NEWS #1 Warcraft Seizure

Some swedish dude played Lich King for 27 hours in a row and then ended up having a seizure.

“Doctors told the father that his son’s bodily systems had been disrupted by a combination of sleep deprivation, lack of food, and the prolonged period of concentration playing the game.”

Now, the big question is… who is to blame? The game? Or the father for letting the son play for 27 hours in a row? Or the son for not feeding himself during a 27 hour click-fest?

I blame myself. I had never really tested my proton accelerator before using it…

Bah. The human  being is an addictive animal - 27 hours in a row of anything apart sleeping will probably kill you… or make you feel like crap… let’s think about it:

1. 27 hours of studying… not good. Then you have teen students falling asleep behind the wheel as they go home…
2. 27 hours of reading - say hello to your new glasses.
3. 27 hours of exercising. I think you died around hour 8 but your body just kept on going.
4. 27 hours of food & wine. No comment.
5. 27 hours of cricket. If you didnt die, your soul probably did.

Still, from the Telegraph:

Dr Richard Graham, a child psychiatrist at the Tavistock Centre, warned last week that some young people were damaging their social and mental development by playing the game for up to 16 hours at a time.

“The problem with World of Warcraft is the degree it can impact and create a socially withdrawn figure who may be connecting with people in the game and is largely dropping out of education, social opportunities,” he said.

More news about this: here, here, here and here.

NEWS #2 GTA 5 Subscription Based

From 1Up:

At the same BMO Capital Markets’ conference last week in New York where he gave an update on upcoming GTAIV DLC and Chinatown Wars, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick offered a glimpse further down the road. In his “Negative Approach” blog for cnet, Dave Rosenberg related these remarks from Zelnick:

The Holy Grail is taking a business, already a very large and successful business that’s focused on packaged goods…and turning that into a subscription business or a semi subscription business where we have an ongoing relationship with consumers, giving them products that they want. Who’s better positioned to do that than the company that has the top franchises?

Comments anybody?

News #3 NEW Xbox Live Look

Just a few hours to go…

A turkish inmate managed to mail himself out of a german prison.

Solid Snake approves.

More info at joystiq.

From the email Blizzard sent me “personally” regarding WOTLK:

With the launch of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the winds of change will blow from the frozen north and sweep across the face of Azeroth, altering it forever. For the first time in the history of the land, death knights will ride side-by-side with heroes of the noble Alliance and the mighty Horde. Spellcasters and melee combatants will unlock the power of glyphs and scrolls from the all-new inscription profession. And player-vs.-player battlefields will ignite with the exploding payloads of siege catapults, goblin shredders, and gnomish flying machines.

Azeroth will never be the same again.

To help you prepare for the epic changes coming with the second World of Warcraft expansion, the Blizzard Insider has crafted this special Wrath of the Lich King primer. We’ve gathered and distilled all of the essential information you need to know for day one of the expansion into one handy compendium.

So read on, for the air grows cold, and soon you will ride into the jaws of Northrend!

Getting Started in Northrend

Once the expansion launches, expect general chat to bubble with questions about how to get to and from the continent of Northrend. Ignore the fallacious rumors of the flight path from Shattrath City. Do not attempt the swim from Azshara. Here’s how to embark upon your epic journey to the roof of the world:

Horde

· Take the Undercity zeppelin tower to Howling Fjord

· Take the Orgrimmar zeppelin tower to Borean Tundra
Alliance

· Take the Menethil Harbor warship to Howling Fjord

· Take the Stormwind Harbor steamship to Borean Tundra
You’ll notice that you have a choice of beachheads in Northrend: Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord, which lie on opposite ends of the continent. Borean Tundra is a frozen landscape marked by coastal barrens, glaciers, and mineral-encrusted hot springs. Howling Fjord is a temperate forest perched atop some of the sheerest seaward cliffs in all of Azeroth. Whichever starting point you choose, arrive with your blades sharpened and your mana replenished. Battle will find you soon enough.

If you ever need to travel back and forth between Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord to group with comrades on the other side of the continent, you can hitch a ride on the turtle boat that is run by a tribe of neutral tuskarr. Note that you will not be able to ride a flying mount in Northrend until you have mastered the cold-weather flying skill at level 77, nor is it advisable to attempt the dash across Dragonblight until you have honed your skills in less dangerous areas.

To get an overview of the harsh new terrain opening up in Wrath of the Lich King, visit the interactive map of Northrend on the official World of Warcraft site.

Dungeons

Many are the dark and guarded tunnels, ruins, and towers of Northrend. Still, reliable scouting reports of the continent are scarce, and so this primer will cover only the first two dungeons that you are likely to encounter in the course of your adventures.

Utgarde Keep – Situated in Howling Fjord, the vast fortress of Utgarde Keep looms over Daggercap Bay. Here, vrykul loyal to the Scourge gather their armies to attack nearby Horde and Alliance settlements. A full description of the lore and background of Utgarde Keep can be found in the Wrath of the Lich King Utgarde Keep preview.

The Nexus – Magically infused rings of gigantic size loom over Coldarra in the Borean Tundra. Here, the Dragon Aspect Malygos has begun his efforts to siphon the magical energies from Azeroth and ultimately deny arcane power to all mortal spellcasters. Opposed by the Kirin Tor of Dalaran, Malygos and his blue dragonflight guard the gates of this mysterious tower. Further details on this dungeon are available in the Wrath of the Lich King Nexus preview.

Death Knights

Descending from Ebon Hold in the Eastern Plaguelands, the death knight is an all-new playable class that wields the necromantic powers of blood, frost, and unholy runes. With a predilection for two-handed weapons and heavy plate armor, the death knight is best suited to fill tanking and DPS roles within a group.

