Ninja Gaiden 2.. HAWT!!

I want this game so badly... it hurts and I sometimes cry myself to sleep



I guess I'll be crying till sometime in summer then....

Gears of War 2. Nuff Said.

The new Unreal 3 engine looks incredible. Pay attention to the water effects

Re-Emergence Day = Sometime in November

RIP HD-DVD

Well that of £100 down the drain! Best get my XBox 360 HD DVD drive on ebay quick!
Oh well it was good while it lasted.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/19/ft_hd_dvd_obit

Geometry Wars Waves

Suffice to say, I cannot wait for this. Its one of the best things about PGR and it's only a minigame. Pure brilliance tho and this looks to build on what was a great game

Ninja Gaiden 2 screens leak on Xbox.com

...and they leak copious amounts of blood. The pictures were taken down pretty sharpish, but it's pretty much confirmed that these screens are from Ninja Gaiden 2 and they're beautifully brutal. One of the best games out last gen. The sequel is destined for great things hopefully. Enjoy the screens

If you would kindly...

I have decided, BioShock is THE best game ever!
Last night I defeated Ryan thinking that was the end of a very enjoyable game.
Oh how wrong I was...
I'm struggling not to say anything to spoil it but I'm still grinning inanely over what unfolds. I was blown away.
Can't wait to get back to Rapture tonight to find out how it continues.
Never has a game had me so absorbed. Half Life 2 comes close but has a very predictable storyline in comparison.
I remember reading some review saying that there were some key moments in the game that made the reviewer sit back in awe, defeating Ryan is definatley one!

PGR4 Environment shots... Seriously.. Wow

No more words... Halo 3 and PGR4.... There is a God

This holiday season is going to be immense on the 360 with the sheer depth of quality in the titles being released, not just multiformat either, there's some massive exclusives due as well... Time to quit my job and dedicate my life to a state of gaming nirvana...

Bioshock reviews begin trickling in... Prepare to part with cash...

E3 2007: BioShock Update

Irrational gives us another glimpse of Arcadia.

by Charles Onyett

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US, July 11, 2007 - 2K showed off the Arcadia level for BioShock again today, something we'd seen at a Pre-E3 event recently in San Francsico. Ken Levine was on hand to demo all the different ways enemies can be wiped out in the game. The action started off by loading what's known as a Lazarus Vector into an irrigation system. The appropriately named compound would eventually revive a grove of trees that lay beyond the control room in which we were standing. In the meantime, we had to kill quite a few enemies.

This action in the demo was said to be about seven hours into the game so some advanced weaponry was available. A mine launcher, crossbow, and flamethrower were available. Not only will the flamethrower be able to belch flame, but can also be loaded up with liquid nitrogen for flash freezing, and liquid gel, a craftable item that stuns and electrifies enemies. We also saw an upgraded shotgun, with a rotating pulley system strapped on for increased reload speed, as well as augmented shell capacity.

Crafting items in the game is accomplished at special vending machines. They'll list the items that can be constructed and eat up money and items from your inventory. Other craftable goodies include special bolts for your crossbow that are much more resistant to breaking, which are apparently quite pricey to create. We also saw a trap bolt, which is basically an electrified wire that can be slung across hallways to surprise and shock charging foes. Ken was using the Telekinesis plasmid to properly situate the trap.

As enemies charged in at us while waiting for the trees to turn green, the most interesting attack we saw involved setting wind traps. With this plasmid you place small vortexes on the floor that fling anything that steps on them upward. Ken dropped a few on the ground, then stuck two mines up on the ceiling. When two enemies charged through a door, they hit the traps, hit the ceiling, and were killed by the ensuing explosion.

Then, like we've seen before, Ken demonstrated how enemies standing in water get electrified if you shoot a lightning bolt at the liquid. If you ignite someone or some environmental object, like oil spilled from barrels, with the fire-spewing plasmid, the object or body will set whatever it touches on fire as well. If the engulfed enemies fly to water to douse the flames, you can always shoot an electro bolt into the pool to put them down for good. Telekinesis can be tossed around pretty much anything in the game. Like before, it's clear the amount of variety to this game's combat, in addition to its storyline and slick graphics, of course.

