Commander Fury

This week’s PlayStation Home update is more than just a new content pack. Version 1.5 adds in recently promised back-end tech to power multiplayer games within the virtual world. The US PS Blog reports the new tech should allow developers to create peer-to-peer multiplayer titles inside Home, including shooters and racings games. From the user end, the most visible changes are increased Avatar saves, better chat logs, more face customisation options, and simpler management of your home base. The service will be back online Wednesday morning, US time, with new features in place. Further patch notes are available on the PlayStation forums. Since launching in late 2008, Home has been downloaded 19 million times. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Activision has sent over information and assets for the Escalation map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is out next month on Xbox 360. The maps are described as follows: Hotel – Set on the roof of a Cuban luxury hotel and casino against the vivid backdrop of old Havana. Convoy – Close-quarters combat at the scene of an ambushed US military convoy. Zoo – An abandoned Soviet Russian Zoo, with danger at every turn. Stockpile – pits players in a remote Russian farm town housing secret WMD facilities. Call of the Dead – Zombies experience with more details to come. Enjoy the trailer below as well as the screenshots. Escalation will be released on May 3 on XBL for 1200 Microsoft points. It will be released later on PC and PS3. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

New York, NY – April 19, 2011 – BradyGames is pleased to announce its new “Call of Duty: Black Ops MP Map†App, the first officially licensed Call of Duty®: Black Ops app on the App Store, is now available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. A recently released update includes the First Strike Map Pack at no extra cost. The app, developed in conjunction with Treyarch and Activision, allows gamers to get the drop on their enemies through the use of detailed, interactive layouts of all 14 original multiplayer maps and the four multiplayer maps from the First Strike pack, including overlays for every game mode. For the millions of Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer fans worldwide, this app delivers unprecedented, “at-your fingertips†strategy, whether they’re running Sabotage Mode in Grid or Search and Destroy in Summit. The multiplayer maps, illustrated by expert gaming guild Sea Snipers, feature customized icons and map keys so players know immediately where to find every bomb site, CTF flag, spawn point and ladder. It also includes pop-up points-of-interest that cover sniping points, hot areas, and typical player routes, as well as map-specific equipment and player load-out advice. Call of Duty: Black Ops MP Map app is now available for $2.99 from the iTunes App Store on the iPhone or iPad. Created by Treyarch and published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M†(Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For additional Call of Duty updates and information, visit us on the web at www.callofduty.com/blackops, www.facebook.com/codblackops, and also via Twitter @Treyarch. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

On behalf of everyone at Zipper Interactive, we’re pleased to announce that SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs and the limited “Full Deployment Edition†are available for purchase in North America starting today! Expect to see it released in other territories all over the world throughout the remainder of the week. In the SOCOM 4 solo campaign, players will guide the Operations Commander and his combined squad of U.S. Navy SEALs and Korean Special Forces across 14 missions set in war-torn Southeast Asia and a country on the verge of civil war. But S4 doesn’t stop there – fans can also expect exciting competitive multiplayer with all-new maps, original gametypes and numerous modes of play in addition to user-defined custom cooperative campaigns that change every time you play them! Check out our launch trailer below to see what we’re talking about. Outside of the game itself, we’re also offering fans a number of other goodies to celebrate SOCOM 4’s release. Log on to PlayStation Home, for example, and you can find up to five unique (and free!) SOCOM 4 shirts for your Home Avatar, as well as a special Bomb Technician outfit for $2.99! We’re also introducing a number of SOCOM 4 PSN Avatars starting today and will have a free SOCOM 4 theme for your PlayStation 3 next week. Before we go – we do want you to play SOCOM 4, after all – we wanted to leave you with the patch notes for the update you’ll be prompted to download upon booting SOCOM 4 up for the very first time. Included within the patch are a number of updates from our S4 beta trial and a number of other changes that reflect the feedback we’ve received over the past month. Thank you once again for all your support and feedback, we hope to hear from you some more on our official forums at SOCOM.com. Now go have some fun! SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs v1.02 April 19, 2011 | TPPS: 41 MBs, DLS: 57 MBs Gameplay More...

