<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
<channel>
<title>Joystiq</title>
<link>http://www.joystiq.com</link>
<description>Joystiq</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url>
<title>Joystiq</title>
<link>http://www.joystiq.com</link>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright>
<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Dragon Age 'Return to Ostagar' DLC on 360, PC Jan. 5; PS3 'later in January']]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/2566616/full/"><img hspace="0" height="326" border="1" width="580" vspace="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/return_to_ostagar001-580.jpg" /></a><br />
<small><em>click for "Return to Ostagar" gallery<br />
<br />
</em></small></div>
While trailing behind what some of us might call "this holiday season" (as originally pledged), the latest expansion for BioWare's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Dragon-Age-Origins/"><em>Dragon Age: Origins</em></a>, dubbed "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Return-to-Ostagar">Return to Ostagar</a>," has been given a more finite release date of January 5th for both Xbox 360 and PC. The PS3 release is slated for "later in January." Aaryn Flynn, General Manager and Vice President at BioWare Edmonton, says of the DLC offering, "Return to Ostagar represents BioWare's commitment to providing a steady stream of compelling post release content as we continue to expand the Dragon Age universe."<br />
<br />
For just $5, and the promise of "the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan," we imagine we'll be returning to Ostagar next week ... and as long as we're there, it won't hurt to find out what "King Cailan's top-secret political agenda" is, right? Check out a video of DLC expansion after the break.<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/">Dragon Age: Origins "Return to Ostagar" DLC</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/2566611/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/return_to_ostagar005_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/2566612/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/return_to_ostagar004_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/2566613/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/return_to_ostagar003_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/2566614/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/return_to_ostagar002_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins-return-to-ostagar-dlc/2566616/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/return_to_ostagar001_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Dragon Age 'Return to Ostagar' DLC on 360, PC Jan. 5; PS3 'later in January'</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/">Dragon Age 'Return to Ostagar' DLC on 360, PC Jan. 5; PS3 'later in January'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:15:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://investor.ea.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=433288>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19297042/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/dragon-agereturn-to-ostagar-dlc-on-360-pc-jan-5-ps3-later/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>BioWare</category><category>DLC</category><category>Dragon-Age-Origins</category><category>EA</category><category>release-date</category><category>Return-to-Ostagar</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Matias Myllyrinne answers 10 Questions from the Academy]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: left;"><font color="gray"> <span style="font-style: italic;">And now,</span><em> 10 Questions from the Academy: A weekly feature from the <a href="http://www.interactive.org/">Academy of Interactive Arts &amp; Sciences</a> wherein significant figures in the video game industry provide their input on past trends, current events, and future challenges and goals for the entertainment software community.</em><hr size="2" width="100%" />
</font></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/aias-matias-myllyrinne.jpg" /></div>
<em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Matias-Myllyrinne/">Matias Myllyrinne</a> is a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and will speak at the D.I.C.E. Summit in 2010. He works for Remedy, and told Joystiq that the developer's latest game, </em>Alan Wake<em>, is "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/reassuring-alan-wake-is-done-being-polished/">done</a>" and is just being "polished" before its "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/01/alan-wake-is-real-coming-spring-2010/">Spring 2010</a>" release. </em><br />
<br />
<strong> AIAS: What's your favorite part of game development?</strong><br />
Matias Myllyrinne: Shipping. We are so close with <em>Alan Wake</em> and it has taken a while. I would really like to share what we have done with the world. No other feeling can match the exhilaration of seeing years of work come to closure.<br />
<br />
<strong>How do you measure success?<br />
</strong>As for, success in games. it's easy - units sold and Metacritic. In any form of entertainment, if the audience likes what you create and it sells - that's what counts in the end. <br />
<br />
Professionally, success is defined by the success of those around me. Are my partners aligned with me and taking part in good business, is my team creative, empowered and financially secure and are my shareholders seeing good long term strategic direction. Personally, I am successful if I am doing new things, enjoying a balanced life with the job I love and all the other interesting things the world has to offer. <strong><br />
</strong><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Matias Myllyrinne answers 10 Questions from the Academy</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/">Matias Myllyrinne answers 10 Questions from the Academy</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19296227/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/matias-myllyrinne-answers-10-questions-from-the-academy/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>10-Questions-from-the-Academy</category><category>AIAS</category><category>Matias-Myllyrinne</category><category>Remedy</category><category>Remedy-Entertainment</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exclusive: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot gameplay trailer]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/exclusive-mad-moxxis-underdome-riot-gameplay-trailer/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/exclusive-mad-moxxis-underdome-riot-gameplay-trailer/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/exclusive-mad-moxxis-underdome-riot-gameplay-trailer/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="580" height="346" id="viddler_897ed5ed"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/simple/897ed5ed/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="flashvars" value="tubemogulid=TD-Q0P-W10" /><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/simple/897ed5ed/" width="580" height="346" flashvars="tubemogulid=TD-Q0P-W10" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="viddler_897ed5ed"></embed></object></div>
If more <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Borderlands/"><em>Borderlands</em></a> DLC is just what the doctor ordered - not Doctor Ned, of course, star of the shooter <em>slash</em> RPG's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/zombie-island-of-dr-ned/">first DLC outing</a> - then look no further than this week's "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Mad-Moxxis-Underdome-Riot/">Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot</a>."<br />
<br />
Developer Gearbox is giving Joystiq readers an exclusive look at the above gameplay trailer, showing off some of the pack's offerings: three new Riot Mode arenas, the "bank" where you can "'stache your loot" and a litany of modifiers, like "Hot Potato," "Loaded" and "Dodgeball." It's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/now-playing-december-28-2009-january-3-2010/">a slow week</a>, folks - "Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot" spices things up on Xbox Live tomorrow, and PlayStation Network next week.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/exclusive-mad-moxxis-underdome-riot-gameplay-trailer/">Exclusive: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot gameplay trailer</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/exclusive-mad-moxxis-underdome-riot-gameplay-trailer/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19296194/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/28/exclusive-mad-moxxis-underdome-riot-gameplay-trailer/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Borderlands</category><category>DLC</category><category>Gearbox-Software</category><category>Mad-Moxxis-Underdome-Riot</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA['All decent people should denounce' Modern Warfare 2, Maine Christian group says]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/all-decent-people-should-denounce-modern-warfare-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/all-decent-people-should-denounce-modern-warfare-2/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/all-decent-people-should-denounce-modern-warfare-2/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="326" width="580" vspace="0" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/remember-no-russian-580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
Here, on the eve <em>of the eve</em> of Video Game Gift Giving and Receiving Day (known in some cultures as "Christmas" or "Festivus") comes a heartfelt plea by the fine men and women of the Christian Civic League of Maine, who join us under a common banner of misusing semicolons to bring us this message; "All decent people should denounce the video game <em>'Modern Warfare 2;'</em> and join in opposing the sale and use of such games."<br />
<br />
Yes, <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Modern-Warfare-2/">Modern Warfare 2's</a></em> controversial "No Russian" mission -- erroneously titled the "Massacre Level" here -- has once again brought the full weight of the nation's outrage (represented here by the Christian Civic League of Maine). The group reminds us of the "well-established cause and effect relationship between video games and school shootings" and cautions that "the ready availability of drugs, violent video games, and outrageous rock music is a witch's brew which will eventually lead to tragedy here in Maine." Speaking of witches, GamePolitics points out that the group has <a href="http://mainefamilypolicycouncil.com/artman/publish/Maine_3/What_s_Inside_Apple_Valley_Books.shtml">outed the owner of a local book store</a> as a witch (and a Democrat!) and claims she "<a href="http://mainefamilypolicycouncil.com/artman/publish/State_House_4/Democrat_County_Chairwoman_Says_I_Put_a_Spell_on_Member_of_the_League.shtml">cast a spell</a>" on the Administrator of the League. <br />
<br />
Merry Christmas!<br />
<br />
[Via <a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/12/21/christian-group-calls-mw2-ban-also-hunts-witches">GamePolitics</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/all-decent-people-should-denounce-modern-warfare-2/">'All decent people should denounce' Modern Warfare 2, Maine Christian group says</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://mainefamilypolicycouncil.com/artman/publish/Opinion_5/Ban_this_Game.shtml>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/all-decent-people-should-denounce-modern-warfare-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19292628/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/all-decent-people-should-denounce-modern-warfare-2/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Activision</category><category>Christian-Civic-League-of-Maine</category><category>Infinity-Ward</category><category>Modern-Warfare-2</category><category>No-Russian</category><category>witches</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Emotiv Epoc brain controller is supposedly out now ... did you get one?]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/the-emotiv-epoc-brain-controller-is-supposedly-out-now-did-y/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/the-emotiv-epoc-brain-controller-is-supposedly-out-now-did-y/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/the-emotiv-epoc-brain-controller-is-supposedly-out-now-did-y/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/12/22/emotiv-pc-gaming-mind-controller-shipping-this-week/"><img hspace="0" height="350" width="580" vspace="0" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/emotiv-epoc-580.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Project Natal aims to revolutionize video games by doing one simple thing: removing the controller from the video game equation. The <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Emotiv-Epoc/">Emotiv Epoc</a> aims to revolutionize video games <em>even harder</em> by removing the entire human body from the video game equation ... well, except the brain. The would-be mind-control device made an inauspicious debut at the 2008 Game Developers Conference where it failed to sway a skeptical live audience (<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-emotiv-brain-control-headset-shows-its-kinks/">including us!</a>) -- the company later pinned the blame directly on interference from the sound crew's fancy wireless headsets. <br />
<br />
Now, a year-and-a-half later, Emotiv is finally shipping the $299 device <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/emotiv-mind-control-device-shipping-december-21-for-299/">this week</a>, which means, if you pre-ordered the device (alas, that first shipment is all sold out) it should be in your hands (and on your head) this week. We're not sure what to make of the lack of press outreach, but we'll be at CES in January and hope to give the Epoc another trial. In the interim, if you want to drop $299 on the thing, "orders placed will be shipped within 2 weeks." If you've got one already and want to share some pictures and feedback, you <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/contact/tips/">know where to find us</a>. <br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/emotiv-brain-computer-interface/">Emotiv Brain Computer Interface</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/emotiv-brain-computer-interface/651634/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/emotiv-gdc-021_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/emotiv-brain-computer-interface/651633/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/emotiv-gdc-015_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/emotiv-brain-computer-interface/651632/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/emotiv-gdc-017_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/emotiv-brain-computer-interface/651631/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/emotiv-gdc-014_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/emotiv-brain-computer-interface/651630/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/02/emotiv-gdc-019_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/the-emotiv-epoc-brain-controller-is-supposedly-out-now-did-y/">The Emotiv Epoc brain controller is supposedly out now ... did you get one?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/12/22/emotiv-pc-gaming-mind-controller-shipping-this-week/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/the-emotiv-epoc-brain-controller-is-supposedly-out-now-did-y/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19292543/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/23/the-emotiv-epoc-brain-controller-is-supposedly-out-now-did-y/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Emotiv</category><category>Emotiv-Epoc</category><category>mind-control</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Take-Two CEO thinks Grand Theft Auto 4 DLC was late to the party]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="249" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/gta-4-episodes-580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
