Commander Fury

Story by Joel Johnson @ Kotaku.com. Microsoft has trouble making hardware. Sony has trouble running online services. What if the next Xbox and the next PlayStation are one and the same? A few months ago, while reporting about the then unannounced Wii U console for Nintendo, we stumbled on an interesting ancillary rumor: Microsoft and Sony were in active discussions regarding their next consoles. For two giants in the home video game console market to be talk from time to time isn’t wholly surprising. Sony and Microsoft are clearly competitors in the console market, but they’re also unlikely allies in a gaming landscape undergoing upheaval brought on by the likes of Zynga and Apple. Triple-A console games like Halo and Uncharted are still going strong, but the expansive growth in the industry at larger has been in the casual and mobile space—an area in which Microsoft and Sony only dabble, especially if you count Sony’s PlayStation Vita as more of a “portable home console”. (Don’t get me wrong. The Vita looks fantastic. But it doesn’t really compete with, say, the iPhone.) Launching a new home console is an expensive and risky endeavor. Microsoft took a multi-billion dollar loss when the Xbox 360 had its infamous “red ring” crashes; Sony lost a few billion getting the PlayStation 3 off the ground. The real money is in games—and increasingly, in online services, like downloadable games and other media offerings. It has come to light that someone—probably Microsoft—has registered the domain Microsoft-Sony.com. On its own, that means little—domain names are cheap to buy and easy to spoof—but it does prompt a moment of reflection: Microsoft and Sony working on their next console together makes a tremendous amount of sense. Sony still has the hardware knack. A few aesthetic clunkers aside, Sony still makes lovely, sturdy hardware. The PlayStation 3 still looks perfectly fine. And my launch version has held up well enough over the lengthening years. Plus, Sony has access to tremendous production facilities of their own, unlike Microsoft who largely contracts out to third-party builders for not just assembly, but components. (Crack open your phone someday. There’s a good chance it has some Sony hardware in there somewhere.) Microsoft makes the best development tools in the industry. “Best” is subjective, but most of the developers I know greatly prefer programming using Microsoft’s excellent tools over those of their competitors. That’s certainly been part of the reason so many cross-platform games begin their life on Xbox and are ported to the PlayStation later. (Although certainly as multi-platform development has matured, it’s increasingly a port-as-you-go situation.) A Sony-built hardware platform that ships with Microsoft development tools on Day 1 would give game developers a tremendous leg up in unlocking the power of the hardware. Xbox Live is the best online gaming platform in existence. While PC-based Steam is a close second overall, there’s no better platform for getting games, media, and networking with friends than Xbox Live. And a unified Xbox Live and PlayStation Network would be instantly a huge community, which would be attractive to publishers and advertisers. Plus, well, the hack. Sony got a black eye over the hack against the PlayStation Network over the last few months. While the problem has largely abated, online has never been one of Sony’s strengths. (Evinced by their numerous aborted music download services and hesitance in putting the PS2 online, for instance.) Sony doesn’t have the technical acumen to run end-to-end networking platforms, while Microsoft is perhaps the best in the business at doing so. Sony gets to retreat into hardware and content, its greatest strengths. Remember, Sony was the Apple of the ‘80s and ‘90s: a hardware company that happened to sell and produce a lot of media designed to be played on the hardware it sold. Every time Sony has strayed from their core competencies, they’ve been half-hearted at best—catastrophic at worst. But they remain tremendously profitable in the areas where they just build good hardware—their HDTVs, for instance—and leave the fancy network and software business to someone else. It might get Microsoft a toehold into Sony Ericsson. Sony Ericsson has been on shaky ground since before the iPhone, but even its modern Android phones—including the gaming-oriented Xperia Play—aren’t anything special. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is pretty great. It just needs apps—like games. A combined Sony and Microsoft attack on the mobile gaming space would be pretty powerful. (Although wholly unnecessary in making a Microsoft+Sony home console a success; it would just be nice.) We’ll probably know sooner than later if Microsoft and Sony intend to team up on a new console. And there are plenty of reasons why they might not want to go in together—loss of their own exclusive platform being the most compelling one—but there sure are a lot of upsides to a team-up, aren’t there? And if you think about it, that Microsoft is making hardware and Sony is making software to compete against each other is actually the exception of their relationship, not the rule: Sony laptops have been running Microsoft Windows for years. You could even look at that as another reason why Microsoft would be willing to cede the Xbox hardware business: Sony’s latest hardware experiments, like their tablets, run Google’s Android. It might be worth a few billion here and there to Microsoft to bring Sony more fully back into the fold. (See also: Nokia.) Do I think this is going to happen? Probably not. I’d give it a 20% chance using my Statistical Confabulator with a +/- 10% for the heat added to our economy by Nascent Fanboy Psycho-Kinectic Pedantry. But it sure doesn’t sound totally crazy either, does it? Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

by Jessica Conditt @ Joystiq.com. Activision filed a domain-name dispute with National Arbitration Forum on Friday over ModernWarfare3.com, a gag website attempting to convert Modern Warfare 3 fans to EA’s Battlefield 3. Activision argues that the person behind ModernWarfare3.com “has no right or legitimate interest in the Domain Name,” a violation of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, and wants the site under its own control. Activision has provided the panel with a two-page list of Modern Warfare‘s accomplishments as evidence of its right to the domain, or perhaps because it wants to see its “Best Shooter” award from CNN.com in writing.Activision claims the site contains copyrighted material, including the style of its Modern Warfare 3 header, and that the owner “supports the game Battlefield,” quoting that it “urges visitors to ‘grow up and forgettabout Modern Warfare 3 (because it looks just like Modern Warfare 2) and buy Battlefield 3 instead.’” ModernWarfare3.com was purchased on March 26, 2009, almost two years before Modern Warfare 3 was officially announced, and until recently the website redirected users to Battlefield3.com. Currently its front page reads, “Warning: this website is under seige,” with the above clip from Monty Python’s Life of Brian re-dubbed to bash Modern Warfare 3. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Luke Brown @ TheQuarterBin.com. San Diego Comic Con is just around the corner, and many people are curious as to what the “fantastic news†Marvel vs. Capcom 3 producer Ryota Niitsuma will be delivering actually is. Well, our sources close to the project have revealed that news to be the announcement of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The title will be a re-release similar to Super Street Fighter IV, which many fighting game fans will remember was budget priced at $39.99, and came with heaping handful of new characters exclusive to that version. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will see a similar release later this year, and with the character count jumping from 38 (including DLC fighters Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath) to 50, there are at least a dozen reasons to be excited. While our sources have been mum on the new characters expected to make an appearance, the inclusion of Frank West and Doctor Octopus files hidden on the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 game disc should mean the appearance of those two characters is almost a given. We’ll let the speculation run wild as to the other ten characters, but we’d love to see the debut of the oft-rumored Phoenix Wright (as a fully playable character) and return of Mega Man, as well as the father/son tandem of Cable and Cyclops. The new game and fighters will make their debut next week, so you only have to wait until the Marvel vs. Capcom panel at San Diego Comic Con on Saturday, July 23 to learn just who will be deciding the fate of two worlds this time around. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. NetherRealm has released a character vignette video for Rain to go along with the gameplay video released for him earlier in the week. Rain will be released as DLC for Mortal Kombat on July 19. Thanks, . Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. Rocksteady has released a lone bit of Arkham City artwork and a biography for Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face. If you aren’t up on your Batman character lore, the information below should help you out a bit. Real Name: Harvey Dent Alias: TWO-FACE Occupation: Professional Criminal Base: Gotham City Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown/Grey Height: 6 ft Weight: 182 lb First Appearance: Detective Comics #66 (August 1942) Attribute 01: Hideously scarred on the left half of his face, which he plays up with clothing that’s differently styled on one side. Attribute 02: Extremely skilled with his weapons of choice: twin .45 automatics. Attribute 03: Psychotic obsession with duality, designing crimes around the number two. Attribute 04: Defers to his half-scarred coin in choices of life or death. Background Story: District Attorney Harvey Dent was one of Batman’s strongest allies in Gotham City, until a criminal threw acid in Dent’s face, hideously scarring him. The wounds fractured his psyche, and he was reborn Two-Face, a schizoid criminal mastermind*obsessed with duality. His former good-luck charm, a two-headed trick silver dollar, was damaged on one side in the attack, and Dent has seized on it as a reflection of his half-scarred visage. He flips it to decide the fates of his victims. Two-Face is thriving in Arkham City, rallying inmates to join his gang using tried and true campaign tactics. Awesome. We love both Two-Face and Harvey Dent. Batman: Akrham City launches on October 18 in the US and October 21 in the UK. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. Radical Entertainment has released a short developer diary on the use of tendrils in Prototype 2, and we’ve posted it below the break for you. In it, the team discusses how when using the tendrils, you can grab bits of the environment such as cars, and pull them in towards an enemy and smash him. That’s just one example of the many ways you can use this feature. Watch for yourself. Prototype 2 is out in 2012. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. Ubisoft has announced Uplay Passport, which it said will offer “access to online features and exclusive content†for the firm’s various titles. The new program was designed to provide players the above referenced content, and will part of the firm’s Uplay in-game service. Uplay, apparently offers extra value with a “bevy of rewards and community features, just for playing Ubisoft games.†The Uplay Passport program will begin in the coming months and will be included in many of Ubisoft’s core games which will come with a one-time use registration code. Upon redemption, players will be provided with content and features only available through the passport program. Customers who’ve acquired a pre-owned game can purchase a new Uplay Passport online for $9.99 and automatically unlock the game’s online content and features. The first game to implement Uplay Passport will be Driver: San Francisco, as reported yesterday. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

The wait, is finally over! The third DLC pack, Annihilation, follows up on the success of the First Strike and Escalation expansions with four new maps for competitive multiplayer and another new zombie map pack, and is set to activate for D/L on the PS3 & PC consoles the morning of: Thursday 07/28/2011. So get your funds together for some great new map-play! Just in case you haven’t heard about the upcoming DLC for PS3 and PC, here’s an image of the 4 maps plus the new zombie edition, below: Story by: CritiKiL* BTW: According to the official announcement by Treyarch and Activision: “With Annihilation, Black Ops fans will get four exciting and unique multiplayer settings with Hangar 18, Drive-In, Silo and Hazard,†said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “Players will also enjoy an all-new Zombies experience, Shangri-La, an exotic and mysterious map filled with deadly traps, dark secrets and innovative gameplay that will challenge even the most daring Zombie hunters.” Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Joel Taveras @ Dualshockers.com This week we had Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games come to town to show off some more of Modern Warfare 3 single player as well as a preview of their retooled Spec-Ops mode. Creative strategist Robert Bowling or “@fourzerotwo†as the gaming world knows him jumped on camera to talk about everything we need to know about what will undoubtedly be the biggest game in the series (and probably the year) thus far. And while we couldn’t get him to talk about the whole modernwarfare3.com fiasco, he was ready to answer everything we threw at him. Make sure to check out the full interview below. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. Ubisoft will implement its own version of the online pass system when Driver: San Francisco is released called Uplay Passport, according to a report on Gamerzines, Uplay Passport works like other online pass systems by only allowing those who purchase new copies of Ubisoft games to play online multiplayer free of charge. Players can also purchase a Uplay Passport code from Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Store, but the price has yet to be announced. Uplay Passport could also make its way into other Ubisoft published titles. According to a statement given to GZ, AC: Revelation’s lead game designer, Alexandre Breault, said he was “not aware†of the initiative. Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez told investors back in May 2010 the company was “looking very carefully at what is being done by EA regarding what we call the $10 solution,†stating the firm would “probably follow that line at sometime in the future.†Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. Ubisoft has released a trailer for Driver: San Francisco, which focuses on the single-player aspect of the game. You can watch it below, courtesy of Gematsu. Driver is due on PS3 and Xbox 360 at the end of August. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by JC Fletcher @ Joystiq.com. “I want a new video game,” the average consumer thinks, “but I also want to sound funny on the phone.” THQ swoops in with a solution to this two-fold need, with the Saints Row: The Third Platinum Pack. In addition to the game, a soundtrack, and the in-game “Professor Genki Hyper-Ordinary Pre-Order Pack” content, the set also includes a “custom molded Saints Row headset” with a vocoder voice processing feature “inspired by the premier pimp in Saints Row: The Third, Zimos” (who has had a tracheotomy, and speaks using an autotuned electronic voice box). Won’t it be fun to annoy all your Xbox Live and PSN friends with your new robovoice? No, it won’t. The headphones are not compatible with Xbox Live or PSN, instead using a standard 3.5mm audio jack. You can totally use it on your smartphone, though. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Nemesis Here is the new trailer for Call of Juarez: The Cartel showcasing the multiplayer modes; Robbery Crew, Team Deathmatch, Star Witness and Cartel Deal. As you play, your character will evolve, and you will unlock weapons and gear like most other first person shooters out there. Call of Juarez: The Cartel is out on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on July 19th. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Allen Tyson @ PlaystationLifestyle.com Netflix is truly what I would call a “virtual media appliance.†For many PS3 owners, Netflix has become so a part of our lives that we often don’t think about; it’s there, it’s on, and it just works.* If you’ve been a legacy owner of Netflix and use it frequently, you’re going to have some serious choices to make in the near future. Netflix is changing it’s service tiers in a way that legacy users need to take note of.* As it was, if you were an existing by mail subscriber for DVD or for Blu-Ray streaming was part of the package… but no more. The plans are now being segmented so that streaming services and by mail services are no longer bundled together under the current pricing scheme. The new plans are as follows: Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 1 out at-a-time (no streaming), for $7.99 a month. At this time, there is no discount for both bundled services. So if you wanted to combine both services you would be paying $15.98—or a few dollars* more if you’re currently using the Blu-Ray option. The new pricing goes into effect on September 1st. [Source] Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by: CritiKiL The DirectX11 Ultra Upgrade is a free visual improvement add-on introducing DirectX 11 support as well as a wealth of graphical improvements and performance optimization for both DX11 and DX9 API’s. When using the new “Ultra†spec, DX9 platforms will benefit from real-time local reflections and contact shadows. The owners of DX11 platforms, in addition, will be able to enjoy hardware tessellation (requires the installation of the “DX11 Ultra Upgradeâ€), parallax occlusion mapping and several improvements for shadows, water, particles, depth of field and motion blur. Don’t understand what I’m saying? I’m talking about the major patches for the PC version in which the game now takes advantage of *DirectX, making the graphic just blow your mind! Watch the video, and “see” what I’m talking about. You can D/L the patches at the link below, and the game itself is*Avialable for not just PC’s but XBox and PS3 consoles as well: D/L Patches from the Official Website. http://www.ea.com/crysis-2 Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by: CritiKiL Is seems the almighty Lords of the*Goog might be continuing their plans for world domination towards the direction of gaming now. It’s a known fact that anytime Google puts their minds to create or improve on something…it works out well for them! Goggle has the power to dominate anything it focuses on at little or no cost to us, the beneficiaries of their quest(s). There is undeniable evidence, that they’re now entering the gaming world. No one knows their ‘complete agenda’, but we are speculating that Google is targeting*mobile gaming, web-based gaming, and / or possibly*console gaming. Here is the Job Listing, that was posted by Google: “Product Manager, Games – Mountain View This position is based in Mountain View, CA. The area: Product Management One of the many reasons Google consistently brings innovative, world-changing products to market is because of the collaborative work we do in Product Management. With eyes focused squarely on the future, our team works closely with creative and prolific engineers to help design and develop technologies that improve access to the world’s information. We’re responsible for guiding products throughout the execution cycle, focusing specifically on analyzing, positioning, packaging, promoting and tailoring our solutions to all the markets where Google does business. The role: Product Manager, Games Rare opportunity to grow a brand-new business – Games at Google! We are looking for a strategic, technical and game-loving Product Manager to drive Google’s gaming strategy. You will design strategies for game distribution and discovery, player identity, game mechanics, and more. In addition to designing a great user experience and building out key partnerships, you will be significantly influencing Google’s social platform as you work directly with a critical set of early adopters, game developers. Interesting and impactful decisions involving social gaming, privacy, virality, business, and technical APIs await you and the strong, passionate team of gamers you will work with. Responsibilities •*Drive feature requirements for Google’’s gaming platform •*Work with business development and developer relations to drive gaming partnerships/ content deals • Initiate and prioritize projects within engineering, assist in determining the best technical implementation methods, track product development, and develop product launch plans. •*Establish partnerships internally and externally to drive the growth of games Requirements •*Technical undergraduate degree or equivalent experience; Masters degree preferred. •*Product management experience with a track record of creating innovative and winning Internet or software solutions. •*Entrepreneurial experience and a penchant for creating great products is highly valued. •*Demonstrated ability to gather user requirements and convert them into a winning product vision. •*Strong quantitative and analytical abilities with a deep understanding of gaming platforms.” It’s very exciting to see what Goggle has in store for the future of gaming. We’ll keep you up to date when we hear more news. Until then, if you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know about Google Chrome web based gaming,*use your Mobile phones barcode/QR scanner App (ex: NeoReader App), to launch the link from your mobile device below: Or, you can also just ‘click’ the QR code with your mouse, and open the link into another window Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by: CritiKiL This video trailer for Saints Row®: The Thirdâ„¢ (below), caught my attention, mainly because it’s like a supped up GTA (Grand Theft Auto) on crank or something. So I thought I’d do a quick review, but you MUST see the video! The game sports an Online Co-Op, and a ton of new weapons, vehicles, tanks, guns an even the ‘V-TOL’ (Vertical Take Off & Landing Jet)…at your disposal. Did I mention the ‘Apoca-Fist’, and that it has ‘skydiving missions’? Yea, skydiving gunplay, total Mayhem and Fun. HipHopGamer talks about Saints Row®: The Thirdâ„¢ demo, at E3: “…was more than just jaw dropping, the gameplay details are over the top and easily surpasses the fun you will experience in GTA4.” Saints Row®: The Thirdâ„¢ gives you control of the Saints at the height of their power, and you live the life to show for it. Take a tank skydiving, call in a satellite-targeted airstrike on a Mexican wrestling gang, and defend yourself against a highly-trained military force using only a sex toy in the most outlandish gameplay scenarios ever seen. Strap it on…and have some Fun! Saints Row®: The Thirdâ„¢, exposes itself on November 18th 2011 for the PS3, XBox and PC. IGN gives it a 7.5 or 8 on the rating but I’m gonna come out of my neutrality as a writer, *and go ahead and say that this game will run leaps and