On behalf of everyone at Zipper Interactive, we’re pleased to announce that SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs and the limited “Full Deployment Edition†are available for purchase in North America starting today! Expect to see it released in other territories all over the world throughout the remainder of the week. In the SOCOM 4 solo campaign, players will guide the Operations Commander and his combined squad of U.S. Navy SEALs and Korean Special Forces across 14 missions set in war-torn Southeast Asia and a country on the verge of civil war. But S4 doesn’t stop there – fans can also expect exciting competitive multiplayer with all-new maps, original gametypes and numerous modes of play in addition to user-defined custom cooperative campaigns that change every time you play them! Check out our launch trailer below to see what we’re talking about. Outside of the game itself, we’re also offering fans a number of other goodies to celebrate SOCOM 4’s release. Log on to PlayStation Home, for example, and you can find up to five unique (and free!) SOCOM 4 shirts for your Home Avatar, as well as a special Bomb Technician outfit for $2.99! We’re also introducing a number of SOCOM 4 PSN Avatars starting today and will have a free SOCOM 4 theme for your PlayStation 3 next week. Before we go – we do want you to play SOCOM 4, after all – we wanted to leave you with the patch notes for the update you’ll be prompted to download upon booting SOCOM 4 up for the very first time. Included within the patch are a number of updates from our S4 beta trial and a number of other changes that reflect the feedback we’ve received over the past month. Thank you once again for all your support and feedback, we hope to hear from you some more on our official forums at SOCOM.com. Now go have some fun! SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs Beta v1.02 April 19, 2011 | TPPS: 41 MBs, DLS: 57 MBs Gameplay More...

Other video games may connect to Facebook, but upcoming PS3 title Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is headed into uncharted territory by bringing Facebook and other social media connections directly into the game. Game developer Naughty Dog is working with Facebook and YouTube to expand the ability to share experiences from within Uncharted 3— sequel to the 2009 title named Game of the Year by multiple outlets — without the need for external tools. At the start-up menu, players can view a “feed” that shows which Facebook friends on the PlayStation Network are currently playing and whether they’ve posted updates or videos. Clips can be viewed without leaving the game. Previously, videos had to be handcrafted and exported for uploading to YouTube. While PlayStation Network and Xbox Live let players send automated updates to Facebook, “I don’t think anyone else has gone to that level to bring Facebook within the game. People usually do it the other way around,” says Christophe Balestra, co-president of Naughty Dog. “We are the first ones who are doing this.” None of these social-media upgrades affects the single-player story mode, an adventure starring Indiana Jones-ian franchise hero Nathan Drake. But when players get the game, due Nov.1, they can opt in to Facebook connectivity. The developers hope that the changes make the multiplayer game environment less intimidating and more familiar. “Our goal for Facebook is to really make sure you can interact with your Facebook friends the way you interact with your PSN friends,” Balestra says. “You can talk to them (and) you can invite them to your party. You are going to see icons of people’s faces and their real names. So right away it is going to feel bigger.” Players can post screen shots and video clips that show off their customized characters and team emblems. After a game finishes, a player might send out a post that he found a treasure during the game. The first five friends who “like” the post could get an in-game gift. Players also can post videos of multiplayer game action of up to 90 seconds. “We’re trying to create unique stories every time you play, to continue this feeling of a familiar and close-knit community, sort of like how Facebook already operates when friends upload photos and videos of their travel or parties,” he says. “We’re not just updating your wall with basic things happening in the game.” Those who want to tinker with their videos will have a battery of new in-game post-processing tools. Each multiplayer session is stored on the hard drive of the player’s PS3. You can go into that video file and direct the scene to your liking, moving the camera around, adding voice to a character and even sharing the video so a friend can help edit. “You can create your own movie and tell a story,” Balestra says. Past games such as Halo 3 have included filmmaking tools to make scripted videos, but Uncharted‘s direct link for uploading videos to YouTube is unique. The best uploaded videos might wind up on “Uncharted TV,” which will play in the bottom right corner of the pregame menu. “People can watch the best plays that we selected,” he says. “We want to give you access to all the media being generated by Uncharted within Uncharted.” Uncharted 3 will have some new multiplayer game types, too. A new Deathmatch mode pits three teams of two against one another, and Free-for-All lets eight players compete until the last player is standing. And for the first time, players can sit side by side and play on a split screen. “If you watch a football game, you talk about it the next day because everyone watched the same game,” Balestra says. “This is (to) get people who play to have a better experience.” Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Siliconera reports the ESRB has rated Dino Crisis 2 for PlayStation 3 and PSP. With SCEA as publisher, it looks like we’ll see a US PlayStation Network release of the PSOne action horror game. The first Dino Crisis is already available on the US PSN, along with other Capcom classics such as Resident Evil 2 and 3. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

