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20 articles
Esrb Cites 'Strong Sexual Overtones' In 'Assassin's Creed 2'
9 hours ago
The Esrb pointed its finger at sexual content when it placed a Mature rating on "Assassin's Creed 2," and the spoiler-laden explanation they gave goes into even further detail. The new sequel has apparently bolstered its content with "sexual overtones" and at least one "seduction mini-game."
"The game contains strong sexual overtones," according to the Esrb. "During one 'seduction mini-game,' players are able to press buttons to kiss a woman and remove her dress; with the woman's back facing the camera, the two characters lower to bed and blow out a candle."
Though no one appears to be getting naked in "AC2," the game does get called out for it's profanity and explicit script.
"Some scenes take place inside brothels, though no nudity or sexual acts are depicted," the report states. "The dialogue contains the following sexual references: 'So the whip or the paddle today?' and 'Does your wife know about your page-boy fantasies, »
- Brian Warmoth
Infinity Ward On What's Next After 'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'
10 hours ago
In the last of our lengthy series of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" interview segments we talk to Infinity Ward Creative Strategist, Robert Bowling, about what's next for Infinity Ward. Check out the interview clip above.
Considering the blatant cliffhanger at the end of "Modern Warfare 2," I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing "MW3" in 2011, but that's just an educated guess. Also, Activision may cry if Infinity Ward goes off to make their much-anticipated kart racer.
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- Russ Frushtick
'Bully 2' Coming, According To Game's Composer
12 hours ago
Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony" doesn't seem to have provoked nearly the the amount of controversy that the boy-on-boy kissing of "Bully" originally did when the game first appeared on the PlayStation 2. The company many have a second shot at testing the waters of public opinion once again with their private school-set franchise, as "Bully 2" may be be in development.
"It looks like I will be doing the soundtrack for 'Bully 2' in the not so distant future….," composer Shawn Lee told The Gaming Liberty.
Lee worked on the soundtrack for the first "Bully" as well, so he would be a sensible choice to bring back for the unconfirmed sequel. Rockstar neither confirmed nor denied that that "Bully 2" exists.
"We do not comment on rumor and speculation," a Rockstar Games spokesperson told Kotaku.
"Bully" has sold about 1.5 million copies since its launch on the »
- Brian Warmoth
Nelly Furtado Sings In Simlish For 'The Sims 3' Expansion
13 hours ago
Nelly Furtado is another in a long line of musicians that have stepped up to record a song in Simlish. In this case it's Furtado's "Manos Al Aire," which is featured in the latest trailer for the game, watchable above.
It's a little funny they went with this song, since, if you don't speak Spanish, you're not really losing anything in the Simlish translation. Thankfully the music-video style of the trailer makes it pretty easy to follow the Sims-laden storyline. It's a pretty standard boy-meets-girl, girl-fights-mummy kinda story.
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- Russ Frushtick
'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' Already Hacked?
14 hours ago
Hackers have apparently made short work of Infinity Ward's much-ballyhooed IWNet system, at least on the PC. The website, Call Of Duty Hacks, has posted a YouTube video showing a ranked PC match, with the player utilizing a vast array of cheat methods. Aim bots and being able to see through walls are just two of the major advantages given to the apparent cheater.
Of course, the hackers aren't just doing it for the love of the game. The site charges a $20 (!) monthly fee for access to their hacking prowess.
There are a few levels of stupidity going on here. First of all, giving money (especially credit card info) to hackers is probably not a good idea. Secondly, I'm pretty sure that this sort of play is relatively easy to spot on Infinity Wards' end, and you'll probably find yourself with a full stat reset (or ban) before you know it. »
- Russ Frushtick
Project Natal Launching Next November, Starting At $50?
14 hours ago
Project Natal's price may no longer be a mystery, as a new report predicts an Msrp at launch as low as $50 with a release date in November 2010. The set could be accompanied by as many as 14 games from various big-name publishers, if these details turn out to be legit.