Fielding a question on today's quarterly investors call regarding the performance of <em>Grand Theft Auto 4's</em> DLC double-header and the accompanying retail bundle - <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/The-Lost-and-Damned/"><em>The Lost and Damned</em></a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/The-Ballad-of-Gay-Tony/"><em>The Ballad of Gay Tony</em></a>, and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Episodes-from-Liberty-City/"><em>Episodes from Liberty City</em></a>, respectively - Take-Two CEO Ben Feder admits, "Both we and Microsoft believed there was a big market for <em>GTA 4</em> episodic content and some factors affected their performance." Calling the two companies' relationship "a historic, strategic partnership" - <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/09/microsofts-coup-gta-on-360-before-ps3/">remember this</a>? - and calling the episodes themselves "profitable contributors to the company," Feder nevertheless offered some insight into what his company could have done to make them <em>even more profitable</em>.<br />
<br />
"Both were released significantly after the launch of the core unit," Feder says, referring to the April 2008 launch of <em>Grand Theft Auto 4</em>. "And therefore weren't able to leverage <em>GTA 4's</em> initial marketing campaign and initial launch fervor." With <em>The Lost and Damned</em> coming out in February of this year, some 10 months after <em>GTA 4's</em> initial release, and <em>The Ballad of Gay Tony</em> this past October, 18 months after the initial release, we'd have to agree that timing played an issue; the <em>GTA 4</em> hype machine had worn off. <br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/gta-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-multiplayer/">GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Multiplayer)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/gta-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-multiplayer/2365527/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/gtaballad101408_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/gta-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-multiplayer/2365526/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/gtaballad101407_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/gta-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-multiplayer/2365525/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/gtaballad101406_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/gta-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-multiplayer/2365524/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/gtaballad101401_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/gta-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-multiplayer/2365523/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/gtaballad101409_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Take-Two CEO thinks Grand Theft Auto 4 DLC was late to the party</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/">Take-Two CEO thinks Grand Theft Auto 4 DLC was late to the party</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:20:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19286050/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/take-two-boss-thinks-grand-theft-auto-4-dlc-was-late-to-the-part/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Ben-Feder</category><category>DLC</category><category>Episodes-From-Liberty-City</category><category>Grand-Theft-Auto-IV</category><category>GTA-IV</category><category>gta-iv-DLC</category><category>Take-Two</category><category>The-Ballad-of-Gay-Tony</category><category>The-Lost-and-Damned</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Crispy Gamer buys GamerDNA]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/crispy-gamer-buys-gamerdna/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/crispy-gamer-buys-gamerdna/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/crispy-gamer-buys-gamerdna/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/12/14/daily49-GamerDNA-bought-by-NY-firm-Crispy-Gamer.html"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="243" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/crispy-gamer-gamerdna.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
It looks like Crispy Gamer's review of GamerDNA -- following the partnership <a href="http://www.crispygamer.com/news/index.php/2009-02-17/crispy-gamer-partners-with-tribune-mcclatchy-tribune-and-gamerdna/">announced back in February</a>, known as the "Try It" period -- has come back and the verdict is: Buy It. Mass High Tech Business News <a href="http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/12/14/daily49-GamerDNA-bought-by-NY-firm-Crispy-Gamer.html">reports</a> that the Cambridge-based GamerDNA has "found a buyer" in NY-based game site, Crispy Gamer, but will "continue to exist as a separate entity." GamerDNA CEO <a href="http://radoff.com/blog/2009/12/17/gamerdna-merged-crispy-gamer/">Jon Radoff writes</a> that the social-networking-<em>slash</em>-data-driven gaming site he founded two and a half years ago has "merged" with Crispy Gamer and the serial entrepreneur won't be sticking around long. "I'll help out Chris Heldman (the CEO of Crispy Gamer) for a little bit to make sure things go smoothly -- but I'm an entrepreneur, and I'll start something new in 2010," Radoff says. <br />
<br />
This follows last week's news that GameSpot <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/news/6242757.html">would partner with</a> GamerDNA-competitor Raptr. If that sounds like a partnership that may have forced Radoff's hand in selling the company, we'd be inclined to agree; GamerDNA <a href="http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/10/26/daily3-GamerDNA-cuts-staff-weighs-HQ-move.html">cut its staff nearly in half</a> back in October, and Radoff writes that "it didn't make sense for us to 'go it alone' in the market any longer." While Crispy Gamer is no GameSpot, Radoff says that the site "has very ambitious plans to build a media company around the gaming market." We're hoping to finally get used to that name by the time those plans come to fruition.<br />
<br />
[Via <a href="http://twitter.com/eliciab35/statuses/6770385545">@eliciab35</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/crispy-gamer-buys-gamerdna/">Crispy Gamer buys GamerDNA</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/12/14/daily49-GamerDNA-bought-by-NY-firm-Crispy-Gamer.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/crispy-gamer-buys-gamerdna/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19285610/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/crispy-gamer-buys-gamerdna/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>acquisition</category><category>Crispy-Gamer</category><category>GamerDNA</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Spec Ops: The Line may face censorship; Dubai taking the 'wait and see' approach]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/spec-ops-the-line-may-face-censorship-dubai-taking-the-wait-a/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/spec-ops-the-line-may-face-censorship-dubai-taking-the-wait-a/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/spec-ops-the-line-may-face-censorship-dubai-taking-the-wait-a/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091216/NATIONAL/712159876/1041"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="363" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/spec-ops-the-line-logo.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
"It takes place after an unimaginable natural disaster has struck the region," says former GameSpot editor-in-chief and current video game producer Greg Kasavin, discussing 2K Games' recently revealed shooter, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Spec-Ops-The-Line/"><em>Spec Ops: The Line</em></a>. The unimaginable natural disaster he's referring to is a catastrophic sandstorm and the region is the <a href="http://news.google.com/news/search?q=dubai+economy">financially precarious</a> Dubai. With the one-time booming city-state finding itself in something of a bust, following the global economic downturn, scenes of Dubai's world-famous skyscrapers buried in sand surely struck a nerve. <br />
<br />
"We will have to review the game first before issuing any decision on whether to ban it or allow it," Mohammed al Mutawa, a video games censor at the United Arab Emirate's National Media Council, told <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091216/NATIONAL/712159876/1041">The National</a>. Juma Obaid Alleem, the director of media content at the NMC, told the newspaper that 'before a video game is released in the UAE, the NMC assesses whether it conforms with local laws and notifies authorities if it does not.' From there, we see references to "international matter" and "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" and we figure it best to take the 'wait and see' approach Mr. al Mutawa referred to. <br />
<br />
For his part, Kasavin is playing up the setting as a "fantastic location from an architectural standpoint" but is quick to point out that "the game uses the location purely as a location." He explained to The National that 'the enemies ... in the fictional Dubai would not have any clear religious or political beliefs associated with them' and that 'none of the shoot-outs took place in mosques.' With myriad games having angered religious or national groups before - everything from <em>Resistance</em> and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/09/church-of-england-threatens-sony-with-lawsuit/">the Church of England</a> to <em>LittleBigPlanet</em> and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/scee-littlebigplanet-delayed-worldwide-due-to-quran-references/4">the Qur'an</a> - the <em>Spec Ops</em> team has plenty to learn from. We'll know more closer to the game's expected 2011 release. <br />
<br />
[Thanks, mister_jOBe; via <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/12/dubai-video-game-set-post-apocalyptic-boomtown-face-censorship.html">LA Times</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/spec-ops-the-line-may-face-censorship-dubai-taking-the-wait-a/">Spec Ops: The Line may face censorship; Dubai taking the 'wait and see' approach</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091216/NATIONAL/712159876/1041>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/spec-ops-the-line-may-face-censorship-dubai-taking-the-wait-a/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19285161/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/spec-ops-the-line-may-face-censorship-dubai-taking-the-wait-a/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2K-Games</category><category>Dubai</category><category>Greg-Kasavin</category><category>Spec-Ops</category><category>Spec-Ops-The-Line</category><category>UAE</category><category>Yager</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rage will be published by Bethesda, EA out of the picture]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="365" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/bethesda-id-zenimax-hearts.jpg" /></div>
In a tersely worded press release, ZeniMax Media - parent company of <em>Fallout 3</em>-dev Bethesda Softworks and, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/bethesda-parent-company-buys-id-software/">as of June</a>, FPS hall-of-famer <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/id-Software/">id Software</a> - has "announced today that it has picked up the publishing rights for <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Rage/"><em>Rage</em></a>, the video game under development at id Software." First announced in July 2008 during Electronic Arts' E3 press conference, <em>Rage</em> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/14/electronic-arts-and-id-software-form-partnership/">was to be published under EA's successful EA Partners program</a>, home to other major titles from outside developers, like <em>Rock Band</em>, <em>Left 4 Dead 2</em>, and <em>Brutal Legend</em>. <br />
<br />
Unlike ZeniMax's other development studio, Bethesda, id Software will not be self-publishing <em>Rage</em>; instead, "<em>Rage</em> will be published by Bethesda Softworks," the press release states. It concludes, "As a result, Electronic Arts Inc. ... will not be involved in the sales and marketing of <em>Rage</em>. The ongoing development of <em>Rage</em> is unaffected by this development."<br />
<br />
With EA out of the picture and publishing duties for <em>Rage</em> in ZeniMax's hands, the partnership between the two companies can finally be consummated without having to wait for <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Doom4/"><em>Doom 4</em></a>, or whatever's next in the <em>Wolfenstein</em> franchise. Ah, love. <br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/rage/">RAGE</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/rage/954965/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/08/rage2008_shot1_logo_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/rage/954966/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/08/rage2008_shot2_logo_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/rage/2191616/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/08/rage-siggraph-01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="rage-siggraph-01" title="rage-siggraph-01" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/rage/2191617/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/08/rage-siggraph-02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="rage-siggraph-02" title="rage-siggraph-02" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/rage/2191618/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/08/rage-siggraph-03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="rage-siggraph-03" title="rage-siggraph-03" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Rage will be published by Bethesda, EA out of the picture</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/">Rage will be published by Bethesda, EA out of the picture</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19281782/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/15/rage-will-be-published-by-bethesda-ea-out-of-the-picture/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Bethesda-Softworks</category><category>EA</category><category>EA-Partners</category><category>fps</category><category>id-Software</category><category>Rage</category><category>ZeniMax-Media</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mass Effect 2 cinematic trailer teases 'full-length' version for Dec. 22 XBL debut]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-teases-full-length-version-for/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-teases-full-length-version-for/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-teases-full-length-version-for/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; "><object width="580" height="352"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h6fuiNpTHzY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h6fuiNpTHzY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="352"></embed></object></div>
<meta charset="utf-8">Snagged from IGN's "<a href="http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/105/1053855p1.html">Ultimate Holiday Videogame Guide</a>" comes this <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Mass-Effect-2/"><em>Mass Effect 2</em></a> cinematic trailer ... well, teaser trailer may be more accurate. While the above video shares nearly a minute and a half of delicious cinematic video (read: this isn't in-game, folks) the end promises the "full-length trailer" will premier on Xbox Live on December 22, just a few days before ecksmas. <br />
<br />
