Fri, 19 Feb, 10
Author:
Tamsin Oxford

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Gaming articles

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Happy, Happy Games!

Happy, Happy Games!

There’s been research about the violence, corruption and addiction in games but there’s also been plenty of research into why they can also make you happy. These sharp and tasty bursts of excitement can make a sad person smile, an angry person relax and bring about a feeling of contentment.

In-depth studies on the positive effects of games range from improved visual processing abilities to being better at problem solving and taking careful risks.  Before I get into the complexities of why games are such wonderful things that we should play all day and night, allow me to explain why I think they can make you happy.

Happy, Happy Games!

Take Andy*, he’s a fairly well adjusted man with a good sense of humour, a great job and a nice life. You see him ambling down the street or driving past in his expensive car and you think, “Yeah, he has  it all.” Only, he doesn’t. Andy has battled with depression for most of his adult life and it is gaming that’s proved to be his rescue.

Click here to read more of the Happy Happy Games article...

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Thu, 4 Feb, 10
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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Rock Band Song Pack 2 £7.99 @ Game [Xbox 360 Games]

Rock Band Song Pack 2 £7.99 @ Game [Xbox 360 Games]

Another Rock Band related deal, this time for the second boxed song pack. Whilst my favourite music game in terms of button-mashing is probably Guitar Hero 3, I’ve become a Rock Band convert recently, and it’s largely to do with the fact that you can compile all of your songs into one glorious playlist. No disc swapping for me thanks. This song pack helps you do just that, with 20 master tracks featured here for immediate addition to your party playlist.

You can pick up all of these tracks online, but it works out significantly more expensive. As it is, Game’s listed price of £7.99 for the boxed compilation actually saves you a whopping £7 on the nearest competitor over at Amazon Jersey.

With the freedom and flexibility of the online song store, the only reason you’d really go and buy this is if the song list stood up to inspection. Songs on Xbox LIVE retail for 160 MP, which equates to just over £1 per song, so for this price online you’d only get half of the content. Using that as a measuring rod, if seven or fewer songs appeal to you here then I’d give this one a miss and buy some Microsoft Points instead. However, if eight or more songs on the list are of interest, then you could be looking at a pretty sweet saving.

Hit the link to have a peek at the songs included.

Thanks to andywedge at HotUKDeals

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Tue, 12 Jan, 10
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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The Beatles: Rock Band (Solus) £12.98 @ Amazon [PS3 Games]

The Beatles: Rock Band (Solus) £12.98 @ Amazon [PS3 Games]

Are you a Nowhere Man, in need of some Help. Fancy A Day in the Life of The Beatles? Up for jamming along with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band? Considering a trip down Penny Lane?…..I’ll stop. But if the answer to any of those questions is yes, you might want to keep reading.

If you missed out on the recent GAME deal for The Beatles: Rock Band, don’t fret. You too can bust a move as one of the Fab Four for just under £13 if you nip over to Amazon. Considering that the next nearest price is £24.95 from ShopTo, you’d be making a potential saving of around £12.

TBRB follows the same formula as any other Rock Band game – strum, smash or sing in time with the music for maximum points and live out your rock fantasies whilst sporting colourful plastic peripherals – although there are a few differences that make this incarnation a bit special.

The first is that the 45 tracks here are all Beatles numbers, produced and overseen by Giles Martin (Fab Four producer George Martin’s son), which is a bit of a big deal considering Apple’s previous stinginess in allowing their material to be used in anything. The second is that the game’s career mode, here called Story Mode, is presented much like a interactive Beatles musical tour. There’s clearly a lot of love here, the character models look excellent and the presentation is superb, and there are a lot of song-specific animations.

Ultimately, The Beatles: Rock Band is a great little gaming gift for anyone with an appreciation for John, Paul, George and Ringo’s music, although you won’t find the Rock band series’ emphasis on DLC here, such is the nature of the content. At this price it’s well worth a look, and its appeal is truly cross-generational.

Thanks to Sandsman at HotUKDeals

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Wed, 30 Dec, 09
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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Rock Band 2 (Solus) £16.95 @ ShopTo [Wii Games]

Rock Band 2 (Solus) £16.95 @ ShopTo [Wii Games]

It seems that not even music games are escaping the post-Christmas plummet , which can only be a good thing. But be warned, a good number of the deals we’ll be posting in the coming weeks are likely to be limited time offers that are often dependent on stock so be sure to get in quickly if something catches your eye.

