The Inquisitr » xbox 360

Black Friday: Wal-Mart carrying awesome game console deals

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:19:33 +0000

If you’re a gamer, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to Black Friday bargain hunting, with neat deals at Sears and GameStop, and some okay deals at Toys ‘R’ Us.

If you’re a gamer looking to pick up a cheap console next Friday, there’s only one winner: Wal-Mart. The store will be selling PS3 Slims with an excellent pair of titles – inFamous and Batman: Arkham Asylum – and The Dark Knight on Blu-ray for $299. That’s what the PS3 Slim alone would normally cost: this one comes with about 100 hours of entertainment.

Their Wii and Xbox 360 deals aren’t too shabby, either. $249 bags you a Wii with two games and an extra set of Nyko controllers, while $199 buys you an Xbox 360 Arcade with Madagascar 2 and the first two Madagascar movies on DVD.

Oh yeah, and you can pick up a Nintendo DS Lite for $98 (and the ace Lock’s Quest for $7 to play on it). Everybody should own a DS of some description. It’s the law. Here’s the list in full:

Xbox 360

- 2K Sports NBA 2K10 – $25
- Command And Conquer Red Alert 3 – $7
- Grand Theft Auto IV – $10
- Midnight Club Los Angeles – $10
- Rock Band Special Edition – $50
- UFC 2009 Undisputed – $25
- Xbox 360 Arcade with Madagascar 2 game and Madagascar/Madagascar 2 DVDs – $199

PS3

- Need For Speed Undercover – $10
- Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare – $25
- Rock Band Special Edition – $50
- The Godfather II – $10
- WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 – $25
- PlayStation 3 Slim with Infamous, Batman Arkham Asylum, and Dark Knight on Blu-ray – $299

Wii

- Bakugan – $25
- Big Beach Sports – $10
- Carnival Games – $10
- Celebrity Sports Showdown – $7
- Tak And The Guardians Of Gross – $7
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 – $25
- Nintendo Wii with 2 Games and extra set of Nyko controllers (Online Only) – $249

Nintendo DS

- Lock’s Quest – $7
- MX Vs ATV Untamed – $10
- NeoPets Puzzle Adventure – $7
- Nintendo DS Lite Starter Kit – $10
- Nintendo DS Lite – $98

PS2

- Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader – $7
- Madden 10 – $25
- Suzuki TT Super Bikes – $7

PC/Mac

The Sims 3 – $25

Miscellaneous

- X Rocker Turbo Sound Gaming Chair – $35

[BlackFriday.info, via Destructoid]

Kid rings police after parents confiscate Xbox

Chris Greenhough — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:25 +0000

True (and depressing) story: some little sod from Illinois has called 911 on his parents after they punished him by taking away his Xbox 360. Ugh.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the boy hung up before the emergency call was complete, so officers were sent to the address in case something of actual importance was happening. It probably didn’t look like the scene above. I hope it didn’t look like the scene above.

After the cops arrived, El Brat asked an officer whether his parents had the right to swipe his precious Xbox. The cop replied that yes, they do, and advised him to listen more to his parents.

They then drove off, their time thoroughly wasted by this little ingrate. Hopefully a slipper is connecting with his ass right … about … now.

[The Chicago Tribune, via GamePolitics]

Microsoft could face legal action over mass Xbox 360 bannings

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:55:22 +0000

Last week, Microsoft started rocking its banhammer in a big way, permanently banning 1 million Xbox Live users from the online gaming service for playing on a modded Xbox 360. But was Microsoft’s choice to ban 5% of the Xbox Live community a bit too conveniently timed?

Boutique law firm AbingtonIP thinks so, and argues that the timing of the bannings – which took place shortly before the launch of Modern Warfare 2 – was deliberate. By cutting users off just before the year’s biggest game arrived, AbingtonIP claims that Microsoft netted a ton of money from potential Xbox Live subscribers, before banning their modded consoles.