Microsoft plans to ready 5 million units for the Xbox 360 control system's debut, according to an anonymous source speaking to McV. UK, publishers have reportedly been getting a look behind the scenes at Microsoft's Fall 2010 Natal plans, which include “trying to get as close as possible to ‘impulse buy’” with its price tag.
Right now, Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, Thq and Ubisoft have all committed to developing for Natal. Epic Games has gone as far as to say it wants Natal support for "any future Xbox games" it makes.
With a basement prediction of »
- Brian Warmoth
Gaming's Greatest Silent Protagonists
16 hours ago
Silence, as they say, is golden. It's a rule that holds more true in video games than in most media. Quiet isn't necessarily a good thing during the heat of play – you want to hear your enemies approach, some killer tunes, Yoshi's squeal as he devours some witless sentient mushroom. A game is best served by silence in its protagonist, the lead character and, very often, the hero you get to control when you pick up the controller.
All of gaming's leads lacked a voice back in the day, due to technological limitations more than anything else, but there was also text available to put words into their mouth. There is, however, a storied history of completely mute leads, characters whose opinions and vocal attitude are left entirely to our imaginations. And our own personality. That's the real strength of a silent protagonist after all, how well they lend themselves to player immersion. »
- John Constantine
'Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition' To Come Via Dlc
10 November 2009 3:15 PM, PST
Capcom reached a crossroads with the U.S. market after announcing the newly packaged "Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition" for Japan. The revamped version of the game, which includes new content and features, could either come to North America as new edition of the game or in the form of a download that may have prompted early buyers to flood the secondary market with their used "RE5" discs. After conducting an online poll, however, Capcom has opted to go with Dlc.
"As of this morning, we had close to 1500 people vote for Dlc and close to 900 vote for a new physical product," Capcom's senior director of communications Chris Kramer announced Monday on Capcom-Unity.com. "In addition, we had over 300 comments on the blog posting, which is amazing to all of us here at Capcom.
Kramer admitted the poll's results were close, especially considering that it took place online and may »
- Brian Warmoth
Infinity Ward On 'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' Dlc Plans
10 November 2009 2:45 PM, PST
Now that "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is out and about, you may be curious to know what's next for the game's developer, Infinity Ward. Well, we visited their California-based studios to find out. Check out the interview segment above, in which Robert Bowling talks about what sort of Dlc plans are in store. Seems that, apart from the two announced Dlc packs, the developer will be listening to the fans to find out what they want next. New Spec Ops missions are definitely not out of the question.
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- Russ Frushtick
PS3 Netflix Disc Here To Stay Through Late 2010
10 November 2009 2:00 PM, PST
Sony closed one capability gap between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October by announcing the arrival of Netflix on the PS3. Access requires a slightly different process, however, as users need to order a free Blu-ray disc from Netflix to stream content. That means the interface and features can't be altered through a Psn update, as can be done over Xbox Live. And from the way Netflix describes things, that's the way it will stay until late 2010.
"Late next year we expect to have an embedded solution available for PS3s via a system software update slated for release through the PlayStation Network," Netflix VP of corp. communications Steve Swasey told G4TV.com. "Until then, enjoy watching instantly via your PS3 using the instant streaming disc!"
To be fair, the Netflix streaming service for the PS3 doesn't require a paid Psn account in addition to a Netflix subscription like its Xbl counterpart does, »
- Brian Warmoth
'StarCraft 2' Beta Pushed To 2010
10 November 2009 1:00 PM, PST
"StarCraft 2" peeped out of development for a few gamers at the Russian games expo IgroMir, and many others hoped to see a public beta test for the game by the end of 2009. Blizzard confirmed, however, that such release isn't likely to appear until 2010, as the first chapter of the game, titled "Wings of Liberty" has been pushed up to next Spring.