In a new video released for BF3, EA gives us a taste before the 12-minute video they’ve been pushing to get Facebook approval for… but what’s the deal here? Apparently the company has over-estimated the reaction its fans would produce on the huge social network (go figure – gamers opposed to supporting the mainstream fad). The new video gives us a taste of what the 1,000,000 “likes” will uncover, but EA also placed in the video description: “Head on over to facebook.com/battlefield and “like” it to unlock the full 12 minute trailer with producer’s commentary! http://urgentfury.com/blog/rtY7“ Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

A Battlefield 3 trailer is posted below. It hits around the one minute 32 second mark. Short, but full of gameplay footage featuring jets and base jumping. DICE is readying another video featuring 12 minutes of gameplay footage, but you will need to “like†the game on Facebook in order to unlock it. As a matter of fact, it needs 1 million “likesâ€, and as of this post there are 675,135 – so get to liking it here. If for some reason 1 million “likes†are not accumulated soon, it will be released on Monday, but you don’t really want to wait that long. Battlefield 3 will be released on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 later in the year, with rumors putting it at retail November 2. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt">We’ve been keeping a secret here at Zipper Interactive – a hush-hush special bonus that players who purchase new copies of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs are entitled to the moment they first play the game. We call it “SOCOM Pro,†and you’ll first see mention of it when you open a brand new copy of SOCOM 4 on the back of the instruction manual. On that SOCOM Pro call-out, you’ll find a redemption code for use on the PlayStation Network that gets you… well, it gets you a whole bunch of super-cool things, really. SOCOM Pro shows its benefits immediately on launch day, April 19, as any player who purchases a new copy of SOCOM 4 receives exclusive access to all “Pro†Custom Game queues. Not only will these queues be ranked, but they’ll also be updated regularly over the entire lifespan of SOCOM 4 – so it’ll be the gift that keeps on giving for quite some time. Moreover, the first set of “Pro†Custom Game types will be the same fantastic rule sets that our diligent fans tested during our SOCOM 4 beta period. If you missed them in the beta, here’s what they are now: More...

