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Splinter Cell: Conviction demo out this week

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:05:03 +0000

Sam Fisher's back, and he's got a hang nail

Ubisoft's much delayed and highly anticipated next Splinter Cell game gets demoed this week. Splinter Cell: Conviction features Sam Fisher, now a hard-drinking snub-nosed bum but still thankfully voiced by Michael "See you at the party!" Ironside.
So far, the trailers and teasers for the game look fantastic, and the engine tech behind the scenes looks capable of some very impressive stuff indeed. What's delicious is that there are also multiplayer and co-op modes to sink your teeth into and anyone who has fond memories of Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow's sublime multiplayer...

This is a News item, written by Peej concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Warcraft gets patched.

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:00:10 +0000

Er, that's Warcraft III by the way. 8 years late but how's that for after-sales support

Some regard World of Warcraft as nothing but a glorified chat program inhabited by freaky fat Floridian women pretending to be nubile elven nymphettes. But looking back at the game's roots, the Warcraft universe hasn't always been so full of freaks.
Warcraft III is one of the finest examples of the real-time strategy genre, and it's unsurprising to find that even 8 years on, it hasn't really dated. It's also quite surprising to find that ActiBlizz are still patching the game.
The latest version might just feature a few nips and tucks, and probably some yawn-worthy st...

This is a News item, written by Peej concerning the PC. | Read More... | Read Comments...

God of War III Review

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:32:47 +0000

Dante who?

When I was a mere whippersnapper and the Atari 2600 reigned supreme, Saturday afternoons usually meant one of two things. A long drawn out few hours of the execrably boring ‘World of Sport” starring Dickie Davis, or a rare treat – a TV outing for one of the fantastic Charles Schneer / Ray Harryhausen flicks that were sporadically broadcast from time to time.

Long before computers were capable of letting a visual director’s imagination fly, Harryhausen was tasked with bringing creature of myth and legend to life and he did so in an utterly convincing fashion. Using painstaking stop-motion animation, he brought the Hydra, the Ymir, Medusa and the Cyclops to life. Each would do battle against the hapless heroes in whatever legend was getting the treatment, whether it was ancient Greece or Persia.

One thing the God of War games have always been fantastic at is pulling the same trick, using bang-up-to-date technology to pit the shambling...

This is a Review, written by Peej concerning the Sony PlayStation 3. | Read More... | Read Comments...

EA climbs into bed with Curt Schilling's 38 Studio for 'epoch-making' single player RPG

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:33:04 +0000

Project Mercury is go

EA aren't usually the sort of publisher you'd expect to be putting their considerable weight (and cash) behind a new RPG project but that's exactly what they're doing.
Joining forces with 38 Studios, a collective of talent ranging from ex baseball player Curt Schilling (!) and Ken (Bethesda, Elder Scrolls) Rolston, EA hopes to make Project Mercury a massive hit, building on their recent other RPG success Dragon Age.
Not a huge amount is known about Project Mercury but 38 Studios are also working on a separate MMO project codenamed Copernicus. EA will not be handling t...

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SOCOM US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 3 PSP Review

DDevil@allaboutthegames.net — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:50:24 +0000

SOCOM has always been a bit of an oddity to me. I first bought into the hype for the release of the first PS2 game back in 2002, I couldn't resist the promise of a well put together third-person war game, with actual voice recognition used to command a squad of crack commandos. I purchased it, played it and... it just wasn't that good.
For a start the voice commands didn't recognise half of what I said. It's a common problem with voice recognition that exists to this day, attempts to issue commands degenerated into shouting as it refused to understand. Bravo flash and clear, bravo flash and clear, flash and clear. FLASH AND CLEAR, BRAVO FLASH AND CLEAR OH FOR FU... before giving up and just using the context sensitive menu instead. Plus the levels were quite bland, the gameplay was clunky and the story line was sub-Tom Clancy bum fluff.
Then I bought and played the second game, hoping that it would be a good deal better. It wasn't - it was much the same with ...

This is a Review, written by DDevil concerning the Sony PlayStation Portable. | Read More... | Read Comments...

PlayStation Move has "impressive", "intense" vibration

NewYork@allaboutthegames.net — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:13:39 +0000

Should be awesome. For gaming, we mean.

One element of Sony's feminine-product-shaped Move that was not clarified during Sony's stage demo has now been confirmed from on-floor testing: it vibrates, and quite intensely.

Eurogamer reporters Ellie Gibson and Oli Welsh reported from the show floor while playing Move Party that "the controller vibrates intensely, demonstrating the impressive level of rumble Sony has integrated into the Move wand."