Of course, by the letter of the law, Microsoft would seem to be in the right – modding your console does violate the Xbox Live Terms of Service. Yet banning so many users when it did could land Microsoft in trouble for what Joystiq legal columnist Mark Methenitis calls a “deceptive business practice concern.”

AbingtonIP is currently investigating the case before it considers bringing a class action lawsuit to obtain a refund for the sums of money left on the banned Xbox Live subscriptions.

[Via Joystiq]

[VIDEO] The most amazing Modern Warfare 2 kill yet

Chris Greenhough — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:33 +0000

Modern Warfare 2 has introduced throwing knives to the mix, leading to this frankly amazing round-winning kill:

Stroke of genius or miraculous luck? Whichever, it’ll take something to top that.

[YouTube]

Modern Warfare 2 effectively banned in Russia

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:39:16 +0000

[UPDATE: Turns out this story came from a dodgy translation, and that Modern Warfare 2 has not been banned in Russia after all. Activision clarified the matter with VG247, stating, "Reports that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been banned in Russia are erroneous."]

[SPOILER NOTE: While sales of Modern Warfare 2 would suggest that every human on the planet has played the game at least four times, my math might be out. Hence, this is a SPOILER notice - don't read on if you're still to play MW2 and want to keep the surprise element.]

So Modern Warfare 2 is out, and as we all predicted, is proving a controversy magnet for the ages.

If you didn’t already know, MW2 includes a highly controversial level set in a Russian airport, in which you, the player, can go about gunning down civilians willy-nilly. Consequently, the real Russia is pissed.

In fact, Russia is so pissed that every copy of the game has now been recalled from store shelves across the vast country. In an attempt to appease the Russian authorities, developer Infinity Ward has already released a patch for the PC and Steam versions of the game, completely removing the massacre from the title.

The console versions, meanwhile, will see an edited version re-released in under a month, though these will be subject to government review before being allowed back out on the streets.

A kneejerk decision? I’m yet to tackle Modern Warfare 2’s single-player (I know …), so will have to wait before passing judgment on the level. It certainly looks shocking, though obviously context needs to play a role in this debate. Here’s the level on its own:

[Hellforge, via Destructoid]

Sgt. Pepper’s comes to The Beatles Rock Band next week

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:30:28 +0000

What’s your favorite Beatles album? If you answered “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” we can almost certainly be friends.

Now we’re friends, want to come round my place and play Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on some plastic instruments? Well you can’t. Not until next week, anyway. That’s when Sgt. Pepper’s will be hitting The Beatles: Rock Band, with the album pack including:

Fixing A Hole
She’s Leaving Home
Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Within You Without You
When I’m Sixty-Four
Lovely Rita
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
A Day In The Life

That lot will join the other five Sgt. Pepper’s tracks that are already in the game, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” “Getting Better,” and “Good Morning Good Morning.”

This latest batch of Beatles downloadable content hits Xbox 360 on November 17, and PS3 and Wii on November 19. Each individual track – not that you’d want to miss any of these – will set you back $1.99, 160 MS Points, or 200 Wii Points. The whole album will cost $13.49, or 1080 MS Points.

[Via press release]

Final Fantasy XIII dated for North America, Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:36 +0000

The biggest release of 2010? It might just be Final Fantasy XIII. And now, more than three years since it was first shown off, Square Enix has confirmed a North American and European release date for this most exquisite-looking RPG: March 9, 2010.

“We know that our fans have been eagerly awaiting the next installation of the franchise,” blabbered Square president and CEO John Yamamoto. “Final Fantasy XIII will exceed all expectations.”

If you didn’t already know, Final Fantasy XIII will be simultaneously flashing its well-oiled RPG buttocks on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, a development that would be almost unimaginable five years ago.

Square also sent out a huge press release, detailing the game’s features, its tangled backstory and, uh, Leona Lewis. Here it is:

——————————–

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in North America announced today the highly anticipated street date for FINAL FANTASY XIII. This latest project in the multi-platinum FINAL FANTASY series promises to be intensely compelling and will be available for both the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on March 9, 2010.

FINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated franchise, bringing the series to multiple hi-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history. Expanding upon the rich tradition of the series, Producer Kitase Yoshinori (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), Director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu (FINAL FANTASY X, DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-) presents a sweeping soundtrack while movie director Takeshi Nozue (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN) and his team of artists adorn the game with seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled caliber.

“We know that our fans have been eagerly awaiting the next installation of the franchise – FINAL FANTASY XIII will exceed all expectations,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “Coming simultaneously to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for the first time, FINAL FANTASY XIII will be available to all players who are looking for the most immersive gaming experience of 2010.”

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Leona Lewis has come on board with Square Enix to provide the theme song for FINAL FANTASY XIII. The song is entitled “My Hands,” and is featured on her highly-anticipated second album ECHO (J Records/Syco Music) set for release on November 17th. Leona Lewis took the music world by storm with her 2008 6x platinum debut album Spirit which features her chart topping, biggest selling single of 2008 “Bleeding Love,” and mega-hit “Better In Time.”

“When Square Enix approached Leona about including her song, “My Hands,” in FINAL FANTASY XIII, she was honored to be partnered with such an iconic and groundbreaking video game series,” said Tom Corson, EVP/GM, RCA Music Group. “Leona is a natural fit with the game’s powerful themes and strong female protagonist. We’re delighted to be part of this effort, bringing great musical artistry to FINAL FANTASY XIII which is a riveting and dynamic gaming experience.”

Introducing new worlds, memorable characters and extraordinary stories with each new installment, the FINAL FANTASY series has continued to reinvent itself over the last two decades and has shipped over 85 million copies worldwide. The series is defined by a constant evolution, offering nothing less than the finest creative vision, graphical quality and gameplay system of its generation with every installment, and FINAL FANTASY XIII will be no exception to its legacy.

Story

Cocoon — a utopia in the sky. Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise. Under the Sanctum’s rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity.

Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal’Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever. Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal’Cie. The moment that fal’Cie from Pulse — the feared and detested lowerworld — awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end.

Fal’Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants. They become l’Cie — chosen of the fal’Cie. Those branded with the mark of a l’Cie carry the burden of either fulfilling their Focus or facing a fate harsher than death itself.

A prayer for redemption. A wish to protect the world. A promise to challenge destiny.

After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins.

In FINAL FANTASY XIII, players will embark on a journey through the cityworld of Cocoon and the outerworld of Pulse, encountering and fighting alongside a diverse group of allies. Execute powerful attacks with weapons and magic, and summon the enigmatic Eidolons with an evolved Active Time Battle system. Experience seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and in-game cinematics. Do you have the courage to face your destiny?

Features

Take Part in a Gaming Experience that Sets New Standards – The first in the series developed for a simultaneous release on multiple high-definition consoles, FINAL FANTASY XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay.

Experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle system. The familiar system has evolved, granting players the freedom of executing numerous commands in a single turn with the multi-slot ATB gauge. Whether inputting singular commands in each slot for consecutive attacks, or expending multiple slots at once to activate a devastating blow, it’s up to the players to respond effectively to the battle conditions at hand.

Adapt to the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms – A brand-new game mechanic enabling players to assign roles to their party members at any time during battle, shifting between combat paradigms. Consisting of various combinations of the game’s six roles, ranging from Commando, the offensive specialist, to Medic, the quintessential healer, paradigms allow players to respond and adapt instantly to any given situation to turn the tide and seize victory.

Witness the Battle Scene Transform with an All-New Summon System – Introducing Gestalt Mode, a powerful dimension of the summon system that elevates the action to a whole new level. In Gestalt Mode, characters and their transformed Eidolons fight as one, dealing massive damage to enemies through simple button commands.

Delve into an Emotional Experience – An immersive storyline connects players to an intriguing cast of characters. Will they have the strength to confront their cursed fates, or will destiny prevail over all that they believe in?

