Saturday, May 10, 2008

ASSHOLE PRINCIPLE SUSPENDS KIDS FOR DOWNLOADING VIDEO GAME ON COLLEGE CAMPUS

Full article source

This fucking scum of a man reinforces the blight of many video gamers, and students the world over, that these uptight academics just can't let young people be young people.

What's next, no sex after 8pm and decisions are to be made by people other than yourself?

To see the devil himself, here is a picture of the asshole in question. Be sure to give him the finger.

GEARS OF WAR 2 COMPARISON VIDEO (MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY)



For those of you who haven't played Gears Of War before, here is a nice comparison video of the old Gears Of War versus the new one. Enjoy!

Gears Of War 2 Gameplay Trailer




Epic has released a new gameplay trailer. Quite cool, check it out.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Microsoft, Big Brother, And YOU, Xbox GTA 4 Outsells PS3 Gta 4?


"There's been a lot of focus in the last week on Grand Theft Auto IV and which platform it best runs on.
The majority of people who've played both versions are saying that it runs marginally better on the PS3, but the findings are inconclusive at best: both are equally good in our eyes."
People shouldn't be surprised. The bigger the corporation, the greedier and more immoral they become (legally of course).
This is a textbook marketing technique to bash competition by using "data and facts" to prove something "true."
And I can bet you, it works, sadly. But take heart, Sony is a big, fat greedy company like Microsoft is, so both aren't going anywhere any time soon.

Killzone 2 Videos (short)


"WHile waiting for some real gameplay, here is the attract mode video of Killzone 2 as filmed a few minutes ago by Snoopers during the Gamer's Day event.

Update: First part of the gameplay video is up.

Update 2: Second part of the video added."

These are very short videos but look very promising. Not a bad addition to the FPS line of games for PS3 (and they probably badly need them to keep up with the xbox and wii's).

Nintendo Wii Fit Calls Healthy 10-Year Old Girl "Fat", Traumatizing Her


"A number of parents have expressed concerns over Nintendo creating bad body images after a concerned family member complained that Wii Fit labeled her relative overweight."


I'm all for innovation but I never considered the Wii inadvertantly calling little children "fat". What's to stop them from being labeled "loser" or "stupid" or "poor" or worse, Jizz-Mopper????

And people thought violent video games were bad influences on people. Ha!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Privacy policy

Some of the ads listed here may use cookies that are stored in your computer to collect non-personal information. If you wish not to have these cookies, simply delete your cookies and turn them off when viewing this site.

Game Jacks does not personally collect, sell, or distribute your information unless otherwise noted. (Notice we don't ask you for your address or anything).

Sony's Cheap Attempt To Force Blu-Ray On Us Fizzles As Blu-Ray Sales Go Down


"BLU-RAY PLAYER SALES are sucking wind as well they should. According to Cnet, sales of the DRM infected format players are dropping like rocks.

The not so bright people out there had expected sales to skyrocket once the format war was done, but it didn't. They thought was people would ignore the massive defects of Blu-ray and buy like the dumb sheep that they are, handcuffing themselves to the Sony bank account...."

Full article source

I remember this kind of behavior when I played Everquest 1 and Star Wars Galaxies. They charge us a shit ton of money for a product that features horrible gameplay, balance, or endless nerf bats.

I'll say this and hope it echoes, FUCK YOU SONY AND SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT for all your bullshit, sub-par products. Your glory days were back in the pre-1990's when Sony meant "quality".

Damn fat, greedy corporate bastards who forget about the ones who make them what they are, US (the consumer). Ugh, how do they stay in business?!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Valve: "We're not PS3 developers"

"Valve's main marketer Doug Lombardi was on hand recently to show off the latest version of the awesome looking PC, 360 zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead. But PS3 is being left out of the loop.

Lombardi told us, "We're not PS3 developers - we're doing PC and 360 like with Orange Box. EA came to us and said 'Wow, Orange box was an incredible project, can we do a PS3 version?'"

Full article source

Wow, the ps3 got the shaft, but I guess I could sympathize with Valve. They only have a limited amount of resources to produce code for each console platform, and the ps3 seems to rank on the bottom of their list. We all know Valve is leaving money on the table but let's hope Left 4 Dead makes everyone enough $ to encourage Valve to release this game for the Playstation 3

Genious Installs Internet Browser On Xbox 360, Legally!


"For years man has wondered how do I get Internet on my Xbox 360? Today you will need to look no further! I have found a way to have a Internet browser run on the Xbox 360 without no illegal modifications! You must have the following for this to work:

An Xbox 360 with a Internet Connection (Duh!)
Windows OS (XP SP2, Vista)
Windows Media Center hooked up

Steps to follow:..."