Sony had kept quiet about this feature during the stage demo and

This is a News item, written by NewYork. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Game Developer source confirms PS3 Motion Controller "has nunchuck"

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:12:44 +0000

Wii owners being targetted for the "HD solution" for their waggle-enabled gaming

Though there are no pictures of the mysterious device, Sony's motion controller does indeed have a secondary "part" to compliment the bizarre sex-toy-like wand that forms the basis of the system.
Already dubbed "the nunchuck" by an unimaginative gaming press (though c'mon let's face it, Sony haven't even given the bloody thing a proper official name yet), the extra peripheral has been designed to aid with movement in games like Resident Evil 5 (a title that will be patched for compatibility with the Sony Motion Control system) and perhaps even Killzone 2.
So...

This is a News item, written by Peej concerning the Sony PlayStation 3. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Blur beta sets the internet (and Xbox Live) alight

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:52:38 +0000

"Need for Speed meets Mario Kart" sayeth one twitterer. Bless 'im.

Activison / Bizarre Creations have launched the semi-public "game sites whoring codes" type Blur beta today. The latest game from the Project Gotham Racing team, now ensconsed at Activision rather than working under Microsoft's steely gaze, has been described as a balls-out arcade racer meshing together real cars, unreal power-ups and eye-rogering speed.
For those lucky enough to secure a Blur beta, the test is multiplayer only with a single player demo promised a little nearer the game's launch date (which is moving backwards and forwards through 2010's release schedules li...

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Is the rhythm action genre about to get a serious shot in the arm?

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:39:21 +0000

SevenFourFive studios' Power Gig brings realism to the plastic-instrument-led music game

They may be a small outfit, and this may be their first game but SevenFourFive studios have lofty ambitions.
"The music game genre is dead - Power Gig is the much needed shot in the arm that the genre needs to revitalise it". Strong words from SFF's marketing director but when you see the controller, or more specifically the elements that turn a real 6-string guitar into an instrument to control your games, you'll see what he means.
Power Gig's dedicated guitar controller works in several different modes, and is cross-compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero despite...

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Let's have a look at Mass Effect 2's new Hovertank in action

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:15:47 +0000

Time to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of ass

Oooh my. We knew it was coming but we weren't quite sure what Mass Effect 2's ground-based tank was going to look like...actually...er...moving as opposed to sitting in the hold of the Normandy 2.
Never fear, here's the puppy in action doing exactly what it was designed for. Turning Geth into a rich green goo to be crushed underneath its massive tracks. Oh no, it hovers so that's not going to work. Ah well, here it is blowing the shit out of the Geth.
The tank will roll out (or float out) with a new mission pack comprising 5 new missions for you to cut your teet...

This is a News item, written by Peej concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:11:01 +0000

Snowmobiles are for sissies

COD is over-fished
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 and 2 effectively rewriting the book on modern-theatre combat games, some players might be forgiven for thinking that the Battlefield series has had its day. Though recent outings on the Xbox Live Arcade have proved the viability of console-based Battlefield, purists will always argue that the series always felt more at home on high-powered PCs than making drastic concessions to “fit” on consoles.

Battlefield: Bad Company broke the Battlefield mould somewhat, in that it offered a solid single-player campaign along with the tried and tested mainstay of Battlefield – the blisteringly adrenaline-fuelled multiplayer. With DICE’s Frostbite engine once again handling all those nifty terrain and building deformation physics, the first game went down rather well so the sequel carried with it a fair amount of anticipation, buoyed by a recent public multiplayer beta trial tha...

This is a Review, written by Peej concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

A moment's silence for the imminent death of Cing

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:53:32 +0000

Hotel Dusk / Last Window developers bite the dusk...I mean dust

What a pity. After a tiny little teaser about Hotel Dusk 2, it looks like we may never see the project bear fruit, as Dusk developers Cing have gone to the wall.

As well as the DS mystery title, Cing also had a hand in developing Little King's Story, as well as a title that never made it to the west, the spooky Last Window.
A pity. Hotel Dusk became something of an obsession when I bought it for my DS, and though it took me fuppin' ages to complete, it was rather good I thought.

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Girl mistakes gun for Wii controller - kills herself

NewYork@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:06:41 +0000

Fatal shot to abdomen

Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan, a Tennessee girl, aged 3, accidentally killed herself on Sunday night, according to local police in Wilson County. The incident allegedly occurred after she mistook a gun for a Wii controller.
Investigators claim that the girl's stepfather, Douglas Cronberger, had left a semi-automatic weapon on the living room table, and that the child had mistaken it for a Nintendo Wii controller. The child is then said to have fatally shot herself in the abdomen. She was rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead the same night.

This is a News item, written by NewYork. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Zen Bound 2 coming in time for the iPad launch?