Irrational told us the game is pretty much finished at this point on Xbox 360, and they're still doing some tweaking for the PC. With increased media attention since E3 2006, Irrational is particularly excited about BioShock's release, specifically for what it means for games in the future. "All I want to do is be able to create more games like this," says Ken Levine. "That's all I care about in my career is just make more cool games, be able to break down some barriers, things that aren't World War II shooters. That's what I want for the industry, it's the games I want to play and the games I want to make. If BioShock's successful, that to me is a ticket for making more games like this. We're not going to mention any of the story elements in the game, because honestly, they'd be better to find out for yourself when the game releases later this August.

10/10 in OXM and 95% in PC Gamer

Review scans can be found here

Forza 2 DLC races onto Live (see what I did there?)

Forza 2 DLC Races onto Xbox Live

First downloadable content pack features three new Nissan cars.

by Rob Burman, IGN UK

<A HREF="http://de.ign.com/event.ng/Type%3dclick%26FlightID%3d61869%26AdID%3d66779%26TargetID%3d11666%26Targets%3d11708,6743,7873,7697,8633,10619,11666%26Values%3d25,30,46,50,60,72,83,90,100,110,150,152,218,227,240,268,469,829,1187,1404,1481,1503,1591,2522,2662,2679,2721,3480,3543,3887,4056,4295,4525,4799,5137,5666,6612,6744%26RawValues%3d%26Redirect%3dhttp://www.direct2drive.co.uk" target="_blank"><!-- --></A>

UK, August 1, 2007 - A brand new downloadable content pack for Forza Motorsport 2 featuring three Nissan cars - the 2007 Sentra SE-R, Altima and 350Z - is available for free from Xbox Live Marketplace today.

To celebrare, Microsoft and Nissan have teamed up to run a series of Forza-themed events in the US, the first of which is an Xbox Live tournament in which competitors can only drive the Sentra SE-R. The second is a customisation contest, with budding car-tists encouraged to create the most stunning paint jobs imaginable. Entries will be judged by members of the Turn 10 dev team and Nissan, but as yet there's no word on what the prize for best design will be. More details about both competitions will be announced on the official Forza website in the next few weeks.

Finally, joining the Nissan trio of cars on the download list is the Peugeot 908 race car, which costs 50 Microsoft Points and is the only "paintable" race car in the game. Head over to Marketplace now to get behind the wheel of any of these four gas guzzlers.

Halo 3 = 4 player online co-op

I just cried tears of pure joy...

I'm just going to post the full thing and allow people to revel in this news

The Tru7h About Co-Op in Halo 3

Posted by lukems at 7/31/2007 1:49 PM PDT

It’s time for us to sack up and tell you what’s what regarding online co-op.

So you were probably wondering why we didn’t want to commit to two player co-op online over Xbox Live. We certainly got plenty of mail asking, no, demanding that we make it happen. Of course we were working on it, but we were also working on something better. Not two player co-op. Not three-player co-op, but up to four player co-op. Online. On Xbox Live, or sure, System Link if you prefer.

That is correct – up to four player co-op in Campaign mode on Xbox Live or System Link.

We’ve been playing it for quite some time, and bluntly, having some of our greatest ever Halo experiences. We wanted to make sure all our “t”s were crossed and our “i”s dotted before unveiling this important new part of Halo 3’s Campaign mode.

Apart from the horrifying network challenges this new mode presented us, were the various gameplay balance issues it adds to the fray. So we got it all together, polished it, and that’s why we’re revealing it now. As a result, you’re going to want to play co-op as hard as you can stomach it. We’d certainly recommend Legendary, but we’ll be revealing some more ways to make the game more interesting and challenging for multiple players in the very near future.

