Commander Fury

F.E.A.R. 3 was originally planned for a winter 2010 release, then pushed to March, then pushed to May. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is pushing the PS3/PC/360 release yet again, to June 24 in North America, June 27 in Europe.) Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Ubisoft’s new Call of Juarez game, the one that features modern day cowboys and a Mexican drug war, has a new trailer, full of adult language, graphic violence, strip clubs, cockblocks and other things that may render it NSFW. But this new preview for Call of Juarez: The Cartel will get you up to speed on Techland’s big action adventure, due to hit the PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360 sometime this summer. If gang members, car chases and catchphrase cliches aren’t your thing—maybe you’re an Old West era Call of Juarez fan—The Cartel may not be for you. However, if you’re looking for more games featuring barely clothed pole dancers this summer, know that Duke Nukem Forever isn’t the only ticket in town. Again, there’s some objectionable content in here, so watch with caution. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Witness! Cleveland has a new — and most unlikely — sports icon in Peyton Hillis, who has been voted to the cover of Madden 12. Hillis, the could-be star running back for the Browns, trounced Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in the final round of EA Sports’ five-week, bracket-style cover competition. Hosted in collaboration with ESPN, the vote-driven promotion featured a player representative from 31 one of the NFL’s 32 teams and … the Seahawks fans (who were eliminated in the first round). Hillis’ inspiring run, no doubt propelled by the passionate (desperate?) Cleveland fans that have been aggressively campaigning across social media networks, included defeating Green Bay Packers QB and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers, the bracket’s #1 overall seed. “I didn’t think I had a shot,” said the humble Hillis during ESPN’s “SportsNation” show this afternoon, during which the winner was announced. Both Hillis and Vick were present on set for segments of the hour-long episode, doing their best to remain composed and engaged in the topics presented by hosts Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd, while a countdown timer ticked away. With the lights dimmed, Cowherd excitedly announced that “almost 13 million people voted” before he declared Hillis as the winner. The beefy back was then awkwardly goaded on by the two hosts, and even Vick, to show his “guns” as the show cut out for SportsCenter. [Note: Not official cover art.] Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