As World of Warcraft’s first hero class, the death knight stands apart from other classes, and special circumstances and rules surround its creation, progression, and management. Players can only create a death knight on a realm on which they have at least one level-55 or higher character, and they can only create one death knight at a time on any given realm. All races are able to start as death knights, who begin play at level 55 with basic gear and no mount. At first, death knights are bound to the service of the Lich King — and before they are able to group with members of the Horde or Alliance, they must find a way to break free from Arthas’ control.

For those seeking a more detailed look at the creation and management of death knights, visit the full death knight creation FAQ on the official forums.

There are many more facets to World of Warcraft’s first hero class — such as how death knights will augment tactics in PvP battlegrounds or what role they will ultimately play in the inevitable showdown with the Lich King — but you’ll have to discover them for yourself as you make your way through Northrend. In the meantime, check out the death knight gameplay preview to get a better idea of the skills and powers wielded by this formidable new class.

Glyphs and the Inscription Profession

Players with the inscription profession can ply their trade to create scrolls and glyphs. The scrolls scribed via the inscription profession are similar to scrolls commonly found throughout Azeroth — meaning they offer a one-time, limited-duration boost to a character’s abilities.

Glyphs, on the other hand, are permanent and offer an entirely new way to customize characters. These magical runes are infused with energies that permanently augment a character’s existing abilities and powers. Common examples include glyphs that decrease the amount of mana required for a specific spell, increase the damage done by a particular ability, or add a bonus buff or other effect to a skill.

There are several things you should keep in mind when dealing with glyphs:

· A new tab has been added to the spellbook to attach glyphs and show you which glyphs are currently in use. If you want to use a glyph to augment a spell, simply navigate to this tab and use a glyph from your inventory on any available glyph slot.

· All level-80 characters will be able to use up to six glyphs at any given time — three minor glyphs and three major glyphs. These slots gradually become available as a character progresses through levels, so be sure to check the glyph tab regularly to see what you’ve unlocked.

· Most — but not all — glyphs can be traded or bought and sold on the auction house. In addition, practitioners of the inscription profession can create special vellums that enchanters can use to trade and sell certain enchantments.

· Similar to jewelcrafting gems, glyphs cannot be removed once they have been applied. They can only be overwritten and replaced by other glyphs.
For players just getting started in the inscription profession, herbalism would make an ideal supplement, as most of the components needed to create scrolls and glyphs are derived from the flora of Azeroth and Outland. For further details on inscription, be sure to check out the inscription guide on the official World of Warcraft site.

Alliance and Horde Factions

The Alliance and Horde have each mobilized their forces to fight the mounting threat of the Scourge. Although these two valiant armies share a common enemy, they still vie against each other for control of Northrend’s territories and resources — particularly around the zone of Wintergrasp, where all-out war has erupted between the longtime rivals. The heroes of Azeroth must contend not only with the Lich King, but also with one another.

Here is a list of the Alliance and Horde factions and sub-factions that have joined the front line in Northrend:

Alliance Vanguard – Recognizing the threat posed by Arthas’ latest aggressive actions, the Alliance Vanguard represents a larger campaign dedicated to halting the Scourge in Northrend before the undead menace can spread further southward.

· Valiance Expedition – The Valiance Expedition is the Alliance Vanguard’s main military presence in Northrend. Dedicated to the destruction of the Lich King, the Valiance Expedition contains several of the Alliance’s greatest heroes, including King Varian Wrynn himself.

· Explorers’ League – The Explorers’ League is a predominantly dwarven faction committed to uncovering new territory, discovering ancient ruins, and compiling the history of Azeroth. The league has joined forces with the Alliance Vanguard in the hopes of recovering lost artifacts from the forgotten reaches of Northrend.

· The Silver Covenant – This group of high elves represents the Alliance in Dalaran, the floating city hovering above Crystalsong Forest in Northrend. The Silver Covenant opposes the entry of the blood elves into the Kirin Tor, the council of elite magi that rules Dalaran.

· The Frostborn – These frost dwarves, native to the Storm Peaks, have welcomed their southern cousins and agreed to join the Alliance Vanguard in its stand against the Lich King.

Horde Expedition – After the Scourge’s latest attack on Orgrimmar, the Horde has organized a counteroffensive against the Lich King. The following sub-factions have joined the Horde Expedition:

· The Warsong Offensive – Led by Garrosh Hellscream, the Horde’s main military force has mobilized in Northrend to end the reign of the Lich King forever.

· The Hand of Vengeance – Led by Sylvanas Windrunner, the Hand of Vengeance is comprised of elite Forsaken loyalists dedicated to the utter destruction of the Scourge.

· The Sunreavers – This group of blood elves has agreed to represent the Horde in Dalaran. The Sunreavers campaign to bring their kind into the fold of the Kirin Tor.

· The Taunka – Ancient relatives of the tauren, the taunka have aligned with the Horde Expedition in the hopes of driving the Lich King from their homeland.

Other Factions

In addition to the factions loyal to the Horde and the Alliance, many other groups both native and foreign can be found throughout Northrend.

When advancing your standing with these outlying factions, remember to take advantage of the new championing system. Don the tabard of specific non-Horde and non-Alliance factions in Wrath of the Lich King, and you will be able to improve your reputation with that faction by defeating a wide range of enemies in their name. Be sure to ask around to find the tabard of any faction with which you wish to gain standing.

Good Luck!

The information in this primer should serve as a solid foundation for your journey into Northrend. But be warned: Many twists and turns wait along the path to the inevitable showdown with the Lich King, and the way will be dark and treacherous.