——————————–

[Via press release]

Xbox 360 getting Facebook, Twitter, and Last.FM on November 17

Chris Greenhough — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:43 +0000

The Xbox 360 dashboard update that will allow you access to Facebook, Twitter, and Last.FM through your console goes live on Tuesday, November 17. That’s according to Marc Whitten, Xbox Live general manager. Here he is, doing some talking:

“We look at things like Facebook and Twitter as amazing social experiences, but also entertainment. We didn’t want to copy and paste from the PC. It’s going to be great for current users, but it’s also great for new users who can see who is on Facebook and get their first 30 friends on Live.”

Using Facebook on Microsoft’s console will allow gamers to convert their Facebook friends to Xbox 360 friends, a rather nifty Xbox 360-exclusive addition.

Yet, as VG247’s Stephany Nunneley points out, gamers may just be distracted by a few other trinkets on November 17. Check out what must be the strongest day of releases in some time:

Assassin’s Creed II
Left 4 Dead 2
God of War Collection
Assassin’s Creed DS & PSP Bundle
LittleBigPlanet PSP
Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles
Tony Hawk: RIDE
Lego Indiana Jones 2

Just a bit good, eh?

[Via VG247]

[RUMOR] Project Natal launch details revealed

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:02:59 +0000

UK games site MCV is claiming to have the first details for the launch of Project Natal, Microsoft’s controller-free Xbox 360 device.

The salient facts are as follows: in Britain, Project Natal will hit stores in November 2010, have 14 games available from launch, and will sell for a sub-£50 ($83) price tag. Apparently, Microsoft will be shipping 5m units globally.

These details reportedly come from a behind-closed-doors Microsoft tour of UK game publishers, and as such are fairly credible. Either way, it’s the first we’ve heard about the Natal launch since the device was unveiled back in June.

Sub-£50 is a smart move – getting Natal as close to an impulse buy as possible will be vital. We’ve already seen what giving Wii Sports away for the low price of free did for the Wii. It could still do with a name change, if you ask me.

Admittedly, I’m still not totally convinced that flailing my limbs around to play games is something I’ll fall in love with, though at least I’ve a whole year to become a convert.

[Via MCV]

Microsoft unleashes banhammer on 1 million Xbox Live players

Kim LaCapria — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:29:37 +0000

Cries of frustration, anger and grief rose up from parents’ basements across the land as a million Xbox Live players found themselves cut off from the service in an anti-piracy blitz by Microsoft.

Microsoft describes the number of affected modded consoles as “small,” and commented on the move unapologetically:

“We have taken action against a small percentage of consoles have been modified to play pirated game discs,” Microsoft told GamesIndustry.biz today. “In line with our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox Live community, we are suspending these modded consoles from Xbox Live.”

While banninated users can’t participate in Xbox Live, affected consoles work offline, so the console isn’t totally bricked. That’s of little comfort to users who have fallen afoul of the ban, one of whom commented at length to the BBC:

I wasn’t expecting it. I was just like, ‘OK, what do I do now? Is this just a joke?’ So I thought, ‘Let me restart the Xbox’. I restarted, signed in again, same message. I did that three times, same message. I was pulling my hair out thinking, ‘No, why me?’

It’s like telling someone their dog’s just died. It was pretty much like that for me. I love it, I love playing Xbox live. I play with my mates all the time. It’s just a good laugh, we all sit there chatting, playing games. Now I don’t know what to do.

The move comes just as the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hit shelves- a release that was reportedly widely pirated before it was available for purchase. Although many users have praised the ousting of the rule-circumventing Xbox owners, alienating 5% of the 20 million players on Xbox Live just seems counterintuitive. I also imagine that the users who would spend money to mod their consoles (the user quoted by the BBC spent £100 to do so) might also be the players who are dedicated enough to pour revenue into the company in other ways. Well- perhaps they were the customers who poured revenue into the company in other ways, but that’s not very likely now.

