Burnout Paradise is getting motorcycles!

Today Criterion Games announced that in August Burnout Paradise will have motorcycles! This is a first for Burnout. The motorcycle addition will cost extra, but just from looking at it, it will be worth it. When the motorcycles launch you will not initially be able to race against cars at the same time. However they do plan to add that feature. Also when this update hits Burnout Paradise will also have night time as well.

Video of the motorcycle in play follows as well as a preview of the airplane, but that is not definitely being used.



More information is here.

Uwe Boll Denied Rights to WoW Movie

Yes, its true. At Blizzcon 2007, the developers at Blizzard teasingly stated that a WoW movie was in the works in conjunction with Legendary Pictures. Seizing this opportunity to butcher yet another video game franchise Dir. Uwe Boll pitched himself to Blizzard to head up production as director; Blizzard said this, and I quote: "We will not sell the movie rights, not to you....especially not to you."

This guy is ridiculous. He seems to scoop up every video game franchise and attempt to turn it into a movie. You just can't do that with everything. Next thing we're gonna see from this guy is Guitar Hero: The Movie. What I want to know is who's backing this guy, where's he getting his money, and why has he not been assassinated yet. If you just happened upon this blog and are thinking to yourself "hmmm, there has to be a way to stop this guy, he's an idiot" I have just the solution go to this site, http://www.petitiononline.com/RRH53888/petition.html
sign the petition, and stop him.

Information from 1up.com

Thanks for reading
-JD

News: Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) announced!

That's right, Activision has finally announced officially that Guitar Hero: On Tour is in fact a portable version of Guitar Hero that is to be released on the Nintendo DS. The game will come with two peripherals: one is a pick style sytlus, and the other is four button (unlike the usual 5) fret board.

Now, all I've seen are the pictures here so I'm still not too sure on how it will all work together, but I'm sure it will be fun. The game is also said to feature the most diverse set list of master tracks ever offered in a Guitar Hero game and will include classic rock, alternative, and pop songs. (Hooray for master tracks!) Oh, and most importantly, there will be online multiplayer battles as well as local. :) I'm looking forward to it.

-CA

News: Forza Motorsport 2 new DLC

Well, Forza 2 has a new DLC pack coming up and they've made a video to preview the cars. Enjoy! 13 new cars, all of them are in the video (some you might have to look a little harder than others). It will be out on XBL on 3/19


-CA

News: Smash Bros Brawl Issues

Yesterday, Super Smash Brothers Brawl was released in the US and many people bought the game excitedly only to come home and have their excitement flushed down the toilet by a disc read error. Nintendo says that this is not a defect of the disc, but they claim that because the game was made on a high capacity dual layer disc if your Wii's laser that reads the disc is dirty, you will get this error. Nintendo says if you contact them here: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/repair/repair_form_us_ssbb.jsp and fill out the form, you will send in your Wii and they will clean it (free of charge). Nintendo asks that you do not try to clean it yourself because you are likely to damage your Wii and not to return the disc as it will not correct the problem.

-CA

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Is Almost Here!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes out this Sunday (March 9th). In anticipation, I thought I'd give you a run through of the character list and what their Final Smash is. First up: the veteran fighters returning from Melee.

Mario
Mario Bros. Series
Final Smash: Mario Finale

Link
Legend of Zelda Series
Final Smash: Triforce Slash

Kirby
Kirby Series
Final Smash: Cook Kirby

Pikachu
Pokemon Series
Final Smash: Volt Tackle

Fox McCloud
StarFox Series
Final Smash: Landmaster

Samus Aran
Metroid Series
Final Smash: Zero Laser (Turning Her Into Zero Suit Samus)

Princess Zelda
Legend of Zelda Series
Final Smash: Light Arrow

Bowser
Mario Bros. Series
Final Smash: Giga Bowser

DK (Donkey Kong)
Donkey Kong Series
Final Smash: Konga Beat

Yoshi
Mario Bros. Series
Final Smash: Super Dragon

Princess Peach
Marios Bros. Series
Final Smash: Peach Blossom

Ice Climbers
Ice Climbers Series
Final Smash: Iceberg

Sheik
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Final Smash: Light Arrow

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next up: the newcomers joining the fray (some serious competition):

Pit
Kid Icarus
Final Smash: Palutena's Army

Wario
Warioware Series
Final Smash: Wario-Man

Zero Suit Samus
Metroid Series
Final Smash: Power Suit Samus

Ike
Fire Emblem Series
Final Smash: Great Aether

Pokemon Trainer
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
Final Smash: Triple Finish

Diddy Kong
Donkey Kong Series
Final Smash: Rocketbarrel Barrage

Meta Knight
Kirby Series
Final Smash: Galaxia Darkness

Solid Snake
Metal Gear Series
Final Smash: Grenade Launcher

Lucas
Mother 3 (Japan Only)
Final Smash: PK Starstorm

Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog Series
Final Smash: Super Sonic

King Dedede
Kirby Series
Final Smash: Waddle Dee Army

Pikmin and Olimar
Pikmin
Final Smash: End of Day

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nintendo and HAL Labs decided to include several secret characters in this installment of the series. Some are brand new, others, veteran fighters. But it goes without question, these guys will be tough to beat.

