Halo 3 Overwhelmed Xbox Live

If you've experienced trouble with Xbox Live the past few days, start shaking your fist at everyone playing Halo 3, because it's basically their fault.

The surge of activity on Live and Xbox.com that occurred after the game's release resulted in frozen screens, or simply being shut out of Live. Microsoft admits there was a bit of a hiccup, but says everything's fine now:
Xbox Live and Xbox.com experienced minor issues as a result of increased activity due to the launch of Halo 3.

The issues were quickly resolved and both Xbox Live and Xbox.com are now working fine.

The larger problem may have been dealt with, some are still experiencing freeze ups on Live as recently as yesterday afternoon.

The price of success...

Enter the Fury Challenge video game contest

It's time to unleash your Fury

Enter into a world of merciless combat and blood thirsty competition. Go all out for the win and enjoy the unrivalled challenge of facing human opponents.

Commencing Friday 28th September, Codemasters Online would like to invite you to participate in the Fury Challenge. This one of a kind open BETA competition has over £500,000 of prizes on offer, including; Logitech Keyboards, Nvidia Graphics Cards, IGN Subscriptions, Retail Vouchers, Dell Hardware plus a host of others!
The ultimate online persistent PvP event has arrived.

Fury takes the best competitive PvP combat elements of online role-playing games and blends them with the adrenaline-fueled, fast-pace action of a first person shooter. Fury is a new breed of PvP gaming.

Starting this Friday, September 28th, you have the opportunity to team up with over 500,000 other players from around the world and win real world prizes in the largest prize pool ever in MMO history!

In order to compete in the Fury Challenge, simply visit
www.furychallenge.com to download your key and create your account.

For more information on Fury please visit www.unleashthefury.com.

AMD and SAPPHIRE to Showcase HD Gaming Innovation at the World Cyber Games

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) today announced SAPPHIRE Technology, the official graphics supplier for the World Cyber Games (WCG) Grand Final, will exclusively supply graphics cards based on the ATI Radeon HD 2000 series from AMD for the competition. As the official WCG supplier of GPUs, AMD will co-host a demonstration area with SAPPHIRE to showcase exciting next-generation platform technology for the gaming community. The WCG 2007 event is scheduled to take place in Seattle, WA from October 3-7.

The Sapphire HD 2600 X2 DUAL, also to be featured at booth #10, delivers an incredible combination of DirectX(R) 10 gaming and stunning visual effects for a premium Windows Vista(R) experience. Packing two Sapphire HD 2600 XT graphics processors on one PCI-Express card, the Sapphire HD 2600 X2 DUAL can drive up to four Dual-link DVI displays or a single display in CrossFire(TM) mode with considerably enhanced performance, and includes 1GB of GDDR3 memory on board with 800MHz clock speeds.

"As official suppliers for the WCG 2007, AMD is collaborating with SAPPHIRE to present a world-class gaming platform experience for competitive and casual gamers," said Godfrey Cheng, director of platform marketing and gaming, AMD Graphics Products Group. "The World Cyber Games is the pinnacle of competitive PC gaming and a perfect venue to demonstrate how ATI Radeon(TM) HD 2000 series graphics with CrossFire push the boundaries of visual realism."

"The Sapphire HD 2600 XT brings a compelling mix of graphics quality and performance to the Grand Final 2007," said Adrian Thompson, vice president of Marketing, SAPPHIRE Technology. "It is just one of the great SAPPHIRE products based on the ATI Radeon(TM) HD 2000 series that brings wide choice to gamers in a range of state-of-the-art products that now extends from top-to-bottom."


The World Cyber Games is the world's first "Cyber Game Festival", designed to foster community participation in the e-Sports culture. The best gamers around the world gather in different cities to share the excitement and fun of the game tournaments. This year's Grand Final will feature more than 700 gamers from 70 countries.

"The WCG tournament has evolved into one of the most celebrated gaming festivals in the world," said Hyoung Seok Kim, CEO of International Cyber Marketing, WCG. "With industry-leading DirectX(R) 10 graphics processors such as the Sapphire HD 2600 XT, finalists are given the opportunity to compete at a high level on a world stage. We are pleased to have AMD and SAPPHIRE among the great technology partners that support the rapidly expanding e-Sports entertainment culture."