So you can take "<em>Mass Effect 2</em> cinematic trailer" off your wishlist and bump up "<em>Mass Effect 3</em> cinematic trailer." <br />
<br />
[Via <a href="http://kotaku.com/5425151/the-new-mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-[corrected]">Kotaku</a>; thanks, tmacairjordan87]<br type="_moz" />
</meta><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-teases-full-length-version-for/">Mass Effect 2 cinematic trailer teases 'full-length' version for Dec. 22 XBL debut</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:58:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-teases-full-length-version-for/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19276504/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer-teases-full-length-version-for/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>BioWare</category><category>Mass-Effect-2</category><category>MGS</category><category>Microsoft-Game-Studios</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:58:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Joystiq Podcast 120 - Chewbacca Battle Chess edition]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/podcasts/" rel="tag">Podcasts</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://podcasts.aolcdn.com/joystiq/podcasts/12-12-09-joystiqpodcast-e120.mp3"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="350" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/15757_1089598098631_1786845829_181348_451717_n.jpg" alt="" /><br />
</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">We sent a canary down into Justin's West Virginian internet pipes and, just as we expected, it keeled over dead. Those pipes aren't safe and, since safety has always been our #1 concern here at the Joystiq Podcast Warehouse, we've asked our own Ben Gilbert to step in. <br />
<br />
Justin does join us for a quick phone chat about <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Dantes-Inferno/">Dante's Inferno</a></em>, Richard Mitchell joins us to talk about the <em>c</em><em>hilly </em>welcoming of this week's <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Silent-Hill-Shattered-Memories/">Silent Hill: Shattered Memories</a></em>, and JC Fletcher helps us make sense of that <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Yakuza-3/"><em>Yakuza 3</em></a> news. Oh, and Photochop Man Alan Black reminds us about <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/mega-man-10/"><em>Mega Man 10</em></a>.</div>
<strong><br />
Get the podcast:</strong><br />
[<a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=215055576" style="">iTunes</a>] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes<br />
[<a href="http://social.zune.net/my/ContentRedirect.ashx?mtype=Podcast&amp;mid=9a0cee12-b8f0-45dd-99b7-b49c4e3c4c2b">Zune</a>] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace<br />
[<a href="http://podcasts.joystiq.com/rss.xml">RSS</a>] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator<br />
[<a href="http://podcasts.aolcdn.com/joystiq/podcasts/12-12-09-joystiqpodcast-e120.mp3">MP3</a>] Download the MP3 directly<br />
<br />
<strong>Hosts:</strong> Christopher Grant (<a href="http://twitter.com/ChrisGrant">@chrisgrant</a>), Ludwig Kietzmann (<a href="http://twitter.com/Ludwigk">@LudwigK</a>), and Ben Gilbert (<a href="http://twitter.com/bigbossbgilbert">@BigBossBGilbert</a>)<br />
<br />
<strong>Music:</strong> "<a href="http://www.whoisjonblack.com/?p=359">Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)</a>" by <a href="http://www.whoisjonblack.com/">Jon Black</a>, "Red Eye" by <a href="http://www.kweller.net/">Ben Kweller</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">For fans: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8702785815">Joystiq Podcast Facebook group</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Do It Line!: </span>1-(877)-JOYSTIQ<br />
<br />
<strong>See all of this week's links </strong><strong>(and what games we played) </strong><strong>after the jump.</strong><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Joystiq Podcast 120 - Chewbacca Battle Chess edition</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/">Joystiq Podcast 120 - Chewbacca Battle Chess edition</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19274162/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/12/joystiq-podcast-120-chewbacca-battle-chess-edition/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Joystiq-Podcast</category><category>joystiqpodcast</category><category>podcasts</category><enclosure url="http://www.joystiq.com/podcasts/12-12-09-joystiqpodcast-e120.mp3" length="52138509" type="audio/mpeg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST</pubDate><itunes:subtitle>Joystiq Podcast 120</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Ben Gilbert</itunes:author><itunes:duration>1:48:23</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>podcasts</itunes:keywords></item><item><title><![CDATA[Xbox's Aaron Greenberg talks 'best-ever November in Xbox 360 history']]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<img hspace="4" height="297" width="225" vspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="" style="padding-left: 5px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/01/aarongreen.jpg" /> After two months of trailing the PS3 in monthly NPD sales - thanks in no small part to the success of the PS3 Slim - the Xbox 360 has <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/november-npd-modern-warfare-2-sells-5-million-ds-dominates-har/">taken the lead once again</a>. And Microsoft was quick to offer spokesman <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Aaron-Greenberg/">Aaron Greenberg</a> for a chat, to explain why they're calling this November the "best-ever November in Xbox 360 history."<br />
<br />
"In the month of November, consumers spent more money at retail on Xbox 360 than they did on the Wii or the PS3," Greenberg tells Joystiq. "If you look at total consumer spend across hardware, software, and accessories, it was $838 million. And if you look at software games, specifically third-party software games, we sold more games than the PS3 and the Wii combined." This emphasis on the entire "ecosystem" - including console sales, and software and accessories - is behind Microsoft's "best-ever" claim. In fact, though the Xbox 360 did sell over 100K more units than the PlayStation 3, console sales were down 2% year-over-year. <br />
<br />
"We're essentially flat, year over year. It's down 2%, technically, if you just look at hardware sales," Greenberg admits. Whether the Wii was on top or whether Microsoft's November sales are the best in the console's history, all comes down to a question of focus. "What scoreboard are you using?" Greenberg asks.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Xbox's Aaron Greenberg talks 'best-ever November in Xbox 360 history'</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/">Xbox's Aaron Greenberg talks 'best-ever November in Xbox 360 history'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:20:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19274422/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/10/xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-best-ever-november-in-xbox-360-his/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Aaron-Greenberg</category><category>NGE</category><category>NPD</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ubisoft planning 10 games for Natal, '4 to 5' for PlayStation Motion Controller]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/ubisoft-planning-10-games-for-natal-4-to-5-for-playstation-mo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/ubisoft-planning-10-games-for-natal-4-to-5-for-playstation-mo/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/ubisoft-planning-10-games-for-natal-4-to-5-for-playstation-mo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="330" width="580" vspace="0" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/ubisoft_motion_controller.jpg" /></div>
During the question and answer portion of an investor conference call this afternoon, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot clarified his company's commitment to developing games for both the Xbox 360's still-codenamed <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Project-Natal/">Project Natal</a> and the PlayStation 3's hopefully-still-codenamed <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/PlayStation-Motion-Controller/">PlayStation Motion Controller</a>. "We have about ten games that will come for Natal during the first six months of the launch of Natal, and we expect between four to five games for the new controller from Sony," Guillemot explained. "That's the picture at the moment, it can change in the next twelve months." (That "twelve months" reference doesn't bode well for Sony's purported "Spring 2010" third-party launch lineup for the motion controller.)<br />
<br />
When asked if those games were all new properties, or motion-enhanced updates of existing franchises (like <em>Prince of Persia</em>), Guillemot responded, "I didn't count the games that in fact are supporting the new functions that those accessories will bring. I was more speaking about casual games that we are doing on those two machines; we can consider that on those games it's 70 percent new property." Or - if you consider Guillemot's suggestion of ten games for Natal and "four to five" for PlayStation Motion Controller - that's roughly ten new casual properties coming from Ubisoft.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/ubisoft-planning-10-games-for-natal-4-to-5-for-playstation-mo/">Ubisoft planning 10 games for Natal, '4 to 5' for PlayStation Motion Controller</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:25:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/ubisoft-planning-10-games-for-natal-4-to-5-for-playstation-mo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19258555/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/ubisoft-planning-10-games-for-natal-4-to-5-for-playstation-mo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>PlayStation-Motion-Controller</category><category>Project-Natal</category><category>Ubisoft</category><category>Yves-Guillemot</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Spike VGA's second 'mystery' teaser]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/spike-vgas-second-mystery-teaser/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/spike-vgas-second-mystery-teaser/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/spike-vgas-second-mystery-teaser/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><embed height="435" width="580" align="middle" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="flvbaseclip=3296256" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="efp" bgcolor="000000" quality="high" src="http://www.spike.com/efp"></embed></div>
And there it is, people: The second "mystery" teaser for this year's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Spike-VGA-2009">Spike VGA</a> award show, shown first here on Joystiq. (The first, you'll recall, was 2K Games' franchise reboot of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/21/mystery-vga-teaser-revealed-as-spec-ops/"><em>Spec Ops</em></a>). Since we don't have any insider info on the developer or the publisher behind the game, we'll simply share what we know: This is a new, unannounced game that will be revealed for the first time at the VGAs; the trailer's narration is delivered by a "well-known actor" (Tom Wilkinson?); and the reveal at the VGAs will have actual gameplay.<br />
<br />
Share your best educated guesses in the comments below and we'll bubble the best to the top. We'll start you out: That's a Hong Kong police badge, so we're saying <em>True Crime 3: Hong Kong</em>.<br />
<br />
[<strong>Update</strong>: Internet sleuth <a href="http://twitter.com/supererogatory/status/6208927719">superannuation posits</a> that this mystery title is none other than <em>Black Lotus</em>, the as-of-yet-unnamed Activision-published, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/United-Front-Games/">United Front</a>-developed action title <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/activision-enlists-united-front-games-for-new-action-property/">announced earlier this year</a>. Just about the only thing we know about the project on the record is that it's "a new action-based game set in Hong Kong" by the studio working on <em>ModNation Racers</em>. Do we have a winner?]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/spike-vgas-second-mystery-teaser/">Spike VGA's second 'mystery' teaser</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/spike-vgas-second-mystery-teaser/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19258375/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/spike-vgas-second-mystery-teaser/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Activision</category><category>Black-Lotus</category><category>Spike-VGA-2009</category><category>United-Front-Games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk on Dragon Age, DLC, and more]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<strong>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="298" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/dragon-age-box-580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
</strong><em>Here's a Thanksgiving treat from the vault - we've dug out the following interview with BioWare co-founder (and Group Creative Officer of EA's newly formed RPG/MMO Group) Greg Zeschuk from earlier this year at PAX. But don't let the date fool you! Our discussion of multiplatform console development, DLC strategies on future BioWare titles like Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, and Greg's recommendation that everyone buy two copies of the game (one on console and one on PC) defies time. Read on!</em><br /> <strong><br /> <br /> Joystiq: <em>Dragon Age</em> is the first PS3 game that BioWare's developed. Can you talk about that process?</strong><br /> <br /> Greg Zeschuk: We did partner with Edge of Reality, so we partnered with folks who have had the experience, and that was a good process where we actually had some folks that knew how to do it but also, in general, just worked together with them. A lot of it ended up being like we needed a lot of work to get done and a lot of stuff very fast and everyone was very busy on <em>Dragon Age</em> itself. Collectively, on the console, I would say it was very interesting and challenging to take the richness of the PC game of <em>Dragon Age</em>, with all these different powers and everything else, and actually try to transpose it to the consoles. And the interesting thing about that, or where it worked out really well, is that we literally set ourselves a goal: We didn't want console players to fell like we ripped them off by taking anything away, by minimizing or simplifying. We want them to feel they have all the power at their fingertips, but it's very accessible. It's got the multiple rings that sort of have subsets to them, and you can actually pretty much access any power just a couple little joystick twiddles and button presses. And so with that experience, I think we succeeded there.<br /> <br /> Another place where we succeeded on both the PS3 and 360 versions: it feels very different from the PC. Where the PC has got the traditional <em>Baldur's Gate</em> top-down [perspective], the PS3 and 360 are over-the-shoulder and they do have that kind of, very <em>KOTOR</em> feel and that's probably what I play, and that's what I feel most familiar with is <em>KOTOR</em> -- and it actually feels more action-y than the PC does, so I think people will find a very different experience. I recommend both platforms actually, PC and console versions. <br /> <div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins/">Dragon Age: Origins</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins/2351182/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/dao_100909image3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins/2351181/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/dao_100909image2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins/2351180/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/dao_100909image1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins/2007230/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/dragonageorigins05110903_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/dragon-age-origins/2007231/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/dragonageorigins05110904_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk on Dragon Age, DLC, and more</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/">Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk on Dragon Age, DLC, and more</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19219696/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/26/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-on-dragon-age-dlc-and-more/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>BioWare</category><category>DLC</category><category>dragon-age</category><category>Dragon-Age-Origins</category><category>EA</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>Greg-Zeschuk</category><category>mass-effect</category><category>Mass-Effect-2</category><category>rpg</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Review: Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="255" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/l4d2_pc_box-580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
