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Everyone rush! Multiplayer returns to PS3 Modern Warfare 2
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Nov 12th 2009 at 12:05AM } 
Like many Joystiq commenters have pointed out, we're hoping this closure means the end of Modern Warfare 2 stories for a while. Hopefully we can keep this tag closed for at least a few days, before people start murmuring about the inevitable DLC to come.
[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
PS3 Modern Warfare 2 experiencing multiplayer issues; patch expected Friday [final update]
by Andrew Yoon { Nov 11th 2009 at 12:57PM }
According to Bowling, PS3 owners can expect a "party invite update by Friday," which should hopefully resolve this issue. Until then, players will have to make due with the single-player campaign. It's not like this "multiplayer" thing is important, right?
Update: Tipster Kenneth B. pointed us to a tweet from Activision support that says the MW2 outage is "totally unrelated to the patch." While this means a fix can be done before Friday, he admits "we don't have a hard ETA on the servers coming back up." We'll be keeping track of this problem, but don't forget to send us your tips.
Update 2: Tipster Brent point us to yet another tweet, this time from Robert Bowling who confirms the multiplayer downtime is caused by server overload. According to Bowling, "Xbox Live servers are maintained and ran by Microsoft. PSN servers are ran and maintained by 3rd party companies hired to do so." Seems this mysterious "3rd party" infrastructure simply cannot match the Microsoft-funded backbone of Xbox Live.
Update 3: It appears everything is finally fully operational. For more details, check out this updated story.
Super Street Fighter IV getting 8-person lobbies for online multiplayer
by Ben Gilbert { Nov 10th 2009 at 9:01PM } 
SSFIV's Masahiro Taguchi let the cat out of the bag on the official Japanese blog for the game (translated by Andriasang), saying that the regular ol' Street Fighter IV did not properly convey "the feeling of players gathering together for fights." He says that the ability to create multiplayer lobbies was on the table before creating SFIV, but was scrapped in favor of the one-on-one model currently in place. As frame rate can be a particularly important issue with fighting games relative to other genres, Taguchi makes a point to dispel any worries of online stuttering while observers look on to games in progress, though admitting that the process of making this lag free was a bit of a "technical feat." We're looking forward to putting Taguchi's claims to the test in 2010 when Super Street Fighter IV lands on our consoles.
[Via Andriasang]
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta hits Nov. 19, exclusive to PS3
by Randy Nelson { Nov 5th 2009 at 12:00PM } 
The beta will focus on one of Bad Company 2's new multiplayer game types: Rush. This multi-stage battle takes place on a map called Arica Harbor, which is broken into unique areas for each round. American forces push forward on foot and in vehicles to scrap with Russian troops outside a military base, in an urban environment and eventually at the harbor itself in a "last stand" scenario.
EA plans to begin a PC round of the beta in December, followed up by an all-new multiplayer demo for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC early next year. The finished game hits shelves on March 2, 2010. We recently had the opportunity to play in the multiplayer beta and will bring you our hands-on impressions tomorrow morning, November 6 at 9:00 a.m. PT / noon ET.
Rockstar revamps Social Club's online leaderboards and stat tracking for Gay Tony
by Ben Gilbert { Oct 29th 2009 at 3:45PM }
Hands-on: BioShock 2
by Randy Nelson { Oct 29th 2009 at 12:00PM } 
Having already taken a brief tour of Rapture through the eyes of a Big Daddy a few months back, we were okay with the fact that BioShock 2 looked and seemed to play very much like the original game -- only this time encased in a huge pressurized diving suit. Now that we've played through a full area of the game, our initial assessment more or less holds up, but that's not to say there aren't several noteworthy -- and even surprising -- changes and additions to expect when the game arrives next spring.
Warning: We've done our best to keep what you're about to read as spoiler-free as possible, but the extremely sensitive should tread cautiously beyond this point.
Warning: We've done our best to keep what you're about to read as spoiler-free as possible, but the extremely sensitive should tread cautiously beyond this point.
Gallery: BioShock 2 (10-29-09)
BioShock 2's 'Capture the Sister' mode isn't kidding around
by Randy Nelson { Oct 28th 2009 at 8:20PM }
As the above first look at the mode explains, the "attacking" side's goal is to return the girl to a Little Sister vent. The defenders -- well they defend, of course ... but one of them gets to be a Big Daddy. We'll have our hands-on impressions of BioShock 2's single and multiplayer modes tomorrow, so look for more details then.
Gears of War 2 TU5 passes cert; Epic passes along list of fixes
by David Hinkle { Oct 23rd 2009 at 1:45PM }
The new Title Update (#5) reverts the roadie-run camera back to its state in the first Gears of War and fixes an exploit where "a player could modify the game's behavior due to a security vulnerability introduced in an earlier title update." The update also kills the ability to use turbo controllers with the game -- something folks have been using to increase their rate of fire -- and turns off the ability to mantle the shield in competitive multiplayer matches, eradicating the ability to escape the map or glitch certain pieces of geometry.
The fixes sound all well and good, but is it enough to bring folks back to the game and satisfy those still playing with a chip on their massive, hulkish shoulders? We'll all find out when the update goes live, which Epic's Rod Fergusson says could happen as early as today or Monday.
GameTrailers TV drowns us in BioShock 2 footage
by Griffin McElroy { Oct 23rd 2009 at 10:39AM }
Okay, all it actually costs you is exposure to a few spoilers for the game -- but isn't that just as bad? Remember that sense of wonder the first time you stepped foot into the murky waters of Rapture? Aren't you afraid you'll ruin whatever semblance of that emotion that might still appear in the sequel by filling your ... you're already watching it, aren't you? You're a fiend, you know that? A fiend.
Army of Two: The 40th Day trailer previews 'Extraction Mode'
by Griffin McElroy { Oct 22nd 2009 at 2:05PM }
Curious whether Army of Two: The 40th Day's co-op "Extraction Mode" makes pre-ordering the game (thereby getting a one-month head-start with the new game mode) worthwhile? We suggest checking out the first glimpses of the co-op offering in the video above. Following in the vein of Horde Mode or Firefight, Extraction pits four players up against wave after wave of masked, gun-toting enemies as they move from checkpoint to checkpoint, attempting to escape the warzone. Teamwork is encouraged -- apparently, it's better to act as an Army of Four rather than Four Armies of One.
Remember, one month after the game launches on Jan. 12, Extraction Mode will be free to download for anyone who didn't pre-order the title. This head-start may be enough to get your ire up, but can't we just be grateful they're not charging for this extra content? C'mon, we're already drowning in petitions over here.
Remember, one month after the game launches on Jan. 12, Extraction Mode will be free to download for anyone who didn't pre-order the title. This head-start may be enough to get your ire up, but can't we just be grateful they're not charging for this extra content? C'mon, we're already drowning in petitions over here.
Gallery: Army of Two: The 40th Day (10/22/09)
Over 8,000 updates and bug fixes in latest MAG beta update
by Griffin McElroy { Oct 22nd 2009 at 11:45AM }
A brief synopsis of the important changes can be found after the jump. We elected to not include the full list of 8,000 updates, as it would have delayed this post until mid-April, at which point it would have been fairly useless to you.
Infinity Ward responds to Modern Warfare 2 dedicated server petition
by Griffin McElroy { Oct 20th 2009 at 4:00PM }
"We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners," West explained. The duo had received countless complaints from PC Modern Warfare players who were unable to find a match online that wasn't riddled with cheaters, "insular" clans and enormous skill disparities -- problems they hope IWNet will eliminate. When asked why both matchmaking and dedicated servers couldn't both exist, West explained that this practice would "bifurcate the community."
The implementation of IWNet will likely make the game more accessible to casual PC gamers -- however, we worry that Infinity Ward might be ignoring the timeless adage of "make new friends, keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." What do you think, dear readers? Is this a smart move or a brilliant mistake on Infinity Ward's part?
Petition for dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 2 growing rapidly
by Griffin McElroy { Oct 19th 2009 at 7:30PM }
As is often the case with instances of internet democracy, it's impossible to know whether or not the petition will influence Infinity Ward to reverse its dedicated server policy. We've contacted IW's Robery Bowling to see if the petition has at least made a blip on the developer's sizable radar screen.
Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Infinity Ward: Modern Warfare 2's co-op 'broke the cinematic experience'
by David Hinkle { Oct 15th 2009 at 7:30PM }
Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling told VG247 that co-op in the main campaign "really broke the cinematic experience, took the immersion out of it, out of the story and the pacing and everything we'd spent so long crafting." Bowling also said it "ruined the experience" that Infinity Ward was aiming for, forcing the developer to redirect those efforts into polishing the campaign as an exclusively single-player experience. We'll all find out if the game is better off for it -- some in night-vision goggles -- come November 10.
Tim Schafer dishes out Brutal Legend strategies (not in real time)
by David Hinkle { Oct 15th 2009 at 6:00PM }
It feels a little defensive -- and is keen to point out how leaping into the action with Eddie Riggs sets the game apart from a traditional real-time strategy title -- but it might just help smooth out some of the rock opus' rockier segments. And hey, isn't it nice of a developer to offer a helping hand? We asked the Demon's Souls designers for advice and they sent over a wrestler to break our spines.
