Joystiq

Destiny dev: DLC mistakes won't be repeated

Mike Suszek — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST

Destiny designer Luke Smith recently addressed concerns over Bungie's future updates for the game. Namely, Smith said "the mistakes [Bungie] made with the DLC1 reward economy will not be repeated," in a NeoGAF thread, admitting the developer's previous attempts at expanding the first-person shooter with add-on content resulted in a few problems for players. Smith claims the developer will avoid mistakes such as "vendor gear invalidating the effort of [Vault of Glass] Raiders" and exotic gear upgrades resulting in a talent reset.

"Our philosophy about rewards/loot continue to evolve as we see how players play and react," Smith wrote. He noted that item drop rates appear to be "much improved" in the Crota's End DLC compared to Vault of Glass, and that Bungie plans to "improve acquisition stories and frequency" as well as "lessen the grind and get players to the fun parts of their arsenal faster." It issued a hot fix for Destiny in December to boost the drop rates for the Crota's End raid mission.

[Image: Activision]

Destiny dev: DLC mistakes won't be repeated originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Assassin's Creed: Unity patch is 40 GB on Xbox One for some

Mike Suszek — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:30:00 EST

The fourth patch for Assassin's Creed: Unity arrived yesterday as a sizable 6.7 GB download. At least, that's the case for non-Xbox One players; some players using the Microsoft console are facing 40 GB downloads for the patch, effectively the size of the full game on the system's hard drive. Ubisoft explained the situation in an update on its support site, noting the "issue with the patch downloading process is replacing the entire game instead of just the parts affected by the patch."

The publisher is "working with Microsoft on a solution to reduce the total download to the intended size so that you can get back into the game faster," though it does not have an estimated timeline for the patch's fix just yet. Ubisoft did provide an alternative workaround for disc-based Assassin's Creed: Unity owners: By uninstalling and then re-installing the game, the patch will revert to the correct 6.7 GB download size. The publisher briefly delayed the launch of the patch earlier this week to "refurbish" the game's Paris map. The update is expected to fix ""most of the remaining issues [Ubisoft's] players have been reporting."

[Image: Ubisoft]

Assassin's Creed: Unity patch is 40 GB on Xbox One for some originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PSA: Nintendo investigating Wii U error code issues

Mike Suszek — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:00:00 EST

After reports rolled in yesterday about Super Smash Bros. and other Wii U games being met with error codes that resulted in a loss of system functionality, Nintendo acknowledged that it is investigating the problems. Error codes 160-0103 and 160-1710 "could affect the ability of the system to function properly" for a "small percentage of consumers playing Wii U," Nintendo of America told Joystiq.

The reported issues varied from a loss of data to games on the system being unplayable entirely, issues that persisted within the data management menu on the Wii U for some. The error messages note that "there is a problem with the system memory." Nintendo encourages anyone experiencing the errors codes to call the Nintendo contact center at 1-800-255-3700 for help, until a solution is available.

[Image: Nintendo]

PSA: Nintendo investigating Wii U error code issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

WWE 2K15's 'My Career' mode crashing Xbox One systems

Mike Suszek — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:30:00 EST

WWE 2K15 launched off the top ropes and into Xbox One and PS4 systems this week, and was met with a number of technical issues as it landed. Polygon reported that Xbox One versions of the game crashed during multiple attempts to play My Career mode, a game-breaking problem listed by others on 2K's official support forums. One player discovered a trick that appeared to solve the issue: Disconnecting their system from the Internet seemed to make My Career mode available to them.

2K's support team addressed other concerns, such as instances where PS4 players are unable to download add-on content like the Sting and Hulk Hogan characters. Additionally, the publisher offered a guide for players stuck on the game's demo match, which happens for those downloading the launch update at the same time. We've reached out to 2K for information on the game's early issues and will update as we learn more.

[Image: 2K]

WWE 2K15's 'My Career' mode crashing Xbox One systems originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rockstar troubleshoots GTA Online character transfer issues

Mike Suszek — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 11:30:00 EST

Rockstar Games is investigating Grand Theft Auto 5 PS4 and Xbox One save progress transfer issues following its launch today, the developer acknowledged on its GTA Online support site. The next-gen version of the game was announced during Sony's E3 2014 press conference in June, along with the news that players could transfer their character's progress from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions to PS4 and Xbox One.

