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Rebuttal: Is Infinty Ward Anti-PC? Matt challenges Eric's reflection on Modern Warefare 2's attitude toward PC gamers. 
TOP SPOT
I Think I'm Alone in Hating Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days This Kingdom Hearts fangirl has found nothing but disappointment with the franchise's latest tale, and it seems that no one else sees how boring the game really is. 
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Wii & PC: The Ultimate Team Is being both a Wii and PC gamer such an odd combination? Brian believes it's the ultimate combination when it comes to experiencing all types of gaming. |
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REVIEW: Rabbids Go Home
Only gamers with a sense of humor need to apply.
REVIEW: C.O.P. The Recruit
It's like GTA, but you're the good guy.
REVIEW: Buzz! Quiz World
Get ready to pick back up your buzzer
REVIEW: LEGO Rock Band
What Will the LEGOs Do Next? |
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PS3
November Marks the Launch Anniversary of Many a Gaming Platform
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 4:08 PM PST
A lot of console and handheld anniversaries are being observed this year, such as the SEGA Genesis, the Dreamcast, and the Game Boy. But November seems to be the month to remember, as many a memorable platform celebrate can celebrate its launch going into the Winter holidays.
First and foremost, one cannot overlook the platforms of this very generation. Earlier this week, November 17th marked the third anniversary of the PlayStation 3's North American launch, while the Wii celebrated its own third just yesterday, November 19th. And at the start of next week, November 22nd, the Xbox 360 will also be able to celebrate, except this will be its fourth.
November Marks the Launch Anniversary of Many a Gaming Platform
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 4:08 PM PST
A lot of console and handheld anniversaries are being observed this year, such as the SEGA Genesis, the Dreamcast, and the Game Boy. But November seems to be the month to remember, as many a memorable platform celebrate can celebrate its launch going into the Winter holidays.
First and foremost, one cannot overlook the platforms of this very generation. Earlier this week, November 17th marked the third anniversary of the PlayStation 3's North American launch, while the Wii celebrated its own third just yesterday, November 19th. And at the start of next week, November 22nd, the Xbox 360 will also be able to celebrate, except this will be its fourth.
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PS3
A Good (or at Least Fairly Decent) Look at Sony's Magical Wand
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 2:57 PM PST
Click for a larger view
While Microsoft has been quite open with Project Natal, showing it to anyone who will look and taking it on talk show after talk show following E3, Sony has been much quieter about their unnamed motion control peripheral. In most cases, there isn't even a very good look at it to be found online.
That is, until now. Sony gave those in attendance at their media and investors conference a better look at the revised form of what I'm calling the Wonder Wand. As you can see in the image above, it has at least six buttons placed upon it, including the standard four PS face buttons, a big central button between them, and the home button below.
Plus, as you can plainly see by the text, it features force feedback, a gyroscope not unlike that in the Wii MotionPlus, an accelerometer, and something called "rendition by light," which may involve that bulb on top that looks like it should be sticking out of the mouth of a clown.
A Good (or at Least Fairly Decent) Look at Sony's Magical Wand
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 2:57 PM PST
Click for a larger view
While Microsoft has been quite open with Project Natal, showing it to anyone who will look and taking it on talk show after talk show following E3, Sony has been much quieter about their unnamed motion control peripheral. In most cases, there isn't even a very good look at it to be found online.
That is, until now. Sony gave those in attendance at their media and investors conference a better look at the revised form of what I'm calling the Wonder Wand. As you can see in the image above, it has at least six buttons placed upon it, including the standard four PS face buttons, a big central button between them, and the home button below.
Plus, as you can plainly see by the text, it features force feedback, a gyroscope not unlike that in the Wii MotionPlus, an accelerometer, and something called "rendition by light," which may involve that bulb on top that looks like it should be sticking out of the mouth of a clown.
source: Siliconera
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PS3
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the Franchise's Fastest Selling Game
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 2:07 PM PST
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, the latest outing for the dynamic duo from Sony and Insomniac Studios, unfortunately did not manage to blast its way into October's Top 10 software sales as rated by NPD. However, that doesn't mean its sales were unsatisfactory.
In the latest edition of their Full Moon Show podcast, the bad boys of Burbank revealed that A Crack in Time is nonetheless the fastest-selling game yet in the Ratchet & Clank franchise. Impressive, notes The Examiner, as the previous entries have sold over 25 million units combined worldwide.