When Valve announced <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Left-4-Dead-2/"><em>Left 4 Dead 2</em></a> during <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/01/joystiq-live-from-microsofts-e3-2009-keynote/">Microsoft's E3 2009 press conference</a> -- less than seven months after the release of the award-winning original -- gamers were, perhaps rightfully, shocked. This was the same Valve that spent nearly ten years iterating on <em>Team Fortress 2</em> and whose experiment in episodic gaming has forced us to reevaluate our expectations for future installments of <em>Half-Life 2</em> using the "Star Wars-definition" of episodic.<br />
<br />
So when Valve announced a direct sequel to the ground-breaking <em>Left 4 Dead</em> on what could only be considered an accelerated schedule for <em>normal</em> developers (and an impossibly accelerated schedule for Valve) we had every right to be shocked. Valve answered this concern with assurances that <em>Left 4 Dead 2</em> was an entirely new game, with changes that could not be simply grafted onto the original. And the team was right! ... But that's the problem.<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-07-10-09/">Left 4 Dead 2 (07/10/09)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-07-10-09/2137329/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/swampfeverl4d2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-07-10-09/2137298/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/l4d2071009image9_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-07-10-09/2137297/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/l4d2071009image8_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-07-10-09/2137295/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/l4d2071009image7_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-07-10-09/2137294/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/l4d2071009image6_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Review: Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/">Review: Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:43:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19244942/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/review-left-4-dead-2/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>EA</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>L4D2</category><category>Left-4-Dead-2</category><category>Valve</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:43:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Achtung! Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies infests iPhone]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/achtung-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-infests-iphone/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/achtung-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-infests-iphone/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/achtung-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-infests-iphone/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="353" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/cod-waw-zombies-iphone.jpg" /></div>
No doubt strategically timed between last week's <em>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</em> launch and this week's <em>Left 4 Dead 2</em> launch, Activision just announced <em>Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies</em>, a $9.99 iPhone game based on the zombie-themed multiplayer antics of the series' console counterpart. Since the only thing the publishers sent us by way of details was an 8GB iPod Touch and iTunes code for the game (<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/joyswag">Joyswag</a>, ahoy!) we'll turn to the App Store description. <br />
<br />
<em>Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies </em>supports up to four players over Wi-Fi, and two players over a local Bluetooth connection. You can use the iPhone's tilt sensors, or the <em>always enjoyable</em> virtual analog thumbsticks, to control the game. With Apple remaining hands-off in the space, the game supports "Achievements" and a "Leaderboard," but they're presumably isolated from other games. The description also promises that the game will "fully support future Downloadable Content, ensuring that the classic survival experience will live on with new maps." Thanks, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/sims-iphone-shows-off-in-game-purchasing-personalized-music/">in-game purchasing</a>!<br />
<br />
What's less clear is who is behind the development of <em>Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies</em>. The iTunes Store lists the game under "Vivendi Games Mobile," the presumably outdated name of Vivendi Games' mobile gaming arm, taken over during <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/activision-and-vivendi-merge-in-18-billion-deal/">the 2007 merger</a>. We've put a line into Activision. [<strong>Update</strong>: The press release just went out over the wires, and it states that Zombies was "developed by Ideaworks Game Studio" who have brought other high-profile cell phone games to market, including <em>Metal Gear Solid Mobile</em>, <em>Project Gotham Racing</em>, and <em>Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode Final Fantasy VII</em>.]<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-iphone/">Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies (iPhone)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-iphone/2456375/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/6635_09_20091006-ihd0_012_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-iphone/2456376/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/6635_09_20091006-ihd0_008_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-iphone/2456377/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/6635_09_20091006-ihd0_003_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-iphone/2456378/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/6635_09_20091006-ihd0_001_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em>Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies</em> - <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/call-duty-world-at-war-zombies/id338057689?mt=8&amp;uo=6"><img height="15" width="61" src="http://ax.itunes.apple.com/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif" alt="Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies" /></a><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/achtung-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-infests-iphone/">Achtung! Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies infests iPhone</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=424494>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/achtung-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-infests-iphone/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19241163/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/achtung-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-infests-iphone/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Activision</category><category>Call-of-Duty</category><category>Call-of-Duty-World-at-War-Zombies</category><category>fps</category><category>Ideaworks-Game-Studio</category><category>zombies</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[October NPD: Uncharted 2 takes top spot while hardware sales slow down]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="304" width="580" vspace="0" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/09/nathanpunchesoutps3_091109a.jpg" alt="" /></div>
After the last <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/10/august-npd-ps3-sales-soar-as-gamers-go-batty-for-arkham-asylum/">two</a> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/september-npd-obviously-destined-to-sell-tons/#continued">months</a> of price drop-fueled sales surges, it's almost comforting to see all these red arrows. Hardware sales are down 17% from last month and down 10% from the year prior, with only the Wii maintaining any upward momentum as we head into the two busiest shopping months of the year. The PS3 lost the highest percentage, but that's hardly surprising following last month's meteoric 134% spike in sales. <br /> <br /> On the software side of things, the exceptionally well-received PlayStation 3-exclusive <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Uncharted-2-Among-Thieves/">Uncharted 2: Among Thieves</a></em> took top honors, selling 537K units in just the second half of October. Of course, Sony told us earlier today that the title has <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/sony-uncharted-2-has-sold-over-one-million-copies/">broken the coveted million mark</a> (worldwide?) with November sales factored in. The multiplatform <em>Borderlands</em> makes a similarly impressive showing, taking third on Xbox 360 with 418K units sold; however, when you factor in the 113K units sold of the not-top-ten PS3 version (data provided graciously by NPD), you find an impressive 531K in cumulative sales, just missing the top spot.<br /> <br /> <em>NBA 2K10</em> had a strong showing with 524K in cumulative sales, "outselling last year's NBA 2K9 by 60% in its launch month" reports the NPD, while last month's champ, <em>Halo 3: ODST</em>, dropped to sixth with 271K in sales. With just four days on shelves in October, <em>Forza Motorsport 3</em> made a strong showing at #8 with 175K. Slightly less strong was <span style="font-style: italic;">Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days' </span>ninth-place showing despite a full month on the shelf. And in last place is the worldwide phenomenon known as <em>FIFA 10</em> (or, in North America, <em>FIFA Soccer 10</em>). While <em>FIFA 10</em> may be the "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ea-fifa-10-is-fastest-selling-sports-game-ever/">fastest selling sports game ever</a>" in Europe, selling 1.7m in its first week, over here we bought up just 156K copies in a little over a week.<br /> <br /> <strong>-Wii:</strong> 507K<img hspace="4" vspace="0" border="0" align="bottom" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dsfanboy.com/media/2006/04/Up_Arrow.jpg" alt="" />44K (+10%)<br /> <strong>-DS:</strong> 458K<img hspace="4" vspace="0" border="0" align="bottom" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dsfanboy.com/media/2006/04/Down_Arrow.jpg" />66K (-13%)<br /> <strong>-PS3: </strong>321K<img hspace="4" vspace="0" border="0" align="bottom" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dsfanboy.com/media/2006/04/Down_Arrow.jpg" alt="" />171K (-35%)<br /> <strong>-360:</strong> 250K<img hspace="4" vspace="0" border="0" align="bottom" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dsfanboy.com/media/2006/04/Down_Arrow.jpg" alt="" />103K (-29%)<br /> <strong>-PSP:</strong> 175K<img hspace="4" vspace="0" border="0" align="bottom" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dsfanboy.com/media/2006/04/Down_Arrow.jpg" alt="" />15K (-8%)<br /> <strong>-PS2: </strong>118K<img hspace="4" vspace="0" border="0" align="bottom" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dsfanboy.com/media/2006/04/Down_Arrow.jpg" alt="" />28K (-19%)<br /> <br /> Check out the software sales chart after the break.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>October NPD: Uncharted 2 takes top spot while hardware sales slow down</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/">October NPD: Uncharted 2 takes top spot while hardware sales slow down</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:43:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19235667/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/october-npd-uncharted-2-takes-top-spot-while-hardware-sales-slo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>charts</category><category>hardware</category><category>NPD</category><category>npd-monthly</category><category>sales</category><category>software</category><category>Uncharted-2-Among-Thieves</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:43:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit out of stock [Update: back in stock!]]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/xbox-360-hard-drive-transfer-kit-out-of-stock-restock-date-unkn/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/xbox-360-hard-drive-transfer-kit-out-of-stock-restock-date-unkn/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/xbox-360-hard-drive-transfer-kit-out-of-stock-restock-date-unkn/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="375" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/hdd-transfer-cable-580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
[<strong>Update 11/12/09</strong>: Well, that didn't take long. Though Microsoft may not have known yesterday, Hard Drive Transfer Kits are back in stock today! As in, right now. So, if you need one, or had been told to "use your own hard drive" you may want to give 'em a call at 1-800-4MY-XBOX and get yourself squared away.]<br />
<br />
If the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/microsoft-confirms-xbox-360-price-cut-300-elite-on-friday-25/">recent price drop</a> has encouraged you to hedge your bets and replace your aging, bound-to-die Xbox 360 with a quiet, new, Jasper-equipped 120GB Elite, you'll want to pay attention. As relayed to us by tipster Paolo, and confirmed by a Microsoft representative, the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/HDD-Transfer-Kit/">Hard Drive Transfer Kit</a> - which is currently available for eligible consumers by calling 1-800-4MY-XBOX - is "out of stock at the moment" and the company does "not know when inventories will be restored."<br />
<br />
Of course, it's "working on resolving this shortage as quickly as possible" but in the interim, if you want to get data of your old 'box and you didn't buy the 120GB drive at retail (which comes with the HDD transfer kit) Microsoft Support recommends that you "use your old hard drive." Not the most elegant solution, especially if you're trying to unload that old Xbox. We've asked Microsoft to clarify when we might expect the Kits to be restocked and we'll share with you if and when we hear back.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/xbox-360-hard-drive-transfer-kit-out-of-stock-restock-date-unkn/">Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit out of stock [Update: back in stock!]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/xbox-360-hard-drive-transfer-kit-out-of-stock-restock-date-unkn/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19233324/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/xbox-360-hard-drive-transfer-kit-out-of-stock-restock-date-unkn/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>HDD-transfer-kit</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bizarre-developed Bond opts for EastEnder over Daniel Craig]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/bizarre-developed-bond-opts-for-eastender-over-daniel-craig/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/bizarre-developed-bond-opts-for-eastender-over-daniel-craig/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/bizarre-developed-bond-opts-for-eastender-over-daniel-craig/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="241" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/bizarre-bond-580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
Activision's plan to annualize the <em>Bond</em> franchise -- regardless of the status of a movie to tie into -- has already come unraveled, with the decision to <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/11/activision-delays-james-bond-title-to-2010/">pull Mr. Bond</a> out of <em>Modern Warfare 2's</em> line of sight this holiday. So, Bizarre Creations' "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/bizarre-making-bond-title-for-2009-new-racing-ip-is-mario-kart/">racing and driving focused</a>" crack at <em>Bond</em> is now due in 2010, unattached to the Daniel Craig-powered, as-yet-untitled 2011 <em>Bond</em> movie. This poses an obvious question: With no theatrical attachment, will <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/joystiq-eyes-only-on-james-bond-in-quantum-of-solace-the-gam/">confessed gamer</a> Daniel Craig reprise the interactive Bond role or will Bizarre's seemingly unique take on the license also have a unique actor in the role of 007?<br /> <br /> According to Adam Croasdell, the <em>EastEnders</em> star (it's a long-running BBC soap opera, for the non-British amongst us) has wrapped up voice work on the game. "Oddly enough I have just played James Bond in the new <em>James Bond </em>video game -- how weird is that?" Croasdell told BBC Asian Network, as reported by the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iiZMVEc4LxbaXcQnUWv2psxR1YOw">Press Association</a>. "I think video games and the making of that type of technology, being in a funny one-piece suit and being shot with 60 cameras, I think that's sort of the future."<br /> <br /> We're right there with you, Croasdell! Oh, and you better get used to that one-piece suit ... Activision has plans to milk that <em>Bond</em> license before it expires in 2014.<br /> <br /> [Via <a href="http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/s2/eastenders/news/a185917/walford-star-becomes-bond-for-new-game.html">Digital Spy</a><a href="http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=103562">]</a><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/bizarre-developed-bond-opts-for-eastender-over-daniel-craig/">Bizarre-developed Bond opts for EastEnder over Daniel Craig</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:58:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iiZMVEc4LxbaXcQnUWv2psxR1YOw>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/bizarre-developed-bond-opts-for-eastender-over-daniel-craig/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19232695/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/11/bizarre-developed-bond-opts-for-eastender-over-daniel-craig/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>007</category><category>Activision</category><category>Adam-Croasdell</category><category>Bizarre-Creations</category><category>Bond</category><category>James-Bond</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:58:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looking to catch MW2-jaded PC gamers on the rebound]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/battlefield-bad-company-2-looking-to-catch-mw2-jaded-pc-gamers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/battlefield-bad-company-2-looking-to-catch-mw2-jaded-pc-gamers/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/battlefield-bad-company-2-looking-to-catch-mw2-jaded-pc-gamers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="305" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/battlefieldbadcompany2580-plain.jpg" alt="" /></div>
Perhaps detecting a <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/modern-warfare-2,dedicated-servers">dedicated server-shaped weakness</a> in the competition's defenses, Electronic Arts is beginning to position next year's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Battlefield-Bad-Company-2/"><em>Battlefield: Bad Company 2</em></a> as a legitimate heir to the <em>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare</em> throne. On yesterday's Q2 earnings call, EA Games label prez Frank Gibeau said that, in addition to other things, <em>Bad Company 2's</em> "deep new online play with dedicated server support ... will put <em>Battlefield</em> in head-to-head competition with <em>Call of Duty</em> for quality and online gameplay." EA CEO John Riccitiello later said, "<em>Battlefield: Bad Company 2</em> ... has every right to see itself as a rival to the #1 FPS game that one of our competitors is releasing next week." (Note: We presume Riccitiello misspoke and meant "this" week and not "next" week ... unless he thinks <em>Left 4 Dead 2</em> is the #1 FPS game and that EA is its own competition). <br /> <br /> Continuing to pour gasoline on the dedicated server fire, Gordon Van Dyke from <em>Bad Company 2's</em> DICE <a href="http://www.incgamers.com/News/19536/dice-bad-company-2-pc-gets-a-little-bit-more">tells IncGamers</a>, "On the PC, it's a PC version, which is getting that same treatment, and then also a little bit more as PC users are generally used to a different type of experience than console users are, and we recognize that and we want to make sure that we give that to the PC market and give the console market more." He was less committal when discussing modding tools, offering, "Once we start getting there and the engine gets to a level where we can release tools that are easy for our own guys to use, and then easy for people publicly, then we'll get into that and we'll really start to focus on it."<br /> <br /> Though the first <em>Battlefield: Bad Company</em> never made its way to the PC, with promised support for the platform and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/battlefield-bad-company-2-multiplayer-beta-hits-nov-19-exclus/">a PC beta hitting this December</a> -- just a few weeks after the PS3-exclusive console beta gets underway -- it's clear EA and DICE are making up for lost time.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://investor.ea.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=ERTS&amp;fileid=330453&amp;filekey=71e67a3e-3961-441c-8546-f3ff34252303&amp;filename=Q2FY10_Script_FINAL.pdf">Source</a> - Electronic Arts Q2 2010 Earnings Conference Call [PDF link]<br /> <a href="http://www.incgamers.com/News/19536/dice-bad-company-2-pc-gets-a-little-bit-more">Source</a> - DICE: Bad Company 2 PC Gets A "Little Bit More" [IncGamers]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/battlefield-bad-company-2-looking-to-catch-mw2-jaded-pc-gamers/">Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looking to catch MW2-jaded PC gamers on the rebound</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/battlefield-bad-company-2-looking-to-catch-mw2-jaded-pc-gamers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19231565/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/battlefield-bad-company-2-looking-to-catch-mw2-jaded-pc-gamers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Battlefield-Bad-Company-2</category><category>DICE</category><category>EA</category><category>EA-DICE</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>Frank-GIbeau</category><category>John-Riccitiello</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Criterion-developed Need for Speed coming 'next year']]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/criterion-developed-need-for-speed-coming-next-year/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/criterion-developed-need-for-speed-coming-next-year/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/criterion-developed-need-for-speed-coming-next-year/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="216" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/criterion-need-for-speed.jpg" alt="" /></div>
"In recent years, we failed to put adequate resources behind the franchise and, as a result, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/need-for-speed-series-sells-100m-copies-earns-2-7b-life-to-dat/">quality suffered</a>," EA Games label president Frank Gibeau said of the <em>Need for Speed</em> franchise, currently in the midst of a reboot with the well received <em>Need for Speed: Shift</em>, the recently released <em>Need for Speed: Nitro</em>, and the we're-not-sure-that's-going-to-work <em>Need for Speed: World Online</em>. But there's a fourth post-reboot <em>Need for Speed</em> title <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/report-battlefield-3-criterion-developed-need-for-speed-underw/">in development at Criterion Games</a>, the devs behind the excellent <em>Burnout</em> series. <br /> <br /> Removing any doubt that the series will miss an opportunity for annual exploitation (again, the massively multilpayer online racing of <em>World Online</em> doesn't count!) Gibeau said "Next year's <em>Need for Speed</em> has been under development now for some time at our award-winning Criterion Studio." We're not sure what type of <em>Need for Speed</em> Criterion is creating, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was heavy on the crashing.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/criterion-developed-need-for-speed-coming-next-year/">Criterion-developed Need for Speed coming 'next year'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/criterion-developed-need-for-speed-coming-next-year/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19229864/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/criterion-developed-need-for-speed-coming-next-year/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Criterion-Games</category><category>EA</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>Frank-Gibeau</category><category>Need-for-Speed</category><category>NFS</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[EA: Medal of Honor being revitalized, details 'in the months ahead']]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/ea-medal-of-honor-being-revitalized-details-in-the-months-ahe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/ea-medal-of-honor-being-revitalized-details-in-the-months-ahe/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/ea-medal-of-honor-being-revitalized-details-in-the-months-ahe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/medal-of-honor-logo.jpg" /></div>
After relaying the company's success in revitalizing the long-abused <em>Need for Speed</em> franchise with this year's well-received <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Need-for-Speed-Shift/"><em>Need for Speed: Shift</em></a> during this afternoon's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/losses-layoffs-in-eas-q2-earnings-report/">Q2</a> conference call, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau revealed, "In the months ahead, you'll hear more about our plans to revitalize core IP, including the <em>Medal of Honor</em> franchise."<br />
<br />
The long-established war series - whose <em>Allied Assault</em> team led to the creation of Infinity Ward and the now dominant <em>Call of Duty</em> series at competitor Activision - has been absent since 2007's triple showing of the poorly received <em>Medal of Honor: Airborne</em>, the poorly received <em>Medal of Honor: Hereos 2</em>, and the even more poorly received <em>Medal of Honor: Vanguard</em>. Yeah, a reboot seems in order. <br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/ea-medal-of-honor-being-revitalized-details-in-the-months-ahe/">EA: Medal of Honor being revitalized, details 'in the months ahead'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:50:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/ea-medal-of-honor-being-revitalized-details-in-the-months-ahe/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19229858/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/ea-medal-of-honor-being-revitalized-details-in-the-months-ahe/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>EA</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>Frank-Gibeau</category><category>Medal-of-Honor</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:50:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Xbox 360 Wireless N adapter live in the UK, US release still a mystery]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/xbox-360-wireless-n-adapter-live-in-the-uk-us-release-still-a-m/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/xbox-360-wireless-n-adapter-live-in-the-uk-us-release-still-a-m/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/xbox-360-wireless-n-adapter-live-in-the-uk-us-release-still-a-m/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/08/elusive-xbox-360-802-11n-wireless-adapter-appears-in-the-uk/"><img width="418" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="500" border="0" align="middle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/11/2009-11-08wirelessn.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Alas, the troubled tale of the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Xbox-360-Wireless-N-Networking-Adapter">Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter</a> has reached a conclusion, albeit not the exact conclusion many (including Microsoft, no doubt) would have hoped. Nearly two months after first being caught in the public spotlight (<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/15/xbox-360-802-11n-wifi-adapter-reviewed-by-fcc/">thanks, FCC</a>!) - and then <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/microsoft-confirms-xbox-360-802-11n-adapter/">casually confirmed</a>, sans press release, price, or release date - the Xbox 360's second attempt at a this-should-really-be-built-in wireless networking adapter has found its way to some store shelves, apparently.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/08/elusive-xbox-360-802-11n-wireless-adapter-appears-in-the-uk/">An Engadget reader</a> snapped the above pic at UK-supermarket Asda where the adapter is evidently selling for &pound;49, which converts to a (relatively speaking!) very reasonable $82. Of course, it's nowhere to be found on any major US retail sites and Microsoft is keeping mum so the cat-and-mouse game continues. Naturally, we've put (another) word into Microsoft and we'll let you know when they respond with the usual shrug.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/xbox-360-wireless-n-adapter-live-in-the-uk-us-release-still-a-m/">Xbox 360 Wireless N adapter live in the UK, US release still a mystery</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/08/elusive-xbox-360-802-11n-wireless-adapter-appears-in-the-uk/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/xbox-360-wireless-n-adapter-live-in-the-uk-us-release-still-a-m/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19228853/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/xbox-360-wireless-n-adapter-live-in-the-uk-us-release-still-a-m/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>802.11n</category><category>peripherals</category><category>Wi-Fi</category><category>WiFi</category><category>Wireless-N</category><category>Xbox-360-Wireless-N-Networking-Adapte</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="580" height="368" id="viddler_657c7698"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/simple/657c7698/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="flashvars" value="tubemogulid=TD-Q0P-W10" /><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/simple/657c7698/" width="580" height="368" flashvars="tubemogulid=TD-Q0P-W10" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="viddler_657c7698"></embed></object></div>
