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Gaming News & Discussion (Page 21)
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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 1, 2011, 02:10 PM
 
That comes out this holiday?
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 1, 2011, 02:30 PM
 
In other PS3 news, Uncharted 3's full multiplayer opens up a month before release. All you have to do is go buy a large drink from Subway, apparently.

The level cap is set to 35, but all maps and game types will be open.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 3, 2011, 12:25 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
In other PS3 news, Uncharted 3's full multiplayer opens up a month before release. All you have to do is go buy a large drink from Subway, apparently.

The level cap is set to 35, but all maps and game types will be open.
I was reading about this on ars. It strikes me a... mind-blowing. I mean, a limited version (less maps) would be damned generous, but this... is this unprecedented? If Sony's strategy to get as many people as possible hooked before they pull the plug in November, I applaud them (I also applaud Naughty Dog for having Multiplayer in a shape where it can be released a month early – theoretically).
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 3, 2011, 01:08 PM
 
Linking tot he article in question, because it takes a decidedly negative view compared to mine.

Uncharted 3 MP launches early, given away for the cost of a soda
The best way to enhance the branding of one of your most popular franchises is to add content from mediocre fast food sandwich operations, which is why Sony and Naughty Dog have launched an advertising campaign for Uncharted 3 with Subway. If you buy a 30 ounce drink, you'll be given a code to unlock the competitive multiplayer from the game a month early. You'll also be able to unlock Subway-based perks and clothing, because you need to tell the world that you find Panera a bit too classy for your tastes.


It's hard not to feel badly for everyone involved with the game as you watch the embedded video; I don't think anyone spends years of their lives working on a game hoping to see half of it handed over to anyone who buys a soda. The characters wearing the Subway-branded merchandise look surreal in the context of the game, too.

"The full competitive multiplayer experience, which begins Saturday, October 1st, at 12:01am Pacific Time, will give you the chance to dive into the fun and get a head start on leveling up your profile while learning all of the new UNCHARTED 3 multiplayer maps before the full game is released on Tuesday, November 1st," Arne Meyer, the community strategist for Naughty Dog, wrote on the PlayStation Blog. "Along with access to the competitive multiplayer experience, keep your eyes open for exclusive Subway items hidden throughout the maps to unlock additional content."

When you have a huge-selling, critically acclaimed franchise, I think it's best to turn it into a Happy Meal prize, so everyone can see how seriously you treat your successes.
     
lpkmckenna
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Oct 3, 2011, 01:20 PM
 
I think Uncharted 3 has proven you can monetize your limited public beta. It's both clever and crass.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 3, 2011, 01:26 PM
 
They had a beta in July, though, I believe. Betas don't typically give you every map.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 3, 2011, 05:35 PM
 
The beta in July was downright ship-ready, albeit only one map. I didn't notice any significant issues.

It was unique because the multiplayer level starts off with one team on an accelerating aircraft, and the other in jeeps, trying to board the plane. After that, the plane has (supposedly) landed at an aircraft hanger, the teams are split up again (which didn't really make sense), and carnage ensues. It was a really different way to approach a map layout, although I didn't quite understand how the story worked.

Also, Ars Technica are just trying to appear ethically enlightened. If this gets a ton of people on the multiplayer for such a limited amount, hooks them, and causes Uncharted 3 to sell like hotcakes, then Naughty Dog employees aren't going to care one iota. CoD doesn't have any in-game advertising, but you'd better believe you'll be paying $15 for every map pack or zombie expansion. How is that any more ethical?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 3, 2011, 05:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Also, Ars Technica are just trying to appear ethically enlightened.
If anything, they've picked up that when Ben gives an opinion it becomes instant linkbait. A lot of the commenters think he's biased against Sony (Rather than admit that, you know, Sony has done a lot of debatable decisions).

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
If this gets a ton of people on the multiplayer for such a limited amount, hooks them, and causes Uncharted 3 to sell like hotcakes, then Naughty Dog employees aren't going to care one iota. CoD doesn't have any in-game advertising, but you'd better believe you'll be paying $15 for every map pack or zombie expansion. How is that any more ethical?
I can avoid one of the two. The latter.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 3, 2011, 05:40 PM
 
And Subway isn't mediocre. It's downright delicious.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 4, 2011, 10:14 AM
 
Tuesday News

Xbox Live Brought Down by "Human Error"
Earlier this morning, at around 9am Pacific, Xbox Live went down for a little while. What's interesting is not the downtime itself (it was brief), but the cause: human error.

