HDGameNews.com: January 2007




Top News Stories


Bigger Xbox 360 Memory Card Up For Pre-order
Wednesday

Following the size increase of Xbox Live Arcade games to 250 MB came the deep sobbing of Xbox 360 Core Pack owners desperate for a copy of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Well, as Mr. Smith hinted at weeks ago, the new 512 MB memory card for the 360 is priced and dated over at Gamestop.

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source: kotaku.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 10:02:00 AM, ,

Nvidia Shares Affected by Weaker Playstation 3 Demand

Growing concers surrounding the slow demand of the PS3 is having an impact on some of its partners. Nvidia was one of the high profile firms to feel the pressure of Wall-Street today. Analysts view that availability has improved and a lack of demand stems from high prices and poor quality titles.

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source: maxconsole.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 09:54:00 AM, ,

Bungie's “Rule of 3” program starts starts this Thursday at 12am

As posted by Frankie over at Bungie.com:

HAY guys, what’s goin’ on? The Halo Beta program is going to kick into full swing pretty soon, and it’s a complicated beast. The “Rule of 3” program you may have heard of starts this Thursday at 12am, so we want you to be prepared.

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source: bungie.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 09:43:00 AM, ,

2K Sports Returns to Gridiron

Visual Concepts bringing football back with All-Pro Football 2K8 for 2K Sports; game set to hit next-generation systems this summer.

"Football gamers have been awaiting the return of the 2K series," said Visual Concepts president Greg Thomas. "All-Pro Football 2K8 will deliver an authentic next generation gridiron experience and we are happy to give fans another choice in the football category."

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source: gamespot.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 09:34:00 AM, ,

Force Feedback System for PlayStation 3

The technology allows us to deliver a broad range of sensations connecting the game player closer to a real experience.

SplitFish GameWare Inc., a leader in video game hardware innovation, today announced it has developed a new dynamic force feedback system for use with the Sony PlayStation 3 and other next-generation video game systems. Basic PS2 and Xbox versions are being considered.

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source: ign.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 09:27:00 AM, ,

God Of War II Demo Hands-On Impressions

God of War must have been a tough act to follow. After winning dozens of awards and garnering a strong fan following, expectations were more than a little high. We played through the sequel’s demo and we’re equally relieved and psyched because the developers stayed true to the elements that made the game so successful in the first part: great characters, great combat and a great setting. Rather than fouling things up by making sweeping and unnecessary changes to the core gameplay, God of War II manages to look and play even slightly better than the original while sticking close to its roots.

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source: gameinformer.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 09:19:00 AM, ,

Battlestations: Midway Ships to Stores Today

Eidos announced today that it has shipped Battlestations:Midway to North American retailers.

Battlestations: Midway is an innovative action/strategy hybrid that drops players into massive air, sea, and undersea battles from Pearl Harbor to Midway. Players are also challenged to strategically command massive fleet attacks and take direct, real-time control of over 60 different warships, planes and submarines in the battle. Blending intense 3rd-person action with large-scale naval combat, the game brings to life the great Pacific battles of World War II.

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source: teamxbox.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 09:07:00 AM, ,

Analyst: Don't Rule Out PS3 Price Drop in '07... Yet

Yes, the PS3 is quite an expensive console, but there's still a chance that Sony may cut the price in 2007. Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian believes that it's too early to rule out a price reduction. A price cut or enhancements may be coming to the PSP as well.

After Sony announced its earnings today, revealing over 5 percent decline in profits for Q3 and losses at its game division of around $440 million, Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian noted that it may be premature to discount a price drop for the PlayStation 3 this year.

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source: biz.gamedaily.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 08:57:00 AM, ,

Vista: Why Gamers Should Care?

Microsoft says its new operating system will be the bizzomb -- especially for PC gamers.

It’s not as exciting as a shiny new PlayStation 3 sitting under a giant flat-screen TV, but the Windows Vista launch will easily be one of the biggest tech stories of the year. Besides flaunting Mac-like visuals (like the new semi-transparent windows) and our continuing love affair with the blue screen of death, Vista attempts to fully embrace PC gamers, with new features that may finally allow the WSAD crew to come out from under the shadow of their console cousins.