Today, ShopTo are running a nice little deal on the Wii version of Rock Band 2 offering the game for just £16.95, a good £8 cheaper than the nearest competitor (Gameplay – £24.98), so if you fancy a little bit more button mashing fun picking up a copy shouldn’t hurt your wallet too much.

In case you’ve found yourself under a rock (no pun intended) for the last few years, the world has gone bananas for rhythm games that replace real instruments with colourfully buttoned plastic replicas and Rock Band is one half of the royal couple presiding over this gaming trend.

If you are new to all this, then Rock Band 2 should probably be where you start. It’s easier than its Guitar Hero rivals, progression through the ranks is quicker, and if you’re looking for a music game with an eye towards forming a virtual power trio with some mates then I’d argue this is the better game when it comes to multiplayer too.

Rock Band 2 doesn’t alter the formula much from the first game, but there has been a spring clean: the menus are faster and it takes less time to jump in and rock out. The songs all now have difficulty indicators for each instrument and, as with GH: World Tour you can now create a playlist so you don’t constantly have to jump in and out for each and every song.

As with all music games, though, it’s pretty much all about the songs which you can find here. There’s usually something for everybody, and even if you’re not immediately familiar with all of the material, a lot of the songs grow on you. Music game veterans will probably be up to speed on the merits and differences between the two massive franchises, and if you already got a load of the peripherals but are yet to pick up a copy of Rock Band 2 then this is a must-buy. For newbies though, you may want to think about one of the instrument combo packs, although you’d probably be better off grabbing this solus version and hunting round for a Guitar Hero peripheral or two as they’re generally better made.

Rock Band 2 (Solus) £16.95 @ ShopTo [Wii Games]

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Mon, 28 Dec, 09
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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Rock Band (Solus) £7.47 @ Tesco Entertainment [Xbox 360 Games]

Rock Band (Solus) £7.47 @ Tesco Entertainment [Xbox 360 Games]

A belated Merry Christmas folks! Santa may have been and gone, but he’s left a swathe of falling prices in his wake and we’re back with some awesome deals, kicking off with an enormous price slash from Tesco on the original Rock Band, Harmonix’s solo foray into plastic peripheral button mashing.

The trouble with being so popular means that the original has managed to hold its own fairly well – bobbing around somewhere between £15 and £20 for the last year or so – even with the release of Rock Band 2. Now, however, Xbox 360 owners can celebrate as Tesco have dropped the game only price to just £7.47 which is over £7 cheaper than the nearest competitor (101cd – £14.77)! If you were also one of those who found themselves mixed up in the Left 4 Dead 2 mis-price nightmare don’t forget to use you £2 voucher if you haven’t already.

I’m a big fan of both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, but I tend to get more use out of this one purely because it’s built from the ground up for co-op play. That said, there’s still fun to be had busting out some tunes on your own but let’s face it, music games work best when there’s more than one person involved, as poor DJ Hero sales might suggest.

Rock Band is easier, that’s for sure. The note timing is a little harsher than the fluid GH: World Tour, but in general the songs are much easier to play, with fewer notes and a more forgiving layout. Bass parts are, by and large though, slightly more interesting in Rock Band than they are in Activision’s franchise and the drum system – with fill sections activating your Star Power/Overdrive – is much more fun than that of World Tour.

It’s especially worth picking this up if you have Rock Band 2 and fancy adding in the motherload of all track packs as, once you own this game, for just 400 MS points you can rip the entire song list from the original to your hard drive and play them all in Rock Band 2, perfect for party playlists.

Rock Band (Solus) £7.47 @ Tesco Entertainment [Xbox 360 Games]

Whichever way you look at it, whether you’re new (somehow) to the plastic guitar revolution, or a veteran simply looking for more, Rock Band for seven and a half quid is an absolute steal. I paid £15 and it’s been worth every penny.

Thanks to whizzkid at HotUKDeals

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Tue, 22 Dec, 09
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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EA Official Rock Band Drums £19.99 @ Amazon [Xbox 360 Games]

EA Official Rock Band Drums £19.99 @ Amazon [Xbox 360 Games]

If, like me, you ended up getting into Guitar Hero or Rock Band in bits and pieces – a second hand game here, a bargain wireless guitar on eBay there – then you might well have come across a widespread problem: where the hell can you pick up a cheap set of gaming drums?