Of course, one thing working against Ratchet & Clank would be their release date of October 27th, which means the October NPD would only have covered four days of its shelf life so far. It should be interesting to see if it can aspire to greater heights once the November rankings are revealed.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the Franchise's Fastest Selling Game
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 2:07 PM PST
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, the latest outing for the dynamic duo from Sony and Insomniac Studios, unfortunately did not manage to blast its way into October's Top 10 software sales as rated by NPD. However, that doesn't mean its sales were unsatisfactory.
In the latest edition of their Full Moon Show podcast, the bad boys of Burbank revealed that A Crack in Time is nonetheless the fastest-selling game yet in the Ratchet & Clank franchise. Impressive, notes The Examiner, as the previous entries have sold over 25 million units combined worldwide.
Of course, one thing working against Ratchet & Clank would be their release date of October 27th, which means the October NPD would only have covered four days of its shelf life so far. It should be interesting to see if it can aspire to greater heights once the November rankings are revealed.
source: The Examiner
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PS3
Mozilla Rejects Rumor of Firefox Coming to PS3
by Zach Carmichael | 11/20/09 | 1:07 PM PST
Yesterday, PlayStation Insider reported that Mozilla's popular web browser, Firefox, would soon be coming to the PlayStation 3 emerged. The credibility of this news was a bit shoddy, however, seeing as how the site has been wrong on multiple occasions. Today, Mozilla dispelled said rumor in an e-mail to PS3Center.net:
Well, there you have it. It seems the PS3's OS will not be getting Firefox -- at least not anytime soon.
Mozilla Rejects Rumor of Firefox Coming to PS3
by Zach Carmichael | 11/20/09 | 1:07 PM PST
Yesterday, PlayStation Insider reported that Mozilla's popular web browser, Firefox, would soon be coming to the PlayStation 3 emerged. The credibility of this news was a bit shoddy, however, seeing as how the site has been wrong on multiple occasions. Today, Mozilla dispelled said rumor in an e-mail to PS3Center.net:
"Nope - not sure how that rumor got started but it's been keeping us busy all day :)"
Well, there you have it. It seems the PS3's OS will not be getting Firefox -- at least not anytime soon.
source: PS3Center
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PS3
Sony "Confident" It Will Sell 13 Million PlayStation 3's This Year
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 12:06 PM PST
Sony Computer Entertainment is aiming for 13 million PlayStation 3 consoles sold worldwide by the end of the fiscal year, as Executive Vice President Kaz Hirai explained to the press that he is "confident" that they can reach that goal.
Furthermore, they plan to achieve profitability with the platform by March 2011, with cost-cutting and investing in new technologies helping to pave the way, including their plans to focus on 3D gaming and movies with a firmware update.
Gamasutra notes that if Sony is able to accomplish the 13 million number by the end of their fiscal year in March 2010, it would "represent a significant gain over the company's fiscal 2008, which saw 10.1 million units sold." The company's own numbers show that they sold 4.3 million consoles combined over their first and second quarter, meaning they will have to sell over double that amount during the remaining half, which includes the holiday season.
Sony "Confident" It Will Sell 13 Million PlayStation 3's This Year
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 12:06 PM PST
Sony Computer Entertainment is aiming for 13 million PlayStation 3 consoles sold worldwide by the end of the fiscal year, as Executive Vice President Kaz Hirai explained to the press that he is "confident" that they can reach that goal.
Furthermore, they plan to achieve profitability with the platform by March 2011, with cost-cutting and investing in new technologies helping to pave the way, including their plans to focus on 3D gaming and movies with a firmware update.
Gamasutra notes that if Sony is able to accomplish the 13 million number by the end of their fiscal year in March 2010, it would "represent a significant gain over the company's fiscal 2008, which saw 10.1 million units sold." The company's own numbers show that they sold 4.3 million consoles combined over their first and second quarter, meaning they will have to sell over double that amount during the remaining half, which includes the holiday season.
source: Gamasutra
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PS3
IBM Ending Cell Processor Development
by Daniel Sims | 11/20/09 | 8:47 AM PST
IBM has confirmed that it will cease development of the Cell Processor used on the PS3 among other systems. This does not equate to an end of production.
IBM has been co-developing the Cell Processor along with Sony and Toshiba. Even after the PS3's launch better models of the processor have been developed between the three. IBM's most recent and supposedly last version of the Cell Processor is the PoweXCell 8i which is currently used in the world's second fastest supercomputer. IBM will not develop the planned 32 SPE version of Cell.