As Scooby Doo keeps saying, “wuh rohâ€. Microsoft’s put into affect a service alert for Xbox Live. Currently, the service as it is as well as Marketplace and the Account segments on the Xbox website are greenlit, but Matchmaking currently has a red light beside it in relation to “potential phishing attempts†on Modern Warfare 2. It reads: “Users may receive potential phishing attempts via title specific messaging while playing Modern Warfare 2. “We are aware of the problem and are working to resolve the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience†It comes following a week of horrowing problems for PlayStation Network and the now week-long outage it has lasted. Sony last night confirmed that hackers had gained access to PSN account information, such as names, addresses, passwords and, potentially, credit card details. PSN was taken offline last week following the detection of an “external intrusionâ€. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Hey, here’s some good news about a new online service coming out on a console that can currently use online services! That’ll be nice for a change. According to a legit-looking scan of the June issue of OXM, Hulu Plus will launch on Xbox 360 on April 29 — this very Friday. The last official word was “spring.” According to the magazine (if, of course, the “magazine” isn’t a well-executed fake) Microsoft will promote the launch with a contest, wherein each week from April 29 through May 30, prizes will be awarded to randomly chosen Hulu Plus users. The prizes range from Beaches Resort trips to free Xbox 360 bundles and Hulu Plus subscriptions. We’ve contacted Microsoft, but the company has yet to confirm or deny this report. Everyone there is probably having a TV party. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal is “demanding answers” about why Sony Computer Entertainment of America failed to inform customers of the data breach of the PlayStation Network on April 20. “When a data breach occurs, it is essential that customers be immediately notified about whether and to what extent their personal and financial information has been compromised,” Blumenthal said in a release. “Compounding this concern is the troubling lack of notification from Sony about the nature of the data breach.” Of course, Sony just issued a statement that it says will be emailed to “all of our registered account holders” but, as we noted in our post, it’s been nearly six days since the “intrusion” first took place. Blumenthal elaborated, “Although the breach occurred nearly a week ago, Sony has not notified customers of the intrusion, or provided information that is vital to allowing individuals to protect themselves from identity theft, such as informing users whether their personal or financial information may have been compromised.” Sen. Blumenthal also sent a letter to SCEA President and CEO Jack Tretton, you can see it below: April 26, 2011 Mr. Jack Tretton President and CEO Sony Computer Entertainment America 919 East Hillsdale Boulevard Foster City, CA USA 94404 Dear Mr. Tretton: I am writing regarding a recent data breach of Sony’s PlayStation Network service. I am troubled by the failure of Sony to immediately notify affected customers of the breach and to extend adequate financial data security protections. It has been reported that on April 20, 2011, Sony’s PlayStation Network suffered an “external intrusion” and was subsequently disabled. News reports estimate that 50 million to 75 million consumers – many of them children – access the PlayStation Network for video and entertainment. I understand that the PlayStation Network allows users to store credit card information online to facilitate the purchasing of content such as games and movies through the PlayStation Network. A breach of such a widely used service immediately raises concerns of data privacy, identity theft, and other misuse of sensitive personal and financial data, such as names, email addresses, and credit and debit card information. When a data breach occurs, it is essential that customers be immediately notified about whether and to what extent their personal and financial information has been compromised. Additionally, PlayStation Network users should be provided with financial data security services, including free access to credit reporting services, for two years, the costs of which should be borne by Sony. Affected individuals should also be provided with sufficient insurance to protect them from the possible financial consequences of identity theft. I am concerned that PlayStation Network users’ personal and financial information may have been inappropriately accessed by a third party. Compounding this concern is the troubling lack of notification from Sony about the nature of the data breach. Although the breach occurred nearly a week ago, Sony has not notified customers of the intrusion, or provided information that is vital to allowing individuals to protect themselves from identity theft, such as informing users whether their personal or financial information may have been compromised. Nor has Sony specified how it intends to protect these consumers. PlayStation Network users deserve more complete information on the data breach, as well as the assurance that their personal and financial information will be securely maintained. I appreciate your prompt response on this important issue. Sincerely, /s/ Richard Blumenthal United States Senate Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Activision has announced that zombie mode included with Black Ops’ Escalation Map Pack is not only titled Call of the Dead, but it stars horror vet George Romero in it, among others. Other stars include The Walking Dead’s resident racist thug, Michael Rooker, as well as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund, and Robert Rodriguez’s cousin and go-to guy, Danny Trejo. “Our latest zombie creation, Call of the Dead, is unreal,†said Treyarch head Mark Lamia. “We set out to create an exciting new zombie experience for fans of the genre that takes Zombies to an insane new level.†“This is Treyarch’s tribute to the legendary George Romero, who truly defined the zombie genre and whose incredible work has been such an inspiration to our team,†added the game’s director Dave Anthony. “It was an absolute honor to work with such an amazing and talented cast whose passion and energy brought their characters instantly to life. Fans are going to love this.†The Call of the Dead zombie level will launch first on Xbox Live May 3 with the Escalation Map Pack. No word yet on when it will hit PC and PS3. Enjoy the video and screens below. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Sony moves to stop hackers from download PSN content for free, claims report. The past five days of PlayStation Network down time was sparked by a new PS3 hack that let users download PSN content for free spurring Sony to pull the plug. That’s according to new a speculative report that suggests the release of a hacked custom firmware which enables the downloading of PSN content for free is at the root of the ongoing issue. The report highlights that a custom firmware, known as ‘Rebug’, was released on March 31 which, in brief, gives retail PS3s most of the options and functionality of a debug (or developer) PS3 unit. A week later, tutorials appeared detailing a way in which users could use this firmware to download PSN content for free using fake (NOT stolen) credit card numbers. Apparently, hackers “found out that you could provide fake CC# info and the authenticity of the information was never checked as you were on Sony’s private developer PSN network (essentially a network that Sony trusted).” Piracy ensued, which is what triggered Sony’s decision to shut down PSN, speculates the report, going against common suspicion that the severs had simply failed due to a direct attack from disgruntled hackers. The report also says “no one’s personal information was accessible via this hack. Not to say they couldn’t get it, but no one is admitting to it being available,” backing up other reports today that the risk of credit card theft via PSN is ‘not substantial’. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

