Monday, March 31, 2008
PSN Redesign Revealed
SCEA has announced the North American "revamp" will arrive via firmware update in "mid-April" (presumably day and date with the European update). Sony clarified that beginning April 3, no new content will be added to the store until the redesign is launched.
Gears of War film shoots for Summer 2010 release
Gears of War film producer Wyck Godfrey has told Coming Soon that the production company is shooting for a Summer 2010 release of the video game adaptation. Said Godfrey: "We've got our script on and a director we're about to attach. We'll hopefully make that early next year for the summer of 2010."
The script was written by Stuart Beattie (Collateral, Pirates of the Caribbean), who recently said in an interview that the production will likely be heavy on green screen usage, à la 300. The Gears of War film will be released by New Line Cinema, with CliffyB as executive producer. You should probably get in line now, you've only got 24 to 27 months before this Romantic Comedy of 2010 marches into theaters.
[Via Joystiq]
Nearly 1.3m play COD4 "every day" News
Infinity Ward has revealed that its Xbox Live-topping shooter Call of Duty 4 is attracting "between 1.2 and 1.3 million users every day" just on Microsoft's service - with PS3 numbers "monstrously huge".
Speaking to Eurogamer in London last week during the unveiling of the new downloadable maps for the game, producer Mark Rubin revealed that Infinity Ward had been hitting these figures "consistently for the past two-to-three months, Monday through Sunday. It's crazy."
He added: "That's just 360. There's even more on the other platforms [PS3 and PC], but we just don't have the same numbering system. Overall, even without the other consoles, we are beating the competition. PS3 numbers are monstrously huge. No other game has come close, either online current, or total unique users in a day."
The hugely popular contemporary update to the studio's previously WWII-focused war franchise has been fighting with Bungie's Halo 3 for the top spot on the Xbox Live rankings since its release, but has pulled clear in recent months. Speaking on the rivalry, Rubin commented:
"We've created a lot of heartache for a lot of companies who go up against it. I think Halo's website says they get something around 845,000 to a million [per day]."
Call of Duty is understood to have sold over 7 million units so far. While Rubin refused to confirm the percentage of online users, he admitted it had exceeded expectations:
"I don't have an exact number for you, but it turns out to be a startling number of people. For a lot this is there first time playing a multiplayer game on console or PC. We're getting really high numbers."
The Variety Map Pack for Call of Duty 4 is due for release in April. You can read the full interview with Rubin here.
[Via Eurogamer.net]
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Sony: PSP has 10-year life cycle
Speaking to IGN about the PSP's three-year anniversary, Senior Marketing Manager for the system, John Koller, reconfirmed Sony's 10-year commitment to the platform. Said Koller: "We've talked about the PSP being a 10 year product, but a 10 year product in the continued lifecycle." Citing the different PSP models, Koller said the handheld "will still be a very strong portable gaming device that is centered in gaming and has a lot of multi-functional features."
Before you go scoffing at that time line, remember that the original PlayStation lasted for over a decade, with the ultra-successful PS2 still going strong after eight years. With the PS3 also given a "ten-year life cycle," we suspect that's just the modus operandi for Sony's hardware strategy.
[Via PSP Fanboy]
GTA IV to allow real-world music downloads with Amazon
Aside from being able to murder innocent people in cold blood, the soundtrack has to be one of the best parts of the Grand Theft Auto experience. Now, you'll be able to take those tracks with you back into the real world without shelling out the bones for boxed soundtrack collections, thanks to a cool new service that will let you mark tracks for download in game.
It works like this: You hear a song you like, you'll call an in-game service called "ZiT" on your mobile phone to mark it. You'll get a text message with the song and artist name, as well as an email if you're a member of the Rockstar Social Club. Said email will contain a direct link to download the song from Amazon's music site for $0.89 to $0.99. What's more, there's no DRM, so you can do whatever you like with them.
[Via Joystiq]
First Guitar Hero: Aerosmith tracks include 'Draw the Line,' 'Sweet Emotion'
Though we were briefly distracted by mention of some other bands set to feature in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Activision has reminded us that the rhythmography will, in fact, include Aerosmith tunes. Gamespot reports that of the 40-plus songs in the game, 60 percent will be devoted to the increasingly decrepit crooners.
Ah, but age is just a number and fans aren't likely to care when they start pressing plastic in rhythm to these confirmed numbers:
- "Make It"
- "Uncle Salty"
- "Draw the Line"
- "No Surprize"
- "Sweet Emotion"
Thursday, March 27, 2008
New Arcade Stick: Ps3-Ps2-Pc Usb Fighting Stick
A new Arcade stick USB driven and compatible with Playstation 3, Playstation 2, and PC. Use them with your favorite Fighting game, especially great with hard driven Combo games such as Tekken 5, even the upcoming Tekken 6, Guilty Gear, Street Fighter and many more.
