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Sega reps passed around some Vanquish-branded electronic cigarettes as part of the swag promoting their upcoming third-person shooter.* The charger looks like a pack of smokes with a plug on the side so you can stick it right into a wall socket, and the e-cig sits comfortably inside, as seen in the slideshow below. Apparently, cigarettes are actually a useful item in the game, used to distract enemies in much the same way as throwing coins in Hitman: Blood Money or, more recently, Assassin’s Creed II, so I guess it kind of makes a little bit of sense.* And hey, maybe it’ll be just what someone needs to help them quit smoking, even if these things taste like peppermint.* If Duke Nukem ever comes out, they should celebrate with huge cigars and sunglasses… and strippers. Vanquish is set to release for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 19th in the U.S. and October 22nd in Europe and Australia. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Early last week, it was reported that hackers discovered that a feature to change your PSN ID is hidden in PlayStation Plus, which has some thinking it may arise as a possible PlayStation Plus feature in the distant future. Sony has now responded to that claim. The always helpful Jeff Rubenstein addressed this question on the PlayStation blog and it doesn’t look good. He stated: “It’s an idea that’s been brought up multiple times, and it’s something I’d like to see as well. I don’t think there are any current plans to enact this, however. I’ll bring it up again, though.” As the issue stands at this moment, it’s not in the cards, but it’s something they are looking at. Whether we see it in the future or as a new function in a distant firmware update like cross-game chat, we’ll just have to wait and see. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Today id Software announced that their upcoming web-based free-to-play FPS Quake Live has exited beta testing. Wow, that was a mouthful! This FPS is rather unique, since it is played entirely in a browser. While the basic game is going to forever remain free-to-play, along with the announcement that the beta has ended they let loose on some info about special subscription services, dubbed both “Premium” and “Pro”, and fixed at $1.99 and $3.99 per month, respectively. If you’re interested in getting in some FPS goodness from the comfort of your web browser, you m might want to check out the game’s official site. There you can learn more about the title and sign up to play if you like what you see. Below you’ll find the extra features you’ll get if you decide to subscribe to one of the premium services. The Premium Subscription, which can be purchased for $1.99 per month, billed annually, includes: Access to 20 QUAKE LIVE Premium only maps at launch with more to come. Premium maps are a combination of brand new maps and frequently requested community favorites from previous QUAKE games such as Aerowalk, Theater of Pain, Japanese Castles, and Realm of Steel Rats. An all new ‘Freeze Tag’ game mode. Exclusive premium level awards. Create your own clan and join up to five separate clans. Custom QUAKE LIVE profile wallpaper. Match statistics stored for six months. The Pro Subscription, which can be purchased for $3.99 per month, billed annually, includes all of the premium subscription features as well as: The ability to start your own game server, specify a server location, determine the game mode and invite who you want to join you. With the Pro Subscription, you can invite three friends with Standard level memberships to play with you in any Premium level map. Exclusive pro awards. Create your own clan and join up to ten separate clans. Match statistics stored for 12 months. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

We can confirm that the Killzone 3 multiplayer beta is indeed real, however we couldn’t confirm the beta would be public. We have more proof that Guerrilla may be in preparation of announcing a Killzone 3 public beta. As you know Killzone 3 will have it’s multiplayer details revealed very soon at Gamescom, this may be the preliminary step to announcing the beta. A PlayStation Network service, Killzone 2 Community Website, has the Killzone 3 beta website listed under it’s service. This pretty much confirms that there will be indeed some sort of public beta announcement soon, considering everyone with access to the Killzone 2 Community Website service can view this themselves. There is also a Killzone 3 beta website that allows you to log-in with your PlayStation Network ID, however, you cannot access the contents of the webpage just yet and your PSN ID is claimed to be invalid. The website is here. We’ll keep you guys updated on this news. Images courtesy of a PlayStation forum user. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

It’s time to take out your good old law book and get to studying as 6,000 NFL Veterans have come together and started a class action lawsuit against EA over the unlawful use the players’ likenesses in Madden NFL 09’s historic teams. The suit claims EA “knowingly and intentionally” used retired players likenesses in a way to avoid having to pay any licensing fees to the aforementioned players. Former NFL running back Tony Davis puts forth that EA had the players exact stats and positions, including height and weight, but would remove names and change uniform numbers. The group seeks punitive damages for violation of publicity rights and deprivation. EA has not commented on the story but we are sure this is not the last we have heard of this. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

The UK PSN users are in for two cool dynamic themes. No word yet if US PSN users will be getting these. I do like the clock one though. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Right on schedule, we're back once again with the latest episode of Zipline, the official Zipper Interactive podcast. We're joined this week by Mary Olson, the Audio Manager here at Zipper. Mary gives us some insight into the sound production for both SOCOM and MAG, fills us in on the status of S4's soundtrack and even brings along an audio sample for your listening pleasure. Enjoy! Zipline Podcast, Episode 15 39.8MB | 43m:26s Subscribe to Zipline on iTunes You can discuss this episode by clicking this link. More...