A Microsoft statement issued later in the day reads:
The root cause of this outage was human error. A change resulted in an interruption to normal traffic flow within our datacenters, which logged users out and prevented them from logging back in. We're sorry for this, and we'll be updating our processes to prevent this from happening again in the future

Confirmed: Online passes for all future online Sony games -Destructoid
Following an earlier statement from a Spanish Sony representative, Sony Computer Entertainment America has confirmed that an online pass will be included with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Furthermore, we've been told that ALL upcoming Sony games that feature an online component will include one.

"Online Pass will be incorporated into Uncharted 3 and future Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS) games with online functionality," the company told Destructoid. "We will provide further information in the future. "
Hilariously it will be more expensive than the SUbway purchase you make that will net you the entire Uncharted MP.


Longer dev times planned for Assassin's Creed series -Destructoid
The brisk pace at which Ubisoft Montreal has been putting out Assassin's Creed titles won't carry on indefinitely, according to creative lead Alexandre Amacio.

The series "is all about cycles," he tells Eurogamer -- "we have the Ezio cycle and the Altair cycle, and both of those are set to conclude in Revelations and we have the Desmond cycle, which is set to end on December 2012. But there's many cycles within the brand -- that's the whole point. History is our playground."
December 2012. Wow. A whole month longer than usual. Your devs must be ecstatic.


Rumor: Play Battlefield 3 on a hacked server, get banned from Origin (and your Origin games) | Joystiq
It goes without saying that you shouldn't do bad stuff, but what if you technically don't know you're doing something bad? That's the potential situation with the Battlefield 3 beta right now on PC, which has apparently been hacked to allow for up to 128 players on the Operation Metro map. But here's the thing: these hacked matches show up in the regular Battlelog, so players could potentially stumble in and not realize they're doing something wrong.

Regardless, EA wants you to know that doing so will put your Origin account in danger and potentially limit your access to all of the games you downloaded through EA's digital distribution platform to none. The above exchange, which allegedly went down in the EA forums last week, has since been pulled.
Nice sabre rattling. The bad PR train continues.


RAGE has gotten some decent buzz, so I thought I should post a review.
RAGE is creatively and mechanically bankrupt, but it sure is pretty
To give you a sense of how ridiculous this game can be, here's a sample mission: my goal is to go to the next town to drop off some supplies. First I have to speak to the mayor, who tells me I need to change out of my conspicuous clothes before he'll talk to me, so I have to find the tailor. No sweat, right? Back to the mayor.

Once I get my new clothes, the mayor says I have to rent garage space and talk to the sheriff. So I do those things, but the sheriff tells me I can't have the supplies that need to be delivered unless my buggy has guns. To get guns, I need to talk to the guy at the race track. After talking to the guy at the race track, I'm told I need to speak to another guy to set up races for the slips to get the guns—when I find that guy, he tells me to speak to his guy so he can schedule the race...

It's absurd and pointless. Why can't the first guy just set up the race? What designer sat down and said that the player should have to track down and speak to FOUR PEOPLE to get to the actual action?

The sense that gamers are being trolled extends to many of the missions. Some of them go so far as to force you to drive to a location, hit a button, and then drive back to tell someone you hit a button. Action scenes take place in discrete areas where you simply fight from point A to point B before the game tells you that you've accomplished whatever the mission needed you to do. The only thing that adds tension to the game is the knowledge that death means you'll lose an hour of progress unless you've saved manually.
Ouch.
     
mattyb
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Oct 4, 2011, 10:40 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
RAGE has gotten some decent buzz, so I thought I should post a review.
RAGE is creatively and mechanically bankrupt, but it sure is pretty

Ouch.
Dakar, you must be tired. Too much BF3? REF : the Rage for Mac thread.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 4, 2011, 10:41 AM
 
No, I put it on here because its a cover all review. Reviews are general news.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 4, 2011, 10:47 AM
 
Even after it garnered a lot of attention at conferences earlier this year, I never felt that interested in RAGE. Pretty, sure, but nothing from the videos struck me as something I'd want to sink my teeth into.

My top-3 most anticipated games:

1. Uncharted 3
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. Minecraft's 1.9 release so I can get back to wasting my nights.