Thankfully, Amazon have helpfully lowered the price of the official Rock band drums to £19.99. Admittedly you can pick up the value version of Rock Band: The Beatles for around £60, which includes a guitar, microphone and copy of the Fab Four game, but for those of us just needing some smash pads, this is definitely the better deal.

Having beaten tens tonnes of awesomeness out of my ex-housemate’s plastic drum kit, I can tell you that these things are pretty well made. They’re perhaps not quite as sturdy as the set that comes with Guitar Hero World Tour/5, but they are able to withstand quite a lot of violence nonetheless.

The kick pedal is, however, a problem. Mashing it with size twelves is inadvisable and will result in some severe pedal trauma, although there’s a handy 60 day warranty if you bust it within two months. It is surprisingly loud, and you might want to invest in some of the sound dampeners and possibly the cymbal attachments too if you fancy getting some hardcore drum simulation on. As I say, it’s not quite the accomplished product that the Guitar Hero peripheral is, but you’ll still have a blast.

I myself ordered one of these only five minutes before writing this deal up, mainly because I much prefer the drumming engine on Rock Band and its sequel. The feedback is just better, especially in the freestyle bits, and there aren’t too many grinding tracks. Medium mode in Guitar Hero World Tour often felt blander than Bran Flakes, and Hard mode involved a level of pedal co-ordination I simply wasn’t prepared for. Thankfully, Harmonix have made drumming on the lower levels fun, with increased fill sections, more work for the hands, and of course the wonderfully implemented Deep Purple-esque free-for-all ending moments.

EA Official Rock Band Drums £19.99 @ Amazon [Xbox 360 Games]

Oh, and it’s good for you too. If you want to get fit this Christmas, or just try and alleviate some of the turkey damage, forget standing on a set of motion sensor scales and miming the hula, get one of these badboys instead and rock your way into good health.

Thanks to mintcake on HotUKDeals

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Thu, 10 Dec, 09
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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Rock Band 2 (Solus) £19.95 @ Shopto.net [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Rock Band 2 (Solus) £19.95 @ Shopto.net [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Harmonix fans rejoice! The insanely popular Rock Band 2 is slowly coming down in price and ShopTo are leading the charge with a weekly special, offering the Solus version of the game for just £19.95. If that wasn’t quite enough to get your musical juices flowing then make sure you don’t forget to punch in shoptovoucher3 before ordering to knock a further pound off of the price and bring your total down to £18.95.

Amazon have the game listed for PS3 and X360 at £25.65 and £23.01 respectively, and so by using the voucher at ShopTo you’re making a saving of either four quid or over six pounds on the nearest in-stock competitor, depending on platform. Bear in mind, however, that the voucher code may only be redeemed once and that it can sometimes take a little while (5-10 mins) to be added to your account.

I’m a big Rock Band fan as well as a Guitar Hero fan and I think that both series have something slightly different to offer. For the uninitiated, the Rock Band series is identical in terms of basic gameplay to its older sibling: choose your instrument of choice – microphone, guitar, bass or drums – and sing, strum or smash your way through various songs, matching the rhythm to the vision-warping coloured blocks that scroll across the screen.

Rock Band 2, like its predecessor, eschews the sweeping note cascades of the later Guitar Hero games in favour of a somewhat easier mechanic. That said, the game is still pretty harsh when it comes to timing hammer-ons and pull-offs, an issue that means Rock Band 2 plays a lot more like the fairly strict Guitar Hero 2 than the more fluid widdle-fests of the later games.

The setlist is excellent, as one would expect, and you can find the full list here. Another nice touch is the option to import your playlists from Rock Band and LEGO Rock Band for a small fee, and with a rather more extensive online library of music than Activision’s flagship, it might be argued that this is the party game of choice, although the new immediate quick play on offer in Guitar Hero 5 gives that game much more immediacy for those pick-up-and-play moments.

I love the fact that the Rock Band series offers a slightly different take on career progression. Instead of just chasing points and stars, you’re playing for cash and fans too, meaning that there are even more pointless little things for addicts like me to chase. The dedicated solo sections, the emphasis on co-operative gameplay and the ability to ’save’ your bandmates, the Deep Purple-esque finishing frenzies to certain songs and the altogether more satisfying drum freestyle sections make for a much better multiplayer experience than the Guitar Hero games. Don’t expect to feel like a six-stringed god, though, as Guitar Hero 3 arguably remains the benchmark for satiating that solo Yngwie Malmsteen complex.