We leave you now with these words of warning, spoken by the Lich King Arthas Menethil himself:

“Young heroes, I was once like you. You have come to this place seeking to bring judgment upon the damned. You will venture deep into forgotten lands. You will see wonders beyond imagining. But be warned. The land itself will rise up against you. Long-forgotten terrors will smother your courage. Sacrifice everything as the final darkness falls. In the end, all that awaits you is death. Only then will you understand you’ve been following in my footsteps all along.

So come then, you heroes! Come in all your power and glory! For in the final hour, all must serve the one… true… king.”

Ever wanted a life size statue of a Brotherhood of Steel paladin from Fallout 3?

And by lifesize I mean 7 foot tall?

Well - highjacked from Destructoid - this 7 foot beauty you see in the picture went to a passionate Fallout fan for the meager sum of $2507.

Good times!

Believe it or not, somebody had sued Grand Theft Auto San Andreas… wow, I would have never expected that. At least this is a funny lawsuit…

Who sued: The Play Pen - a strip club in LA

Why they sued: cause in GTA SA there is a strip club called “The Pig Pen.” See movie below…

Who won? Good news (thanks Gamasutra and Evil Avatar).

A U.S. federal court has dismissed claims by a strip club owner that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ satirical depiction of the club infringes the club owner’s trademark.

The legal battle, which pits the real-life East Los Angeles establishment The Play Pen against the game’s fictional Pig Pen, has been raging for over three years.
…
“The San Andreas Game is not complementary to the Play Pen; video games and strip clubs do not go together like a horse and carriage or, perish the thought, love and marriage. Nothing indicates that the buying public would reasonably have believed that ESS produced the video game or, for that matter, that Rockstar operated a strip club.”
…
“Undeterred, ESS also argues that, because players are free to ignore the storyline and spend as much time as they want at the Pig Pen, the Pig Pen can be considered a significant part of the Game, leading to confusion. But fans can spend all nine innings of a baseball game at the hot dog stand; that hardly makes Dodger Stadium a butcher’s shop.”

I just love the crack on the Dodger Stadium…

Ah, the horror. From Destructoid, here is  Cliffy B’s most prized possession…

What is it? Well… (from Destructoid)

Apparently, the young Clifford once jokingly told faceplate creator SpaceGhost2K that he would like him to make a plate based on the famously disgusting Internet meme in which a young Japanese girl summons forth a veritable geyser of watery backdoor clay with which to douse herself. Be careful what you wish for. Cliff received this artistic tribute to self-degradation at the Gears 2 launch party.

If you want the full non-pixelated view, plz click here [VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED].

From Kotaku.

You ask, and you receive. Last spring, when faceplate creator extraordinaire SpaceGhost2K attended a Microsoft Spring Showcase in San Francisco, Gears of War’s Dude Huge, AKA the game designer formerly known as CliffyB, told SpaceGhost2K he liked his custom faceplates and jokingly (we think? we hope?) put in a request: TubgIrl. SpaceGhost2K agreed and created a Tubgirl faceplate, which he gave to DH at the Gears 2 launch.

Hit the jump for an uncensored version. It’s anime-style, but should still be stomach churning to those who haven’t erased the original image from their brains. Note: New to the internet and unfamiliar with Tubgirl? Check out this text only Wiki entry. Anyone who posts or links the actual picture in the comments section will get cozy with the brunt end of the Banhammer.

NEWS #2 - New Dead Space DLC

On November 13th, Dead Space will be getting a new load of DLC. From 1Up, here is the list…

Since I already finished it… I really dont know why I would buy this stuff. I hope for more missions/levels in the next DLC, then maybe I’ll buy something to look cooler… dunno. What do you think?

• Astronaut Pack: Download the Astronaut Suit and Weapon Skin Pack, featuring an amazing Astronaut Suit and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper! — $3.00 / 240 MS points
• Big Gun Pack: Download the Steam Punk Force Gun, the ultimate in Necromorph-killing destruction. — $1.00 / 80 MS points
• Heavy Damage Pack: Download the Heavy Damage Weapon pack featuring a cool new look and massive firepower for the Plasma Cutter, Contact Beam, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper. — $3.00 / 240 MS points
• Hot Rod Pack: Download the Hot Rod Weapon Skin Pack, featuring awesome flame graphics for the Flamethrower and Pulse Rifle. — $1.00 / 80 MS points
• Military Pack: Download the Military Weapon Pack for a new look and enhanced power for all 7 Dead Space weapons. — $4.00 / 320 MS points
• Pedestrian Pack: Download the Pedestrian Weapon Skin Pack, featuring a fresh new look for the Contact Beam, Plasma Cutter, and Ripper. — $1.50 / 120 MS points
• Scorpion Pack: Download the Scorpion Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun, all decorated in an awesome red Scorpion Skin. — $4.00 / 320 MS points
• Scorpion Weapon Pack: Download the Scorpion Weapon Pack featuring a faster death-dealing Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun in awesome red skins. — $2.25 / 180 MS points
• Speed Kills Pack: Download the Speed Kills Weapon Pack! Includes faster-firing Force Gun, Line Gun, and Plasma Cutter. — $2.25 / 180 MS points
• Tank Pack: Download the Tank Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Flamethrower, Force Gun, and Line Gun, all covered in Unitology script. — $4.00 / 320 MS points

PLAYSTATION®3 Exclusive Packs:

• Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack: Download the exclusive Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Includes weapon skins in jet-black PLAYSTATION 3 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle. — $1.50
• Obsidian Pack: Download the exclusive Obsidian Suit and Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the PLAYSTATION®3! Includes an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle, all in jet-black PLAYSTATION®3 colors. — $3.00

Xbox 360®-Exclusive Packs:

• Elite Weapon Skin Pack: Download the exclusive Elite Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system! Includes weapon skins in Xbox 360 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle. — 120 MS points
• Elite Pack: Download the exclusive Elite Suit and Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the Xbox 360! Includes an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle in Xbox 360 colors. — 240 MS points

NEWS #3: K-Mart and Sears Black Friday Sales Leaked

If you are planning on buying a lot of gifts and whatnot on black friday you should check out kotaku’s news on the leaked list of games and price points that came out of K-Mart and Sears.