"Wings of Liberty" will now be tagged for the second quarter of 2010, according a Eurogamer report on an IgroMir presentation given by "StarCraft 2" producer Chris Sigaty. That beta will reportedly introduce the world to Blizzard's new Battle.net framework that will integrate Xbox Live-like social features and spread online play across a cloud system, allowing players to access their save points from multiple computers.
In the meantime, you'll have to wait out the Winter with the game's trailers and the voice acting of newly cast star Tricia Helfer of "Battlestar Galactica. »
- Brian Warmoth
Ice T Likes 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,' Takes On DJ Whoo Kid
10 November 2009 10:00 AM, PST
Actor, rapper and hardcore gamer, Ice T was present and accounted for at the "Modern Warfare 2" event in New York City last night. In case you can't tell by the above picture, he's a big fan of the game.
Ice T posted the following on his Twitter page:
Yes!! Just got the MW2 with the Night Vision. These things actually work! I'm going in!! I'll be missing for 3 days at least!! Fltg
He went on to take the pain to the New York-based DJ Whoo Kid, as seen in this TwitPic posted by @FlyLikeDove.
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- Russ Frushtick
'Smash TV 2'? Yes, Please
10 November 2009 8:04 AM, PST
Racketboy, a site dedicated to retro gaming, recently sat down with Mark Turmell and Eugene Jarvis, two names that you probably saw a lot in early '90s arcades. One of their most beloved arcade games, "Smash TV," has stolen many a quarter over the years and proved to be one of the best retro purchases in the early days of Xbla.
During the podcast the two speak about the possibility of a sequel to "Smash TV." You can listen in here. Personally it's the sorta game that would really only work in downloadable format, but dreaming of the murder game show, dual-stick shooter with 3D graphics and tons of fabulously worthless prizes makes my heart flutter. Make it happen, people!
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- Russ Frushtick
'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' Review - 200 Hours Down The Tubes
9 November 2009 9:00 PM, PST
After two years, Infinity Ward has returned to the first person shooter genre with a follow-up that has easily trumped the hype of any other title this year. But, hype aside, does "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" live up to the massively high standards set by "Call of Duty 4"?
The Basics
A direct sequel to "Call of Duty 4," "Modern Warfare 2" includes a highly scripted, extremely cinematic campaign, an upgraded adversarial multiplayer mode (the most popular element of the first game) and a brand new, cooperative mode known as Spec Ops.
The Highs
Adversarial Multiplayer
The reason "Call of Duty 4" became a smash hit was the adversarial multiplayer. In "Modern Warfare 2" this mode has been upgraded in a variety of ways, adding new class customization options, unlockable icons and titles (known as callsigns), upgradable perks a huge host of new weapons and user-selected killstreaks. 17 brand new maps have also been added, »
- Russ Frushtick
Activision Busts 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' Pirate Through Craigslist
9 November 2009 2:47 PM, PST
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" won't officially be on sale until Tuesday, but its pre-release week seems to have turned into the Wild West. Not only did some retailers begin selling the game early; copies of the game also began showing up on torrent sites, and stolen Xbox 360 bundles appeared on Craigslist, prompting Activision to hire a cyber-crime investigator to get some answers.
“It all happened very fast,” IPCybercrime owner Rob Holmes told VentureBeat. “If these guys get their stuff out, then they can do some major damage to sales and spoil it for everybody. We plug leaks every day, but this was one of the biggest ones of the year.”
Through a process involving Craigslist, a suspect's Facebook account and a sting operation, the investigation eventually led to the arrest of 18-year old Christian Del Amo of Miami and a deeper operation involving illegal game copies.
“This kid was »
- Brian Warmoth
'Borderlands' Dlc Coming November 24th
9 November 2009 1:00 PM, PST
Having already taken my Siren to level 50 (it took 36 hours, in case you're wondering), I don't know how much I'm clamoring for additional "Borderlands" content just yet. After all, the next two weeks are ridden with big game releases.
