Microsoft want some money back from 'laid off' workers...

Some of the workers who received 'generous' severance packages when Microsoft laid off workers.

Now the computer giant has asked for some money back...

"We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you." - Microsoft

The company blame an error made in the administration and has sent letters to those it judges to have too heavy a wallet in their pocket and they want some money back.

If they worked for Fight Sim division I think they may be asked to go fly a kite...

Did EA rush Lord of the Rings - Conquest video game to beat the license expiring?

Saul Zaentz (the holders of the Lord of the Rings video games license) has told IncGamers that the recent EA Lord of the Rings Game was a 'sore point'.

The final approval of the product had 'obvious issues' - they said.

Lord of the Rings - conquest was released on 31st January on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and was harshly criticised by reviewers.

Saul Zaentz have to make sure that the Lords of the Rings franchise and Tolkien estate are not a party to anything objectionable and that's what they made sure of.

The EA LotR license was about to expire and they may have 'cut corners' to beat the deadline.

Codemaster to publish new Leisure Suit Larry - Box Office Bust video game

The long-running series of Leisure Suit Larry games was in doubt when Sierra was bought by Vivendi and Activision but now it appears that Codemasters will publish the latest Leisure Suit Larry video game.

Leisure Suit Larry - Box Office Bust is listed on the Codemasters website so it must be a product. Due for release in April 09 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC the video game has been rated 'M'.

You'll play Larry's nephew Larry Loverage who helps his uncle in the Movie Industry.

The game will be under the Funsta (Codemasters).

Watch TV Shows, Movies and Sports on your PSP

GO!VIEW is the official video downlaod service for PSP.

Right now you can get a free one month, no commitment trial to GO!VIEW giving you access to all three subscription packs at no cost. That's the comedy pack with hilarious TV shows like I'm Alan Partridge and Little Britain, The Entertainment pack featuring Lost, Ugly Betty and many, many more and the Sports Pack with Barclays Premier League and Uefa Champions League football from Sky Sports.

So what are you waiting for?



Website here...

Prince of Persia DLC - full trophies list

Console Monsters have added a full list of Prince of Persia trophies.

Console Monsters have just added the Downloadable Content Trophies for Ubisoft's Platformer - Prince of Persia, available on the PlayStation 3.

The list contains a total of 10 New Trophies featuring 7 Bronze and 3 Silver Trophies.

There are 61 Trophies for the game the full list is here...

Disney game Spectrobes - Origins for Nintendo Wii

Disney Interactive new sci-fi action adventure game Spectrobes - Origins on Nintendo Wii.

Genki, the developers, will release the game in autumn 2009. The first Spectrobes title to hit Nintendo Wii, following the release of Spectrobes and Spectrobes - Beyond The Portals on Nintendo DS, that shipped over 1.6 million games.

"Spectrobes - Origins brings the successful series to the Nintendo Wii with a new story that reveals secrets from the past through flashbacks of significant events," says the publisher.

"In Spectrobes - Origins, players will use the unique Nintendo Wii controls to explore vast worlds, excavate three-dimensional fossils and unravel an engaging story while discovering the key to preventing a galactic threat. While immersed in the universe as never before, players will fight enemies in large-scale, action-packed battles in real time."

Tomb Raider Beneath the Ashes download out 24th February

Tomb Raider: Underworld's first downloadable Xbox 360 episode, Beneath the Ashes, should be released on 24th February following its unexpected delay earlier this month.

"Beneath the Ashes has passed all testing at Microsoft and has been given a confirmed release date of the 24th February 2009," Eidos' Jason Walker told the official forums.

Walker said that Beneath the Ashes would be a 948MB download, while Lara's Shadow - still set for release on 10th March - will weigh in at 1.07GB.

The Eidos man also listed a number of bug-fixes to be included in a title update (patch) around the same time, detailed on page six of the thread, and said that the team had crammed as many as possible into a Microsoft-imposed file-size limit.

Look out for our review of Beneath the Ashes very soon.

Sony Japan looking for testers for new game machine

Want a job testing games machines?

Sony japan have advertised for game testers for 'new game machine' what could it be? The job description say the tasks involve evaluating and assessing new hardware which will be part of the PlayStation brand. that could be the PlayStation 3, PSP or PlayStation 2 or peripherals...

The job description also says "test game machines not yet released or new functionality of PS3 peripherals before they are released"

DiRT 2 - The complete off-road online package Animated screenshots

As the sequel to the acclaimed racer of 2007, DiRT 2 is set to take off-road racing games to a new level, with benchmark tech, thrilling new race types, big event atmosphere, stunning locations, a new breed of off-roading heroes and a peerless line-up of super-charged speed machines.