Specifically, the problems are cropping up for players that haven't played GTA 5 in some time. "We are looking into an issue preventing character transfer and GTA Online login on accounts that haven't played GTA Online since 2013," Rockstar wrote on the support site. The developer noted in an update that "this issue has now been addressed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 users, and will be addressed for Xbox One and Xbox 360 users by tomorrow." Xbox One players should be able to log in to GTA Online, but won't be able to transfer their character progress just yet.

[Image: Rockstar Games]

Rockstar troubleshoots GTA Online character transfer issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Nov 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ubisoft details third Assassin's Creed: Unity patch

Mike Suszek — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:30:00 EST

After Ubisoft issued a second patch for Assassin's Creed: Unity late last week, the publisher gave a glimpse of the next update for the game, which is expected to fix more of its technical issues. The third update will be "larger in scope" compared to the previous two, patching bugs "like Arno getting stuck on certain areas of the map," and issues with getting in and out of cover.

AI and crowd behavior will be tuned in the coming update as well as co-op multiplayer matchmaking and connectivity problems. Ubisoft also expects to fix situations where the game crashes for players, missing menu items and HUD pop-up errors as well as some of the game's performance issues, such as framerate drops. While Ubisoft said the patch will "dramatically improve" the experience for Unity players, it noted that "this next patch won't solve every problem."

[Image: Ubisoft/King_Anesti]

Ubisoft details third Assassin's Creed: Unity patch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US

Mike Suszek — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 14:30:00 EST

Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region."

In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues.

Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.

FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Nov 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PSA: Destiny sign-in issues on PS4 [Update]

Mike Suszek — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 09:31:00 EST

Those hoping to play Destiny on PS4 this morning may encounter a few issues getting into the game, and Bungie is on the case. The developer's support team tweeted today that it is "actively investigating issues impacting players' ability to sign in to Destiny on PlayStation 4."

While not determined to be related at this point, the log-in issues hit the game on the same day as the PS4's next major system update, Version 2.0. The update adds the online multiplayer Share Play feature to the console as well as the ability to play music files from a USB stick. Destiny was also recently patched on all consoles to remove an exploit in its Vault of Glass mission. We will update as we learn that the fix for Destiny's sign-in issues on PS4 is in.

Update: Bungie says the "issues preventing PlayStation 4 players from signing into Destiny are resolving."

[Image: Activision]

PSA: Destiny sign-in issues on PS4 [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Oct 2014 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rejoice! Visceral says Battlefield Hardline 'will work' at launch

Mike Suszek — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:21:00 EST

Battlefield Hardline will operate as expected at launch, according to Ian Milham, creative director at Visceral Games. "What you're basically asking is, 'Is your game going to work?' And the answer is yes, it's gonna work," Milham told Game Revolution.

The statement follows a rough launch for the last game game in the series, DICE's Battlefield 4, which suffered months of connectivity issues after its October 2013 arrival. That led to multiple law firms alleging that publisher EA issued "materially false and misleading statements" regarding Battlefield 4's playability. When a CEO like EA's Andrew Wilson publicly deems a game's launch as "unacceptable," questions about the next game's stability will certainly come up.

Continue reading Rejoice! Visceral says Battlefield Hardline 'will work' at launch

Rejoice! Visceral says Battlefield Hardline 'will work' at launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Battlefield 4 connectivity issues continue across 'various platforms'

Mike Suszek — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 11:15:00 EST

DICE posted an alert on its support forums for Battlefield 4 to warn players of ongoing connectivity issues across multiple platforms. This is the latest update in a string of problems the game has faced since its launch in late October, which has seen multiple patches go live in the past few weeks.

The game's support forums note that the developer is "continuing to monitor some intermittent connectivity issues affecting some players across various platforms." Though no other information is provided in the alert, DICE's Battlefield 4 issues tracker mentioned that it is investigating a bug that is "accounting for a large amount of crashes" on Xbox 360.

Among the other problems encountered by Battlefield players are reports that the game's China Rising DLC failed to carry over from PS3 to PS4, for players that made the switch to the next-gen system. As a result of its constant problems, multiple law firms have launched investigations into EA to determine whether the publisher intentionally mislead investors on the game's state leading up to its release.

Battlefield 4 connectivity issues continue across 'various platforms' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Dec 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rockstar working out Social Club and iFruit companion app issues [Update]

Mike Suszek — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:15:00 EST

With the launch of Grand Theft Auto 5 this week, both Rockstar Games Social Club and the GTA iFruit companion app have had numerous issues. According to an update on its support page, Rockstar is aware of problems like account linking being down, stats not syncing properly and content not loading correctly, and is working to resolve them.

While Social Club has been around for years, Rockstar just launched the iFruit companion app this week to coincide with GTA 5's release. The free app allows players to take care of Chop, the pet dog owned by one of the game's characters, as well as customize vehicles and license plates for use in the game.

Update: Rockstar updated its support page, noting it "made some changes that should help to resolve some of these issues, and will continue to work toward a full resolution for any remaining problems such as logging into iFruit."

Rockstar working out Social Club and iFruit companion app issues [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bungie not concerned about Destiny's always-on connection requirement

Mike Schramm — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:45:00 EST

In a new Mail Sack blog post, developer Bungie has responded to concerns about its always-on requirement for Destiny, the studio's upcoming multi-platform shooter. The developer says it's not worried about a SimCity-style server outage for Destiny when "the massive onslaught of players" arrive on launch day because it's dealt with high-demand in the past.

"This isn't our first rodeo," the post reads. "Bungie is no stranger to anxious mobs of players who rush home after a midnight launch and put our best-laid plans to the test." Bungie says it plans to "focus on some less frightening but equally important challenges" for now, worrying about release day problems at a later time.

Elsewhere in the Sack, there's also a question about whether or not the alien races will be playable in the game, and Bungie mysteriously teases that it's "barely scratched the surface on the character and customization options." When graphic designer John Stvan is asked to tell a tale about playing the game, he says he once "loaded a build, shot a gun, killed a dude." Sounds riveting!

Bungie not concerned about Destiny's always-on connection requirement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ni no Kuni PSN EU download not working, being republished

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:30:00 EST

European PS3 owners who pre-ordered Ni no Kuni on PSN are still waiting for the game following download issues. Although the game, out today in Europe and Australasia, can be downloaded, when you try to play it a message appears saying it isn't installed properly. PlayStation Europe says it's republishing the game onto PSN now, and hopes to complete the process by afternoon time over there.

The PSN issues in Europe follow the debacle on the US side with pre-orders of the Wizard's Edition, which left many customers with cancellations. The issues threaten to overshadow what's generally been a very well received game, one which we doled out four and a half stars to in our review. We felt the Studio Ghilbi and Level-5 collaboration is what made the game tick, saying that "one without the other might have been good, but together they've created a superb role-playing game for this generation to savor."

Ni no Kuni PSN EU download not working, being republished originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vita launch issues in Japan result in apology, software update [update]

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST

For us suckers in North America, the PlayStation Vita is still just a distant object of desire. For the Japanese, though, the Vita is already a couple days into its life, but apparently it's got some ... issues. Our tech savvy brethren at Engadget are reporting that some users are experiencing "software bugs, unresponsive touchscreens and complete system freezes," resulting in many taking to social media to voice frustration.

Sony, as it turns out, is listening, already issuing a software update and penning an apology letter. The video above showcases some of the Vita's problematic issues, and it should at very least help you to sympathize with your Japanese equivalent's frustration. The letter, well, it's in Japanese, and it's kinda non-specific, so you may wanna skip that part. Regardless, with any luck, said issues will be ironed out by the time Vita arrives on US shores on February 22. Here's hoping, anyway.

Update: Sony UK counters this report and others, saying the company, "can't find any evidence of widespread glitches."

[Thanks Gerry!]

Vita launch issues in Japan result in apology, software update [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Homefront PS3 patch met with poor reviews; stats reset unaddressed

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:55:00 EST

Kaos Studios responded to reports of "freezing" issues and other bugs in Homefront by pushing out a patch for the PS3 version of the game last night at approximately 8PM ET. In its announcement, the developer claimed that "far fewer issues" had been reported in the Xbox 360 version, though a title update was in the works nonetheless. Additionally, a "small hotfix" was released for the PC version yesterday, to be followed by "a patch with full change-list in the near future."

Following the update's release via PlayStation Network, a few worrisome comments began to appear below the announcement post. "I thik [sic] they broke the game," observed one commenter complaining of lag. "I hadn't had any lock up problems till this update, now all it does is lock up making the game unplayable for me," posted another.

"I too have lost my rank (PS3)," reads a more alarming comment, "I was rank 24 and i played a game and noticed i was back to 2." This issue of reset player ranks and XP appears not to be an unintended side effect of the patch, but rather an ongoing issue since the game's launch earlier this week, acknowledged by Kaos yesterday afternoon. "We are aware of the buggy leader boards and stat tracking issues and it is being addressed in an upcoming patch," promised Kaos' Dan Matlack in response to one of the many, many forum threads on the issue.

While the stats reset bug was not addressed in last night's update, Kaos' patch notes did highlight the introduction of "several fixes for reported freezes." In the main "PS3 'Freezing' Issues" thread, posters have reported mostly failed results. In the "Multiplayer Status Update" thread, similar complaints about freezing have appeared following the patch's release, in addition to reported server connection and party system failures.

Still, some forum-goers remain optimistic: "great patch, the only problem im still having is my ps3 is freezes usually after every other game," posted a cheery St0rMiN_X_NoRMaN.

[Thanks, Gwynne]

Homefront PS3 patch met with poor reviews; stats reset unaddressed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit PC patch to bring law-breaking bugs to a stop

Mike Schramm — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:00:00 EST

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit's dev team has been combing the code of the game for some additional features and bugfixes, and both of those are set to peel out in the title in a patch next week. The patch should lay down an EMP on issues with multi-core CPUs, pop a spike strip on some runaway rain and snow effect issues, and set up a roadblock for a few other crashes and problems, stopping them in their tracks.

One issue that won't get fixed: the obsession born from the game's Autolog feature as you tryto beat your friends' times by just a few more seconds. The developers have decided that it's a personal problem, so you'll have to patch yourself on that one.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit PC patch to bring law-breaking bugs to a stop originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Review: APB (Day 4: Cards on the table)

Mike Schramm — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:46:00 EST

Review Diary

This is the final part of a four-day review diary about the first MMO from developers Realtime Worlds, APB.

One of the hardest parts about reviewing an MMO is that the genre takes full advantage of being online and persistent. Because players need to log in to an updated client every time, developers can quickly and relatively easily push out new bugfixes and content with regularity. Realtime Worlds has already released one patch post-release for APB, and while I've talked about certain issues with repetitive gameplay and earning customization levels, both of those issues can be fixed with updates if the developers choose to do so.

So the final question in reviewing an MMO isn't necessarily if you should buy this game today or not. It's: Does the game offer enough promise to invest your time and attention? Future plans included, out of all the games you could spend your free time on, is APB capable of rewarding that investment with a quality experience?

Continue reading Review: APB (Day 4: Cards on the table)

Review: APB (Day 4: Cards on the table) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2K responds to BioShock 2 Metro Pack DLC complaints

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:28:00 EST

Joystiq has received numerous reports from BioShock 2 players who have been unable to play the new multiplayer maps since purchasing the Metro Pack DLC last week. Elizabeth Tobey, senior manager of interactive marketing for 2K, has responded to this issue on the 2K forums. It's not a glitch, but a design choice: 2K has not yet created a DLC-only online multiplayer playlist.

Said Tobey, "We couldn't assume all players would purchase the new maps, so we made a design decision to unify the player base and make sure no one got split up." In order to play a new map in a public match, explained Tobey, all players in the match must own the DLC (obviously). If anyone doesn't have the DLC, the match automatically reverts to base maps. Tobey noted that the easiest way to play the new maps would be to set up a private match and indicated in a separate thread that the development team is considering the creation of a playlist exclusively for the Metro Pack maps.

In the same thread, Tobey addressed another complaint about the new DLC involving the included Rebirth option, which lets rank 50 players reset their level in exchange for a special mask item. The feature is apparently wiping players' leaderboard ranking and online stats. Tobey assured that the BioShock 2 team is "looking into" the Rebirth issue.

[Via Eurogamer]

Source - 2K Forums
Source - 2K Forums

2K responds to BioShock 2 Metro Pack DLC complaints originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 May 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony: PS3 disc drive errors not a firmware issue

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EST

The trouble started with Uncharted and has now reportedly grown to encompass all manner of media fed into the PlayStation 3 disc drive. The comments section of PlayStiaton Blog's Firmware 3.01 announcement has been overwhelmed by user reports of disc drive errors since Firmware 3.00 and 3.01 were released; most commonly, read errors reportedly occur when running Blu-ray games or movies, but in some alleged cases plain old DVDs are not working either.

Eurogamer has reached Sony for comment, and the console manufacturer has disavowed responsibility for the apparent drive failure, declaring it "not an issue with the firmware." In other words, corresponding repair costs are currently placed squarely on the shoulders of the affected consumers.

We will continue to follow this story as it updates. Stay tuned.

Sony: PS3 disc drive errors not a firmware issue originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Firmware 3.00 blamed for malfunctioning PS3 controllers

Xav de Matos — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:45:00 EST

A growing thread on the official PlayStation 3 forum alleges the recent hardware firmware upgrade to version 3.00 has spawned a host of controller connection issues for PS3 users. According to the forum, various wireless controllers -- some users specifically naming DualShock3 model CECHZC2H (Ceramic White) -- are unable to connect to the console. When turned on, users claim the controller LEDs for ports 1 and 2 activate, but the controller remains inoperable.

Users attempting to troubleshoot the problem claim that resetting the controller (through the built-in pinhole reset function) and plugging it directly into the console (via USB) do not correct the error, with one user going so far as doing a complete system restore to no avail. The issue, however, appears to be isolated, but is still a concern for a number of gamers.

Update: Overnight, the issue has spawned an interesting development. Users are pointing out that the problem may be isolated to "knock-off" PS3 controllers. Joystiq has contacted Sony for an update to see if XMB 3.00 targets these fakes or if the controller issue is simply a byproduct of the controllers not being able to catch up with the new firmware.

Firmware 3.00 blamed for malfunctioning PS3 controllers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The best of WoW.com: August 4-11, 2009

Mike Schramm — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:29:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Online, RPGs, Meta (about Joystiq), MMO

Exciting times in the World of Warcraft lately -- patch 3.2 is out, and with it comes brand new instances, new items to find, and a multitude of changes to make the game more fun. Oh, and don't forget about BlizzCon -- speculation is at a fever pitch with the event just 10 days away, and as you can see from the first post below, the leaks are starting to come already. Here's a sampling of the news you'll find on Joystiq's WoW.com.

News

Cataclysm races leaked
WoW.com reveals the new playable races in the Cataclysm expansion, to be announced at BlizzCon next week.
Player reaction to the 5-man Trial
What did players think of the brand new 5-man instance?
Patch 3.2 Known Issues
Here's what's still broken in the newest patch.
BigRedKitty gets his own gun in Azeroth
Our friend and former coworker BRK gets honored with his own piece of ingame gear.
53 Emblems per day
Want to take advantage of the Emblem changes in the new Heroics? Run this route and farm as many emblems as you can.

Features

Every kind of player's guide to patch 3.2
Not sure what to do in patch 3.2? Let us help.
Arcane Brilliance: Good and bad in patch 3.2
The Mage column examines the pros and cons of what's happening to them in the recent patch.
Insider Trader: Progressive professions
How to move professions forward in the future of the game.
Time is Money: On patrol
Have only a little time but want to make a lot of gold? Join the Troll Patrol!
World of Warcraft Patch 3.2 Mounts guide
The mount changes have affected the game a lot -- here's the rundown of everything that's new.

The best of WoW.com: August 4-11, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumor: WipEout HD crashing for users with large friend lists

Jem Alexander — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

We're not talking the type of crashing you'd normally associate with WipEout, this is far more frustrating. Since the European PSN Store was updated earlier today we've been hearing reports of people experiencing crashes and game freezing whilst playing WipEout HD. Members of the official European PlayStation forums think they might have the answer. It seems to only be happening to the more sociable PSN users; those with over fifty friends in their friends lists.