Ness
Earthbound Series
Final Smash: PK Starstorm

Marth
Fire Emblem Series
Final Smash: Critical Hit

Luigi
Mario Bros. Series
Final Smash: Negative Zone

Falco
StarFox Series
Final Smash: Landmaster

Captain Falcon
F-Zero Series
Final Smash: Blue Falcon

Lucario
Pokemon Series
Final Smash: Aura Storm

R.O.B (Robotic Operating Buddy)
Bundled with Original NES System
Final Smash: Diffusion Beam

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, this list is not complete. It is missing about 5 characters: Toon Link, Ganondorf, Mr. Game and Watch, Jigglypuff, and Wolf. These characters have not yet been announced on Sora LTD's official SSBB website, smashbros.com. You can go to this website for details about every aspect of the game.

I for one can't wait for this game to come out. Yes, I pre-ordered it and will be at the store when it opens. If I know Nintendo and HAL Labs, SSBB will score pretty high when we review it next week.

Thanks for reading
-JD

News: NFL Head Coach 09 announced by EA

EA officially announced NFL Head Coach 09. Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy will grace the cover this year. EA is stating that "From draft day to game day, the gamers' decisions impact their team's success and make or break a team's road to the Super Bowl." Sound interesting for NFL fans. The full press release is here.

Rock Band DLC gets a patch

Some Rock Band download content needs to be re-downloaded. here were some errors and have been fixed by the team. The songs effected are:
“Can’t Stand Losing You”
“Roxanne”
“Synchronicity II”
“Police Pack 01”
“Brass in Pocket”
For more information go to the Rock Band official message boards.

Nintendo to charge for some online gaming?

It's true. Nintendo is planning on charging for online play for some games. They have not released game specifics. However, the new logo will be red and say "Pay and play". Yes, a game that you are purchasing will remind you that you, in fact, must pay to play it. The player will be charged by using Wii points to play online. This was announced at the GDC.

HD DVD drive for 360 price drop

Today you can get the HD DVD drive for Xbox 360 for $50.

Looks like people are trying to get these shelf warmers into a happy home.

Follow the link and order your own.

Hopefully it will not be long before ALL retailers drop to the cost of less than a game.

HD-DVD is Dead

Reports from Microsoft have come in regarding the fate of the Xbox 360 HD DVD add on drive. And the reports are, Microsoft is officially out of the HD DVD business. According to Gamerscoreblog, which is Microsoft's official blog regarding the Xbox 360, Microsoft will no longer continue to manufacture the drive. Good, now maybe I will stop seeing it advertised even after Toshiba said they are out of the HD DVD business. Now bring on the Blu Ray add on!

Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Xbox 360,HDDVD

News: HD DVD done for?

Well, we can't say that we haven't seen it coming. Blu-ray has been stomping a mole hole into HD DVD's ass for a while now and in a huge way when 2008 started. Toshiba has finally thrown in the towel stating today that they are going to cease production of their HD DVD stand alone players and recorders by April. The company said, "Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same time frame, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand." Microsoft says that they are waiting on the word from Toshiba on whether or not to cease production of the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive. So far, nothing has been said. I think it is almost safe to say that the format war has ended. Blu-ray has just about become victorious.

-CA

News: Blu-ray with another big hit against HD DVD

Blu-ray has done it again, yet another retailer has gone blu-ray exclusive as a huge hit against Toshiba's HD DVD format; but none quite as big as this. Wal-Mart! That's right, the massive retail chain, Wal-Mart has stated that they will be blu-ray exclusive by June this year. It's only a matter of time before Toshiba throws in the towel now.

 

Technorati Tags: Blu-Ray,HDDVD,Xbox 360,Wal-Mart,Toshiba,Microsoft

News: 1 of 2 upcoming Guitar Hero titles named.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is one of the two upcoming new Guitar Hero titles. The game will follow the career of Aerosmith from when they were nobody's to today. Guitar Hero III owners will be able to download the Aerosmith track "Dream On" for the game for free in celebration of the upcoming game's release. It will be available for free on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network between February 16 and 18. The game will be available in June on PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360.


-CA

Technorati Tags: Guitar Hero,Aerosmith,Xbox 360,Playstation 3,Nintendo Wii

News: PS3 finally coming along

Well folks, the sales numbers for January are in and they are rather surprising. Here they are:

THE NPD GROUP's JANUARY 2008 US GAME INDUSTRY SALES

Hardware Sales (in units sold)

Wii: 274,000

PlayStation 3: 269,000

Nintendo DS: 251,000

PlayStation Portable: 230,000

Xbox 360: 230,000

Not only is it a surprise to see Xbox 360 at the bottom of the list even after PSP, but PS3 ALMOST OUTSOLD THE WII! This obviously having something to do with the blu-ray disc's recent success having outsold HD DVD 82% to 18%. These numbers also show through the recent success of the PS3 version of Devil May Cry 4 outselling the Xbox 360 version. I've even noticed myself that I've started buying more PS3 games than any other system. I think it's safe to say that the PS3 is finally coming along.

-CA

 

Technorati Tags: Playstation 3,Xbox 360,Nintendo Wii,Playstation Portable,Nintendo DS

News: EA announces titles for fiscal 2009!

EA Games president Frank Gibeau revealed many releases that are to come for fiscal 2009. He announced that both Skate and Burnout would see new titles (but it was not said whether they would be side titles like Burnout Legends or big time all console releases. Skate was a big success for EA, outselling Activision's Tony Hawk Proving Grounds (which was like Madden but for skating games before skate came along) for both PS3 and Xbox 360 on its first try. They also announced that they will be making more games for the series Mass Effect (from the recently acquired BioWare). While they will be made by mostly the same people, a lot of people worry that this will be bad for the Mass Effect series because of the way EA likes to annualize titles and rush them out. I guess we'll see in the future what will come of it. Also announced is a new Need for Speed (big surprise), though Gibeau said that the series would be returning to more of the Most Wanted and Underground roots that got the series so popular rather than continuing with the Pro Street theme (thank God).

-CA

Technorati Tags: Electronic Arts,Skate,Burnout,BioWare,Need For Speed

News: Huge news from Best Buy and Netflix about Blu-Ray!

Bad news for HD DVD owners and lovers yet again. Blu-Ray has gained the support of Best Buy, one of the biggest electronics retailers in the world. Best Buy has announced that they will promote Blu-Ray players as the predominant next-generation movie format over HD DVD. While they will still sell HD DVDs and their players, they will have Blu-Ray displays throughout the stores and will boast them as better than HD DVD. Netflix has also joined the "let's get the overwith campaign" by jumping on with Blu-Ray as well. Netflix will no longer offer HD DVDs for rent whatsoever by the end of the year. While that is a good time period away, it is still another smashing blow to HD DVD. How long will HD DVD take this beating before it drops out? If you ask me, I can't wait for the disc format war to end so that they can lower the price of Blu-Ray movies! I'm tired of paying $30 for them and once the war is over they will be selling a lot more and thus be able to lower the price (same thing happened with DVDs years ago).

-CA

Technorati Tags: HDDVD,Blu-Ray,Best Buy,NetFlix

News: Activision steps it up for 2008 (fiscal 2009)

Note for title: For those who don't know how it works, fiscal years start at April of the year prior. For example, the 2008 fiscal year started on April 1st, 2007 and ends on April 1st, 2008.

Activision has recently revealed record breaking earnings for 2007 (fiscal 2008). Because of this, they have announced that they are going to belt out a "full slate" of new games for fiscal 2009 driven by their most popular titles. They announced that a new call of duty and guitar hero are already in the works, as well as more downloadable content for the current call of duty and guitar hero titles. The new call of duty title has not been confirmed as to whether it will be modern of WW2 but it has been confirmed for PS2 and Wii. Two new Guitar Hero games were confirmed for the period between April 1 and June 30, 2008, but other than that, no details were discussed. Also announced, Activision's first James Bond game. Can Activision bring the greatness from Goldeneye back to Bond video games, or will they be another failure to Bond titles? Activision says that fiscal 2009 will consist of their largest Nintendo slate ever. "Activision stated that work was underway on the next Tony Hawk skateboarding game, including research and testing, and that the company would be "re-engineering the franchise…there will be a new direction for the brand." " This is probably because Tony Hawk's Proving Grounds was a massive failure. Lastly, they have announced that a new Spider-man title is in the works as well as a sequel to Marvel's Ultimate Alliance. I don't know about you but I am excited for just about everything mentioned here. Let's just hope that they don't bite off more that they can chew and the record breaking profits show through these titles.

-CA

*quotes are courtesy of gamespot.com

Technorati Tags: Activision,Tony Hawk,Spider-Man,Guitar Hero

HD DVD Player for Xbox 360 Price Reduced!

Apparently the makers of HD DVD and HD DVD players are quivering in fear over blu-ray's massive success and how movie production companies keep signing blu-ray exclusivity contracts. So, what did they do to try and help thier sales? Slash prices! The HD DVD add-on for Xbox 360 has had its price slashed by $50 making it a reasonable $129.99. The only thing is now, for the past two months blu-ray has outsold HD DVD 80% to 20, so why would you want to buy an HD DVD player when blu-ray is on the verge of victory?

-CA

Technorati Tags: HDDVD,Xbox 360,Microsoft

News: Metal Gear Solid 3-pack to be released in anticipation for MGS4

Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection will include Metal Gear Solid (from PS One),

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (director's cut version),

and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (also director's cut version)

for the lovely price of $29.99. While there has yet to be a confirmed release date, if you take a look at gamestop.com, you will see that they are expecting it to be released around mid-March. For any gamer looking to jump into the middle of the MGS series, this would be a great opportunity as the original metal gear solid isn't very easy to get a hold of anymore and $30 for 3 games is hard to beat. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is unofficially due for release on June 17th, 2008.

-CA

 

Technorati Tags: PlayStation 2,Medal Gear Solid