Qualified participants with access to the event passport are eligible to participate in a contest to win a Sapphire HD 2600 XT. Other ATI Radeon(TM) and SAPPHIRE branded prizes will also be available for giveaway to interested participants at the show.

Next venue for 'Guitar Hero III': PCs, Macs

Aspyr Media announced a partnership with Activision and RedOctane to bring Guitar Hero III to two more platforms: the PC and Mac.

While Tony Hawk studio Neversoft handles the console versions of Guitar Hero III, Aspyr will be independently developing and producing the two new editions of the game. However, the two new platforms will feature an experience similar to that described in GameSpot's coverage of the console versions, including more than 70 songs in its set list, as well as online multiplayer modes.

Belying its humble roots as a Kentia Hall diamond at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Guitar Hero franchise has grown to become a pop-culture juggernaut.

That's in part due to the ever-growing reach of the game, which expanded onto the Xbox 360 with Guitar Hero II. For the third iteration in the series, RedOctane and Activision have already planned on doubling the number of platforms the series will appear on, with versions for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Wii having already been announced. (A Nintendo DS Guitar Hero game is also planned.)

GameSpot had an opportunity to speak with Chance Copeland, associate producer for Aspyr Media, at this year's Austin Game Developers Conference to get more details on Guitar Hero III for the PC and Mac. Rated T for Teen, these versions will be available this fall.

Currently, the music-game genre has very little representation on the PC and Mac platforms, and we think it's past time someone blew that wide open with a powerful franchise like Guitar Hero. Another concept we're trying to transmit to gamers is the idea of "Guitar Hero on the go." Take your laptop with you in the car or on an airplane, put on your headphones, and rock all you want using one of our keyboard configurations for the game. Consoles just aren't travel-friendly the way a good laptop is.

And I'd also like to point out that more and more people are integrating PCs into their primary entertainment system, so playing Guitar Hero III PC in your living room isn't hard to imagine.

Wii controller strap

Play tennis, bowling and other Wii games at full strength without fear of the dreaded fling.

Following on the heels of New York Fashion Week, Atlantic's GameKeeper has unveiled a fashion accessory at DigitalLife 2007 that doubles as a safety device.

The Wii Strap for the Wii controller fastens through the controller loop and onto your wrist with Velcro. But the thick band also looks as if it might double as a wristband. They'll be available this November in sets of blue and black or pink and green for $9.99.

Sorry, fellow WristStrong fans, Atlantic's bands don't have a cause other than protecting your flattie.

Still, it's never too early to start thinking about stocking stuffers for the gamer in your life.

Source: CNet

Images: Atlantic

Finding the art in gaming

A gaming conference taking place at The University of Western Ontario is not an eyebrow raiser.
Western’s Department of Computer Science has been exploring serious gaming for a few years now.

The real news about Playing The Gallery: The Art of Games is that it comes to campus via the McIntosh Gallery.

“It’s a serious investigation of the creative side of the internet as seen through gaming, computer games, video games on the internet and what the implications are for society,” he says.

The conference combines presentations by worldwide leaders, such as Spiegel with workshops focusing on critical social and technical issues that underline the art of games.

“Of particular focus in Playing the Gallery will be the technology-driven environments for co-creative expression, such as online social communities,” says Gustafson.

The conference has raised quite a bit of interest from the gaming world, prompting a former Visual Arts grad to sponsor $100-conference scholarships to cover registration fees for 25 students. “Dan Miller of the Investors Group wanted to make it a learning experience for students who were interested in the topics,” Kennedy says. “For example we’ve got a medical student who’s coming because he’s interested in video games and their effect on physical well being.” There are still some scholarships available for students.

More information on the conference can be found at Playing the gallery.

Astronaut's Son Buys $30M Space Ticket

The son of a retired astronaut is about to follow his father into orbit, after buying a $30 million ticket for a seat on a Russian rocket.

Richard Garriott, who made his fortune in computer games, is scheduled to blast off aboard a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan in October 2008 on a one-week trip to the international space station.