I myself own both Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2 and I definitely get more out of the latter. If you’ve been looking for a copy of this for some time but were put off by its stubborn refusal to drop in price then I’d heartily recommend you grab a copy of this whilst ShopTo’s weekly deal is still running. For under twenty pounds you’re getting a hell of a lot of bang for your buck.Rock Band 2 (Solus) £19.95 @ Shopto.net [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Thanks to runci101 at HotUKDeals

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Tue, 17 Nov, 09
Author:
Admin

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EA Official Rock Band Drums £19.99 @ Amazon [Wii Games]

EA Official Rock Band Drums £19.99 @ Amazon [Wii Games]

Have you ever heard any rock band without drums? They are an essential piece of kit and you can’t form a band without them. Well, for all those people wanting to live the dream you can now get your hands on the Official Rock Band Drums for a mere £19.99 to complete your band.

Amazon is currently offering the cheapest price @ £19.99. The next best price stands at £29.99 from ShopTo, which means you’ll be saving yourself a whopping £10!

EA Official Rock Band Drums £19.99 @ Amazon [Wii Games]A wireless drum kit controller, you must have this in order to complete your rock band. It’s easy to set up and play, so it’s suitable for any age group. It comes with four drum pads and a base pedal allowing for a realistic drumming session.

Thanks to Adam2050 from HotUKDeals!

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Thu, 12 Nov, 09
Author:
Matt Gardner

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Games deals

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Rock Band: The Beatles (Solus – £19.99)/(Two Mic Pack – £29.99) @ Play [Xbox 360/PS3 Game]

Rock Band: The Beatles (Solus £19.99)/(Two Mic Pack £29.99) @ Play [Xbox 360/PS3 Game]

You know how at parties there’s always that one guy who brings a guitar and starts ruining proceedings by picking away at it? Well, the last few years have replaced six strings with coloured buttons, and what used to bring a kegger to an early finish has now become the life and soul of the party thanks to an assortment of interactive playlists brought to us by the various incarnations of Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Now for the first time ever you can sing, strum and smash your way through The Beatles back catalogue and Play are giving away the Solus version of the game (no instruments included) on Xbox 360 and PS3 for just £19.99, over five bucks cheaper than the nearest competitors (Gamestation – £25.99).

To be honest, I never really saw the point of creating  Beatles version of Rock Band. Although I would be a fool to paint the Fab Four in a drab light, there isn’t really a huge amount here for the instrumental players to get their teeth into. Ringo Starr is not Dave Grohl or Lars Ulrich, and although no one doubts that George Harrison could have pulled off the most extravagant of guitar solos had he chosen to, the fact is that most part he’s fairly restrained. The real pull factor here is the harmony engine that allows multiple singers to pull off those famed Beatles three-part musical wonders. Of course, to do that you’re going to need more microphones and, luckily for PS3 owners, Play are offering Rock Band: The Beatles bundled with two wired SingStar-style mics for just £10 more at £29.99.

Whether or not you should buy this game depends entirely on just how much you love Rock Band and The Beatles. If it’s just the former then just avail yourself of the expansive downloadables on offer and wait for a further drop in price. If it’s just the latter then it’d be cheaper and more satisfying to buy one of the recent discographies. But the microphone pack is well worth looking into: This is essentially (and probably should have been) just a SingStar game with extras. Placed in that context, the microphone pack makes a lot of sense if you’re Beatlemanic gamer, to both ears and pocket.

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Sun, 8 Nov, 09
Author:
Admin

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Game news

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From Modern Warfare 2 Piracy To A Questionable 2010 Release For Zelda: News Roundup November 8th

Today’s news roundup sees a Modern Warfare 2 pirate be brought to justice, a Beatle’s sons aim to use Rock Band to teach people music, and Nintendo of America President announce the new Zelda may not see a 2010 release.