bounds over GTA: V whenever it does come out (no word yet as to GTV: 5′s release). IMO: I think it’s going to knock GTA: V out of it’s socks. Please comment, and let us know what you think about this upcoming game! REFERENCE(S): Watch the Trailer:*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxQsCNontmI More info on: http://www.saintsrow.com Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by: CritiKiL Not much has been said about what Nyko Technologies has been manufacturing, but some of the new products for both the XBox 360 and PS3 are pretty*phenomenal! Briefly I’m going to tell you about a few of their new products, then you can watch their recording of it from their Ustream Channel earlier this month. That video, is posted for you to see at the bottom… Nyko ‘Zoom’ ~ For the XBox Kinect System: This product is mainly just a ‘Play Range Reduction Lens for Kinectâ„¢ which NOW allows players to decrease the space needed to play their favorite Kinect games. The ‘Zoom’ (as it is called), *reduces the play range required to enjoy Kinect software by up to 40%, allowing you to play closer to your TV. The Zoom’s wide angle lens also enables two people to play in an area that was normally only suitable for a single player, making it perfect for those who live in small apartments or dorm rooms. The specially designed optical lenses fit over the Kinect sensor and clip into place, making set up a breeze with nothing to plug in. No additional software or calibration is required, and it blends seamlessly with the look and feel of the Kinect unit itself. So basically, the Zoom opens up a whole new world of Kinect play for those who previously lacked the space required to fully enjoy it.*It has a suggested retail price of $29.99 (coming soon!) Nyko ‘Charge Base 2′ ~ For the PS3 Controllers: This product is a ‘Dual Port Charging Dock for SIXAXIS / DualShock 3 controllers’. What I found to be really cool about ‘this’, is how they’ve found a way to not damage the existing contact points by having you mount on a *’clip-on’ attachment to the controller itself which allows you to just drop the controller onto the base, no longer having to worry about connector cables or switch out battery packs and etc. With this product it’s simple: you just drop it and charge it! Sells for only $29.99. Nyko ‘Gameboost’ ~ For the 3DS System: This product is an ‘Emergency Power attachment for 3DS’, which allows you to quickly and conveniently add 1 – 2 hours of additional play time! The ‘Game Boost’ is the perfect attachment for when you need that extra bit of juice at your most crucial of gaming moments whether it’s the last lap of a big race, the final boss, or the championship game. This unit attaches to the back of the 3DS system to work in tandem with the stock battery and recharges through the 3DS power adaptor that comes with your system. When attached, all buttons, sliders and other operations are fully accessible, and it’s thin enough to not hamper your grip or comfort. Retails for only $12.99. That’s enough for now. Don’t forget to watch the Ustream video below! Comment also if you’d like REFERENCE(S): Nyko Website: www.nyko.com Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

By Tournament Team member i2IDIUM We are only 2-Weeks into the first Urgent Fury Socom 4 tournament and we are already halfway complete with the first campaign. With 36 wars played, the standings are as follows: TNU leads with 10 points followed closely by 101, ReD, $K$, cKs, and 26* with 8. In the middle of the pack we have LPK with 6. Rounding out the field we have RVN, , and WDA each with 2 points and IX still looking to pick up their first W. This tough field of competitors proved to be too steep as R2H never made it in by failing to submit their roster. Going into week 3 of the first campaign, TNU looks to continue its winning ways after a rough start due to typos on their roster which cost them their only loss. Being the highest ranked clan in the tournament on the Socom in-game ladder, TNU has proven that they know how to win by leading the field with the most points. A match between the current #2 and #3 seeds, 101 and ReD, resulted in a tie during the second night of wars when there was an glitch in the ladder system. Each team took a match in the first two but for some reason the game sent both teams back to their lobbies instead of sending them to the third match to determine the overall winner of the war. $K$, cKs and 26* all locked up with 8 points each will be working to catch the current leader in hopes of capturing the top seed and a bid to the playoffs later this fall. After a close match against TNU and ReD, LPK looks to bounce back after a bumpy start. With only 6 wars remaining RVN, , WDA, and IX hope to make up some ground after a very tough 2 weeks. The Endurance format is much different than what most UF clans are used to. Previously each night would feature one war on a predetermined map and mode. Due to the lack of a party system, UF was forced to use the in-game ladder system to conduct the wars. When asked about the best-of-3 format for wars a few of the clan reps had this to say. darth_cedaus from Canadian Killing Squad said, “Love the best of 3 format. Much better than the 1-map wars back in the day.