Acting as a team is a fantastic new twist to the Campaign gameplay – something that works as well on foot, in close confines as it does on the battlefield, with large scale vehicle mayhem. Scared of Jackal snipers? Send out a scout to see what dangers lie ahead. Terrified of an open field? Flank your enemies and swipe their rides. The combinations and scenarios are endless – and you’ll be able to enjoy them time and time again in Saved Films of your co-op exploits.

We mentioned that we’ve been having a blast. We have a lot of stories. Many of them would require that we explain some of the reasons replay will be a big factor, but not quite yet. Soon, we promise.

Like every other aspect of Halo 3, this mode is chosen from a Lobby. Simply select Campaign, choose your network (Xbox Live or System Link) and invite your friends to join you, or they can simply join your session once it’s set up and in a lobby (but they cannot join a game once it’s in-progress). They will pop into your lobby instantly, and when you have all the players you need (anywhere from one to four) you can begin the game from the beginning – or from any of your saved checkpoints.

Split-screen co-op is as ever, limited to two players per screen – but they can if they wish join two other friends online or via System Link.

For fictional reasons, we decided to avoid Halo’s slightly surreal compromise of two identical Master Chiefs and rather, use this opportunity to expand the Halo universe just a little bit. Player one will control the Master Chief, player two will control the Arbiter and players three and four will get the chance to control two brand new Elite characters.

Allow us to introduce them:

PLAYER 3 (Sangheili)

Name: N’tho ‘Sraom
Affiliation: Fleet of Retribution/Special Warfare Group/Special Operations
History: N’tho ‘Sraom is the youngest member of his Special Operations unit and is one of a growing number of human sympathizers amongst the Sangheili youth. He is a fairly typical young male adult Sangheili—he began compulsory military service at the end of adolescence, and remains unmarried with no close, non-familial relationships outside of his martial order. N’tho Sraom refused to stand idly by while the Prophets replaced Sangheili units with Jiralhanae packs, and now bears deep resentment toward those Sangheili politicians who landed his kind in their current predicament.

Although N’tho ‘Sraom’s romanticized nationalism is emblematic of all Sangheili, he has developed a healthy respect for humanity—not for their physical abilities or martial prowess, but for their audacity and resolve.

PLAYER 4 (Sangheili)

Name: Usze ‘Taham
Affiliation: Fleet of Retribution/Special Warfare Group/Fleet Security
History: Although Usze ‘Taham was born into a respected merchant family he was fathered by Toha ‘Sumai—one of the preeminent swordfighters of this age. Usze graduated with honors from the top War College in the Iruiru region of Yermo, Sanghelios (a distinction he shares with Rtas 'Vadum). Shortly after receiving his first post within the Covenant Navy he was offered a place on the Prophets’ Honor Guard but he declined citing “lack of practical experience”. In truth, he had no desire to be part of a largely ceremonial unit, and at the end of his third combat tour, Usze ‘Taham again refused the post—even though his superiors warned him such behavior could be misinterpreted as apostasy.

Since that time Usze has evaded countless punitive actions, at least two assassination attempts, and served with distinction for two additional tours before the Schism. Following the dissolution of the Covenant, he was approached by the Ascetics to become one of their liaisons within the Navy.

---

Every player will have identical abilities – only their appearance and weapon starts are different (Elites will start with Carbines versus Battle Rifles for example, depending on the mission). So there you have it. Mystery solved. Internet dramas ended. Four player online co-op it is. And a special thanks to the test, engineering, production and design teams who worked incredibly hard to make this feature happen.

Bam!

Mass Effect... The Next Great Franchise?

It looks like Mass Effect is living up to its promise as it takes steps towards its November release. Bioware has a history of putting magic on disc for Microsoft and that trend looks to continue

Here's the E3 2007 video




wowzers!

Konami hints at MGS4 multiformat

Just read this on Joystiq. Will Peter Moore reveal another tattoo (please God no)?