Read the reasons why you should care about Windows Vista here

source: gamedaily.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/31/2007 08:48:00 AM, ,

Microsoft Engineer about PS3 Horizontal Scaling in SDK
Tuesday

From Bruce Dawson (Microsoft senior software design engineer) on Andre Vrignaud's Blog:

 "I see no sign that the PS3 contains a chip that can do vertical scaling, and this new feature (horizontal scaling) is a poor substitute for a true hardware scaler. It is a step forward for owners of 1080i only HDTVs, once PS3 games support it, but it is nowhere near as good as the Xbox 360's scaler."

This recent announcement is just for horizontal scaling, and horizontal scaling is easy. To do high quality horizontal scaling you just need to buffer up a few pixels and intelligently average between them.

Cheap horizontal scaling is even easier: you just send pixels to the video output a bit slower (or send pixels at the same rate, but read them from memory slower). It's the sort of thing that consoles have always been able to do. This new horizontal scaling feature just sounds like they are adjusting the video output rate.

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source: ps3scene.com

posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 11:00:00 PM, ,

Premium HDMI cable giveaway.

HDGameNews.com is giving away a free premium HDMI cable in celebration of our first full month of operations.

Qualification for the drawing is easy and free. Simply register with our forum and make a post as to why you think you deserve the cable. Thats all it takes to register.

The cable drawing will be on February 28th 2007.

Register to win here.

sponsored by ehdmi.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 10:04:00 PM, ,

Ten New Titles Approach the Xbox Live Arcade Horizon

Vampire hunters, artillery-toting worms, rambunctious aliens and trailblazing settlers are among the "likeable" characters that will soon make their debut in living rooms everywhere via Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 as part of the award-winning service's upcoming round of new game releases.

Starting with the first release in February, 10 highly anticipated titles will begin making their way to Xbox Live Arcade, including these (titles are not listed in chronological release order):
  1. 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
  2. Alien Hominid HD
  3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
  4. Band of Bugs
  5. Catan
  6. Eets: Chowdown
  7. LUXOR 2
  8. Paperboy
  9. Root Beer Tapper
  10. Worms
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source: gamerscoreblog.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 09:11:00 PM, ,

Exclusive: Crysis multiplayer beta details

Crysis fans will be given a chance to blast their way through the game's multiplayer component thanks to a public beta, we can reveal.

In an interview to be published in full later this week, Crytek president and CEO Cevat Yerli revealed that the developer will soon "announce our beta program plans" for multiplayer "to experience [it for] yourself". We're assuming that "yourself" is aimed at the general gaming public and not solely CVG.

Yerli added that Crysis multiplayer "is progressing great", revealing Crytek has "some surprises here and there for our beloved fans."

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source: computerandvideogames.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 08:56:00 PM, ,

Def Jam Icon demo due Thursday

Play as either Big Boi or T.I. in the Gas Station level this Thursday

This Thursday will see the release of a single player Def Jam: Icon demo onto the Xbox Live Marketplace, allowing gamers to take control of one of two available fighters on the Gas Station level.

The two fighters available in the demo will be Big Boi or T.I., who we presume are famous Def Jam artists, although can't be sure as we haven't listened to hip-hop with any degree of conviction since that whole G-Funk thing.

Apparently, in addition to only offering two characters, the demo will also feature a time limit for the purpose of reminding people that this is a demo and that if they want an uninterrupted brawl, then they should buy the real thing.

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source: 360-gamer.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 08:40:00 PM, ,

Rein Weighs In On PS3

Epic Games VP thinks the PS3's OK

Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games, has spoken out against the negativity surrounding the PS3. He's also qualified some of his earlier comments on the Wii and mentioned new updates for Gears of War.

When asked whether he thinks the PS3 will tank Rein said:

"No, god, no... People, just give them a break for crying out loud. People think it's bad if they can't ship enough, and then they think it's bad if they can ship enough. It's like, which is it? ... They sold more PS3s in North America than Microsoft sold Xbox 360s in its same period of time, and they clearly aren't going to have the shortage problems that Microsoft had."