†ShadowOfaSolja from Threat Neutralizing Unit said, “Best of 3 is the only way to go †With a party system just around the corner, we will found out whether or not traditional 1-map per war formats will ever be possible again. None of the clan reps had too much other to say about the tournament other than they really appreciate the great sportsmanship shown by UF clans. Respecting all of the rules set forth by tournament staff, participating clan are able to play Socom 4 without having to worry about exploits, cheating, Grenade Launchers, or Double Rounding in Bomb Squad. Time will tell as we see how the wars play out to determine the winner of the first Socom Endurance Campaign. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Nathan Grayson @ VG247.com. Oh sure, you laugh when, say, Square Enix registers a domain for Final Fantasy XXVII, but who’s laughing now? Certainly not Activision. The domain “Modernwarfare3.com†doesn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination. Given the title, you pretty much know what you’re in for. Or do you? Try clicking it. Ok, now rub your eyes, spit out your coffee, and pinch yourself. Done? Wow, you looked really silly just now. This is why you don’t take advice from videogame articles. So, tophats, curly mustaches, and giant super lasers for everyone at EA, right? Don’t get your hopes up. Often as EA’s been accused of proclivity for evil-doing, the publisher’s not actually prone to maniacal website-napping hostage schemes. Odds are, some Battlefield mega-fan snatched up the precious domain and tied it to the train tracks. You’ll remember, of course, that Modernwarfare4.com is in a similar boat, except with more, er, clowns. At any rate, we’ve asked EA about any potential involvement with this bout of modern cyberwarfare and will let you know as soon as we hear back. Thanks, Game Informer. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Another month of post-release play is in the books for SOCOM 4, and your help in tracking down issues and exploits for us has been an invaluable resource as we continue to move forward with updates. This latest patch, scheduled for deployment this morning, July 12, during our regular maintenance window, is definitely our most exciting yet! Boasting the long-awaited activation of our SOCOM Party system, we’ve made playing with your friends much more convenient. We’ve also included a number of other additions and alterations which you can read about in our patch notes below. This isn’t all the SOCOM info we have planned for the summer of course, as you’ll want to check back with us throughout the season as we return with details regarding what to expect in our next patch as well as the official announcement and details of our upcoming downloadable content. In the meantime, enjoy the latest SOCOM revision and have fun storming enemy lines! SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs v1.04 July 12, 2011 | TPPS: 42 MB, DLS: 11 MB Gameplay - Added “Party†system to primary multiplayer interface which allows players to invite other users to play with them in a persistent group until disbanded (up to 16 total players) - Fixed bug that sometimes prevented Bomb Squad and Uplink matches to end properly despite one team winning the required number of rounds - Players who do not have SOCOM Pro can now “Scavenge†Pro-associated weapons on the battlefield for a limited time use (does not unlock them permanently) Weapons and Gear - Added additional weapon “knock†to single and burst-fire modes for all weapons to limit possible rapid-fire exploits Interface - Games played under “Classic†rules now implement an “open†mic system for players in the Spectator lobby - Added “open†mic functionality to all transition screens for games played under “Classic†rules - Added “Games Played†statistics for SOCOM Pro maps - Fixed issue that caused post-game text to display incorrectly at the end of a round or match Technical - Added functionality to allow all Gametypes to support independent XP bonuses - Mics are now muted for the first five seconds of every round to reduce echo/ feedback from mass “round start†messages - Implemented a number of stability fixes More...