Promising a thrilling race experience and an extreme sports attitude that borrows from snowboarding and skateboarding culture, DiRT 2 will take players on a World Tour to diverse and challenging real-world environments to compete in contemporary off-road events. Specifically selected to deliver aggressive and fast paced racing, DiRT 2’s garage will house a best-in-class collection of officially licensed rally cars and off-road vehicles; covering seven vehicle classes and players will be given the keys to powerful machines right from the off.



DiRT 2 will come complete with full online functionality that will be core to the overall experience, with head-to-head competitive online play and new social features to engage the racing community. Prepare for mud, gravel, dust and dirt too in DiRT 2.

Turbo-charged off-roading with extreme sports attitude: Multiple disciplines, encompassing the very best that modern off-roading has to offer and fuelled by the 3rd generation of Codemasters’ world-renowned EGO™ Engine technology, DiRT 2 has more attitude, more adrenaline and more DiRT than ever – off-roading just got cool.

Take it on Tour: DiRT 2 will take players on a World Tour to compete in aggressive multi-car and intense solo race events in the most diverse and challenging real-world environments. Career paths will span the globe as players unlock tours in stunning locations spread across the face of the planet. USA, Japan, Malaysia, Baja, Croatia and others await as players climb to the pinnacle of modern competitive off-roading.

It’s all about the event: DiRT2 is adrenaline-fuelled extreme sports with eye-popping visuals and presentation in stunning real-world locations. Events include exhilarating rally cross in the massive Los Angeles sports stadium’s “Stadium King Shootout”, edge-of-control canyon racing of Utah’s “Creek Trailblazer” event, the “Rawang Rally Run” along treacherous Malaysian rainforest tracks and the “Battersea Battle”, where night races are staged at the iconic London power station.

Love your ride: Embark on a game-long love affair with your favourite cars. Rather than being forced through a checklist of in-game cars, DiRT2 enables players to pick their favourite rides and drive them across multiple disciplines. Upgrade them, cherish them - and then smash them to bits at breakneck speeds. Get to know which to use for what event and surface, tweak them to perfection, then push them to the absolute limit.

The complete off-road online package: DiRT 2 invites players to become part of an extreme sports community, with full online multiplayer race events and community integration across multiple disciplines. With leader boards, news feeds and ‘scribbles’ to keep you up-to-date on your friends’ racing achievements, DiRT 2 will be a social hub for off-roading fans.

Operation Flashpoint - Dragon Rising screenshots Xbox 360 PS3 and PC

As the much anticipated return of the genre-defining military conflict title, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is set to take gamers as close to war as they’ll ever want to get. In a shooter that recreates the brutal reality of the modern combat experience in stunning detail, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising will challenge players to survive the chaos and rapidly evolving situations of modern warfare in a new contemporary theatre.

Players will experience the intensity, diversity and claustrophobia of a present day conflict from the unique perspectives of an infantry marine and a Special Forces officer, each engaged against the full force of the Chinese PLA on the huge open-world island of Skira. Gameplay simulates an immense conflict between advanced forces and provides unparalleled scope with different military disciplines, vehicles and equipment for players to utilise.



The most realistic modern military shooter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising will deliver the most accessible, engaging and visceral sandbox shooter of the year, with a huge variety of equipment, weapons and tactics available. Authentic cutting-edge weaponry is simulated with detailed ballistic physics and players will command and control a wide variety of multi-component, multi-weapon vehicles, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, APCs, attack and utility helicopters. The character damage system authentically depicts the terrible wounds and injury from modern weapons to communicate the lethality of combat.

Freedom of Play: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising will give players the freedom to handle military crisis situations on their initiative. Unscripted missions will task players with real objectives, such as laying down covering fire, covering a friendly unit’s retreat or conducting short-range recon patrol. Armed with cutting edge military hardware, players will need to balance brute force with intelligent use of tactics.

Squad-Based Combat: As an epic single and multi-player campaign weaves the narrative, players will fight as infantry soldiers in battle, drive tanks in armoured assaults, and infiltrate the enemy in covert special operations utilizing a wide variety of realistic military weapons from knives and rifles to machine guns and grenade launchers.

The battlefield is the 220km2 island of Skira: Located off the eastern coast of Russia, north of Japan. This oil-rich Russian-controlled island stands on the brink of war. An airborne division of the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) lands to claim the island as the sovereign possession of the People’s Republic. Russia turns to the US for support aid and they’re quick to respond. Sending in the USS Iwo Jima, a battalion of US Marines launch an assault on the strung out but dug-in Chinese force. Can the situation be defused before this flashpoint turns white hot and an all-out global war between the superpowers erupts?

Redefines the Size of Battle: The 220km2 battlefield gives players a multitude of tactical decisions on how to best accomplish missions. Densely packed with environment detail and objects, valleys, mountains, coastlines, towns, villages and industrial complexes all combine to deliver a rich and challenging tactical environment.