Daily Wrap-up 4.30.08
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 6:01 PM
Here's what happened today in the world of videogames, technology and popular culture!
- Activision revealed some tracks for Guitar Hero On Tour!
- Sims Online is ending.
- Crytek, creators of PC-Only FPS Crysis, are going to stop just producing for PCs.
- If you're at work, and you're jonesing for some Guitar Hero, now you can play some tasty licks in widget form!
- GTA takes digs at Halo 3.
- Phillie won't pull down GTA IV ads.
- Here's a PS2 to PS3 guitar controller converter!
- The price of PlayStation 3 downloadable content is going down in Canada.
- A guy bought a 15k NES game. Genius!
- Nintendo is recalling "character lapel pins" that were sold at its two retail stores in Seattle and New York City "because they contain lead in excess of levels.
- Both Microsoft and Yahoo were given the opportunity to develop and own the Steam game-download service, but both companies turned it down.
- Tabula Rasa wants you back.
--Read More--
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TAGS: Daily Wrap-Up, Videos
X-Play's Summer Games Preview Continues!
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 5:30 PM
On the last X-Play brought you a World Premiere Exclusive look at the highly anticipated LEGO Indiana Jones, as well as more All Access coverage on SoulCalibur IV. Also, we got a quality Preview for the upcoming 360 title Ninja Gaiden 2. But we're not done. Not by a longshot.
Check out our LEGO Indiana Jones Exclusive. It might melt your face off.
X-Play's Summer Games Preview continues, as Adam and Morgan bring you an Exclusive Hands On Demo of Star Wars: Force Unleashed for the Nintendo Wii, as well as a World Premiere look at Age of Conan. We'll also have a special Preview of the highly anticipated Bourne Conspiracy! The biggest games of the summer, baby.
The next episode is a must-see. Tune in for X-Play's Summer Games Preview, May 1st at 8PM ET, only on G4!
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TAGS: G4, Nintendo DS, PC Gaming
Sessler's Soapbox: I Heart GTA IV
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 4:03 PM
So, Grand Theft Auto IV is finally here. Is it all you thought it would be?
In this week's Sessler's Soapbox, Adam makes the case for GTA IV having the potential to be as influential to next-gen gaming as Grand Theft Auto III was for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. What do you guys think? Is GTA IV revolutionary? Or is it just another sandbox game with poor gun controls? Check out the video and let us know what you think below, or you can share your thoughts on our forums.
Be sure to keep tuning in to G4 all week for X-Play's Summer Games Preview, Every Night This Week @ 8PM ET!
Subscribe to G4's Sessler's Soapbox Podcast by clicking your preferred service:
    
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TAGS: G4, Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3
'GTA IV' On 'The Daily Show'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:21 PM
Grand Theft Auto-mania has reached such massive proportions, everyone is in on the act...even The Daily Show!
If you missed last night's program, check it out:
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TAGS: TV, Videogames
GTA World Record Attempt Interview
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:10 PM
Jim Patton, a producer at Bushleague.tv, is breaking the world's record for videogame playing right at this moment, live on the internet. He's been playing Grand Theft Auto IV since yesterday at 5 PM. Click the pic to see their live stream:
We caught up with Jim on hour 22 of his incredible odyssey.
G4: How many hours have you been playing and how close are you to completing?
Jim Patton: We’re on hour 22 and we’re at 25.27 complete.
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3, Videogames
Wireless HD TV's On Sale in Japan
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 2:30 PM
 Sharp's new line of LCD HDTVs can be upgraded with Wireless HD for a surcharge. For about $875, customers can go wireless. Well, except for power.
The TV is then outfitted with a receiver on the back of the unit. A transmitter is included that can accept inputs from cable boxes, DVD players, or game consoles.
We aren't sure how this affects gaming response times, but hopefully this technology will hit the states soon.
NewTeeVee: Wireless HD Now on TV (in Japan)
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TAGS: Tech, TV
'Team Fortress 2' Gold Rush Update
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 2:21 PM
Team Fortress 2 has a new map called Gold Rush, which seems to be a takeoff on the Old West, and a new mode that goes by the name of Payload, which is what you play on that map. Steam users can get that update right now. Also, there are new medic weapons and achievements, which means it must be pretty sweet to be a medic in the Old West.
So, PC users, you can buck up. Something good comes to you this week, after all. Even if you are jealous watching all of your friends giggle in joyous rapture while playing GTA IV.
Kotaku.com: Team Fortress 2 Goes Gold Rush
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TAGS: PC Gaming, Videogames
Michael Bay Does NOT Like Uwe Boll
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 2:02 PM
Michael Bay and Uwe Boll, two of the internet's most beloved personalities, are at odds with each other, and Bay thinks that Uwe is "a f***ing idiot," according to his website. He also chides Uwe for his use of archaic tools in making his YouTube videos, and...
