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Passion For Games - April 2007

Blogger

I have also open and decided to run two blogs. Of course at Orble.com which has been a starting zone for me. Now I always had a blog open at blogger. Which I will be updating more and more and making sure I have both blogs attractive and updated with the latest information. I will continue to follow my gaming news and etc. I want to grow and want to get my voice out there.

If you will be interested in checking out my other blog. Check it out here



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April 30th 2007 @ 11:39

Posted By: gaming guru - Category: No Category
   


Clip: Ancient Atari Ad

This one is truly ancient and believe me, I should know. It's amazing to look back on these ads and remember a time when we thought those giant chunky things were the greatest thing ever. Not to mention how excited I remember being about Adventure on my brand new 2600. That square with an arrow for a sword was the most amazing thing we had ever seen, especially right in our own homes. I can only imagine what games will be like 25 years from now when we look back and say "Man those PS3 graphics sure were crap. How did we ever play that and think it was cool?"



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April 29th 2007 @ 16:37

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Manhunt 2 screens



Website Computer and Video Games has posted thirteen screens for the upcoming ultra-violence fest, Manhunt 2. To say that they are disturbing might be understating thing just a bit, especially first thing in the morning. I've posted a few images after the jump, but for the full gallery, check out Computer and Video Games' site.

I can only imagine what our friend Phantom Jocks (I'm trying not to use his real name if humanly possible) would have to say about these as he sips his morning cup of bitter. As a matter of fact, I think I shall send him a link to this gallery right now...



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April 29th 2007 @ 16:34

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Championship Gaming Series Announces $5 Million Annual Player Payroll



Counter-Strike®: Source® , Dead or Alive® 4, Project Gotham Racing® 3, and FIFA 2007 Named as Official Games

First Draft in Gaming History will take place June 12 at the Playboy Mansion

The Championship Gaming SeriesTM (CGS), the first global professional gaming league, today announced that worldwide salaries and bonuses for the 2007 season will exceed $5 million, a new benchmark for professional gaming.

CGS has also announced the official games and schedule in its North American region for 2007. Qualifying for North American league play will begin April 28 and the first draft in history will take place on June 12 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

“This is the moment the gaming world has been waiting for,” said CGS Commissioner Andy Reif. “We will be paying salaries and bonuses to our players in excess of $5 million dollars during the 2007 season. The time has come for a new era of professional gaming as sports entertainment. Your chance to be a part of history starts on April 28.”

Valve’s Counter-Strike®: Source® and EA’s FIFA 2007 will be official PC games for 2007. For the Xbox 360, CGS will feature Tecmo’s Dead or Alive® 4 (DOA4) and Project Gotham Racing® 3 (PGR3) from Microsoft Game Studios.

The official CGS 2007 event schedule will feature online and live qualifiers where players will battle to reach the Regional Combine, scheduled to take place at the legendary Fox Studios in Los Angeles from June 8-10.

Players from the Regional Combine will then be drafted onto one of six city-based teams at the 2007 CGS Draft on June 12 at the Playboy Mansion. CGS online qualifiers for the North American region begin on April 28, 2007 with the first live qualifier to be held at The Bridge Cinema de Lux in Los Angeles on May 11-12.

Each CGS team will feature a total of ten athletes per team, each of whom is a specialist in one of the official league games. Five of the ten players will comprise a Counter-Strike: Source squad who will compete in five-on-five matches. The soccer title FIFA 07 will be played one-on-one. Each team will have a mixed-double team of two DOA4 players, one man and one woman, who will play against other teams in one-on-one matches on Xbox 360. The racing game PGR3 will be represented by two players on each team and matches will be played in a two-versus-two format.

Soon-to-be announced dates for the full global slate of 2007 CGS events in the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and the Middle East will yield regional representatives for the CGS Grand Slam and World Championships, to be held in Los Angeles this October.

CGS events will be broadcast in North America on DIRECTV’s The 101.

For more information, please go to site here
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April 29th 2007 @ 12:52

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The Return of the Metroid Baby



There are numerous iconic moments in modern art, particularly film: the shower scene in Psycho, Indiana Jones running from a giant boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first time you hear the theme from The Godfather. These are all well and good, but the question is: Why aren’t more people memorializing some of the amazing moments in video games?

In my opinion, there are just as many classic moments in gaming, but they never seem to get the credit (or respect) they deserve. Video games are an art form, for crying out loud, and some of my finest memories from childhood revolve around some of these specific moments.

This new series, The Memory Card, is an opportunity to dissect and honor some of the most amazing moments in gaming -- be it artistic, innovative, or just plain memorable.

Hit the jump for the first inductee into this honored club: one of the best sequences ever from one of my favorite games of all time, Super Metroid.

The Set-Up

At the end of Metroid II: The Return of Samus, for the original Game Boy, our heroic bounty hunter discovers a small Metroid egg. From it, a baby Metroid is born, chirping and circling Samus as if she was its mother. Samus, showing that she has a heart under all that space armor, spares the poor baby Metroid and takes it back to her ship. This is where that games ends, with the two flying off to a distant galaxy, perfectly setting up the sequel (and arguably best Metroid game ever), Super Metroid.



After returning home with the baby in tow, Samus hands the last remaining Metroid over to researchers on the Ceres Space Colony. They claim that, by harnessing the power of the Metroids, the world will one day be a better place.

However, shortly after departing, Samus receives a distress call from Ceres and returns to see what is wrong.

Super Metroid’s prologue begins as Samus enters the facility, realizing that everything has been destroyed and all the researchers have been killed. Journeying through the entire colony, Samus finally discovers the baby Metroid she donated to the scientists sitting in a canister all alone at the center of an open laboratory.

As Samus approaches the crying baby Metroid, the infamous creature Ridley surprises her and starts an epic battle. Although Samus defeats the dragon-like creature, it ends up escaping to the planet Zebes (the setting of the original Metroid) with the baby Metroid in tow.