But, despite my need to take a little break from Pandora, Gearbox is marching on ahead, releasing their first Dlc pack for the game on November 24th.
Titled "The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned," the pack will run players $10 on Psn and Xbox Live and will feature a bunch of new, presumably-zombiefied enemies to face. At ten bucks, though, I hope they can offer a decent amount of content. Many of the zones in "Borderlands" can be bypassed in an hour or two, and that sorta length seems a little paltry for $10 Dlc. Here's hoping Gearbox is following Bethesda's "Fallout 3" standards of Dlc.
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- Russ Frushtick
Frank O'Connor Hints At 'Halo: Legends' Shorts
9 November 2009 12:13 PM, PST
Frank O'Connor, the franchise development director for "Halo" at Microsoft Game Studios, is charged with shepherding the franchise into the future, making sure that Master Chief doesn't find himself on the back of diaper boxes and starring in life insurance commercials. "Halo: Legends" is his main focus right now. Created in the style of "The Animatrix," "Halo: Legends" is a series of short, animated films set in the "Halo" universe. We spoke to O'Connor to get the scoop on the brainstorming process on some of these shorts.
O'Connor said it started like most brainstorming sessions:
"We sat around and we had some story beats and ideas and basic principles. We wanted to tell some Spartan origin stories, we wanted to take a look at Elite culture, we wanted a pure action piece that was all about 26th century battle technology. We had these broader concepts and we refined those down »
- Russ Frushtick
Activision Files 'Drum Hero' Trademark
9 November 2009 10:48 AM, PST
Activision already has "Guitar Hero," "DJ Hero" and "Band Hero" under its wings, but a filing from the end of October indicates that they want "Drum Hero" as well. Though the claim was still being processed as of November 3rd, it clearly marks the company's territory for the potential title, outlining the types of products such a name might be applied to.
Any video games, handheld liquid crystal display games or toys bearing the "Band Hero" name are covered by the trademark Activision has filed for, according to the United State Patent and Trademark Office.
Merely claiming such a trademark doesn't guarantee that a "Drum Hero" title is currently in development, of course. No matter what level of infancy the idea be at, trademark filing can mean as little as an attempt to keep a competitor from sniping the name. Of course, with drum peripherals already in homes and readily available, »
- Brian Warmoth
GameStop Defends Breaking Street Date For 'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'
9 November 2009 10:00 AM, PST
Gaming industry insiders weren't the only ones picking up early copies of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" over the weekend. Reports out of the New York City area and elsewhere indicated that scattered retailers decided to ignore the game's official November 10th street and start selling it early. Among them were one of the biggest names in video games sales, GameStop, and although Activision claims not to have signed off on the decision, an official GameStop statement owns up to the move.
"This past weekend, GameStop made the decision to break street date and sell reserved copies of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' in select markets where other retailers had broken street date," GameStop's vice president for corporate communications Chris Olivera told Kotaku. "Our decision followed many conversations with Activision and was an effort to protect our customer base."
Olivera didn't directly assert that Activision approved of GameStop's decision, »
- Brian Warmoth
Alternative To Party Chat In 'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'
9 November 2009 8:00 AM, PST
As it stands, the majority of the modes in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" multiplayer do not support Xbox Live's party chat option. In fact, the only ones that do are Free-For-All, No Party Team Deathmatch, Ground War and two of the 3rd person modes. If you're only interested in chatting with friends while playing the other modes, you'll have to manually mute everyone else in your game (including any newcomers), or do this:
Step One: Go to Xbox.com and log in to your account
Step Two: From your profile page, click on Privacy Settings (it's just to the right of your avatar)
Step Three: The top option should say Voice and Text. Set it to Friends Only. Save.
Now whenever you play "Modern Warfare 2" multiplayer you'll only hear people you are friends with.
Obviously there are several downsides to this, compared to Party Chat. For example, if only »
- Russ Frushtick
20 articles