Konami executive Kazumi Kitaue, head of Konami North America and European ops, dropped a bombshell today saying that Metal Gear Solid 4 may move to other consoles in an attempt to recoup development costs. He also said the PS3 price drop may not turn the ship around. The natural assumption, given the console hardware technology, is that Metal Gear Solid 4 will see its day on the Xbox 360, destroying one of the final feathers in Sony's hat of exclusives.

In regards to the PS3 price cut, Kitaue unleashes the backhand with quickness. "I don't expect a substantial impact ... with $500, you can buy a person computer," Kitaue told Reuters. It's been surprising to see the mainstream media pick up on the $100 price drop without acknowledging that there is a new "better" model at the same price which caused all the calls for a price drop in the first place.

But for gamers, the first acknowledgment that Metal Gear Solid might find its way to other consoles is what's really going to shake things up. Kitaue says, "Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game. But we might have to take some steps." Whether those steps are announced this week or if this is some last ditch effort by Konami to force Sony to pony up exclusivity cash, which they say they do not do, is worth wondering about. If MGS goes to the Xbox 360 ... well, all eyes will be on Final Fantasy XIII as the last famous third-party man standing.

Its been speculated for a while, I guess we'll hear more @ E3.

Bungie makes me cry tears of joy

They released the first campaign shot.. in game...

No more words




*sobs uncontrollably

Virtua Fighter 5 is online (360 only.. again)

Well we've had to wait a bit longer, but Sega has given us a visually and feature wise better game than the PS3 equivalent. I'll have to buy an arcade stick (not really, I'm bad with a 360 d-pad and I'm bad on a full VF machine... a better pad will not change that :( )

Virtua Fighter 5 Goes Online

Xbox Live to become SEGA's new battleground.

by Hilary Goldstein

US, July 6, 2007 - By the time Virtua Fighter 5 is released on Xbox 360, more than six months will have passed since its PlayStation 3 debut. That time is being well spent as SEGA and developer AM2 are bringing an online component to the renowned series. That's right, VF5 will be Xbox Live compatible with a two-player online versus mode. You may begin rejoicing.

Players can build a custom character in the expanded Quest Mode before taking their fighter online to do battle. Not only will you fight for glory (and a place on the Leaderboards), but for prizes and in-game cash that can be used to buy new accessories for your character. Quest Mode allows gamers to create unique names and mottos for any of the 17 playable characters in Virtua Fighter 5. They can then purchase clothing and other accessories to personalize their fighter. This can go to great extremes in some cases, with two versions of the same character looking almost nothing alike. So expect to come across some unique variations on some of your VF favorites when playing online.

"Virtua Fighter 5 is the most intense fighting experience available on next-generation consoles," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. "The addition of online multiplayer support opens up the competition to a global scale enabling players to compete and challenge anyone, anywhere, anytime, using Xbox Live."

Virtua Fighter 5 on 360 will use the most recent arcade update and feature all the improvements of Version C. The PS3 release used Version B. Gamers can also enjoy an improved Dojo Mode that includes online leaderboards, improved throw escape training, and the ability to change your opponent's stance and recovery type.

But really, the big news is the addition of Xbox Live. We managed to grab a few minutes of time with Yoshihiro Tsuzuku, Director at AM2, for a brief Q&A about Virtua Fighter 5's online compontent.

---

IGN: Lag can kill a fighter. What steps are being taken to ensure a smooth play session online?

Yoshihiro Tsuzuku: It's impossible to get rid of the lags completely. It's hard to answer to your question in a single word, but we are assuming various conditions and making necessary adjustments to find the best way.

IGN: Is the Quest mode going to allow for online players or is online its own specific mode?

Tsuzuku: The Quest Mode is single player and you can fight a battle immediately by simply visiting the virtual shop and selecting a rival CPU. The CPUs in Xbox 360 version are better tuned than the PS3 version, so they will be more human-like and stronger. Moreover, the online battle will be based on the VS Mode. Please look forward to it.

IGN: Is it going to be just standard arcade fighting, or are there any other unique modes being added for online?

Tsuzuku: The following 5 performances are featured as the online elements.