 

K-Mart

 

2 Pack Wii Games - $16.99

 

3 Pack PS2 Games - $9.99

 

Animal Crossing Wii - $49.99

 

Guitar Hero III Bundle PS3 - $54.99

 

Guitar Hero III Bundle Wii - $54.99

 

Guitar Hero III Bundle Xbox 360 - $54.99

 

Limited Edition Ratchest & Clank PSP Bundle - $199.99

 

Mario Kart Wii - $49.99

 

Mario Super Smash Bros Wii - $49.99

 

PSP System - $169.99

 

Super Mario Galaxy Wii - $49.99

 

Wii Music - $49.99

 

Wii Play - $49.99

 

Sears

 

Buy Any XBox 360 System And Get A Free XBox 360 Wireless Controller - $0.00

 

Guitar Hero On Tour Decades Bundle For Nintendo DS - $49.99

 

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle For PS2 - $89.99

 

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle For PS3 - $99.99

 

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle For Wii - $99.99

 

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle For Xbox 360 - $99.99

 

Gutar Hero III Bundle For PS3 - $54.99 *

 

Gutar Hero III Bundle For Wii - $54.99 *

 

Gutar Hero III Bundle For Xbox 360 - $54.99 *

 

Nintendo DS - $129.99

 

Nintendo DS Car Adapter - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Figure Skater - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Folio - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Kirby Super Star - $29.99

 

Nintendo DS Mario Party - $29.99

 

Nintendo DS Master Chef - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS New Super Mario - $34.99

 

Nintendo DS Pen Stylus w/Protector - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Petz Hamsterz 2 - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Pokemon Ranger - $29.99

 

Nintendo DS System Glove - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Traveler NDS 125 Bag - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Traveler NDS 300 Case - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Traveler NDS 700 Case - $9.99

 

Nintendo DS Traveler NDS 801 Case - $9.99

 

Nintendo Wii All Star Cheer - $29.99

 

Nintendo Wii Animal Crossing - $49.99

 

Nintendo Wii Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader - $19.99

 

Nintendo Wii Music - $49.99

 

Nintendo Wii Play w/Remote - $49.99

 

Nintendo Wii Rayman Raving Rabbids - $49.99

 

Nintendo Wii SpongeBob SquarePants Globs Doom - $29.99

 

Playstation 3 80GB Console - $399.99

 

Playstation 3 Blu-Ray Remote - $24.99

 

Playstation 3 Component AV Cables - $19.99

 

Playstation 3 DualShock3 Controller - $54.99

 

Playstation 3 Fallout 3 - $59.99

 

Playstation 3 Little Big Planet - $59.99

 

Playstation 3 Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe - $59.99

 

Playstation 3 Resistance 2 - $59.99

 

Special Edition Mario Red or Ice Blue DS - $149.99 *

 

Value Video Games - 20% Off *

 

XBox 360 Call of Duty: World at War - $59.99

 

XBox 360 Fable 2 - $59.99

 

XBox 360 Gears of War 2 - $59.99

 

XBox 360 Pro 60GB Holiday Bundle - $299.99

 

XBox 360 Wireless Controller - $49.99

 

XBox 360 Wireless Network Adapter - $99.99

 

XBox 360 WWE 2009 - $59.99

Street Fighter 4 is coming out shortly - as is a new Street Fighter movie: Street Fighter the Legend of Chun Li.

And to Chun Li we dedicate this web-page shrine - find more art in the gallery at the bottom. These two pics were my favorite ones I found. Which one is yours?

“Yatta’!”

A good chunk of Chin Li art was found at Creative Uncut (great website with loads of videogame art), the rest surfing the web.

NEWS #1: Gameboy iPhone

MacThemes has an awesome new design available for the iPhone. Designed by Rob Sheridan, is the above theme that will give your iPhone the distinctive 80’s gamer look. So if you want to be an O.G. geek, hit MacThemes today.

NEWS #2 Molyneux Interview

If you love Molyneux and Fable 2 you should read his recent and extremely honest interview with Develop.

An excerpt:

Q: A lot of designers do that and think it’s perfectly acceptable, though…

A: True. But look right back at Dungeon Keeper and then through all of my games, you’ll see me do it and talk that kind of thing up.

Q: Such as?

A: Classic example: in Black & White 1, I said that while you were playing it the weather in the game would be the same as it was outside. Now… who really gives a fucking shit about that? What should have been important was how the player felt when playing the game.

NEWS #3 - Fallout 3 Reviews

Fallout 3’s reviews are finally out…from gamerankings.com:

Site Name / Link	Quality	Date	Rating	Ratio
IGN		10/28/2008	9.6 out of 10	96.0%
TeamXbox		10/28/2008	9.4 out of 10	94.0%
GameSpot		10/28/2008	9 out of 10	90.0%
Official Xbox Magazine		12/1/2008	10 out of 10	100.0%
Game Informer		12/1/2008	9.5 out of 10	95.0%
GameSpy		10/28/2008	5 out of 5	100.0%
Eurogamer		10/28/2008	10 out of 10	100.0%
Worth Playing		10/28/2008	9.5 out of 10	95.0%
GameZone		10/28/2008	9.4 out of 10	94.0%
VideoGamer		10/28/2008	9 out of 10	90.0%

Well… this was unexpected…NOT! Bethesda seems to have the RPG formula down to a science, can’t wait to play 100 hours of this.

