New Games This Week...
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Friday, December 14, 2007 6:24 PM
Another week, another list of games. While this week doesn't seem quite as flooded with lesser known titles as the past few weeks, it is still a far stretch from what we were witnessing in early and mid November. Rock Band makes its backward march to the PS2 this week and NiGHTS finds it way onto the Wii. What will you be playing this week? Anything on this list? Let me guess... Carrier Strike Force for the PC. Am I right?
Rock Band - PS2
Hands-On PS2 Rock Band
Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command - DS
MX vs. ATV Untamed - PS3, 360, PSP, PS2, DS
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TAGS: Nintendo DS, PC Gaming, PlayStation 3
Daily Wrap-Up 12.14.07
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 6:00 PM
Here's what went on today in the world of videogames, popular culture and technology.
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TAGS: Daily Wrap-Up
X-Play Game of the Year Nominations
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Friday, December 14, 2007 5:57 PM
Awards Season is upon us and X-Play's getting ready to give out their plaudits for cream of the crop in gaming for 2007. Check out the video below as Adam and Morgan present the nominees for Game of Year. Check out the full list of awards nominees here. The awards will be presented on Monday, December 17th @ 8PM ET, only on G4!
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TAGS: G4, PC Gaming, PlayStation 3
Fresh Ink: Amazons, Abyss and Wormwood
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Friday, December 14, 2007 5:12 PM
This week on Fresh Ink Online, Blair Butler is going to give you all the skinny on the comics of the day, including Wonder Woman #15, Wolverine #60, The Abyss #2, Green Lantern #25, and the curious case of Garth Ennis and his indie books, including The Boys and Wormwood, in what amounts to a dissertation, the likes of which you aren't used to seeing from Blair.
But you can just check it out for yourself, which you should do...now.
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TAGS: Comics, Fresh Ink
'CoD4' 360 Patch Coming
Posted by Brian Leahy - Friday, December 14, 2007 2:17 PM
 Infinity Ward blogger fourzerotwo posted a lovely bit of information on the upcoming Call of Duty 4 patch for the 360 version of the game.
In addition to patch changes there will be playlist changes, which also apply to the PS3 version, though he notes that the actual patch features will be different between the two versions.
Hit the cut for the list of changes. We like them!
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Xbox 360
Is 'Rock Band' PS2 Compatible With PS3s?
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 2:00 PM
TheFeed approves of the PlayStation 2 version of Rock Band, but we were left with a few questions, so we talked to Harmonix's PR Coordinator John Drake to get the scoops.
First off, is the PlayStation 2 version playable on PlayStation 3's? Like, say you have a PS2, with plans for buying a PS3 in the future. Would it make sense to buy Rock Band for your current system, with an eye toward still playing it your future system? Or should you just wait it out?
"The PS2 game was developed and tested for the PS2, not to be emulated on the PS3. So you know, play it in that way at your own risk," Drake said.
We also noted that the guitar effects were missing from the PS2 version of the game. "The guitar effects choice was made to streamline the work of the audio processors of the PS2. Changes like this help keep game play smooth and use the system to the best of its abilities," Drake said.
Thanks, Harmonix. You guys are rock.
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TAGS: Music, Videogames
The MMO Report: Friday, December 14th
Posted by Patrick Roche-Sowa - Friday, December 14, 2007 12:05 PM
The MMO Report had a good week. Or a bad one, depending on how you look at it.
Basically, there was a lot of news dropping this week, so there was no shortage of material for us to ridicule. And when we're happy, you're happy, so we're all happy. Except the people who play those MMOs we bring up in this week's episode that are doomed to an impending death.
So as we mourn the loss of more than a few games, as well as the late and great Ike Turner, use us as a shoulder to cry on. We understand your pain. But that doesn't mean we won't make fun of you for crying like a little girl. Man up young traveler. This is...
The MMO Report
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TAGS: PC Gaming, The MMO Report
'The Witcher' Demo on FileFront
Posted by Brian Leahy - Friday, December 14, 2007 11:53 AM
PC RPG The Witcher is a great game (X-Play Review) and now you can try out the demo. Head on over to FileFront.com to check it out, but you better be of age because this game is RATED M FOR AWESOME.
The demo includes the entire first act of the game.