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source: spong.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 08:28:00 PM, ,

Gates provides wow factor at Vista launch

Promises "whole new level of realism" for games

Windows Vista has launched in the UK with a special event at the British Library, where Bill Gates told the audience that the new OS is set to revolutionise PC use - and the way we play games.

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source: gamesindustry.biz

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/30/2007 08:03:00 PM, ,

Square Enix Licenses Epic Games Unreal Engine 3
Thursday

The title says it all, Square Enix anounced today they have licensed Epic Games Unreal Engine 3 to be used with upcoming next-generation games.

This is a first for Square Enix because they have always done their own in-house game development and never relied on another company's engine to make Square Enix games.

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source: 1pstart.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 10:40:00 AM, ,

300k PS3 units for UK at launch

Semi-official Sony blog ThreeSpeech "confidently" predicts UK Playstation 3 allocation

The UK can expect to get 300k PS3s at launch on March 23, semi-official blog ThreeSpeech has reported.

"We've been thinking, speculating, joining the dots, piecing snippets of info together over how many units the UK is likely to have initially (at day one of retail)," reads the site. "The UK market accounts for approximately 25-30% of European business. We therefore confidently predict that the UK will have around 300,000 units at the outset."

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source: computerandvideogames.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 10:28:00 AM, ,

Gamespot's most wanted games for 2007

The year 2006 was fantastic for games--we had two new consoles launch, plenty of fantastic games for the PC and the Xbox 360 console, and some great handheld games as well.

But 2007 could be an even bigger and better year. Just take a look at this year's Most Wanted list, which calls out the games that GameSpot editors the world over are most looking forward to.

See the list here

source: gamespot.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 10:05:00 AM, ,

After The Honeymoon: PlayStation 3

A rather interesting article on the state of firmware updates for the PS3 now that we're two months in.

The article talks about the lackluster game line-up for the PS3 at retail, while praising Sony's online offerings.

From the article:

"The hardware wars may be over: welcome to the firmware wars. The first one to clean up the interface and add features wins. So how has Sony done since the launch?

Read the rest of the article here

source: gwn.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 09:59:00 AM, ,

Three new scans of Dragon Quest Swords for the Wii

Today, three new scans of the Dargon Quest Swords game for the Nintendo Wii appeared.

Square Enix is developing the latest title in the DRAGON QUEST universe and the first to make the jump to next-generation consoles. Unveiled at Square Enix's E3 2006 press event, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors will be released for the Nintendo Wii.

DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is being developed with every aspect of the unique Wii hardware in mind. Additional details, including ship date and pricing, will be announced at a later date.

See the screenshots here

source: deltagamer.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 04:39:00 AM, ,

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass creator talks DS

Thanks to jj984jj for translating this Japanese Nintendo Dream magazine with the director of the DS exclusive game The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Eiji Aonuma.

Question: How is the DS version going?

Answer: The DS version is coming along really nicely. It's a small team of less than ten people, and while the rest of us were frantically scrambling to finish Twilight Princess, they have been quietly progressing with the DS game. I just played it yesterday, and it's really good. It reflects the image of a team that was quietly burning with passion. Playing it by touch really pulls you in. By the way, the team that created the cut scenes for the Wii version was recently sent to work with them, and they're creating some interesting event scenes that aren't like Windwaker, but aren't like the Wii version either.

Read the interview here

source: videogamesblogger.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 04:28:00 AM, ,

Microsoft striving for simultaneous Vista, 360 releases

Cross-platform initiatives detailed as Vista push continues

Microsoft is hoping to see more titles released simultaneously on the Xbox 360 and Vista platforms, according to Rick Wickham, director for the Windows Gaming business.

Wickham indicated that a number of PC and Xbox 360 titles will launch at the same time this year, although he added that it was essentially a decision left to individual third-party publishers.

