)
"This Is Exile" -- Whitechapel (160 / $2)

All tracks are original masters and are available for download next Tuesday on Xbox 360 and Wii. They make their way over to PS3 on Thursday.

Rock Band Weekly: Green Day and Mayhem Pack originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Battlefield 1943 cheevos airdropped onto web, running for your flag

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST

After EA DICE loosed the official release date for Battlefield 1943 early today, we set to scouring the interweb for more information on the upcoming digitally distributed title. Wouldn't you know it, the first thing we found was the game's somewhat less-than-thrilling Achievements over on Inside MGC, detailing how many flag caps you'll need before hearing the glorious cheevo noise and snagging 10Gs for yourself, among other things. If you're one of those folks a bit more concerned than they should be with points (aren't we all?), check out the full list to see exactly how you'll be playing BF1943 when it hits next week.

Battlefield 1943 cheevos airdropped onto web, running for your flag originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Left 4 Dead DLC announcement by end of summer

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:20:00 EST

Following up on earlier reports that Valve won't leave Left 4 Dead to die an early death, the company stated today that there should be an L4D DLC announcement before the end of summer. A company spokesperson also told CVG that about eight or nine months from now, when L4D2 has released and people see the continued support for L4D, they may finally understand the method to the madness.

We're all eagerly awaiting the epiphany.

Left 4 Dead DLC announcement by end of summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ubisoft picks up Heroes Over Europe for worldwide release

JC Fletcher — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

The fate of Heroes over Europe was in question when the agreement between publisher Red Mile and developer Transmission Games dissipated, due to an unfortunate lack of money on Red Mile's part.

Ubisoft is now the hero of every prospective Heroes of Europe player, having just announced that it will publish the World War II flight simulator on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The Heroes Over the Pacific sequel, which features online play for up to 16 players, is currently scheduled for a worldwide release this September. You can check out new screens, only one of which includes a blimp, in our gallery.

Ubisoft picks up Heroes Over Europe for worldwide release originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

UK sales: Wii and DS up top; 360 besting PS3 at the bottom

Christopher Grant — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST

Here in the States, we've grown accustomed to certain luxuries: subsidized gasoline for our free Hummers (hey, gotta stimulate that economy!); a complimentary 72oz soda with every purchase (just buy anything!); a lifetime supply of type 2 diabetes; and, of course, monthly updates from NPD charting the sales numbers of the major video game consoles. Our friends in the UK aren't so fortunate. So when we get a peek behind that curtain, we look to share it with you.

And here, courtesy of UK retailer GAME's first-half fiscal statement, we find data from GfK Chart-Track for sales up to June 27th, 2009. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is in the lead with the DS, having sold 2.7m in the past year, bringing its total up to 9.1m units (that includes 300,000 DSi units sold since launch). The Wii is in second place with 5.4m, up 2.3 from last year. And then we get to the main attraction: 360 and PS3 sales.

You'll recall that in February, Microsoft claimed the 360 bested the PS3 in overall European sales by 1m units, citing GfK Chart-Track data again. In the UK, the Xbox is siting pretty with 3.9m units, up 1.7 from last year, while the PS3 is at 2.2m, up 900k from last year (and, coincidentally, right where Microsoft would've been a year ago). In between the "big boys" is the PSP, with 3.3m consoles sold, up 500k from last year.

It's weird: despite their genetic differences (three stomachs? gross!) the video game shopping trends of UK citizens sound an awful lot like those in the States.

UK sales: Wii and DS up top; 360 besting PS3 at the bottom originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Major Nelson: Don't sweat Xbox Live Silverlight ads

Justin McElroy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST

Just when we were starting to get all excited about Silverlight-powered ads for Mountain Dew and Axe Body Spray littering the Xbox Dashboard, Xbox Live spokesman Major Nelson rains on our parade, telling readers that they don't need to sweat.

The Major recently posted, "One of our core principles is to enhance, not interfere with the gaming experience, and we work directly with our partners to only deliver experiences that are relevant to the LIVE community. Silverlight will help make those ads a more organic part of the dashboard, like we've done with some of the NXE slots in the past."

Aww, come on. Maybe just one "Get Totally Crunchatized With Doritos" ad? Something?

Major Nelson: Don't sweat Xbox Live Silverlight ads originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lips DLC schedule for July 2009

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST

You like big butts and you can not lie, so sing it with other brothas when the track drops this July. Yes, the song that acknowledges the glory of expansive posteriors will actually be available tomorrow, July 3, on Lips. Check out what else is coming to the karaoke title this month, after the break.

Continue reading Lips DLC schedule for July 2009

Lips DLC schedule for July 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

U-Wars: it's like Gears of War, but underwater

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Here's a rather interesting game from a small Russian developer. Currently without a publisher, U-Wars is a third-person shooter that takes place primarily underwater. Players will still be able to duck behind cover, but the mechanic gets an interesting twist in the absence of gravity. With supposedly destructible environments, there's a lot of potential in the game's combat: imagine ducking behind cover, thrusting up, and shooting some harpoons at enemies below. If done properly, the underwater setting offers the potential for a lot of fun.

Underwater combat isn't entirely new, as it's been seen in games like Tomb Raider Underworld and Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow. It'll be interesting to see how U-Wars fares once it finds a publisher and makes its way to PC, Xbox 360 and PSP.

Check out a video after the break.