Battlefield 3 and MW3 is more or less of a toss-up -- it just depends on where the rest of the crowd goes. I'll play whichever people are more interested in, although I'm now hoping MW3 maintains that distinction.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 4, 2011, 10:53 AM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Even after it garnered a lot of attention at conferences earlier this year, I never felt that interested in RAGE. Pretty, sure, but nothing from the videos struck me as something I'd want to sink my teeth into.

My top-3 most anticipated games:

1. Uncharted 3
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. Minecraft's 1.9 release so I can get back to wasting my nights.
It's funny, I love Arkham Asylum, but B:AC is a title I will happily defer to whenever I have down time. Nothing about really comes off as "Must play now" for me.

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Battlefield 3 and MW3 is more or less of a toss-up -- it just depends on where the rest of the crowd goes. I'll play whichever people are more interested in, although I'm now hoping MW3 maintains that distinction.
...really? You come off as more pro-Battlefield. Maybe that's Black Ops' fault.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 4, 2011, 11:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
It's funny, I love Arkham Asylum, but B:AC is a title I will happily defer to whenever I have down time. Nothing about really comes off as "Must play now" for me.
I'm a Batman nerd, so anything that's quality that also happens to be Batman-based is a must-play for me.

...really? You come off as more pro-Battlefield. Maybe that's Black Ops' fault.
In the build-up to the beta, yes. Since the beta, I'm no longer sure. I definitely enjoyed MW2's glory days more so than BO's.

In Black Ops, I at least prestiged a few times, indicating a fair amount of gameplay. In BC2, I don't think I even broke double digits in my ranking (which takes a lot longer than a CoD title, admittedly). BC2 definitely grew on me after Black Ops became a little stale, but I guess I didn't fully invest into it. I'm not canceling any pre-orders or anything, but I'm already "making" myself play the beta.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 4, 2011, 05:31 PM
 
I'm just gonna leave this here and rip it apart tomorrow.
Why men are in trouble - CNN.com
     
mattyb
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Oct 4, 2011, 05:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I'm just gonna leave this here and rip it apart tomorrow.
Why men are in trouble - CNN.com
Could do with being in the lounge - so non-gamers could comment. Trouble is, a couple of ****wits would ruin the thread.
     
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Oct 4, 2011, 06:24 PM
 
I play a lot of video games, and I also build houses in the steaming heat and frigid winters with my hands. Uphill, both ways.
     
Leonard
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Oct 4, 2011, 09:15 PM
 
Family, work, religion - sounds like the author is from the Bible Belt!

Yep, he goes on to blame the evils of music, TV, and video games... Definitely a Bible Belt religious guy.

And besides, if the women followed us up in big paying jobs, they'll follow us down when they start playing games more... But why should I really care about religious propaganda...
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Jawbone54
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Oct 4, 2011, 09:37 PM
 
Hasn't most of the attempted legislation against video games come from liberal Democrats?
     
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Oct 5, 2011, 03:47 AM
 
I don't know about most, but the head nutjob in charge of insane accusations against video games, Jack Thompson, while not necessarily a politician, once ran for office as a Republican (I believe he has since moved further out on the right wing). The person who chased it most in recent years was Arnie, another Republican, and all the news I see of it lately are from red states. It may very well be that the laws were proposed by Democrats in red states - I don't know - but at least the last few years it has been part of the family values bit on the right wing.
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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 5, 2011, 09:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Hasn't most of the attempted legislation against video games come from liberal Democrats?
The only people I can think of are the Clinton Administration wives, and possibly Pelosi, but there's a different pattern emerging there.

Regardless, that's complete beside the point.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 5, 2011, 10:47 AM
 
It's besides the point, but I think the approach against video games in one form or the other is different from each side:

Liberals seem to push for stricter, government-enforced limitations on the sales of games with explicit violence or sexual content.