No, <em>Whizzle</em> and <em>The Ball</em> aren't Cincinatti's crazy drive-time zoo crew, rocking WKRP with six hours of fart jokes, crank calls, and toilet-flushing sound effects - instead, they're two new indie games built entirely using the hey-isn't-that-expensive Unreal Engine 3. Or, if you want to get specific, built using the just-announced (<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/rumor-epic-to-announce-unreal-engine-3-for-consumers/">though expected</a>) Unreal Development Kit, or UDK for the acronymical out there. Sure, Unreal Engine 3 is super enough to bring you games like <em>Gears of War 2</em> and <em>Batman: Arkham Asylum</em>, but as long as you're using it for non-commercial or educational purposes, UDK is available totally free of charge. <br />
<br />
You can <a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/11/05/download-unreal-development-kit/">download the Unreal Development Kit for yourself from Big Download</a>, and while you're over there read their blowout coverage, including <a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/11/05/feature-epic-games-speaks-on-newly-released-unreal-development/">interviews with Epic Games</a>, <a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/11/05/interview-psyonix-talks-about-their-free-udk-game-whizzle/"><em>Whizzle's</em> Psyonix Studios</a>, and <a href="http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/11/05/interview-toltec-studios-talks-about-the-udk-version-of-the-bal/"><em>The Ball's</em> Toltec Studios</a>. We've got images and descriptions of both games, along with a video from Psyonix, after the break. <br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/unreal-development-kit-udk/">Unreal Development Kit (UDK)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/unreal-development-kit-udk/2425852/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/udk_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/unreal-development-kit-udk/2425841/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/udk_animation-1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/unreal-development-kit-udk/2425842/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/udk_audio-1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/unreal-development-kit-udk/2425843/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/udk_editor-1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/unreal-development-kit-udk/2425844/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/11/udk_facefx-1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><strong><br />
</strong><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/">Unreal Development Kit brings Unreal Engine development to the masses</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.epicgames.com/press_releases/udk.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19224549/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/unreal-development-kit-brings-unreal-engine-development-to-the-m/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Epic-Games</category><category>UDK</category><category>Unreal-Development-Kit</category><category>Unreal-Engine</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Watch: The Modern Warfare 2 launch trailer, as seen on TV]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/watch-the-modern-warfare-2-launch-trailer-as-seen-on-tv/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/watch-the-modern-warfare-2-launch-trailer-as-seen-on-tv/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/watch-the-modern-warfare-2-launch-trailer-as-seen-on-tv/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="580" height="368" id="viddler_8a1fa0f1"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/simple/8a1fa0f1/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="flashvars" value="tubemogulid=TD-Q0P-W10" /><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/simple/8a1fa0f1/" width="580" height="368" flashvars="tubemogulid=TD-Q0P-W10" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="viddler_8a1fa0f1"></embed></object></div>
For some reason, Activision is intent on blowing cash on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Modern-Warfare-2/"><em>Modern Warfare 2</em></a> advertisements, despite <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/03/modern-warfare-2-is-gamestops-most-pre-ordered-game-ever/">record pre-order numbers</a>, and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/02/activision-hopes-modern-warfare-2-is-biggest-selling-video-game-of/">anticipated record-breaking sales</a>. At this point, tossing out slick television commercials - like the one you see above, showing some more fightin' on American soil - just seems like kicking everyone's wallets while they're down. We've already got the game pre-ordered! We can't pre-order it anymore! Uncle!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/watch-the-modern-warfare-2-launch-trailer-as-seen-on-tv/">Watch: The Modern Warfare 2 launch trailer, as seen on TV</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/watch-the-modern-warfare-2-launch-trailer-as-seen-on-tv/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19223930/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/watch-the-modern-warfare-2-launch-trailer-as-seen-on-tv/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Activision</category><category>call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2</category><category>Infinity-Ward</category><category>modern-warfare-2</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ubisoft talks dancing, fitness and party games on Natal, PS3 Motion Controller]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="313" width="580" vspace="0" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/ubisoft-natal-controller.jpg" /></div>
On the conference call covering <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-reports-first-half-sales-drop-deems-q4-most-important-q/">Ubisoft's Q2 earnings</a>, management had a chance to discuss its strategies for the company, including support for both Microsoft and Sony's motion control accessories. "We will also be ready with some very nice innovations when Natal and Motion Controller are launched on the Xbox 360 and PS3 next year," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said, reminding us that a 2010 release for Project Natal is all but confirmed at this point. He later explained that Ubisoft will "also have some games that will come on the new machines that are going to come in the future" and "are working to be ready for the new accessories or new machines that will come soon." Whether Guillemot is talking about the aforementioned motion control accessories or new consoles altogether (or both!) wasn't clear.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ubisoft talks dancing, fitness and party games on Natal, PS3 Motion Controller</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/">Ubisoft talks dancing, fitness and party games on Natal, PS3 Motion Controller</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19223630/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/ubisoft-talks-dancing-fitness-and-party-games-on-natal-ps3-mot/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Alain-Martinez</category><category>earnings</category><category>Motion-Controller</category><category>Project-Natal</category><category>PS3-Motion-Controller</category><category>Ubisoft</category><category>Yves-Guillemot</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Midway execs found not guilty in conspiracy suit]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/midway-execs-found-innocent-in-conspiracy-suit/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/midway-execs-found-innocent-in-conspiracy-suit/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/midway-execs-found-innocent-in-conspiracy-suit/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.develop-online.net/news/33126/Midway-execs-win-conspiracy-suit"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="161" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/midway052109.jpg" /></a></div>
You know how this works: You're a shareholder in a major company -- let's say a major video game publisher like ... Midway Games -- and while the suits assure you that, despite lagging sales and a lousy portfolio, everything's going to be "OK!" <br /> <br /> Things started looking dodgy when CEO <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/20/midway-ceo-zucker-departs-company-left-looking-for-leadership/">David Zucker abandoned ship in March of 2008</a>. "Everything okay in there?" you ask. "Yup, everything's fine," Midway responded, while installing <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/midway-secures-booty-for-long-haul/">Matt Booty into the position</a>. Then chairwoman Shari Redstone, daughter of owner Sumner Redstone, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/midway-chair-shari-redstone-resigns/">resigned in November 2008</a>. "Alright, this sounds really bad!" you cried. "Seriously, don't worry. It's fine," Midway responded (<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/30/booty-gets-bigger-becomes-midway-chairman/">they'd put Booty in that position</a> in January of the following year). And then, in December, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/01/redstone-to-sell-stake-in-midway-for-about-100k/">Sumner Redstone sold his shares</a> in the now clearly troubled publisher for the bargain basement price of $100,000 to mysterious investor Mark Thomas ... and then, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Midway,layoffs">the layoffs</a> began. <br /> <br /> So now you, and the rest of the shareholders in NYSE: MWY want to hold the executives who kept you in the dark accountable. According to <a href="http://www.develop-online.net/news/33126/Midway-execs-win-conspiracy-suit">Develop</a>, after months of hearing allegations, District Court judge David H. Coar found five Midway executives - including former CEO David Zucker and CFO Thomas Powell - "innocent of conspiracy to deceive the public about the health of the fallen company." The reason? The shareholders had not "adequately alleged the direct liability" of the execs.<br /> <br /> Okay, so it wasn't a "conspiracy" (or whatever other fancy law school words the "law" requires) but we understand your pain. Now, have we told you about the opportunities at Joystiq Publishing ...<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/midway-execs-found-innocent-in-conspiracy-suit/">Midway execs found not guilty in conspiracy suit</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:22:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.develop-online.net/news/33126/Midway-execs-win-conspiracy-suit>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/midway-execs-found-innocent-in-conspiracy-suit/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19211445/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/midway-execs-found-innocent-in-conspiracy-suit/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>David-Zucker</category><category>James-Boyle</category><category>Midway</category><category>Midway-Games</category><category>Miguel-Iribarren</category><category>Steven-Allison</category><category>Thomas-Powell</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:22:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Joystiq Podcast 114 - Funny last names edition]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/podcasts/" rel="tag">Podcasts</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="350" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/podcast-art-114.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Chris is out with a flu of curiously porcine proportions and Justin is in a country with even worse internet connectivity than Ludwig's. Of course, that leaves only Ludwig ... lucky for you, he's bolstered the show with the contributions of Griffin McElroy and the omnipresent Tom Chick, video game freelancer extraordinaire. Mr Chick is perhaps best known for his cameo on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/16/joystiq-podcast-113-plunger-mcgillicutty-edition/">Joystiq Podcast 113</a>, where he (inadvertently) played the role of "Games Reviewer We Disagreed With Regarding <em>Uncharted 2</em>." Tune in for the thrilling confrontation!<br />
<br />
Thanks to Zachary Tuttle for photo-documenting our road trip, seen above.</div>
<br />
<strong>Get the podcast:</strong><br />
[<a style="" href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=215055576">iTunes</a>] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes<br />
[<a href="http://social.zune.net/my/ContentRedirect.ashx?mtype=Podcast&amp;mid=9a0cee12-b8f0-45dd-99b7-b49c4e3c4c2b">Zune</a>] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace<br />
[<a href="http://podcasts.joystiq.com/rss.xml">RSS</a>] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator<br />
[<a href="http://podcasts.aolcdn.com/joystiq/podcasts/10-23-09-joystiqpodcast-e114.mp3">MP3</a>] Download the MP3 directly<br />
<br />
<strong>Hosts:</strong> Ludwig Kietzmann (<a href="http://twitter.com/Ludwigk">@LudwigK</a>), Griffin McElroy (<a href="http://twitter.com/GriffinMcElroy">@GriffinMcElroy</a>), and Tom Chick (follow him at <a href="http://fidgit.com/">Fidgit</a> and <a href="http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/">QuartertoThree.com</a>)<br />
<br />
<strong>Music:</strong> "<a href="http://www.whoisjonblack.com/2009/05/23/gravity/" style="">Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)</a>" by <a href="http://www.whoisjonblack.com/">Jon Black</a>, "Red Eye" by <a href="http://www.kweller.net/">Ben Kweller</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">For fans: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8702785815">Joystiq Podcast Facebook group</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Do It Line!: </span>1-(877)-JOYSTIQ<br />
<br />
<strong>See all of this week's links </strong><strong>(and what games we played) </strong><strong>after the jump.</strong><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Joystiq Podcast 114 - Funny last names edition</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/">Joystiq Podcast 114 - Funny last names edition</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:15:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19207200/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/joystiq-podcast-114-funny-last-names-edition/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>joystiq-podcast</category><category>Podcasts</category><enclosure url="http://www.joystiq.com/podcasts/10-23-09-joystiqpodcast-e114.mp3" length="55276875" type="audio/mpeg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:15:00 EST</pubDate><itunes:subtitle>Joystiq Podcast 114</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>Ludwig Kietzmann, Griffin McElroy, Tom Chick</itunes:author><itunes:duration>1:54:55</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>podcasts</itunes:keywords></item><item><title><![CDATA[iPhone beats Wii, DS, PSP: 'fastest hardware growth in consumer tech history']]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/iphone-beats-wii-ds-psp-fastest-hardware-growth-in-consumer/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/iphone-beats-wii-ds-psp-fastest-hardware-growth-in-consumer/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/iphone-beats-wii-ds-psp-fastest-hardware-growth-in-consumer/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="393" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/iphone-vs-game-consoles.jpg" alt="" /></div>