Samus follows Ridley to the planet and this is where the meat of the game really starts. Through hours of exploring one of the richest and most well-designed games ever, Samus finally reaches the final stage … and this is where The Memory Card’s first entry occurs: the return of the baby Metroid.

The Moment

As Samus is approaching the last boss, a giant Metroid appears and immediately latches onto her, draining the paralyzed bounty hunter’s life force. Unlike all other Metroid encounters in the game, this behemoth cannot be shaken away using bombs. In fact, there is nothing the player can do to avoid the Metroid from quickly devouring you.

However, at the last second, right before Samus’s energy is depleted, the Metroid stops and backs away. It is in this moment when Samus, and the player, realizes that this creature is none other than the baby Metroid that you saved at the end of Metroid II.



Once the baby realizes it has been attacking its own “mother,” it runs off, allowing you to recover and move forward to the last enemy in the game.

The last boss in Super Metroid is a huge, screen-filled extension of the original Mother Brain. Not only is she intimidating, but her attacks pack a wallop not experienced yet during the early parts of the game. In fact, one attack in particular renders you completely helpless, unable to move as your energy is rapidly drained.



Unfortunately, this devastating attack cannot ever be avoided, so players assume the battle is physically impossible. But then something amazing happens. Right before the gargantuan Mother Brain is about to deliver her final blow, the baby Metroid breaks into the room and attaches itself to the final boss’s head, draining Mother Brain of her powers.

Once Mother Brain is severely weakened, the baby Metroid floats over to Samus and transfers the boss’s power to her. Completely drained and on the brink of dying, the baby Metroid backs off, only to be immediately destroyed by the newly recovered Mother Brain. As the singed remains of the baby Metroid fall around Samus, she stands up and uses her newfound energy (in the form of the kick ass Hyper Beam) to once and for all destroy Mother Brain.

For anyone who may not have ever experienced it (or for you who want to relive the drama), you can watch the final battle sequence here:



The Impact

The baby Metroid returning to spare and subsequently save Samus is easily one of the most memorable moments in video game history.

First off, and this applies to many games during this era, all of this was done with no voice acting, no dialogue, and no fancy cutscenes – just simple (although stunning) sprite-based graphics. I mean, the detail used to portray everything is pretty staggering. You may have to go back and watch it again, but notice the way Mother Brain slowly regenerates as the baby Metroid is healing Samus? Instead of just having the boss quickly jump up and start attacking, this little choice helps make everything feel so organic, so real, so believable. It even creates something unheard of in video games at the time – suspense.

Most Metroid games, hell, almost all games from the Super Nintendo era were not really known for their deep stories, so to not only have a character come back from a previous game, but to have said character sacrifice itself for Samus, was nothing short of remarkable at the time. One thing that surprisingly never took off over the years was a continuous story in video games (I’m talking to you The Legend of Zelda). Super Metroid was one of the first times this technique was ever used.

Looking back to the first time I experienced it and even when playing it again (and again and again), this scene packs an emotional wallop. Even nowadays, with graphics almost photorealistic, it is hard to produce an emotional response out of the player. But I will never forget how I felt after the baby Metroid killed itself to save Samus. The investment you put into these characters pays off in an unexpected and heartbreaking way.

This sequence ranks among one of the best in video game history and should always be remembered for what it is: a classic moment in modern art.




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April 29th 2007 @ 12:40

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Satoru Iwata:"We'd love to have Kutaragi"



Now, who would have thought it


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April 29th 2007 @ 12:31

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Tom Clancy's EndWar teaser

So far Ubisoft has not release any more information right now than saying it will be WW3. Most likely will be releasing only for the PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime at the end of the year or early next year. I will be sure to let you all know when I get more information on this game.


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April 29th 2007 @ 11:59

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Your First Look at Call of Duty 4

Say Goodbye to World War II

Many have been waiting for Infinity Ward to finally take the Call of Duty series out of the overused World War II era and into the modern age, and today they premiered the first trailer for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and confirmed these suspicions


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April 28th 2007 @ 23:45

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Australian Games Industry Feels Threatened, Wants Cash



The Australian games industry is a little concerned. See, the bulk of local studios are outsource jobs; in fact, most of the biggest studios in the country are outposts for developers like Creative Assembly, Pandemic and Irrational. Which means most are on "work for hire" contracts, which will soon be lost as work starts going to places like China and India


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April 28th 2007 @ 12:56

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Blizzard Working on "Next-Gen MMO"



A sharp-eyed reader points out that Blizzard added three new positions on their job openings page yesterday for a "next-gen MMO


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April 28th 2007 @ 12:53

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TurboGrafx-16's Next Four Virtual Console Releases

May will bring about four new TurboGrafx-16 releases, as listed on Nintendo's own website. Not all of them are coming from Hudson Soft, either:

# Ninja Spirit (Irem Software


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April 28th 2007 @ 12:51

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NINTENDO BEER PONG TABLE

Check this site out. It is great!!!

NINTENDO BEER PONG TABLE


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April 28th 2007 @ 12:48

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Nintendo acquires majority stake in Monolith, secures future of Wii RPGs

The GameCube was always starving for good third-party content, and there was also a lack of good RPGs for the system. Many people wonder if the Wii will suffer the same fate, but Nintendo seems determined to keep that from happening: they now own controlling shares of Monolith, the developer responsible for Baten Katos on the GameCube. They also developed the Xenosaga franchise on the PlayStation 2, meaning fans of that series may not get to see any more updates on Sony's hardware.

I was always a Xenogears fan myself, but I can imagine this new may make some RPG fans unhappy


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April 28th 2007 @ 12:47

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Xbox 360 losses shrink, but so do shipments

The 360 hardware is a loss leader for Microsoft: they lose money with every console shipped out and hope to make it back via game sales and downloads in the Live Marketplace. While Microsoft's gaming division has always lost money, the company has said that it hopes to break even on the hardware sometime later this year. That could get harder now that there are plenty of signs that sales are slowing down.