BREAKING NEWS! THIS JUST IN!
TheFeed is proud to announce that this is the 15,000th Uwe Boll story of the past two years! Cue the ticker tape! Launch the doves! Let's tell this story what it's won, Don Pardo...
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TAGS: Movies
Department of Justice Temp Banned from Wikipedia
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:47 PM
 Wikipedia recently banned the United States Department of Justice from editing entries after discovering that someone from inside the DoJ made a questionable edit to an article.
The article that was edited was for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).
Recently, CAMERA came under fire for supposedly planning on editing Wikipedia entries to support their cause and views. Then, someone at the Department of Justice removed mention of that scandal from CAMERA's Wikipedia page.
The ban has since been lifted, but again, it raises questions of Wikipedia and the validity of its information.
The Register: US Department of Justice banned from Wikipedia
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Other People's Misfortune, Tech
'Facebreaker' Video Will Break Your Face
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:24 PM
Facebreaker is a Wii, PS3 and 360 boxing title with a cartoon style full of face-breaking. We like the idea the idea of comical boxing games. No release date yet.
Check out the video featuring the games Romeo and let us know what you think:
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Wii
Zero Punctuation Takes On 'God of War'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:16 PM
In case you missed last night's preview on X-Play, here's the latest Zero Punctuation, where Yahtzee, the wittiest/complainiest videogame reviewer ever, takes on God of War... the entire franchise! Get the s'mores ready, it's time for flames!
Don't forget that X-Play previews the latest episode of The Escapist Magazine's Zero Punctuation each Tuesday night at 8PM ET.
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TAGS: Videogames
'God of War III' Going Online?
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:08 PM
 A job listing on SCEA's website, looking for an Online Gameplay Programmer to work on the team that did God of War and God of War II is leading to growing speculation that God of War III will have an online element to it. Now, this is far from confirmation on such a situation, and it's possible that team could be working on another game, but we don't think so.
Also, isn't it more fun to speculate that Kratos will be able to get his gore on online than it is to speculate that there's some other game afoot? We thought so. Besides, GoW fans have to be hungry at this point for any news that's related to the newest game in the series.
Kotaku.com: God Of War III To Feature Online Play?
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
MADD Mad At 'GTA IV'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 12:47 PM
Mothers Against Drunk Driving are also against Grand Theft Auto IV. MADD takes issue with "a game module where players have to drive drunk" because "drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime...not a game."
We're not sure what a game "module" is, but we've played the first few hours of GTA IV, and there's no missions that depends on drunk driving. The times when we have driven drunk (in-game, of course) have resulted in car crashes, police involvement and our date being really angry at us. Just like real life! It's not fair to say that the game glamorizes driving intoxicated, although it is pretty funny...
ShackNews: MADD Protests GTA 4 Over Drunk Driving
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3, Videogames
File-Sharing OK, Says Judge?
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:56 AM
 In a somewhat shocking turn of events, the judge presiding over the Atlantic vs. Pamela and Jeffrey Howell file-sharing lawsuit denied the RIAA's motion for summary judgment.
Judge Neil V. Wake says just because the RIAA's investigative partner MediaSentry was able to download 12 copyrighted songs from the Howell's Kazaa account at two in the morning on January 30, 2006, that doesn't necessarily mean that other people were downloading the songs too. In fact, the judge says there is no proof that the couple distributed copyrighted songs to anyone except the MediaSentry investigator.
The RIAA has been contending that simply by dragging an mp3 into a Kazaa folder, for instance, constitutes as file-sharing…regardless of whether they can prove anyone actually shared the song. But Wake felt the RIAA failed to prove that the Howells distributed copies of the song, and that simply making them available to other users did not constitute infringement in this case.
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Music
'Metal Gear Online' - Solid Snake Gameplay
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:33 AM
Tear yourself away from GTA IV for a minute and check out footage of Solid Snake in Metal Gear Online. The "Sneaking Mission" mode was recently added to the beta and it rocks.
It features Metal Gear Solid 4's Solid Snake in all of his elderly glory, sneaking around battlefields to collect dog tags from enemy players.
It gets more complicated because the enemy players can win if their team kills Snake 3 times. They can also win by killing the opposing team a set amount of times.
Playing as Snake is an incredible challenge and requires you to put your MGS skills to the test against human opponents.
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TAGS: G4 Web Exclusive, PlayStation 3, Videogames
Radiohead And MTV Fight Human Trafficking
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:33 AM
Radiohead have partnered with MTV to produce a music video for the In Rainbows song “All I Need” for the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) Campaign in Asia and the Pacific, an anti-human trafficking initiative produced in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.