The initiative is just one of many designed to marry the two platforms, along with games that are playable across both formats and the adoption of Xbox Live features into PC gaming.

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source: gamesindustry.biz

posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 04:22:00 AM, ,

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Q&A

Gamespot caught up with Ed Boon to find out how Midway's classic fighter is shaping up for the Wii.

Midway's Mortal Kombat franchise has been a fighting staple for well over a decade now, and in that time its winning formula has been experimented with a number of times--with varying degrees of success. The series' Wii debut will be an updated version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, which was released for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox last year. Gamespot recently spoke with executive producer Ed Boon about his plans for the upcoming Wii game, which include a gesture-system control scheme and an all-new gameplay mode.

Read the interview here

source: gamespot.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 04:13:00 AM, ,

Halo 3 set for November 15 release?

An anonymous Xbox executive has revealed that Halo 3 will be released on November 15.

According to ActiveXbox.com, Halo 3 will be released in North America on November 15. The website claims to have been given this information by an anonymous exec in Microsoft's Xbox group.

With the info coming from an anonymous source, the launch date is still very much a rumor. Whilst a winter release would seem likely, late last year there were some murmurings that the game would be released much sooner than people were expecting - perhaps in the summer.

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source: pro-g.co.uk

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/25/2007 04:03:00 AM, ,

Today's hilarious glitch video: Gears of War remote controlled exploding enemies
Wednesday

Here's a neat trick whereby you can cause your opponent to explode on command. Unfortunately, the self-destruction does not harm others around the foe, but it is an evil little trick nonetheless.

Full explanation can be found on the YouTube description. We haven't tried it ourselves yet but look forward to triggering dismemberment at the most amusing moment possible.

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source: joystiq.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 06:53:00 PM, ,

DirecTV remote can control your 360

Instructables stumbled upon a nifty little trick getting their DirecTV universal remote to work with the Xbox 360.

After a few simple steps and about 5-10 minutes of cycling through codes, they were able to power up the Xbox and even get some DVD playback functionality out of it. The cool thing about this is that it opens the door to the possibility of other universal remotes being programmed to work with the 360. For example, DirecTV isn't available in Canada, but Shaw Cable has a similar service with its own set top box and universal remote that can manage every component of your home theater, and if it can be configured to control the Xbox 360, that would be very convenient indeed.

Full instructions and brief video after the break.

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source: xbox360fanboy.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 12:36:00 PM, ,

Research & Markets: Sony PlayStation 3 is Expected to Win the Console War with an Install Base of Around 75 Million Globally by 2010

Research and Markets researchandmarkets.com has announced the addition of The Transforming Global Video Games Market: The Emergence of Next Generation Gaming to their offering.

This brief considers the impact of next-generation consoles, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, on the online games sector, assessing whether online services will reach their mass market potential.

Read the report on the Next Generation Consoles here

source: businesswire.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 09:40:00 AM, ,

MLB 2K7 PS3 Version Inferior to Xbox 360

In an article on IGN, the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the upcoming MLB 2K7 are briefly compared. Somewhat surprisingly it seems that there are some significant differences between the two.

  • The 360 version simply looks better. The colors pop. The animations, at this point, run smoother. So much for spending $600.
  • To top it off, while full 30-man online leagues will be available on the 360, right now the PS3 plan is for up to 12-man leagues (although the team is pushing hard to get 30-man teams in the PS3 version as well, but it might be too much to ask).
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source: sportsgamer.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 09:34:00 AM, ,

EA discusses Wii horsepower and graphics

Electronic Arts talks about differences in graphics on Tiger Woods for each console and why Wii is different.

In a recent interview about their golfing title Tiger Woods, EA had this to say:

"So the horsepower of the Wii is not quite up to the par of the 360. It's a little bit better than what we saw on the Xbox and PS2. So the graphics fall somewhere in between, you know, the PS2/Xbox and the 360."

"We do support 480p widescreen, we updated a lot of textures; the sky domes and the courses were all retouched, so they are updated as far as better than PS2 and Xbox. But they're not as up to par as Xbox 360 and PS3, which is understandable because that's what Nintendo is kind of going for. They're just trying to revolutionize the gameplay, instead of revolutionize graphics."