The Arcade stick allows re-mapping so choosing your own button scheme, programming it to another system is easily possible. The Metallic Base makes it durable and strong enough for the hardest of arcade players.
Information about Arcade Stick:
● The lever and buttons are designed and placed on same layout as the arcade style.
● Turbo function with different speed settings you can toy with.
● Supports button re-mapping and Macro functions.
● The Fighting Stick has considerable heft and rubber feet, both of which work to hold the controller firmly in place on hard, flat surfaces.
● The Fighting Stick has a metal base and plastic outer shell with smooth corners that don't murder your wrists.
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PS2 - Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 32: Phantasy Star Complete Collection - In Stocl
Sega has released there Blockbuster series Phantasy Star onto the Playstation 2 for a 2nd time, this one not to be confused with Sega's 2003 release Phantasy Star Trilogy.
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 32: Phantasy Star Collection contains Phantasy Star I-IV, all with updated graphics and English text for all you importers. The disc also includes Phantasy Star 2 Text adventures (no English text) and all of Sega's normal normal extra which include, sound test and art.
So for everyone who never had a Sega Genesis, or had one and want to play/replay one of the best RPG's of the Sega Genesis era Phantasy Star Complete Collection is a great pick up.
Series information:
Phantasy Star -
The story is about Alis, a girl who sees Nero, her brother, killed and sets out to avenge him. The action begins in a futuristic city complex in a three-planet solar system called Algol. The three planets are named Palma, Motavia, and Dezoris. You start the game on the planet Palma which is a lush planet. Motavia is a desert planet and Dezoris is an ice planet inhabited by a race of green aliens. After travelling some underground mazes, the characters get to travel to the other planets in their adventure using the spaceport on Palma or your own spaceship that is built for you by Dr. Luveno. There is the option to talk with monsters the characters encounter — sometimes they are friendly, and just leave.
Phantasy Star II - Somewhere deep within the Andromeda Galaxy lies the Algol Star System. The parent star, Algol (referred to as "Algo" by this point in the timeline), has three planets orbiting about it. First is Palm (formerly "Palma" in the original Phantasy Star), the home of the government. Governors, treasurers, and great thinkers dwell here in great ivory towers, away from the hubbub of everyday life. Next is Mota (formerly "Motavia"), the shining jewel. Once a dry desert planet infested with ant lions, Mota has been transformed into a blue and green tropical paradise. Domed farms grow crops, and the water is regulated into dammed rivers. Life on Mota is sweet, peaceful, and easy. The people have everything they want, and do not need to work. Farthest out is Dezo (formerly "Dezoris"), the ice planet. Little is known about this mysterious and dark planet. One thousand years have passed since Alis and her friends liberated Algo from the evil Lassic. Algo has since prospered under the care of a giant computer called the Mother Brain. The Mother Brain regulates the Climatrol Tower, the Bio-Systems Lab, and all other things that provide whatever the Mota people need.
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Idol Singer Shoko Nakagawa to Perform at Anime Expo
Anime Expo has announced that otaku personality/singer/actress Shoko "Shokotan" Nakagawa will perform at the July 3-6 convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Nakagawa debuted as the grand prize winner of the Popolo Girl Audition in 2001, but her popularity among otaku took off when she launched her blog in 2004. Nakagawa is known for updating the blog as many as 15 times a day with her observations on life and her expert knowledge on anime and manga. Sony Music said her blog received a total of 1 billion hits as of early 2008. She sang theme songs for the Eyeshield 21, Hakaba Kitarō, Yoshimune, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann anime series. The Gurren Lagann theme, "Sorairo Days," debuted at #3 on Japan's Oricon weekly singles chart. She also voiced roles in Eyeshield 21, Hakaba Kitarō, and the Pokémon movies.
Sony announces some PSP news
P S P
- Here are some highlights of a recent interview with Sony's senior marketing manager John Koller by GamePro and Game Informer:
- PSP will have a lot of strong titles coming out this year
- Outside of Final Fantasy Crisis: Core and Secret Agent Clank, there will be a lineup of additional sports games and some very unique titles
- One of the unique title is "franchise umbrellas"
- The PSP Store will offer both PS1 and PS2 re-releases for download
- PSP will have a number pf peripherals coming this year, including keyword, camera and GPS
- Major PSP announcements will be coming next month and continuing up to E3 2008
- Heavy focus on PS3-PSP remote play functionality this year
- More PSP Combo Packs will be coming
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wii - Nintendo Wii Console System Japanese + Freeloader (JPN) Special Bundle
Does this sound familiar.......
- Im Sorry but we are sold out.
- We don't know when we will be receiving more.
Wii's have been almost impossible to find in America, Nintendo acknowledges this and still the supply demand is astronomically high just for one. A single Wii on Ebay can retail to close to $500 dollars and really no one wants to spend that much.
