Wait 'til Emergence Day
Rumors have been circulating about a Gears of War demo on Xbox Live Marketplace for awhile now - especially since Microsoft UK put up an image that seemed to confirm it. Developer Epic Games Vice President, Mark Rein, has charged onto the official Gears of War forum to dispel the rumors -it isn't true. Instead,Game|Life reportsEB and GameStop stores will be hosting "Gears of War preview parties" on October 21, with limited space available. Don't you love it when companies use the corniest methods possible to try and drive buzz? If you didn't get to play it, it must be awesome!
BF2142 definitely not BFF 2142
Last night while patrolling missile silo #4 in the newly released Battlefield 2142 - read our reviewhere- we couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. Something sinister was watching us from the shadows, following our every move.
Then, this morning we realized what this unseen force must have been: spyware. Yes, BF2142 installs a sniffer program to watch what in-game ads you linger over on the billboard-littered battlefield. What they can't detect is that you might be seething with hatred over greedy suits putting advertisements in a full-priced game. To be fair, we haven't seen the ads yet, but we do know that they are coming... like a plague. Sadly, we can't imagine what kind of advertising would be appropriate 200 years in the future that won't be completely distracting.
Well, unless... "Hello, OnStar2142? I think I just locked the keys inside my Battle Walker."
Oblivious
While initial reports suggested that Knights of the Nine pack for Oblivion would only be available in the PS3 version of the game, we've sinceheard differently (back on Oct 12, actually). Today, Bethesda, the game's publisher, spammed out a press release naming a date: November 21, less than a week after the PS3 launches. It'll be a download for 360 and available boxed up on PC, too - with the rest of the existing downloads stuffed in as well. No word on how much it'll cost to get you what PS3 owners get thrown in for free - but at least you don't have to drop the cash for the console this time.
No shockers here
Next Generation has posted alistof the top 20 selling games in the US for September, courtesy of the NPD Group. You won't be surprised to hear that the PS2 version of Madden NFL 07 is number one for the second month in a row. 360's gangsta-sim Saints Row enters the chart at numbertwo (while Dead Rising slips to 16.) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon was a big winner (sort of surprising as it's not a full-fledged sequel) while Okami managed to eke out a fair bit of sales based on itsexcellent quality. All in all, it's not as depressing as these charts can sometimes be. Where's 50 Cent when you [don't really] need him?
The PS3 launch info... yep, that's it
Next Generation hasa short interviewwith the President of Sony Computer Entertainment Ameirca, Kaz Hirai, which helps to clear up a few points about the system's launch. 400,000 units will hit day one, as we've heard, rising to at least one million by the end of the year. Around 20 launch games are expected. None of this info is new, but it's nice to have it plainly laid down in black and white, isn't it?
Failuriffic!
Ever see Successories? They're those obnoxious sloganeering prints and calendars that stink up the mall - and the offices of tedious managers.Here'sa particularly overblown example. Well, the dudes at RetroBlast! (led byKev Steele, whom MAME fans have known for ages)have been running acontestfor the best parodies of them - using gaming characters and situations. Given the site's name you won't be surprised to find that most of the entries are trapped in the '80s. A few do manage to make it to the present day - but either way, there are at least a few funny ones... spread across 13 pages. That should kill some time.
New screens
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Knights of the Nine(PS3)
Ridge Racer 7(PS3)
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade(PC)
Red Steel(Wii)
Gunpey (DS,PSP)
Sonic Rivals (PSP)
The Guild 2(PC)
New videos
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2,Wii)
Ridge Racer 7 (PS3)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PS2,PS3,Wii,Xbox,360)
Need for Speed Carbon (DS)
October 17, 2006