"Bible Belt" types tend to point towards entertainment as a whole being a fairly destructive force, believing values are affected through each medium. I don't think they push for legislation as much, but they certainly talk against it more often. However, this particular attack focuses more often on movies, television, and music.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 5, 2011, 11:35 AM
 
Originally Posted by mattyb View Post
Could do with being in the lounge - so non-gamers could comment. Trouble is, a couple of ****wits would ruin the thread.
I really don't have any interest in that. The likelihood of any valid points being brought up are rather low – in comparison to the amount that will be firmly planted in either sexism, religion, or lack of an experience/disdain with the medium.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 5, 2011, 12:00 PM
 
A few thoughts about the Uncharted 3 multiplayer:
(disclaimer: I am not trying to sell PS3s to any of you guys. I'm as content with your decisions as you are)

- Being a third-person shooter, the aiming is not nearly as accurate as a FPS shooter, so accurate player movement is strongly emphasized. Smart rolling, jumping, climbing, and taking cover is all crucial.
- This is an arcade multiplayer experience. It's like a cross between Halo and GoW with an Indiana Jones theme.
- The environments are great for the game type. Not perfect, but very, very good. I've found no glitches or hiccups thus far. I've already mentioned the plane level, but there is another set in a London "tube" with parallel trains running beside each other. You can drop into cars, climb out, jump across to the other train, or run along the roofs. Again, it's not perfect, but definitely shakes up the formula.
- The load-out and booster (perks) system is nowhere as deep as CoD's or BF's, but it does have plenty of customization options that were previously unavailable in the series.
- The shotguns aren't as overbalanced as in GoW3, but if you stumble across one in a close-quarter map, you definitely have an advantage.

I'm really enjoying my time on it thus far, though I've been limited because I haven't been coming home until after 10:00 for the past three nights. I came home for lunch (Subway in hand) for 30 minutes to start the download, then had to bail.

For the small group of PS3 owners in this forum, definitely go check it out. It'll cost you a 30 oz drink or a bag of chips.
     
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Oct 6, 2011, 07:45 AM
 
( Last edited by ajprice; Oct 6, 2011 at 11:29 AM. )

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
ajprice
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Oct 7, 2011, 04:00 AM
 
Probably easier to link to this than keep adding review links

Forza Motorsport - Forza Motorsport 4: What The Critics Are Saying

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 7, 2011, 12:44 PM
 
Not bad. I'll still wait 'til it's $29 though.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 10, 2011, 10:12 AM
 
Monday News

Netflix cans Qwikster, service staying whole | Joystiq
Talk about your qwik turnaround. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced this morning that Netflix will not be splitting into two separate services as planned. The news comes less than a month after the company's stock went into freefall following its announced split into disc-based and streaming entities named Qwikster and Netflix, respectively.

"It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVD," Hasting wrote on the company's official blog this morning. "This means no change: one website, one account, one password... in other words, no Qwikster."
Yes!


Bethesda 'forced' to sue Minecraft dev over Scrolls name -Destructoid
"Mojang's public comments have not given a complete picture as it relates to their filings, our trademarks, or events that have taken place," said marketing VP Pete Hines. "Nobody here enjoys being forced into this. Hopefully it will all be resolved soon."

Zenimax, the company in charge of Bethesda, certainly has to protect its trademarks. If Mojang releases Scrolls uncontested, it could open the door for more grievous permutations of the name, diluting the strength of the Elder Scrolls as a brand. This is basically what attorneys and Zenimax are saying at the moment, that they have a "duty" to stop Notch for the sake of protecting their product.

Battlefield 3 getting hi-rez texture install on Xbox 360 -Destructoid
"There’s a voluntary install on the 360," Liu stated. "I think RAGE did it as well, where you can install content to stream higher res textures. We’re pushing that technology to the limit, and compared to our competitors, I would argue that we’re the best looking game."
     
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Oct 10, 2011, 12:03 PM
 
I assume that tomorrow we'll learn that Netflix is changing its name to Qwikster.

"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 10, 2011, 12:08 PM
 
I looked at both the Destructoid story and the linked article, and neither seemed clear as to whether or not those textures carry over into the multiplayer.

Also...

"We're pushing that technology to the limit, and compared to our competitors, I would argue that we're the best looking game."
Can they make a single public comment without taking a shot at the CoD series?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 10, 2011, 12:36 PM
 
Eh, I took that as just plain bragging. Wouldn't Crysis 2 be considered the best looking? Or Rage for that matter.
     
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Oct 11, 2011, 07:51 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
What happens to adding Games to the "qwikster" service?

I'd say Netflix backs out for now and lets the dust settle from this disaster and reevaluates the business model later in the year (Q1/Q2)
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 11, 2011, 08:23 AM
 
Tuesday news

Report: Xbox Fall Dashboard Update set for Nov. 25, uses modified Silverlight | Joystiq
The site also claims that Microsoft will launch the update on Black Friday. We've contacted Microsoft for a comment on the claims, and hope that they're on the money -- anything that will keep potential deal-hunters out of the malls and on their couches is a welcome distraction in our books.

Gears of War 3 causing some Xboxes to grind to a halt [Update: Epic responds] | Joystiq
Gears of War 3 players are flooding the Epic forums with complaints of freezing issues, which occur when players attempt to load a game mode. Specifically, it seems to be limited to splitscreen Horde play with two profiles -- when the glitch hits, it permanently alters one of the profiles, making it impossible to enter any game mode.

BioWare reveals Mass Effect 3's 4-player co-op, teases 'Galaxy at War' mode | Joystiq
The new 4-player co-op missions take place outside of the single-player game, and aren't affected by your Mass Effect 1 or 2 saves. "Players can choose from a variety of classes and races, form an elite Special Forces squad, and combine their weapons, powers and abilities to devastating effect as they fight together to liberate key territories from enemy control." The multiplayer does tie into your single-player game in unspecified ways, offering "an alternative method" of achieving success in the main storyline.

The beta and Battlefield 3 | Joystiq
I don't know that we've ever seen a console beta with as many major technical issues as the Battlefield 3 beta; I know that we haven't seen one recently. And whether DICE and EA care to admit it, there's a public expectation that console betas will be more functional than the version of Battlefield 3 being offered now. And DICE has conducted betas on console before, most recently with Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which did not have the myriad technical issues that Battlefield 3 does.
This is not the case with Battlefield 3 as it is now. The version of Battlefield 3 that I spent hours playing last week has weapons and damage that feel like Battlefield Bad Company 2. This, if you aren't sure, is a good thing. It changes the dynamics of firefights, allowing for each side to take and hold positions, and making flanking and tactical coordination much more viable. The increased player survivability also make vehicles in Battlefield 3 more fair than they would be with the beta's damage models.
     
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Oct 11, 2011, 01:32 PM
 
PSA: No, that Xbox 360 system update doesn't contain the new Dash | Joystiq
As Major Nelson informs us, the update is little more than "general system maintenance," and "no new features" (his emphasis) will pop up after updating.
MS be trollin'


Amazon launches a digital pre-orders with 30% discounts -Destructoid
Amazon sends word that a new feature will be available at Amazon.com’s game store: digital pre-orders! You will be able to pre-order digital games on the site. Battlefield 3, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Saints Row: The Third, and Sims 3: Pets are among the first titles available.

Why bother with pre-ordering? Amazon says that you'll save 30 percent off the list price. Nice. You'll also avoid any kind of upfront costs, as you'll be billed on the day the game releases. They say they also plan to offer bonus items and exclusives.

This feature is scheduled to go live next Monday.
That number is ridiculous.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 12, 2011, 08:37 AM
 
Wednesday News

Microsoft buys indie developer Twisted Pixel | Joystiq
After developing games exclusively for Xbox 360 and PC, it's fair to say that indie dev Twisted Pixel has been going steady with Microsoft. Today, the two have finally tied the knot as the Redmond corporation announced that it has purchased the Austin studio.

New Wii bundle includes New Super Mario Bros, loses Gamecube support | Joystiq
It was inevitable. Upon hearing the revelation that Europe would soon receive a new Wii without Gamecube compatibility, it was only a matter of time before the model made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Nintendo has now made the supposition a reality, announcing a new bundle for North America which will include a black Wii Remote Plus, a black Nunchuck, a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and, oddly, a Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack CD.

What it won't include, however, is any support for GameCube games or accessories. Also, like its European cousin, the "newly configured black Wii console sits horizontally rather than vertically." The bundle will be released on October 23 for $150.

Microsoft planning public beta of XBL Update | Joystiq
After seeing the post this morning, we contacted the company to get specifics, as the registration wasn't working properly. Since then, Microsoft has altered the text and sent us the following statement: "Unfortunately we don't have any details to share at this time."

We'll take this as a case of "switch flipped too early."

PSA: Compromised PSN info used in mass access attempt | Joystiq
In a post on the Official PlayStation Blog tonight, the Chief Information Security Officer for Sony Phillip Reitinger informed users that a major, concerted wave of sign-in attempts were made using login and password information "obtained from one or more compromised lists from other companies, sites or other sources." Sony has, in their words, "taken steps to mitigate this activity." Reitenger specified that credit card information had not been compromised.

Accounts affected by the mass access attempt have received prompts via email to reset their passwords. Sony Online Entertainment accounts affected have also been provisionally disabled until their passwords are changed.

Report: GameStop outs Arkham City DLC dates, prices | Joystiq
A "Nightwing character pack" was dated November 1, for $6.99. The site also listed a "Robin bundle" will hit on November 22 for $6.99, with a nondescript "Skins pack" to swoop in on December 6 for $4.99.

With the convoluted way Arkham City character skins are being distributed among retailers, it's only a matter of time before all that fashion is consolidated and sold to the ravenous masses.
Yuck.
     
mattyb
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Oct 12, 2011, 11:02 AM
 
Thought you were overloaded with work.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 12, 2011, 01:44 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Freaking ridiculous pricing for character packs. Won't be buying any.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 12, 2011, 01:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by mattyb View Post
Thought you were overloaded with work.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I've been coming in an hour early this week. You'll also notice my commentary has been limited to short sentences if not completely absent. And you all miss it sorely

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Freaking ridiculous pricing for character packs. Won't be buying any.
I didn't have time to check, but I thought Catwoman had her own couple of side missions, so maybe these other packs get some too?
     
Stogieman
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Oct 12, 2011, 03:10 PM
 
Are there any deals going on right now for xbox live gold subscriptions? Apparently buy.com was selling 12 month gold subscriptions for $35 a few weeks back. (Kicking myself for missing that deal.) I need to find a deal before my subscription renews on Nov 3.

Slick shoes?! Are you crazy?!
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 13, 2011, 02:39 PM
 
Batman: Arkham City is 25 hours long....

Yes, indeed.

Joystiq Article
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 13, 2011, 03:02 PM
 
I can't read if you think that's a good or bad thing. I also don't know what the first one was.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 13, 2011, 03:09 PM
 
It's definitely longer than the first one, and it's definitely a good thing.

That doesn't even take into account all the running, jumping, fighting, goofing off that will take up hours in itself. Plus, I'll be achievement hunting.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 14, 2011, 10:44 AM
 
Friday News: NPD Edition

September NPD: Madden, Gears, Dead Island are hits (Updated with Nintendo hardware numbers!) | Joystiq
Top 10 best-selling games (US) for September 2011

Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)
Gears of War 3 (360)
Dead Island (360, PS3, PC)
FIFA Soccer 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, 3DS)
NHL 12 (360, PS3)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PS3, PC)
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine (360, PS3, PC)

Dead Island did better than I expected. Not sure if this is the first or second month for Resistance. Gears crushed.

Hardware
Xbox 360: 438K (PR) [-9.5%]
Playstation 3: 364K-374K (Calculations deduced from Sony and MS PR percentages) [+16.7-19.8%]
Nintendo 3DS: 260K (PR)
Wii: 240K (PR) [-5.5%]
Nintendo DS: 145K (PR) [-64%]

Respectable showing for Sony.


Xbox Live users suffering hacked accounts, FIFA 11 and 12 purchases
Ars Technica has received a number of reports from Xbox Live customers complaining about hacked accounts, unauthorized purchases, and a slow response from Microsoft itself. The pattern is weirdly specific: gamers notice that unauthorized purchases have been made using their credit card information or existing points, and FIFA Soccer 11 or 12 has been played on their account.

"Yesterday, my live account got hijacked and charged just over $100. Specifically, two large purchases of points followed by the download of FIFA 12, which had 2 achievements unlocked for the game, and every MS point spent on Gold Premium Packs and DLC," one reader wrote. His Xbox was turned off, and he learned of the breach from confirmation e-mails sent to his workplace.

Another gamer blogged about his account being breached:

"Sure enough, all of the Microsoft points that were stored in my XBL account had been spent on in game items for FIFA 11(I don’t own that game… hell, I don’t even like soccer video games) and whoever spent my MS points had then tried to purchase more. Presumably, when that purchase failed, they abandoned my account and went on to steal from some other unsuspecting gamer."
These online reports are becoming increasingly common, and Microsoft's response has been to lock down affected accounts for 25 days while the company investigates the charges. We've e-mailed Microsoft for comment, and have yet to hear back. For now, the best course of action is to keep a close eye on your account, and contact Microsoft if you see any fraudulent charges or notice FIFA-related activity in your achievement points or history.
Logged into my account online, looked ok.