Gallery: U-Wars

[Via MobileTechReview]

Continue reading U-Wars: it's like Gears of War, but underwater

U-Wars: it's like Gears of War, but underwater originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Battlefield 1943 declares war next week, starting July 8

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:47:00 EST

Battlefield 1943 is ready to let bullets fly and bombs drop on July 8th and 9th for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, respectively. The final declaration of release was made by the official Battlefield 1943 Twitter account, intriguingly named "officialbf1943."

Remember, the "Coral Sea" map can only be unlocked through community collaboration. If you won the game through our Joyswag efforts, don't forget to submit your codes!

Battlefield 1943 declares war next week, starting July 8 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We want this Fallout 3 Brotherhood of Steel costume

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:59:00 EST

OK, we're sure this has been floating around the tubes for a bit, but we're more than happy to devote some attention to the very cool Brotherhood of Steel costume you see above. Made out of awesome and love (probably some foam and paint in there too), the beautiful homage to Fallout 3 was apparently completed back in March.

After seeing this, we don't feel so bad about losing that auction for the 7'10" Brotherhood of Steel statue. We'd go to work wearing this costume if we could.

[Thanks, Gawk]

We want this Fallout 3 Brotherhood of Steel costume originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

JAKKS wants to keep WWE, THQ not quite sure

Justin McElroy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST

JAKKS is more than happy to reenter into its WWE licensing deal with THQ, but the gaming company isn't so sure it's ready to make a commitment. After JAKKS signed on the dotted line to extend its gaming agreement with the wrestling group for five years, THQ sued the toymaker, saying it wasn't ready to make a decision and that JAKKS had no right to sign the agreement without THQ's consent.

There were some reportedly shady dealings when JAKKS originally got the contract -- perhaps THQ wants to get the whole pie for itself. Who knows? Either way, the two companies have entered into arbitration, so hopefully the tiff won't have an impact on releases.

JAKKS wants to keep WWE, THQ not quite sure originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vandal Hearts delayed for XBLA and PSN, still hearts you

Randy Nelson — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:30:00 EST

If you had your heart set on downloading Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment via XBLA or PSN this September, prepare to have it broken. Konami has confirmed to Joystiq a report by Eurogamer that the return of the company's classic strategy RPG franchise has been delayed until "winter."

No reason was provided for the postponement of the game, which we first caught a glimpse of earlier this year. Let's hope the developer's equipment wasn't ... wait for it ... vandalized. (That one was from the heart.)

Vandal Hearts delayed for XBLA and PSN, still hearts you originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumor: UFC to ban fighters that sign on for EA's MMA

David Hinkle — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST

There's been a pretty crazy rumor floating around. originating from the mixedmartialarts.com forums. The rumor states that UFC will blacklist any fighter that chooses to be a part of EA's upcoming game, MMA. That means should any fighter sign up to be represented in EA's game, they won't ever be endorsed by the UFC or asked to join. Crazy, right?

It makes sense, though, considering how well UFC 2009 Undisputed sold. UFC has a bona fide franchise on its hands, and will likely begin prepping for a sequel soon (if not already), and doesn't want that threatened by EA's game. But, hey, can't we all just get along? This isn't football, after all.

We've put in word to UFC corporate about the rumor and will be sure to get back to you as soon as we hear something.

[Via BloodyElbow; Thanks, Ryan!]

Rumor: UFC to ban fighters that sign on for EA's MMA originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Sam Fisher's rebirth in Splinter Cell Conviction

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:30:00 EST

Let's face it, Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher has traveled a rocky road. For a while he completely disappeared from the console scene. Sure, we saw him every once in a while, lurking in magazines or in a few videos (complete with Emo makeover). Now Sam has reemerged from his beloved shadows, and the developers at Ubisoft are here to share everything about his new abilities and the new features in Splinter Cell Conviction.

Check out the video above for a look at the new "mark and execute" feature as well as the "last known position" silhouette. And, of course, you can just admire Sam being a badass. Get to the watching.

Video: Sam Fisher's rebirth in Splinter Cell Conviction originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

XBLA in Brief: King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, Worms 2: Armageddon

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: X3F TV

Another twofer this week, as XBLA adds a fighting game and a turn-based strategy game to its ever-growing ranks. From SNK's huge library of fighting games, we have King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match. The XBLA version includes online play and will set you back 800 ($10). Meanwhile, Team17 has dropped the sequel to the XBLA version of Worms, which is titled, appropriately enough, Worms 2: Armageddon. The game brings lots of new features to the table -- as well as some old favorites -- and also costs 800 ($10).

Watch the latest episode of XBLA in Brief and see which one is screaming for your hard-earned cash.

Download the trial version of King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Download the trial version of Worms 2: Armageddon

[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.
[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly.
[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[M4V] Download the M4V directly.

XBLA in Brief: King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, Worms 2: Armageddon originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Race your eyeballs to this Halfbrick Rocket Race trailer

David Hinkle — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:15:00 EST

Click to fuel your eyeballs with more screens

The Brisbane-based Halfbrick Studios just sent us a press release informing us it has a new title on the way to Xbox Live's ~~Community Games~~ Indie Games section in Halfbrick Rocket Race. A racer with a twist, Halfbrick Rocket Race isn't all about getting from Point A to Point B ...

... okay, maybe it is, but there are subtleties here, like the boost you get from hitting your thrusters next to a wall. See what we mean in the game's first trailer, which is currently running qualifying laps past the break.

Gallery: Halfbrick Rocket Race

Continue reading Race your eyeballs to this Halfbrick Rocket Race trailer

Race your eyeballs to this Halfbrick Rocket Race trailer originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments