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CharityWatch: TheSpeedGamers tackling Final Fantasy I - XII

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 19th 2009 at 1:00PM }

We know, we know -- another Sunday, another gaming marathon for charity. Still, we figured that the 30 tips pointing us to this particular marathon which we received within the course of ten minutes meant people were interested in it. Still, if you do find yourself annoyed, then you can go screw right off. It's charity, dude.

The fine philanthropic folks over at TheSpeedGamers are spending this entire week completing Final Fantasy I - XII in an attempt to raise at least $20,000 for an autism treatment organization named ACT Today. By our calculations, that's 15,000 random encounters, 1,300 levels-up and about 200 unbearably long, villainous soliloquies over the course of seven days. That's enough to drive even the most hardcore Squeenix supporters insane -- why not go reward their self-abuse with a few bucks for charity?

Norway Post's new logo: Pok�ball or Marathon symbol variation?

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 5th 2008 at 9:00AM }

This is what makes us smile. Reader Olav sent us word this morning that the Norwegian post office switched its old logo (which we've placed after the break for reference) to something, he said, that "unmistakably looks like a pokéball." After checking it out, we believe Posten Norge's new symbol looks like the love child of a pokéball and the symbol from Bungie's Marathon.

Coincidence, or conspiracy by some gamer in the art department?

Source - Article about new post symbol (it's in Norwegian)
Source - Norway Post in English

[Thanks Olav]

Continued →

Marathon 2 map pack thrown up on Wednesday

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jun 17th 2008 at 2:25PM }

Yes, we know, you've been clamoring for more multiplayer maps like an irate, "plz sir can I hav sum moar" Oliver Twist. You yearn for more of Bungie's first-person shootery, dreaming of running and gunning down corridors you haven't been through countless times already. It'll genuinely make your day to see new downloadable content pop up on the Xbox Live Marketplace, but until a new Halo 3 map pack is announced, that day is still quite a ways off. But here, have some Marathon 2: Durandal stuff in the meantime.

For 250 MS Points (an awkward $3.125), the Jjaro Map Pack will net you 12 new multiplayer environments, playable in King of the Hill, Kill the Man with the Ball and Tag modes, and two achievements worth a combined 30 gamer points. If the game's infamously sickening motion doesn't make you throw up, be sure to grab the content just in case Marathon gets thrown off Xbox Live Arcade.

Marathon DLC (Jjaro Map Pack) hitting tomorrow

by Terrence Stasse { Jun 17th 2008 at 8:30AM }

We here at X3F love our old-school FPS's just as much as the new-school ones, and at a price of 250MSpts, the upcoming DLC for Marathon 2: Durandal looks to get us back into the archaic swing of things. The new Jjaro Map Pack will hit the Marketplace tomorrow and includes twelve multiplayer maps, two Achievements (worth 30pts total) and three new multiplayer modes (King of the Hill, Kill the Man with the Ball, and Tag).

For those obsessed with such things, the Achievement details can be found after the break. Oh, and according the post at 360sync, the devs will be Live and playing on the night of release.

Continued →

Poll Results: Poker best, Shrek worst of XBLA chopping block titles

by Ross Miller { Jun 6th 2008 at 5:45PM }

Over the last few days, we asked you to pick the best and worst of the Xbox Live Arcade titles that are potentially up for delisting. We've now tallied the votes and the results are in:

Best:

Texas Hold 'Em (12.77%)
Marathon: Durandal (12.48%)
Contra (9.18%)

Worst:

You can view our picks for best and worst here. We want to make a special note regarding the Yaris game, which was not included because it would pass the delist hurdle of over 6% conversion rate (hint: it had no demo and was free; the devil is in the details). We don't know if Microsoft will be that stringent regarding its guidelines, but there is poetic justice in noting that the developer, comprised of former Blizzard North staffers, suspended operations in April.

Marathon: Durandal DLC video blowout

by Richard Mitchell { May 8th 2008 at 2:00PM }

Looks like 360Sync decided to turn the drip feed of Marathon: Durandal DLC info into a full torrent. There is now video of seven more maps in addition to the two that were revealed already. According to 360Sync, they also have video footage of one more, making ten maps so far. Here are all the maps currently revealed:

Duality
Thick and Chunky
Melatonin
Mime Target
Fortress Lh'owon
Arena
Mars Needs Women
Vulcan
Beyond Thunderdome

Not only that, but Bruce Morisson, project lead for Marathon at Freeverse, has left a comment stating there are "several" more to be included with the upcoming DLC. That's a lot of maps. Check out video of all of the maps revealed so far embedded above. Once the first video is over, the next will automatically load (alternately, you can skip to the next video using the navigation buttons).

[Thanks, StLouisRibs]

New Marathon maps and achievements on the way

by Richard Mitchell { May 6th 2008 at 12:15PM }

It's kind of strange when you think about it. Here we have Marathon, a very old game getting DLC thanks to the magic of Xbox Live Arcade. 360Sync got a look at the new DLC (complete with new achievements) including some super spiffy videos. The first video, embedded above, shows off the map Duality (originally from the Marathon series and remade as Gemini in Halo 2). Fun fact: Duality was named for a game being created by Double Aught, a company comprised of former Bungie employees. Duality the game, sadly, was never released. The second video (embedded after the break) showcases "Thick and Chunky." The primary feature of the level is the large lava pit in the center, which also happens to be where the hill is located in King of the Hill mode. Ouch.

We're not sure how many more maps could wind up in the upcoming DLC. Keep your eyes on X3F for the latest on what to expect and details on when the DLC will be available.

Continued →

English of the Judo chop

by Candace Savino { Apr 9th 2008 at 7:00PM }

If we lived in Japan and needed to learn English, English of the Dead would clearly be our choice of software. Yet, we're not saying that Paon doesn't have a fun idea for their English training game, too. New Horizon English Training Course DS might not have zombies, but it does have Judo.

As you may have guessed, the way in which this title handles its English quizzes is through sports minigames. It's unclear how exactly the Judo game works, but there's also a marathon event (during which players must write out the correct letters quickly in order to run fast), and a weight training game (which has players identify whether or not a translation is correct).

Of course, in our hearts, zombies still win -- every time.

[Via Siliconera]

Bungie's next game is like, 'totally different'

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Feb 6th 2008 at 4:27PM }

One of Bungie's many skills is to talk up future projects without saying much at all, with the latest edition of the now independent company's podcast providing a sterling example of vague vocalizing. In a discussion between Luke Smith, Frank 'O Connor, Brian Gerrard and lead designer Christian Allen, we learn that Bungie's next title will be "totally different" to what you may have envisioned.

Though it's early days yet, we're assured the work-in-progress is looking "very cool." As an adventure involving armor-clad tough guys gallivanting across mysterious space hoops is almost certainly ruled out (we're not mad about it), what do you think is nestled within Bungie's chiffon sleeve?

[Via Eurogamer]

Four48 crew takes on the world in Resident Evil 4 race

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 2nd 2008 at 1:30PM }

With three marathon gaming sessions neatly tucked under their belts, the Four48 crew are starting to get a little overzealous. Attempting to beat four Zelda games in forty-eight hours was a lofty enough goal -- but for their latest effort to raise cash for Child's Play, they're attempting to establish global domination by besting seven other teams in a race through Resident Evil 4.

The first team to cross the finish line (via jet ski, if memory serves) nets themselves a copy of No More Heroes, along with bragging rights in the rapidly expanding competitive marathon gaming scene. As always, you can watch their live webstream to see if the Four48ers can back up their boasts -- that is, if you can stand ten straight hours of listening to the death rattles of Spanish pseudo-zombies.

Four48 crew tackling Paper Mario for weekend Child's Play marathon

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 26th 2008 at 3:30PM }

Remember those wacky kids who tried to beat the four 3D Zelda games in a single two day sitting, and failed miserably due to technical difficulties and general overzealousness? Well, they're back, comically tiny TV and all, to take on the N64 cult classic Paper Mario, in an attempt to raise more donations for Child's Play (their first outing netted a total of $1200 for the charity).

These weekend warriors (called the Four48 crew in honor of their first ambitious marathon) are planning on sitting down with a new game every Saturday morning, and not getting up until the ending credits roll. You can watch their exploits on their video webstream (and donate to a worthy cause) on their site. We highly suggest it -- if watching these guys trudge through classic games doesn't trigger your nostalgia gland, at least it's interesting to watch bedsores develop in real time.