One thing that the SOCOM franchise has been known for is fantastic map design, and SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs keeps that tradition alive and well by delivering a slew of awesome battlegrounds for up to 32 players to wage war on. To give you a look at the spots that you'll be able to play in just a few short days, we've put together video flythroughs of every map included with SOCOM 4, including the GameStop pre-order bonus map, "Abandoned". And, as an added bonus, we've included comments from the designers and artists behind their creation. Click on the map names or thumbnails watch the videos. Cesspool Cesspool takes place in a Southeast Asian slum and surrounding urban decay. We drew inspiration from the campaign mission Means to an End (and a scene or two from the Incredible Hulk film), and especially wanted to incorporate the almost maze-like layout most real world slums seem to have. This was actually the second multiplayer map built for SOCOM 4 (the first map built will sadly never see the light of day). - Christian Sadak, Designer Collision A salvage yard in the middle of a slum, flooded by a broken sewer main, forms the backdrop to this classic meat-grinder. A mound of burning tires brackets one side, while the other is dominated by a poorly-illuminated warehouse full of explosive chemicals. Evidence of a failed UN mission is hidden throughout the area. On this map battle is channeled into a labyrinthine junkyard overlooked by a handful of critical vantage-points. The fighting over these strategic locations tends to get pretty intense, with a lot of tight corners and blind spots. - Chris Donovan, Artist Sacrifice Sacrifice is a map that was assembled with a lot of verticality in mind. Towards the end of production we had a review of all of our multiplayer maps. Sacrifice was about 70 percent complete at that point and originally took place in a large valley. It felt too similar to our previous ruins map “Abandonedâ€, and overall the map was quite flat. After multiple tests we decided that it just wasn’t working, and we needed to do a full reset. With a fresh start we decided to mix it up, and try to push the vertical aspect for the new layout. After a few weeks of re-assembly we arrived with the level playing out on the side of a cliff. Adding this vertical element really changed up the gameplay; it not only keeps players on their toes, having to watch their flanks, but they have to watch for bullet fire from above as well. Gaining the high ground and defending it is the key to victory on this map. - Chris Miller, Artist Bale Out A temple courtyard in this jungle village is host to a make-shift supply depot, flanked on either side by streams and clusters of stilted huts, windmills and rice silos. A stalled convoy of trucks winds its way through the village along a dirt road. Strangely desolate, the deserted trucks and abandoned livestock anticipate the impending struggle for control. Fighting on this map will often be confused with much back-and-forth, but the central temple will always be hotly contested for its resupply opportunities. - Chris Donovan, Artist Outpost Outpost takes place in a military forward operating and supply base, based off of the campaign levels "Uninvited Guest" and "Countdown". This map was initially much larger and included more military complex elements (airfields, artillery batteries, etc), but was scaled down when we wanted to ensure SOCOM 4 included smaller, more intimate maps (in the same vein as Desert Glory or Night Stalker). A favorite at Zipper is to play this map with only shotguns and grenades and let the chaos ensue! - Christian Sadak, Designer Von Heine Express Von Heine Express is the largest environment-based map in SOCOM 4, primarily created for players seeking medium- to long-range combat. The train tracks passing through the center of the map create the shortest route between spawns, while the large areas on either side of the tracks are great for flanking enemy positions. However, the wide-open spaces and long sight lines in Von Heine Express create the ideal playground for snipers, so be sure to stick to the rocks and vegetation as you don't want to be caught out in the open in this mission. - CJ Heine, Designer Assault & Battery Assault & Battery really takes players into the jungle. Its dense nature and overgrown aesthetic encourages players to stalk their prey from the brush; mastering this play style for this map will definitely give you the edge. In some game modes players can risk climbing the center tower to gain access to BXM 500 sniper rifle -- a great reward for anyone willing to expose themselves to a 360 degree threat. The open layout of Assault & Battery can be taxing on new players, but taking the lower routes, hiding in brush, and staying behind tall cover is key to being successful on the battlefield. - Chris Miller, Artist Rush Hour Set on a heavily-damage elevated freeway, Rush hour is a fast map with clearly defined routes that always lead to the hotly contested center. The daring and skillful can push right up the crumbled overpass smack in the center of the road. Sweeping overpasses provide elevated flanking routes for strategic approaches. Shattered windows and crumbled concrete give access to building interiors perfect for defensive stands or methodic room-to-room clearing. - Chris Brockett, Designer Port Authority Port Authority takes place in and around a shipyard dry dock. We drew inspiration from the shipyards and dry docks in New York City (especially one photograph in particular). This map in particular has lots of good sniping and overwatch areas that can only be reached via climbing, jumping, or vaulting. - Christian Sadak, Designer Abandoned Abandoned shouldn’t be a stranger to anyone who has been playing SOCOM since the beginning. This MP map has been a staple since the beginning of the franchise, and it’s now been re-envisioned for SOCOM 4. While it looks different than you may remember, great efforts were taken to ensure the layout remains completely intact. Originally released on SOCOM 1 it became a fan favorite, and then returned in SOCOM 2 in the cover of nightfall. Now we’ve taken it back to its roots and over the top. It’s been a while since players have had their hands on this map, so during that time the natural elements have encroach upon it. It’s really overgrown and thus “abandonedâ€. - Chris Miller, Artist More...