Microsoft has released their quarterly earnings, and of note is the $315 million in losses the Entertainment and Devices Division reports for this quarter. Last year at this time they lost $415 million, and they clearly state why the loss has been lessened


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April 28th 2007 @ 12:46

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Wii Named One Year Ago Today



Today marks a special, some might say, infamous date in gaming history. Despite what you might have read elsewhere, today's most interesting videogame related anniversary is the official unveiling of the name "Wii


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April 28th 2007 @ 02:50

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The down low on downloads



A short time ago in a basement far, far away, two gamers battled it out in their favorite videogame for the last time. One was moving away, and soon, those late-night gaming sessions would be bittersweet memories. "If only there was a way to game over long distances," they lamented. "Can't Al Gore develop a system of tubes to carry electronic information


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April 27th 2007 @ 11:31

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Phantasy Star Universe expands

Ambition of the Illuminus to add more areas, enemies, classes to Sega's multiplatform online role-playing game this fall.


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April 27th 2007 @ 11:26

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Australian Sales Charts

These are for the week ending April 22, and prove that Nintendo Australia's new strategy of targeting a particular market then carpet-bombing it with DS commercials is working a treat.

1. Diddy Kong Racing


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April 27th 2007 @ 11:18

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Halo 2 Graphics Comparison: Windows Vista vs. Xbox

I seen this article up on Gamespot. Just realize that yes you see a difference as in Windows Vista it looks cleaner but you the game is getting old.

Check out the full write up


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April 27th 2007 @ 10:48

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Sony's Next Generation EyeToy Revealed

Also doubles as a headset for games like Resistance.


Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has finally confirmed the arrival of a new EyeToy-like camera for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Eye, which features both a microphone and a camera. The inclusion of both means you can finally take proper advantage of the PlayStation 3's XMB's videochat function


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April 27th 2007 @ 10:45

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Nintendo Planning to Increase Wii Production

Or so they're saying.

Speaking with GI.biz, Nintendo revealed they're working on increasing overall Wii production in response to massive consumer demand. "We are increasing the manufacturing capacity and forecast to ship 14 million in this fiscal year to our distributors and retail customers globally," said a Nintendo spokesperson. The company had been producing one million units a month from January to March


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April 27th 2007 @ 10:43

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Nintendo's profits up 77%, Wii at 5.84 million



Nintendo said today that annual profits increased by 77% thanks to record sales of Wii and DS. Net income rose from 98.4 billion last year to 174.3 billion yen


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April 26th 2007 @ 23:45

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Rumor: Crimson Skies 2 in Development



Some folks over at the GameFaq forums point out that the latest OXM is saying Crimson Skies 2 is in the works for the Xbox 360


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April 26th 2007 @ 23:42

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Ken Kutaragi Steps Down



Ken Kutaragi will step down from his position as SCEI's representative director, chairman and Group CEO on June 19, Sony has revealed. He will be replaced by Kazuo Hirai, current president and group COO, who will take on responsibility as leader of the PlayStation business worldwide


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April 26th 2007 @ 23:34

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'Home' Beta E-Mails Are Out

While originally we believed there would be a massive sign-up sheet on the web in order to participate in the Home PlayStation 3 beta test, apparently that's not the case. Many gamers (myself not included) have started receiving Home invites that lead to a sign-up page. Thing is, the e-mail doesn't guarantee you a spot.

"Space is extremely limited," reads the e-mail from Sony, and based on the number of people we've observed not receiving notifications, they mean it


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April 26th 2007 @ 23:30

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Pokemon DS Sells a Million

Sure, laugh at me for getting up at 5AM on a Sunday morning to purchase two different copies of a game marketed mainly to children. I'm obviously not alone, as Pokemon Diamond and Pearl have become the fastest selling U.S. Pokemon games ever, with a million copies sold within five days of release.


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April 26th 2007 @ 16:47

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Rumor: PS3 80GB Already in the Wild?



Is the 80 GB version of the PLAYSTATION 3 coming sooner than previously thought? It's possible


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April 25th 2007 @ 11:49

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Microsoft Responds to March NPD Data

March NPD numbers were released yesterday, and each of the big 3 console manufacturers has spent all morning scrambling to spin the results in its own favor. Microsoft happily announced this morning that it has continued to lead Sony's next-gen offering in sales with a total of 199K units sold in March. Microsoft made no mention of the Wii's March sales figures.

Microsft reps went on to boast of the console's attach rate, with on average 5.7 games sold per console for the month of March. Microsoft was quick to attribute these sales to several of its top-selling titles, namely Def Jam: Icon, Guitar Hero II, Major League Baseball 2K7, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2


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April 22nd 2007 @ 23:55

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You and Master Chief, all night long on Xbox Live



It's been a long, hard week, baby. Why don't you slip off your shoes, get comfortable and fire up that Xbox 360. Did you know there were new maps for Halo 2 released this week? Ah, of course you did. I know you've been coursing your way through every orifice, understanding the finer points of each arena and I appreciate that


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April 22nd 2007 @ 23:41

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Superman 64 almost had an evil twin on the PS1



Universally recognized as the worst video game ever created, Superman 64 was this close to unleashing a spawn on the original PlayStation. According to an article at PlayStation Museum, when Titus was wrapping up development on the game in late '98, plans were to port the title to the PS1


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April 22nd 2007 @ 23:37

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Square-Enix: making new games is hard, we'll just re-make old ones



With the recent success of the Final Fantasy Advance games on the GBA and the 3D remake of Final Fantasy III on the DS, Square-Enix has announced a new business model that, well, isn't new at all. The company has decided to focus on re-releasing old games for new systems, punching up the visuals and adding bonus content in the process. Get ready to own the original Final Fantasy ... again


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April 22nd 2007 @ 23:35

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Thompson receives 'Jacklash' in a week

It doesn't matter how many times he experiences failure or comes close to no longer being able to practice law -- there is always somebody willing to listen to Jack Thompson. No time was this more obvious than this week following the Virginia Tech massacre. Before the dead were counted, the shooter named or anyone really could wrap their brain around what had just happened, Thompson was already on Fox News as a "school shooting expert" spouting theories and Fox News let it slide without challenge.