An excerpt from IGN:

It’s rare that a game can hit the mark in so many different and often conflicting areas. Fallout 3 offers freedom without sacrificing a focused story. It delivers fantastic combat without forgoing a deep role-playing system. The characters you meet are engaging and oftentimes hilarious without feeling out of place in this harsh world. The game has a few flaws — most of them technical — but it’s a case where the whole is greater than the sum. It’s a fantastic game with incredible atmosphere that offers fun in so many different ways that you’re almost sure to get hooked. This is one of the best games you’ll play this year.

As I finished Dead Space there were two moments where I really wondered… “How do I do this…”:

1) How do I place the beacon?

2) How do I get the singularity core?

Here are the answers… (NO STORY SPOILERS HERE)

BEACON:

• Stand on the wall up and to the left of the asteroid.
• Wait for both of the bars to move away and jump onto the asteroid.
• Run to the outside part of the ship - that is where you see a sort of shimmering vacuum around the asteroid.
• Plant the beacon.
• Kill the monsters.
• Use a oxygen can if you didnt upgrade your rig’s O2.
• Break the two tethers that are in outer space. You need to first slow them then aim at the neon light thingy inside them.
• Go back to the area close to space border with inner spaceship and study the bars movement (dont wanna get chopped after all this stress).
• Run back and jump to the safety of a wall ASAP.

SINGULARITY CORE:

• There are hanging engines on either side of the beam you can use kenisis on.
• Move the engines to keep yourself safe.
• Go to the left and move engine forward till you see a fuse box to the right.
• Destroy the fuse box.
• Continue moving using kinesis on the engine and destroying all the fuse boxes you encounter.
• Move back using still the engine as cover.
• Go to the right side and repeat.
• The blasts will die as you destroy the last fuse.
• Take the core.

NEWS #1 - THE WAIT IS OVER

At 2PM today, PST, Tuesday Oct 21 2008, LucasArts and Bioware will be holding a formal press event to announce “the official unveiling of the game that’s been rumored about for years.”

Stay tuned.

NEWS #2 - FABLE 2 CE NERFED

Fable 2’s collector’s edition has been nerfed again…

Not only it lost the cards, the little dolly chotchkie, the whatever stuff nobody needs… But now for those 9 dudes who dont have Xbox Live, it looks like the card that would grant them awesome 2 days of live experience is missing!

AAAARGH!

More details at 1Up.

NEWS #3 - BARBARIAN DIABLO 3 TREE!

Hurra’ for the new Barbarian talent tree you can now find at Diablo3X.

Wonder how the chick barbarian will turnout…

NEWS #1: NO WOW2 (HURRA)

Good News: Next Blizzard MMO will NOT be a set in Azeroth. No Wow 2 then… no Everquest 2 mistake hopefully.

In the words of Morhaime (Blizzard CEO):

“We’re not trying to replace World of Warcraft with this new MMO. We’re trying to create a different massively multiplayer experience, and hopefully World of Warcraft will still be going strong when that one is released.”

NEWS #2 FABLE 2 SPARTAN

If you buy the Fable 2 Collector’s Edition your character will be gifted some pretty crazy items (source Joystiq)

The Spartan Armor (LAME)

The Energy Sword (LAMEer).

NEWS #3 - VADER VS. YODA

In the latest Soul Calibur, Thanks to DLC, you will be able to download Vader or Yoda, whatever is missing to your Xbox 360 or PS3.

Awesome.

—

Source of incredibly beautiful top art, Blizzard Fan Art - author: Emiko Setsuna.

Great news from Neogaf.

According to a new listing on the ESRB’s website (the US based Entertainment Software Rating Board) it looks like Capcom’s most awesome fighting game ever - Marvel vs. Capcom 2- will be coming to Xbox 360 and PS3. See image below.

All bets are that the game will be downloadable… now we only need figure the price!

NEWS #2 - Starcraft 2 will be a Trilogy

Directly from Blizzcon comes the news that Starcraft 2 will be a trilogy… three seperate games that should be released over a 3 year timespan.

1. Terrans: Wings of Liberty
2. Zerg: Heart of the Swarm
3. Protoss: Legacy of the Void

Personally, I never liked playing the Zerg campaign in either the first Stacraft and in Brood Wars. Don’t know that I will be that interested in chapter 2…

What is you favorite Starcraft race?

NEWS #3 - Game Industry Immune from Recession

In the words of Kaz Hirai - SCE ultimate boss - here are 3 soundbites he gave to the Financial Times (via CVG).

“As long as we can generate excitement, then we will be less affected than other industries,” he said. “We’re getting to the point where price becomes more important”.

I guess he is talking about cost of entertainment per minute… if you think about it you can easily understand where he is coming from. If an average game lasts 10 hours and costs $60, you are paying 10 cents per hour of entertainment. That is more ore less the same as a a movie that costs $12 and lasts 2 hours.

Bizarrely contradicting his last statement, Kaz says that Sony has no plans to cut the price of the PlayStation 3 - currently the most expensive of the current-gen consoles - before Christmas.

PS3 at $400, 360 at $300 and Wii at $250… what would you buy?

“The answer is yes, if you’re asking, ‘Are these the prices we’re going with this Christmas?” he said. “When you really compare apples to apples, then I think we have a very good value proposition.”