1. Human vs human online battle using the VS Mode and Xbox Live.
   
2. Ranking of the above online battle.
   
3. "Score Attack" Ranking in Arcade Mode.
   
4. "Clear Time" Ranking in Arcade Mode.
   
5. "Clear Time" Ranking in Dojo Mode.

Also, we are considering uploading the replay data for some of the Rankings.

We are planning on making the online battle simple and fun.

IGN: Are there any Achievements linked directly to online play?

Tsuzuku: The settings in Achievement are currently under consideration.

IGN: Will there be any special unlockables linked to online play or any other rewards specific to playing on Xbox Live?

Tsuzuku: Some gamers do not have an online environment, so we are wondering if we should take it or not. It's under review now.

IGN: Any plans to release a demo before the game ships?

Tsuzuku: Our team is looking into it, stay tuned for more details.

---

Virtua Fighter 5 ships for Xbox 360 this fall.

Microsoft Bring it home again (and we tell them to take that dirty thing back outside...)

As you might of read MS will be running the "Bringing it home" campaign again this year for mini E3. There are some MAJOR titles due in the next couple of months and I think there may be a few BIG demo's released (as well as an in depth look at Halo 3 single player.. hopefully with improved graphics to match the "fun as hell" gameplay of the beta (trust me)..

Here's a list from Teamxbox.com.. I'll highlight the games I'm really looking forward to seeing content for

Xbox 360 owners will be able to download high-definition content direct from the show including the following:
Microsoft’s E3 2007 press conference — beginning at 8:30 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, July 10 — will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in high definition later in the week
Video updates direct from the show
A selection of game trailers, themes, gamer pictures and demos will be available from the hottest E3 titles such as these:
“Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.)
“Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft)
“BioShock” (2K)
“Blue Dragon” (Microsoft Game Studios)
“Burnout Paradise” (Electronic Arts Inc.)
“CALL OF DUTY® 4: MODERN WARFARE™” (Activision)
“FIFA Soccer 08” (Electronic Arts)
“Guitar Hero III” (Activision/RedOctane)
“Lost Odyssey™” (Microsoft Game Studios)
“Madden NFL 08” (Electronic Arts)
“NCAA Football 08” (Electronic Arts)
“Need for Speed: ProStreet” (Electronic Arts)
“Project Gotham Racing® 4” (Microsoft Game Studios)
“The Simpsons Game” (Electronic Arts)
“Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08” (Electronic Arts)
“WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2008” (THQ)

In addition to all this content, there will be many surprises, so fans should stay tuned to the Xbox LIVE calendar (http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live/marketplace/ticker.htm) for updates about what E3: Bringing It Home content will be available during the show.

Can't wait and it all starts July 10th!

By the way.. poor show in keeping this going, I was away for a month working off site and not an ounce of gaming news!!!

GTAIV: New Screens

Just checked IGN and they had a load of new screenshots as well as first impressions on GTA4.



To say these screens look amazing, does them a massive disservice. Rockstar has definitely stepped up to the next gen plate graphically, lets just hope they do the same gameplay wise.

Click the pic to see more of the screens.

Xbox 360 Spring Update today

Excuse me while I run around like Kermit the Frog at the end of The Muppets Show (I used to love that show), but the 360 spring update is out today, you can see the full feature list here. I'm quite looking forward to see the improved media interface etc and the active download option is a welcome addition. It'll also be interesting to see if any of my videos on the PC now work with the 360. I'm still unsure about msn messenger (if only it supported voice chat!)

Here's the story on Eurogamer, I'll be downloading this when I get home!

Grand Theft Auto 4 Details leaked

Hmmm.. I think this is sounding very, very promising....

New details for Grand Theft Auto IV have spilled their way onto the Internet, expanding on what we can expect when the game launches on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this October.

The game will be as significantly different as GTA III was to the previous top-down crime capers, Rockstar founder Dan Houser told Game Informer, and will offer much wider choice and freedom to the player.