Modern Warfare 2: Review Round-up

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:39:32 +0000

It’s Modern Warfare 2. It is, hyperbole aside, the most anticipated game of 2009. But is it any good? The review embargo for Infinity Ward’s shooter is still ten hours away, but some naughty websites and newspapers have already published their verdicts. Will any review anywhere stop anybody buying it? Well, OBVIOUSLY NOT. But just for the hell of it, let’s take a look at what the first reviews are saying:

The Guardian (full review here) was first to break the embargo, yet Activision’s rage may be quelled by a glowing review from the lefty UK newspaper:

“All in all, MW2 is exactly what fans were expecting. Yes, it carries a hefty price-tag, a shortish single player campaign and only adds a handful of genuinely new elements to the prequel, but you won’t find a more polished, intelligent FPS this year.”
5 / 5

The Telegraph (full review here) followed the Guardian’s lead shortly after, and – wow! – also loved it. This review round-up is turning out to be highly unsurprising:

“All told, Modern Warfare 2 crosses into the must-have category of video games effortlessly. It offers an unmatched shooter experience, a compelling story mode, a slick package of mini missions and a multiplayer which is pretty much unparalleled in depth.”
10 / 10

Fortunately, JustPushStart (full review here) granted the game a score that fell just short of perfect:

“It is indeed a Game of the Year contender, and is clearly the best shooter of 2009. With that being said, Modern Warfare 2 is not a perfect game, but many improvements were made and it is better than its predecessor.”
4.5 / 5

So OMG, surprise, Modern Warfare 2 seems to be really great, but let’s end this post with a thudding dose of reality from the Twitter feed of the Guardian’s Charlie Brooker:

“In summary: it’s very good, but it’s not the flippin’ messiah or anything. And it has the intellectual depth of Die Hard 4.”

‘Atta guy, Charlie. I think it would do us all well to remember the above statement in the coming weeks.

Brian May had hair demands for LEGO: Rock Band

Chris Greenhough — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:53:54 +0000

Queen guitarist Brian May had only one demand when signing up for LEGO Rock Band (aside from receiving a stack of money): that developer Traveller’s Tales get his famous perm right.

As you can see above, they got it right. Very right, actually. In fact, I doubt hair has ever been more right. No doubt about it: May’s LEGO Rock Band hair is rad. Turns out the man himself is rather pleased with it as well:

“I think my LEGO character is wonderful. I want one. We had discussions about the hair, there were a few emails. They had to negotiate to use my likeness, but it’s a nice thing.”

Not only that, but May scored a point over fellow venerable rock legend and Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott, who is totally jealous:

“Joe Elliott rang me up and said he was pissed off because they didn’t make one of him.”

Bless ‘em. Also, isn’t it nice to hear a rock star not bitching about their likeness in a music videogame?

[Yahoo, via Eurogamer]

Gamers jumping ship from Xbox 360 to PS3, says analyst

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:19:08 +0000

Games industry analyst Nick Williams believes that more and more gamers are planning to switch from Xbox 360 to PS3 over the coming Holiday season.

Williams told Gamasutra that more people are planning to buy major multiplatform sequels on Sony’s console, shunning Microsoft’s white box. In the case of the two most wanted sequels of 2009, Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed II, the “buying intentions” of consumers show PS3 leading Xbox 360.

OTX numbers suggest that 15 percent of those who own the first Assassin’s Creed game on the 360 will buy the sequel on PS3. Flip this around, and only 7 percent of those who own the original game on PS3 will buy the Xbox 360 version of the sequel. The trend for Modern Warfare 2 is similar. So there you go.

After a difficult few early steps, it seems like Sony is finally having some joy with the PS3: first it achieves the seemingly impossible and takes over Wii in Japan, and now it’s owning multiplatform releases.

[Via Gamasutra]

$199 XBox 360 Arriving At WalMart For One Day Only With $100 Giftcard Purchase

James Allen Johnson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:59:16 +0000

Oh Walmart how we love your ridiculous electronics sales, especially when they blow away the competition with such ridiculous offers as the $199 Microsoft Xbox 360.

