gamezplay

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Grand Theft Auto IV patch needs patched...

After the release of the long awaited patch for Grand Theft Auto IV was released to fix a number of bugs, Rockstar have admitted that the patch has caused other problems.

The patch has caused problems with controllers (mouse, keyboard and Xbox windows controllers).

Rockstar have posted this on their forum here...

Damnation the video game - Fact Sheet

Billed as a ‘shooter gone vertical’ and visually inspired by iconic elements of American history, these massive streaming landscapes will form the battlegrounds for a post-industrial conflict between humanity and an unstoppable arms dealer hell-bent on total world domination.

Players will be able to choose their own paths and navigate the world by performing daredevil feats on the edge of human ability. However, players aren’t the only ones with mind-blowing acrobatic skills; intelligent enemies will give chase and engage players in frantic gun fights and attacks that can come from any direction – in Damnation’s world there’s no safe place to hide.

With up to three hours of actual gameplay stretching out in front of them per level, players will need more than just muscle power to get across each level safely. Damnation will offer players a selection of awe-inspiring vehicles, from motorbikes capable of launching across seemingly infinite chasms, to huge, armour-piercing marvels that will induce mayhem with every huge shell.

The high action will be supported with an epic and in-depth story which, while focusing on the exploits of the hero character Rourke, is truly an ensemble piece. Players will meet and become involved in intricate story plots that reveal much more than the obvious.

In addition to the single player experience, Damnation comes complete with a unique set of multiplayer options that take full advantage of the game’s expansive levels.

Evolving the shooter genre with its unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat, Damnation will feature huge, open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts. Presenting players with an intense test of reflexes, quick thinking and rapid-fire conflict, Damnation will feature vast, breathtaking landscapes, each covering miles of distance and thousands of vertical feet.

Billed as a ‘shooter gone vertical’ and visually inspired by iconic elements of American history, these massive streaming landscapes will form the battlegrounds for a post-industrial conflict between humanity and an unstoppable arms dealer hell-bent on total world domination.

Players will be able to choose their own paths and navigate the world by performing daredevil feats on the edge of human ability. However, players aren’t the only ones with mind-blowing acrobatic skills; intelligent enemies will give chase and engage players in frantic gun fights and attacks that can come from any direction – in Damnation’s world there’s no safe place to hide.

With up to three hours of actual gameplay stretching out in front of them per level, players will need more than just muscle power to get across each level safely. Damnation will offer players a selection of awe-inspiring vehicles, from motorbikes capable of launching across seemingly infinite chasms, to huge, armour-piercing marvels that will induce mayhem with every huge shell.

The high action will be supported with an epic and in-depth story which, while focusing on the exploits of the hero character Rourke, is truly an ensemble piece. Players will meet and become involved in intricate story plots that reveal much more than the obvious.

In addition to the single player experience, Damnation comes complete with a unique set of multiplayer options that take full advantage of the game’s expansive levels.

Runes of Magic - Taborea population exceeds 100,000 in first day

The start of Runes of Magic’s open beta phase exceeded all expectations of publisher Frogster significantly. Over 100,000 characters were created in the first hours and are now populating the world of Taborea. Technically the start went smooth despite the heavy rush of players. Due to the high number of players, Frogster opened an additional game world on Monday afternoon. The international community now is spread over seven servers – even though Runes of Magic is only in the early stages of the open beta phase.

In the past few hours Frogster also noted a significant increase in registration numbers. Out of the total number of 220,000 registrations, more than 20,000 Accounts were created on Monday alone and immediately entered the game world: more than 2 million quests were completed in over 200,000 hours of combined playing time in the game world of Taborea. These numbers underline the relevance of quests and immersive background story in the MMORPG developed by Runewaker Entertainment.

"We will systematically analyse the feedback of the high number of players in the coming weeks and use it to give Runes of Magic the final polish for the official release in the first quarter of 2009," welcomed Daniel Ullrich, Director of Product Management, the active participation of the players. The beta is now open to all interested players and the game can be downloaded free of charge after a short registration on www.runesofmagic.com.

SACRED 2 Fallen Angel: Content update including beta version of SACRED 2 network

extensive content update, including the beta version of the long-desired SACRED 2 network, for the popular action RPG. The holiday update (620 MB) will be published on December 17, 2008.

The update is packed with new features such as new armour, a brand new snow region, a whopping 20 new opponents and spectacular new weapons. In addition, a completely new series of quests guarantees tons of gaming fun and provides a special set of armour specifically designed to get you into the festive spirit. Naturally, many game details were improved as well, making for an even better gaming experience.