Even though this seems plausible, I would greatly caution any user doing this because we have no idea if Microsoft will allow this. I would ask Satansoft if this is ok (obviously before you attempt to install this) otherwise you could get banned for "illegal" modification.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Salvation! Grand Theft Auto Ps3 Freeze Fixed?!?!

" Today both of my PS3s locked up while trying to load GTA 4.


I did the common fix which did not work. Then my brother called me. His 40 GB PS3 was having the same issue. Couple of other friends had the same issue after I called around. They could NOT play GTA 4.

And then it hit me.

WHY would this happen to me tonight after finishing the game without a hitch. Why is it happening to people who never had the issue at all over the last few days. So I checked my router and saw a bunch of unusual traffic from both PS3s. I turned off my online access for both PS3s and boom I was in. Just now I find out that you just need to be logged out of the PSN. Called up my bro, did the same thing and boom he was in. Friends, check.

So hopefully this will do it. Take note Rockstar ;). Send me a signed copy of the game as a thank you."

Full article source

Based on the comments from this source, it seems that the internet connection is to blame for your freezing.

Try attempting different combinations of your internet connection as follows:

1. If you connect to xbox live and/or PSN, disconnect it.
2. If you are disconnected, tried connecting.
3. If you are wireless, go wired cables.
4. If you are wired, go wireless.
5. Check your router and change its settings.
6. Disconnect/connect router.
7. If all above fail, send rockstar an angry email.

Nintendo's Plans For Online Play Like Playstation Network and Xbox Live?


"Online Pay To Play And An Hard drive Coming Soon To The Wii?

Last year at the Game Developers Conference, Nintendo's Takashi Aoyama introduced Nintendo’s upcoming plans for a Pay & Play online service. Before you panic, let me note that Nintendo will be keeping the existing free Wi-Fi connect service it already offers.

But, some of the newer games that will be released may require a small fee to be played online. All of the games that will require a fee will have a red sticker placed on them so that they can be easily identified. I also feel that is important to note, that the online service will not affect any of the current Wii games that currently use online play..."

Full article source

Ah, the joys of online gaming subscriptions. It's the new money making machine of our time. I can only wonder if the "best" titles will be something people have to pay money every month for. This would be bad for all the cheapskates out there but could be a good thing for the gaming industry (It sure as hell will mean dollar signs for Nintendo).

I can only wonder what will happen to video games in the future.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Microsoft Orders Another Manufacturer To Produce Blu-Ray Xbox This Year?


"A report from Taiwanese news source Economic Daily News says that Pegatron Technology—a recently formed subsidiary of Asus that shouldn't be confused with the Decepticon leader—has received an order from Microsoft to manufacture a Blu-ray equipped model of the Xbox 360. According to the report, Pegatron says that it plans to begin production on the HD version of the Xbox 360 soon, with plans to ship within the next six months, aiming for a pre-holiday release.

It won't be the first time we've heard talk about Microsoft gloming on to the format, as the DigiTimes recently pegged manufacturer Lite-On as a Xbox 360 Blu-ray drive maker and Sony executives hinted that its competitor was feeling Blu to the Financial Times. MS CEO Steve Ballmer recently went on record about the move away from HD-DVD, saying the company will "support Blu-ray in ways that make sense..."

Full article source

Students of marketing will know this is a controlled way by Microsoft to hype their next product. This is an uncomfirmed rumor at the time of this writing but it seems plausible if a manufacturer is saying this.

VGChartz: PS3 Surpasses 12 Million Consoles Sold Mark

What this headline doesn't tell you is that the xbox (as of this writing) is far ahead of the ps3 by 6 million units. The Wii still outsells all others with sales of 24 million units.

Full article source

Dan Houser: Proclaims Loyalty To Hardcore Gamers

"Dan Houser’s [Rockstar Games Chief] hardcore. He swears in interviews. And he ain’t playin’ no Peggle, foo’.

“Fuck all this stuff about casual gaming,” he told the New York Metro.

He actually said, “F***,” apparently, but we’ve filled in the blanks for you.

Wii, apparently, isn’t casual gaming.

“I think people still want games that are groundbreaking,” he added. “The Wii is doing something totally different, which is fantastic..."

Full article source

As much as I admire Mr. Dan Houser's enthusiasm, we all know the ultimate motivation for business, any business is money, and there may just not be enough $ in tailoring games to hardcore gamers compared to casual gamers.

Alledged Cheater Completes GTA 4 In 17 Minutes On Xbox Live?!


"According to the Rockstar Social Club’s ‘100% Club’ - which lists everyone who’s completed the game, obviously - a certain ninjaraiden2003 has completed GTA IV on the Xbox 360 in 17 minutes and 15 seconds.
Now with all those stories circulating the web about cheating, the question has to be asked: Is this some kind of workaround or simply an anomaly..."

Full article source

I bet you it's a glitch. A commentor did mention that someone played all of GTA prior to release and then on release day played the final part.

Assuming ANY of that is even remotely true, Xbox live most likely has some kind of mechanism to detect early play before official release.

Tutorial: Get Your Grand Theft Auto 4 On PS3 To Run At 1080 Pixels

You'll need a 40 inch or greater screen and preferably connected via the HDMI port. This tutorial is for the Playstation 3.

Full article source

The Top 5 Reasons Why Super Smash Brothers Sucks (A Lot!)


"Lackluster story mode

At first, Subspace Emissary was the ultimate fan boy extravaganza, a 2-D side scrolling adventure game featuring Nintendo characters working together to thwart evil. The problem is that it never seems to end. Making matters worse, the story doesn't make any sense. Not that we need video games to be the bastion of life's sensibilities, but they don't need to be goofy, either. Furthermore, we grew tired of the mindless hacking. Run up to enemies and mash buttons. We get it..."

Full article source

The real reason is because this game is under the grand shadow of grand theft auto 4. On top of that, the netcode for this game sounds like it could use much work. Graphics are great though.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Jack Thompson & Video Games Get A Bad Rap


"WIth the release of Grand Theft Auto IV on Monday, violence in video games and its effect on the people playing them has once again garnered media attention.

Lawyers, pundits and politicians with far too much time on their hands have no qualms about saying that playing violent video games can lead to real-world violence and/or aggression.

Quite frankly, it's an argument that's played out."

Full article source

Blah blah blah. I always get a chuckle whenever idiots like anti-gamer groups or Jack Thompsons get uppity and anal-angry about video games.

If it weren't for video games, there would be much less incentive to produce more powerful machines and computers, which allows humanity to do things that we couldn't do previously, increasing our technology and advancing our civilazation.

But maybe these ignorant fucks don't see the big picture. Game on everyone and laugh at these non-evolved retards.

Wii Exposed: The Secrets The Nintendo Wii Doesn't Want You To Know


"Nintendo’s latest entrant into the console war has no doubt been the company’s most successful entry since the original Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s. The Wii has managed to continually sell out in stores since its release in November of 2006. In just a meager year and half, its already managed to outsell its predecessor, the Gamecube.

It shattered the PS2’s record of selling 10 million consoles in the US by a near 4 months. It currently holds the most market share out of the next gen systems. Nintendo, without a doubt, must be extremely proud of Miyamoto’s latest brain child.

That being said, there..."

Full article source

No offense to this author but he fails to see that the Wii is for CASUAL GAMERS, not us hardcore gamers. We demand a lot of shit that doesn't make these companies money. On the other hand, enter the casual gamer market, where it's easier to market to them and they buy games based no, like the author so succintly puts it, on brand name.

These are totally different people. They do not demand or WANT high graphics, violence, lots of things to do, etc.

And the proof is in the Wii's sales numbers, and Nintendo is just making too much money to cater to us.

The Wii Price Cut


"It is looking more and more like Nintendo may have no option to make the Wii cheaper at retail, despite what Satoru Iwata says. Here’s why:

  • It has been at the same price for a long time now, during which it has become a lot cheaper to make. Especially with the volumes they are churning out. And they were making a profit in every unit from the beginning. So there is plenty of room to drop the price.

  • They are ramping up..."
Full article source

What I want to know is, how is demand? This is a simple supply and demand issue. If the United States markets are still willing to pay this price and still almost sell out, then don't drop the price. According to the article, international sales are not as good so maybe drop the prices overseas.

Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Scared Of EA/Take 2 Merger

"Activision boss Bobby Kotick has expressed concerns about the possibility of a merge between EA and Take-Two.

"That's concerning, sure," he told Reuters. "When you think about one company in control of the sports category, with no competition from anybody else, that could be a challenge..."

Full article source

THAT fucker (Bobby Kotick) FAILS to mention that his fucking game, World Of Warcraft, completely dominates the MMO market. He practically has NO fucking competition and every new MMO that is out is basically another fucking WoW clone.

This asshole is so full of shit it's *infuriating*.

When was the last time you played a game that was DIFFERENT from the fantasy cartoon MMO market?

When was the last time a successful non-fantasy MMO hit the market?
Exactly.

I hope if this merger goes through, Take 2 will still be what it always was and maybe finally come out with a GTA mmo or something. One can only hope...

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Michael Bay's Official Response To Uwe Boll "He Is A Troubled Soul"


"Can we stop talking about this guy! I never even heard his name till last week when he made threats and rants. The guy is a fucking idiot, making threats to me, Clooney, Eli Roth, says he has a doctorate - but uses the word "retard" in his vocabulary, come on. When you look at his videos, what is interesting are the backgrounds. I guess his low rent offices, with 15 year old 3/4 machines, archaic computers, this is just some dumb chump trying ..."
Full article source

Hahahaha. I like how Michael Bay so eloquently calls Uwe Boll "a loser" in so many words.

Perhaps we can all take lessons from Michael.

Grand Theft Auto Runs at 640 pixels


"It’s fun to compare consoles, especially when the comparison involves one of the biggest games of this generation. Grand Theft Auto IV has been littered with websites giving their opinions on which version looks best. Surprisingly, most had no inkling of each version’s native resolution.
Eurogamer are the first to speculate that GTA IV on the PS3 runs at 630p. When in fact, it doesn’t… It runs at 640p.
Yes, GTA IV on the PS3 is sub-HD. And if it"


10 pixels may not sound like a lot but it can make a huge difference in graphics, even if it's small. A little less blocky is still better than blocky. Hey, every pixel counts!

Xbox 360 GTA 4 Better Than PS3 Gta 4 - CONFIRMED


"At a push we'd say that the pop-in is better in the PS3 game, but the frame rate seems generally smoother in the Xbox 360 game. Of more importance though is how rough the PS3 game looks in comparison to the Xbox 360 version. With both consoles set to 720p and connected to our 55" Sony HD TV via HDMI the PS3 game clearly features more aliasing issues and a general roughness. In comparison the Xbox 360 game is far sharper. Lighting is also an area of difference...."

Full article source

The ps3 version is clearly better in one aspect, load times. If you don't mind waiting a little longer for load times, then the 360 version rewards you with better looking graphics. Check the video out, courtesy of videogamers.com.

Damn You Gamestop And Your Pre-order Bullshit!

"Not to beat on a dead horse, but I went at lunch to grab a copy of GTA IV for my Xbox 360, yes I am hopefully that the DLC will be worth it in the future and hearing that it is already being worked on and could be out as soon as the summer also helped push me over the edge. So I walk into the local Gamestop and my experience goes a little something like this…"

That's a shame, I goto Gamestop to buy pre-valued cards or look for new titles of games to pirate (heh just kidding, I do own copies of the games I play). My personal experience with my local gamestop is they will sell you a copy of a pre-ordered game if they have any spares left.

Perhaps the interest Gamestop gets from pre-orders outweighs selling the game outright to whoever walks in the store. Talk about usury and shit. That's too bad about other people's experiences; Gamestop could be more customer friendly. They already make so much freaking money off us, they could give a little of it back to us in the form of carrying spare stock of games we want to buy and play!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Next generation Nintendo Console Is?


"Imagine a console with high definition graphics, and a head-mounted sensor bar or glasses for graphics that can react to your head motions. Play the downloaded Virtual Console games that you have saved on your SD card on your new Nintendo Console, and having an online play system similar to Xbox Live. Nintendo will once again change their controller, and it will add something innovative, but most of all Nintendo will be all about the fun and creating games that everyone can enjoy. Don't believe it? Well, Nintendo is already working on some of this stuff..."

Full article source

Wii for casual gamers, and the new, next-gen nintendo for hard-core gamers (Such as myself). I wonder what kind of heat Nintendo' top-secret beast will be packing. I can't wait!

PS3 Gta 4 Is 630 Pixels?


"The PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV almost certainly runs in 630p.

Word spiralled from comparison shots by the same fellow responsible for outing Halo 3 as sub-HD, and the same chap who assists with our Face-Off screenshots before we show them to you."

Full article source

Based on what I read, ps3 so far looks smoother and nicer than the xbox version, but gta 4 will still look a little blocky on really big HD TV's.

FREEZE, GTA 4 Player! By Order Of The GTA Error Police, Your Game Is Now Under Lockup!


"Alright, so I got home from the midnight release with my copy of GTA IV Collectors Edition unpacked it live on the feed installed and guess what, it froze! I tried a couple more times and it even have reinstalled 3 times, it still keeps freezing. I am not alone, from the looks of it, it is the 60 GB Launch PS3 that is having the problems and might be just the Collectors Edition of GTA IV. Jeffrey Tavares has the regular edition and a launch PS3 and is now running the Live Feed. I will keep everyone up to date as much as possible!

UPDATE: It looks like there are multiple assumptions...."

Full article source

From what I can tell, it's a hardware problem with the GTA 4, which can't be good. It seems that others are having similiar problems but not everyone is. I would recommend calling up either Rockstar or Sony themselves to resolve the matter. (For all our sakes they should do something! We paid GOOD fucking $ for this and waited so long to play!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

6 POSSIBLE FIXES FOR THIS PROBLEM: Please read my blog post that is linked here. These are related to the internet connection to the xbox live, PSN, or router/internet cables.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Best Selling Grand Theft Auto? Cheers and fears as Grand Theft Auto IV revs at starting line


"SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - "Grand Theft Auto IV" hits streets on Tuesday and is expected to race into record books as the fastest-selling video game ever despite being tailed by critics condemning its violent themes.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) stamped a "Mature" label on GTA: IV banning US retailers from selling the game to anyone less than 17 years old.

The game's rating includes a warning it contains "intense violence, blood, strong language, strong sexual content, partial nudity and use of drugs and alcohol."

Game play includes simulated sex with prostitutes and drunken driving...."


What else is new, people going "Video games are turning kids into murderers, blah blah." I'm surprised Jack Thompson The Fool hasn't said anything stupid in public yet (though we have NO DOUBT it will occur). I can't wait for tomorrow to start gunning down those bastards that are trying to kill me (In GTA of course).

Only 1 more day folks! Get psyched!!!!!

GoNintendo Mole - Metroid Prime Trilogy coming to Wii?


"You guys know how I am with our GoNintendo Mole. I don’t hear from him too often, but when the mole gets in touch, I listen. This news is 100% rumor for now, but that doesn’t make it any less juicy.
Word has it ..."


Bear in mind this is a rumor only, and at this stage in development, the "certain company" in question may still not have finalized the idea for a Metroid Trilogy for the Wii.

It would be pretty fucking awesome if you could hop and jump with a Wii remote; it would be like you're really Samus.

Let's hope these rumors are in fact based on some truth!

Sony's official PSP cradle is a thing of beauty


"Released in Japan, Sony's official PSP cradle is a magnificent thing of beauty. For those that want to use PSP as a mini-theatre of sorts will certainly want to snag this elegantly designed peripheral. The remote will allow you to turn on your PSP, and control every function of the XMB.

For more images of the device..."


For people who can't get enough of their PSP, here's a cradle to hold your "precious" with. Enjoy.

Real Life Bowser (Images)

"Some weeks ago Pixeloo did his great untoonings of Mario and Homer. This inspired me to try something similar.

Like Pixeloo I also wanted to use Photoshop. But I didn’t wanted to use any Photos. I just wanted to paint the whole thing.

In Addition I not just wanted to lay a realistic ..."

This person spent a lot of time and heart on these pictures. When you goto the source article, you need to scroll down because there's some excess space at the top of the page.

GTA IV region locked on Xbox 360, GTA 4 Fan Banned From PSN For Loving GTA Too Much, comparison vid

"It has been revealed that GTA IV on Xbox 360 is region locked even though most Rockstar games are region free. The PS3 version of the game is apparently not region locked. Also, an owner of the PS3 version of the game is claiming he was banned from the PSN because he played the game early. Below is a video showing a comparison of GTA IV on the 360 and PS3"


I should warn you, there is some graphic nudity in this comparison video (I'm always up for that of course, but maybe you aren't, which is totally fine). If you look closely enough, you can tell that one version has slightly brighter and better colors than the other.

This was sourced from IGN but apparently too many people are watching this video. This is from an alternative source.

Full article source

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Nvidia 9900's Coming Sooner? Will This Be Another Deathblow to ATI/AMD???


"NVIDIA's been on a hyper-competitive tear lately, and while the latest rumor isn't quite on par with Roy Taylor saying that the Intel CPU is "dead," it reinforces the company's new win-at-all-costs attitude. Seems ATI's upcoming RV770-based Radeon HD 4800 might threaten NVIDIA's dominance of the high-end graphics market, and that's just not acceptable -- so the company..."


I'm all for it since I'm looking to upgrade my video card to the best in the world, but I am a bit concerned that Nvidia might sacrifice price and quality for speed, like so many other companies often do.

It better not come to that or else I might have to buy myself a shitty ATI video card, and I use to have Radeons but dumped them for GeForces... We'll see what happens.

New Gear Of War 2 Screenshot Looks Amazing


"Epic has released another screenshot for there upcoming game Gears of War 2, the screenshot first appeared in this months issue of GameInformer. Gears of War 2 will take place six months after the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at the end of the first game, Gears of War. Gears 2 is a third-person shooter video game exclusively for Microsoft’s Xbox 360."


This looks very nice but it looks like something similiar to the first one Epic posted a few weeks earlier. Hmm, nonetheless, I hope this is the start of the hype-marketing machine to energize gamers into buying Gears of War 2 when it comes out later this November (if it's on time).

Round One, Fight! Uwe Boll Challenges Michael Bay to Boxing Match


"Recently, director Uwe Boll made a few statements about Michael Bay (Transformers), stating: "I am not a f*cking retard like Michael Bay or other people running around in that business." Bay responded by calling Boll "a sad being."

Apparently, that hurt Boll's feelings..."


Michael, don't do it! It's a trap! Uwe will sucker-punch you in the groin, then uppercut you in the testes. I beg of you, it's not worth it! Uwe Boll is a big moron!

For the rest of you reading this who *isn't* Michael Bay, glorious creator of the Transformers movie, be sure to see the Uwe Boll video challenging Michael from the full article source link.

Halotography: What You Want Halo 4 To Look Like?


"I think we're all kind of over the argument as to whether or not Halo 3 looked more like Halo 2.5. But after checking out these Halo photo compositions by photographer Joshua Reppenhagen, it's hard for me not to wish that Bungie's game looked a bit more like this.

Joshua used a combination of Halo 3 and Photoshop CS to give some of these images a more photorealistic look, with some impressive..."


The photorealistic rendering of halo 3 graphics looks ... Fuck polygonal graphics, this thing looks REAL!

My God Halo 4 needs to look like this. Hell if they remade Halo 3 to look like THIS I'd buy it. You can check out more photorealistic Halo pictures here.

Grand Theft Gaming: Rural Albert Lea man accused of video game scam


"During a nearly one-year period, Frank Buchanan allegedly made about 192 purchases on two credit cards at various stores.

What was out of the ordinary, however, was that the 30-year-old Buchanan also allegedly had about 183 refunds on those cards.

The rural Albert Lea man's transaction history, authorities say, demonstrated an obvious purchase-return pattern mainly involving video games at multiple..."


Yeah, um. What I find funny is, this moron could have easily pirated these games from piratebay or emule or some file-sharing program. He'd have better luck dodging the authorities (MPAA, ESA, RIAA in this case).

What a freaking nub-tard.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rockstar: GTA V Could Be Too Large for Xbox 360


"Rockstar co-founder Sam (no, not Dan) Houser doesn't know if the next Grand Theft Auto title after IV will properly fit onto the 360's standard-sized discs.

"One of the problems with the 360, and it affects games like Grand Theft Auto if you think about how much content we put in the actual machine, is the fact that they don't have a significantly larger storage medium than the previous systems. It's a slightly bigger DVD disc," Houser told 1up.

Then take into... "

Full article source - Original Source?

Shit, that means we need to buy another console game in a couple of years? Dang it, I'm quite happy with what I got now... Arg! But hey, it's worth it because, fucking, I want GTA 5 to be BIGGER and BADDER ASS than the previous GTA.

Based on the interview, it seems future consoles will need to be created to birth GTA 5, which doesn't leave a lot of time for these game companies to come out with the next generation consoles. We'll see.

The Nintendo Wii Is Nearing The End Of The Road


"When the Nintendo Wii was first announced, I felt as if the system was too gimmicky and would never last in the current market. To my surprise, the Wii took off like a bat out of hell and some might even say that the Wii owned 2007 in gaming. I’m not saying that I hate the system or anything, but it’s certainly what I would call a “dust collector” among my friends and I.
It was very interesting to me how Super Smash Brothers Brawl sold 1.4 million copies the first week it was out and has pretty much dropped off the map since."


Well, no offense to the author but after reading the facts (if there really were any) all this is is speculation. As far as I can tell, the Wii is doing very well and selling a ton of games. We also have to ask, how much money is made by selling Wii's (PS3's still lose money on every sale while Wii's make a profit?).

On top of that, Wii's were designed for NON-GAMERS, not actual gamers, so the Wii caters to a market that doesn't exist (creation of market as opposed to competing for market).

It'll remain to be seen if the Wii truly does die (I highly doubt it, based on the limited info I've seen). Just ask any die hard Wii fans here.
Check out vgchartz.com posted by a commentor from the source article. It shows that the Wii outsold the xbox 360 and ps3 individually at 91 million units of games. Of course one needs to look at price of games, costs, etc, but you get the idea. I don't have a Wii myself because it feels too softcore of a gaming platform but maybe I should go buy one...

Best Buy's Big GTA IV Offer For Xbox 360


Kotaku writes: "...Best Buy's (and probably Microsoft's) Grand Theft Auto IV savings kamehameha. Buy GTA IV along any version of the Xbox 360, and get a $50 gift card as a sweet bonus. If you've been one of those woulda, coulda, shoulda gamers still holding out on this generation of systems, it's probably not a bad time to make the leap. We'll keep our eyes peeled for similar deals like a PlayStation 3 equivalent offer..."

Full article source


If you've been waiting for a deal, this is it. You could wait years before this gets cheaper overall, but you'd have ot wait a long time, by which time this will be old and outdated. The only better deal you could possibly get is from Ebay but there's always hounds looking for this exact same kind of deal, driving up the prices anyway.

Buy up folks!

Monday, April 21, 2008

New Wii game engine promises PS3 visuals - Quantum3 engine claims to be most powerful in industry


"High Voltage Software is hoping to change the face of Wii video games, with its new Quantum3 engine, which is claimed to enable Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 visuals on the tiny Wii console.

Quantum3 is the result of 15 years development experience and enables developers to make use of advanced graphical features, including better dynamic bump mapping, light effects, glossing and other visual improvements. Additionally, Quantum3 uses a 16 TEV stage material pipeline that can blend up to 8 separate texture sources.

The engine also uses advanced processing techniques to make gameplay smoother, examples including seamless resource streaming, projected shadows, morphing and much more.

"The Wii platform is capable of a lot more than what consumers have seen so far. We're hoping to raise a new bar," said High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky."

Full article source

Tech demo of the game in question

Ugh, fucking youtube quality is fucking up the look of the demo. It seems good but until we have an actual high-res version of the demo, or another demo of the game that will use this engine, this thing looks like horse-crap.

Try again high-voltage software!

Metal Gear Online Beta Delayed, Official Konami Response


"IMPORTANT NOTICE for all METAL GEAR ONLINE PREMIERE BETA players


We would like to thank all players for their keen interest in taking part in the beta test. However, we regret to inform you that due to extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe, we have been unable to run the service to the level we expected. As a temporary measure, we will be deferring the start of the US public beta test until we are able to stabilize our server.


We would like to apologize for all inconveniences as well as confusion caused. We would like to add that due to the above reasons, we will be making the following changes to the schedule:


1) Starting date: TBA. We will be making another announcement on 22/4/2008 23:00(PDT)

2) Beta Test closure: This will now be on 11/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT) rather than 06/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT)


IMPORTANT: Please note that your voucher code will only be valid up until 05/06/2008, so please make sure to register them by then."




As bullshit as this delay is, it's for the best. Denying people who want to play the game now will only make these players want to play even more later. On top of that, this delay is due to OVER-DEMAND not UNDER-DEMAND which implies that a lot of people really want to fucking play this game.


This is fucking good because I'm sick and tired of everyone going off to play fucking World of warcraft. I'm sure I'm not alone when people demand a new and different fucking game to play.


Solid snake for the win!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

New Xbox 360 Bundle Announced (Hope you can read European)


This bundle comes with an xBox 360 (obviously) and Project Gotham Racing 4 and Halo 3. All this can be yours for only 199 Euros!




Thank you Premier Bill Gates for allowing glorious European Union empire to purchase the rare western tech of xBox 360! Thank you so much!

Capcom steals own artwork from IGN for Okami box.


"No, it's not Aprils fools day - though I did have to check. The American boxart for Okami hides an embarrassing secret... "




Hahah, I couldn't stop laughing after reading this blunder. Check out the preproduction picture of this Okami box from the full article source.
*hahaha* Oh, silly silly companies and their quest for lazily-gained profits. I love the video game industry, I really do.

Mike Capps Says Epic Games Won't Ever Make A Game For The Wii "We Go Forward, Not Back"

"Epic Games’ president, Mike Capps, reiterated what Epic has previously said in an interview with IGN, stating that Epic won’t ever be developing games for the Wii. It’s not about the success of the platform to him, but what can be done on it. When asked whether there would ever be a time when Epic would be forced to give in and create a game for the Wii, Capps said, “no, we go forward, not back. It makes more sense for us to invest in the next-generation tech.”

As for why he believes the Wii has become so popular, he says it’s like a virus that just keeps spreading:

It’s a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they’re like, “Oh my God that’s so cool, I’m gonna go buy it.”"

Full article source

Maybe what Mike meant to say is that the Wii wasn't designed for high-graphics, high-tech gaming, or at the least not designed to play Gears of War 2 and any future upgrade of that engine.

Mike does sound like a condescending asshole the way he says his opinion. For his sake, he better hope he doesn't have to really make a game for the Wii. Personally, I'm unsure as to the wisdom of Mr. Mike Capps. Only time will tell.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

GTA IV has frame-rate and pop-up issues, says 1up

"GTA IV has frame-rate and pop-up issues, says 1up"


According to a 1up preview, GTA IV suffers from the same glitching and frame rate issues as its predecessors.

“You’ll likely notice the same graphical ‘quirks’ that the series has dealt with since the jump to 3D. The same filmlike, grainy framerate exists and usually holds steady, but it can momentarily dip when things get frantic,” the article says.

“There’s some long-distance graphical fade-in as well as some street-level hazards that appear only after you hit them. Traffic will be nonexistent one second, then three cars deep when you rotate the camera back around, and then completely disappear when your wanted level gets to two or three stars (which is oh-so-fun when you desperately need a getaway vehicle).”However, this time round, Rockstar has made attempts to veil them.

“But even these problems have been ‘upgraded’ in a sense for GTA4: An artistic application of filters hides some of the uglier character models, there’s more types of cars to choose from, and overall, the feel of the city trumps any of the shortcomings we’re familiar with by now. But you’ll be able to see that in the screenshots and eventual videos.”

Personally, while annoying, the popups and choppy framerate was overshadowed by the awesomeness and destruction that is Grand Theft Auto. Based on the wording of the article, I think the problem still exists but we just won't notice it much. It's like rockstar placed a facade to cover the problem rather than being able to fix it, much like how Microsoft Windows is a facade over DOS.

Positive Quote Of The Day April 16th 2008

The weather-cock on the church spire, though made of iron, would soon be broken by the storm-wind if it did not understand the noble art of turning to every wind."

- Heinrich Heine

Monday, April 14, 2008

Grand Theft Auto 4 Review (First) GTA 4 Review!

Source OXM screenshots here! http://cid-3085454822782b0d.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Public

Hot damn, Take 2 NEEDS TO RELEASE THIS GAME NOW! I will buy like 10 fucking copies to make sure GTA 4 is a "success"!

You should do the same!

Positive Quote Of The Day April 14th, 2008 4/ 14/ 08

"It ain't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so."

- Will Rogers

What Would Happen If Electronic Arts Just Went Away?

"Test the hypothesis. What would happen if EA suddenly vanished? We'd almost certainly see a destabilization of the speculative investment aspect of video gaming with publicly traded media giants like EA rising and falling on the whims of pundits and misty-magical psychology-driven brouhaha (not such a terrible thing as far as I'm concerned) as well as a whole slew of suddenly unemployed, highly talented designers (a very bad thing, of course). To be sure, the bad would almost certainly outweigh the good for at least the short term, so let's get this much straight: I'm not advocating EA's dissolution, and I'm thoroughly on record by way of reviews celebrating happy events like Crysis, Rock Band, and Command & Conquer 3.

But aside from those, what exactly would we lose if EA folded tomorrow game-wise? EA's long been a stagnant "me-too" publisher in the minds of the gaming press -- clearly not a risk-taker -- and most gaming diehards are sick to tears of the company's perennial sports refreshes, something I think Riccitiello to his credit acknowledges when he admits "We're boring people to death...there's been lots of product that looked like last year's product, that looked a lot like the year before.""

Full article source

Personally, the gaming industry would be really fucked up. Why? Instead of boring you with my superiorly ingenious opinion, consider this:

What would happen if ATI/AMD suddenly vanished, thus giving Intel and Nvidia a monopoly in the Video card and CPU chip market?

What would happen if Microsoft still dominated the internet browser market because Opera, Mozilla's Firefox, Netscape, etc all disappeared?

If any of you recall history, a monopoly or oligopoly would form, thus lowering our choices of future products, and there would be zero motivation for any companies to improve products.

No offense to the author but his opinion is very lopsided and not on par with reality. He seems to forget about other publishers such as Take 2, Activision Blizzard, THQ, Konami, etc. In terms of market capitalization, they can still wtf-pwn EA. EA not being there hands monopolistic power to the next biggest gaming company, Activision (in terms of publishing games).

If you don't believe me, why then does Activision-Blizzard try so hard to make great games (Starcraft, Diablo, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty series, etc)?

It's a great thing we're all just journalists, otherwise our stupid politicians might actually listen to us and do something even more fucked up to the gaming industry. Let the gamers determine who should go under or not with their damn wallets.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Interplay Proposes $75M Fallout MMO?

"A federal filing has revealed that diminished publisher/developer Interplay has big plans for its Fallout MMO—$75 million worth of plans, according to an investment proposition.

When Interplay’s French parent company Titus Interactive went bankrupt in 2005, the fate of its subsidiaries fell into question. Interplay had licensed the rights to some of its assets to stay afloat, including Fallout 3 and two additional sequels to Bethesda.

However, Interplay retained the rights to certain assets, including a Fallout MMO."

Full article source

All these years, I thought Interplay was actually dead. I didn't know they were just a subsidiary of another company (French in this case!).

I myself look foward to more Fallout titles, and I would without question play a Fallout MMO. Why? Because I always dreamed of running around the wastelands melting people with a turbo gatling plasma cannon! I'd fry every little man, woman, child, and mutant I came across, on the internet!

(Yes, you really can kill every man, woman, child, and mutant in Fallout, which is why Fallout is such a popular game. Start with fallout 1 first, then you won't be spoiled by fallout 2 and fallout tactics. Trust me on that one. If you live in the United Kingdom, be sure to download the child patch since UK laws are gay when it comes to our gaming experience; bastard laws.)

What's YOUR opinion?