While relaxing early this morning, I found myself cruising around the XMB when I received a message regarding the Earthworm Jim HD full-game unlock from a user with the PSN id: [PSN]. Turns out this wasn’t an actual user, but apparently a new method Sony has implemented to communicate with the PlayStation Network at large. Do we have a hidden, new firmware addition on our hands? It appears so. Yes, it looks like this notification did indeed come from the head honchos on the PlayStation Network, as a way to now communicate with the community directly, instead of relying on hear-say, websites and the PlayStation Blog. The message read as follows: The issue related to the full game unlock for Earthworm Jim HD demo has been fixed. You can now purchase the full game from the demo. Not only did I find this message, but an attachment. Normally, it is only possible to attach images in messages on the PSN, but this message contained an attachment that actually took me straight to the Earthworm Jim HD section in the PlayStation Store, pretty cool eh? We’ve gone ahead and included pics below for your viewing enjoyment. You can see that the ability to add [PSN] as a friend or check it’s profile makes this legit. Also, I am not a PlayStation Plus member, which makes this even more interesting. Apparently, not everyone has received this message, so you may have to have downloaded the Earthworm Jim HD demo in order to receive said message. Additionally, users are also reporting that similar messages have been tied to titles in the ‘Sam and Max’ series, which leads us to believe that, yep, PSN in-box advertisements, which some may consider spam, have arrived. For better or for worse? You decide. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Rockstar’s released a video of the Legends and Killers pack for Red Dead Redemption. It hits PS3 and Xbox 360 on August 10, or next Tuesday if you prefer. The pack will run you$9.99/800 MSP and features nine new multiplayer maps and a new tomahawk weapon, as well as new trophies/achievements. Enjoy the video. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Do you like your action heroes gravel-voiced from chain-smoking, battle-worn and gruff? Do you dream of shooting rebellious Russian robots in space? Platinum Games Vanquish, even without its robo-dog, might be your cup of tea. Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil, God Hand and more, is trying his hand at a third-person shooter with Vanquish, now in development at Platinum Games and full of high-speed, shoot-first thrills and voice actors with sandpaper-like throats. This is that game, due for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in just a couple months. The game’s newest trailer featuring lots of red robots and some of the fastest blows delivered to a giant mechanical Russian threat you’ve ever seen. Promise! Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Looks like the PS3-exclusive multiplayer Beta for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is a GameStop pre-order exclusive in the US. Pre-order it anywhere else and it’s no Beta for you, apparently. According to the press release, Ubisoft and GameStop will issue a limited number of tokens for the Beta on a “first-come, first-served” basis starting August 9. Already pre-ordered Brotherhood through GameStop? Just show head on down to your nearest store your receipt to the clerk and get yourself a token. The Beta starts on September 19, and the game itself releases on November 16 in the US and November 19 in the UK for PS3, 360 and PC. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Warner’s just announced Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum sequel, known as Arkham City. The game releases next fall for PS3, 360 and Games for Windows Game Informer also has it on its new cover, which*features Catwoman in the two covers planned by the mag. It was announced earlier this week that the game would be featured in OPM and OXM, but Warner and GI’s beaten them to the chicken. The sequel to Arkham Aslyum was announced last December at the VGAs, where a teaser trailer showed that Arkham Asyum itself was moved into Gotham City. It also showed the Joker and Harley Quinn for the game, confirming their*appearances*in the game. Also mentioned for the Rocksteady sequel was baddies Talia al Ghul, Mr. Freeze and Two Face. The UK dev was bought earlier this year by Warner, who will be publishing the game this time instead of Arkham Asylum publisher Square Enix. We can only think of one word right now: it begins with P and ends with umped. Press release is below. BURBANK, Calif. – (Business Wire) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced /*Batman: Arkham City™*/ as the title for its follow-up to the award-winning, critically acclaimed hit videogame /Batman: Arkham Asylum™/. /*Batman: Arkham City*/ will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows PC and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in Fall 2011. Developed by Rocksteady Studios, /*Batman: Arkham City*/ builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of /Batman: Arkham Asylum,/ sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight. /*Batman: Arkham City*/ is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license. Fans can/* */visit http://www.batmanarkhamcity.com to sign up to receive updates regarding the game. Score: +1 (1 vote cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

War isn’t much fun. That’s something that may come as news to the millions that stalk Modern Warfare 2′s maps until the early hours of each morning, their eyes bloodshot and their hearts racing at the pure thrill of it all. But it’s a fact that was writ large throughout Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Codemasters’ sim-heavy first-person shooter that launched a mere handful of months before Activision redefined the parameters of success for videogame blockbusters. Flying so close to what’s now become one of the most successful games of all time was both a curse and a blessing; on the one hand Dragon Rising capitalised on the swelling thirst for contemporary battlefield experiences, but on the other it left those looking for thrill-a-minute gunplay a little perplexed at this strange and novel beast, a console-based shooter that didn’t shy away from the cold brutality of real-life conflict. “Generally, the impression I get is that 90% of people that played the game loved it,” says the energetic Sion Lenton, creative director on Codemasters’ Operation Flashpoint games. “They thought it was something different but felt that it was really hard, that it was slightly obscure and difficult. 10% of people didn’t think it was hard enough. Out of every million sales, the people that I want to get the game right for is that 90%.” It’s something that’s evident as we’re given a tour of sequel Operation: Red River – and whereas last time out the watchwords were authenticity and of a game that’s “as close to war as you’d want to get,” this time the talk is of Left 4 Dead and Nintendo’s approach to game design. “We were just talking about trying to make the game more fun,” admits Sion. Before the series’ faithful that have been dodging enemy fire since its PC inception get too aggrieved, it’s worth pointing out that Operation Flashpoint hasn’t fundamentally changed. Red River is still more military sim than straight-up shooter, its authenticity still leagues ahead of the Bad Companies and Call of Duties of this world. But it’s also been studying those games carefully, pinching features here and there to ensure that Operation Flashpoint: Red River is more in line with people’s expectations of a modern first-person shooter. On the grandest scale there’s the setting; as opposed to the oppressive and frequently dismal island backdrop of Dragon Rising, Red River relocates to Tajikstan, a Central Asian country that’s uniquely diverse. Placed precariously between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China, Tajikstan has unsurprisingly had a history of struggle, a Soviet presence segueing into more Asian influences towards the east of the country. It’s subsequently a perfect backdrop for Operation Flashpoint: Red River’s own fictional conflict, which in keeping with Dragon Rising is between US forces and the People’s Liberation Army of China. Tajikstan also supplies a dazzling variety of backdrops and the very first will be the most familiar. Operation Flashpoint: Red River’s campaign will take players winding along the eponymous waterway, offering up some 200km of terrain on the journey from the east to the west, and it starts quite intentionally amidst the dust and heat that the recent blockbusters have claimed as their own. “We’ve made sure that earlier levels in the game look like earlier levels in the Call of Duties and Bad Companies so as not to alienate the player,” admits Sion. It soon moves to fresher territory and over Red River’s three acts it’ll offer more variety than its predecessor ever did, taking in the heights of the local mountain ranges before venturing to locales that display the Russian, Afghan and Chinese influences that create Tajikstan’s strange and unique flavour. What’s also of note is the fact that there are three acts, as Red River wants to nail the human drama of conflict and bring its story to the fore. A show-reel strung together with clips from Generation Kill, Jarhead and The Hurt Locker makes explicit the influences and it’s an admirable bunch for Codemasters’ to draw inspiration from. While it quite obviously won’t have their narrative and emotional complexity, it’s already looking more engaging than the cold-faced Dragon Rising, with numerous details – whether that’s more believably delivered marine chatter during the missions or military equipment that’s now more tattered, worn and dusty – working together to create a more human environment. It’s also to be much more welcoming. “There were definitely features and mechanics in Dragon Rising that pissed people off,” admits Sion, and to that end Red River’s being built with the user in mind. It’s an approach evident in the tweaked radial menu, wherein doling out orders is no longer a case of trawling blind through a maze of often interminable options. One thing that’ll be welcomed by the console shooter crowd is improved gun handling that’s more fluid and thankfully more helpful in the heat of battle. For the dedicated core there’s still the option to fight without a safety net, but in line with the blockbusters there’s now assists available with three different flavours on offer. At long range there’s now a sticky aim that