What do you think?

Ever wanted to get into Digital SLR photography but didnt know where to start?

Ever wondered: “What first Digital SLR should I buy?” or “What’s the best starter Digital SLR?”

Here is the answer I just got from a friend of mine that told me to thank Ed T. for it… Thanks Ed!!!

Keep in mind, I think Ed is a Canon guy… so all you Nikon folks wont be happy!

ED’s GUIDE FOR STARTING TO BE A CANON DSLR PHOTOGRAPHER:

—

Ok buddy, here it is :) I’m sure you’ll get comments from the Canon-hating Nikon crowd, but it’s like comparing Honda vs. Toyota. Canon’s got over 65% of the DSLR marketplace and a great lens lineup, so that was enough for me when I was deciding. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the photographer regardless of equipment.

THE CAMERAS:

CANON EOS REBEL XSI: $620

12.2 Megapixel
Live View Function
3.5 fps Continuous Shooting
ISO 1600

CANON EOS 50D: $1400

15.1 Megapixel
6.3 fps Continuous Shooting
Live View Mode
ISO 3200 - Expandable to 12800

Honestly, between the two above, the XSi is the better STARTER camera (not just because of price). Because it’s got fewer functions, you’ll learn a lot faster to be a better photographer vs. a digital camera user if that makes sense. For example, you’ll have to get creative when shooting in low-light situations because it’s got lower ISO capability than the 50D. Then when Aperture, Shutter and ISO become second nature, you can upgrade to the camera you want. Could be the new 5D, could be the 50D, could even be the Mark 1 (if you have money to burn). I used the Rebel XT for over a year before I upgraded to the 5D. If I started off with the 5D, I don’t think the experience would’ve been the same. But hey it’s up to you - I know what its like buying new toys, sometimes you’re just gonna want the pimp stuff right off the bat.

Alternatively, you can go for the 40D:

CANON EOS 40D: $1000

At the end of the day and I’ll say it again - it ultimately comes down to the photographer. If you don’t commit to learning how to use a DSLR the way it’s supposed to be used, then you might as well stick with a point-and-shoot. It’s not going to magically make all your pictures great - you gotta “know” the shot you want and command your camera to deliver it.

Here’s exactly what I’m talking about:

These 3 photos were shot with a Canon 40D:
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3

Then again, so were these photos:
Pic4
Pic5
PIc6

Lol… I’m not saying every one of your shots needs to be a work of art, but there are clearly better ways to shoot those last 3 pictures. For example on Pic6, I maybe would’ve gone with a lower aperture and shot it with the cake at eye-level to make an interesting foreground, maybe bounced my flash off the ceiling so you lose the white shine on people’s skin. Shit like that. The guy who shot that used the built-in flash and the free lens the camera came with (says so in “more properties”).

Anyway - enough of the lecture. On to the lenses!

LENSES:

Ok here’s a quick lesson on lenses (sorry if you already know this).

MM RANGE
First is the mm range. Most point and shoot cameras shoot at 35mm. The higher the mm number, the bigger the zoom. The lower the mm number, the wider the shot. Really low ones like 17mm pics are fish-eye shots. Basically a lens that says 70mm-300mm, it means you can zoom from between 70mm to 300mm by turning the lens left and right. Prime lenses like the Canon 85mm f1.8, means it’s a set lens that it’ll only shoot at 85mm and you can’t zoom in and out.

APERTURE
All lenses have an “f” associated with it. Generally the LOWER the number, the better (faster) the lens is. So a 50mm f1.4 lens is going to give you better pictures in low light than a 505mm f2.8. Put it this way: Canon makes a 50mm f/1.8 for $80. But they also make a 50mm f/1.4 for $400. Then, if you want to go just one f-stop lower, they make a 50mm f/1.2 for $1300. That’s how much a difference the f-stops make. Took me forever to figure all that shit out.

TAMRON 18-250mm f.3.5 - 6.3 $479

This is one of the best starter lenses out there imho because of its range and price, and it’s pretty new. It covers you for really wide landscape shots (at 18mm) and at extra long zoom shots (at 250mm). Plus it goes as low as f3.5 on the wide shots (but will go as high as f6.3 on the long shots).

TAMRON 17-50mm f.2.8 - $419
This would be a nice “around the house” lens that you can take to parties. It has a great aperture and you can zoom out for group shots and zoom in just enough for great portraits. Notice how it’s only $60 less than the 18-250mm, and you only get 17-50mm. It’s all about the aperture baby…

TAMRON 17-50mm f.2.8 - $419
This would be a nice “around the house” lens that you can take to parties. It has a great aperture and you can zoom out for group shots and zoom in just enough for great portraits. Notice how it’s only $60 less than the 18-250mm, and you only get 17-50mm. It’s all about the aperture baby…

CANON 50mm (Prime) f/1.8 - $89 **Must Have**

This is the one lens all Canon users have - don’t leave home without it. It’s f/1.8 so it shoots crazy good pictures without needing any light. This is will likely be your official lens for portraits shots.

CANON 24-70mm f/2.8L - $1190
This is the lens right herrrr! Big ass lens, heavy (weighs 2 pounds, twice as heavy as the Tamron 17-2

FLASH:

CANON 430-EX Flash - $250

Word to the wise: NEVER use the built-in flash on your camera. It’s pure crap. It’ll amazingly make your photos look like they’ve been shot with a $100 point-and-shoot. This flash is excellent and will be the difference-maker on pics than require flash. There’s also a Canon 580-EX flash for $420, but you won’t need that unless you’re planning a lot of studio-type shots.

FLash Diffuser - $15
You’ll definitely want this for your flash. It diffuses the light so you don’t get harsh highlights on people’s faces.

—————————

My recommendation:

If I were you, I’d go with:
CANON EOS REBEL XSI: $620
TAMRON 18-250mm f.3.5 - 6.3 $479
CANON 50mm (Prime) f/1.8 - $89

The below can wait until later:
CANON 430-EX Flash - $250
Flash Diffuser - $15

—————————

That should be enough for you to absorb for now :) My only advice: keep shooting! Best way to learn is to take really bad pictures and figure out where you went wrong. Lots of forums online where you can share your shots and get feedback from other photographers.

A quick video hit from Tokyo Game Show just to show the awesome Raoh statue that was featured as part of the booth showcasing the new Hokuto No Ken PSP videogame.

It probably was the actual scale size… so Raoh was twice taller than me…

From 1Up:

A Blizzard staffer going by the username ‘Bashiok’ was quick to offer up an answer as to how death is being handled in the new Diablo title. And there’s a stark difference between the new system and the one found in Diablo 2: rather than being sent back to town and having to venture back to where you perished to recover your place (without any of your gear, mind you), you’ll now be sent back to a checkpoint. These checkpoints are scattered throughout the world and “generally” at the end of each level of a dungeon. When respawning at a checkpoint you’ll be left with a small amount of health.

News #2 - Would Fable Work on a PS3?

Fable 2 god designer Molyneux seems to think that 360’s LIVE system is better than the PS3 online system…

In his words:

What I would say, and this is not just me being the good company man, I’d say the thing I love about the 360 more than anything is nothing to do with the hardware, it’s all to do with LIVE. LIVE is still underexploited for a game mechanic. Some of the stuff in Fable II we’re doing with co-op is only possible because of the way that LIVE is structured. I love playing around with that stuff as a designer. Whereas PS3 doesn’t seem to be quite so mature on that side. They haven’t got quite the same infrastructure and service but, you know, yeah, I’d love to get games on every platform.

Jim Sterling at Destructoid does not seem to agree:

Seriously though, do you agree with Peter’s assertion that Xbox Live is what makes Fable 2 possible? Would you contest that the PlayStation Network is robust enough to support the game’s online elements? After all, with Resistance 2 and MAG promising the kind of multiplayer experiences that Xbox Live is yet to touch, I’d say that the PSN can more than easily handle 2-player co-op.

I honestly think that Molyneux was not just talking about 2 player co-op but also all the other side things that Xbox Live can offer a game designer. An example is the fact that you can download an XBLA game that has all the Fable gambling games and gamble for money. You should then be able to use the money you within the main boxed game soon on shelves…

What is your opinion?

News #3 Resident Evil 5 Update

Great cover for resident evil five on EGM this november. Kudos to whoever does PR at Capcom and to who made that render, they look gr8.

As for EGM, I just wonder what type of score this game will receive… Well, assuming they Game Informer will give RE5 maybe a 9 (who knows - I just hope) I can expect EGM to give RE5 something like 7.867

I still get a kick out of their 2nd decimal point… I get so much info out of it…

Highjacked from the Magrathea website.

The Outbreak is a pretty decent interactive Zombie movie. It works like an old choose your own adventure book and it makes you choose what to do a certain points of the movie.

From another point of view, it’s a basic videogame. Check it out then let us know what you think plz :)

I went nuts with the Star Destroyer part of The Force Unleashed… so here is the solution I found online (yes, I’m a wuss).

Thank you Chuck1289 @ Gamefaqs.

Well i have searched around the forum and it seems there are lots of topics which fall in the range of ” Help me with the star destroyer bit!”. I will admit, this is a hard part of the game and lots of people will need help.

OK so the basic method for taking down is to have patience.It takes about 4 tries to take it down. You must KILL the Tie fighters before you can pull the star destroyer down.The best way to take the tie fighters out is to either lightning them,force grip them or you can grab the floating part that floats past every so often to throw at them.I found that gripping a Tie and holding it in the same position until the next tie flew long so they collided with each other and both were destroyed.

Once you have destroyed the Ties General Kota will tell you to “RIP IT DOWN!!”. So what are you going to do huh? Well, obviously your going to rip the destroyer down.Begin by looking at the bottom of your screen you will see two commands, one is the LS and the other is the RS (Left Stick & Right Stick). The commands should say to move the LS left or right, do what it says and HOLD down the LS the way it tells you to. Now this is where people get a little confused, when the RS says to push UP on the RS push up but DO NOT hold.If you hold RS the star destroyer will go too far up and wont be in the right position.So when it says to use the RS don’t hold it but just tap it when told to.Once the light in between the two prompts turns green you must hold the destroyer in the same position by just keeping it green and tapping the LS to keep it where you want it.

Eventually, Kota will tell you to pull down and now you can simply push down on the RS and LS.Keep this up until more Tie fighters arrive, you must kill all of these and once you have done this you can repeat the above to pull down the destroyer and sooner or later the destroyer will come down after 3-4 tries.

I have to admit this was VERY frustrating for me and you have to repeat 3-4 times remember! If you feel I’m worthy of a sticky feel free to request and i hope that this thread will help people that are stuck here.Feel free to add more if you like.

Here is a youtube video that instead shows the procedure:

News #1 - Gamer Allegedly Killed over a Forum Dispute

On September 21st, An Advance Wars fan, Matthew Pyke, was stabbed to death (The Press Association).

The body of 20-year-old Matthew James Pyke was discovered by ambulance crews called to his flat above the Orange Tree pub in North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, at about 6.15pm on Friday.