The status of actual development of the Cell Processor does not equate to the status of production of current models of the processor for the PS3. No reports have been made on changes to production or production of PS3s.
Despite ending development of the Cell itself, IBM will still incorporate parts of the Cell into future designs. Apparently they will pursue a CPU/GPU hybrid route in the future.
Technically, Sony can still hire IBM to develop a new Cell Processor for the Playstation 4. Their decision in this matter could affect things like backwards compatibility with PS3 games when the next console comes around.
IBM Ending Cell Processor Development
by Daniel Sims | 11/20/09 | 8:47 AM PST
IBM has confirmed that it will cease development of the Cell Processor used on the PS3 among other systems. This does not equate to an end of production.
IBM has been co-developing the Cell Processor along with Sony and Toshiba. Even after the PS3's launch better models of the processor have been developed between the three. IBM's most recent and supposedly last version of the Cell Processor is the PoweXCell 8i which is currently used in the world's second fastest supercomputer. IBM will not develop the planned 32 SPE version of Cell.
The status of actual development of the Cell Processor does not equate to the status of production of current models of the processor for the PS3. No reports have been made on changes to production or production of PS3s.
Despite ending development of the Cell itself, IBM will still incorporate parts of the Cell into future designs. Apparently they will pursue a CPU/GPU hybrid route in the future.
Technically, Sony can still hire IBM to develop a new Cell Processor for the Playstation 4. Their decision in this matter could affect things like backwards compatibility with PS3 games when the next console comes around.
source: Playstation University
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PS3
REVIEW: God of War Collection Gives the PS2 Games a Facelift
by Ryan Olsen | 11/20/09 | 5:45 AM PST
What the Game's About
God of War: Collection is the re-release of the PlayStation 2 classics God of War and God of War II. The games tell of the story of a tortured anti-hero named Kratos who seems to always get tricked by the Olympian gods, gets really pissed and ends up destroying a lot of stuff and people. The reason they are re-releasing on the PS3 is that Sony's Santa Monica studios updated the visuals to a crisp 720p while retaining everything else you remember about these games.
What's Hot
A visual upgrade is a great way to reintroduce the wrath-filled tale of Kratos. The games looked great on the PS2 to begin with, but the PS3 has since blown anything the PS2 could do out of the water and them some (nomination for understatement of the year!). The new coat of paint on the textures remain faithful to the original material but gives it an HD shine that looks stunning on TVs. This is the real reason to pick this collection of classic games all over again. Screen shots don't do this texture rehaul justice, you need to see it in action.
REVIEW: God of War Collection Gives the PS2 Games a Facelift
by Ryan Olsen | 11/20/09 | 5:45 AM PST
What the Game's About
God of War: Collection is the re-release of the PlayStation 2 classics God of War and God of War II. The games tell of the story of a tortured anti-hero named Kratos who seems to always get tricked by the Olympian gods, gets really pissed and ends up destroying a lot of stuff and people. The reason they are re-releasing on the PS3 is that Sony's Santa Monica studios updated the visuals to a crisp 720p while retaining everything else you remember about these games.
What's Hot
A visual upgrade is a great way to reintroduce the wrath-filled tale of Kratos. The games looked great on the PS2 to begin with, but the PS3 has since blown anything the PS2 could do out of the water and them some (nomination for understatement of the year!). The new coat of paint on the textures remain faithful to the original material but gives it an HD shine that looks stunning on TVs. This is the real reason to pick this collection of classic games all over again. Screen shots don't do this texture rehaul justice, you need to see it in action.
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PS3
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta is Up and Ready for Download
by Casey Jones | 11/19/09 | 7:29 PM PST
Dice has announced that the US client for Battlefield Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta is ready for download and servers are ready to start accepting players.
If you keep an eye on the Official BFBC2 twitter every day they will be giving out beta codes for PS3 users to redeem and play. So if you don't have a code yet definitely keep an eye on @OfficialBFBC2
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta is Up and Ready for Download
by Casey Jones | 11/19/09 | 7:29 PM PST
Dice has announced that the US client for Battlefield Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta is ready for download and servers are ready to start accepting players.
If you keep an eye on the Official BFBC2 twitter every day they will be giving out beta codes for PS3 users to redeem and play. So if you don't have a code yet definitely keep an eye on @OfficialBFBC2
source: Twitter
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PS3
The Re-Imagining of Mortal Kombat That Might Have Been
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 4:58 PM PST
Before departing Midway last year, artist Vincent Proce put together a proposal for a new Mortal Kombat game that was "a re imagining of the Mortal Kombat franchise from the original premise but mixing modern muti-player and dismemberment game design with the original fighting mechanic." As a part of that proposal, he redesigned four of the characters from the original roster.