The situation was exacerbated Tuesday when the Washington Post impulsively reported video game related information they later retracted. By mid-week information was starting to turn against Thompson and even Hardball's Chris Matthews wasn't buying what Thompson was selling anymore. By yesterday the "Jacklash" was in full effect, the boulder rolled down the hill again and Jack "Sisyphus" Thompson will have to start over again -- without the help of using Take Two as his punching bag


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April 22nd 2007 @ 11:27

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A picture of Oreo cookies…

…see them over in the corner? Oh yea and a girl showing off her Zelda crest tattoo. The infamous “tramp stamp.”


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April 22nd 2007 @ 11:25

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Playstation 3 Firmware 1.7 Released

Sony stealthily released a firmware patch for the PlayStation 3 last night that adds some rather impressive features to the system. First off, they've finally put in place the long-discussed ability for PS3 owners to play downloaded PlayStation 1 games on their PS3. There's a growing number of PS1 titles available for download on the PlayStation Network that originally required then downloading onto a PSP in order to actually enjoy. They've also put in a feature to allow transferring PS1 save game data to and from a PSP memory stick, letting you continue your saved games on the go. Pretty spiffy. Unfortunately, Joystiq is reporting that people have been having problems playing PS1 games that were already on their PSPs. Hopefully those issues get cleaned up soon.

Another major plus with this new firmware is the news that PS3s will now be compatible with any PS1 or PS2 accessory. All you need is a USB adapter for the controller and plugging it in will allow it to work. This means previously unheard of ideas such as using your PS2 Guitar Hero guitars or controllers with rumble are now possible. Sony has also added in the ability to set a specific profile on the machine to auto-login. Some sources are also reporting that backwards compatibility has been improved for the systems that don't have the PS2 hardware built-in


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April 20th 2007 @ 10:34

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Jack Thompson Takes on Bill Gates



While I love my stock photo of Jack Thompson I pity the man. His arrogance and bogus claims against video games are so outrageous that I cringe when I hear his name. So naturally when I heard he and Take Two had reached a settlement I was so happy. Now I wouldn't have to hear from this idiot quite as much, sadly my break from his stupidity lasted about an hour


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April 19th 2007 @ 23:36

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Gamers called to protest school killings and the blamed placed on video games

When it comes to the tragic event concerning the shootout at the Virginia Tech Campus the other day, we know that it is still the time to grieve, mourn, and feel sorry. But Jack Thompson just won't let up. Because you see, the "school shootings expert" connected the killings to video games which he defined as "killing simulators".

As a response, online site Empire Arcadia declared recently a protest that will take place in New York City at Bryan Park on Saturday May 5 at 1 p.m. According to the site, everyone is invited but the focus is to gather as many gamers as possible to show the world how real gamers play peacefully and responsibly


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April 19th 2007 @ 00:29

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Xbox 360 Notebook Computer Converter Announced

Halo 3 on the go!!!!

picture from IGN.com

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April 19th 2007 @ 00:26

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Final Fantasy XIII series 'not exclusive to PS3 and mobile,' 360 ports still nonexistent


Square Enix director Motomu Toriyama hasn't told PSM Australia anything other than what we've already known: Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII is a collective of projects that has never been declared exclusive to one platform. Yet, when Toriyama suggests that Fabula Nova Crystallis "isn't just limited to three titles" and that "it's not simply exclusive to the PS3 and mobile phones," so many of us are willing to take a leap of faith, heralding these words as a death knell for Sony, and as a confirmation of FFXIII on Xbox 360. Before you join the feverish mob, remember to draw a distinction between the primary game, currently exclusive to PlayStation 3, and the general series, already totaling three titles (Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and Final Fantasy Agito XIII) and at least one loose logo, Haeresis ("Dissidia" is also possibly linked to FFXIII).

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April 18th 2007 @ 22:17

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Dyack breaks Too Human silence, talks four player co-op



If you're Denis Dyack and the crew over at Silicon Knights you've had a rough time since last year's E3. The company unleashed on the gaming press and attendees the stunningly awful demo for Too Human, which ran like a stuttering flip book and played like a poor man's God of War -- like cat food is all you've got left to eat poor. Dennis Dyack is now breaking the silence by plopping a big ol' exclusive over at IGN and saying Too Human is too different now. He just wants people to M.I.B. flashy-thingy last year's demo from their memory. The big shiny reveal for this too new Too Human is the very ambitious four-player cooperative mode that can be played over Xbox Live


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April 18th 2007 @ 22:14

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Gamelife Host Arrested Over Threatening Emails



The Boston Herald reports today that Andrew Rosenblum, host of the indie video review show Gamelife, has been arrested by Boston Police for sending an e-mail to his ex-girlfriend and threatening to recreate the recent killings at the Virginia Tech campus


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April 18th 2007 @ 22:10

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Suda 51 Reveals Project-S

According to the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, Goichi Suda (otherwise known as Suda 51), president of the independent studio Grasshopper Manufacture, has revealed that Project-S will be a series of projects based on Hideo Kojima's classic adventure game Snatcher.

The first project will be a radio drama written by Suda 51 himself, who will also star as one of the drama's voice actors. "I think I will call it 'Snatchers'. I can't talk about the details of the story at this point," he comments


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April 18th 2007 @ 22:07

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Namco Announces Beautiful Katamari

Namco has announced Beautiful Katamari for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, according to this week's Weekly Famitsu. Players can this time choose from more than 50 other characters besides the Prince, though their abilities will be pretty much the same. The environment is much bigger compared to the previous games, even to a point where you will be rolling a massive ball of katamari across the globe. Both versions of the game will also feature network compatibility but no specifics were disclosed.