slows the reticule as it passes over enemies, while at mid-range there’s a snap-to-aim that’ll be familiar to any Call of Duty veterans and finally get up close and personal and there’s Red River’s equivalent of the z-lock, keeping the players sights on the target as they strafe around. “A lot of this stuff isn’t revolutionary,” confesses Sion, “it’s basic stuff.” But it’s these basics that will make Red River a much more accommodating game. It’s all part of a philosophy whereby Operation Flashpoint is happy to admit that it’s a videogame as well as a simulation, as told by an all-new experience system that’s persistent throughout the game. It ties into a more clearly defined class system; there’s now a rifleman, grenadier, scout and auto rifleman, and while they all carry an M4A1 they’ve also got their own weapons and their own attributes. Combat will cater for strategies that work each of the classes together thoughtfully, and thankfully partner AI won’t be as dumb as it was last time out. One brief snippet of gameplay bears this out as a player convoy is ambushed, causing the other vehicles to stop and take up defensive positions while the damaged vehicle is prepared. If such smart behaviour extends elsewhere in Red River’s there’s the possibility for some wonderfully emergent scenarios. Such scenarios will come naturally in co-op – an aspect that was a clear highlight of Dragon Rising and something that’s the backbone of Red River. Tellingly, Left 4 Dead is a constant reference point and a clear lunchtime favourite at the studio, and they’ve obviously been taking note. “The best thing about the game is something that we don’t actually put in it,” says Sion, “It’s four friends working together, deciding on this strategy or that strategy. That’s what it’s all about.” There are some elements of its more contentious contemporaries that it won’t be aping, however. There’s no competitive multiplayer, largely to keep the focus on the co-op but also to ensure that Red River doesn’t enter the murky waters that some contemporary military games risk treading. “I find it quite unsettling with Medal of Honor. I’m not sure if I want to play as the Taliban shooting American soldiers” says Sion, before returning to a point made earlier in his presentation that the game must remain ethical. “Two British soldiers died [recently], and one of the girls that works here, her nephew was killed by an IED [improvised explosive device] a couple of months ago. I’m not going to go in there and spout about how great our game’s going to be and that it’s got great IED tech, it’s not appropriate at all. That’s a live conflict and you have to treat it with maximum respect.” It’s a line that Operation Flashpoint: Red River is treading with the utmost care, and it’s a shooter that’s more thoughtful – both in its approach and in its play – than many of its peers. Keep an eye out for more on the game in the run-up to its 2011 release. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Are you tired of no-good dirty griefers? Unable to recover from your drunken stupor? Do sliding doors attach themselves to your head? Rockstar has just released the Red Dead Redemption title update that will cure these horrific ailments and more. As promised back on July 21, Rockstar has released Red Dead Redemption title update 1.03, addressing the problem of griefers ruining your Multiplayer Free Roam fun, placing a bounty on the head of any player who stacks up six kills without dying, while giving players killed three times in a row the option to respawn somewhere else. The update also addresses a few technical issues, giving players the ability to swap shoulder buttons, save the game with single-player cheats turned on, making sure downloadable outfits appear in the Change Outfits menu, and making sure invincibility doesn’t turn off when Dead Eye turns on. The most entertaining fixes are ones that point out some of the sillier bugs in the game. These include: • Occasionally, the player would not recover from being drunk. • It was possible to have two player horses, with one permanently following the player. • If equipped with the bandana, sliding doors would temporarily attach to the player’s head. No really, sliding doors would attach to your head. Just look: Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

EA’s just confirmed that Crysis 2 has been pushed into Q4 FY2011. The push is mentioned in the company’s recently released financials. Originally, the Crytek super-shooter was due for a release this holiday season, and in fact, had its release brought forward to autumn just before E3. The game’s multiplayer is due to be shown in two weeks at gamescom at Crytek’s home terf in Cologne. It’ll released on PS3, 360 and PC, and will also support 3D. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