After taking a little “R&R“…Urgent Frequency returns with another special “live…on location” episode. We help the rest of the world celebrate the Midnight Launch of both SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs (Zipper Interactive) & Mortal Kombat (NetherRealm/WBIE). Plus we have not one…but TWO exclusive interviews with [sHO] Shadow Ops & [101] 101st Screaming Eagles…Urgent Fury‘s latest set of champions!!! Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

<div> The PlayStation Network has been down for a few days now and it has undoubtedly resulted in a large percentage of the PSN’s userbase restless; most PSN users will be looking for some sort of reimbursement from Sony – especially due to the fact that gamers missed out on playing Mortal Kombat and Portal 2 More...

There are a lot of big games coming out over the next year but the one I am personally looking foward to the most is the PS3 exclusive *Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception on November 11th. The Uncharted series has always been renowned for it’s single player storylines an game play but in the second installment Naughty Dog Studios took some extra time and incorporated a pretty fun array of multiplayer options and it looks like they expanded on that for Uncharted 3. Uncharted 3′s Multiplayer game modes and game play are revealed for the first time, including split-screen, co-op multiplayer, customizability and more! Check out this quick montage of what awaits us (Please ignore the “music” unless you are into to it, then by all means rock out!). One of my favorite aspects of the new multiplayer is it allows splitscreen (something that I find severely lacking in most big releases these days) and the kicker is something that other gaming systems (Xbox) have been doing since the begininning. Namely players will have the ability to sign in with their own individual Playstation Network I.D.s while playing split screen. About friggin’ time! Here is a list of some of the new multiplayer game types and gimmicks to look forward too: Free-for-All: Classic you versus everyone else, now with 8 players total Power Plays: Gives the leading team more moolah but the losing team gets more chances for kills, something of a balancing system Medal Kickbacks: When you find treasure on the map you have the ability to use it to buy temporary boosters Overtime & Sudden Death: If a match is ridiculously close an additional minute may be added, but if it still ends in a tie it is last man standing who gets the win Buddie Boosters: Playing co-op? Now there are special perks built specially for the duo that loves destruction! Customizability: In the video you caught a glimpse of this but you will have hundreds of options from characters to wardrobe, weapon load outs and modifications, variety is the spice of life! Cinematic Multiplayer: Uncharted games are known for being cinematic, but with new 2-player co-op gaming options that movie-like experience is coming to multiplayer. You saw the runway map in the video? That is what this is all about! Highfives: Yup, i know I will have fun with that! Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

A Microsoft representative has issued a statement to Electronic Theatre regarding the ongoing PSN issues, which are plaguing users worldwide. The representative of Microsoft’s distribution network said they felt bad for gamers, but at the same time, expects it to be of some benefit to Xbox Live. “Of course it’s regretful that Sony is encountering issues at such a busy time, and Microsoft takes no joy in the problems gamers are having playing their favourite games online,†said the representative. “That being said, we are expecting Microsoft’s robust online network to see an increase of traffic from those gamers who own both systems. Being able to play their games via the Xbox Live network could make all the difference for some gamers, and the Xbox Nations event will allow all of them to do just that – whether they have a Gold subscription or not.†When asked if Microsoft would see an increase in sales of the Xbox 360 console or game titles, such as the recently released Portal 2 or Operation Flashpoint: Red River, due to the issues faced by PSN users, the representative refused to offer comment. Microsoft’s launched its*Xbox Nations online event yesterday, which brings along a free Xbox Live weekend, and has various games, music and movies and avatar items on discount. The Playstation Network has been down for more than 48 hours now, with Sony recently issuing a*statement, which confirmed it has taken it offline due to an “external intrusionâ€. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Those who haven’t played previous versions of the F.E.A.R. series and are confused as to what the hell is going on with Alma and her dysfunctional family, should check the video and get verses in this strange, and screwed up universe. For the rest of you, who have played previous titles devoted to Alma and her psychotic ways, consider it a refresher course. F.E.A.R. 3 is out next month for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC from Day 1 Studios. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Suprised to see an update come across today, but Travis Steiner, Lead Designer at Zipper Interactive for Socom 4 changed his Facebook Status today. He is now with a startup.*We can only assume*that it is with a gaming community, Travis is sure to bring some great experience to the table. His work history also includes Sierra Entertainment working on one of my favorite PC games growing up, Police Quest: SWAT. Good luck Travis. This comes as bit of a shock less than a week after the release of Socom 4 though. There have been mixed feelings amoungs Socom veterans about the game. Many are just not liking it, while many say if a few things are fixed it will be great and then there are the many that are very happy with Socom 4. We do agree there are a few things to tweak, but overall, the Urgent Fury community is once again addicted to another Socom release. Now if we can only get PSN up and running, we can get back to playing the Shooter that started it all on consoles. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

Ubisoft largely swapped core for casual last year, but the European juggernaut is bringing it back in FY2012 with a new Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon, and a number of delightful surprises. Despite a quiet release schedule, last year the French publisher saw significant performance, with a 21.2 percent year-on-year increase during the holiday quarter. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood was a major factor, but the real stars of Ubisoft’s FY2011 were Just Dance, Michael Jackson: The Experience, and Dance on Broadway. If Ubi can pull performance like that in an off year, just imagine what it can do when it cashes in on its massive, lurking IP potential. Even better, don’t – I’ll just tell you. Here’s what’s going on in Ubisoft’s fiscal 2012. The line-up The first two Ubisoft titles of the year demonstrate the publisher’s commitment to backing a diversity of projects. The Next Big Thing, which releases on April 21, is a point-and-click PC adventure. Despite oodles of charm, it’s not a sure bet by any means, but Ubi will probably never drop fringe PC support. Unusual platformer Outland will hit console networks right at the end of April, too. In mid-May we’ll see a pair of licensed titles, SBK World Championship 2011 and National Geographic Collection!, both multi-platform releases. At the end of May, expect another dancing title, although with slightly narrower appeal than Ubi’s big music titles – Let’s Dance with Mel B. On June 17 we’ll finally get our hands on Child of Eden, the beautiful on-rails successor to Rez. Only the Xbox 360 release is confirmed as yet, with and without Kinect support, but the PlayStation 3 version is slated to turn up before the end of the second quarter. Another reliable licensed performer trots out for its regular airing – Might & Magic: Heroes VI. We can expect it to be bought by the same group of PC RPG fans who bought the previous five. It’s out June 24, along with platformer Cubic Ninja. Sometime in the summer morass, Ubi will let free the recently-revealed PowerUp Heroes, a Kinect-based fighting game with online or local multiplayer and character progression. Mining the back catalogue, Ubisoft adds to its PlayStation Classics HD collection with the Splinter Cell Trilogy. No word on date for this, or for Call of Juarez: The Cartel, beyond a vague “summerâ€. In August, we’ll see The Smurfs on Wii and DS, a tie-in with the upcoming film. As the year cools down, we start to see some real action. Driver San Francisco reboots the classic series in September on major platforms. It’s accompanied by Driver Renegade as one of Ubi’s few original titles for 3DS, although it’s not locked down beyond a third calendar quarter. Speaking of the 3DS, James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes is due around the same time in the Christmas wind up. The fourth calendar quarter brings us Anno 2070, the latest in a long and successful series of PC-exclusive city building sims. Ubisoft’s BlueByte studio is partnering with Related Designs – of which Ubi owns 30 percent – on development. The biggest confirmed Ubi title for the rest of the year is without doubt Ghost Recon Future Soldier for PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s possible this will slip to early 2012, but it’s unlikely: Ubi pushed this out of FY2011 along with Driver, and it’s the IP’s tenth anniversary this year. Expect the publisher to make a lot of Ghost Recon-related noise at E3. Into vaguer territory now, sneaking (ha!) in somewhere before the end of the year, we’ll get another Assassin’s Creed game. We know MMO specialists Ubisoft Massive and Brotherhood contributors Ubisoft Annecy are in on the act, and that Ubi expect the game before the end of FY2012, but that’s about it. Ubi promised a reveal in May during its Q3 financials, so we’ll no doubt see it at E3. Assassin’s Creed is Ubi’s major core IP: we will see this in the calendar year. And the rest That’s not a bad year’s lineup, especially in comparison to the previous twelve months, but Ubi’s in push mode now. E3 and gamescom will almost certainly see some shocks. Rayman Origins, an episodic remaining of what was once Ubi’s most iconic series, has been strongly teased for E3. We know Nadeo is set to give a decent showing of TrackMania 2 at last, and we can certainly count on a number of dancing-related reveals and announces on top of the usual experimental fun, but little birds tell me we’re in for more than that. Take a glance over Ubisoft’s portfolio and you’ll see a number of names in need a good dusting off. If we don’t get several major action announces at E3 there will be a worldwide shortage of hats as everyone eats theirs. In the less certain but even more hopeful category, this must be the year Ubi draws the curtain back on Beyond Good & Evil 2. Unless the console network re-release has utterly panned, it’s the impetus the publisher needs to declare that this is the time. We’ll probably get another look at Eric Chahi’s From Dust, too, and don’t forget about Far Cry 3, although a reveal this year isn’t likely. Alas, Ubi Shanghai’s I Am Alive has vanished into the mists for the moment; I wouldn’t count on any more information this year. And the next Splinter Cell? Not yet. Just watch E3. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

