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This Wednesday: XBLA takes Madden NFL Arcade to the end zone
Just in case you've taken a few exceptionally hard tackles in the past couple of weeks, we thought we'd remind you that this week's XBLA release is Madden NFL Arcade, a five-on-five, backyard-rules take on EA Sports' darling. You'll be able to pick the game up just in time for your Thanksgiving celebrations for 1200
($15).
Editor's Note: Thank you to reader TuchdwnMan449 for reminding us that it's called the "end zone" and not "the scoring rectangle thing" as our headline originally read. We pledge to improve our understanding of sports before writing future football posts.
($15). Editor's Note: Thank you to reader TuchdwnMan449 for reminding us that it's called the "end zone" and not "the scoring rectangle thing" as our headline originally read. We pledge to improve our understanding of sports before writing future football posts.
Gallery: Madden NFL Arcade
Video: Pandemic goes out with a bang, 'Office Space' style
There's no two ways about it: having your studio shut down does not feel good. However, it does feel good to be a gangsta. Damn good. To prove this ancient adage, some former Pandemic employees put together a little Office Space–inspired video to honor the house that brought us Mercenaries, the Star Wars Battlefront series and the upcoming release, The Saboteur.
Kotaku reports that the mercilessly destroyed printer was, in fact, used by the Saboteur team, giving the video an extra layer of sweet vengeance. A word to EA: if you're missing any red Swingline staplers, we might know where they are. Watch the (very NSFW) video after the break.
Kotaku reports that the mercilessly destroyed printer was, in fact, used by the Saboteur team, giving the video an extra layer of sweet vengeance. A word to EA: if you're missing any red Swingline staplers, we might know where they are. Watch the (very NSFW) video after the break.
Free Need for Speed: Shift DLC adds new cars, team racing
EA's preparing a new pack of cars for your virtual garage in Need for Speed: Shift. On December 1st, Xbox 360 owners worldwide will be given five classic rides to race around in, free of charge, while PS3 owners in Europe and North America gain access on December 3rd and 10th, respectively. Dubbed the Legendary Car pack, this new bit of DLC puts gamers behind the wheel of these five classic rides:
- 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
- 1967 Shelby GT-500 (Nicolas Cage not included)
- 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
- 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
- 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV
The Saboteur goes gold despite developer going dark
Though The Saboteur developer Pandemic Studios is losing its 200-person staff, the company's final game has just "gone gold" across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. In a post on the studio's forums, Community Manager Mathew Everett noted that while "this has been a very difficult week for Pandemic Studios," The Saboteur will still be "available across Europe starting December 4 and throughout North America on December 8."
Unfortunately, it would appear that EA (the game's publisher) has forgotten about said release dates, choosing to offer as little marketing push as possible. We wish the folks at Pandemic Studios the best and offer our condolences to those who recently lost their jobs.
[Via PlanetXbox360]
Unfortunately, it would appear that EA (the game's publisher) has forgotten about said release dates, choosing to offer as little marketing push as possible. We wish the folks at Pandemic Studios the best and offer our condolences to those who recently lost their jobs.
[Via PlanetXbox360]
Gallery: The Saboteur (11-10-09)
'Normal' Monopoly now on iPhone

We had previously criticized the Xbox 360 take on the classic board game for costing $30, especially when the non-virtual version is under $20 at most retailers, so $5 doesn't seem like such a bad deal.
Gallery: Monopoly Classic (iPhone)
Pre-order 'Mass: We Pray' for free Dante's Inferno trailer

Clicking to pre-order the game on the website or to get a better look at the controllers, now triggers a message about heresy, along with a trailer for Dante's Inferno and a link to the Facebook app, "Go to Hell." Sorry if you were looking forward to We Pray!
[Thanks, Thomas]
Review: Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)

So when Valve announced a direct sequel to the ground-breaking Left 4 Dead on what could only be considered an accelerated schedule for normal developers (and an impossibly accelerated schedule for Valve) we had every right to be shocked. Valve answered this concern with assurances that Left 4 Dead 2 was an entirely new game, with changes that could not be simply grafted onto the original. And the team was right! ... But that's the problem.