Catwoman unlocked in Batman: Arkham City through online pass | Joystiq
Within every new copy of Batman: Arkham City resides a code for an online VIP pass, which grants access to Catwoman content. If you pick up the game used, there's an option to purchase the VIP pass for 800 MS Points ($10) on Xbox Live and $9.99 on PSN. But have no fear if you're trying to save a few bucks and want to pick it up used: "Playing as Catwoman is not required to complete the game," a Warner Bros. rep told Eurogamer.
Dick heads. That's on disc single-player content being locked away, folks.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 14, 2011, 11:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Welp...I've played both FIFA 11 and 12. Looks like I've got some checking up to do.

Speaking of Arkham City, the reviews are starting to come in...



Looks like she's a keeper.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 14, 2011, 11:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Welp...I've played both FIFA 11 and 12. Looks like I've got some checking up to do.

Speaking of Arkham City, the reviews are starting to come in...
The title is misleading. Those transactions and achievements are the fingerprint of hackedness.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 20, 2011, 10:08 AM
 
Thursday News: This is actually happening! Edition


Warner solving Arkham City DLC issue with a simple 5 step process | Joystiq
According to a tipster, it looks like Warner Bros. is taking steps to resolve the various downloadable content issues faced by purchasers of Batman: Arkham City. Or, more precisely, Warner is asking customers to take steps -- five of them, actually. Alright, six if you include having to contact customer service in the first place.

A Joystiq tipster by the name of Michel contacted customer service, and was told to provide the following:
A dated proof of purchase (receipt, invoice) showing the purchase of a NEW copy of the game (not a rented or used copy, nor a copy purchased from eBay)
Your gamertag for Xbox Live, or your profile for the PSN
Your email address
A scan or digital picture of the package and game disc(s)
A scan or digital picture of the code sheet (both sides).
Upon receipt of the information, customer service promised it would "escalate" Michel's issue "so a code can be produced."
Wow, sounds like fun!

On the bright side, it'll give PS3 users something to do while their system is updating or they're doing a mandatory install.


PSN games and points no longer on Amazon -Destructoid
This happened with amazon and online ms point cards a while back. Success penalty, I imagine.


L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition Hits Consoles Next Month
Kind of surprising since the douche creator was talking up a big game about cut content, but still, early is cool. Don't regret gobbling it up at $40 though.


Skyward Sword not originally destined for motion control -Destructoid
In an extremely interesting, though not so surprising revelation from the latest Iwata Asks it seems The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was initially intended to sport a purely button-based control scheme.
Ha! So both Wii Zelda's will have motion control shoe-horned in. Hilarious.


Moore: Those who think Origin sucks don't get it yet -Destructoid
"What we're doing is innovating in areas that are unusual for gamers," he said.
When asked what those innovations were, Moore said "Hey look over there" and then ran away.


Battlefield 3 is 'standard def' on 360 without install -Destructoid
f you're not planning to install Battlefield 3 on your Xbox 360, you're in for far less of a visual treat, with producer Patrick Bach claiming an uninstalled copy will be "standard definition." As already revealed, the 360 version installs a "texture pack" to make the game much prettier. Sounds like it won't look hot at all without it.
Sounds like that'll be great for sek's new HD TV.


EEDAR report: half of HD console owners buying DLC | Joystiq
Research firm EEDAR has produced its "Deconstructing Downloadable Content (DLC) Report" for 2011. The report, now in its third year, reveals that 51 percent of HD console owners have purchased DLC in the last 12 months.
The graph shows the previous two years, but I believe this up from like 20% in '08. That's huge progress.

Very surprised that privacy is the number one reason people don't buy DLC. Don't get that at all.
(Two and three? No return policy and expensive. Good stuff)
     
mattyb
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Oct 21, 2011, 09:46 AM
 
First, should a "Batman: Arkham City" thread be started? It looks like this game might be popular.

Second, I didn't play Arkham Asylum. Do I need to before playing Arkham City?

Third, how long did it takle those that played Arkham Asylum to finish it?

Fourth, is it sad to hope that we see more of this in the game?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 21, 2011, 10:10 AM
 
Definitely deserving of a thread, though god knows when I'll get around to getting that game.
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 21, 2011, 10:46 AM
 
Arkham Asylum was fantastic, and can probably be found for $20 or so, but it's definitely not a prerequisite for Arkham City. And yes, go ahead and start a thread on it if you'd like -- I'll definitely be playing it quite a bit.
     
 
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