The new Virgin Gaming initiative currently operates online tournaments for several EA and Sony games, as well as Halo 3. Ubisoft has announced that Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will be added to the lineup of games for which Virgin offers cash awards. If you like playing games for money, but don’t like Ghost Recon, there’s good news for you too: Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc said, “We have an exciting lineup of multiplayer titles this year that we believe will be a perfect fit for gamers to play and compete against each other in a tournament setting.” Perhaps you’ll get a chance to win some prizes in RUSE, HAWX 2 or some other acronym. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Activision has announced that, as of June 30, 2010, the Call of Duty franchise has managed to sell 20 million map packs life-to-date. So apparently this Call of Duty thing is kind of a big deal. In other news: water is wet and cookies are delicious. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

The US PS Blog has posted a list of content PlayStation Plus subscribers can expect next week, which will be the start of bi-weekly updates to the service. This update for PS+ will occur on August 10, and a peek at some of the items included is below. PlayStation Plus: Highlights for 8/10 Red Faction Guerrilla from THQ – 60-minute Game Trial Qore August Episode with exclusive demo of TerRover from SOE PixelJunk Racers Second Lap – Early Access and Limited Time Discount exclusive Aero Racer mini – FREE Last Chance, Get Them While You Can – Coming down 8/10: Games Fieldrunners – mini – FREE Super Stardust (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, original price $9.99) Gravity Crash (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, original price $9.99) Discounted Add-ons Super Stardust HD Team add-on Pack (PlayStation Plus price $2.50, original price $4.99) Super Stardust HD Solo add-on Pack (PlayStation Plus price $2.50, original price $4.99) Resistance 2 Aftermath Multiplayer Map Pack (PlayStation Plus price $2.00, original price $3.99) Themes (Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers) King Zumo MAG S.V.E.R Dynamic Theme MAG Raven Dynamic Theme MAG Valor Dynamic Theme Video Qore – July Episode This will also be the last week some of the free and discounted items will be available, so if you haven’t downloaded what you wanted by next Tuesday, you better d so. You can get more information on this through the US PS Blog. Also, there’s a special limited time introductory offer on PlayStation Plus going on, which gives you an additional three bonus months of PS+ if you buy a 1-year package for $49.99. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Rockstar’s announced the second DLC pack for Red Dead Redemption, Legends and Killers, will be releasing on August 10. Yes, next Tuesday, just in case you can’t count. The pack, which will go for $9.99 on PSN and 800 MSP on Xbox Live Marketplace, features nine new multiplayer maps and a new tomahawk weapon, as well as new trophies/achievements. The first DLC, Outlaws to the End, released in June for free on PSN and XBL following the game’s release in mid-May. More DLC is expected soon. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Sony has announced what European PlayStation Plus subscribers can expect for August and September. Looks like more themes, PSOne classics like Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, a full game trial for inFamous, and some nice sales. Full content listing is as follows, via the EU PS Blog.: August 4 – 31 PSN: Zen Pinball minis: Blast-Off, Alien Zombie Death PSOne Classic: Medievil Full Game Trial: Infamous,Mushroom Wars Exclusive Discounts: Zen Pinball Earth Defense Table – 20 percent off Warhawk Triple Combo Pack – 50 percent off GT Club PS3/PSN – 50 percent off WipeOut HD Fury – 20 percent off DLC: MotorStorm Pacific Rift: Adrenaline Pack Automatic download demo: Pixel Junk Shooter, Mafia 2 Dynamic themes: Exclusive PlayStation Plus Theme, Exclusive ‘Clock’ Theme Premium avatars: Heavy Rain characters x 2 September 1– 30 PSN: Sam and Max: Devil’s Playground (entire season) minis: Vector Tower Defense, Echoes PSOne Classic: Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee Full Game Trial: Warhawk* (50 percent discount on purchase), Inferno Pool Exclusive Discounts: LBP: Ico and Shadow of Colossus costume pack – 50 percent off, Metal Gear Solid (PSOne) – 50 percent off, Warhawk – 20 percent off, Pixel Junk Shooter – 20 percent off DLC: Exclusive UFC Undisputed 2010 DLC Dynamic themes: Exclusive PlayStation Move theme, Exclusive ‘Fish Tank’ theme Premium avatars: Eye Pet Blue Goalie Avatar, Eye Pet DJ Avatar More goodies are to be announced for August and September at a later date. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

After making waves at CES 2010 for its promise to provide a virtually endless supply of data storage to game consoles, Infinitec’s Infinite USB Memory Drive (IUM) fell off the radar as the company finalized their manufacturing and distribution plans. Now, several months later, the Dubai-based company has announced that the IUM’s time has finally arrived, and starting today consumers can pre-order the system on their official website, with orders expected to ship on August 31. If you’re only just now hearing about the IUM, it is essentially a wireless data streaming system that allows users to connect their Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 to a computer and access and store information on its built-in hard drive or to a connected external storage system. The IUM looks just like a standard USB flash drive, but instead of built-in storage, it features a wireless chip that allows it to connect directly to a paired computer using a