A new sale, starting on November 7th at 8AM has been announced and one of the offers includes an Xbox 360 gaming console with the purchase of a $100 WalMart gift card. That places the device at $100 less than the nearest competitor.

Along with that deal is a 46-inch Plasma HDTV with 1080p resolution and three HDMI ports for $788, an HP notebook with a 250GB hard drive and Intel Celeron processor for $298 and the Sharp 42-Inch LCD with 1080p that we showcased earlier. They’ll also be offering a Sony Blu-Ray disc player for $148 among other offers.

Valve reveals Left 4 Dead 2 Avatar Awards

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:50:38 +0000

Left 4 Dead 2 will become only the second Xbox 360 game to feature Avatar Awards when it launches later this month. You remember those, right?

Avatar Awards are essentially Achievements, except you get a piece of clothing or a prop that can be used with your Xbox 360 Avatar. It’s a neat idea, a novel way of showing off your achievements in a game, so I’m amazed more developers haven’t included these in their games. They were revealed months ago, after all.

Maybe Left 4 Dead 2 will turn the tide and we’ll see more of these virtual trinkets? Valve’s Chet Faliszek told Eurogamer:

“Yeah, so, in Left 4 Dead 2 on the 360 you can actually win – it’s called Awards. It’s this weird thing that we thought people had done already, and we started working on it and then, once we started talking about it, realised that no one knew what we were talking about.”

In Valve’s shooter, players will be able to win a Depeche Mode t-shirt (as worn by in-game Survivor Rochelle – see above), a Left 4 Dead 2 t-shirt, one of the semi-iconic health kits you can get in the game, or “other cool stuff.”

The only exception? You won’t be able to win weapons for your little Avatar man. A wise decision, given how certain people jump all over that stuff.

[Via Eurogamer]

New footage of Modern Warfare 2 is highly controversial [MASSIVE SPOILERS]

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:13:03 +0000

Brace yourselves for the mother of all media shitstorms, folks. But first, if you want to avoid spoilers regarding Modern Warfare 2, then stop reading … NOW.

Still here? Good, then I’ll start.

Earlier today, a gameplay video of Modern Warfare 2 was leaked. Developer Infinity Ward confirmed that it was genuine, and then ordered for it to be pulled from everywhere. This alone is newsworthy, but the contents of the footage will give reactionary media outlets an absolute field day.

That’s because it shows a player playing from the perspective of a terrorist in an airport shooting innocent civilians. During the opening five minutes of the level, there appear to be only civilians to shoot. That loud pop you heard was Glenn Beck’s head exploding (not really, but I think we’d all tune in for that).

Apparently, this part of the game can be skipped, and a flow-breaking warning comes up on screen before it begins. Anyway, Infinity Ward has since offered an explanation for letting players fill the shoes of a terrorist:

“The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them. Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.

“Modern Warfare 2 is a fantasy action game designed for intense, realistic game play that mirrors real life conflicts, much like epic, action movies. It is appropriately rated 18 for violent scenes, which means it is intended for those who are 18 and older.”

Notice IW’s comparison of Modern Warfare 2 to an action movie? Infinity Ward knows that games are treated differently to movies, and is already battening down the hatches in anticipation of a media onslaught. I’m yet to catch the footage personally, but I really hope this isn’t as gratuitous as it sounds.

[Via Destructoid]

October 28 Xbox Live update is not as exciting as it seems

Chris Greenhough — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:15:14 +0000

If you fired up your internet-connected Xbox 360 today, you’ll have been asked to download a new system update. But for what, exactly?

Well, firstly, I advise you to calm down, because this does not contain the quite exciting Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Zune features. Microsoft blogger Major Nelson reports that those come as part of an Xbox Live update next month.

Sadly, this simply adds WPA2 support for the Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter.

In other words, unless you plan to pick up the new 802.11N wireless adapter that’s releasing November 3rd, this update is basically redundant. But I thought you’d like to know.