If you wonder why analysts love the iPhone, wonder no longer! Those rascally number crunchers just love to make bold proclamations and Apple's iPhone / iPod Touch ecosystem allow them to do just that. Let's start with Mary Meeker, internet analyst at Morgan Stanley, who told the Web 2.0 Summit crowd yesterday that the iPhone and iPod Touch (which share a common software platform) exhibited the "fastest hardware user growth in consumer tech history"! Don't believe her? <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/21/how-the-iphone-is-blowing-everyone-else-away-in-charts/">Check out that chart</a>. Those numbers even make the DS look pedestrian.<br /> <br /> Couple Meeker's research with DFC Intelligence analyst <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/analyst-ds-and-psp-growth-peaked-iphone-to-drum-future-growt/">David Cole's assertion</a> that the iPhone and iPod Touch devices will be the "primary drivers of mobile game market sales over the coming years" and you've got what those of us in the biz call "consensus." <br /> <br /> Still think it's not a real gaming platform?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/iphone-beats-wii-ds-psp-fastest-hardware-growth-in-consumer/">iPhone beats Wii, DS, PSP: 'fastest hardware growth in consumer tech history'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/21/how-the-iphone-is-blowing-everyone-else-away-in-charts/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/iphone-beats-wii-ds-psp-fastest-hardware-growth-in-consumer/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19207215/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/iphone-beats-wii-ds-psp-fastest-hardware-growth-in-consumer/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>analysts</category><category>David-Cole</category><category>iPod-Touch</category><category>Mary-Meeker</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Xbox division a bright spot on Microsoft's quarterly report]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/xbox-division-a-bright-spot-on-microsofts-quarterly-report/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/xbox-division-a-bright-spot-on-microsofts-quarterly-report/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/xbox-division-a-bright-spot-on-microsofts-quarterly-report/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/msft/earnings/fy10/earn_rel_q1_10.mspx"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/e-and-d-doing-okay.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
Despite a year-over-year dip in both revenues (14%) and net income (18%) for the company as a whole, Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division - which houses the Xbox, Games for Windows, and Zune brands, amongst others - nearly doubled its operating income in the period ending September 30, thanks to "decreased Xbox 360 platform costs," meaning console production costs.<br /> <br /> The company reports that "EDD revenue was flat with growth in Xbox 360 platform and PC game revenue offset by decreased revenue from the non-gaming portion of the business" (think: Zune, Windows Mobile). Even with "decreased revenue per console resulting from price reductions during the past 12 months," Xbox 360 platform and PC game revenue increased by 8% "due mainly to increased revenue from Xbox Live and Xbox 360 video games." While the 2.1 million Xbox consoles shipped for the quarter just misses the 2.2 million mark from last year, those reduced production costs help.<br /> <br /> With the Xbox sharing top billing with Microsoft's flagship money maker, Windows, on the earnings announcement - both "exceed[ing] expectations due to strong consumer demand" - it seems that Microsoft finally has a consistent hit on its hands. Now, let's talk about accessory pricing ...<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/msft/earnings/fy10/earn_rel_q1_10.mspx">Source</a> - Microsoft Reports First-Quarter Results <br /> <a href="http://www.industrygamers.com/news/xbox-division-doubles-profit-in-q1/">Source</a> - Xbox Division Doubles Profit in Q1<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/xbox-division-a-bright-spot-on-microsofts-quarterly-report/">Xbox division a bright spot on Microsoft's quarterly report</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/xbox-division-a-bright-spot-on-microsofts-quarterly-report/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19207604/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/xbox-division-a-bright-spot-on-microsofts-quarterly-report/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>financial</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>q1-2010</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rumor: Best Buy beginning 'buy 2, get 3rd game free' sale Sunday, Oct. 25]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/rumor-best-buy-beginning-buy-2-get-3rd-game-free-sale-sunday/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/rumor-best-buy-beginning-buy-2-get-3rd-game-free-sale-sunday/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/rumor-best-buy-beginning-buy-2-get-3rd-game-free-sale-sunday/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377619"><img hspace="0" height="224" width="580" vspace="0" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/best-buy-rumor-ad.jpg" alt="" /><br /> </a>
<div align="left">If you missed out on last week's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/psa-buy-2-games-get-1-free-at-toys-r-us-this-week/">Toys "R" Us</a> or <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/psa-amazon-buy-3-for-2-sale-on-select-games-this-week/">Amazon</a> "buy two, get one" sales, a purported scan of this weekend's Best Buy circular promises a third chance. Specifically, it promises the following: "Buy 2, get the 3rd game free -- on any PS3, X360 or Wii games -- mix or match platforms, valid on any game $59.99 or less."<br /></div>
</div>
<br /> Snagged by NeoGAFfer Wario64, <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377619">the full-page</a> reveals tasty treats like <em>Borderlands</em>, <em>Batman: Arkham Asylum</em>, <em>Tekken 6</em>, and <em>Forza 3 </em>-- in other words, this isn't limited to a handful of games like Amazon's sale was and, we imagine, Best Buy's stock won't be as easily decimated as that of your local Toys "R" Us. You've got from this Sunday, October 25, until Halloween, the following Saturday, to take Best Buy up on its offer ... That is, if the circular is real. If not ... uh, <em>trick or treat?</em><br /> <br /> [Via <a href="http://www.hotbloodedgaming.com/2009/10/22/buy-2-get-1-free-from-best-buy/">Hot Blooded Gaming</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/rumor-best-buy-beginning-buy-2-get-3rd-game-free-sale-sunday/">Rumor: Best Buy beginning 'buy 2, get 3rd game free' sale Sunday, Oct. 25</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:04:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377619>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/rumor-best-buy-beginning-buy-2-get-3rd-game-free-sale-sunday/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19205624/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/rumor-best-buy-beginning-buy-2-get-3rd-game-free-sale-sunday/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>best-buy</category><category>deals</category><category>retail</category><category>rumor</category><category>sales</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:04:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/2375002/"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="326" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/waypoint_welcome_580.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /> <small><em>This way to the Waypoint gallery</em></small></div>
<br /> With the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update preview kicking off today, Microsoft dropped some more details on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Halo-Waypoint/">Halo Waypoint</a>, the Dashboard playpen for the Master Chief enthusiasts among you. The preview video - found after the break - walks you through some of the destination's functionality, notably the "career system" which will track "in-game accomplishments across multiple <em>Halo</em> games." Unsurprisingly, that career will be limited to the Xbox 360-released <em>Halo</em> games: <em>Halo 3</em>, <em>Halo Wars</em>, <em>Halo 3: ODST</em>, and "all Game Add-on content for those titles." Oh, you beat <em>Halo 2</em> in under 30 minutes? We'll just have to take your word for it.<br /> <br /> Halo Waypoint is being developed collaboratively by Microsoft's internal Halo studio, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/343-Industries/">343 Industries</a>, and Certain Affinity, the Austin-based developer (with some former Bungie staffers) behind <em>Age of Booty</em>. Waypoint will be available November 5 for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members; however, come November 26 those Silver members will have to pony up for Live if they want to keep their Waypoint access. That's a solid three weeks to determine if the exclusive Waypoint offerings - like the Nov. 7. preview of the "Halo Legends" anime anthology - are worth it. We imagine it will be for the hardcore Halo fan ... but we'd assume they've already got a Gold account.<br /> <div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/">Halo Waypoint</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/2375002/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/waypoint_welcome_1280x720_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/2375003/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/waypoint_welcome_retrievingdataloading_1280x720_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/2374987/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/waypoint_careerachievementsbydate_1280x720_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/2374988/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/waypoint_careerachievementsbyscore_1280x720_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/halo-waypoint/2374989/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/waypoint_careerawarddetails_1280x720_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/">Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19201108/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/halo-waypoint-detailed-captured-on-video/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>343-Industries</category><category>Certain-Affinity</category><category>dashboard-update</category><category>dashboard-update-fall-2009</category><category>fps</category><category>Halo</category><category>Halo-3</category><category>Halo-3-ODST</category><category>Halo-Wars</category><category>Halo-Waypoint</category><category>Microsoft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Miyamoto: 'there may still be some possibility' for Wii Music franchise]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/miyamoto-there-may-still-be-some-possibility-for-wii-music-fr/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/miyamoto-there-may-still-be-some-possibility-for-wii-music-fr/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/miyamoto-there-may-still-be-some-possibility-for-wii-music-fr/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="288" width="580" vspace="0" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/nintendo.joystiq.com/media/2009/03/miyamotowiimusic.jpg" alt="" /></div>
At a New York City roundtable event, Nintendo's resident wunderkind Shigeru Miyamoto showed Joystiq and several other press outlets his latest creation: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/NewSuperMarioBrosWii/"><em>New Super Mario Bros. Wii</em></a> (more on that later). During the Q&amp;A that followed, when asked if he was particularly surprised by the reception of any of his games, Miyamoto responded that while he wasn't "truly surprised" by the reaction it got, he thinks "there may still be some possibility with ... <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Wii-Music/">Wii Music</a></em>," the Big N's poorly received music title. <br /> <br /> "The development team members, the directors of <em>Wii Music</em> were I think, maybe a little bit shocked by the reaction and had hoped it would get a better response than it did," Miyamoto explained through a translator. "So I think if we were to do anything, it would be a matter of getting back together with them and trying to understand what their expectations were and where the gap was between their expectations and what the resulting product was."<br /> <br /> That doesn't mean Miyamoto doesn't have any insight into the game's failure to connect with gamers. He explained that the "gap between the positives and the negatives seems to be pretty big," referring to the games reception. "The thing that's interesting about <em>Wii Music</em> is there are people who are very versed in music and play the game and their evaluation of it is very high but at the same time there are a lot of people who play it and don't have a very good opinion of it."<br /> <br /> As if to prevent any "<em>Wii Music 2</em> confirmed!" headlines from finding their way online, Miyamoto clarified, "We have talked about it but it isn't anything that's concrete at this point." As unusual as it is to see a Nintendo product miss the mark, it's similarly unusual to hear the company acknowledge as much.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/miyamoto-there-may-still-be-some-possibility-for-wii-music-fr/">Miyamoto: 'there may still be some possibility' for Wii Music franchise</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/miyamoto-there-may-still-be-some-possibility-for-wii-music-fr/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19197898/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/miyamoto-there-may-still-be-some-possibility-for-wii-music-fr/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>miyamoto</category><category>Shigeru-Miyamoto</category><category>Wii-Music</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="350" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/pnatal_e309.jpg" alt="" /></div>
<span style="float: right; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 4px;"><script> digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/'; </script><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js"></script></span> While we may be nervous about Microsoft's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Project-Natal/">Project Natal</a> branding strategy -- remember, that's <em>just a codename</em> -- the suits in Redmond share no such concern. That's because the Natal project is following Nintendo's lead in more ways than just easy-to-play, motion-based technology. It's also following Nintendo's branding strategy.<br />
<br />
On May 11, 2004 Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the "Nintendo Revolution" to the E3 audience and, while he didn't show off the motion-based controller (we wouldn't see that for another sixteen months, at <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2005/09/16/joystiq-tgs-satoru-iwatas-keynote-speech-and-presentation/">TGS 2005</a>), he did <a href="http://cube.ign.com/articles/522/522559p1.html">promise</a> "an unprecedented gameplay experience." The Revolution would offer "something no other machine has delivered before." The following May, over two years after first announcing the "Revolution," Nintendo revealed the product's final name just before E3: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/27/nintendo-revolution-now-called-wii/">Wii</a>.<br />
<br />