Garriott is 46 and lives in a medieval-style mansion in Austin, Texas, complete with its own dungeon and secret passages. The house is modeled after the setting of his "Ultima" video games.

Richard Garriott, a University of Texas dropout, developed the "Ultima" series, a computer game franchise, and with his brother, Robert, founded Origin Systems, a computer game developer and publisher. He also co-founded the North American arm of NCsoft, an online game developer and publisher. His newest game, "Tabula Rasa", is due out in October.

More from AP

Orchestrated games come to London

A BIZZARE concept is about to hit London.

The Philharmonia Orchestra accompanied by the London Chorus choir is going to perform the backing tracks taken from leading computer games.

The vent has been labelled Video Games Live and coincides with the opening of the London Games festival.
The INQ could understand somebody wanting to hear the score from Halo 3, perhaps, but Space Invaders and Pong? It appears to us to be a cunning ploy to hype up Xbox 360 titles before Christmas.

The event is being held at the Royal Festival Hall and is described as "an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience." Wasn't that the same venue where the Mageek famously booed an Apricot sponsored event?
Anyway, if you're at a real loose end on 22nd October 2007, you'd better get yourself a ticket. There will, of course, be the chance to see and play games before and after the music has kicked off. And you can get to meet Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall

Prices range from£19.50 to £32.50 and are available from the South Bank box office.

Source: Inquirer

This is part of the London Games festival - see earlier post

Wii Virtual Console releases

Hanabi Festival Finishes Off With A Big Bang!

As the “Hanabi Festival” on the Virtual Console draws to a close, Nintendo is having a blast releasing a pair of action packed games which have previously never been released in Europe: Sin And Punishment and Gradius™ III.

First on the list this week is Sin And Punishment, the classic Nintendo 64 3D third-person shooter game, developed by Treasure Co. Ltd. Originally released in 2000, this non-stop action title will see you assuming the role of a young resistance fighter facing an onslaught of bio-genetic monsters called Ruffians. These monsters, originally bred to boost dwindling food stocks on Earth, have turned against their creators and are trying to take over! In order to save the planet players must battle their way across land, sea and skies collecting energy, time and point bonuses as they go. A cool head and a strong trigger finger are essential to defeating the hordes of enemies that stand between our hero and victory! To enable players to better enjoy this cult Japanese classic, some in-game text has been translated into English, especially for this Hanabi Festival release. Sin And Punishment can be yours to download now for 1200 Wii Points.

Next, buckle up and prepare for battle in Konami’s much-loved 1990 side-scrolling shooter Gradius™ III. Players seize control of their Vic Viper Starfighter and take on the armadas of the Bacterion Empire. With ten levels to fight through, players will have their work cut out for them! With a variety of different weapons at your disposal you can mix and match lasers, missiles and shields to create customised set-ups giving you a fighting chance. This Super Nintendo Entertainment System version, originally released in the U.S., comes to Europe for the first time and is available now for 900 Wii Points.

If you want to try something a little magical, then Legend of Hero Tonma is this week’s non “Hanabi Festival” offering. In this platform shooter, players assume the role of Tonma, a trainee magician who must rescue a princess from prison, using magic spells to battle giant bosses and work their way through seven stages riddled with treasure chests and unusual power-ups! Legend of Hero Tonma is available now for 600 Wii Points.

For those of you who haven’t yet got your hands on the epic Super Mario Bros.™: The Lost Levels™, it will only be available on Virtual Console up to and including 30th September 2007. So make sure you don’t miss out and download it now!

With the addition of new games never seen before in Europe released over the “Hanabi Festival”, Virtual Console offers users the ultimate retro gaming experience. This weeks titles join the list of 141 classic titles already available for Virtual Console in Europe.

London Games Festival 2007

The London Games Festival, a celebration of games and interactive entertainment taking place during late October 2007.

The Festival will feature a series of diverse events in different venues for different audiences. Whether you’re a gamer, a parent needing advice on games, someone working in the industry, or someone wanting to find out more about how games work and where the future of entertainment will take us, this is a festival for you.