One thing that the SOCOM franchise has been known for is fantastic map design, and SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs keeps that tradition alive and well by delivering a slew of awesome battlegrounds for up to 32 players to wage war on. To give you a look at the spots that you'll be able to play in just a few short days, we've put together video flythroughs of every map included with SOCOM 4, including the GameStop pre-order bonus map, "Abandoned". And, as an added bonus, we've included comments from the designers and artists behind their creation. Click on the map names or thumbnails watch the videos. Cesspool Cesspool takes place in a Southeast Asian slum and surrounding urban decay. We drew inspiration from the campaign mission Means to an End (and a scene or two from the Incredible Hulk film), and especially wanted to incorporate the almost maze-like layout most real world slums seem to have. This was actually the second multiplayer map built for SOCOM 4 (the first map built will sadly never see the light of day). - Christian Sadak, Designer Collision A salvage yard in the middle of a slum, flooded by a broken sewer main, forms the backdrop to this classic meat-grinder. A mound of burning tires brackets one side, while the other is dominated by a poorly-illuminated warehouse full of explosive chemicals. Evidence of a failed UN mission is hidden throughout the area. On this map battle is channeled into a labyrinthine junkyard overlooked by a handful of critical vantage-points. The fighting over these strategic locations tends to get pretty intense, with a lot of tight corners and blind spots. - Chris Donovan, Artist Sacrifice Sacrifice is a map that was assembled with a lot of verticality in mind. Towards the end of production we had a review of all of our multiplayer maps. Sacrifice was about 70 percent complete at that point and originally took place in a large valley. It felt too similar to our previous ruins map “Abandonedâ€, and overall the map was quite flat. After multiple tests we decided that it just wasn’t working, and we needed to do a full reset. With a fresh start we decided to mix it up, and try to push the vertical aspect for the new layout. After a few weeks of re-assembly we arrived with the level playing out on the side of a cliff. Adding this vertical element really changed up the gameplay; it not only keeps players on their toes, having to watch their flanks, but they have to watch for bullet fire from above as well. Gaining the high ground and defending it is the key to victory on this map. - Chris Miller, Artist Bale Out A temple courtyard in this jungle village is host to a make-shift supply depot, flanked on either side by streams and clusters of stilted huts, windmills and rice silos. A stalled convoy of trucks winds its way through the village along a dirt road. Strangely desolate, the deserted trucks and abandoned livestock anticipate the impending struggle for control. Fighting on this map will often be confused with much back-and-forth, but the central temple will always be hotly contested for its resupply opportunities. - Chris Donovan, Artist Outpost Outpost takes place in a military forward operating and supply base, based off of the campaign levels "Uninvited Guest" and "Countdown". This map was initially much larger and included more military complex elements (airfields, artillery batteries, etc), but was scaled down when we wanted to ensure SOCOM 4 included smaller, more intimate maps (in the same vein as Desert Glory or Night Stalker). A favorite at Zipper is to play this map with only shotguns and grenades and let the chaos ensue! - Christian Sadak, Designer Von Heine Express Von Heine Express is the largest environment-based map in SOCOM 4, primarily created for players seeking medium- to long-range combat. The train tracks passing through the center of the map create the shortest route between spawns, while the large areas on either side of the tracks are great for flanking enemy positions. However, the wide-open spaces and long sight lines in Von Heine Express create the ideal playground for snipers, so be sure to stick to the rocks and vegetation as you don't want to be caught out in the open in this mission. - CJ Heine, Designer Assault & Battery Assault & Battery really takes players into the jungle. Its dense nature and overgrown aesthetic encourages players to stalk their prey from the brush; mastering this play style for this map will definitely give you the edge. In some game modes players can risk climbing the center tower to gain access to BXM 500 sniper rifle -- a great reward for anyone willing to expose themselves to a 360 degree threat. The open layout of Assault & Battery can be taxing on new players, but taking the lower routes, hiding in brush, and staying behind tall cover is key to being successful on the battlefield. - Chris Miller, Artist Rush Hour Set on a heavily-damage elevated freeway, Rush hour is a fast map with clearly defined routes that always lead to the hotly contested center. The daring and skillful can push right up the crumbled overpass smack in the center of the road. Sweeping overpasses provide elevated flanking routes for strategic approaches. Shattered windows and crumbled concrete give access to building interiors perfect for defensive stands or methodic room-to-room clearing. - Chris Brockett, Designer Port Authority Port Authority takes place in and around a shipyard dry dock. We drew inspiration from the shipyards and dry docks in New York City (especially one photograph in particular). This map in particular has lots of good sniping and overwatch areas that can only be reached via climbing, jumping, or vaulting. - Christian Sadak, Designer Abandoned Abandoned shouldn’t be a stranger to anyone who has been playing SOCOM since the beginning. This MP map has been a staple since the beginning of the franchise, and it’s now been re-envisioned for SOCOM 4. While it looks different than you may remember, great efforts were taken to ensure the layout remains completely intact. Originally released on SOCOM 1 it became a fan favorite, and then returned in SOCOM 2 in the cover of nightfall. Now we’ve taken it back to its roots and over the top. It’s been a while since players have had their hands on this map, so during that time the natural elements have encroach upon it. It’s really overgrown and thus “abandonedâ€. - Chris Miller, Artist More...