There's no word on a fix, other than signing out of the PlayStation Network while you're playing. Obviously, this will prevent you from playing online. PlayStation Forum moderators are looking into the issue as a matter of urgency and hopefully we'll see a solution soon. We've experienced the freezing ourselves (and yes, our friends list is massive, thanks for asking), but an official cause hasn't been confirmed by anything other than anecdotal evidence at this stage.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Rumor: WipEout HD crashing for users with large friend lists originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Poll: Are you having technical issues with GTA IV?

Ross Miller — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Polls

We've heard about various reports of the technical problems with Grand Theft Auto IV. We're conducting a network-wide poll with our friends at X3F and PS3 Fanboy to see how the Joystiq community has been afflicted with the issues. After voting, please let us know your specific problems in the comments below.

Are you having problems with Grand Theft Auto IV?
	Yes, and I use the Xbox 360
	Yes, and I use the 60GB PS3
	Yes, and I use the non-60GB PS3 (please specify in comments)
	No problem (Xbox 360)
	No problem (60GB PS3)
	No problem (non-60GB PS3; please specify in comments)
	Don't own the game, I just felt compelled to click something

Poll: Are you having technical issues with GTA IV? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

DS Daily: Worst Wi-Fi problems

Alisha Karabinus — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

We all pretty much agree that friend codes aren't exactly Nintendo's best decision ever, but every week after Game Night (which is probably when this blogger does the lion's share of weekly online DS gaming), there are always a few thoughts rumbling around about things that could be better. Being unable to add new friends to Clubhouse Games while in a room, for instance, or the 2-or-4 player restrictions on Tetris. Any other issues you can think of? Sometimes it seems that online multiplayer functions just weren't quite subjected to the same quality control issues. They work well enough, to be sure, but they could easily be better in a lot of cases.

DS Daily: Worst Wi-Fi problems originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Singstar players are unhappy with the state of community features

Jem Alexander — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST

We don't usually write about petitions for two reasons. One, they're usually requesting one game or another to be made available on a platform of their choice and, two, because they rarely work. This petition regarding Singstar, however, does highlight some problems regarding the game that we have ourselves noticed since its release.

Singstar has been given pretty good reviews so far (we'll have some in depth thoughts up for you within the next few days), because it has pushed what it did on the PS2 towards new, online, horizons. Unfortunately, the reality of these features, and what Sony promises, don't match up. The Singstar servers for the SingStore and My Singstar Online have been flaky, at best, with frequent time-outs and periods of downtime. Not only that, but Sony promised 350 songs on the SingStore at launch, whereas there are currently less than 100 (though closer to 50).

This wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't text within the game itself which clearly states that there are "hundreds of songs available to download", or if there was some sort of community news update which would let people know what's going on. As it is, people are left in the dark and are getting frustrated.

Singstar players are unhappy with the state of community features originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Red Octane responds to Xbox Guitar Hero II guitar issues

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm, Business

Red Octane has responded to reported issues with the guitar for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II. Speaking to Joystiq, Red Octane states, "In regards to the controller, we're currently in the process of having our internal QA and production teams look into this possible issue, and are working to quickly isolate this if there is one. In the meantime, we suggest our fans try to replug in their guitars without holding down any buttons or the whammy bar, and that may help immediately resolve the issue."

In regards to the Target "recall," Red Octane confirms our information that there was and is no recall. The Target street date lock out caused the system to ring up as "Recall for Sale." As things stand currently, there is no recall and Red Octane is looking into the issue of a faulty Xbox 360 guitar controller.

Red Octane responds to Xbox Guitar Hero II guitar issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Las Vegas and Midway may tussle over similar catchphrase

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Business

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, owners of the trademarked phrase "Only Vegas," are looking to tussle with Midway games over their attempts to trademark "Only in Vegas." We can't imagine why the LVCVA would think that Midway is dangerously close to infringing on their trademark -- everyone knows that prepositions make everything different.

Surreal Games, a division of Midway, is trying to trademark "Only in Vegas" for an upcoming game where "Las Vegas is in the cross hairs of a powerful corporate boss who wants to turn Sin City into a family-themed destination." There's a lot of chest-beating and posturing around this trademark issue currently. Why doesn't Surreal Games just come up with something more original that doesn't come close to violating a trademark? How about, "What happens on the strip, stays on the strip!" Now that's far more original than "Only in Vegas."

[Via GamePolitics]

Las Vegas and Midway may tussle over similar catchphrase originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments