Joystiq

Xbox 360 Fancast 136 -- The End of an Era

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST

This is it. This is the show, kids. It's the very last episode of the Xbox 360 Fancast with Dustin Burg. We figured the most appropriate way to commemorate the occasion would be spending the entire episode talking about Halo 3: ODST, so that's exactly what we did. We also read from the gigantic pile of farewell letters that Dustin received. Give it a listen, and then give our departing host a moment of silence.

Big thanks to Chris Majewski (AKA Magic Whiskey) for the farewell art above. Oh, we're also sure that you're wondering how we plan to deal with the problem of Dustin still being in our regular podcast art. Well, we've got it covered, thanks to reader Kcasey. Check out our new podcast art after the break.

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Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz).

Produced by Richard Mitchell

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "Discipline" by Nine Inch Nails.

For fans: Xbox 360 Fancast Facebook group

Continue reading Xbox 360 Fancast 136 -- The End of an Era

Xbox 360 Fancast 136 -- The End of an Era originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another quirky Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers trailer

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:44:00 EST

The Crystal Chronicles name has always meant players are in for a more experimental Final Fantasy experience. While the spin-off series is still infused with the essence of the main, Roman numeral'd franchise, it's still like eating an egg that tastes like an orange. The latest Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers trailer highlights this peculiarity quite clearly. Heavy on action, with a little sarcasm and some sexiness ... even for Crystal Chronicles, this game still feels different.

You can read our TGS hands-on preview here.

Another quirky Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band Weekly: Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Just Kait, Kula Shaker

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST

Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin (pictured doing their best Twilight pose) contribute several new tracks to the Rock Band Music Store next week. We ... sorry, we're just getting lost in those eyes and pale skin. It's mesmerizing.

There are also some additions from English psychedelic band, Kula Shaker, and a value-priced track called "U Suck" by Just Kait -- which, knowing how the comments for RBW tend to lean, could very well be how many of you feel about the artist.

Check out the full Rock Band Weekly update, along with the update for Rock Band Unplugged, after the break.

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Just Kait, Kula Shaker

Rock Band Weekly: Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Just Kait, Kula Shaker originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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L4D2 rated in other violence sensitive regions, Valve appeals Aussie ban

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST

In the wake of its Australian "banning," Valve has seen fit to send out an update of Left 4 Dead 2's ratings across this zombie smorgasbord we call a planet. We knew that Valve was "bummed" about the ban, but the letter that the company sent out could be interpreted as it saying, "Hey, wait up, places like Germany and Japan gave us '18+' ratings ... and you know how sensitive they are about violence."

Valve is still awaiting a rating in the UK (BBFC) and New Zealand, and submitted its appeal regarding Left 4 Dead 2's non-classified status in the land down under on September 23. With any luck, Aussies will be able to play the game -- with some edits, perhaps -- when the zombie sequel launches November 17.

Gallery: Left 4 Dead 2

L4D2 rated in other violence sensitive regions, Valve appeals Aussie ban originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSN Thursday: More free Batman DLC, Broken Steel

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:45:00 EST

The highlight in this week's PSN Update is that The Bats is back with more free DLC. Also, for Fallout 3 owners not planning to trade up to the "game of the year edition," the single most important piece of DLC for the game, Broken Steel, is now available from the PSN store for $10. For those who don't know, Broken Steel takes away "the ending" of the game and allows the (anti-)hero of the Capital Wasteland to continue their journey with an increased level cap. Check out the full update after the break -- and, sadly, no Trine.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continue reading PSN Thursday: More free Batman DLC, Broken Steel

PSN Thursday: More free Batman DLC, Broken Steel originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wolfenstein demo marches onto Xbox Live

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST

If you've been itching to give Wolfenstein a try but aren't willing to plunk down any cash -- a likely possibility at this point -- you'll be happy to know that a Wolfenstein demo is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace in Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States.

If you are somehow unfamiliar with the game allow us to sum up. There are Nazis. They are doing evil, occult-y things. You, the good guy, must stop them. With guns. And magic. If your experience varies significantly from this description, please check the game title. You're probably playing something else.