Gallery: Left 4 Dead 2 (07/10/09)
New Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer trailer reminds us of the good ol' days
Ahem, that said, the latest multiplayer trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 above, serves to remind us of all the good times we had the first time around. It also, unfortunately, serves to remind us that the second game still isn't out for another three months. Luckily, some of you will get to enjoy the multiplayer beta starting today. Do us all a favor, folks -- shell the snipers!
Gallery: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Dragon Age: Origins DLC to 'Return to Ostagar' this holiday
Polish up your armor and prune your dialog trees: EA has announced a new Dragon Age: Origins DLC adventure, "Return to Ostagar," is coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this holiday season for $5. The add-on will allow your hero to "revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens' darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden's fallen king."
Listen, we're as big of fans of Dragon Age: Origins as you're likely to meet, but we have to question the scheduling of this DLC release. It's not that we don't want it, but who out there has played so much DA:O that they're bored of what's on the disc? Seriously, the thing's like 340 hours long!
Listen, we're as big of fans of Dragon Age: Origins as you're likely to meet, but we have to question the scheduling of this DLC release. It's not that we don't want it, but who out there has played so much DA:O that they're bored of what's on the disc? Seriously, the thing's like 340 hours long!
Video: The story of Dante's Inferno
CC: Visceral Games
RE: Voice-over suggestion for latest Dante's Inferno trailer
ATT: dante-story-trailer.flv
Male (30s, 40s - Gruff, gravelly voice)
"The denizens of Hell stole the woman he loved ... but they didn't realize they were messing with the wrong 14th century Italian poet. In a world where the damned scream out for absolution, one man will fight for justice. It's time for some serious payback, and the Devil just wrote a check he can't cash. Electronic Arts presents ... Dante's Inferno. Next Spring, there's going to be Hell to pay." (Alternate closer: "Next Spring, it's damned if you do, damned if you die.")
Thank you for your consideration,
The Sims 3 World Adventures downloadable now, hitting retail this week
Is your Sim sick and tired of its usual routine of skipping work, improving its skills, making well-timed bathroom trips and attempting to WooHoo every single person in the neighborhood? Good news: The Sims 3's first (but certainly not last) expansion, World Adventures, is downloadable now for $39.99. If you're an oddly selective Luddite who plays video games but shuns the practice of downloading them, you can pick up a copy of the expansion in retail outlets when it arrives at some unspecified time this week.
The expansion allows your virtual representation (be honest, you modeled him/her after yourself, right?) to collect treasures, learn new skills and travel to France, China and Egypt, where we assume they'll attempt to WooHoo everyone there as well. You should really talk to your Sim about getting that under control, okay?
The expansion allows your virtual representation (be honest, you modeled him/her after yourself, right?) to collect treasures, learn new skills and travel to France, China and Egypt, where we assume they'll attempt to WooHoo everyone there as well. You should really talk to your Sim about getting that under control, okay?
Gallery: The Sims 3: World Adventures
Army of Two: The 40th Day to offer weapon customization, garish camo
We've never felt satisfied by the weapon customization options afforded to us by first-person shooters. Oh, three different kinds of scopes? An optional grenade launcher attachment? Yeah, those are pretty cool, we guess -- however, we'd also like a different stock, ammo clip, suppressor and barrel on there as well. Hey, while we're at it, we also need a blender. You know, for when we require a cool coconut smoothie in the middle of a heated firefight.
The latest trailer for Army of Two: The 40th Day gives us a look into the weapon customization engine we've always dreamed of, giving us unparalleled control over our in-game boomsticks. You can quickly turn your military grade M107 into a hulking, unwieldy monstrosity, complete with hideous, circus-themed camouflage. Sadly, the above trailer doesn't show off any kitchen appliance attachments -- we're sure they'll show up as DLC shortly after the game launches on January 12.