So Japan Video Games has a way to help you, available now is A Japanese Wii bundle that includes a Japanese region Wii Console and a Japanese Wii Freeloader (which unlocks the Region of the Wii for the American Wii games). The bundle will Retail for $379.99 and for a limited time will Include free Free UPS Ground Shipping and Full coverage via Insurance. So if a Wii is needed this is the best way to go to play not only American Wii games but also Japanese.
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PS3 - 40 GB - Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 JPN Steel-Edition - Pre-Order (6/12/2008)
Metal Gear Solid 4, The Brain child of Hideo Kojima and Konami, if you mention Metal Gear to anyone they would almost automatically know right away. First Created in 1987 the series has been around for now 20 yrs, starting with Metal Gear for the nes, has had games on gameboy, moved |
Regular Edition:Metal Gear Solid® 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the earth to foil Liquid Ocelot’s plans for total world domination. |
Special Edition:
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Premium Edition:
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- The PlayStation 3 HDD 40GB console offers the latest way for gamers to upgrade to Sony's next generation system. Unlike the premium 60GB system, this 40GB release represents a more affordable entry point, with streamlined features designed to make the unit more cost-effective. The HDD 40GB now features 2 USB inputs instead of the previous 4, and no built-in multimedia card slots. In addition, backwards compatibility with PlayStation One and PlayStation 2 games has been removed, due to the reduced need for this feature from later PS3 purchasers.
- The HDD 40 GB is much more of a plug-and-play device than previous models, designed for users to connect it to their preexisting systems and benefit from the PS3's powerful gaming hardware, high definition Blu-ray video playback capability, and other advanced entertainment features. The 40 GB internal hard drive provides ample storage, and the system comes with one SIXAXIS controller, featuring analog control, wireless Bluetooth support, and even motion sensor ability. With its built-in Internet connectivity and wide range of entertainment functions, the PS3 takes interactive entertainment to a whole new level.
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XBOX 360 - Grand Theft Auto 4 - Preorder Now (April 29, 2008)
The Ninth installment of the Grand Theft Auto Series, Rockstar has redone there game engine and promises this game will be the greatest in the series, with new characters (none or atleast nearly no one from the other series will be returning, as claimed by Rockstar games).
Nikolai "Niko" Bellic is Eastern European and has come to Liberty City to pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, women, hot tubs and sports cars. Roman's claims turn out to be lies to hide his own failures, however, and in reality he only owns a small taxi business, which he wants Niko to work for.
Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City to begin with, and is one of his major connections in the first part of the game. Niko is a tough character, whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him. He desperately needs Niko's support, hence the reason he deceived Niko into travelling to Liberty City. They are constantly bickering. It is later revealed that Niko has also been avoiding other, as yet undisclosed, problems at home.
New Elements include:
* Niko will be able to perform a variety of new actions such as climbing telephone poles and fire escapes, pushing people who bump into him, calling women for dates, playing darts and bowling. Niko may become intoxicated by which the character stumbles and the blurry camera bounces about.
* The player will not be able to fly any fixed-wing aircraft. However, helicopters will be flyable. Francis International Airport (from Grand Theft Auto III) is confirmed to be in the game.
* It is possible to have multiple active missions, due to the fact that some missions will run over the course of several days and will require the player to wait for further instructions, etc.
* The use of the mobile phone has been expanded to perform multiple actions. When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the phone pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here," etc. Retrying a failed mission can be performed by accessing the menu. The phone can be used outside of vehicles to listen to one of the 18 radio stations. The player can take photos with the mobile phone and upload them to the police computer. Niko can dial 911 to call the police for them to arrest an enemy/pedestrian that is fighting/shooting at him, or just to trick them into wasting resources on a false alarm. He can also contact the paramedics and the fire station.
* Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now, it involves Niko approaching the car, breaking the glass, and hotwiring it; only then can he use it. The way Niko enters the car would look different each time depending on where and how he is in relation to the car. There will be several animation variations to sneaking up to a car and breaking its window. Because of the Euphoria engine, the way the character will approach the car will be completely random.
* Players will be able to choose from five different camera views while in a car, including a dashboard view, two outside views near and far from the car, a road view, and a cinematic view.[citation needed]
* All cars feature a standard GPS device while more expensive vehicles have voice-navigation GPS. Car damage physics have been greatly improved.[citation needed] When major collisions on motorbikes occur, the player's helmet is likely to fall off. Niko can lose health if he crashes. Vehicles will not explode if they are flipped over.
* When driving in a car the player will be able to smash the window with his elbow, free-aim, and fire out of the broken window with any weapon in Niko's arsenal.
