Urgent Fury Unleashed » XBox 360

Two more Sony exclusive Street Fighter X Tekken characters announced!

williamtimothy — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:32:19 +0000

The game Street Fighter X Tekken is already highly anticipated by fans from both sides (I as a big fan of both series can’t wait!). And as it’s getting closer to its March release it’s looking more and more like the ps3 and Vita versions are the ones to have. Sony had already announced that their versions would have three exclusive characters Cole McGrath (inFAMOUS), and Kuro, and Toro (stange Sony cat things). Now they have announced two more iconic characters that we will see exclusive on the PS3/Vita.

1. Mega Man

Yes the picture is right. This out of shape goofy looking version from the Mega Man 1 box art is what us ps3 owners will be getting. This is a risky move by Capcom and has caused a huge uproar from fans of the series. I have to say though the combat video of him looks like he’ll be a good enough character to play as but I (and most people) would prefer the classic 8-bit version we’ve all come to know and love.

2. Pac-Man

My first thoughts when I heard this were: Pac-Man in a fighting game? How is that…I mean, how does he…? Now after watching the trailer I know that our little pill munching friend will be in a big fighting robot. I don’t know what genious thought that up or how that will work but from what I saw in the video it looks pretty natural.

In case you haven’t seen their trailer yet here it is

The next generation of consoles. Do gamers want them yet?

williamtimothy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:20:55 +0000

Not too long ago there were rumors floating around the internet that the next generation of consoles would be announced and or released in 2012 (usually concerning the Xbox 720). These were quickly shot down by almost every level headed person with a keyboard but let’s sit and think for a second. What if these rumors had been true? I can tell you I would not have been a happy consumer. I am completely happy with the way console gaming is now!

You can say all you want that developers have “pushed each console to its limit” but this statement is almost completely graphics based. Do you think that in 2009 when Naughty Dog’s masterpiece “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” was released that they for a minute thought “we have done all we can for this system, now we need a new one?” No they didn’t! They continued to see what they could do better and I honestly didn’t think the snow in Uncharted 2 could be topped but when I saw the massive desert in this year’s sequel “Uncharted3: Drake’s Deception” they once again blew my mind. So I don’t think any developer thinks that they can’t continue to improve their games on the current generation of consoles.

Now let’s move to a financial standpoint. Microsoft is still selling a ton of 360’s and to release a new console now would do nothing but hurt them financially. Sure I cannot I am eagerly anticipating Microsoft to move to blu ray and to wow me with what their new console can do but for now I am content. I also heard rumors of a ps4 release (which are even more ridiculous than the 720 predictions) so let’s bring Sony into account. They have already promised that the playstation 3 will ave a 10 year life cycle of which we are only 5 years into. They also have had a major financial hit this year (an estimated 1.97 billion) from many things such as the network crashing and very poor 3D display and initial Vita sales (with the Vita already expected to have a price drop) a ps4 launch would no doubt put them in a worse financial state than they are right now. Also now away from the company’s I as a consumer would not buy one. I being a high school freshman do not have a great income and with me getting a vita, and the games that will be releasing next year I wouldn’t be able to drop $600 on a shiny new console. Plus launch titles of consoles are typically not very good so most likely I’d just be using the initial backwards compatability feature.

It is known that both developers are already working on their new consoles. They have been since the current ones launched. Though they will not be released this year I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a tech demo or some sort of blueprints this year. I think a release date will be announced in 2013 and the first of them will be released in 2014. Hey as long as I get to keep my trophies and gamerscore I’m fine. This gives developers plenty of time to continue to wow us on the consoles we’ve come to love these past few years and I hope 2012 is as great a year for gaming as 2011 was.

So I paid for Elite, but I still have to wait?

Shane Bell — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:47:03 +0000

A major outcry by PS3 Modern Warfare 3 players as Activision announced that the first maps for Call of Duty Elite members would launch on January 24th to XBox 360. They did not mention any release information for PlayStation 3 as of this post.

Nine months and 20 ELITE content drops in the Call of Duty: MW3 Content Season. Check out this behind-the-scenes video of two new multiplayer maps coming January 24 to Xbox LIVE. Become an ELITE Premium member to get first access: http://bit.ly/xUZy48

The common outcry is why did we pay full price for Elite but we are not getting the map paks at the same time as XBox…

This may be a rude awakening for Activision… We will update this as we hear more.

Update

Robert Bowling just confirmed that XBox is first: https://twitter.com/#!/fourzerotwo/status/156822320734932992

Yes. The content comes out first for @Xbox Elite Premium members, then shortly after for subscribers on other platforms.

Get the low down on Banning in MW3

CritiKiL — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:46:17 +0000

Let’s say you’re curious as to how, exactly, developer Infinity Ward determines whether an online offence is grave enough to warrant banning from their blockbuster shooterModern Warfare 3. Or you’re an asshole who just wants to see how far he/she can push it before copping a ban. To satisfy your potentially self-harming curiosity, here is exactly how Infinity Ward deal with cheaters. How they’re warned, what the various stages of punishment are, the works. The complete guidelines have been publicly shared by Infinity Ward, and focus on the six things you can do that can result in a ban: Boosting, cheating, glitching, hacking, offensive behaviour and an offensive gamertag.

Boosting - Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of organizing cooperative or single game play for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks.

( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset.

(ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.

(iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.