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source: aussie-nintendo.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 09:30:00 AM, ,

58% of retailers have the PS3 in stock

A recent research study has checked over one hundred and fifty retailers to find out what proportion has the PlayStation 3 in stock.

Over 58% of the retailers questioned had at least one unit but a mere 3% had Nintendo's Wii in stock. This gives us some evidence of the PS3's sale decrease, but this could be due to Sony shipping more systems.

Paul McNealy of American Technology research said "Our channel checks yesterday of 150 retail stores, from boutiques to big-box retailers, showed that 87 stores had PS3 consoles in stock, while only five had Wiis in stock."

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source: psu.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 09:17:00 AM, ,

Kutaragi To Head New Sony and Namco Company

Father of the PlayStation to oversee new audio and video content for PS3 processor venture

Sony and Bandai-Namco have announced a 100 million yen (415,000 pound) joint venture to develop content based on the Cell processor at the heart of the PS3 - and other devices. Called Cellius, it will be formalised on March 5th with 'Father of PlayStation', Ken Kutaragi, as chairman.

According to Satoshi Fukuoka, a spokesman for Sony in Tokyo, Cellisus focus will be on "new entertainment products including audio and visual content."

Bandai-Namco will take 51% with Sony owning the residual 49% stake. The management will come from both companies, the president and one executive will come from Namco; Sony will provide the other executives.

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source: spong.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 09:12:00 AM, ,

Bungie on Halo 2: We Screwed Up

This story will probably make Father Vad's day. In this interview with EDGE magazine, Chris Butcher of Bungie Studios has publicly admitted that Bungie committed many mistakes in the development of Halo 2.

Comparing the time dedicated to polish Halo and its sequel, Butcher said:

"We miscalculated, we screwed up, we came down to the wire and we just lost all of that. So Halo 2 is far less than it could and should be in many ways because of that. It kills me to think of it. Even the multiplayer experience for Halo 2 is a pale shadow of what it could and should have been if we had gotten the timing of our schedule right. It's astounding to me. I cannot play Halo 2 multiplayer. I cannot do it. And that's why I know Halo 3 is going to be so much better.

This is the first time that Bungie acknowledges some of the issues found in Halo 2 such as the cliffhanger ending, weapon balancing in multiplayer, among others.

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source: news.teamxbox.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 02:44:00 AM, ,

Killzone 2 in latter half of 2007

In a recent interview with SCEA's Peter Dille, Killzone 2 is mentioned briefly as one of Sony's upcoming titles to release in the second half of 2007.

"I think we have a good first half of the year. Games like Lair that people are really excited about. MLB is coming out and is looking great and is the best-selling sports game from a first-party studio. Motorstorm. Heavenly Sword. And don't forget you have games like Killzone in the back half of the year. We're not really saying that there is one game that consumers have to wait for. I think that the content is there now and the content is coming. It's going to be a steady stream of really great PlayStation 3 content," stated Dille.

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source: psu.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 02:35:00 AM, ,

Most Anticipated Games of 2007

IGN editors look ahead at the games they want most for Sony's three PlayStation platforms.

Time to ditch those New Year's resolutions and look to the future in earnest. The year 2007 promises an assortment of gaming goodies across the board. But for all those Sony fans out there, there's a particularly good deal of the joy on the way. All PS3 and PSP owners will have a considerable amount of games to buy, for instance, which is both a blessing and a curse. And don't forget about the PS2 just yet - there's plenty of life left in that little black (or silver) box.

The IGN PlayStation editors will list their personal 'top 10' picks for the coming year. See the list by clicking the "read more" link below.

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source: ign.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/24/2007 02:25:00 AM, ,

6 New Shots of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Tuesday

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a computer game follow-up to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, set in the same science fiction universe as Quake II and Quake 4, but the story serves as a prequel to Quake II.