So what about a Wii version? Jun Moriwaki, the director of the game comments, "The Wii is also one of our platform choices. We would like to challenge with different interfaces such as the keyboard on a PC, or the touch pad on the DS. However, the controller for Wii is quite unique so being able to overcome the different issues will be the key


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April 18th 2007 @ 22:06

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Final Fantasy I & II Remakes Dated for North America

Has it really been 20 years since Final Fantasy hit the NES? Someone (not me) should figure out just how many Final Fantasy-related games Square Enix's managed to squeeze out in that two decade span, but they'll be adding two more to the mix this summer, as the "remastered" editions of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II for the PSP find themselves here.

You may have already played through touched up versions of these RPG foundations on the Game Boy Advance, but the PSP versions may actually be worth revisiting, as they include a welcome 16:9 widescreen presentation on the PSP screen, redone character art, updated graphics, new dungeons, a tweaked camera


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April 18th 2007 @ 18:26

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A Long Game Isn't a Better Game

Since the dawn of time, gamers have found themselves waging wars of words and carrying on conflicts of colloquialisms over innumerable issues eternally bonded to the very source of their every pleasure, pain, love and hatred - video games. One such debate centers around game length, and how much time can be squeezed out of any given title. Some argue in favor of maximum duration, and some harp on dollar-per-hour comparisons, but in the end, isn't it the quality of the content that matters most?

As games have evolved, one important focal point of developers has been to create more elaborate and enjoyable experiences for the gamer. Early on, this was easily achieved by increasing the size of the game. This description can be taken quite literally, as the earliest games took place entirely on one screen. Pong, Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pac Man, and others never left the confines of the field defined by the screen's boundaries, but later games, such as Super Mario Bros., placed characters in a world that could extend far beyond the stimuli provided at any given instant. This sort of expansion provided a much more interesting space for gamers to explore, but also served to establish the concept of finite beginnings and endings in video games. There were now measurable lengths to games, and inevitably, each gamer would have a very real perception of a game's conclusion, completion, or outright cessation - especially when the game managed to tell a story concluding with the words "THE END" displayed in big, blocky letters. "I beat the game" became a common phrase, meaning "I finished the story," but implying, "I needn't play this one anymore


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April 18th 2007 @ 10:47

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overclock your Nintendo DS

Here I ran into a site where it says Overclock your Nintendo DS. If you are interested in seeing this check it out. But be careful because it will ruin your warranty on your Nintendo DS.

Click Here to check it out.
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April 18th 2007 @ 10:44

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Vince Young to be Madden 2008 Game Cover?

Just hours after we posted our story on San Diego Chargers fans desperate to keep their running back free of the long running "Madden Curse" comes word that the cover athlete for Madden NFL 08 has been revealed.

Althought not officially confirmed, Nashville's The City Paper is reporting that Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young will be the featured player for EA's next NFL title


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April 18th 2007 @ 10:41

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One Guitar Hero Per Year, XBL Prices Under Review

Right now, Guitar Hero is a winning formula, a template. Neversoft, RedOctane and Activision will surely introduce new elements to this formula, but, at the end of the day, it's really about introducing new music for players to rock to. It worked for Karaoke Revolution and Dance Dance Revolution -- why not here?

Using formulaic gameplay and removal of the need to completely reinvent how everything plays from game-to-game, it's easier to produce a sequel per year. Speaking to Eurogamer, RedOctane President Kai Huang said this is precisely the plan. "I think that fans can definitely expect that we're going to have one major release a year, and then what we're doing beyond that major release is to release update packs and content packs so there's more songs," he said


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April 18th 2007 @ 10:39

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CONFIRMED: Xbox 360 Trade-In Deal!

In a story that was FIRST reported here at Passion For Games it’s now been confirmed that Gamestop will indeed have a special trade-in deal for your current Xbox 360 system!

Xbox 360 Premium: $250


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April 17th 2007 @ 17:05

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Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Street Fighter II on the Xbox Live Arcade has generated more revenue than any other XBLA game, according to Capcom. That can only mean one thing; more Street Fighter games are on the way. Along with an updated version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Capcom announced its intentions to bring Super Street Fighter Turbo II HD Remix to both the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade this fall.

Though Capcom did not have the game on hand to show the audience, they did promise that all of the art is being redrawn by Udon Entertainment so that it will look crisp and clean at resolutions up to 1080p. A few samples of what Capcom is aiming for were shown and it was quite easy to see the vast improvement in the level of detail and polish over the original graphics. Like Street Fighter II for XBLA, this remake will include both online and offline play for one or two players


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April 17th 2007 @ 16:57

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Sony to cut up to 160 jobs in Europe

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is set to axe up to 160 jobs in order to "further market leadership" and "significantly reduce" the company's cost base.

SCEE president and CEO David Reeves told Sony employees that by April 18 every SCEE employee in the UK, World Wide Studios in Europe and in the company's territory offices is to receive a letter explaining if their job is "at risk of redundancy". All areas of the business are set to be affected by the job cuts


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April 17th 2007 @ 16:54

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Sony Upgrading PS3 Hard Drive??

Sony recently announced it is discontinuing the 20GB model of the PlayStation 3 in North America, leaving the 60GB version the only SKU available for the console. But a spokesman for the company recently revealed that Sony is considering releasing a new model with an even larger hard drive.

Speaking to Bloomberg recently, Sony representative Satoshi Fukuoka said the company is mulling over the idea of increasing the PS3's hard drive, but didn't provide any details. At the end of March, GamesIndustry reported on an FCC filing that revealed Sony may be planning an 80GB model


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April 17th 2007 @ 16:52

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Halo 2 Maps are ready to be downloaded



As most of the world patiently taps their feet for the Halo 3 multiplayer beta to commence, Bungie has smartly kicked Halo 2 in the ass with the release of two new maps -- Tombstone and Desolation, remakes of Hang 'em High and Derelict from the original Halo -- which just so happened to drop onto Xbox Live today


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April 17th 2007 @ 16:50

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Technorati Register

<a Really Long Link rel="me">Technorati Profile</a>

I have finally register my this blog to Technorati to gain more use and make this blog a better experience to my all my readers. You will also start to see more changes on the site. As in layouts. So look out for that. If there is any advice you will like to see on the site. Please let me know


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April 17th 2007 @ 11:19

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Guitar Hero 2 Update: Hurting or Helping??