Cheating - Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of unknown boosting, glitching, hacking or other related offenses for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks.

( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset.

(ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.

(iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.

Glitching - Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of organizing cooperative or single game play for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks. Examples: Exploiting map holes, the javelin glitch, and participating in modded lobbies

( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset.

(ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.

(iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.

Hacking - Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of modifying the executable or creating infected lobbies with or without the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks.

( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is console banned.

Offensive Behavior - Any player demonstrating in-game verbal abuse, harassing, or other related behavior deemed as universally unacceptable to other players.

( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 24 hours

Offensive Gamertag - Any player demonstrating an offensive in-game gamer tag, to be decided as universally unacceptable to other players.

( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is reputation banned 5000. A reputation ban that exceeds a certain threshold can lead to bans from playing.

As a bonus, Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has posted an accompanying image of what the banhammer actually looks like on their end. Sadly, it is just a dialog pop-up with a picture of a hammer on it, and not a screen that’s part of a giant Norse hammer:

Click To Enlarge:

So there you go. All the stuff that can get you suspended, banned or even permanently banned, laid out nice and easy. It’s a lot of words to basically say “don’t be an asshole or we won’t let you play our game”, but that’s not legalese enough for official documentation.

Urgent Frequency Ep. 91 – The 2011 VGA Preview Episode

Commander Fury — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:45:37 +0000

After a year of major game releases, the game industry & gamers from all over the world are set to pick the best of the best for the 2011 Video Game Awards.

Shane Bell (Urgent Fury CIO) & Doc (The Tester (Season 1) & Replay w/ Doc) join Commander Fury to preview a few of the categories & make their 2011 VGA picks.

Mass Effect 3 will attempt the realm of Multiplayer in 2012, will it work?

Shane Bell — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:30:01 +0000

So with all of the craziness of Multiplayer releases in 2011 over, now it’s time to look ahead to 2012. And a new entry into the realm of multiplayer is Mass Effect 3 by Bioware based in Edmonton Canada.

In a press release from October, the award-winning developer, a label of Electronic Arts Inc., announced hat multiplayer will be coming to the critically-acclaimed Mass Effect™ series for the very first time as part of the new Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system.

With the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system, players will fight for the survival of the galaxy against an ancient alien race known only as, Reapers, in both the single player campaign and through a suite of Mass Effect games and applications. Progress made in each of the components of the system, including the new multiplayer mode, will directly link back to the player’s main campaign, helping Commander Shepard rally the forces of the galaxy to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all. The Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War feature can be activated via the Online Pass code found in every new copy of Mass Effect 3. The Mass Effect 3 Online Pass can also be purchased separately on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

“The theme of galactic war in Mass Effect 3 presents us with the perfect opportunity to introduce multiplayer into the Mass Effect series,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “Multiplayer not only features amazing combat and deep customization options, but it will give players another way to help the war effort against the Reapers in the main event — the single player campaign.”

Featuring four-player cooperative gameplay, multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 puts players in the role of a team of elite Special Forces soldiers sent to protect resources and assets that can help the war effort against the Reapers. Players will have the option of playing as one of six classes and from six different races: Human, Krogan, Asari, Drell, Salarian and Turian.

Multiplayer and other components of the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system provide alternative ways for players to wage the final war against the Reapers. The new system will also connect players to their BioWare Social Network accounts to stay up to date on the latest Mass Effect 3 news and access downloadable content (DLC) and add-ons.

Now if you read around the net, the avid Mass Effect Fans are not that keen on addition of the Multiplayer, but as stated by Shane Bell in his editorial about Multiplayer not extending the life of games, maybe this developer is seeing an opportunity to add a longer playability to their title after all.

Only time will tell if this is successful or not and there are rumors of a beta soon, the game is scheduled to launch March 6^th, 2012.

About BioWare

The BioWare Label is a division of EA which crafts high quality multiplatform role-playing, MMO and strategy games, focused on emotionally engaging, rich stories with unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world’s most critically acclaimed titles and franchises, including Baldur’s Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon Age™. BioWare currently operates in seven locations across the world, including Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec, Canada), Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia), San Francisco (California), Los Angeles (California) and Galway (Ireland).

In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. In 2011 EA created the BioWare Label, alongside EA Games, EA SPORTS™ and EA Play. To join the millions of fans already registered with the BioWare community, go to http://social.bioware.com.

Warning: MW3 Modded Clan Tags, Will Get You Banned…

CritiKiL — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:56:29 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

Modded clan tags in Modern Warfare 3 are tags which have button icons in it, that make them considerably longer compared to what is permitted. A minor issue, yes, however Infinity Ward does not like any kind of exploit whatsoever, in their games. If you have got a modded clan tag, be sure to change it back to something suitable or risk a ban. Here is the official response on the Activison support forum regarding the MW3 clan tags:

“Using any kind of hack or exploit to put characters or graphics into your clan tag can result in a suspension or full ban. You may only use the default set of characters included in the user interface”

This is true for tags that are colored anything beyond the default colors, which also have been confirmed to be an exploit as well. Infinity Ward has stated that they will be evaluating the problem and that gamers who have got modded clan tags ought to be reported on sight. Guy Beahm of Sledgehammer games was asked if there would be an ETA for the fix, however due to this being so low-priority and undamaging to gameplay, there isn’t one. So if you’re using these types of clan tags, remove them or run the risk of getting banned from the game.

Multiplayer no longer extending the life of games

Shane Bell — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:20:53 +0000

Over the last year we have seen several titles release with a multiplayer inclusion and have been excited about the different tournaments that can be created to extend the playability of the game and continue fostering the team building and communities built around it. But then we get the game and start testing to only find that sure the “Multiplayer” label is affixed to the game but no true means of really fostering a team or community for that matter.

So let’s go back a few years so I can help you understand where I am going with this. And keep in mind PC Gaming had already started this trend with games like CounterStrike, but that was not my introduction to multiplayer. On PlayStation 2, a game called Socom was launched with this new feature called Multiplayer. Online gaming was a new concept for consoles and this seemed pretty cool. You could play with different players and the experience would be absolutely different every time since you were playing with humans instead of programmed characters.

The next thing you know it, someone asked if I would join their clan or team for those not familiar with the term. Of course I have played with these guys a few times and enjoyed playing with them so I of course said sure. Next thing I know I have registered on the clan’s website and have instantly become a member of this highly focused community built around playing a game.

At the time I did not see how much of a big deal this would be, but later in life it would prove to be the friendships and team building aspect of this was unsurpassed by any other experience in gaming. Some of these clans have run strong for many years and like any team, many have had conflict and caused the creation of new clans.

So with that in mind you can look at the playability of a game and how this team building would foster a completely new breed of gaming now known as competitive multiplayer. Tournament communities started to spring up everywhere giving games a whole new life with teams competing for prizes, bragging rights and more. Suddenly your clan had a new purpose, not only are you playing with a group so you kind of knew who would do what, but now you could take your clans skills and pit them against other clans with a structured environment behind the scenes.

Fast forward about ten years to today and many of these tournament communities have come and gone and some have thrived. MLG is probably the best example of a thriving business built around competitive multiplayer. The business brings in several millions of dollars with their tournaments through sponsorship and attendance. Even Richard Branson jumped on the competitive gaming train with the launch of Virgin Gaming in 2010.

The big winner out of this business segment really has been the games themselves, as this creates a long lasting playability to a game. If done right a multiplayer portion of a game can be stretched out to years versus a few months. There is no beating the game, no trading in of the game, just endless play with your clan mates.

Now let’s look at the games of the last year or so. Multiplayer seems to have become more of an afterthought then a true focus. In the original Socom for example, you could create a room with a custom title like “My Clan Tryouts” and it made expanding your team very efficiently, this was what we call the lobby system.

In today’s games there are no lobbies, and even more so less means of even creating a private match. Socom 4 did have a clan match making system but it did not let you create any custom parameters to a match. Battlefield 3 launched with no private match making at all and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s private matchmaking is plagued with issues on PS3 causing communities such as ours to postpone or even cancel tournaments.

What do we have to do to get the game developers to take a step back and realize that with the right design, multiplayer can make their game more profitable? Let me explain how…

So let’s pretend a multiplayer game came out with the prized features like these:

Private Custom Match Making
Lobbies or User Created Rooms
A Clan Management System

These three simple systems together foster a long life of playability of a game, also giving a developer the opportunity to sale DLC such as map packs and expansions. Here is how…

With the ability to customize a private match, a tournament community can offer unique game play by changing the parameters of a game, giving players a completely different experience with the title. This can also keep the competitive play fresh with different setups, weapon restrictions, etc. While a good clan management system give members of the team the ability to manage their rosters, group up for game play and provide structure. And finally with a lobby system, the clans are able to promote recruitment, host events and even show off what tournament they are playing in.

This breeds for longevity gameplay, giving the developer the right formula to sale additional content. If you have strong tournament communities developing long term events, many will incorporate the new content to freshen up the tournaments. The PlayStation 2 Socom’s are a perfect example for our community… we were able to run a tournament from the day it launched until the day the next title released. Even with Confrontation we ran a tournament up to the Friday before Socom 4 released. That is just shy of three years of game play on a single title. Yet when the DLC was released, we quickly adapted a tournament specifically for it.

Now with today’s games, the community building portion of the game has gone. There is no way to foster the building or reinforcement of the clans and there are no stable private match making options in the game.

Is this the end of clans as we know it today? I still play with clan members from almost 10 years ago, but now it is almost impossible to get together and play. We invite all developers to contact tournament communities such as ours and even Gamebattles. The ability to include these three simple features can give a game the means to generate additional revenue, keep a strong fan base and breed a whole new generation of competitive gamers.

Battlefield: 3 Now ‘Banned’ in Iran…

CritiKiL — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:44:01 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

First the Lawsuit, and now This? ~ Iran has banned this video game in all of Iran, which is very popular here in the USA. In the picture above, it shows the US invading Iran. With the latest incident leading to the killings via Drone-airstrike by NATO, this video game is the first of expressions showing the countries unrest with what happened. Battlefield: 3 has been banned in that country because of it’s depictions of US armour and aircraft launching assaults on and in the city of Tehran, according to an Iranian IT magazine today.

Tehran Highway: A nighttime map where players start off in the hills out side of the city and work their way in. Sounds a lot like Strike At Karkand. The map starts open, but ends “on a much more urban and tight note” with focus on infantry combat.