Story by Scott Grill @ Examiner.com A new Batman: Arkham City trailer featuring the Riddler landed this morning and Rocksteady Studios is dangling a reward to challenge fans to solve them by this Friday. Some intrepid fans at the Arkham City Community forums have already solved one of the easier clues in the in the trailer. The trailer contains the following words with numbers in the middle. ridd(9)le m(1)e t(13)his Wh(2)at doe(5)s (20)it t(20)ake t(5)o kee(18)p a(20) Shar(8)p Pup(1)pet o(14)n (25)a Str(15)ange str(21)ing? Taking the numbers out reveals the following numbers which match up to letters in the alphabet: 9 1 13 2 5 20 20 5 18 25 8 1 14 20 15 21 i a m b e t t e r t h a n y o u So, Riddler is telling Batman, “I am better than you.” That’s not particularly revealing as Riddler’s ego has always led him to take on the Dark Knight to prove his superior intellect. However, community manager Sarah May said that a tougher clue resides in the trailer still waiting to be found and promises a reward if it is found by the end of the week. Good work guys, however there is one other more complex clue/riddle in there that will really test to see if you are smarter than a bat. Work it out by FRIDAY and I will release a never seen before Riddler asset. As for the “Riddle me this. What does it take to keep a Sharp puppet on a Strange string?” text in the clue provided above, we suggest checking out the recently released Batman: Arkham City comics to gain a better understanding of the dynamic between Mayor Sharp and Hugo Strange. You can find the clues in the Riddler trailer for Batman: Arkham City yourself below[/url]. Rocksteady wants you to post your answers at the community forums. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Systemlink.me PSN Pass, since its half-hearted reveal, has had nothing but bad press. And we’re about to add to that, as Sony’s new online scheme sets sights on something very close to our hearts; gaming rentals. There’s nothing wrong with renting a game. You get the benefit of testing a new release before deciding whether you want to splash out on a copy all for yourself. The downside is the fact you only have a limited timeframe in which the enjoy the title. Having been an avid video game renter for a number of years now, I was understandably disappointed when EA titles needed a code to input before you could play online. EA supplied no code with any rental copy, thus anyone renting the game could not play multiplayer. Now, Sony looks to be doing the exact same thing. A Sony representative told us: If the ‘Network Pass’ has not been activated, then it is possible for the consumer renting the game to access the online functionality. However, if it has already been activated, the consumer still has the choice to either play without online functionality or to purchase a ‘Network Pass’. It is important to note that most, if not all, rental services do not pack a code of any sort – when renting a game, you just get the disc, and that’s all. While it is some respite that the PSN Pass is game specific, Sony isn’t making life for the rental industry any easier. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by IGN.com Burnout Crash Official Gameplay Video. The Game is a Birds-Eye view. In Burnout Crash, players are rewarded for causing traffic chaos by crashing into cars, triggering explosions and destroying everything in sight! Burnout Crash packs countless hours of reckless chaos into an easy to pick up, but difficult to master gameplay experience. There are three explosive game modes available across 18 crash junctions in six unique locations, each requiring different skills and strategies to maximize damage and destroy everything in sight. With a variety of player vehicles to unlock, high-value targets to seek and destroy, and crazy surprise features to discover, players will be hooked on an adrenaline-fueled rampage to the top of the Crashwall. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Owen Good @ Kotaku.com. A group of Call of Duty glitchers has been called back to Infinity Ward to help the studio test and shore up the game’s multiplayer, according to the gang’s leader. This isn’t the first time mapMonkeys have assisted on a Call of Duty project, according to founder Rezzzo. He says members had been flown to test Call of Duty: World at War and Modern Warfare 2. If you’re recalling all sorts of glitches or exploits in those games, “we only had two or three days to test the game and find glitches, which wasn’t nearly enough time,” Rezzzo says. “This time, Infinity Ward is keeping us there an entire week so we can find more bugs and glitches than ever before!” His post on a mapMonkeys forum says they arrived at the testing location today. “I know this goes against mapMonkeys since we thrive off of finding and sharing glitches with each other,” Rezzzo says, “but this is an amazing opportunity we can’t pass up!” Ah, poor glitchers, sold out by one of their own for an advance peek at a game. Kotaku left a message Saturday for an Infinity Ward representative. It was not immediately returned. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...