Add the Wolfenstein demo to you 360 download queue

[Via Major Nelson]

Wolfenstein demo marches onto Xbox Live originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony launches German and Italian PlayStation Blogs

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:55:00 EST

Sony Europe announced today that its PlayStation Blog format has been localized for German- and Italian-speaking audiences. The two new sites will likely translate much of the content found on the English site, with extra posts that will be specific for the region covered.

For Italiano -- blog.it.playstation.com
For Deutsch -- blog.de.playstation.com
For Spanish and French -- Ummmm...

The French and Spanish blogs will allegedly launch "very soon." Considering significant portions of North America speak both of those languages, it'll be interesting to see if the US PlayStation Blog utilizes those translations.

Sony launches German and Italian PlayStation Blogs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Fancast 135 -- Earth: Shattered

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:25:00 EST

This show is a doozy, folks. Not only do we go through the normal motions -- news, games, fanmail, etc -- but we do it all while having fun with our new soundboard. And, before all is said and done, we cap the show off with an announcement that will change the show forever. We don't want to oversell it, but this might be the single most important document ever recorded. You should probably download a copy right now.

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Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz).

Produced by Richard Mitchell

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" by The Helio Sequence.

For fans: Xbox 360 Fancast Facebook group

Continue reading Xbox 360 Fancast 135 -- Earth: Shattered

Xbox 360 Fancast 135 -- Earth: Shattered originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Fancast 134 -- Roosters Don't Have Teeth Redux

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:15:00 EST

It's been a long time since we chatted with the folk at Rooster Teeth (almost 100 episodes!). With Red vs Blue still going strong and a new Halo 3: ODST ad campaign underway, we figured it was time to go at it again. We also talk about Sonic and the fools that keep crawling back to him, only to watch him speed away and laugh. Download it, and always remember: Camping is a legitimate strategy.

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Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz).

Produced by Richard Mitchell

Guest: Michael "Burnie" Burns and Geoff Ramsey, Rooster Teeth Productions.

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "Marie" by Paper Planes.

Xbox 360 Fancast 134 -- Roosters Don't Have Teeth Redux originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Early Scribblenauts launch today at Nintendo World NYC

Alexander Sliwinski — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST

Friendly reminder for Scribble-natics in the tri-state region: the Nintendo World store will begin selling Scribblenauts today at 11AM as part of a special early launch. For those who don't want to wait until their retailer of choice gets the game sometime this week, now is the time to get on the LIRR, Metro-North, MTA, ferry or paddle boat and head on over to Rockefeller Plaza.

The 5th Cell team should be on hand for autographs (hopefully for longer than an hour) and demos of the game. Scribblenauts will allegedly only be sold between 11AM-2PM, so take that into consideration. If you're reading this post from the line at Nintendo World, feel free to let us know how long the queue is in the comments.

Reminder: Early Scribblenauts launch today at Nintendo World NYC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkham sells 2M, Warner gets serious about DC licensing

Justin McElroy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST

You might have heard the news yesterday that Warner Bros. has shaken up DC to better do battle with the now Disney-owned Marvel. Part of that strategy, according to the L.A. Times, is making better use of its IP in licensed properties like video games.

While the move is definitely Marvel-inspired, we have to imagine part of the impetus comes from the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, which, according to the article, moved almost 2 million units in its first month. Taking games more seriously is a smart move on DC's part ... lets just hope they leave the things that are working alone.

Arkham sells 2M, Warner gets serious about DC licensing originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq vs. PAX '09: Day 3 & 4

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST

Here it is, the last Joystiq vs. PAX 2009 video. We decided to roll up the footage from our third and fourth days in Seattle into one mongo video, which we've kindly embedded above. Marvel as we watch Omeganauts throw down in Halo 3: ODST, enjoy some marketing materials, head over to the Resident Evil 5 PC launch party, check out the massive console freeplay room and, finally, witness the final round of the Omegathon.

So long PAX. See you in Boston!

Joystiq vs. PAX '09: Day 3 & 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands on with L4D2's Dark Carnival (and a katana!)