FileFront.com: The Witcher Demo is Live
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TAGS: PC Gaming, Videogames
Nintendo Takes Wii Raincheck
Posted by Frank Meyer - Friday, December 14, 2007 11:42 AM
 During a press conference call this morning, Nintendo introduced a program called the Wii Raincheck that they hope will help holiday supply shortages.
Consumers who purchase an out-of-stock Wii on Dec. 20 or Dec. 21 with the full payment of $249.99 will receive a Wii rain check certificate (while supplies last). This certificate guarantees them a Wii system some time in January. These Wii systems must be picked up by Jan. 29.
The Wii Raincheck will be available only through GameStop, who has tens of thousands of the certificates.
"A certificate needs to be matched to a specific Wii which needs to be matched to a specific store,” says Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. “Only this retailer has the ability to pull off such a program.”
Fils-Aime added that the Wii will be available this weekend at many retailers, including Best Buy and Circuit City, and that Nintendo regrets that supply is falling short of demand for the Wii.
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TAGS: Videogames, Wii
Rumor: 'GTA IV' To Be Watered-Down
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 11:35 AM
The rumor of the day: GTA IV has been "toned down" to appease the ratings board and the moralists in the United States.
The source: A rating from the Australian Classification Board, which rated the upcoming hooker-murder-simulator as 15+, a decidedly light rating for a GTA game.
Many gamers are speculating that the Australian version of the game has been cut, but the American version will contain all the head-stomping, bullet-eating and drug taking we've come to know and love from GTA (but no boobies, of course. Those are for adults!).
Keep in mind, this is more about fear than any specific knowledge of the content of the game... we'll let you know more as soon as we know it.
computerandvideogames.com: GTA IV toned down to pass censors?
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, Other People's Misfortune, PlayStation 3
The Source Gives Away Digi Mags
Posted by Frank Meyer - Friday, December 14, 2007 11:26 AM
 The Source, the magazine many consider to the bible of hip hop - without all the religious overtones, is giving away free copies of its latest issue…digitally!
Yup, now you can read about your latest hip hoppin’ news via a digital download of the longest running hip hop rag ever!
To access your issue, all you need to do is go here, enter your email, set a password and download the Free Zinio Reader. Once it's downloaded, you are ready to enjoy your digital magazine.
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Music
5 Minutes of Cloverfield
Posted by Ty Colfax - Friday, December 14, 2007 10:53 AM
There’s a 5 minute chunk of the forthcoming J.J. Abrams Cloverfield film up and about the webs. You’ll find it here. It looks amazing. The trailer is chilling with realism and any American who watched TV all day on September 11, 2001 should feel an additional stir.
This movie seems to address 9/11’s imagery and themes without beating you in the face with them (looking at you War of the Worlds.) And that is a great choice. Without writing a review for a film that hasn’t been released yet, we can assume that the metaphoric monster that takes Manhattan is an inexplicable force from somewhere far away that we don’t understand. Sound familiar? Keep it subtle, J.J.
And from the looks of the new trailer, linked below, the whole movie is shot in that shaky, handheld first person p.o.v., so in somewhat atypical fashion for TheFeed, we're assuming the best.
5 Minutes of Cloverfield
The new official trailer: CloverfieldMovie.com
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TAGS: Movies
'Gerstmann-Gate' On G4
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 10:52 AM
In case you missed it on yesterday's Attack of the Show, the Loop's subject was integrity in gaming journalism, a subject bright on the radar of gamers after the who Gerstmann/Kane & Lynch imbroglio.
Check out the spirited discussion below!
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TAGS: G4, TV, Videogames
All The 'X-Play' Details
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 10:36 AM
Earlier this week, we dropped the bomb-omb that X-Play was going to revamp itself and add so much awesome it will spill into five days a week on G4.
Our pals at Filefront had some questions about the new X-Play format and what's in store for viewers of the new, improved X-Play. So they called X-Play's executive producer, the handsome and talented Wade Beckett and chopped it up about the new X-Play. Click the link for details!
Oh, and do not miss the updated X-Play, featuring an all-new look and all-new content. It all starts Monday, January 14, 2008 at 8 pm, only on G4.
Gaming Today: Gaming Today Interviews "X-Play" Executive Producer, Wade Beckett, on Upcoming Changes to the Show
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TAGS: G4, TV, Videogames
New 'Dark Knight' Posters Unveiled
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 10:24 AM
 A couple of new posters for Dark Knight have surfaced. You'll want to see them.