The game (EA’s current top-selling title), can be played as a solo campaign or as a group mission with up to 24 players online. The Iran scenario sees US forces fighting hostile militia near the Iraq-Iran border then moving on to Tehran under a looming nuclear threat. Intense gunfights are depicted in various military, industrial and urban locations in the capital, including Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar.

According to EA, 5 million copies of Battlefield: 3 were sold within just ‘one week’ of it hitting the market on October 25, 2011. The game is available on DVD-ROM and as for download from the Internet. EA has no resellers in Iran, but pirated copies of all major videogames and computer software are widely available worldwide. This is the first time an official ban on the game was reported, but some computer store owners said they had declined to stock the game initially, anticipating a possible crackdown on it.

Iranian police overseeing public places “raided (some shops) and arrested owners for selling the game secretly” even before the ban became public, said by one anonymous store owner who did not want his name mentioned. The Fars news agency said the game had prompted an online protest by a group of Iranian youths. One group said in an online petition, with more than 5,000 signatories so far:

“We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical … (but) we believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran…”

Although Not noted in the petition as far as we know: ‘an Iranian leader in the game outright calls Americans terrorists’, in explaining the source of the struggle in the Launch trailer that I’ve attached to this story below. Whatever the outcome, it looks like this game won’t be accessible or played in that part of the world ever again, but that’s just my take on the given situation. Let us know what YOU THINK, by commenting on this story! Don’t forget to watch the video below:

Urgent Frequency Ep. 90 – The 2nd Annual URGENT FREQUENCY VETERANS DAY THANKSGIVING CALL OF DUTY MIDNIGHT LAUNCH PARTY Episode

Commander Fury — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:51:05 +0000

Commander Fury is Urgent Fury’s “boots on the ground” for the biggest game release of the year!!!

As he finds himself braving the cold & crowds at his local GameStop to celebrate the launch of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for the 2nd Annual Urgent Frequency Veterans Day Thanksgiving Call Of Duty Midnight Launch Party Episode. Get all the intel about the most anticipated game of the year…including gametrailers.com‘s full review of the game, and an overview of Call Of Duty: ELITE.

Plus, we wrap things up with the Thanksgiving classic….Arlo Guthrie’s – “Alice’s Restaurant“.

Modern Warfare: 3 ‘Trounces’ Battlefield: 3, in Online Play Time!

CritiKiL — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:00:39 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is blasting away at Battlefield 3 in the number of hours played, according to an analysis and survey of 10 million gamers by the Raptr gamer social network. Raptr reports that play data collected from its gamer network shows the Call of Duty franchise still dominates the $5 billion first-person shooter market when it comes to online play. Modern Warfare 3 users have logged more total hours in their first week after launch than Battlefield 3 users have logged in the past three weeks. Modern Warfare 3 users logged about 40 percent more hours played on launch day (6.19 hours on average on Nov. ) than Battlefield 3 users did (4.45 hours, Oct. 25), although Battlefield 3′s launch [as far as 'gameplay'] was plagued with connectivity problems. During the first week, Xbox 360 players logged 17 percent more play time, or 20.45 hours, on Modern Warfare 3, compared to 17.37 hours on Battlefield 3.

For the first time ever for any franchise, three Call of Duty games (including last year’s Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 from two years ago) were in the top 10 play-time charts on Raptr. On average, Call of Duty players play the game for 60 to 70 hours, mostly on multiplayer since the campaign game is five to 10 hours. This year, Activision is finally trying to monetize those extra hours of play by coming up with its premium subscription for the Call of Duty Elite service. Raptr tracks actual game play data from its 10 million users. It compared that data with a survey of 6,000 participants in its Battlefield vs. Call of Duty showdown promotion. This news isn’t great for EA, which made a major attempt to unseat Activision Blizzard with Battlefield 3.

Modern Warfare: 3 ~ Over 1,600 Cheaters Banned / Fix Coming…

CritiKiL — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:47:44 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

As the saying goes, ‘cheaters never win’. While it doesn’t always prove true, a huge number of cheaters definitely won’t make it to the end of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Infinity Ward has banned more than 1,600 players from MW3 for cheating using glitches uncovered in the new game, and that’s just soo far! Yes, there will be [more] Bloodshed. Infinity Ward has been on a mass-banning spree as numerous glitches are being found and exploited by cheaters in Modern Warfare 3. Upwards of 1,600 players, and we expect many more to come. Posting on Twitter, Infinity Ward’s community man Robert Bowling said:

“Any attempt to cheat, hack, or glitch in #MW3 will not be tolerated. 1600+ bans issued. Updates in works. Please cont. to report offenders.” He later added: “We are doing mass bans on PC as well while we work on updates…” and has repeatedly promised a “Hot fix already in the works”for multiple glitches reported by agitated Twitter users.

Despite its issues, Modern Warfare 3 has broken movie box office, book and game sales records for five day worldwide sell-through in dollars. Modern Warfare 3 has been a massive hit, breaking not only records for game release, but also book and box office openings. In its first day, the game sold 6.5 million units for a total of $400 million in sales.