The first beta version of the SACRED 2 network includes an extensive ladder and highscore ranking system allowing you to compare your own performance to that of other community members. You can even win ranks and orders, and legendary characters are immortalized in a Heroes' Cemetery and a Hall of Fame. You can also use the social network to create your own profile then contact other users, make new friends, or arrange some multiplayer sessions.

Tincat, the flexible multiplayer engine from Arvato Systems, makes it possible to export all information belonging to a game character to the SACRED 2 network, and view it there. This allows players to compare character and guild information, and to view multiple highscore lists, making for additional long-term motivation.

Thanks to the SACRED 2 auto-update feature, the holiday update will be automatically installed when the game is launched. You can also download the patch via a specially created landing page.

New Content:

A new area for exploration, including an underground portion
New “snowy landscape” textures and objects
New sounds for the snowy landscape
Roughly 20 new creatures
New NPC’s
A new quest chain
A new armor set for each character
New armor items and weapons
Fixes (a detailed list is available at www.sacred2.com)
Game server creation bugs have been fixed in both single- and multiplayer play
Some Combat Arts for all characters have been adjusted or re-balanced
Visual issues (such as UI elements not fading out properly) have been fixed
Miscellaneous sound and graphical fixes in various environments and situations

The ASCARON team is looking forward to feedback from the community and wishes everyone happy holidays and a wonderful year 2009.

To download the software, please visit: http://update.sacred2.com.

Another explosive World to discover in Big Bang Mini! Nintendo DS video game

NAIROBI: The hot African plains set the theme for the Nairobi World's special weapon and enemies.

While you receive the Fireball Shot that can be charged and released by holding the stylus down on the touch screen, the enemies also release dangerous beams of light when killed. Be careful not to stay too long in the beams, and to watch out for the fireball's ricochet when progressing through the levels.

Because of the yellow beams, killing too many enemies can leave you without a safe place to keep your ship – take your time. Blue enemies do not fire back after being killed. Use the Homing Missile frequently to avoid missed shots.

Permanent Upgrade: Fireball Shot: By holding the stylus to the touch screen in one spot, you can power up the Fireball Shot. This shot fires three fireballs into the air, but the shots will ricochet around the screen and can come back to hit your ship.

X-Blades Collector's Bundle with Statue and Artbook

TopWare Entertainment continues its tradition of high-class collector editions with its current title, “X-Blades”. The “Collector's Bundles” for all platforms will be on the market at the same time as the standard versions - on the 14th of January 2009. Highlights in the boxes are a 22 cm. hand-painted statue of the heroine Ayumi and a top-class artbook depicting the game.
There's also a soundtrack CD, a double-theme poster and a strategy guide. If you purchase the PC version, you'll even get an extra bonus - a mousepad. Language-wise, TopWare has also done the game proud - it's been fully localized in English, French, Italian, German and Russian - and there are sub-titles in Hungarian, Polish, Czech and Spanish which can be combined in any way with the speech recordings.

ZUXXEZ CEO Alexandra Constandache: “We've already had excellent fan reaction to our high-quality collector's editions for games like “Earth 2160” and “Two Worlds” - and the most important thing for us is to ensure that our customers continue to get real value for their money. Giving away a cheap map with a game and then calling it a “Special Edition” is not the way we do things here at Zuxxez. That's why we're relying on really special extras once again - with “X-Blades”.

Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and Frogger iPhone games coming...

Three of Konami's most popular games to Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch platforms, including an all-new version of Metal Gear Solid.

The publisher will release Metal Gear Solid Touch, Silent Hill: The Escape and Frogger for the Apple unit in early 2009, with each game specifically designed to make full use of the iPhone’s unique touch screen capabilities.

Metal Gear Solid Touch focuses on action elements of Hideo Kojima’s classic stealth series, and will see series veteran Solid Snake embark on an all-new mission.

Using locations and characters introduced in Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid Touch initially offers eight action-packed stages, with more to be added at a later date.

The new title gives the player control via the Apple systems’ touch panel, and also allows users to pan in and out of the action.

Replay value is also enhanced via bonuses such as wallpapers and images that are attained by completing key elements within the game.

Similarly, Silent Hill: The Escape brings the doom-laden streets of the series’ titular town to iPhone in an first-person action title boasting new strains of macabre adversaries and a dark, brooding atmosphere.

The evergreen Frogger also heads to iPhone in a pixel-perfect conversion of the classic arcade game.

A new generation of gamers can experience the classic 80s coin-op as they steer the little amphibian across a busy street and danger-filled river as he attempts to make it to his lily-pad home in a newly revamped version.

“These are Konami’s first wave of titles for the exciting new devices, and allow us to bring new elements to portable gaming.

We welcome the iPhone and iPod Touch to our product line-up and look forward to these initial games,”

commented Florian Stronk, Head of Mobile Business Department at Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH.

Xbox dinosaur dash game on Xbox Live

Hungry dinosaur chases Doritos trucks, truck drivers defend their cargo

With the release of Doritos Dash of Destruction today on Xbox LIVE Arcade, NinjaBee has unleashed a terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex onto the streets of major cities throughout the world. Luckily, the dinosaur is only after one thing: Doritos tortilla chips. Unfortunately, due to his long, obtrusive tail and his intense desire to get said chips, he has been leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

NinjaBee, the studio who developed the Xbox LIVE Arcade game that features the towering menace, has issued a weak apology for the dinosaur’s behavior.

“We’re really sorry for the destruction the dinosaur is causing, and for all the Doritos truck drivers who have been, uh, consumed,” said Steve Taylor, President of NinjaBee. “But really, it wasn’t our fault. We were just developing the game. The real person you should blame is Mike [Borland]. He created the monster here!”

Taylor is of course referring to Mike Borland, the creator of the game. In June 2007, Doritos, in partnership with Microsoft Games, launched the Unlock Xbox Challenge. Borland’s game idea, Doritos Dash of Destruction, was chosen through popular vote to be developed and put on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Experienced Xbox LIVE Arcade developer NinjaBee was chosen as the studio to develop the game and worked with Borland to bring his game idea to life.

Doritos Dash of Destruction features fun and fast-paced racing elements in both single and local multiplayer gameplay. Players can blast their way through the city as a hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex as they chase a speeding Delivery Truck full of tasty Doritos. Or, they can zoom in and out of the T-Rex’s path of destruction as a powerful Delivery Truck in search of its Doritos drop-off points. For even more racing madness, Chaos mode lets up to four players outrun and outsmart each other as the T-Rex or the Truck. In Zen mode, you are what you eat; eat the Truck to become the Truck! Both Zen and Chaos modes are local multiplayer only. Dash of Destruction is rated “E” For Everyone and can be downloaded directly from Xbox LIVE Arcade free of charge worldwide.

SPORE contest winner announced

More Than 50 Million Creations Made Since September Launch

Maxis is pleased to announce the winning creation in the Spore Holiday Contest 2008! Created by Spore fan Gryphon57, “And to All a Good Night” (pictured above), is a winter-y neighborhood vignette with brightly-lit, snow-covered houses, tall fir trees and a sled – all of which were made in the Spore “Building Creator.” With more than 5,000 entries, three runner-up creations were also chosen, including “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa,” “Christmas Morning at the Claus" and “December 26th.” Check out the runner-up creations below and in the Sporepedia at www.spore.com.

These holiday creations make up just some of the now more than 50 million Spore spaceships, vehicles, creatures, ships and buildings that have been created and uploaded on Sporepedia. Since the release of Spore in September, gamers and creative folks alike have been drawn to the game’s easy-to-use customization tools that allow players to create, play and share with their friends.

"Fifty million creations made is an incredible milestone that we couldn’t have achieved without our fans and community," said Lucy Bradshaw, executive producer of Spore. "It’s so great to see hard core fans and casual players embracing the game’s easy-to-use tools to re-create some of the most nostalgic holiday scenes of the season. Fans have shown such tremendous imagination and creativity – we can't wait to see the next 50 million!"

Interested in creating your own creature or holiday scene? Download a free version of the Spore Creature Creator at the newly-designed www.spore.com. Happy creating!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts video game for Xbox 360 from Rare

Famed game developer Rare Ltd. is reviving one of its most beloved and successful franchises exclusively on Xbox 360 with the third installment of the “Banjo-Kazooie” series. “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” embraces new and old fans alike, as the famous bear and bird duo return in stunning high definition for a unique adventure of epic proportions. The Lord of the Games (aka LOG) is tired of the petty squabbling between Banjo and the evil witch Gruntilda (aka Grunty), and has arranged a showdown to decide the rightful owner of Spiral Mountain. Claiming to have created every video game ever made, LOG has built the game worlds in which the contest’s challenges take place. Banjo must complete LOG’s challenges to win, while Grunty tries to stop him using every method her devious mind can muster.