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:41:23 +0000

Secret Exit Studios' string-wrapping chillout game could be an impressive launch title indeed

Many of you seemed to miss out on Zen Bound, a game that showed off the 3D capabilities of the iPhone / iPod Touch to good effect. Basically a game that centred around wrapping solid objects in string to re-paint them, it's easy to see why Zen Bound picked up a cult following but didn't win many fans amongst the boob-jiggling-app brigade.
Now Zen Bound 2 is imminent, and it looks like the game's being touted as a launch title for Apple's new iPad. The bigger screen and faster processor should mean that string-wrappers get something of a treat.

This is a News item, written by Peej concerning the iPod/iPhone. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Game Informer blows the lid off Portal 2

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:22:44 +0000

Coming to most formats you'll recognise. Oh, and the Mac, apparently

So where were we at the end of Portal? Ah yes, because people get all funny about spoilers (Did you know the Titanic sinks at the end of Titanic? An ex-girlfriend dumped me because I revealed that before we saw the movie!), we're not allowed to talk about how Portal ended but there's a sequel on the way, and it's coming to just about every platform under the sun.
Once again you'll be visiting Aperture Science, but not necessarily the research facility - there's more beyond those crumbling walls. You'll also get to know a lot more about Cave Johnson, the slightly strange bil...

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Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Review

NewYork@allaboutthegames.net — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:31:46 +0000

Edgecellent

Now in its fifth instalment, the Ace Attorney series has proven itself the grand daddy of DS point-and-clickers. The DS is an ideal device for these kind of games, and no other series has provided so much new content. The newest addition, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, approaches the tried-and-tested formula from a fresh angle, placing you for the first time in the role of prosecutor, rather than defence attorney. And, seeing how the legal system of the Ace Attorney universe follows bizarre and cartoonish rules, this means that as prosecutor, you’ll spend your time investigating crime scenes.
Interestingly, the game was originally proposed to feature budding forensic scientist Emma Skye as the lead character, which would have made more sense, given the game’s CSI leanings, but Edgeworth was instead chosen as he was more popular with the fans. Edgeworth was originally introduced in the first game of the series as a decidedly unlikeable a...

This is a Review, written by NewYork. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Ten rules of thumb for Xbox 360 Indie Devs - Feature

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:42:48 +0000

or Ten things Xbox Live indie kids could learn from PC and iPhone developers

Ten things Xbox Live "indie" kids could learn from PC and iPhone developers

Though I've loved videogames since they first emerged in monochrome tones back in the murky grey 70s, I've never actually successfully made one. Tinkerings with speccy-based Adventure creators were about as far as I ever got, and though I did manage to knock up a playable Arkanoid clone in Macromedia Flash once, the game crashed spectacularly on level 3.

I've got a huge amount of respect for anyone who sits there in front of a blank compiler screen and somehow manages to wrestle code libraries to the ground in order to make something playable, but I can't help thinking that some people's efforts are in vain - and having reviewed a couple of indie games currently knocking around on the Xbox Indie Marketplace, I've vowed never to touch another ever again.

So why are 90 percent of the Indie games on XBIM so utterly dreadful? Here's ten reasons that might offer an explanation, ...

This is a Review, written by Peej concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 DLC trailer leaked

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:27:29 +0000

'Stimulus' Map Pack set to make Activision a whole load of moolah in April

Footage of the new Stimulus Pack Map DLC for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has surfaced on the net. Though Activision is taking great pains to play down the leak, it certainly looks genuine enough.

The map pack reports to offer a further 5 maps:

Mp_Crash
MP_Overgrown
MP_Complex
MP_Compact
MP_Storm

...some of which appeared in the original Modern Warfare.

No prices or anything yet, but here's the trailer.

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Microsoft now sings "We're super! Thanks for asking!"

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:37:14 +0000

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual gamers welcome to shout it from the rooftops on Xbox Live

Emerging from the stone age like a shambling tar-covered plesiosaurus, Microsoft has fully embraced the multi-sexual society that is the 21st century.

In an extremely slow change of policy, Microsoft has finally seen sense and now allows gamers to update their status, bio and other information with the terms:

"Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender,
Straight"
Other terms regarding relationship orientation (whatever that means) are still not allowed. Microsoft also takes a clear stance on using those terms as insults for other gamers.
Last April, Mi...

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Sacked Infinity Ward chiefs "had been courting other studios"

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:08:13 +0000

Activision stages a witch hunt for missing "subversive" documents

Oh dear oh dear. The hoohah (or should that be hooah) surrounding the recent mysterious sackings and security heavy-handedness has a new wrinkle to it today. Sources at Kotaku have apparently got hold of a leaked memo, detailing that Vince Zampella and Jason West from Infinity Ward had been approaching other studios, most notably Electronic Arts.

Both Zampella and West quit EA in 2002 to form Infinity Ward, and the rest is history. Now it seems that Infinity Ward not only courted other publishers including EA, but believe that they hold the intellectual rights to the "Modern Wa...

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