When we asked Microsoft's Robbie Bach, "When can we stop calling it Natal?" at a recent Open House event, the exec wasn't shy about comparing the company's strategy to Nintendo's. "When Nintendo came out with the name 'Wii,' people sort of said 'Oh gosh, that's kind of a goofy, weird name.' I haven't heard a comment about it being a goofy name since the week after they announced the name," Bach said. "And suddenly, people just called it the 'Wii' and moved on." And, specifically, they've moved on to <em>buying them en masse</em>.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/">Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19186467/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Albert-Penello</category><category>branding</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>naming</category><category>natal</category><category>Project-Natal</category><category>Robbie-Bach</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nintendo, Capcom, friends file suit over DS piracy-enabling R4 sales]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/nintendo-capcom-friends-file-suit-over-ds-piracy-enabling-r4-s/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/nintendo-capcom-friends-file-suit-over-ds-piracy-enabling-r4-s/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/nintendo-capcom-friends-file-suit-over-ds-piracy-enabling-r4-s/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="314" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/wru-baby-pirates.jpg" alt="" /></div>
Faced with The Truth that - regardless of what sorts of anti-piracy technology it folds into its DS platform - <a href="http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2009/08/06/looks-like-dsi-firmware-1-4-is-defeated-already/">pirates will invariably hack</a> the dual-screened handheld, Nintendo has buddied up with Capcom and 53 other video game publishers in Japan to file suit against four resellers of the popular <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/R4/">R4</a> flash cartridge.<br /> <br /> Earlier this year, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/27/japan-court-bans-sale-of-ds-homebrew-enabling-r4-flash-carts/">a Tokyo court banned the sale of the devices</a>; however, Capcom now says that "legal action has had no meaningful effect in the intervening period" and that sellers would "ignore" its warnings. Enter: a new lawsuit, which Capcom hopes leads to a ruling that acknowledges "our company and other software manufactures have sustained [extreme] damages from proliferation of illegal instruments." Seems pretty cut and dry to us, but we'll let the courts decide.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/nintendo-capcom-friends-file-suit-over-ds-piracy-enabling-r4-s/">Nintendo, Capcom, friends file suit over DS piracy-enabling R4 sales</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25650>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/nintendo-capcom-friends-file-suit-over-ds-piracy-enabling-r4-s/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19196997/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/nintendo-capcom-friends-file-suit-over-ds-piracy-enabling-r4-s/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Capcom</category><category>lawsuit</category><category>Nintendo</category><category>piracy</category><category>R4</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Demonstrated: Controlling facial expressions in-game with camera]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://torbensko.com/"><img width="580" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="374" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/torben-sko-breen-580.jpg" /></a></div>
There are two things we can say about Torben Sko. First: He's probably never had a problem getting 'torbensko' usernames. We'd like to applaud his forward-thinking parents who clearly saw the benefit of a unique name in the distant, internet-enabled future. Second: Sko's technology demos (remember <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/01/a-peek-and-head-tilt-into-the-future-head-tracking-in-fps-gam/">this head-tracking demo</a>?) have helped us conceptualize what a <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Project-Natal/">Natal</a>-enabled future will be like, more so than jury-rigged versions of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/tgs-2009-body-on-project-natal-with-space-invaders-extreme/"><em>Burnout Paradise</em></a> or <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/tgs-2009-body-on-project-natal-with-space-invaders-extreme/"><em>Katamari Damacy</em></a>.<br /> <br /> In his latest video (found after the break), Sko demonstrates how to control the facial expressions of a virtual character using nothing but a plain ol' web cam (oh, and the same FaceAPI software he used for his first demo). Much like <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/tgs-2009-xbox-360-creator-panel-discussion-recap/">Hideo Kojima's visions of a Natal-enabled future</a>, Sko's never involve <em>replacing </em>the controller (or keyboard and mouse) but rather <em>supplementing </em>it with, in this case, your face. No word on support for particularly ugly faces, but we suspect Microsoft's got its best and most beautiful people on it.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Demonstrated: Controlling facial expressions in-game with camera</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/">Demonstrated: Controlling facial expressions in-game with camera</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://torbensko.com/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19196259/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/demonstrated-controlling-facial-expressions-in-game-with-camera/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>faceAPI</category><category>Project-Natal</category><category>Source-engine</category><category>Torben-Sko</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Joyswag: Brutal Legend and Eddie Riggs statue]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/joyswag-brutal-legend-and-eddie-riggs-statue/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/joyswag-brutal-legend-and-eddie-riggs-statue/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/joyswag-brutal-legend-and-eddie-riggs-statue/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img hspace="0" height="350" border="0" width="580" vspace="0" align="middle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/brutallegendfigurine1200709580.jpg" alt="" /></div>
If you check your calendar of ridiculous marketing dates, you'll likely see that today is Rocktober 13th, the very date foretold by the Great Marketing Powers of EA upon which <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Brutal-Legend/"><em>Br&uuml;tal Legend</em></a> would be released. [Ed: It's also Twofer Tuesday at your local pizzeria ...]. To celebrate the one-off holiday, we're giving away a copy of the game on Xbox 360 and two limited edition (only 1000 ever made) <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/20/we-really-want-this-brutal-legend-statue-and-so-will-you/">Eddie Riggs statues</a>. The grand prize winner gets the game and the statue while the runner-up will have to make do with <em>just the statue. </em>To enter: <br />
<ul>
    <li>Leave a comment letting us who would win in a rock god free-for-all: Ozzy? Rob Halford? Lemmy?</li>
    <li>You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec which, historically, has long feared <em>the</em> <em>metal</em>.)</li>
    <li><strong>Limit 1 entry per person per day</strong></li>
    <li>This entry period ends at <strong>7:01PM ET on Friday, October 16<br />
    </strong></li>
    <li>At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive a copy of <em>Brutal Legend</em> on Xbox 360 ($60 ARV) and a limited edition Eddie Riggs statue ($100 ARV); and another winner to receive just the limited edition Eddie Riggs statue ($100 ARV)</li>
    <li>For a list of complete rules, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.joystiq.com/official-giveaway-rules/">click here</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/brutal-legends-eddie-riggs-figurine/">Brutal Legend's Eddie Riggs figurine</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/brutal-legends-eddie-riggs-figurine/2155423/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/the-roadie-eddie-riggs_dos_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/brutal-legends-eddie-riggs-figurine/2155422/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/the-roadie-eddie-riggs_uno_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/brutal-legends-eddie-riggs-figurine/2155421/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/the-roadie-eddie-riggs_quatro_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/brutal-legends-eddie-riggs-figurine/2155420/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/the-roadie-eddie-riggs_tres_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/brutal-legends-eddie-riggs-figurine/2155419/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/the-roadie-eddie-riggs_cinco_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/joyswag-brutal-legend-and-eddie-riggs-statue/">Joyswag: Brutal Legend and Eddie Riggs statue</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/joyswag-brutal-legend-and-eddie-riggs-statue/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19194809/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/joyswag-brutal-legend-and-eddie-riggs-statue/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Brutal-Legend</category><category>Doublefine</category><category>EA</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>joyswag</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Left 4 Dead 2 twofer: 'Edited version' approved for Australia; 'Realism mode' revealed]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/left-4-dead-2-twofer-edited-version-approved-for-australia/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/left-4-dead-2-twofer-edited-version-approved-for-australia/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/left-4-dead-2-twofer-edited-version-approved-for-australia/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-scavenge-multiplayer-mode/2348430/full/"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="326" border="0" align="middle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/scavenge_02-1072009-580px.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
We're going to break this post down into three distinct (and clich&eacute;d!) categories: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. <br /> <br /> <strong>First, the Good</strong>: The suddenly puritanical Australian government -- by way of The Office of Film and Literature Classification -- has seen fit to grant the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/17/australia-boycotts-left-4-dead-2/">previously unclassified</a> <em>Left 4 Dead 2</em> an MA 15+ rating, paving the way for millions of impressionable minds to be <em>programmed </em>into zombie-killing machines.<br /> <br /> <strong>Next, the Bad</strong>: The version of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Left-4-Dead-2/"><em>Left 4 Dead 2</em></a> that the OFLC approved was an "edited version" that "no longer contains depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment." In other words, it's nothing like the real zombie apocalypse. And when the inevitable human-vs-zombie war reaches Australia's isolated shores, her people will be ill prepared for what they encounter. "Gross, these zombie corpses don't disappear when you kill them! And, what's this? Blood?"<br /> <br /> Valve and publisher EA are still hoping to launch an unmodified version, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/left-4-dead-2-trying-2-approaches-4-sales-in-australia/">pending the October 22 review</a> by the OFLC board. <br /> <br /> <strong>Lastly, the Ugly</strong>: <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3176408">1UP noticed</a> a "special modifier" in its <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/valve-unveils-left-4-dead-2s-new-scavenge-multiplayer-mode/">Scavenge Mode</a> demo last night: "Realism mode." Valve's Doug Lombardi explained that it was for the serious player: "Take <em>Portal</em> for example: We had our best internal players who could blow through that game in about 30 minutes, but within weeks of launching it we had people on YouTube beating [the testers'] times by 10 minutes or more. Realism is for those players." In other words, it's training for the <em>real zombie apocalypse. </em>If our imagination is any indication, expect Realism mode to feature plenty of <em>realistic </em>pants crapping.<br /> <div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-scavenge-multiplayer-mode/">Left 4 Dead 2 - Scavenge Multiplayer Mode</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-scavenge-multiplayer-mode/2348430/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/scavenge_02-1072009-1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/left-4-dead-2-scavenge-multiplayer-mode/2348429/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/scavenge_01-1072009-2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /> <a href="http://www.edge-online.com/news/left-4-dead-2-secures-australian-release">Source</a> - "Left 4 Dead 2 Secures Australian Release" [Edge Online]<br /> <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3176408">Source</a> - Realism mode detailed [1UP]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/left-4-dead-2-twofer-edited-version-approved-for-australia/">Left 4 Dead 2 twofer: 'Edited version' approved for Australia; 'Realism mode' revealed</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:29:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/left-4-dead-2-twofer-edited-version-approved-for-australia/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19188970/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/left-4-dead-2-twofer-edited-version-approved-for-australia/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>L4D2</category><category>Left-4-Dead-2</category><category>Realism-Mode</category><category>Valve</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:29:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[IGN: 'Rock Band is coming to the iPhone']]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ign-rock-band-is-coming-to-the-iphone/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ign-rock-band-is-coming-to-the-iphone/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ign-rock-band-is-coming-to-the-iphone/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wireless.ign.com/articles/103/1033080p1.html"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="334" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/10/rock-band-iphone.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
While <a href="http://twitter.com/EAmobile/status/4695432227">@EAmobile is twittering</a> that "some big news from the EA Mobile camp being announced tomorrow morning" - leaving us in a would-be lurch for the next twelve hours or so - the <em>insiders</em> at IGN have spoiled the surprise. "<em>Rock Band</em> is coming to the iPhone," <a href="http://wireless.ign.com/articles/103/1033080p1.html">IGN Wireless declares</a>. No equivocation there! Their promise to share "details, screens, gameplay impressions and more" tomorrow morning leads us to believe that they've already seen the game; unfortunately, they "can't say too much beyond the conformation [<em>sic</em>] of the game." No date, no price, no screens, nuthin'. <br />
<br />
But: <em>Rock Band</em> is coming to the iPhone. For everything else, you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning.<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ign-rock-band-is-coming-to-the-iphone/">IGN: 'Rock Band is coming to the iPhone'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:54:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://wireless.ign.com/articles/103/1033080p1.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ign-rock-band-is-coming-to-the-iphone/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19188455/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/ign-rock-band-is-coming-to-the-iphone/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>EA</category><category>EA-Mobile</category><category>Electronic-Arts</category><category>Harmonix</category><category>MTV-Games</category><category>Rock-Band</category><category>Rock-Band-iPhone</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Christopher Grant]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:54:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>