Given that he's no longer with the company, the idea isn't going to happen and only stands as a vision of what might have been. Nevertheless, he says "I still would like to one day redesign all the rest of the original characters if I ever find the time.
You can check out the four designs in much higher resolution alongside brief descriptions at his blog, along with some other cool stuff, including various MK vs. DCU endings and images.
The Re-Imagining of Mortal Kombat That Might Have Been
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 4:58 PM PST
Before departing Midway last year, artist Vincent Proce put together a proposal for a new Mortal Kombat game that was "a re imagining of the Mortal Kombat franchise from the original premise but mixing modern muti-player and dismemberment game design with the original fighting mechanic." As a part of that proposal, he redesigned four of the characters from the original roster.
Given that he's no longer with the company, the idea isn't going to happen and only stands as a vision of what might have been. Nevertheless, he says "I still would like to one day redesign all the rest of the original characters if I ever find the time.
You can check out the four designs in much higher resolution alongside brief descriptions at his blog, along with some other cool stuff, including various MK vs. DCU endings and images.
source: Super Punch, via Destructoid
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PS3
Sony Aiming for PlayStation 3-D in 2010 with Firmware Update
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 3:11 PM PST
One of Sony's more buzz-worthy exhibits at the Tokyo Game Show was their 3-D demonstration of Wipeout. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Kaz Hirai followed up on their TGS spectacle during a press briefing with a statement which suggested that 3-D PlayStation 3 games may not be far off at all.
Sony Aiming for PlayStation 3-D in 2010 with Firmware Update
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 3:11 PM PST
One of Sony's more buzz-worthy exhibits at the Tokyo Game Show was their 3-D demonstration of Wipeout. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Kaz Hirai followed up on their TGS spectacle during a press briefing with a statement which suggested that 3-D PlayStation 3 games may not be far off at all.
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PS3
REVIEW: Buzz! Quiz World is One of the Best Quiz Games Out There
by Ryan Olsen | 11/19/09 | 3:05 PM PST
What the Game's About
Buzz! Quiz World is the next installment of the casual friendly trivia game on the PlayStation 3. The focus this time around is more variety of quiz round and an easier user interface that puts you in the game a whole lot faster than before. In addition to challenging your friends, you can take on the world with online play or continually expand your quiz question pool with the user created quiz packs that draw on the collective trivia brain trust of Buzz! fans. The game requires four wireless buzzers to play the game, so keep that in mind if you don't already have them.
What's Hot
The common complaint from the last game is that there weren't enough quiz round types. There are more this time around. There are some staple anchor rounds that remain constant but other than that, each game will have a different style that offers another way to gain or lose points. One of the best new modes is where you are put on the spot and your opponents have to either bet if you will get the answer right or wrong. The look on people's faces is priceless when they bet against you and you end up getting the question correct while you rocket up the leaderboard. You can expect many great moments on the couch with all the new modes of play because you can single out specific modes you want to play or simple find a setting that will play all your favorite parts, including online multiplayer. Another problem solved is the fact that you can enjoy Buzz! solo in Quiz World thanks to the single player challenges that changes up the rules that you will continually try to best your top score.
REVIEW: Buzz! Quiz World is One of the Best Quiz Games Out There
by Ryan Olsen | 11/19/09 | 3:05 PM PST
What the Game's About
Buzz! Quiz World is the next installment of the casual friendly trivia game on the PlayStation 3. The focus this time around is more variety of quiz round and an easier user interface that puts you in the game a whole lot faster than before. In addition to challenging your friends, you can take on the world with online play or continually expand your quiz question pool with the user created quiz packs that draw on the collective trivia brain trust of Buzz! fans. The game requires four wireless buzzers to play the game, so keep that in mind if you don't already have them.
What's Hot
The common complaint from the last game is that there weren't enough quiz round types. There are more this time around. There are some staple anchor rounds that remain constant but other than that, each game will have a different style that offers another way to gain or lose points. One of the best new modes is where you are put on the spot and your opponents have to either bet if you will get the answer right or wrong. The look on people's faces is priceless when they bet against you and you end up getting the question correct while you rocket up the leaderboard. You can expect many great moments on the couch with all the new modes of play because you can single out specific modes you want to play or simple find a setting that will play all your favorite parts, including online multiplayer. Another problem solved is the fact that you can enjoy Buzz! solo in Quiz World thanks to the single player challenges that changes up the rules that you will continually try to best your top score.