During Sony’s press event this week in California, Twisted Metal producer Zack Wood told attendees that not only would some classic characters return in the series, but that greater detail would be give to their back stories as well. Speaking with GameFront, Wood also revealed that although there is a single-player portion to the game, it would be “much more multiplayer-centric,†this time around, and this was verified by the fact that three multiplayer modes were on hand for the press to play around with at the event. The modes were all team-based, with each team playing as a different gang. Four gangs are present in the game: the Clowns, the Dolls, the Holy Men and the Skulls, and each one has a Twisted Metal Character heading it up. The Clowns follow Sweet Tooth; the Holy Men follow Preacher; the Dolls follow Dollface and the Skulls follow Mr. Grim. Modes revealed at the presser were Deathmatch, Last Man Standing, and the firm’s newest creation “Nuke.†“Nuke is more of our tactical game mode,†explained co-producer Chad Cox. “It really adds another layer to Twisted Metal Multiplayer. It’s like a twisted version of capture the flag.†In Nuke, each team takes a turn defending a particular landmark, such as a statue. The other team is tasked with destroying it with a nuclear bomb. Some team members “man guns near the base of the statue,†while other drive around defending or attacking as the mode progresses. Players can kidnap a team member guarding the statue, and fling them into a rocket launcher which triggers the bomb. What follows, is a giant nuclear explosion, obviously. In Last Man Standing, extra lives are shared via a pool for team members, and only allots so many deaths before each player becomes mortal. What this entails, is forcing the team to design tactics which will benefit the whole rather than “skilled individual players.†Communication and cooperation between each team member will be a must. New weapons have also been added to the game, and apparently, Cox’s favorite of the lot is the sniper rifle: “I really like the sniper rifle. It’s our first ever one-hit-kill weapon,†he said. The way this particular rifle works, is by forcing the payer to stay “locked on†to an opponent for an extended period of time. The longer you are locked onto an enemy, the more damage the bullet will do, and if you have them in your cross-hairs long enough, the headshot instantly eliminates your enemy. Cox added that in multiplayer, there are “unlocks as you gain experience,†and players will be “rewarded for playing a lot online.†No single-player modes were revealed at the event, however, as Eat,Sleep, Play is remaining a bit tight-lipped regarding that aspect of the game for the time being. Twisted Metal is out October 4 for PS3, and an extended trailer for the game was released earlier in the day. See it below. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Direct feed shots and character renders for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City from Capcom’s Captivate Event have been released, and each shows just hectic and mental this game is going to be. There’s also a video in there with Japanese subtitles, so don’t let the Biohazard moniker in it fool you or anything. The game, which was on hand at the event in Miami last week, pits Umbrella’s USS against the US’s Spec Ops in a third-person action setting where you and four of your friends can participate in squad-based combat. Zombies, B.O.W.s and other monsters are also in the mix to contend with, and using these creatures as a tactical advantage will not only help you and your team complete your objectives, but will earn you points as well. RE: Operation Raccoon City is slated for a winter release on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