Detectives believe that Mr Pyke’s killer or killers would have been heavily blood-stained following the murder and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said a post-mortem examination carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary had confirmed that Mr Pyke died from stab wounds.

From the Telegraph:

Police confirmed a man, believed to be 21, had been arrested near Frankfurt in Germany following the death of student Mr Pyke, who was killed in his flat in Nottingham.

Shortly after the killing a fellow gaming fan, David Heiss [picture below], 21, from Frankfurt, posted a message on the Facebook site of Joanna Witton, Mr Pyke’s girlfriend, apologising “for having caused so much trouble lately”.

Police refused to confirm or deny that Heiss was the arrested man, although detectives admitted internet links were a line of inquiry they were actively following.

Mr Pyke, 20, and Miss Witton ran a website called Wars Central, devoted to fans of computer strategy game Advance Wars.

More details at 1Up:

Advance Wars fan Matthew Pyke, 20, was stabbed to death in his home in Nottingham, England, over what police suspect may have been an online dispute with a German gamer (via Telegraph.co.uk).

The suspect, 21-year-old David Heiss, was arrested near Frankfurt in Germany. Police at first didn’t say whether the arrested man was Heiss, but details later emerged confirming that Heiss was in fact the man arrested in connection with this case (via This is Nottingham). Not long after the killing, Heiss posted a message on the Facebook page of Pyke’s girlfriend, Joanna Witton, where he apologized for “having caused so much trouble lately.”

Pyke and Witton ran a fansite for Advance Wars, which included (as many gaming fansites do) a forum for patrons to chat with each other. Police suspect a possible motive may be that Heiss — who was a member of the forum under the name “Eagle the Lightning” — entered into a dispute with Pyke online, and actually flew to the U.K. in order to exact this tragic “revenge.” Curiously, another anonymous poster suggested that some forum members may know more about the case, with a message that read, “We may know a lot of what was going on prior to the killing, but I, for one, am not going to say any more.”

Heiss is believed to be in custody in the German town of Limburg an der Lahn. He was scheduled to appear in court in Frankfurt for an extradition hearing, although according to MSN U.K., the hearing was delayed due to Nottinghamshire police failing to provide the extensive paperwork needed in time. It’s also not yet known whether Heiss will contest the extradition application from British authorities.

News #2 - New DS

From Gamespot, and confirmins something we already covered, a new DS should come out by the end of the year:

Earlier this year, Nintendo projected hardware sales of its DS handheld system to total 28 million for the current fiscal year. While that can be considered a massively successful year, it is down slightly from the 30 million portable game players the company sold last year. That anticipated slowdown led one industry analyst to predict a new iteration of the DS hardware is on the way, while another had been expecting such a redesign since last November.

Today, Japanese news site Nikkei Net (subscription required) is reporting that the time has finally come for Nintendo to roll out another new DS and that the system will arrive in Japan by the end of the year. Planned features for the unnamed DS revision include a camera function, music playback, and improved wireless capabilities. No mention was made of previously speculated upgrades, such as larger screens, enhanced memory, or a smaller size.

News #3 Nascar Driver uses Video Game Strategies…

… and Miserably fails.

Carl Edwards tried to beat Jimmie Johnson by bouncing his car off a concrete wall… on purpose. He then went ahead to provide the following bits of mental computation:

From Kotaku:

“I planned on hitting the wall, but I didn’t plan on the wall slowing me down that much,” Carl Edwards said. “In video games, you can just run into the wall and run it wide open. That’s what I did, but it didn’t quite work out the same as the video game.”

Kitty picture source is here.

And thank you.

Suddenly yesterday, Bungie had their countdown go back online for a whopping 12 hours… You might remember Microsoft had them stop the timer right around E3 causing all sort of speculation.

So the timer went back up and for 12 hours we fretted and bit our nails and then this teaser trailer was posted on the Bungie website.

So… anybody have a clue of what this means?

News #2 - Super Extra Rare Dead Space Edition!

If you are a crazy Dead Space fan you should head out to the EA store. With $150 you can buy one of 1000 super limited editions that include…

The Dead Space game (360)

Limited Edition packaging

Dead Space Downfall Animated Movie (DVD)

Bonus content DVD

Exclusive lithograph art

97-pg Dead Space art book written and illustrated by the development team

160-pg Graphic novel

Ishimura crew patch

News #3 - Force Unleashed > Connoisseur Reviewers

The Force Unleashed is currently the best selling Star Wars title ever - this when the timeframe its been on the market is compared to the same timeframe for previous Star Wars games.

1Up reports:

Dispelling any concerns that middling review scores would effect its retail numbers, LucasArts announced that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has achieved record-breaking sales. In just the week since its September 16 release, 1.5 million copies of the game have found their way into gamers’ homes worldwide, making it both the fastest-selling Star Wars and LucasArts game of all time.

“The record-setting sales of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed shows the undiminished power of Star Wars and its popularity across all media types, including videogames,” remarked LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez, adding, “We’re blown away by the response to the game.” That popularity even extends to the game’s novelization, which rocketed to the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list during its first week of sales

But how bad were these review scores…

Pretty lame for what LucasArts was probably aspiring to. Were they deserved? You can judge yourself… below is a list from Gamerankings.

GameSpot		9/15/2008	7.5 out of 10	75.0%
IGN		9/15/2008	7.3 out of 10	73.0%
TeamXbox		9/15/2008	7.7 out of 10	77.0%
Official Xbox Magazine		10/1/2008	7.5 out of 10	75.0%
Electronic Gaming Monthly		10/1/2008	68.33 out of 100	68.3%
Game Informer		10/1/2008