Modern Warfare 2 Pirate Arrested

From Modern Warfare 2 Piracy To A Questionable 2010 Release For Zelda: News Roundup November 8th

With Modern Warfare 2 already leaked onto the internet, Microsoft is trying their damndest to stop piracy on the Xbox 360 at all costs.  The game became widely available on the internet when 18-year-old American Christian Del Amo got his piracy loving hands on an early copy of Modern Warfare 2, who then proceeded to make illegal copies of the game available on various torrent sites.  The whole affair kicked off when a “box boy at a major retail chain” swiped a crate from a major retail chain containing Modern Warfare 2 bundles.  The box boy then sold these copies online, letting hacker Del Amo grab an early copy.

He soon cracked the protection around the game, making illegal copies available to all.  Unfortunately for him, IPCybercrime, a private investigation firm, was on his case, and thanks to tracks left through social networking sites like Facebook, the firm traced the teen to his modding business in Miami, where he was soon arrested.  “If these guys get their stuff out, then they can do some major damage to sales and spoil it for everybody. We plug leaks every day, but this was one of the biggest ones of the year,” said Rob Holmes, owner of IPCybercrime.  He then warns other hackers “If you try to do piracy on a large scale, you will get caught. When you use the Internet, you always leave tracks somewhere.”  For the law-abiding Modern warfare 2 will be available this Tuesday.  [VentureBeat]

Dhani Harrison Aims To Teach People Music in Rock Band 3

From Modern Warfare 2 Piracy To A Questionable 2010 Release For Zelda: News Roundup November 8th

Dhani Harrison (son of Beatle George Harrison) previously joined forces with Harmonix to help create The Beatles Rock Band.  Now it appears he wants to take the formula further, and create a game that will actually teach players to play music.  According to Harrison “I’m working on Rock Band 3′ and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game.”

He claims it’s going to happen in as little as a couple of years, and he hopes it can teach people how to play music, rather than merely “pantomime in rhythm.”  No word on Harmonix’s take on this, but we’ll hopefully know more when Rock band 3 is officially announced.  [ChicagoTribune]

Nintendo President Reveals Zelda May Not See a 2010 Release, Predicts New Super Mario Bros Will Outsell Modern Warfare 2

From Modern Warfare 2 Piracy To A Questionable 2010 Release For Zelda: News Roundup November 8th

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has recently stated they haven’t committed to a new Zelda in 2010.  It appears they’ll be taking the ‘release when ready’ approach, clarifying the game is only “tracking” for 2010.  On a positive note however, he did confirm Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M are committed to 2010, so at least some decent games will be released on the Wii next year.

Following this, Reggie made some very bold statements, predicting New Super Mario Bros. Wii will outsell Modern Warfare 2 (only the Xbox 360 edition) by January.  “Absolutely. I say that unequivocally,” said Reggie.  “Let’s take it all the way through the January NPD data — yes. I’ll put that stake in the ground.”  Very bold indeed.  [GameTrailers]

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Thu, 5 Nov, 09
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Madcatz Rock Band Portable Drum Kit £11.65 @ MyMemory [Xbox 360 Games]

Madcatz Rock Band Portable Drum Kit £11.65 @ MyMemory [Xbox 360 Games]As interactive music games put ever increasing demands on players in terms of all the equipment they are forced to acquire, the hassle of assemblage, the wires, the lost components, and simply the space needed, developers at Mad Catz have come up with a practical solution in an attempt to alleviate some of that stress. The Mad Catz Rock Band Portable Drum Kit is basically a scaled down version of the Rock Band Drum Kit where every feature has been minimised for easier storage and increased mobility.

The kit is currently going for just £11.65 on MyMemory – the cheapest currently price available – but remember that you need to enter the discount code MYGIFT10 when checking out in order to bring the price down from £12.95.

Scaling down the physical form of the Rock Band Drum Kit whilst not sacrificing too much in terms of its durability and functionality was a difficult balancing act which Mad Catz have persevered to get right. Despite the fact that this kit looks fairly flimsy and almost as though a few strikes with the drum sticks would batter it to a pulp, it’s actually surprisingly resilient. The pads have apparently been tested to withstand a million strikes whilst the pedal – although it looks fragile – has a good feel and is remarkably tough.

The main problem with this system is regarding the pads. On the Rock Band Drum Kit, the drum surfaces were nicely spaced out and also, like a normal drum kit, positioned on a slight incline. However, regarding the pads, you are forced to lie them down on a flat surface like a coffee table which doesn’t really give you the same feeling of authenticity. Overall, even though the kit is portable, it’s a bit more awkward to use than the full on Rock Band version. This is could be a good deal if you’re really short on space, but unless you and your virtual Rock Band are planning to go on tour, you’d probably be better of splashing out on the full version.