The release of Guitar Hero II on Xbox 360 brought cheers from the faithful who've been eager to rock. Things, however, haven't been so jolly for early adopters of Guitar Hero II. Of chief concern is an issue with some copies of Guitar Hero II that had faulty whammy bar control.

A week after release, this issue was fixed with an auto-update. The only thing the update addressed was the whammy bar issue. Reports across the Internet, however, suggest that the update is "bricking" some systems. That means, after the update is downloaded, the system becomes inoperable


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April 17th 2007 @ 11:02

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Microsoft admits they made defective Xbox 360s????



After more than thousand complaints of Xbox 360 users, Microsoft has admitted Saturday night that there is a flaw in the Xbox 360. That happened in the Dutch television programme "Kassa". The flaw causes CDs and DVDs that are spinning in the player to get damaged


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April 17th 2007 @ 10:34

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Guitar Hero 3 is Real, Controllers to be Wireless

When news about Guitar Hero 3 mistakenly appeared on RedOctane's website last week, you couldn't blame anyone for not exactly flipping out -- we already knew Neversoft has been working on the next version for a little while now. GameSpot recently spoke with RedOctane president Kai Huang, however, and he outright confirmed that Guitar Hero 3 is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and Wii by the end of the year.

"Guitar Hero III is being developed by Neversoft, which is an internal Activision developer. They're one of the best Activision developers, if not one of the best developers in the world, having had a tremendous amount of success with the Tony Hawk franchise, and they've been working on Guitar Hero III now," he said


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April 17th 2007 @ 10:27

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IDIOT Thompson Blames Va Shooting on Games

Yep, despite the fact that he's a known liar, infamous for threatening fellow attorneys and judges and is on the cusp of (one would hope) losing his license to practice law in Florida, Jack Thompson managed to weasel his way onto Fox News to spew his own particular brand of hate and lies.

That's right, Thompson is trying to link the worst shooting in U.S. history, the one that occurred earlier today at Virginia Tech, to video games


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April 17th 2007 @ 00:40

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Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) Gets Dated - 22nd May 2007



That's right, this blog header pretty much says it all! Xbox 360 owners in Singapore as well as other westernized countries can soon look forward to playing Sakaguchi's newest RPG masterpiece come May 22nd. We can all take this news as truly official, as one MS exec revealed to me that Blue Dragon have indeed gotten its release date pushed ahead of schedule. So rather than having to wait till August (as previously stated), 360 gamers can finally taste some sweet RPG love at last next month. And here's the sweetener: MS have listened to RPG fans' feedbacks and have stuck to Blue Dragon's native Japanese audio, but with 100% English texts/subtitles! Way to go Microsoft


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April 16th 2007 @ 00:16

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Microsoft admits scratch problem with Xbox 360

There are many sites on the internet describing a typical Xbox 360 problem: the console scratches game discs. Some users are reporting that the scratches were enough to make their game disc obsolete. There hasn't been much discussion on the fact that the problem exists by consumers, but untill now Microsoft has always somewhat denied the problem and never proposed a solution.


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April 16th 2007 @ 00:14

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eBayer sells video game collection because he's getting married



An eBay seller has just closed an auction that featured a massive collection of video games, systems, and accessories from over twenty years of gaming. Why? Because he's "going to marry this wonderful girl and could use the money". The auction featured hundreds of games and systems from the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and NES through the PS2 and GameCube. It even had such gaming wonders as the Virtual Boy, Atari Jaguar, and two Sega Dreamcast consoles. The auction began at a mere $100 and sold to the winning bidder for $3,600


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April 15th 2007 @ 13:03

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How did various media outlets report the FTC gaming report?


Here's some light weekend reading about politics, the media and gaming. Earlier this week the U.S. Federal Trade Commission released a report about the gaming industry. The real fun for industry folk was seeing how all the various media outlets would report the news and what their headlines would be. Below is the list, shamelessly ripped-off from Dennis McCauley over at GamePolitics, of various media outlets and their take on the report:

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April 15th 2007 @ 13:01

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Bungie confirms X-button functionality



In yesterday's post by Bungie staffer Frankie, what we already knew about Halo 3's mysterious X-button functionality was confirmed: It will be used to deploy equipment like the trip mines and bubble shields we saw in the recent Vidoc, and as of now is, appropriately enough, called Equipment. There's also some hinting about a third item that's yet to be revealed; we're hoping for nunchaku


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April 15th 2007 @ 12:57

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Red Octane says Xbox 360 guitars patched via Xbox Live



Apparently Red Octane discovered the problem in their guitars and fixed it with a software patch this morning. On Red Octane's website they're saying that as of 4 AM pacific today a patch is available via Xbox Live that "should resolve the situation where input from the whammy bar was not always recognized


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April 15th 2007 @ 12:54

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Interview: Epic's Mark Rein and CliffyB

At GDC last month we had the pleasure of meeting with Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein and Lead Game Designer Cliff Bleszinski (a.k.a. CliffyB). We discussed their raking in the awards for Gears, diversifying the uses for Unreal Engine, storytelling in games, thoughts on the console wars, reaction to Denis Dyack's "one console future" and more.


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April 13th 2007 @ 17:08

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Jaffe: I Would Not Have Included Blu-ray in PS3



In part two of Geoff Keighley's Bonus Round with Sony Santa Monica Studio Creative Director David Jaffe over at GameTrailers.com, the God of War creator had a number of interesting things to say, but it was perhaps his comments in a teaser clip for part three that will draw the most attention


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April 13th 2007 @ 11:28

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Some GTA IV Details



* Niko Bellic is the main character


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April 13th 2007 @ 11:24

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Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia Demo Available Now



Microsoft and SouthPeak Interactive have released a playable demo of Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia on Xbox Live. Available now for download, the demo (434.6 MB) lets four players can team up on one Xbox 360 to slash, shoot, and drive through a menagerie of monsters in the campaign mode, or take battle onto Xbox Live for networked cooperative play


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April 13th 2007 @ 11:15

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God of War Site Reveals Commentary HD Mode

The Island of Rhodes site, originally believed just be offering up lackluster director's commentary videos on two stages in God of War 2, actually has more layers to it than a vidalia onion. Most notably, another countdown timer and a code to unlock a hi-res (640x448 aka 480P -- it looks nicer on an HDTV) mode on GoW 2.