* The gunfight system has been reworked to feel natural by using a cover system similar to that of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the reason being that the combat system in previous games was awkward and cumbersome. The player can slide to cover, blind fire, and free aim. When locked on, the target's health is indicated by eight purple segments on the target circle. Players can now target individual body parts using a revamped targeting system.[22] Niko's health is represented by a green semi-circle on the left side of the radar, and a right semi-circle represents armour. If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by eating, sleeping or using medical kits. Body armour and actual health will play different roles. Health is more likely to be reduced by falls and going through the windscreen of a car when crashing, Body armour will be damaged more by gunshots and stab wounds.
* Notable weapons in this game other than melee fighting with fists and knives include pistols, Uzis, assault rifles, sniper rifle, rocket launchers, and molotov cocktails.
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PS3 - Grand Theft Auto 4 - Preorder Now (April 29, 2008)
Nikolai "Niko" Bellic is Eastern European and has come to Liberty City to pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, women, hot tubs and sports cars. Roman's claims turn out to be lies to hide his own failures, however, and in reality he only owns a small taxi business, which he wants Niko to work for.
Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City to begin with, and is one of his major connections in the first part of the game. Niko is a tough character, whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him. He desperately needs Niko's support, hence the reason he deceived Niko into travelling to Liberty City. They are constantly bickering. It is later revealed that Niko has also been avoiding other, as yet undisclosed, problems at home.
New Elements include:
* Niko will be able to perform a variety of new actions such as climbing telephone poles and fire escapes, pushing people who bump into him, calling women for dates, playing darts and bowling. Niko may become intoxicated by which the character stumbles and the blurry camera bounces about.
* The player will not be able to fly any fixed-wing aircraft. However, helicopters will be flyable. Francis International Airport (from Grand Theft Auto III) is confirmed to be in the game.
* It is possible to have multiple active missions, due to the fact that some missions will run over the course of several days and will require the player to wait for further instructions, etc.
* The use of the mobile phone has been expanded to perform multiple actions. When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the phone pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here," etc. Retrying a failed mission can be performed by accessing the menu. The phone can be used outside of vehicles to listen to one of the 18 radio stations. The player can take photos with the mobile phone and upload them to the police computer. Niko can dial 911 to call the police for them to arrest an enemy/pedestrian that is fighting/shooting at him, or just to trick them into wasting resources on a false alarm. He can also contact the paramedics and the fire station.
* Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now, it involves Niko approaching the car, breaking the glass, and hotwiring it; only then can he use it. The way Niko enters the car would look different each time depending on where and how he is in relation to the car. There will be several animation variations to sneaking up to a car and breaking its window. Because of the Euphoria engine, the way the character will approach the car will be completely random.
* Players will be able to choose from five different camera views while in a car, including a dashboard view, two outside views near and far from the car, a road view, and a cinematic view.[citation needed]
* All cars feature a standard GPS device while more expensive vehicles have voice-navigation GPS. Car damage physics have been greatly improved.[citation needed] When major collisions on motorbikes occur, the player's helmet is likely to fall off. Niko can lose health if he crashes. Vehicles will not explode if they are flipped over.
* When driving in a car the player will be able to smash the window with his elbow, free-aim, and fire out of the broken window with any weapon in Niko's arsenal.
* The gunfight system has been reworked to feel natural by using a cover system similar to that of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the reason being that the combat system in previous games was awkward and cumbersome. The player can slide to cover, blind fire, and free aim. When locked on, the target's health is indicated by eight purple segments on the target circle. Players can now target individual body parts using a revamped targeting system.[22] Niko's health is represented by a green semi-circle on the left side of the radar, and a right semi-circle represents armour. If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by eating, sleeping or using medical kits. Body armour and actual health will play different roles. Health is more likely to be reduced by falls and going through the windscreen of a car when crashing, Body armour will be damaged more by gunshots and stab wounds.
* Notable weapons in this game other than melee fighting with fists and knives include pistols, Uzis, assault rifles, sniper rifle, rocket launchers, and molotov cocktails.
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Wii - Mario Kart Wii - Preorder Now (April 28, 2008)
Mario Kart is back and this time on the Wii, using the power of the Wiimote you will be able to control Mario and his friends as you attach your Wiimote to a Steering Wheel attachment that comes with the game.
First time ever the driving experience is the closest you will ever get than any other Mario game has offered. If you are not willing to try out the Wiimote and want a Classic experience you can use a Gamecube controller/Wavebird and even the Classic controller.
The Game will feature many tracks from all the past Mario Kart games, as they did in Mario Kart Ds, 16 so far have been announced, 16 new tracks and 10 special ones. New weapons will be introduced plus all yout old favorites, and as a special bonus you can now also use bikes in the games.
First time ever for the series Console version is the Online mode of Mario Kart where you can challenge friends or random people thank to the Wii's online mode.
Mario Kart Wii is looking to be the top game for the Wii only rivaled to Nintendo's own Super Smash Bros Brawl, with everything going this great for Nintendo what can stop them.
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