Thanks to Millarcat from Hotukdeals.

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Tue, 13 Oct, 09
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Admin

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From Starcraft Stabbings To Queen Rock Band: News Roundup October 13th

In today’s news roundup an angry teen stabs a girl upon finding out his internet connection prevented him from playing Starcraft, Naughty Dog add a ‘next-gen filter’ to Uncharted 2 to fit in with the brown games of this generation, Konami reveal Castlevania Rebirth as a Game Boy remake, and Brian May reveal Queen may get their very own dedicated Rock Band game.

Angry Teen Stabs Girl after Starcraft Failed To Connect

From Starcraft Stabbings To Queen Rock Band: News Roundup October 13th

If this story is to teach you anything, it’s to make sure you check your internet connection is active before attempting to play Starcraft, or any other online game for that matter.  In a furious rage, an 18-year-old Swedish teen apparently stabbed a 15-year-old girl, after discovering his internet connection ceased working, leaving him unable to enjoy Starcraft online.

On August 9th, after making this terrible discovery, the teen ran out into the street, kitchen knife in hand, and repeatedly stabbed a passing girl.  Thankfully the multiple stab wounds were not fatal.  The boy has since been in psychiatric care.  As the teen never intended to murder the girl as he left the house, the attack has been classified as attempted manslaughter.  Just make sure and keep those stress balls handy next time you plan to go online.  [AllAboutTheGames]

Naughty Dog Poke Fun at Next-Gen Graphics

From Starcraft Stabbings To Queen Rock Band: News Roundup October 13th

Anyone who’s played a few games this generation will notice one recurring theme: brown.  Gears of War is quite famous for its brownish tint, but many other games have incorporated the look, including Metal Gear Solid 4.  For a bit of fun, Naughty Dog decided to include a ‘Next-Gen Filter’ in Uncharted 2, giving players the option to replace the lush colour scheme with a more drab brown look, making Uncharted 2: Among thieves a “true” next-gen title in the process.  [Examiner]

Castlevania Rebirth Revealed as Game Boy Remake

From Starcraft Stabbings To Queen Rock Band: News Roundup October 13th

Last month Nintendo announced Castlevania was in line for the Rebirth treatment.  Now with the October 27th release date in Japan approaching Konami has revealed more details about WiiWare title Castlevania the Adventure: Rebirth. The game is in fact a remake of the first portable title in the Castlevania series, Castlevania: The Adventure.

The game first saw release in 1989 on the original Game Boy, following the story of Christopher Belmont as he makes his way through four simple stages.  The WiiWare version boosts overhauled 2D graphics, and a new soundtrack, comprised of music from Castlevania’s 23-year-old lifespan.  Rebirth will hopefully be hitting the rest of the world soon after, and will likely be priced at 1000 Wii Points.  [1UP]

Brian May Reveals Dedicated Rock Band Game May Happen

From Starcraft Stabbings To Queen Rock Band: News Roundup October 13th

Following the success of games like Guitar Hero: Metallica and The Beatles Rock Band, Queen guitarist Brian May has expressed interest in a Queen edition of Rock Band.  First though he shared his joy with seeing a Lego version of himself in LEGO Rock Band.  “It’s the ultimate accolade, to be portrayed in Lego,” said May to the BBC. “My dreams are all fulfilled now.”

In regards to talk “behind the scenes” of a dedicated Queen Rock Band game May revealed “Yes, we’re into it, I think it may happen.”  Queen may not hold the same popularity as the Beatles, but could perhaps provide a more fun rhythm based due to more emphasis placed on the instruments.  [BBC]

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Mon, 21 Sep, 09
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Admin

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From The Beatles Rock Band Achieving Fastest DLC Yet To Yakuza 3 Hitting Rest Of The World: News Roundup September 21st

Today’s news roundup sees The Beatles Rock Band downloadable content sell faster than any other Rock Band DLC in history, the Wii price cut receiving unofficial confirmation from Nintendo, and Yakuza 3 seemingly set for worldwide release.