To access the hi-res mode punch in L1 L2 L3 Square Circle. Even more interesting, however, is a new countdown asking gamers to wait another 11 days to learn about God of War: Ch. What are they getting at? God of War: Chains of Fate, God of War: Champion of the Titans, God of War: Chariots of Fire, God of War: Challenger of Time


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April 13th 2007 @ 11:11

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Triiton Headphones almost here

I will be receiving my Tritton Headphones today by UPS Ground. I will be using them and testing them on several consoles, From the Xbox 360 and PS3. To see how the Triiton Headphones work. A quick recap on them there are 5.1 Doby Digital Surround Sound. With 4 speakers on each cup of the headset. Also a removable mic. It also has a built sub which vibrates. Which I find interesting.

Here is some pics of the Tritton AX360 Headphones


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April 13th 2007 @ 10:47

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Major Nelson Discusses Guitar Hero 2 Downloads

The response to the Guitar Hero 2 song packs on Xbox Live has been decidedly negative. Most people don't have a problem paying for original Guitar Hero tracks, but not being given the chance to choose a la carte has people unnerved -- not everyone wants to rock out to Incubus, thank you very much. Major Nelson (Larry Hryb) candidly chatted with Joystiq about the fans moaning, and, well, it's actually not full of PR spin; he's pretty honest.

"People like to say it's the same [because they're Guitar Hero 1 songs], but the licensing is not the same. You have to re-license it. It's a different platform. While on the surface it may look fairly simplistic, and people are saying "XYZ should be done," but we're not Red Octane. I work for Microsoft, and we're just the conduit at this point," he said


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April 13th 2007 @ 10:42

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Japan keeping 20 Gig PS3

Bummed about the death of the 20 gigabyte model PS3? Then you may want to consider importing, as it seems that Sony Computer Entertainment currently plans on continuing to sell the 20 Gig model in Japan.

When asked about the decision to drop the lower end model from North American retail, a representative of SCE told Famitsu.com, "We're currently not considering changes akin to North America. However we would like to react flexibly with the market


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April 12th 2007 @ 22:27

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Mortal Kombat II is Immortal on PS3

New PlayStation 3 games will be a scarce commodity this month, but the PlayStation Store is receiving some welcome retro support. This Thursday, April 12, Mortal Kombat II will be available for download from Sony's network.

Mortal Kombat II is the controversial arcade classic that got Joseph Lieberman's panties in a bunch back in the day. The usual suspects are all there: Sub-Zero, Raiden, even hidden characters Jade and Smoke. The game's selling points are the unique finishing moves each character can use to violently end their opponent


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April 12th 2007 @ 22:25

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Third Parties Scrambling to make games for the Wii

The majority of the industry didn't completely buy into Wii until they were given hands-on experiences at last year's E3, and that's where the momentum changed significantly. Suddenly, publishers realized this new method of play could really catch on with gamers, but with far less than a year before launch, most would have a hard time getting anything out the door in time for launch.

Bloomberg reports companies like Electronic Arts, who has been ironically praised as one of the foremost Wii innovators, and Take-Two Interactive have been playing catch-up since Nintendo's E3 showing. EA tells Bloomberg they will have a dozen games on Wii this year, whereas Take-Two has three in the pipeline (likely comprised of The Bigs, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Manhunt 2


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April 12th 2007 @ 16:54

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Nintendo Says Wii Shortages Could Last Months

You still can't find a Wii on store shelves without unleashing some serious Harry Potter-level magic spells and Nintendo says that may not be changing for a while. Speaking on the Game Theory podcast (and transcribed by Next Generation), Nintendo VP of marketing and corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan warned that shortages are not something that will necessarily disappear in the next couple of weeks.

"There is a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of working on what we are producing and the numbers continue to rise but the product is so very popular that we may see a supply / demand situation last for some time ... We are at absolute maximum production and doing everything we can


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April 12th 2007 @ 16:53

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Pricey Guitar Hero 2 Tracks Already on XBL

Forced to buy songs in 500 point packs, not individually.

It has begun. The Guitar Hero series is perfect for the world of microtransactions, and many predicted the first series of downloadables for Guitar Hero 2 would be easily portable tracks from the original game. Just one week after the game's release, RedOctane and Activision have already delivered three "track packs" onto the marketplace -- and it's exactly as people called it


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April 12th 2007 @ 10:44

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Sony Offically Dropping 20GB PS3 in North America

$499 model being phased out completely.

Just as Microsoft's about to introduce a new Xbox 360 SKU, Sony's announced they're removing one from the marketplace. Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today they've officially dropped the PlayStation 3 20GB SKU and will no longer be offering the cheaper, Wi-Fi less model to North American retailers. Sony says a 10-to-1 retailer demand for the 60GB SKU has prompted the move


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April 12th 2007 @ 10:40

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Halo 3 Beta dates announced



Details were just released about the Halo 3 beta, specifically the date. The beta will kick off on May 16th and run until June 6th. Plus Bungie posted a new MP Video with (to quote Frankie) ‘a ton of stuff…you simply haven’t seen before


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April 10th 2007 @ 11:43

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Xbox 360 controller with Keyboard?

Xbox 360 Controller with Keyboard


Xbox 360 gamers who quickly grow tired of navigating the on-screen virtual keyboard to type messages can either plug a USB keyboard into the system, or wait for Microsoft to release its new Xbox 360 keyboard controller attachment this summer. Snapping into place on the bottom side of the controller through the headset jack, the as-yet unnamed device features a QWERTY-style keyboard layout. Users will be able to access the new chat functions from an option on the system's main menu, in the same spot where the Xbox Live Marketplace can currently be found


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April 9th 2007 @ 11:24

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My TV Setup



Here is my little setup


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April 8th 2007 @ 21:29

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New Tom Clancy franchise in the works?