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PS3
Media: 3D Dot Game Heroes Western Launch Trailer
by Christopher Burke | 11/19/09 | 2:36 PM PST
Hot on the heels of Atlus' announcement that they'd be publishing 3D Dot Game Heroes in North America, a March 10 release date, and a $40 price tag, we now have the Western launch trailer.
It tells the story of Dotnia, a once-peaceful 2D kingdom overcome by evil. Fortunately, a hero appeared and "restored the peace." Now Dotnia has moved into its three-dimensional era and is in need of a new hero. This is all set to a very familiar musical theme and the whole thing is chock-full of gaming nostalgia.
Some may complain it's just a Zelda rip-off, others would call it an 'homage'. Either way, it doesn't mean 3D Dot Game Heroes can't be a good game in its own right.
Media: 3D Dot Game Heroes Western Launch Trailer
by Christopher Burke | 11/19/09 | 2:36 PM PST
Hot on the heels of Atlus' announcement that they'd be publishing 3D Dot Game Heroes in North America, a March 10 release date, and a $40 price tag, we now have the Western launch trailer.
It tells the story of Dotnia, a once-peaceful 2D kingdom overcome by evil. Fortunately, a hero appeared and "restored the peace." Now Dotnia has moved into its three-dimensional era and is in need of a new hero. This is all set to a very familiar musical theme and the whole thing is chock-full of gaming nostalgia.
Some may complain it's just a Zelda rip-off, others would call it an 'homage'. Either way, it doesn't mean 3D Dot Game Heroes can't be a good game in its own right.
source: Destructoid
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PS3
Media: Resident Evil 5 Goes for the Gold with New Content
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 12:08 PM PST
Today, Capcom has officially announced their plans for bringing over the contents of Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition to North America. As we predicted, not only will the content be available through downloads, but there will also be a retail version known as "Resident Evil: Gold Edition," which features everything on a $49.99 Blu-ray for PlayStation 3, while Xbox 360 owners get a DVD with a download token.
Strangely, however, there is no mention of motion control augmentation for the PS3 version. Perhaps they're simply not ready to go into detail?
Check out all the details from the press release after the cut, and further down, the schedule for the release of the content online. And once you've finished that, we have 14 new images to view in our gallery.
Media: Resident Evil 5 Goes for the Gold with New Content
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 12:08 PM PST
Today, Capcom has officially announced their plans for bringing over the contents of Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition to North America. As we predicted, not only will the content be available through downloads, but there will also be a retail version known as "Resident Evil: Gold Edition," which features everything on a $49.99 Blu-ray for PlayStation 3, while Xbox 360 owners get a DVD with a download token.
Strangely, however, there is no mention of motion control augmentation for the PS3 version. Perhaps they're simply not ready to go into detail?
Check out all the details from the press release after the cut, and further down, the schedule for the release of the content online. And once you've finished that, we have 14 new images to view in our gallery.
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PS3
SEGA Looking into PlayStation 3 Bayonetta's Load Times
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 10:39 AM PST
Much ado has been made over the PlayStation 3 version of Bayonetta and its discrepancies with the Xbox 360 lead version, including load times-- approximately 25 seconds to load a stage, 10 seconds for a cutscene, and five seconds for a menu, according to one post in their official forums.
Fortunately, that appears to be one area SEGA is willing to try making things right.
SEGA Looking into PlayStation 3 Bayonetta's Load Times
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 10:39 AM PST
Much ado has been made over the PlayStation 3 version of Bayonetta and its discrepancies with the Xbox 360 lead version, including load times-- approximately 25 seconds to load a stage, 10 seconds for a cutscene, and five seconds for a menu, according to one post in their official forums.
Fortunately, that appears to be one area SEGA is willing to try making things right.
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PS3
Sony Clarifies PSN Subscription Details
by Daniel Sims | 11/19/09 | 8:15 AM PST
The president of Sony Computer Entertainment today clarified the company's recent mentions of a subscription for Playstation Network, allaying some fears that the service may no longer be free.
Sony Clarifies PSN Subscription Details
by Daniel Sims | 11/19/09 | 8:15 AM PST
The president of Sony Computer Entertainment today clarified the company's recent mentions of a subscription for Playstation Network, allaying some fears that the service may no longer be free.
November 20, 2009