The PS3 version of Sniper: Ghost Warrior may still be coming “soon,†but at least there’s a video of it below with people’s heads exploding. The 360 and PC versions of the City Interactive shooter managed 1 million units between June 2010 and February this year, so keep an eye on it, PS3-only super warriors. Check it out. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

The PlayStation 3’s motto is “It only does everything,†but since last night, when the entire PlayStation Network went offline for some as-yet-unknown reason, it might be more accurate to say “it only does some things.” So which things can you still do with your PlayStation 3? The PlayStation 3 Can Still… Access The Internet: Although the PlayStation Network is borked, your PS3 console should still be able to access the internet as if nothing is wrong. Play Single-Player Games: As far as I am aware, there are no single-player games that require a functioning PlayStation Network in order to work. You should still be able to play single-player games you downloaded in the the past as well. Play Local Multi-Player: This is the perfect opportunity to get a friend on your couch and re-experience the joy of couch co-op. Earn Trophies: Although you won’t be able to show off your accomplishments to your pals, you’ll still be able to earn ‘em. Presumably, when the PlayStation Network is back up, (which could take as long as two days), your friends will be able to see your new single-player trophies. Play Blu-Ray Discs And DVDs: You’ll still be able to watch Monsters Inc. on BlueRay, don’t worry, and that’s almost as good as playing Portal 2′s co-op, right? Stream Media From Your Computer: If you use your PS3 to watch movies or play music stored on your PC, you’ll still be able to enjoy it. The PlayStation 3 Can Not… Play Any Games Online: As far as I am aware, any game that features online play cannot work without the PlayStation Network, rendering some online-only games like MAG totally unplayable. Access Steam: With the launch of Portal 2 earlier this week, Steam access has been added to the PSN, but because you can’t access the PSN, no Steam for you. Access the PlayStation Store: You won’t be able to buy new downloadable games or content until the PSN goes back up. Access “Cloud-Saved†Games: Portal 2 for the PS3 allows users to store their games in the proverbial clouds, for retrieval on any PS3 that’s connected to the PlayStation Network… which means no PS3 on Earth, at this second. Enter PlayStation Home: Not being able to sign on to the PlayStation Network means not being able to visit your fake virtual Home home either. Play Netflix Movies: You won’t be able to watch Netflix without logging into the PSN, and don’t try to get clever and access Netflix with the PS3’s web browser; it won’t work. You’ll be told the PS3 browser doesn’t support streaming. Bummer, man. Play Hulu Content: Ditto Make Toast: This is the case whether the PSN works or not, but it still makes me mad. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) Urgent Fury Command: More...

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...