[Via Major Nelson]

Sky Player comes to Xbox 360 in UK [UPDATE]

Chris Greenhough — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:55:36 +0000

[UPDATE: We have prices, people!

£25 - Sky Sports 1 OR Sky Sports 2 + Sky Sports Xtra
£34 - Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 + Sky Sports Xtra
£24 - Sky Movies Screen 1 OR Screen 2
£32 - Sky Movies Screen 1 + Screen 2
£33 - One movie channel + one sports channel + Sky Sports Xtra
£38 - One movie channel + all sports channels, OR vice versa, + Sky Sports Xtra
£41 - All sports and movie channels
From £9 per month extra - ESPN]

Us British Xbox 360 owners have a popular bugbear we like to complain about: how come our U.S. counterparts get to enjoy Netflix on their consoles? Hm? HOW COME, Microsoft?

Well, now we’re even, sort of. Today in the UK, Sky was launched on Xbox Live and NOT THE U.S., meaning Gold members with at least 2Mb broadband and a Sky subscription can watch some free channels on Microsoft’s box, including Sky One, MTV and Sky Arts.

If you haven’t already subscribed to Rupert Murdoch’s no-doubt-evil satellite TV service, than you can do so for £15 per month. Naturally, both subscribers and non-subscribers can pay more money for additional channels. There are 24 in total, and while solid information on pricing is difficult to find, I do know that having all the sports channels added to your package will be an extra £19.

That’s … pretty pricey, yet I’m still terribly tempted by the idea of watching Sky Sports in my own room.

[Via ElectricPig]

Game-breaking bug in Borderlands wipes character skills

Chris Greenhough — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:50:26 +0000

I’m playing through Borderlands at the moment on Xbox 360, and loving it. It’s intelligent, has great art, and is heaps of fun to play with friends. Only snag: it’s also proving to be buggy for some players.

While my time with the game has been glitch-free, *touches wood* a number of Borderlands players (across Xbox 360, PS3, and PC) are reporting that their character skills are resetting to zilch when they join or leave an online play session.

Apparently, the only solution is to restart the game with a brand new character, a royal pain in the ass when you’ve spent hour after hour blasting Skags and bandits to kingdom come. If this did happen to me … well, I can’t type what I’d say here. It would melt the Internet. Thankfully, developer Gearbox has promised one affected player on its forums that this would be sorted asap:

“We’re working on it. Unfortunately there isn’t a fix just yet, but when one is available we hope to be able to repair as much of your character data as possible.”

A shame, because Borderlands really is cracking, especially online. Here’s hoping Gearbox are swift and good to their word.

[Via 1UP]

Dante’s Inferno in hot water over baby-killing Achievement

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:37:59 +0000

If there’s one thing people have been talking about in the build-up to Dante’s Inferno … it’s not Dante’s Inferno.

Whether it’s the Twittersphere venting about EA’s “objectification” of women, or EA mailing replica severed hands to the press, the focus has kind of been away from the merits of the game. This post is sort of about the game, but still probably not what EA’s PR department had in mind.

The story so far: last week, Dante’s Inferno Executive Producer Jonathan Knight revealed that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions would award a “Bad Nanny” Achievement/trophy to players who slaughter a certain number of unbaptized infants. Surprisingly, some people found this idea of killing babies offensive.

Today, the International Nanny Association (INA) stepped in and sent EA to the naughty step, saying that the Achievement was “created out of poor taste and bad judgment.” Here’s the INA’s official take on things:

“INA is opposed to video games that promote and encourage players to “kill” babies, even in fantasy play. It is our opinion that this type of play may promote violence towards children. The name of the trophy or achievement, “Bad Nanny,” is offensive to our association in that we strive to promote and educate the public regarding the selfless work nannies do to support families by providing quality in-home child care.”

While the claim that this will somehow discredit real nannies is tosh, I will say it all seems like a deeply unnecessary inclusion, not to mention a bit tasteless. Then again, if you’re sending out detached human appendages to people, I suppose taste is taking a back seat already.

[Via GamePolitics]