The latest trailer for Army of Two: The 40th Day gives us a look into the weapon customization engine we've always dreamed of, giving us unparalleled control over our in-game boomsticks. You can quickly turn your military grade M107 into a hulking, unwieldy monstrosity, complete with hideous, circus-themed camouflage. Sadly, the above trailer doesn't show off any kitchen appliance attachments -- we're sure they'll show up as DLC shortly after the game launches on January 12.
Ex-Visceral Games staff find new home with Activision's 'Sledgehammer Games'

As for the small matter of what the studio is doing ... all Activision says is that it's an "as-yet-unannounced new videogame." It might be called Bloodhunt. It might be an "innovative" action game. Kotaku posits that it might even be Activision's new James Bond game, given that Schofield worked on From Russia with Love back at EA. Whatever it is, we're sure it will be totally visceral ... you know, like a hit from a sledgehammer.
As a service to those of you thinking about it anyway (i.e. all of us), we've got the Peter Gabriel video after the break.
Left 4 Dead 2 delayed in UK, due 'by Friday morning'
We'd usually say it's a good thing when a zombie invasion gets postponed, but not when we're talking about Left 4 Dead 2 releasing in the UK a couple days after the rest of the world. According to Valve's own L4D2 blog, "copies of the game are still arriving" across the pond, with assurances from the developer that it will "have everyone in the UK playing Left 4 Dead 2 by Friday morning." Wait -- everyone in the UK? Whoa now guys!
While Xbox 360 owners and PC gamers who still buy physical copies of software are out of luck, Valve says that everyone in the region who pre-ordered L4D2 via Steam can play it right now. Of course, those left waiting can pretend they're fighting to survive the scariest of all Left 4 Dead campaigns: "Delay of Game" (tagline: "Patience never killed anyone -- until now!").
While Xbox 360 owners and PC gamers who still buy physical copies of software are out of luck, Valve says that everyone in the region who pre-ordered L4D2 via Steam can play it right now. Of course, those left waiting can pretend they're fighting to survive the scariest of all Left 4 Dead campaigns: "Delay of Game" (tagline: "Patience never killed anyone -- until now!").
Ubisoft, Sony, EA and Disney sued over voice recognition patent
On November 10th, Bareis Technologies, LLC filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, Sony Computer Entertainment, Electronic Arts and Disney Interactive Studios, claiming that various games, including Tom Clancy, SOCOM and NASCAR titles, infringe upon a patent filed in 1996. "Optical disk having speech recognition templates for information access" describes a process "integrating automatic speech recognition technologies into optical disk players for command and control purposes."
As is typical with lawsuits of this nature, the plaintiff is seeking "no less than a reasonable royalty" for the supposed use of this "stolen" technology. Should the case make it to court, the plaintiff will have a few hurdles to overcome. Primarily, lawyers will have to prove how a patent largely targeted towards accessing specific music tracks on audio CDs is applicable to the video games in question.
Considering it's been over seven years since the debut of the first SOCOM game, it's surprising that the plaintiff has waited so long to file this suit. Perhaps it's telling that the company going forward with the lawsuit has done so little in the thirteen years since filing the trademark that it has no web presence whatsoever.
[Via GamePolitics]
As is typical with lawsuits of this nature, the plaintiff is seeking "no less than a reasonable royalty" for the supposed use of this "stolen" technology. Should the case make it to court, the plaintiff will have a few hurdles to overcome. Primarily, lawyers will have to prove how a patent largely targeted towards accessing specific music tracks on audio CDs is applicable to the video games in question.
Considering it's been over seven years since the debut of the first SOCOM game, it's surprising that the plaintiff has waited so long to file this suit. Perhaps it's telling that the company going forward with the lawsuit has done so little in the thirteen years since filing the trademark that it has no web presence whatsoever.
[Via GamePolitics]

