dedicated wireless network, which then streams data and media to and from your PC. Since the system uses a dedicated Wi-Fi connection generated by the IUM, what happens if you want to browse the web on your computer at the same time? Well, the IUM actually uses dual Wi-Fi technology to essentially configure your PC to connect to two networks – the IUM network and your home network – at once. While wireless data storage and media streaming for game consoles is just one application for the IUM, there are a wide variety of other uses as well. Since it is identified as a typical USB flash drive and pairing and configuration takes place entirely on your PC, the system can stream media and provide storage for with anything from Blu-ray players to HDTVs to stereo systems. The IUM is also compatible with all major computer platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. The Infinite USB Memory Drive is available for pre-order on Infinitec’s official website for $129.99. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Are you ready for a rock ‘n’ roll action love story? • Experience action based on the hit comic book series turned movie, with exclusive retro cutscenes and art by Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Maley. • Play as your favourite characters including Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers and Stephen Stills. • Team up with up to three of your friends and combine your skills in over the top co-operative attacks for more devastation. SCOTT PILGRIM is the ROCK-N-ROLL ACTION LOVE-STORY for the 8-BIT GENERATION. SCOTT PILGRIM is about KISSES and KOs. Click Here to Pre-Order. Checkout the Game Trailer @ Urgent Fury’s YouTube Page. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Late last week, it was reported that many PlayStation 3 owners were having problems swapping new HDD to their PS3 — post-firmware 3.41. Though Sony denied that it had anything to do with the latest firmware, they have released a newer version of the same firmware and it has been reported to fix the problems of the first firmware. Firmware 3.41 didn’t bring much new to the table for PS3 owners to explore, but it didn’t bring a new feature to the PS Store and it brought many a headache. After making the issue known, Sony has listened and released a new version of firmware 3.41 to unsuspecting PS3 owners. In the latest version of firmware 3.41, Sony has updated the firmware and whatever they did to it, has fixed all the HDD problems gamers were having last week. If you had experienced any of these problems, you can now download the new firmware and your issues shall be resolved. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Our Developer Profile series introduces you to the many faces of Zipper Interactive. From designers to artists to programmers to audio engineers to producers, you’ll meet the creative minds that make Zipper what it is (and maybe learn a few surprises along the way). This week we talk with Mary Olson, the Audio Manager here at Zipper. She works to make sure that everything that your speakers pump out when you're playing one of our games is music to your ears, so to speak. She has a lot to say, so get reading. Job Title: Audio Manager Years at Zipper: 4.5 Years in the Industry: 14 Favorite Zipper Game: SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 Favorite Non-Zipper Game: Well since that’s an impossibly open question, I’ll go for novelty and say the Journey Arcade Game (1983) – but when I just went to look up the year it came out I see that in 2007 Game Informer listed it as number 9 on the ‘Top 10 Worst Licensed Game Ideas (Ever)’ – hmmm. Well, whatever, come on – you go to another planet to find your instruments and then use them as weapons, AND you get to go to a concert at the end. If you want a more current answer, then I have to join with the masses and say Uncharted 2. I totally fell for the story/movie/game thing, and really admire how they blend gameplay mechanics with story and big moments. Motto: It's OK to be uncomfortable. What is it that you do specifically, and can you walk us through your typical day? I manage the audio department here at Zipper. Fortunately, I have an incredible team, and we all love what we do and get to be really creative all day, so we have fun. There are four of us on the audio team here at Zipper, and then we get some great specialized support through Sony as well for things like music, dialog coordination, cinematics and localization. One thing I spend a lot of my time doing is making sure everyone working on audio, both internally and externally, has what they need to keep working – creatively and technically. This typically means giving creative direction, unblocking a dependency, improving the pipeline and how we work, designing or brainstorming a new audio system/feature, etc. My role is both supporting and managing, so that means making sure everyone has what they need, keeping us working on the right things at the right times (I guess you could call that scheduling, but that’s such a boring word), pushing the quality and process bars of what we can do with audio, and figuring out how we get there. I also spend a lot of time working with all other disciplines – a huge part of our goal with audio is to support gameplay design, art aesthetic, and the