All You Need Is Love Generates Fastest DLC Sales In Rock Band History

From The Beatles Rock Band Achieving Fastest DLC Yet To Yakuza 3 Hitting Rest Of The World: News Roundup September 21st

The Beatles extreme popularity has boded well for Harmonix, allowing them to produce the fastest selling downloadable content ever available for Rock Band.  After only two days of availability All You Need Is Love, the only DLC set for release with The Beatles Rock Band and exclusive with the Xbox 360 version, was downloaded faster than any other DLC in Rock Band history.

All proceeds generated go towards the charity Doctors Without Borders, with Harmonix and Microsoft announcing “tens of thousands” of dollars have been raised for the group.  Additionally, the first batch of a limited supply of Beatles Xbox 360 consoles managed an incredible $17,300 more towards charity, sold for auction on eBay.  Considering the game has only been available for two weeks, these are some mighty impressive figures.  [VG247]

Wii Price Cut Confirmed But Not Official Yet

From The Beatles Rock Band Achieving Fastest DLC Yet To Yakuza 3 Hitting Rest Of The World: News Roundup September 21st

The Wii price drop seems all but confirmed, with constant ads and leaked sales sheets suggesting it’s on the way very soon.  Well now Nintendo seem to have officially confirmed this, just not to the public.  According to Nintendojo, Nintendo announced during a retailer conference call the price drop is set to take place on September 27th.

Nintendojo confirm they had someone listening into the call, but because Nintendo hasn’t announced this to the public, it cannot be treated as official confirmation.  If this announcement is accurate, then a price cut can be expected in just under a week, although the price cut may likely only apply to North America, with a European date following shortly after.  [Nintendojo]

Yakuza 3 Coming To Rest Of World

From The Beatles Rock Band Achieving Fastest DLC Yet To Yakuza 3 Hitting Rest Of The World: News Roundup September 21st

Sega representative Aaron Webber recently kept hope alive that Yakuza 3 is heading for the U.S. and Europe.  1UP claim to have learned from “sources close to the project” that Yakuza 3 is indeed headed for the rest of the world, with Sega currently working on localization for the other markets.  Although this can hardly be treated as official confirmation, it seems likely given the recent speculation regarding the game.  Sega can hopefully confirm or deny this sometime soon.  Perhaps even at the Tokyo Game Show later this week.  [1UP]

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Fri, 28 Aug, 09
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Admin

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From Rachet And Clank To An Early Halo Release: News Roundup August 28th

In today’s news, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time sees an official release date.  In other news, an EEDAR analyst predicts Guitar Hero 5 will sell twice as many units as The Beatles Rock Band, Capcom tease several new game announcements at the upcoming Tokyo game show, and Halo: ODST sells four weeks early in a French retailer, prompting action from Microsoft.

 New Ratchet And Clank Release Date Announced

From Rachet And Clank To An Early Halo Release: News Roundup August 28th

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time has received an official American release date of October 27th.  Retailers are of course offering the usual bonus offers that come with any new game, with Amazon offering customers two new power-ups, plus 5000 bolts already in their account.

This news comes as a relief to fans, with nearly every publisher moving their major games back to 2010, keen to avoid the threat of Modern Warfare 2.  A European release date announcement should follow soon.  [EuroGamer]

Analyst Predicts Guitar Hero To Sell Twice As Much As Rock Band

From Rachet And Clank To An Early Halo Release: News Roundup August 28th

Despite the excitement and buzz created by The Beatles Rock Band, EEDAR analyst Jessie Divnich predicts Guitar Hero 5 will incredibly sell over twice as many units.  EEDAR predicts Guitar Hero 5 should sell over 4 million units, while The Beatles Rock Band will only manage 1.7 million units.  “I believe that at the end of the day, it comes down to marketing muscle, and Activision has proven in numerous showdowns that they can out advertise and out promote their competitor” said Divinich. 