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Left (click) 4 Large

Okay so, technically, we only got our hands on a digital katana, but it was just as awesome. More awesome, in fact, because wielding a real katana against a real zombie isn't so much fun as it is terrifying. But more on that later, this preview needs a setup. We got a chance to try out the recently revealed Dark Carnival campaign in Left 4 Dead 2 and, unsurprisingly, it was a blasting, hacking, slashing good time.

Continue reading Hands on with L4D2's Dark Carnival (and a katana!)

Hands on with L4D2's Dark Carnival (and a katana!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: The Assassin's Creed II marketing surprise

Richard Mitchell — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:00:00 EST

Once again, as is usually the case, it's the little things that keep you going when you're covering a convention and running on four hours of sleep and sheer will. Enjoy.

Video: The Assassin's Creed II marketing surprise originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq vs. PAX '09: Day 2

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EST

Welcome to Joystiq vs PAX '09: Day 2. Today, we fuel up on delicious DIY waffles, tour the show floor and stand in really long lines. Take a look at what Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Blizzard and more have to offer at PAX. Also, witness our hotel's elevator or, as we have dubbed it, the creaking box of terror.

Joystiq vs. PAX '09: Day 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Fancast 132 -- Flexibility

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:15:00 EST

We've got an interesting show this week. We spend quite a bit of time talking about the Elite price cut as well as the "flexibility" offered by not including HDMI or component cables in the new bundle. We also grill Alexander about GamesCom and his recent trip to Germany. Of course, there's all the other usual malarkey and hullabaloo as well. Enjoy.

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Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander)

Produced by Richard Mitchell

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. Break: "I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1" by Ska Studios.

Continue reading Xbox 360 Fancast 132 -- Flexibility

Xbox 360 Fancast 132 -- Flexibility originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cryptic: MS holding back Xbox 360 Champions Online

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:27:00 EST

Do we sense a trend in the world of Xbox 360 MMOs? Speaking to VG247, Cryptic CCO Jack Emmert made it known that Microsoft is seemingly the only thing standing between Champions Online and the Xbox 360. Said Emmert, "It just takes time for the big beast known as Microsoft to get moving," adding that he had no better explanation for the hold up and "it's as baffling to developers as it is to everyone else."

Concerning when the title might actually hit the console, Emmert said, "This year? I don't know," and noted that "the ball is firmly in [Microsoft's] court" and that Cryptic is "ready to go." Apart from a Final Fantasy XI port, the Xbox 360 has yet to see a single MMO land in its disc drive. With Final Fantsy XIV apparently held up in red tape as well, and Age of Conan still a complete mystery, we're beginning to wonder if it ever will.

Cryptic: MS holding back Xbox 360 Champions Online originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band Weekly: Talking Heads, The Jam, Oasis, Rage

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST

Why, hello! Next week's Rock Band Weekly brings a heaping serving of Talking Heads. No, no, not television talk show guests and nightly news anchors ... the band, you know? You ... you don't know? This is awkward. Best educate yourself before we have to silently crack some skulls. The Wii will get another massive injection of tracks from the back catalog, including a whole slew of Judas Priest. Hold up, you don't know who Judas Priest is? Seriously, why are you even reading this? Go check out all the track coming to the various forms of Rock Band after the break.

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Talking Heads, The Jam, Oasis, Rage

Rock Band Weekly: Talking Heads, The Jam, Oasis, Rage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSN Friday: Better late than never

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:53:00 EST

Was it worth the wait? Actually, this week's PSN update is rather substantial, offering up The Legend of Han Tao (don't be fooled by its cheesy name, it's not that bad) and several demos worth checking out, including WET getting wild at the top of the list. Let's not overlook the classics either, as PS1's Tomb Raider 2 and SimCity 2000 are both available for $6. There's plenty more content to check out after the break.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continue reading PSN Friday: Better late than never

PSN Friday: Better late than never originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Command & Conquer 4 subtitled 'Tiberian Twilight'

Justin McElroy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:15:00 EST

Here at Joystiq, we endeavor to have something for everyone.

For example, we thought you real-time strategy fans would be interested to hear that the fourth installment of Command and Conquer had been subtitled "Tiberian Twilight," presumably because it supposedly brings the Tiberium story arc to a close. EA says more than 15,000 fans voted to select the name.