The clip will premiere on all MTV properties globally on May 1, and will potentially be seen in 560 million households worldwide. Plus, New York pedestrians in Times Square can catch the video when it plays on the massive MTV 44 ½ video screen. Plus, at every Radiohead concert on its upcoming world tour, local anti-human trafficking youth activists will be distributing key information about trafficking.
--Read More--
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Music, TV
$200 3G iPhone coming?
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:24 AM
 Analysts are pointing to a possible cost subsidy for the next version of the iPhone, which would seriously cut costs to the consumer. This is how most phones work, because the carrier makes money on the service plan.
They are pointing to a magic number of $200 for a 3G iPhone when users sign up or renew a 2-year contract. This reduction in cost would potentially bring in so many new customers that are put off by the iPhone's price to AT&T.
Since they would all be on a 2-year contract, AT&T makes a lot of money in the long run.
Will you get an iPhone if it's 3G and $200? Will you upgrade your existing iPhone for $200? I would.
ZDNet: Will AT&T really be offering a $200 subsidy on the 3G iPhone?
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TAGS: Internets Culture, iPhone, Products
WB Scores Vivendi Game Captain
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:21 AM
 Former Vivendi overlord Martin Tremblay just got himself anointed President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment business. In his new role, Tremblay will handle the studio's long-term strategy, from publishing, distribution, licensing and business development. Oh my!
Tremblay was Vivendi's worldwide studios president since 2006, overlooking the release of titles including Scarface: The World is Yours, World in Conflict, the Crash and Spyro series and F.E.A.R on consoles. Before that he was President and COO at Ubisoft Montreal. And before that he was a young child.
Warner Bros. has been creating, licensing and publishing some of the best in class interactive entertainment out there today," said Tremblay. "I look forward to working with the team of talented and creative people at WBIE to expand on the great work they are already doing."
Tremblay reign of terror…er, professionalism will begin at WBIE in July 2008.
Kotaku.com: Warner Bros. Gets Vivendi Vet For Prez
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TAGS: Videogames
NIN Offer Fans Online Pre-Sale Tix
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:16 AM
 In an effort to give fans a special treat and give the finger to scalpers, Nine Inch Nails will be offering fans a limited number of pre-sale killer seats via its website before tickets go on sale to the general public.
These special tickets will go on sale at www.nin.com 72 hours before the official on-sale date. Pre-sales are expected to begin Wednesday with the band’s Lexington, Kentucky, show.
Each ticket is imprinted with the purchasers’ name, and can only be scored the day of the show at the will-call window with an ID that matches the name of the ticket. Once ya get the ticket you must immediately enter the venue, making it impossible to run back to the parking lot and sell it to a scalper.
In related news, NIN leader Trent Reznor has been threatening to make a big announcement on the site next week. Hmmmmm, I wonder what it is…
Rollingstone.com: Nine Inch Nails Plan Pre-Sale, Personalized Tickets for Upcoming Tour
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Music
Rumor: Capcom Not Devs on 'Street Fighter IV'
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:59 AM
There are rumors on the internets that Capcom isn't internally developing Street Fighter IV. According to these rumors, SF IV is actually being developed by DIMPS.
DIMPS is best known for their churned-out Dragonball Z games. Capcom USA, however, has maintained that SF IV is being developed first-hand by Capcom.
As long as SF IV is awesome, we don't care one way or the other.
Kotaku: Revenge of Capcom Didn't Dev Street Fighter IV
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Wii
Real Life 'Grand Theft Auto' Theft
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:39 AM
The above pictured dude, Richard Fiel, 27, is in hot water. He was arrested in San Diego yesterday. The po-po says he had a purloined copy of Grand Theft Auto IV in his truck that he'd swiped from a GameStop after spraying a couple employees with pepper spray.
Cops also found a PlayStation 3 dual-shock controller, and "Grand Theft Auto,"and "Grand Theft Auto III" video games in his vehicle, also presumably stolen from GameStop.
"The call came out as a robbery of a commercial business ... and the suspect was described, and the vehicle that he got into was described as a white Toyota pickup truck, lifted with the tailgate down, and our helicopter ABLE spotted the vehicle southbound," San Diego Police Lt. Karen Tenney. "The officers followed it. The suspect parked here and then ran into the business located behind me and locked the door behind him."
How many stars Fiel had at the time of his capture remains unknown, but we're thinking one, tops.
NBCSanDiego: Cops: 'Grand Theft Auto' Thief Arrested
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3, Videogames
Around The Net 4.30.08
Posted by Eugene Morton - Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:21 AM
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