Unlike the previous Enemy Territory game, Quake Wars will be a commercial release rather than a free download. It will not include a single player mode. Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is being developed by Splash Damage using a heavily modified version of id Software's Doom 3 engine and MegaTexture rendering technology, and is expected to be released in March 2007(according to recently released Activision release schedule), although it was originally thought to be released in fall 2006.

See the screenshots here

source: gameplanets.blogspot.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 10:40:00 PM, ,

Havok Announces Version 4.5 Update

Representatives from game engine tool provider Havok have announced the release of Havok 4.5, the latest update to its artist tool and run-time technology suite.

With the latest update, Havok promises dramatic acceleration of cross-platform development for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii, allowing developers to, as Havok puts it, "scale game content to thousands of dynamically-driven game objects and characters," as well as harness the "full power" of next-gen hardware architecture.

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source: gamasutra.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 10:34:00 PM, ,

Mass Effect: Final Box Art Revealed

Microsoft Game Studios and BioWare Corp. have released the final box art for Mass Effect, an exclusive role-playing game for the Xbox 360.

"Mass Effect" is the first in a trilogy of games with an overarching story, where the real conflict between organic beings and artificial intelligence comes to life in startling clarity.

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source: news.teamxbox.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 10:26:00 PM, ,

Halo 3 online 'years ahead' of rivals - ex-Bungie dev

Certain Affinity's Max Hoberman says that Halo 3's Xbox Live features are "years ahead of everything that's out there".

Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz about the information of his Austin-based studio, which is currently working on multiplayer maps for Halo 2, Hoberman also hinted at the levels of secrecy surrounding the project at his former employer, Bungie.

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source: eurogamer.net

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 11:57:00 AM, ,

2 Free Xbox 360 Games when you buy the Pioneer HTP-GS1 surround sound system

To celebrate the launch of Need for Speed: Carbon, Pioneer has teamed up with EA Games to give you the complete HD gaming experience.

Purchase the HTP-GS1 surround sound system for your Xbox 360 between 13 November 2006 and 31 January 2007 and, as well as hearing your games as the designers intended, they will give you 2 free Xbox 360 games – Burnout Revenge and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. This is a sweet deal.

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source: pioneer.co.uk

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 11:36:00 AM, ,

Halo 3 Beta winners will be announced starting today.

Bungie is starting to send out their confirmation emails for winners of the Halo 3 beta program.

To the right is a sample email of what Bungie is sending the beta applicants. Apparently you will, if you have not already, receive this email first and if you are chosen you will receive a follow up email within 2 days to make your confirmation official.

Good luck to everyone.

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 11:15:00 AM, ,

Beware the DS pirates on eBay

How to spot a fake DS cartridge

One of the joys of looking after the DS section of a European-centric website is you spend a lot of time studying the Japanese and US release dates of games you know won't surface over here for months.

Hence the need to trawl the various game import sites, to ensure we keep up-to-date with the latest reviews. But what with the downfall of Hong Kong-based games importer, Lik Sang, we've increasingly had to rely on the Wild West environment that is eBay.

And we were unpleasantly surprised when one of our most recent purchases, Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (due to be released in Europe as Mario Slam Basketball on 16 February), turned out to be a fake.

Find out how to spot fakes by following the link below.

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source: pocketgamer.co.uk

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 11:00:00 AM, ,

Virtual Console Releases - 1/22/07 [Update]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past.

Today is finally the day US Wii console owners get The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past! I have been waiting for this day for a long long time. At 800 Wii Points, this is a bargain and anyone with any sense will be downloading this game.

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source: 1pstart.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 04:01:00 AM, ,

Two Worlds: The Five Schools of Magic

TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios has released info on the five schools of magic found in Two Worlds, the upcoming multiplayer RPG.

Two Worlds online multiplayer action allows up to 8 people to adventure together online via Xbox Live. Gather with your friends and battle cooperatively, exchange equipment, or simply attack them and see who’s left standing.

Click the "read more" link below to see the five schools of magic.