For you non-strategy fans, we've provided the following zingers on the subtitle.

"Tiberium Twilight? That series should have been put to bed years ago."
"Tiberium Twilight? Is that because it'll put us right to sleep?"
"Tiberium Twilight? As if it wasn't bad enough, now they're adding vampires that sparkle in the sunlight?"
"Tiberium Twilight? Wouldn't 'The Newest Command and Conquer Until Around Six Months From Now When We Release Another' have been more accurate?"

For you who can't be troubled to feel one way or the other, we put a video of a kid getting hit by a giant slingshot after the break. Don't ever let it be said we're not inclusive.

Continue reading Command & Conquer 4 subtitled 'Tiberian Twilight'

Command & Conquer 4 subtitled 'Tiberian Twilight' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sins of a Solar Empire 'Diplomacy' beta begins fall, releases winter 2010

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:03:00 EST

The second micro-expansion for PC sleeper hit Sins of a Solar Empire will release in winter 2010. The Diplomacy add-on will increase the number of ambassadorial options to players in their conquest of the galaxy. You know, sometimes it helps to talk through the issues. Ironclad and Stardock plan to have a beta for the expansion this fall in order to work out any Vasarian bugs.

Entrenchment and Diplomacy have both suffered delays while jumping into the digital distribution galaxy. A third micro-expansion for Sins was previously announced, so the full 4X RTS space opera experience should be completed sometime next year -- unless there are more delays, of course.

Gallery: Sins of a Solar Empire

Sins of a Solar Empire 'Diplomacy' beta begins fall, releases winter 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview: Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, 360, PC)

Justin McElroy — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

We had hoped that, at this point, this kind of glowing criticism would be enough to make your buying decisions for you. But, sadly, it seems you still want to hear what others have to say about Batman: Arkham Asylum. Very well. Though it pains us, we oblige:

Game Informer (95/100): "Batman: Arkham Asylum is this year's BioShock, not just from the connection established with the world, but from its ability to innovate where new ideas are needed, and moreover, deliver an adventure unlike any other.
Strategy Informer (95/100): "A full repertoire of moves makes playing as Batman an experience that's not only uniquely satisfying, but also incredibly empowering - exactly as it should be. The Dark Knight is a superhero, and in Arkham Asylum, he actually feels like one, stalking enemies with a predatory prowess befitting of the iconic character."
Play.tm (94/100): "So, is Arkham Asylum finally the game that Batman deserves then? Yes. Yes it is. And a whole lot more besides. ... It is to games what Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are to movies - Batman: Arkham Asylum is without doubt the most definitive videogame realisation of the character yet. It's also unreservedly brilliant to boot."
Eurogamer (90/100): "Most of the gameplay concerns are minor when taken in the context of how much Arkham Asylum gets so gloriously right. Rarely does a game do a character justice in such a satisfying way. Arkham Asylum finds room for every major aspect of Batman's enduring appeal, and it does so in a game compelling enough to work even without its masked star."

Gallery: Batman: Arkham Asylum (05-29-09)

Metareview: Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, 360, PC) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Fancast 131 -- The Pursuit of Chairness

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST

So, Shadow Complex came out last week. In case you haven't heard, we kind of liked it. So, we thought it would be a good opportunity to wrangle some time with Donald Mustard, creative director of Chair Entertainment, the studio behind Shadow Complex. Download the show to learn about the game, the Mustard family and just how the Chair name came to be.

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Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners).
Produced by Richard Mitchell

Guest: Donald Mustard, Creative Director of Chair Entertainment

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "New Year's Eve" by Special Patrol.

Xbox 360 Fancast 131 -- The Pursuit of Chairness originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA, Ubisoft pleased as punch post-PS3 price plummet

Justin McElroy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:33:00 EST

As happy as you might have been to read about the PS3's price being slashed to $299 in the US, trust us: Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot and EA Games president Frank Gibeau were much, much happier. Not only will, theoretically, more systems fly off shelves but buyers will have a little extra cash in their pockets for the companies' games.