overall experience of any game we’re working on. So I spend time reviewing levels and cinematic sequences, working closely with other teams to make sure we’re supporting the right things, and also pushing for new, cool ways audio can contribute. We’re always looking for ways to make the games we’re working on that much more awesome. I do a lot of advocacy as well, ensuring that we have the resources and time needed to create great-sounding games, and also to keep pushing beyond what we’ve done before and what others are doing. We’ll always be trying to raise the bar with audio, and what can be done creatively. You probably won’t meet anyone in game audio who doesn’t acknowledge advocacy as a big part of what they do, as there is a bit of an industry legacy of audio being thought of last... I’m very fortunate that Zipper is extremely supportive of audio, which means I do less of this than some, and instead get to spend more time being creative. And I’m saying this last, even though it’s probably the most important – I just try to spend some part of each day listening. Whether it be playing through part of the game, or listening to a specific piece of what we’re working on (a weapon sound, a cinematic sequence, a music cue, overall impact of damage effects, full mix, etc.), I’ve found that anytime I find myself too caught up in the other parts of my job, and forget to listen, bad things happen (or, at least, we soon find ourselves working on the wrong things). So I guess a typical day most always includes working with my team in some form or another, listening to what we’re working on, scheduling and prioritizing, giving creative input, reviewing with other disciplines (levels, sequences, or any number other aspects of what we’re working on), chasing and solving tech problems, working with engineering to decide how we’ll implement a new audio feature or system, prototyping, etc. Then there are those days when I don’t leave my office and just do production work/implementing. Always having fun. How did you get into the industry? I showed up to college as a violin player and spent most of my college career studying ‘music composition and technology’ in various forms. At the small liberal arts school I went to in the early '90s this mostly meant a lot of experimental music, lots of time spent with old synths (like a super old giant Buchla, an old ARP, etc..), and recording a whole bunch of crazy sound and music projects. Somewhere in all that I managed to emerge from school with a great knowledge of signal flow and audio fundamentals, a strange music background (violin, singing, early '90s electronic music – scary!) and a huge love and passion for combining tech and creativity to make cool stuff. It turned out that my eclectic education was kind of perfect to take me straight into sound design. In 1996 I started working at Microsoft – with about 10 other people who I had also gone to school with – and started working on PC games of all sorts. I haven’t stopped working with sound in one form or another since. It’s still fun. What are some other games or projects that you’ve worked on in the past? Starting out in Microsoft’s consumer division I worked on lots of MS PC games, notably Flight Simulator, Close Combat, My Personal Tutor (a kids educational series), and LOTS of sports games. I then took a few years away from games, creating the audio tours for the Experience Music Project and recording people’s cancer survival stories. Then, returning to Microsoft, I worked on Forza, implementing engine audio for a while, but primarily recording cars (probably about 250 total for Forza, Forza 2, and a handful of recordings for PGR2). I then came to Zipper in early 2006 and have worked on Fireteam Bravo 2, Combined Assault, MAG, and SOCOM 4. What’s your proudest moment? That’s a very tough question! I guess I just always think it could be better, whatever it is, and every time I get all proud, I realize how far I have to go. My daughter just read that answer over my shoulder. She says ‘You sound like a saint… or a mom’. I am NOT a saint. I am a mom. Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans? Turn up the volume. It will make whatever you’re playing more fun, I promise (well, usually ). 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According to rumors from a Dutch site, North American and European PlayStation Plus subscribers may soon be able to change their PSN ID names similar to what Japanese PlayStation Network users can already do. Below is a ‘proof video’ on How to Change Your PlayStation Network ID courtesy of MATTORULZ via YouTube along with a rough English translation, to quote: “According to some PS3 hackers who wish to remain anonymous and are in a PS3 development chat channel on EFnet, there are traces of an upcoming PSN feature for Americans and Europeans. It is about changing your nickname PlayStation Network, and will ‘Change display name’ to be named. But what many people probably already know, is the fact that this very very long one feature of the Japanese PlayStation Network, see the video below. When you add people to your original account name will automatically change to display your chosen name. This feature is expected only for PlayStation Plus members are available.” Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...