The new art centers around The Bat Man's best nemisis, The Joker, complete with iconic purple suit. If the poster and the advance buzz are any indication, Ledger may have movie-goers asking: "Jack Nicholoson who?"
Sure, you can squint at the tiny little picture to the right, or you can click on the link and look at joyous, full-color posters for the movie that you need see.
Joblo.com: Dark Knight posters!
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TAGS: Videogames
Activision Responds to 'Rock Band' Patch
Posted by Brian Leahy - Friday, December 14, 2007 10:22 AM
 The plot thickens! Harmonix claimed that Activision was blocking the release of a PS3 patch that would allow Guitar Hero III guitars to work in Rock Band. Now Activision is biting back:
To Music Gaming Fans:
The recent announcement by MTV Games/Viacom's Harmonix division that Activision is blocking Sony from releasing a patch and their plea to enable Rock Band software to work with Guitar Hero hardware paints a very misleading picture.
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TAGS: Music, Other People's Misfortune, PlayStation 3
Second Life CTO Quits Over "Strategic Differences"
Posted by Patrick Roche-Sowa - Friday, December 14, 2007 9:51 AM
What's going on over at Linden Labs?
Cory Ondrejka, Second Life CTO, submitted his resignation on Tuesday and will be leaving the game's parent company Linden Labs at the end of this year. The reasons given by Second Life CEO Phillip Rosedale for Ondrejka's departure range from "strategic differences" to ''the needs of our company are changing, and the role of CTO, or technical lead, has also evolved...''.
Things don't seem to be going all that well for Second Life these days. Technical problems have been plaguing the game, hackers and greifers have been ruining everyone's good time, and with the Yankee Groups study showing that Second Life is mostly hype because on average people only spend 12 minutes a month in the game, this could be the begining of the end for the user-created pervert heaven that we've all grown to know and love. Say it ain't so Linden, say it ain't so.
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TAGS: PC Gaming
Nintendo Tops Hardware Charts
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 9:40 AM
Maybe they didnt send out a gloating press release like Sony and Microsoft, but Nintendo topped the NPD sales charts for November, with the Nintendo DS selling a million and a half units. The PSP, the closest handheld competitor, sold 567,000 units.
The Wii also outsold the the other 2 next-gen systems by a wide margin:
- Wii: 981,000
- 360: 770,000
- PS3: 496,000
ArsTechnica: November game sales up 52% versus 2006, Nintendo rules the roost
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TAGS: Videogames
Nugget From The Net
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 9:38 AM
Because it's Friday, Nuggets wants to point you to the stupid/brilliant flickr pool "Bears In Ill-Fitting Hats."
Enjoy the bears. And enjoy the hats.
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TAGS: Nuggets From The Nets
'Rock Band' PS2 Hands-on Impressions
Posted by Brian Leahy - Friday, December 14, 2007 9:20 AM
Earlier this week we were invited to MTV Games to get a little hands-on time with Rock Band on the PS2.
The PS2 bundle will release later this month for $159.99 and feature a wireless guitar, wired drums, and wired microphone. This hardware will also work out of the box on the PlayStation 3 version of the game, which is great if you upgrade to a PS3 down the line. That way you only have to pick up the $60 game instead of a whole new bundle.
First things first, there are a few features missing in the PS2 version of the game because the game was primarily developed for next-gen consoles. Hit the jump for a list of what didn't make the cut.
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TAGS: G4 Web Exclusive, Music, PlayStation 3
'Rock Band' Truck Hijacked
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Friday, December 14, 2007 8:34 AM
According to the Los Angeles Times, a truck full of Rock Band was hijacked by some highwaymen, who made off with more than 1,000 bundles of the popular rock and/or roll game. The heist was worth more than $170,000.
The driver of the truck says two men in black truck pulled up next to his semi and waved him to the side of the road. Once there, the bandits pulled guns, blindfolded the driver and drove his truck around for an hour. They then parked, unloaded the truck and made off with the stolen videogames.
"We're glad no one got hurt," said Bryce Baer, a spokesman for Electronic Arts Inc., the game's Redwood City, Calif.-based publisher. "We hope these guys end up forming a rock band in jail."
Police suspect an inside job, as the truck had no external marking to indicate it was carrying anything of value. The "Rock Bandits" could get life sentences if caught because of the kidnapping charges involved.
Authorities asked that anyone with information about the case contact the Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team at (310) 603-3137.
LATimes: 'Rock Band' a victim of old-school piracy in heist
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