Throughout their adventure, players create their own abilities by building vehicles for Banjo to pilot over land, sea and air. Vehicle parts, which range from simple devices such as engines and wheels to more unusual equipment such as springs and egg guns, are earned and collected throughout the game. Players use their imagination to combine parts in any order to create whatever vehicle they choose. LOG’s challenges have one goal, but players’ choice of vehicle and tactics will determine how it gets accomplished. By exploring worlds and solving puzzles, players both young and old will be rewarded with more advanced and diverse vehicle parts in their quest to defeat Grunty once and for all and lay claim to Spiral Mountain.

With the power of Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE, “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” brings an entirely new experience to the console and takes the franchise to a whole new level of enjoyment. High-definition graphics, user-created content and online gameplay are just three of the many advances people of all ages and skill levels will discover as they embark on their adventure.

Features: Top features include the following:

• An adventure that starts with your imagination. If you can imagine it, you can build it in the Mumbo’s Motors easy-to-use workshop. Then put your creation to the test as you take on Grunty in your quest for Spiral Mountain. Unlike other games, where the player progressively picks up new skills or abilities at points predetermined by the game’s creator, “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” puts the power of improving Banjo’s abilities into the hands of the players as they build vehicles that allow Banjo to progress through the game. Vehicle parts include a wide variety of body panels, engines, wheels, wings, propellers, fuel and weapons, plus many more weird and wonderful gadgets such as floaters, Mumbo Bombos and the versatile sticky ball. Players can design and create anything from a simple object-carrying truck to a space-age flying saucer. Once players have designed their creation, they give it the finishing touch by painting it and choosing a suitable name before Banjo jumps in and pilots it into action.

• Customizable experience. With more than 100 contraption parts and unlimited possible combinations, no two players will have the same experience in “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.” By exploring the vast game worlds, discovering hidden secrets and solving puzzles to win rewards, players continually find more and more ways to customize and improve their contraptions, creating an unprecedented level of user-generated content for a 3-D platform adventure game.

• Fun right out of the box. Don’t worry if you aren’t the world’s greatest inventor or want to skip the workshop and get straight to the action, because “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” comes with a fully loaded experience right out of the box. Pre-built vehicles are included so players can jump right in and get started, with many more contraptions available for purchase throughout the adventure using the in-game currency system of musical notes.

• Xbox LIVE gets in on the fun. For the first time in franchise history, “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” is going to include competitive and cooperative multiplayer gameplay. Now players can face off head-to-head in multiple multiplayer modes or team up and play cooperatively via Xbox LIVE.* And with the title’s online blueprint sharing system, players can share their designs over Xbox LIVE with friends and gamers everywhere. Rare has an extremely dedicated and active fan base, and we expect this addition combined with the unlimited user-generated content of “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” to help further grow and inspire that community, and push their creative limits!

• Engaging storyline and entertaining characters. Two of Rare’s most beloved characters have returned from retirement, making their debut on Xbox 360. To win the deed to their homeland and prevent the evil witch Gruntilda from developing it into tower blocks and malls, Banjo and his best friend Kazooie battle over land, sea and air against their longtime rival. Familiar faces such as Mumbo Jumbo, Bottles, Captain Blubber and the Jinjos are also back to lend a hand, along with an equally colorful cast of new friends and foes. Players can look out for Trophy Thomas, Piddles, Lord of the Games and Grunty’s mechanically menacing army of Gruntbots.

• Innovation connecting the franchise’s past and present. With the power of Xbox 360, this newly activated feature, known as Stop ‘N’ Swop, connects “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” to the upcoming Xbox LIVE Arcade release of the original “Banjo-Kazooie.” Players’ accomplishments in the new game will be rewarded with extra content and features in the Xbox LIVE Arcade game, encouraging fans to dive into as much “Banjo” as they can get their hands on!

• Enjoy alone or with friends. “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” offers complete single-player and multiplayer experiences. Gamers can play through the adventure alone in the single-player campaign, or with friends in competitive or cooperative challenges alone or in teams on Xbox LIVE.

• Fun for everyone. Xbox 360 is the home to the best entertainment experiences for everyone. With “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts,” Xbox 360 continues to build its impressive lineup of content that appeals to people of all ages and types.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Tuesday, December 16, 2008