"It's exceptional news, actually. I think the machine is a great machine, with the Blu-ray," said Guillemot, who was having kind of a rough day with English it would appear. Gibeau shared his enthusiasm, telling GamesIndustry.biz, "It's an old line, but it still rings true for us: 'We make the ammunition for the hardware wars.' So the lowest priced hardware possible is a good thing for us."

Also, we never noticed how much Gibeau looks like Radar O'Reilly.

EA, Ubisoft pleased as punch post-PS3 price plummet originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modern Warfare 2 bringing $60 price tag to PC games

Justin McElroy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:40:00 EST

Well, PC gamers, you had to know it couldn't last forever. Even though you've traditionally enjoyed paying $10 less than your console brethren for big new releases, your luck, it seems, has run out, with Gamestop, Amazon and Best Buy showing a $60 price tag for the standard edition of Modern Warfare 2. On the bright side, the price is still hovering around $50 at Walmart.

We're sure Activision's crunched the numbers, but doesn't PC gaming have enough working against it without pricing hikes? Oh well, we're sure it's just a one-time occurrence. ... Right? ... Guys?

Modern Warfare 2 bringing $60 price tag to PC games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lessons from GDC Europe: The 'seven pillars' of a Remedy IP

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:08:00 EST

During his speech at GDC Europe - exhaustively titled "From Max Payne to Alan Wake: Creating Intellectual Properties the Remedy Way" (air!) - Remedy Managing Director Matias Myllyrinne laid out the seven pillars the company uses for its games:

1. Strong Lead Character -- Main character is iconic and easy to get on the surface. Things went wrong when Myllyrinne wanted the Max Payne sequel to simply be called The Fall of Max Payne. The compromised title admittedly didn't work out in the sales department. He didn't mention anything about Rockstar's reimagined Max Payne in the latest sequel.

2. Mainstream approachability -- Avoiding niche and cliché settings (for video games that would mean no WWII setting, dragons, sci-fi, etc.). Having gameplay mechanics that are approachable (low barrier of entry to start playing the game).

3. Cinematic -- Taking lessons learned from movies. The presentation of Max Payne makes this pretty obvious. With Alan Wake the company is focusing on the trinity of the flashlight, Alan himself (see: pillar one), and the gun. This also lead Myllyrinne to an anecdote about presentation, saying "It's not what things are, it's what the audience thinks things are." He mentioned the Ingram gun was made bigger in Max Payne because people expect that gun to be larger than it actually is in real life.

Continue reading Lessons from GDC Europe: The 'seven pillars' of a Remedy IP

Lessons from GDC Europe: The 'seven pillars' of a Remedy IP originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Fancast 130 -- An Absolute Steal

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:15:00 EST

We talk about a lot of things on this episode of the Fancast. We talk about Steven Spielberg, Halo and some other mishegoss. The really important thing is that we talk about this week's XBLA release, Shadow Complex. We've all had our hands on the game for a while now and, as it turns out, it's pretty good. Of course, if you read Joystiq, you already know that. But why settle for reading a review of the game when you can hear us talk about it?

Yeah, case closed.

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
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[RSS MP3] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.

Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz).

Produced by Richard Mitchell

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "Geekquilibrium" by Dr. Awkward

Xbox 360 Fancast 130 -- An Absolute Steal originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crytek CEO asks GDC audience to kill 'killerspiel' law, won't leave Germany unless forced out

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:04:00 EST

During his keynote address at GDC Europe in Cologne, Germany, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli requested the audience support the petition against the host-country's bill, which is seeking to ban any games in the region "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters." Yerli told the audience toward the conclusion of his presentation: "[This law] means that Crytek will be literally forced out of the country."

Yerli's tone about the German law was more serious than his previous statement on the subject, so we caught up with him after the keynote. We asked if he's threatening to leave the country if the law passes, or if he thinks the company will be pushed out. He told us, "This is the point, two or three years ago we were thinking 'What is this?' This is like disrespecting our company.' We said we will not change our strategy. Today we think we are literally forced to make a change."

