Games Roundup – Week Two, March 2010
We’re back to the ‘Roundup,’ folks! How about a big hurrah for consistency?
Here’s what’s making gaming news this week.
Multiplatform news
Now Playing: March 8-14, 2010 – Joystiq: Check out an amazing list of titles available to buy this week. I’ll give you a hint: there’s Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, some game called Final Fantasy XIII (never heard of it, have you?), and not much else.
Report: FFXIII On 360 “Isn’t Anywhere Near As Impressive” As PS3 Version – Kotaku: The gist of it? The gameplay looks the same, the framerate is better on the Xbox 360, but the cinematics on the PS3 version are far superior.
Aussie ratings board to discuss an R 18+ rating at April meeting – Joystiq: “Adelaide Now says that the Australian National Classification Scheme could finally take a look at the ratings issue when it meets in April of this year.”
The problem with this? If Attorney-General Michael Atkinson keeps his job after the SA elections this month, the meeting will serve no real purpose. He’ll block changes.
NHL 2K11 skips Xbox 360 and PS3, only coming to Wii – Joystiq: Take it from (Cool) Shite’s resident hockey fanatic: you’re not missing anything. EA’s NHL series is infinitely better.
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition not coming to North America – Kotaku: For once, Australia gets something cool and joins Europe and Asia as the only countries that will get a neat new 3D-compatible GOTY edition of Arkham Asylum.
First Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Screens, Details – Kotaku: Tomb Raider it ain’t! Check out the first screens from Lara’s latest adventure here. It’s retooled and looking good!
Ex-Infinity Ward heads claim “Orwellian” moves by Activision – Joystiq: Where to begin with this one? Activision releases the two heads of Infinity Ward. The heads claim they were released unfairly. Let the legal drama begin!
Portal 2 confirmed for Mac, most likely also for PC and Xbox 360 – Gizmodo: After changing bits and pieces in Portal, including the game’s ending, Valve went ahead and announced its sequel will be on Mac. Also, Steam will be fully supported on Macs as well. Friggin’ cool!
Xbox 360 news
Halo: Reach Beta Footage Looks Like A Blast – Joystiq: Halo: Reach. Do I need to say more? Check out the video in the link.
ESRB outs ‘Lips: I (Heart) the 80s‘ – Joystiq: As if you didn’t have enough add-ons already, the ESRB have confirmed that Microsoft will soon bring out the fourth title in the Lips series.
Microsoft demos platformer across Xbox 360, Windows Phone, and PC – Joystiq: Imagine playing a game on your PC, saving, then heading to your Xbox 360 and playing from the exact point you left off. Now, transfer that game to the PC or your Windows 7 Series phone and keep going. Sound cool yet?
Sony PlayStation3 and PSP News
God of War III Review: Olympic Glory – Kotaku: “Bombastic, titanic, brutally imaginative and even occasionally subtle, God of War III is the latest, best reason for a gamer to save money and skip action movies. The better thrills are on a disc on my PlayStation 3.”
Happy Birthday PS2! – Joystiq: Can you honestly believe the PS2 has been around for 10 years and is still going strong?
Nintendo Wii and DS news
With The Help of Friends, Blind Man Beats Legend of Zelda – Joystiq: If you can only read one story this week, read this one. It’s so heart-warming you’ll be smiling for hours.
PC, iPhone, and other news
Portal updated with extended ending – Joystiq: If you can’t be bothered going to Steam and replaying the game, the link has the original the new endings. Just sayin’.
Rumor: Ubisoft’s New DRM Scheme Already Torpedoed By Pirates – Kotaku
Ubisoft’s New DRM System Falls Down, Locks Out Paying Customers – Kotaku
Denial of Service Attack Kills Ubisoft DRM, Your Assassin’s Creed II Playtime – Kotaku
What a circus. Read through the above three articles and draw your own conclusions as to how Ubisoft’s latest DRM scheme is working.
The fine print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire week’s news. All stories are chosen for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important, chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
Games Catchup – Week One, March 2010
Why “Catchup” rather than “Roundup,” you ask? Well, we’ve got two weeks of news to dish out, and no time to do it! The House of Ivor (Steve-Ivor, get it? Superman fans would have loved that!) apologies profusely — get ready for tons of links and little commentary!
Multiplatform news
Now Playing: March 1-7, 2010 – Joystiq: Check out an amazing list of titles available to buy this week.
How Australia’s Proposed Internet Censorship Will (And Won’t) Affect Video Games – Kotaku: “While the lack of an adults-only rating for video games hogs all the headlines when it comes to gaming and Australia, there’s a far more sinister threat lurking on the horizon: internet censorship. But how does this affect gaming?”
Bioshock 2 DLC Begins With Sinclair Solutions Test Pack – Kotaku: “2K Games bolsters the multiplayer experience in BioShock 2 next month, with the release of the Sinclair Solutions Test Pack, bringing new trials, weapon upgrades, playable characters, and a rank increase to our second dose of Rapture.”
Now It’s Aliens: Colonial Marines‘ Time To Shine – Kotaku: “It’s been a long, long time since we saw (or heard) anything meaningful from Gearbox about their promising shooter Aliens: Colonial Marine. So you’ll be happy to know that, with Borderlands out of the way, it’s good to go.”
With AVP out of the way, Aliens: Colonial Marines is on the horizon.
Resident Evil 5: Lost In Nightmares Micro-Review: Less Fighting, More Frightening – Kotaku: “The brief new downloadable episode for Resident Evil 5 isn’t very scary, but it does show how a Resident Evil 5 can be more terrifying than the original game Capcom released in 2009.”
There Are Secret Messages On Your BioShock 2 Posters – Kotaku: “A 2K forum poster holding a random blacklight session with his friends discovered scrawled secret messages on the three BioShock 2 posters that were packed in his special edition. Creepy!”
Warner Buys Batman: Arkham Asylum Devs – Kotaku: Looking to lock down one of the most promising developers in the business, Warner Bros. has purchased a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios, the developers behind Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Xbox 360 news
‘Xbox Effect’ Cited in Chick Flicks’ Rise – Kotaku: “More crap blowing up on the small screen = less crap blowing up, more talking about feelings on the big screen. Ergo, Modern Warfare 2 is the reason Twilight’s such a big hit. Thanks, Infinity Ward!”
Microsoft ‘actively working to improve’ 1 vs 100 prizing process – Joystiq: “With the conclusion of another 1 vs 100 season on Xbox Live, it appears Microsoft still has some kinks to work out of its grand (and fun) online game show experiment. After receiving several tips and reviewing forums, it was made clear that some players were having problems obtaining their awards.”
Buy The Forza 3 VIP Car Pack, Help Haiti – Kotaku: “Microsoft has unlocked the Forza Motorsport 3 downloadable content previous exclusive to new copies of the game, and developer Turn 10 have unlocked their hearts, donating $10 towards earthquake relief in Haiti for every VIP Membership Car Pack sold.”
Download some cool tracks and help out Haiti.
Project Natal’s Lag Timed at 1/10 of a Second – Gizmodo: “We’ve been shamelessly excited about Project Natal…except for one key piece: The slight but undeniable lag. And now, MTV has actually put the difference between your movement and onscreen response to a stopwatch.”
Breakdancing Is No Match For Project Natal’s Sensors – Gizmodo: “It’s possible that you’ve been reading reports of Microsoft’s body-capturing Project Natal with some skepticism, wondering, ‘how well can this cockamamie setup possibly work?’ Well, going by this video of it perfectly tracking a guy breakdancing, pretty damn well.”
Borderlands DLC Getting Retail Release – Kotaku: “Borderlands, Gearbox Studios’ surprise hit shooter of 2009, will soon be bundling its downloadable content into a single package, which will be released in a box for retail shelves.”
Sony PlayStation3 and PSP News
PS3s Suffering From Global Network Lockdown – Kotaku: “Around the world, PlayStation 3 consoles simply aren’t working like they’re supposed to, with an error — Error: 8001050F — preventing people from not just going online, but from playing some PS3 games offline as well.”
Error 8001050F: Why the 10-Year Delayed Millennium Bug Brought Your PS3 To Its Knees – Gizmodo: “Remember December 31st, 1999? The lines of people at supermarkets, stockpiling tins of baked beans and bottled water, convinced the millennium bug would strike at midnight? Turns out the PS3 Error 8001050F was a millennium bug 10-years in the making.”
‘PlayStation Arc’ trademarked in Japan – Joystiq: “Another round of evidence suggesting that Sony will call its ball-and-stick thingamabob “PlayStation Arc”: A Japanese trademark for the name has been spotted by Siliconera. The “Arc” name has seen rumored since the beginning of the year — and has been dropped by execs like THQ boss Brian Farrell.”
Are you looking at the PlayStation Arc?
When PlayStation Meets Hurt Locker – Kotaku: “A recent Fox News report has shown that while video game controllers can sometimes be used by US and British forces in combat, they can sometimes be used against them as well.”
Play Heavy Rain On Your PC – Kotaku: “With the PS3 having some, ahem, problems today, you may not be able to play Heavy Rain. Ah well! You may as well kill some time by playing it on…YouTube.”
NSFW: Heavy Rain Glitch Brings Playable, Accidental Nudity – Kotaku: “Reader kuroner says that while playing Heavy Rain the other day, he stumbled on a little glitch. One that leaves one of the game’s stars, Madison Page, completely naked.”
Nintendo Wii and DS news
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Hits North America May 23 – Kotaku: “Super Mario Galaxy 2 hits North America on May 23, Nintendo of America’s Cammie Dunaway told a group of writers gathered in San Francisco for the Nintendo Summit this morning.”
Metroid: Other M rolls into North America June 27 – Joystiq: “The galaxy is at peace, now that we know we’ll be able to demand our copy of Metroid: Other M from the patient retailer of our choice on June 27. The date for the Nintendo and Team Ninja collaboration was just announced at the Nintendo Media Summit event.”
Metroid: Other M. COOL!
The Wii’s Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Is Not a Ported Prince – Kotaku: “Ubisoft’s made it very clear that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, being released alongside the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring PoP film, is not another lame movie-to-game adaptation. It’s also not a lame port of a superior 360 or PS3 entry.”
PC, iPhone, and other news
Fallout 2’s Rejected ‘Childkiller’ Icon is, Uh, Whoa… – Kotaku: “The artist who drew the perk images for Fallout 2 recently revealed his deleted concept for the game’s “Childkiller” status. “Even the designer who requested it realized it was a bad idea,” he writes.”
340
Fallout perk FAIL.
Final Fantasy I & II Available Now on iPhone – Kotaku: “For those of you chomping at the bit for Final Fantasy XIII, here’s a fun little surprise to tide you over: Both Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II are now available on the iPhone for $9 a pop.”
iPhone Street Fighter IV has eight characters, will cost $10 – Joystiq: “GamePro has dropped some details on the iPhone version of Street Fighter IV, which is due out in March. The site has word that Capcom will sell the game for $9.99 on Apple’s App Store, and that it will feature a total of eight characters.”
It looks cool, but how are you REALLY going to control it?
The fine print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire week’s news. All stories are chosen for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important, chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
How sweet it is!
GO CANADA GO!
A gold medal win against USA and the most gold medals ever won by a Canadian Winter Olympic team. In Vancouver, no less.
We’re all so proud of you, Team Canada, and VERY proud to be Canadian!
February 2010 Xbox Live stats
I am ONE achievement away from completing NHL 08 — that’ll give me a clean sweep of the EA Sports Hockey series for Xbox 360! Other than that, I’m just grinding away at Mass Effect in prep for the sequel…
Stevivor’s stats:
| Rep: | 5-Star |
| GamerScore: | 65,003 |
| Zone: | Pro |
| Completed XBLA: | 6 |
| Completed Retail: | 38 |
| GS Completion %: | 63% |
| Unique Achievements Unlocked: | 2,364 |
| Country Rank: | 390 |
| World Rank: | 21,138 |
| Completion Rank: | 10,538 |
100% completed games:
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Games Roundup – Week Two, February 2010
More Aussie retailers join in support of an R18+ rating in Australia
Earlier this week, GAME and Gametraders – two retailers operating in Australia alongside an already-political EB Games – have pledged their support for an R18+ rating for the country.
As part of their support, both retailers have agreed to keep all games rated R18+ in a separate section of their stores. Additionally, they stated they’ll package these mature games in blank cases, “so as not to offend the delicate sensibilities of nearby shoppers,” reports Joystiq’s Griffin McElroy, likening the packaging as that found “in that certain section of your local BlockBuster Video…that only creeps go into.”
What McElroy might not know is that the plain-cased model is already one that has been made mandatory for R18+ rated films in South Australia (so goodbye cool packaging for movies like Mad Max or Fight Club). Maybe it’s a move designed to get to the softer side of SA Attorney General Michael Atkinson’s dead, old heart?
Barry and Rebecca make it into Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
Resident Evil fans rejoice, because two old favourites have been confirmed as playable characters in RE5: Gold Edition’s “Mercenaries Reunion” mode. Developer Capcom has acknowledged that both Rebecca Chambers (Resident Evil Zero) and Barry Burton (REmake) will be playable.
The characters should be part of the DLC pack due in February; a second DLC pack will become available in March.
School shooting massacre prevented by the power of Xbox Live (and a good ol’ Canuck!)
A Texan teenager has been arrested before he could follow-through on plans — boasted over Xbox Live — to gun down classmates at his high school. Authorities were tipped off to the teen’s plans by a fellow gamer who overheard them on the popular online service. The British Columbia-based gamer who overheard the comments immediately reported the incident to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who with the assistance of the Microsoft Law Enforcement contacted local authorities in San Antonio.
WOAI-TV in San Antonio has reported that “the suspect had planned to obtain weapons from a friend in the Marine Corps, and considered tactical details like how long he would have before S.W.A.T. would arrive and intended to shoot a pregnant classmate and his best friend. According to a police report, he wanted to shoot up the school so that he could “make the headlines so that people would remember him forever”.”
The teen in question is currently facing charges and has been suspended from school indefinitely.
“The Passing” comes to L4D2 in March, L4D DLC to follow
Left 4 Dead 2’s first batch of downloadable content, “The Passing,” is due out in March and features the four survivors from Valve’s original Left 4 Dead.
In addition to highlighting Zoey, Francis, Louis, and Bill, the DLC also stars a new special infected type called “the Fallen Survivor.” Says Kotaku, “These new zombies, humans who erroneously believed themselves to be immune to the infection, will sometimes drop items when killed, like health kits or ammo.” Whether or not the new special infected and the original characters from L4D are one and the same is anyone’s guess.
About a month after “The Passing” is released, Valve also plans to add new DLC to the original Left 4 Dead. The as yet unnamed episode will chronicle the original four survivors’ journey from the events of the original game up to “The Passing” itself.
Both DLC packs will be available for Xbox 360 and PC.
PS3 to get 3D firmware update this summer
To correspond with the release of 3D Bravia LCD sets sometime around July, Sony is planning to release updates to turn the PS3 into a stereoscopic 3D console and Blu-ray player.
Is anyone else already getting sick of 3D? I’ve had a commenter on Twitter reply back to this news with “I’d still prefer cross game voice chat over a 3D update anyday. That and a better PSN catalogue for PAL users.”
I’d tend to agree.
Getting sick of Hero games? Activision heard you!
Activision CEO Mike Griffith has seemingly heard the cries of all those gamers out there sick of constant releases of the Guitar Hero, Band Hero, and DJ Hero franchises, saying “fewer [Hero] SKUs will service a broader audience.” That basically means fewer titles in a gaming market currently oversaturated with rhythm games and their accompanying plastic peripherals.
“In 2009 we released 25 music SKUs, and in 2010 we plan to release less than 10,” Griffith said. Joystiq, meanwhile, counted 26 SKUs from “each console version of Guitar Hero Metallica, Guitar Hero Smash Hits, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero Van Halen, Guitar Hero On Tour Modern Hits, DJ Hero, and Band Hero — not counting various instrument bundles or special editions, and not counting cell phone versions” so you can see that Griffith might be trying to play-down that aforementioned over-saturation.
No more PS2 versions of Hero games and a reduction of Band Hero bundles — only leaving standalone discs for that brand — will account for the reduction in SKUs. I personally think it’s still about 7 SKUs too much – one game and one only for each console would be perfect, don’t you think?
A short time from now, at your local game store: Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Having covered all major Star Wars films, the Lego Star Wars franchise is returning with a sequel based on the animated Clone Wars series. The game will be released in Autumn 2010 for Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii.
From their press release, developer TT Games says to expect “brand new battle modes, giving players unique, head-to-head combat.” There’s a revamped level editor, allowing gamers the ability to construct their own “customized bases and in-game battlefields,” and new tactics in gameplay that will allow for “Squad command, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber jumps, long distance Jedi attacks and Grapple Tie-Ups.”
Colourblind hacking FAIL in Bioshock 2
An interesting tidbit emerged from Kotaku this week as self-proclaimed “Pissed-Off Colorblind Gamer” Owen Good showed the world just how colourblind gamers see the hacking mini-game in Bioshock 2.
The picture above demonstrates hacking as seen by a colourblind person with deuteranopia; the blue bars for a reward are clearly visible, but the red and green – basically huge win or huge fail (in that order) – appear as one and the same.
At this time, there’s no word from 2K, the developers of the game, over whether or not a patch can be released to remedy the situation. A patch for the same type of scenario was released for Modern Warfare 2, so there is hope!
DLC for Final Fantasy XIII? Maybe…
Whilst not confirmed by Square Enix at this stage, screenshots of the back of the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII have the ‘game content download’ label affixed to them. This is being taken by hopeful fans as the only evidence needed to prove downloadable content will be made available for the title.
No current shots of the PS3 version of the game have turned up on the internet, so it’s all speculation at this stage – this could mean Xbox 360 gamers could download FXIII-themed avatar clothes rather than traditional DLC for all we know.
Art Director Isamu Kamikokuryou has commented in the past that the FXIII team has cut out enough from the game to make up a whole other game entirely, so you never know. More on this as it develops!
Microsoft’s X10 and what it means for Xbox 360
Microsoft’s annual media event, this year called X10 (any guesses what next year’s event will be called) highlighted the company’s big plans for this year. Who better than to take us through the key items than Xbox’s Major Nelson?
“Here, in no specific order, are 10 things you need to know coming out of X10 today:
- The Halo Reach multiplayer beta will kick off on May 3. You will be able to access the beta via the Halo 3: ODST game disc.
- Dead Rising 2 will release in North America on Aug. 31, Japan on Sept. 2 and Europe on Sept. 3.
- Dead Rising: CASE ZERO an exclusive download only on Xbox LIVE, will launch prior to the full game and provide a playable prologue that bridges the story between the two titles.
- Alan Wake will launch May 18 in North America and May 21 in Europe. Players can pre-order the title to receive the Bright Falls Bonus Pack, which includes exclusive content like Avatar gear, an Xbox LIVE theme, and a “making of” video.
- The Xbox 360 Final Fantasy XIII Special Edition Bundle will release starting March 9 for $399, and include a 250GB Hard Drive, two Wireless Controllers, exclusive downloadable avatar items and a Standard Edition copy of the game.
- Toy Soldiers will kick off the Xbox LIVE Arcade Block Party on March 3.
- Perfect Dark, Scrap Metal and Game Room will launch this March as a part of the Xbox LIVE Arcade Block Party.
- Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction will release at retailers starting April 13 in North America, April 16 in the United Kingdom, and April 28 in Japan.
- Lost Planet 2 will launch in North America and Europe on May 18.
- Fable III will be available this holiday.”
Notable game releases this week
- Art of Balance (Wii)
- Becky Brogan: The Mystery of Meane Manor! (PC)
- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS)
- Aliens vs. Predator (PC, PS3, 360)
- Chicken Riot (Wii)
- Crime Scene (DS)
- Data East Arcade Classics (Wii)
- Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce (PS3, 360)
- Everquest II: Battlegrounds and Sentinel’s Fate (PC)
- Free Running (Wii)
- SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP)
- Triple Crown Snowboarding (Wii)
- Tropico 3 (360)
- WarBirds: Dogfights (PC)
- The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (360)
- Deadly Premonition (360)
- Ghost Pirates of Voojoo Island (PC)
The fine print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire week’s news. All stories are chosen for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important, chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
‘As of right now’ Xbox Live Stats
I am ONE achievement away from completing NHL 08 — that’ll give me a clean sweep of the EA Sports Hockey series for Xbox 360! Other than that, I’m just grinding away at Mass Effect in prep for the sequel…
Stevivor’s stats:
| Rep: | 5-Star |
| GamerScore: | 63,123 |
| Zone: | Pro |
| Completed XBLA: | 5 |
| Completed Retail: | 38 |
| GS Completion %: | 63% |
| Unique Achievements Unlocked: | 2,364 |
| Country Rank: | 390 |
| World Rank: | 21,138 |
| Completion Rank: | 10,538 |
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Gamer’s Roundup – Week One, February 2010
So we’ve been gone for a bit…but fear not, (Cool) Shite readers! The Gamer’s Roundup is back for 2010!
Original Xbox to be removed from Xbox Live service
April 15 will mark the end of Live service to those dedicated (or cheap?) gamers who use an original Xbox for their online matchmaking needs. All Xbox original titles – most notably, Halo 2, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and Counter-Strike – will lose online capability on that date.
In a notice to Live members, Xbox Live general manager Marc Written said,, “I want to start by saying this isn’t a decision we made lightly…but after careful consideration, it is clear that this will provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox Live community.”
Microsoft has stated they will shortly be in contact with those Live gamers who utilise original Xbox titles for online play. If you are one of those gamers, keep an eye on your associated email address or your Xbox messages via the console.
Iron Man 2 tie-in game not to suck. Honest!
Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo was…lucky…enough to sit down with the developers of Iron Man 2 to find out, in Totilo’s words, why “[it] won’t be dreadful.”
Kyle Brink of Interactive Entertainment goes into great detail here about key changes in this title as compared to the original tie-in game. Notably, enhanced controls, a unique story, better environments and destruction effects, and War Machine seem to be the reasons why you won’t want to throw this game through the nearest window.
My favourite bit about the interview? Brink honestly says he tried to make Iron Man’s combat system more like Batman: Arkham Asylum. Let the DC vs Marvel war begin.
To boldly go where one million have gone before…
After less than a week, new MMO Star Trek Online can already boast over one million players.
In related news, the massive multiplayer title is already offering microtransactions: be willing to part with more cash (aside from what you already dropped buying the game AND for your monthly subscription) if you’re looking for a Starfleet officer with a Klingon or Ferengi background.
I personally won’t be delving in to this game, despite my love for Star Trek, as I like games where THERE IS AN ACTUAL ENDING AND/OR POINT. What about you? Have you played it? Do you love it? Let us know.
Sonic 4, please do not suck.
Not a company to be discouraged after several thousand failed attempts at a decent Sonic game, Sega has recently announced they’re trying again…and this game might actually be good!
Abandoning the 3D look and feel of most recent Sonic games, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be a direct sequel to the GOOD (read: 2D) titles in the series, the last being Sonic and Knuckles in 1994.
Not only is the series going back to its roots, it also promises that Sonic will remain the only playable character in the game.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be available on Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3 around July. Logic dictates that further episodes in the sequel will be released at regular intervals thereafter.
Sony stops A-grade downloadable titles for PS3
In a move that Gizmodo’s Mark Wilson calls “Sony’s latest PS3 mistake,” large downloadable titles like Warhawk will no longer be able to be lazily grabbed off of teh interwebs via the PlayStation Network straight to the PS3 console.
While it is believed Sony has made this decision due to ever-shrinking space on the PS3’s internal HDD (as most Blu-ray games require hefty installs to the HDD before they can be played) or large download files (average PS3 games can weigh in at 50GB and would be tough to download), Wilson can’t help but compare Sony’s revised downloadable game model to Microsoft’s and laugh.
“Microsoft has assembled an impressive library of $20 titles on the 360, and they’re intelligently slapping games like, say, Mass Effect on there before Mass Effect 2 comes out. This kind of strategy is good for the game studios, sure, but more importantly, it’s convenient for the consumer,” Wilson said.
Sony’s ‘The Tester’ is way cooler on paper
Sony ’s new original PlayStation Network reality series, called “The Tester,” debuts on February 18. Eleven gamers will compete over 8 episodes to become an actual PlayStation game tester and pick up a $5000 signing bonus in the process. Sound good? Those in the industry think not.
My favourite ACTUAL piece of reality about the show comes from Tycho of Penny Arcade fame, who describes what the show’s winner could look forward to:
“We know a lot of testers. Testing is an umbrella term in the gaming industry, and isn’t entirely sufficient as a descriptor. My friend Clinton did “testing” at Microsoft on the original Xbox, and this testing involved him opening and closing the system’s drive tray all day. He just got back from Iraq, but if I were to ask him what the most unrelenting and psyche abrading job he ever held was, I know he’d have to pause a moment before answering.”
Here’s hoping “The Tester” gets to preview…I mean, test…Resistance 3 or something as opposed to Barbie’s Horse Adventures 4: The Clydesdale!
Bits and bobs
Microsoft confirms Game Room rating ceiling — Joystiq
250GB Xbox HDD headed to Japan in March – Joystiq
Online Multiplayer Assassin’s Creed 2 Coming to the iPhone – Kotaku
Kojima considers Japanese Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker delay a “crime” — Joystiq
This week’s notable releases
Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun (Wii)
Data East Arcade Classics (Wii)
Bioshock 2 (PC/Mac, Xbox 360, PS3)
Scene It? Twilight (DS)
Dante’s Inferno (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP)
Star Ocean: The Last Hope International (PS3)
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll (Wii)
Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy (PC)
Shiren the Wanderer (Wii)
World Cup of Pool (DS)
Stargate Resistance (PC)
The fine print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire week’s news. All stories are chosen for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important, chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
End of December Xbox Live stats
I’m back in Saskatoon, SK and spamming easy NTSC games. Sue me. 
I’ll easily be in the 60,000s by the time I’m back in Australia.
Stevivor’s stats:
| Rep: | 5-Star |
| GamerScore: | 59,468 |
| Zone: | Pro |
| Completed XBLA: | 5 |
| Completed Retail: | 36 |
| GS Completion %: | 62% |
| Unique Achievements Unlocked: | 2,246 |
| Country Rank: | 543 |
| World Rank: | 22,854 |
| Completion Rank: | 12,201 |
100% completed games:
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I met Steve Yzerman!
Oh yeah, life is good. As Saskatoon is saying, “Come for the Hockey, stay for the Party!” — I think I’ll change that to “Come for the Finn, stay for the meeting of one of your idols!”.
Why type out the story when a video post from 2010juniors.com can do the same?