Although he went on to admit his predictions could turn out to be wrong, due to the arrival of new Activision game DJ Hero.  Activision may divert their attention and funding to DJ Hero, denting the success of Guitar Hero.  Divinich also points out both franchises could have trouble attracting new customers, with the rhythm genre apparently “peaked”.  After such growth over the past two years, further growth seems unlikely.  [BloomBerg]

 Capcom To Reveal Several New Games At Tokyo Game Show

From Rachet And Clank To An Early Halo Release: News Roundup August 28th

Capcom teased they will be revealing “several new games” at this years Tokyo Game Show.  A post on Twitter said “Hard at work on Tokyo Game Show plans. Several new games to be announced in Japan, lots of new content for [Lost Planet 2], [Tatsunoko vs. Capcom], [Dead Rising 2]. Exciting!”  Hopefully these new games include both new IPs as well as new instalments in their classic franchises.  [1UP]

Halo: ODST Released Four Weeks Early, Microsoft Remove Live Ban For Playing It

From Rachet And Clank To An Early Halo Release: News Roundup August 28th

4 weeks before its official release, a French retailer has been caught selling copies of Halo 3: ODST.  Microsoft of course caught wind of this, issuing a statement that anyone caught playing the game will be banned from playing Xbox Live.

This seems a rather harsh punishment for anyone playing a game they legally bought from a retailer.  Microsoft must have later regretted these actions, as an announcement from Stephen Toulouse informed gamers that while Microsoft are looking into matters, “we will not be banning legitimate customers from Xbox LIVE who play early”.  Anyone lucky enough to be in possession of a copy can now sit back, relax, and enjoy the game.  [Kotaku]

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Fri, 14 Aug, 09
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From Free Wolfenstein To Valve And The PS3: News Roundup August 14th

Raven developer Manveer Heir claims he will pay for your copy of Wolfenstein if it outsells Madden in today’s news roundup. In other news, Yoko Ono is revealed to be a bit of a nightmare when it comes to games development, Wii Sports Resort won’t come bundled with the Wii, and Valve boss Gabe Newell looks set to leave Sony hanging.

Wolfenstein Developer Will Pay You If Sales Top Madden

From Free Wolfenstein To Valve And The PS3: News Roundup August 14th

Raven developer Manveer Heir may have went a bit overboard when he announced on Twitter “if Wolfenstein outsells Madden 10 in August I will personally pay for your copy (keep your receipt).” He promises this is a legitimate offer, but points out a few ground rules. The sales total for each game will be based on NPD numbers, you will need to follow him on Twitter, and of course keep your receipt as proof.

It’s a bold claim, but chances are the offer was based on the unlikelihood of Wolfenstein ever outselling the hugely popular Madden, plus Madden has the benefit of appearing on twice as many platforms as Wolfenstein. Although if by some miracle Wolfenstein actually achieves this incredible feat, Manveer Heir will be out over $100,000 just paying his current Twitter followers, and on the fast track to homelessness.  [1UP]

Yoko Ono Gave Harmonix Hell

From Free Wolfenstein To Valve And The PS3: News Roundup August 14th

The Beatles: Rock Band developers recently described what a nightmare Yoko Ono turned out to be when she came along to ‘help’. Apparently Ono made very specific suggestions, like proposing that the game’s final scene, where the Beatles hold their famous rooftop concert on the Apple Corps building in Knightsbridge, look windier. Harmonix’s Alex Rigopolous described her as “an artist, so she was very concerned with the look of the game. She really held our feet to the fire.” She sounds fun.  [Wired]

Wii Sports Resort Won’t Be Bundled With Wii

From Free Wolfenstein To Valve And The PS3: News Roundup August 14th

Wii Sports has been bundled with the Wii since launch, offering gamers the chance to get to grips with how the Wii works. Speculation suggested sequel Wii Sports Resort is set to take its place, but according to senior supervisor of communications and advertising at Nintendo of Canada this isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. “There are no plans to make Wii Sports Resort what is packed in with the Wii purchase” said Matt Ryan.

“What is in the Wii box will remain the same. Wii Sports Resort will not replace Wii Sports. The intention with Wii Sports was to provide an out of the box experience for consumers and we want new consumers and non-owners to experience that just as everybody else has.” Ryan described Wii Sports Resort as more like full-on software that you would expect to pay full price at retail for. So it looks like anyone purchasing a Wii anytime soon will have to be happy with regular old Wii Sports.  [Torontothumbs]

Valve Not Bothered About PS3

From Free Wolfenstein To Valve And The PS3: News Roundup August 14th

Valve and the PS3 are hardly the best of friends, and according to Valve boss Gabe Newell the future doesn’t look bright. When asked, “Are you guys working on PlayStation 3 here now, trying to understand it, trying to get better at it?” Gabe answered simply, “Uh, no. Not in any real way.” If the PS3 loses support from a big name like Valve it would be a serious blow, let’s hope they can work it out.

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