As we already know from the trailer, GTA IV will take place in Liberty City (New York) in 2007, and will revolve around an Eastern European fellow. This chap, the main character, is Niko Bellic - an immigrant in search of the "American Dream".
His cousin Roman persuaded him to make the move by boasting a life of luxury, but it eventually turns out he was using this as a cover to hide his own failures. He'll be your only contact until you can find your feet, and ultimately carve out your own destiny.
One of the biggest differences in the new game will be the way you interact with other people. In previous iterations you've been at the beck and call of others, picking up your phone to receive orders. But this time around you'll be able to dial out, calling people to arrange rendezvouses and correlate your own plans. There will still be an element of following someone else's game plan, but the freedom of choice is something Rockstar is proudly standing by.

In GTA IV, four of the five boroughs of New York have been recreated for you to explore, as well as parts of New Jersey. Broker is the equivalent of Brooklyn, Manhattan is now Algonquin, Queens becomes Dukes, the Bronx is Brohan, and New Jersey transforms into Alderney.

While that doesn't give the fourth game the largest geographical playing field in the series, the level of detail and freedom should apparently more than make up for it.

We've already seen the impressive lighting effects, sumptuous skyline, and next-gen sheen from the trailer. What is less evident is the vastly enhanced AI, where NPCs will walk and talk much more convincingly, going about their daily routines around you. And apparently the game will only look better as we get closer to launch.

As with other games you can expect voice acting and an impressive array of radio stations to choose from while you're joyriding in Liberty City. However, it's unlikely we'll see Hollywood actors in the lead roles in this game, as Rockstar is making an effort to choose less well-known talent, both for voices and for the track listing.

Multiplayer is also going to be included this time around, but it isn't going to be an MMORPG. It's going to be something separate to the single-player experience that will be fun, interesting, and progressive.

Technically the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will look and feel the same, and loading screens should be non existent after your initial entry into the world.

However, Microsoft's console will offer that exclusive downloadable content its boasted about at every opportunity, though there's still speculation as to whether the Blu-ray disc will include more to begin with.

It's all shaping up very well indeed. Be sure to go and see the very first trailer for the game over on Eurogamer TV if you haven't already. And you should have, really. Everyone else has.

Say it with me... Can't wait.

XBLA: Sensible Soccer will feature Online multiplayer

Yuup. I'm shedding tears of joy! It'll be weird not playing this with a keyboard (and scoring my patented SWOS banana shots!) but I really, really can't wait for this one.

Now PLEASE MS, NBA Jam TE, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Chase HQ, Robocop 2, Final Fight, Streets of Rage (all of them!)...

I remember the days - and nights - of playing Sensi endlessly back at college and we're sure the updated Xbox Live Arcade and PC versions due later in the summer are going to appeal to both old and new fans.

We think it's important to stay true to the original and we'll be delivering what fans of the original SWOS have been eagerly waiting for years, SWOS online multiplayer!

Taken from Kotaku

Capcom: Dead Rising & Lost Planet remain Exclusive

Nothing about the (inevitable) sequels though...

Dead Rising and Lost Planet to remain Xbox 360-exclusive(News)
by Tom Bramwell

27/03/07

Whatever's going on with Devil May Cry 4 (it's coming to Xbox
360 and PC as well as PS3 - where have you been?), Lost Planet and Dead
Rising "are not slated to appear on Wii or PS3 as far as current plans
go".

That's according to Capcom's director of strategic
planning and research, Christian Svensson, who was drawn into clarifying his
earlier comments on the publisher's official forum. Previously he had said that
Capcom is "committed to making its titles available to as wide an audience as
possible" in reference to DMC4's situation.

"The quote delivered above references our strategy moving forward, not something that is necessarily retroactive. You can see evidence of this with our previously stated [Resident Evil 5] plans going to 360 and PS3 simultaneously," Svensson noted.

So why are Lost Planet and Dead Rising exclusive, then? "I'm bound by [non-disclosure agreements] on these matters so I can't divulge why this is the situation." Fair enough. With Capcom having said Dead Rising sequels are likely, though, it's an issue the company's probably going to have to return to at some point.