It appears that Yerli still isn't looking to change Crytek's direction, despite the government threats. And it appears he really doesn't want to move, telling us, "If you move a company, you think of it as: let's move the company strategically, so we get more benefit out of this country. But moving it because a law comes in is too reactive for us. We're not thinking of moving unless the law happens."

[Image: Dennis Stachel]

Crytek CEO asks GDC audience to kill 'killerspiel' law, won't leave Germany unless forced out originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band Weekly: Foo Fighters, Blur, Dropkick Murphys, Blind Melon

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST

So, are we all getting used to Rock Band Weekly across the various platforms being combined in one serving every Friday? No ... um, tough noogies. This is the way it's going to be for the time being. Next week brings a new Foo Fighters pack to the PS3 and Xbox 360, while the Wii gets a whole mess of Red Hot Chili Peppers songs. Meanwhile, Ms. Benatar and Coheed and Cambria make their way to Unplugged. Check it all out after the break..

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Foo Fighters, Blur, Dropkick Murphys, Blind Melon

Rock Band Weekly: Foo Fighters, Blur, Dropkick Murphys, Blind Melon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2009 sold out in just eight minutes

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST

Not only was BlizzCon sold out in under a half hour over the two days tickets were on sale, turns out it was all done in eight measly minutes -- like an Onyxia run at lvl 80. Big Download took note of the reveal during Activision Blizzard's conference call with investors, where the publisher with more gold than the old Titan vault in Uldaman revealed the 20,000 tickets were auctioned off at $125 a pop in less time than it takes to be escorted out of a job interview for admitting a World of Warcraft habit.

We spoke with someone deep in the Azerothian trenches, WoW.com Senior Editor Mike Schramm, who tells us, "The official line might be eight minutes, but I was there: the queue filled up in about 20 seconds. It may have taken eight minutes for the queue to go through and sell the place out, but if you were past about 1800 in the queue, you were out of luck. And they hit that number about 20 seconds in." Sad Pandaren.

BlizzCon 2009 sold out in just eight minutes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas schools ban Pokemon. NOT!

Kyle Orland — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii

This is your friendly neighborhood rumor debunker, letting you all know that, despite what you may have read presented as fact elsewhere, the Kansas school board has NOT banned Pokemon products for promoting evolution content, as was amusingly asserted in this Daily Gaming News article.

Evidence to this effect (in rough ascending order of persuasiveness):

The AP and other national news organizations failed to pick up the story, despite obvious newsworthiness and popular interest.
National news outlets also failed to pick up the supposed church-led "Pokemon burnings" that supposedly led up to the decision.
The "Calvary Glorious Christ Church Militant and Triumphant Baptist Temple" mentioned in the article turns up exactly one Google result -- the article itself.
The Kansas School Board web site makes no mention of such an action.
The ACLU web site makes no mention of the alleged lawsuit against the school board.
The title bar on every page of Daily Gaming News includes the phrase "Seriously Satirical."
Everything on the Daily Gaming News site is an obvious joke, from a preview of Dentist Dentist Revolution to Latin textbooks containing a guild naming chapter.

Remember, just because April Fools Day is over doesn't mean we can let our guard down when it comes to picking out fake stories. Eternal vigilance is the price we pay for accurate game news.

[Thanks, Keavin]

Kansas schools ban Pokemon. NOT! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Circuit City false or stupid advertising -- you decide

Alexander Sliwinski — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Reader Audioeric sent in a couple issues he had with the latest Circuit City catalog. For starters, the catalog says "Playstation 3: Ready to rumble. It's hot." The first joke here is obvious considering the PS3 is the only next-gen console without a rumble feature to speak of. Then there is the awkward choice of using the word "hot" to describe any Sony product currently. Does Circuit City mean the PS3 is like Sony exploding battery hot? Jury is still out if these word choices were awkward mistake or if a Microsoft/Nintendo fanboy designer put together the page.

The other weird thing is the turned-off Xbox 360 controllers playing, what is not a Xbox 360 Madden, on a projection television supposedly attached to the Xbox 360 by a USB cable ... say what? You can't plug an Xbox 360 to any display device through USB. That's just wrong.

[Thanks Audioeric]

Circuit City false or stupid advertising -- you decide originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 02 Dec 2006 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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