The official story: Ubisoft rep--"We don't have any comment


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April 7th 2007 @ 23:51

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Fourms

Check out my Forums and express your feelings about Video Games Check it out!!!

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April 7th 2007 @ 23:29

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PS3 in for a big September

Sony's "semi-official" blog Three Speech claims that the release dates for a handful of hotly anticipated PlayStation 3 games have been narrowed down to September.

"That's when we'll see Heavenly Sword, the ultra-responsive arena-based swordfighting game, innovative dragon-fighting game Lair and the air, foot and vehicle combat game Warhawk, which is still looking likely to be released over the PlayStation Network rather than in the shops," according to the latest posting on the site. "First-person shooter Killzone, too, should surface in September, as well as the first PS3 version of Ratchet & Clank


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April 7th 2007 @ 23:26

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Xbox 360 Spring 2007 Dashboard Video Updated


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April 7th 2007 @ 22:51

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20GB PS3 discontinued from Sony's official store



Well, if this isn't just a kick in the ol' keyboard! Seems that Sony's official store, SonyStyle, has taken down any listings of the 20GB PlayStation 3. That's correct, sir, all you see now is the 60GB model. Does this portend a worldwide shunning of the lower-end console, or is it simply being phased out in a different way? As in, available upon personal request, but no longer shipping en masse to stores alongside their 60GB brethren


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April 7th 2007 @ 12:49

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Review: Motorola Motostart H350 Bluetooth Headset



Last weekend I purchase the Motostart H350 Bluetooth Headset so I could chat with other gamers on the Sony Playstation 3 console. Also I was just curious how the bluetooth headset worked on the PS3. Being that I was so use to Xbox Headset or using the USB Headset. I felt it will be a nice adventure. Now let me start off by saying it was some what easy to register and get working. Just head over to the Accessory Settings and Register the Bluetooth Headset and then put in the passcode which by default it is "0000" and there you go the Bluetooth Headset is good to go. If you wanted to test the Headset go to Audio Devices and talk into the mic of the headset and you will see the bar go up. Also you could adjust the volume right from the headset. Also the neat thing is there is no need for a battery on the headset. If the Headset is dieing you will start to hear beeps after ever few seconds. The blue LED light on the headset will start to light up as well. So all you have to do is get the charger and plug it into the wall and in about 2 hours you could start using it again for about 7 hours of talking time. Now I tested several games for the Playstation 3 through the headset. First title I tested it on was Resistance Fall of Man now this is were I started to get annoyed for some reason I could not hear anybody but I could hear them either in the Lobby or in game. Which was very annoying. So finally I figured it out on what to do. In Resistance you have to change your Squad to either Zulu, Tango and they had some other ones. Which I just found so crazy. But then I realize the reason why they set it up that was because when you are having more a 20 on 20 Team Deathmatch it could get crazy with people talking and screaming. So I that is the only thing I could figure why they have the option of you switching the squad to make it all crazy. Other than that everything worked fine the Headset sounded great. Heard my other teammates loud and clear. They also heard me loud and clear. So other than switching all the time through the squads it worked out fine


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April 7th 2007 @ 12:16

Posted By: gaming guru - Category: No Category
   


RE4 Wii, Umbrella Chronicles Websites Open

Earlier this week, the pages of Famitsu confirmed rumors that Capcom was tweaking Resident Evil 4 for a Wii release and we discovered Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is actually an on-rails shooter. While official announcements from Capcom USA are still a little off, the company's Japanese branch has already launched official websites for both games, giving us a little more insight into these upcoming Wii releases.

Capcom's already outlined the controls on the website for Resident Evil 4, too, though we're still waiting for a translation of how everything breaks down. You can guess the basics -- the nunchuck will handle movement of Leon, while the remote handles the tricky part of aiming. Getting headshots should be a whole lot easier this time around


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April 7th 2007 @ 11:56

Posted By: gaming guru - Category: No Category
   


Tilt sensitive tiltBoard module going big for Xbox 360

Although the Wiimote (and the SIXAXIS, under certain conditions) already enjoy the luxuries that tilting can bring, it looks like those sticking with Microsoft's console will now be able to get in on fun as well. Thanks to a partnership with "specialist peripheral makers" Talismoon, the highly-regarded tiltBoard is reportedly getting an commercial makeover as it readies itself for "mass production." Details are admittedly scant right now, but the forthcoming product -- "which will bring tilt sensitivity for the Xbox 360 to the masses" -- is said to be "worth the wait" from its presumably jovial creator. And if you can't visualize just how spiffy it'd be to control your 360 titles without touching the analog or D-pad, be sure to click on through to see what the tiltBoard can do for you.

True or Not?

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April 7th 2007 @ 11:50

Posted By: gaming guru - Category: No Category
   


Sony Announces PlayStation 3 Global Recall

TOKYO — April 1, 2007 — Sony Corp. announced today a global recall of the PlayStation 3 video game and entertainment system after accepting customers’ complaints that the system could not perform all the features as advertised by the company.

"Yes, we promoted the PlayStation 3 as a powerful supercomputer that could even work as a grill machine, yet it failed to perform that function," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "The fact that the PlayStation 3 wasn’t able to cook sausages and hamburgers as advertised opened the possibility for customers to fill a lawsuit against us, so we have decided to recall all existing PlayStation 3 systems


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April 1st 2007 @ 11:29

Posted By: gaming guru - Category: No Category
   


Rumor:Resident Evil 4 Porting to Wii?

Could this be one of the first Wii-makes?

Okay, so Capcom will be holding an event on April 12th, where we may or may not hear about Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, neither or both. At this point, nobody knows, and adding more fuel to the fire are retail listings of Resident Evil 4 (yes, you read that correctly) coming to Wii at a reduced $29.99 pricing


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April 1st 2007 @ 11:23

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