As fans of programs like The Walking Dead and Battlestar Galactica can tell you, award-winning composer Bear McCreary knows how to evoke emotion with his music. Luckily for PlayStation fans, Bear has done it again with his original soundtrack for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs, and if you ask us, it’s our best yet! We enjoy the SOCOM 4 soundtrack so much in fact, that we’ve decided to release it for purchase on both iTunes and the PlayStation Store starting today for just $9.99 -- a great deal that your speakers should thank you for. Here's a note from Bear himself: "SOCOM 4 has been a long musical journey. I first began writing music for this game in 2008, and now, almost three years later to the day, my soundtrack is available for download from iTunes and the PlayStation Network, and in an exciting expanded edition two-disc set from La La Land Records coming in a few weeks. The physical CD release will include a bunch of un-released material, and feature a full-color booklet... and perhaps, a hidden surprise for all the good boys and girls! I’m a gamer myself, and had played all the previous games in the SOCOM series. So, I was familiar with the traditional military orchestral sound that accompanied them. However, I quickly realized that Sony and Zipper Interactive were ready to take the SOCOM franchise in a more cinematic direction. The characters were drawn out, and the player would face difficult ethical decisions. The entire story takes place over six days in an unspecified Southeast Asian country, opening the door for me to explore exotic local instrumentation. There was a lot for me to be excited about. I look forward to SOCOM fans, gamers and soundtrack buffs alike having the opportunity to explore this music, thanks to the digital and CD releases of this soundtrack." Recorded at the legendary Skywalker Ranch in beautiful Northern California, the SOCOM 4 soundtrack merges the dissimilar instruments of eastern and western orchestras to create a unique, symphonic sound unlike any other action-shooter out there. We hope you enjoy the soundtrack as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you. Oh, and before we go – keep your eyes on the Official SOCOM blog in the coming weeks, when we’ll have more details on the upcoming limited edition disc-based release of the soundtrack that Bear mentioned as well! More...

The latest issue of OPM has unveiled a swag of new information on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, including why Drake’s stranded in a desert and who that creepy lady is. Naughty Dog dropped some teasing comments through the piece, including that “the Uncharted franchise was never conceived as a trilogyâ€. According to SystemLink‘s summary, the desert seen in the first trailer is Rub’ al Khali, in Arabia. The desert behaves as it ought, throwing sandstorms, mirages, and “all the things you’d expect in a desert†at you, and shifting dynamically. Drake and Sully are in Arabia in search of the Iram of the PIllars, but London and a jungle temple were revealed as locations visited during the course of the game.. Recently revealed villain Katherine Marlowe is part of a secret society dating back to the Elizabethan era. Since the story is centred on Lawrence of Arabia’s obsession with the Iram of the Pillars, Naughty Dog are fittingly hinting at motorcycle sections. The article mentions the studio tries not to repeat itself, but has a “strong tradition†of in-game vehicles. A new melee system allows Drake to find weaponry in the environment, such as bottles, and stealth combat has been expanded. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Following months of legal wrangling, Sony and hacker George “Geohot†Hotz have jointly confirmed that they’ve settled their hacking dispute out of court. Sony and Hotz have issued a joint statement to announce “the settlement of the lawsuit filed by SCEA against Hotz in federal court in San Francisco, California. The parties reached an agreement in principle on March 31, 2011. As part of the settlement, Hotz consented to a permanent injunction.†The details of the agreement have already been leaked, following Hotz refusing to discuss the terms on his blog as they’re “confidentialâ€. Get the full court document in the images below. Hotz is now bound by a permanent injunction that forbids him from “trafficking in any technology†that “circumvents any of the TPM’s in any Sony product,†including any sort of decryption code. He’s also banned from assisting in such activities, or distributing any confidential information about Sony in any form. Any violations of the agreement will be charged at $10,000 each, up to a cap of $250,000. It’s also clearly stated in the document that Hotz would be tried in California if the deal was voided. Exactly where Hotz was to be tried formed a substantial part of the ongoing spat between the two parties. “Satisfaction†In a press release, both Sony and Hotz “expressed satisfaction†that the case, based on Hotz’s publication of PS3 More...

Bethesda said today that Brink will release a week early in both the US and Europe. The Splash Damage shooter will now hit on on May 10 in the US and on May 13 in the EU. Which is awesome. Watch for a big update on the game very soon. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Zipper has released a new trailer for SOCOM 4 highlighting the single-player story mode. Notable features include an arse-kicking Korean operative of the female persuasion. Sold. SOCOM 4: US Navy Seals releases exclusively for PlayStation 3 next week. It is reported to contain an invite to the Resistance 3 multiplayer beta. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Codemasters put out a movie today detailing Operation Flashpoint: Red River’s four-way co-op. The unforgiving shooter, which is set in a fictional conflict in Tajikistan in 2013, will release for 360, PS3 and PC on April 26. Check it out below. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Activision’s confirmed today that the Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation map pack leaked from Australian retailer recently is a real thing. It will, indeed, be releasing on May 3, and will come with five maps. There’s no confirmation on pricing as yet. This is a 360-only thing for now, thanks to a three-year exclusivity agreement first announced at E3 2010. Get full details from Nelson. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...