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source: news.teamxbox.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 03:52:00 AM, ,

PlayStation 3 Gamers Can Now Get All of Their Digital Media on Their TV Screens

Free 'MyCasting' Service Bridges Chasm Between Internet Content and TV With Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii

Orb Networks announced today that Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) game enthusiasts can now view and share all of the digital entertainment stored on their home PCs directly on their living room TV screen, using the company's software as the bridge. Orb turns the home PC into a personal broadcasting system, and lets users build and organize their own "channels" to enjoy their music, photos, video, TV, documents and other extras for viewing on any device with a streaming media player and Internet connection.

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source: biz.yahoo.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 03:45:00 AM, ,

Xbox 360 controller gets motion-sensitive

Sure the Xbox 360 has awesome games like Gears of War, but what good is all that bloody carnage when all the other next-gen systems have motion sensors?

Adam Thole invested about two-and-a-half weeks worth of time and was able to put together a fully-functioning wired 360 controller with a 2-axis accelerometer -- and he makes the hack seem pretty straightforward. There are a lot of details on his site for those looking to emulate this mod, and Adam claims that he may even hack a wireless controller for version two.

Read More

source: engadget.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 03:32:00 AM, ,

The Gears Of War Den-Den Town Sell Out

Late last week, Gears of War went on sale in Japan.

If early (albeit isolated) indications are anything to go by, Gears *could* be a hit. While the title racked up an impressive Famitsu scores and sports truly impressive graphics, some believed that the game's blocky very American-style characters wouldn't fly with gamers used to more slender Final Fantasy-type heroes. (Interesting to note: There is a population in Japan who are extremely interested American games just as there's a Western segment who fetishize Japanese titles. Kindred spirits!)

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source: kotaku.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 03:23:00 AM, ,

Castlevania: The Retrospective

IGN celebrates 20 years of vampire slaying.

A series now over two decades old, Castlevania is looked at as one of the true classics franchises of our industry. Starting as an unassuming horror movie look-alike in 1987, Castlevania has seen its fair share of ups and downs, successes and failures, moments of greatness and tribulation. As Konami celebrates the 20 year anniversary of the game, IGN saw it fit to take a look back on the franchise's humble eight-bit beginnings, its current standing on both handheld and console systems, and the future of this longstanding gaming tradition.

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source: IGN.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 03:02:00 AM, ,

Japanese Retailers slash PS3 Prices

PS3 sales in Japan have not just chilled but FROZEN.

The problem of PS3's not selling in their native motherland has got so bad that retailers are cutting their prices by as much as 20% in a bid to move the systems. As soon as PS3 gets some good games, expect things to heat up!

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source: maxconsole.net

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/23/2007 02:43:00 AM, ,

Take-Two confirms backdating
Monday

Independent investigation blames ex-CEO for "significant" mishandling of stock-option grants from 1997 to 2003; says current executive suite is clean.

Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched investigations of various high-profile game publishers, including THQ and Activision, for backdating stock options. As a result, many of those publishers hired external auditors to conduct independent investigations to head off any official sanctions from the federal government.

Now, just over a month after it first admitted financial "improprieties," one of the biggest publishers under investigation confirmed it backdated options in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Today, Take-Two Interactive conceded that it had "failed in many cases to comply with the terms of its stock option plans" by allowing its founder and former CEO Ryan Brant "to control and dominate the granting process."

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source: gamespot.com

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posted by Wasted Rage @ 1/22/2007 07:13:00 PM, ,

The Authors

Brock Raybon - Wasted Rage

Brock is a business owner by day and avid gamer and blogger by night. He writes about console and pc gaming, hdtv and technology news. Definitely a "CONSOLE FANBOY" born with a 2600 joystick in his hand.




Chris Lugo - Master Sinwave

Chris works in customer services by day and moonlights as a hardcore techie by night. He started gaming as a young lad with his trusty Atari and now plays it all from console to hardcore pc games. HE GIVES CONSOLE AND PC GAMES A FAIR SHAKE.

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This blog is a multi-author blog devoted to console gaming, pc gaming, hdtv, and tech news. Its purpose is to keep fellow gamers and tech heads as to whats going on in the industry.

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