Today in Joystiq: January 17, 2008

by Ross Miller { Jan 17th 2008 at 11:59PM }

More cool t-shirt designs from reader Anthony, whose work we showed off yesterday. For those that don't recognize the above images, that's Assassin's Creed on the left and Marathon on the right. Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
X3F Week in Review: January 11, 2008 - January 17, 2008

News
GameTap Thursday: Gumboy rolls into town
Myst DS landing in US this March
Virtua Fighter 5 update on 360 brings saved replays, pants
PixelJunk Monsters to invade PSN on Jan. 24
Scrabulous under fire from Hasbro, Mattel
FIFA Street 3 demo now on Xbox Live
Meet Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney right here, right now
MotorStorm track pack arrives on PSN today
Alone in the Dark delayed until May, PS3 even later
Paperboy, Metroid Prime programmer dies at 43
Suda 51 wants more No More Heroes
XGen browser game dev throws casual weight behind WiiWare
There's a new trailer for Postal
Infogrames CEO outlines recovery plans for company and Atari
Leisure Suit Larry Box Office Bust coming everywhere Fall '08
Atlus USA reveals 'Rondo of Swords' for DS
Study: A Wii bit of practice before surgery is good
Sony says SingStar store will get updates soon
Gears of War dolls of masculinity available spring '08
December NPD: No wonder you're broke this month
TiVo Alert: Prototype gameplay on X-Play
PSN Thursday: Turok demo shows, PlayStation Eye games watch
Codemasters CEO: We're an attractive acquisition

Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Devil May Cry 4 demo coming January 31
Rumorang: Crysis '1.5' to PS3, not Xbox 360

Culture & Community
Turner Broadcasting sponsors game design competition
Kindly check the mail: Big Daddies are en route
Video Games Live announces 40 shows across the globe
Ubidays 2008 coming May 28-29 in Paris
Mass Effect 'virtual orgasmic rape' columnist apologizes

Four Zelda games in 48 hours

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 12th 2008 at 11:45AM }

We've all, at some point, had a game that we decided not to put down until the closing credits. Whether you uncompromisingly soldiered on through a Warcraft III campaign, or decided to topple Bowser before turning in for the day, we're all familiar with marathon gaming. However, a small gathering of Zelda enthusiasts are attempting a seemingly impossible gauntlet of non-stop dungeon raiding -- all four 3D Zelda games (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess) in just 48 hours.

That's four water temples, three Ganondorf confrontations, and a whole mess of heart containers, stretched over a two day period. With nearly thirty hours to go, the CameronBanga.com team have already bested Ocarina of Time, and are currently trudging through the most tedious of all the Zelda titles, Majora's Mask. We can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than watching these goons sink into sweet, Hyrulian madness via their live webstream -- but then again, we're what most camp counselors would call "indoor kids".

Freeverse discusses porting Marathon 2 to XBLA

by Scott Jon Siegel { Nov 22nd 2007 at 3:01PM }

Gamasutra's postmortems are excellent opportunities to look back at certain games, and hear with unabashed honesty what went right and wrong throughout the course of development. Such is the case with developer Freeverse's postmortem on their enhanced port of Bungie's classic Marathon 2: Durandal for Xbox Live Arcade.

Freeverse employee Mark Levin goes into insane levels of detail describing the arduous task of bringing Marathon 2 -- originally a Macintosh title -- over to the Xbox 360. He discusses the team's decision to re-work the graphics for HD, and the difficulty of bug-testing very old code, but somehow neglects to discuss the game's propensity for causing upset stomachs.

Regardless, it's a great and honest read, with some real insight into the treacherous task of bringing old games to new consoles.

Bungie finds balance between new IPs and Halo

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Nov 8th 2007 at 8:30PM }

In an interview with Develop, Bungie studio manager Harold Ryan elaborates on what's in store for the Halo developer after it the left the Microsoft fold. The answer being moar Haloz shouldn't elicit a gasp from anyone, but the studio's return to independence now allows it to find a better balance between the guaranteed moneymaker and new intellectual properties. "During the development of Halo and Halo 2, we had other, non-Halo IPs in development and we killed those projects both times," said Ryan. "Both teams were swallowed whole by the Halo team. With Halo 3, that was the first time we know that we couldn't let that happen – it's not an acceptable way out to add 20 people to the project by killing that prototype."

With the prototype having survived and creativity culling quelled, Bungie is now "actively engaged" in exploring worlds of a different kind and quite possibly, a different shape (look for Cubee in 2009). That isn't to say everybody's sick of Master Chief, of course: "We shipped Halo with 45 people and now we're 115, so two thirds of the studio have only shipped one or two games in the Halo series. For the most part they came here because they were really excited to work at Bungie and in the Halo universe. So from that point of view we don't have a shortage of people happy to make Halo games." It's just as well, since we're fairly sure there's no shortage of people happy to play them either.