By Thursday, Activision had nearly doubled that figure. The company announced that in its first five days, Modern Warfare 3 generated more than $775 million in sales, smashing the $650 million record set a year ago by its predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, in addition to the the $500 million record established two years ago by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

So you see, there’s alot of necessity for keeping a well developed game that’s making soo much money, to be protected from exploits. Best believe that money is going to be put into keeping it ‘Cheat, Glitch and Exploit-Free’…

Good News! COD Elite Will Be ‘Fully Functional’, on 12.01.11…

CritiKiL — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:35 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

Activision plans to have Call of Duty: Elite fully operational by December 1 2011! This is my birthday, so of course this is a good thing for me to here. In speaking with G4, Daniel Suarez (Activision’s VP of Production), attempted to reassure users that the service will be functional in the coming weeks. His quote: “It was our fault that the service wasn’t up and running the day [fans] put in their token or the day they bought it…” and, “They kind of have to bear with us while we bring this all back up, but for us it’s literally ‘Give us those couple weeks, we’re giving those to you for free and come December 1 the goal is that we’ll have everything up and running’.”

Suarez was referring to the extended month of Elite service users will receive due to its current problems. He also provided insight into how the situation got out of hand, despite extensive beta testing. No need to quote everything he said, just rest assured that by 12.01.11 you won’t see anything but a fully functional website! But some other explainations he said worth mentioning is:

“When we ran our beta, [it] was strictly on the PC, and a lot of our assumptions were based around [the idea] that a larger majority of users were going to use the PC [interface] since it’s a more robust version of the service than the console app… / Some of that may have been incorrectly analysed, because we’re seeing 80 to 90% of our users coming straight from the console app. Right now we’re retrofitting that so that that works better across the board rather than the way it was set up…”.

This explains alot, since the majority of Activisions Fans are Console gamers. Many users have had difficulty signing in and using Call of Duty: Elite, since it launched earlier this month alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Also, if you’ve all been wondering what’s up with the COD Elite “Mobile Apps“? These have been delayed, while Activision works on the console apps. The iPhone and Android applications of the social networking service have been delayed until further notice while server issues continue to be worked on. “Since we do not want to add even more stress to the back-end servers, we are holding back on launching the Elite mobile applications until the service is stable and our players can easily access it… / We will have the apps ready to launch as soon as we are comfortable the experience will be a great one, and will update with more information soon…” ~ read a Q&A on Activision‘s website.

For the ‘Bad News’, the PC version, which has already been delayed indefinitely, may never be released despite the developer’s efforts. “We are working towards a universal Elite experience but we cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for the PC…” ~ the firm wrote on Twitter in response to a user inquiry.

Looking for other Call of Duty apps for other devices? BlackBerry free apps can be found in your service providers marketplace for help, guides and other information about Call of Duty games.

To sort of compensate us, Activision has since given paying members an additional 30 days’ subscription as a result of the ongoing issues. I can’t wait, COD Elite to be Fully Functional on my Birthday! Now there’s another present I can add to my collection on that day To remind you of why we are ALL waiting for things to be fixed, enjoy the Modern Warfare 3 Tango Behind the Scenes – Connect video below and leave us a comment or two to tell us what YOU think about this awesome accomplishment of a Gaming Franchise:

MW3 Elite: Now a Complete, Cultural Integrated Experience!

CritiKiL — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:54:31 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

For those who have forgotten, Call of Duty Elite is an innovative new online service that enriches gamers’ Call of Duty multiplayer experience. In the latest ‘behind the scenes’ video, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games are joined by Beachhead Studio in this multiplayer experience video for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. In the video they explain how MW3 enables you to easily connect with your Facebook friends while you’re playing, without having to leave your console. ELITE enhances your social experience by providing FREE tools which will help you to form, join, and organize clans. Also, in addition to competing with your friends and leveling up your clan, ELITE provides you with the necessary tools to improve your skills and opportunities to compete for real world prizing.

They also introduce more information about the New Gaming Console App “and” Mobile App, which will be on both the iOS & Android platforms, where you’ll be able to do just about everything with separate dedicated applications for both ‘mobile applications’ as well as for the gaming consoles. ~~“No more need to only” modify your settings and weapons configurations within the game~~. NOW…you can do it straight from your COD Elite Mobile App or from the Website! You will have your ‘Call of Duty Experience’ wherever you are! And not to mention we’re talking about Detailed Video Guides providing analysis and tactics, from Pro Gamers ~ To quote from my own clans motto: ‘This Changes Everything!’ ~ lol

Now you’ll be together, with everyone, online…all the time! Check out the video below, and drop us some comments, because I KNOW we have to talk more about “this” New Integration-experience. This time, they heard our call: It’s ALL About the Clans and Clan Management!

‘Saints Row: The Third’, has a Full Plate this Month!

CritiKiL — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:17:44 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

You have to feel sorry for THQ and the Saints Row team, who were finally gearing up to release The Third, content in the knowledge that it has been years since GTA IV released, and that there hasn’t been any news on GTA V. But just as THQ got their marketing campaign geared up to take on Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, Rockstar decided to spoil the party. Now, it looks like the publisher doesn’t want to go down without a fight, and has begun an “anti-GTA” ad campaign. When searching for terms like GTA V or Grand Theft Auto V, you might see the following Google ad:

An 'Anti-GTA: 5' Ad, designed to thwart people into buying 'The Third' on Nov 15th...

The “Forget Grand Theft Auto” ad links directly to the mildly-NSFW Saints Row website, and urges gamers to favor their open world third person action sandbox game over Rockstar’s, presumably higher budget, open world third person action sandbox game. But is it enough? With Saints Row releasing on November 15th in the US and 18th in Europe, how badly do you think today’s Grand Theft Auto V trailer will affect the game’s sales? Let us know in the comments below.

Research Firm Predicts GTA: V to be, D/L Only…

CritiKiL — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:02:52 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

Despite low broadband speeds, many people still using dialup, download caps and limited hard drive space…market research company ‘Newzoo’ has made a rather unusual prediction: Grand Theft Auto V will be released as a digital-only product.

Newzoo’s report states:

There are a lot of reasons why publishers are pushing towards digital distribution of triple-A games. Speaking out loud might harm the relationship with retail partners, but the benefits have become too large to remain silent about the desire to go completely digital.

The ultimate objective being to launch games faster, create continuous revenues on a title and simply to make more money. Will retail disappear from the picture? Of course not. Retail will always remain an important channel to promote and distribute games. Retail has a strong hand to play when it comes to eyeballs and… boxes make a nice gift.

Continuing:

Boxed games will not disappear, but what is in the box will. That is why the boxed GTA V version will contain a collectible piece of merchandise and a download code. No disc.

We will probably find out in less than four hours, when the GTA V trailer officially debuts, but we’d be incredibly shocked if the game, which will be at least 8GB (but likely more) ends up being a download only product.

What do you think? Make your predictions in the comments below.

BF:3 Just Became the Fastest Selling Game, Ever!

CritiKiL — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:44:37 +0000

Originally written by: Sebastian Moss

BF3 wasn’t only a success in the UK, where it outsold all previous Battlefields combined, but worldwide sales beat out other EA powerhouses like FIFA and Madden. EA proudly announced that BF3 sold-through (that’s actual sales, not just shipped figures) 5 million units globally, based on internal estimates, making it the fastest-selling game in the publisher’s 29 year history. It’s also important to note that, while Battlefieldreleased on Tuesday in the US, it released later in most of the rest of the world, meaning that the game was available to purchase for less time.

Since launch Battlefield 3 players executed 73M savior kills, 48M revives and destroyed 67M vehicles. Patrick Soderlund, Executive Vice President of the EA Games Label, said:

From Tokyo to Los Angeles, Sydney to London, millions of fans have been playing all weekend long — we are overwhelmed by the global response to Battlefield 3. It is extremely gratifying to deliver an entertainment experience that delights our fans, and to have the opportunity to introduce new people to the franchise. Already, we are seeing unprecedented play times and online activity which is very rewarding. This launch solidifies Battlefield as a leading entertainment brand.

In comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops sold nearly 5.5 million copies in 24 hours.

Modern Warfare: 3 Early Pirating ~ “Don’t Get Caught!”

CritiKiL — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:23:29 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 doesn’t come out until Nov. 8. But pirates have already obtained the video game — one of the most-anticipated of the year — VentureBeat has learned. The PC version of the game, or at least part of it, has been circulating among pirates in the U.S., who illegally copy and share it without paying Activision Blizzard or its retailers. That’s a big problem, as Activision Blizzard is expected to sell more than 20 million copies of the game in 2011 alone, according to Arcadia Research. That amounts to more than $1.2 billion in sales at retail. Piracy has always been a problem with video games, especially for PC titles. But the pirates go after Call of Duty because it’s the big prize. Every year, a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Activision Blizzard closely monitors manufacturing in the weeks leading up to shipment, since it only takes one stolen disk to set off the viral spread of pirated copies. But it’s hard to stop inside jobs.

Evidently, pirated discs began to spread quickly after an employee at a shipping warehouse (run by a huge shipping company) in Fresno, Calif., stole one disc. It’s not clear how many full copies spread this way, as the disc that was stolen was apparently Disc 2 of a two-disk set for the PC. Security may have been too tight for the thief to steal the other disc. The same course of events happened before last year’s launch of Call of Duty Black Ops and the year before that with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. But sales of the franchise keep climbing.

Investigators are using the same tactics as last year, knocking on doors around the country and asking people nicely to turn over and delete their pirated copies of Modern Warfare 3. Rather than face fines, many complied. A Modern Warfare pirate who was caught posted a message (below) yesterday on Craigslist. In it, the person warns others not to buy MW3 before the release date because “they will come get you.” The post says “you will be fined $5,000″ and it could result in permanent banning from online play. Then the person adds, “I already went through it.”

So Far, Nothing Beats Battlefield: 3…

CritiKiL — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:27:24 +0000

Story by: CritiKiL

The war for the military FPS game of the year has begun, and Battlefield 3 has fired the first shots. The attention to detail and care that DICE has put into its Frostbite 2 engine shows (which is ‘also’ incorporated in NFS: The Run racing game!), and leaves gamers with a highly polished and addictive shooter.

In the campaign mode you’re in the shoes of Henry Blackburn, a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps who’s being interrogated and as he tells his side of the story, you play through ‘his’ events and end up playing as a few different characters watching the story unfold from their individual perspectives (much like the Call of Duty franchise). It is clear that DICE tried too hard to capture the Call of Duty audience, but overall it owns up to having it’s on individuality. That’s what Battlefield is all about though, watching tanks battle and etc. But there’s a scene that’s a skydiving mission and that is Awesome. The Co-Op mode is not bad either.

However, it is the Multiplayer mode which steals the Show! It reminds me of the Socom we used to love but now hate. Don’t miss it at all. The squad based combat encourages teamwork and coordination. We have the choice of four classes; Assault, Engineer, Recon, and Support. Each class has its own set of abilities that aid the team. The Assault class can drop med kits to heal your comrades, the Engineer can repair damaged vehicles, the Recon class can spot targets and mark them, and with Support you can replenish your teammates’ ammo. There are also a variety of customization options for each class with dozens of primary weapons and secondary weapons to choose from, and camouflages to earn for your soldier. Unlocking new weapons, attachments, camouflage, vehicle upgrades are dependent on your performance and how well you work with your team. We’re just not awarded for kill, but assists help us unlock equipment and weapons. Unlocking new items to customize our character is the heart of the multiplayer, and these rewards will keep you coming back for more.

So, if you’re looking for a deep multiplayer experience where working as a team is encouraged, Battlefield 3 is the game you have waited for. The campaign mode is nice, but the multiplayer is so fun and addictive that you can easily overlook the campaign’s shortcoming. Battlefield 3 will have your attention for months on end with its sharp graphics, amazing sound effects and team-based multiplayer. DICE once again shows that it knows how to make an enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Battlefield: 3 ‘Ultimate Simulator’ ~ Most Awesome Ever in History!

CritiKiL — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Story by: Shane McGlaun, Re-posted by: CritiKiL

This thing (Um, the ‘Simulator’), has some of the most intense and realistic playing action I have ever seen. The player stands in a room with a dome wrap around screen surrounding them. The system has five HD resolution projectors, surround sound, and a freaking paintball gun inside.The lucky geeks at The Gadget Show in Britain got a chance to play a game on the damn thing (USA needs to step our ‘game up ~ lol!). The player stands in the center of that room and walks around on an omni-directional treadmill so they stay in the center of the room. Whatever direction the player walks, that is where the character moves on screen. The gun the player holds fires the on screen bullets. The enemies on screen can also fight back and when you get shot, you actually get shot with a paintball gun. That way you can feel the pain when you get hit. Talk about cool. I want to play, but I prefer to skip the being shot with a paintball gun part.

Check out the video below, and leave us a comment or two telling us what you think? Thanks.

There’s a New Transformers Game Coming, and Grimlock’s Coming With It

Nemesis — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:28:13 +0000

Story by Mike Fahey @ Kotaku.com.

Following up on the success of Transformers: War for Cybertron, Activision and High Moon Studios return to the planet of the Autobots and Decepticons next year with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, and they’re bringing the king of the Dinobots with them.

The original headline of this article was simply “Motherfucking Grimlock”, but I decided to err on the side of being informative. Now that we’ve gotten that over with, it’s motherfucking Grimlock! The leader of the Dinobots (and the Autobots on several occasions, depending on the continuity you subscribe to) takes his rightful place by Optimus Prime’s side on the cover of next month’s Game Informer, on store shelves October 14.

The game follows the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons to its fateful conclusion: the exodus of both from their dying planet. How High Moon Studios handles that exodus remains to be seen. Will we get the Ark and Nemesis shootout in deep space from the cartoon? The leaving a few good bots behind storyline from the IDW comic book series? Something entirely new?

I am obviously way too excited about this. Here’s a quote.

“High Moon Studios is an extremely talented development team having raised the bar of gameplay and Transformers authenticity in their games,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is an extraordinary project both for the studio and the Transformers gaming legacy – the stakes are higher and the scale much larger than ever before, and we absolutely cannot wait for fans to see all the new characters and epic action that awaits them.”

There, all better. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is slated for release sometime next year for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will feature motherfucking Grimlock.

Who Will be King of the Custom Match?

Nemesis — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:05:57 +0000

Story by Call of Duty Community.com.

Anyone who plays Call of Duty, knows that Custom Matches are a big part of why we play, from proving your point in a 1 on 1 quick-scope battle, to laughing at your friends in Mike Myers. This year, Modern Warfare 3 will take the Custom Match experience to a new level, allowing some new and some fan favorite game types to come to the field. They are:

One in the Chamber

Infinity Ward is bringing back this fan favorite to satisfy the needs of those craving the wager match, although it is worth mentioning, that this time there is no prize. Just the knowledge that you are better than your comrades.

Gun Game

Again, another fan favorite and something I’ll be falling over myself to play when the game is released to see which guns I like to play with. Definitely something to look forward to.

Infected

An age old game mode that never ceases to amaze, this is by far the best way to find out the best hiding spots in the game and how to get there. An aside to this, is that this has been called several names over the years. Mike Myers is one of the names, and also Zombies was a name given to it.

Drop Zone

Almost like Headquarters, except that it’s call Drop Zone. Oh, and given that it is called that, Care Packages drop to the glee of the team in command of the zone. I have visions of horrific “death by box” kills in killcams on this one.

Team Juggernaut

Didn’t get a lot of information on this one, but as far as we can tell, it’s Team Death Match with a Juggernaut on your team. Pretty straight forward huh?

Juggernaut

Now, this also sounds like a “Pro” version of Mike Myers. 1 person is a Juggernaut, your job is to kill him, then you become the Juggernaut. Easy right?

If you rather watch someone explain these game modes to you, have a look and see what WoodysGamertag has to say about the game modes.

I can definitely see some awesome lads (or ladies) nights in where these game types are put the test. Personally, I think this will really make for a better game as far as Modern Warfare 3 is concerned as it will mean a longer shelf-life!

As you can see, Infinity Ward have taken on some fan favorites, and produced some fine sounding other game modes. It really shows that they have taken some time to make sure that the Custom Matches are as good as the online ones. If you have any questions, please feel free to visit us at the forums: www.callofduty-community.com/forum/

Battlefield 3 Open Beta Update #2

Nemesis — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:58:22 +0000

Story by Seeson @ blogs.battlefield.ea.com.

Thank you for playing the Open Beta and making the final game better!

We are very excited to see so many gamers join our Battlefield 3 Open Beta. Here’s an update on the Open Beta from DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson.

I want to give you an overview of how the Open Beta is helping us shape a fantastic final game, what we are implementing based on your feedback, and how the Open Beta will help us deliver a robust gaming environment from day one.

The Open Beta is a true Beta

The Battlefield 3 Open Beta is based on software that is more than one month old. We need to test the new back end dedicated server structure we’ve built. Not only have we built a new game engine, but an entirely new back end system so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of dedicated servers on all platforms.

Just like normal procedure when releasing a game, the Open Beta has had long lead times due to testing, certification, and setting up. This means that the code you are now playing is actually quite early and not representative of the final game.

We had to do this in order to have as many people testing as possible, in order to ensure a top quality experience when the game is released. However, we’re confident in the Battlefield formula and confident that our fans will support us in order to make Battlefield 3 better.

Dedicated servers require dedicated testing

The biggest reason for running the Open Beta is to stress test our servers and back end. Already, we are seeing 6 times the number of simultaneous players in the Battlefield 3 Open Beta compared to the Beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2! The fact that Battlefield 3 is clearly our biggest game launch ever by a magnitude of 6 makes it doubly important to test everything.

We are constantly updating the News section on Battlelog with information on what we are fixing from Open Beta to final. We appreciate your time and your feedback. The data and feedback from the Open Beta will not only directly affect the final game of Battlefield 3, but its future development and support.

We’re heading out on the road this week to let journalists experience all aspects of Battlefield 3. Stay tuned for their previews, and stay tuned for the final game on October 25th. The final game will look, play and sound better than the Open Beta. You have helped making sure of that.

Karl Magnus Troedsson

General Manager, DICE

Modern Warfare 3 Gets Nearly 3 Minutes of Paris Survival Mode Gameplay Video

Nemesis — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:10:41 +0000

Story by Scott Grill @ Examiner.com.

If you’re taking a break from playing the Battlefield 3 beta, you may want to take a look at this Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video showing gameplay from the Spec Ops Survival mode on the Paris map.

The Paris survival mode gameplay footage definitely shows off the arcadey side of Modern Warfare 3 as the player one of two players charges opponents by jumping on top of cars and taking them down with the shotgun. It also provides a glimpse at some of the items that can be purchased from the equipment armory such as the Sentry Grenade Launcher.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is scheduled to release on November 8 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Grenade Launcher Sentry Gun = SWEET!!! (Nemesis)

Frustrated Battlefield Rep Unloads on Ungrateful Community

Nemesis — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:47:55 +0000

Story by Owen Good @ Kotaku.com.

About a week before the Battlefield 3 beta began, the game’s community manager had decided he’d heard enough shrill complaining about the fact that “Operation Metro” and not some other map would the only one playable. And so he went off.

Rewind: Operation Metro was revealed to be the beta map on Sept. 20. Apparently, large numbers of forum goers thought some other map would be used, like one that allowed up to 64 players. The choice of Metro did not sit well with many, and the Battlefield forums were filled with great anger and profound disappointment. This is what Daniel Matros, DICE’s global community manager for Battlefield 3, had to confront at the end of the day.

“Right now, I am not in the mood to even browse in here and check out most parts of the forum,” Daniel Matros began on Sept. 20. Saying that “the beta is a privilege, not a right,” unless you got a key with a pre-order, Matros ripped into the whiners, still with a measured tone that suggests he had to choose his words carefully.

“The vibe I’m getting now is just that tons of ungrateful people don’t understand how much work we are putting on this game how many overtime hours we are doing and also how many meetings we are in to ship a game like this.”

Matros thanked those who did provide constructive feedback. “To the rest of you—grow up.”

Two replies later, proving his point, someone wrote: “Why aren’t you releasing Caspian Border in the beta?”

It should be noted that although this thread no longer exists (a cache of it does) even a cursory Google search of the forums turns up threads backing Matros.

As for why they went with Operation Metro, not something else, well, it’s a beta. “We have already showed this map and made some big changes to it to enhance gameplay as well as get it more fluent than in the Alpha,” Matros explained later. “Lots of new things have been added in closer to launch. Our rank progression system as well as customizations have made their way into the beta and it´s very important for us to test these things before we launch. That is the purpose of the Beta as well as combining it with Battlelog and all of the features there. If you feel that this isn´t the right map for you, then perhaps we don´t really agree on what maps we want to see.”

It is indeed hard not to be sympathetic. These games are not made by elves. We’ve heard plenty about “crunch” at the end of a development cycle, I’m sure the last thing anyone wants to deal with, amidst all of that, is inconsiderate sniping and snide questions from some entitled dickbag who is unhappy that the free thing he’s being given isn’t optimized for his comfort.

It is, however, rare to see this kind of thing play out, probably why the thread is gone. The Battlefield 3 beta runs until Oct. 10. I hope everyone survives.