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Xbox 360 at Best Buy 11:30 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: Xbox 360
(8 comments)
An anon tipster sends word that Best Buy will be recieving its Xbox 360 demo models tomorrow, which will be on all show floors starting Tuesday. Microsoft has notified us that October 24 th is the receiving date for Xbox 360 working demo models in the entire retail chain of BBY. While most of these won't actually be put out till Tuesday due to labor and Microsoft reps not being available in general around the country tomorrow; these demos WILL start springing up all across the country this week. My store In [edited out for their protection] will have theirs up tomorrow right after it comes in. Call of Duty 2 is one of the games slated to be playable.
Fansite Hosting 09:54 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(4 comments)
Our pals at the Vault are accepting applications for hosting fansites for all sorts of games where you can recieve unlimited bandwidth and a lot of other goodies. Tired of the man telling you can't host cool shit? This is your chance to flip him the finger and move on the greener pastures! Restrictions suck! apply here. Just looking around the network, we can really use a good FEAR fansite. Fansites are rad, I used to do a bunch of Planet sites (Unreal, Half-Life, etc back in golden days) and even my own creations like Unreal Universe. Maybe we can kill off merge 3DAction Planet and get them hosted here or something. That would rock! Fansites are a ton of fun and they've really died off the past few years. I would love to bring them back to life at Voodoo Extreme. We can do it -- Power to the fansites! Yeah!!!
World of WarCraft Girl Power Q&A; 09:29 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: MMOG
(1 comment)
Gamecloud chats with "Christine" about EnjoyWoW's all female powerleveling service, which must do something unique because JCal wouldn't interview them otherwise:
Do you give a happy ending with every lvl 60 character?
GameCloud - Hey -- we never asked that!
Ah well, one can always dream.
Mythic vs Speed Hackers 08:32 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: MMOG
(0 comments)
Mythic spokesmodel Sanya Thomas updated the Camelot Herald with news that the company has cracked down on speed hackers banning a number of Dark Age of Camelot accounts: We banned a bunch of speed hackers this week. I wasn't planning to mention it, because it was only about a dozen losers... er, people. The usual protestations and message board dramas are, as always, afoot. And since I'm going to be out of town tomorrow and therefore not doing a grab bag where I could drop a comment, I thought I'd better post.
The number one rumor about the speed hack bans is that the poor, innocent cheaters... cheese, I keep DOING that, I mean "people"... weren't really cheating, but simply abusing... AARGH, I mean USING... a known bug with the game. And that the CSR who banned them was too ignorant to know the difference. That's the story, anyway.
It's a simple bug, and one we've known about for awhile. It's scheduled for a fix in the next version. I'm not going to spell it out in detail just in case there are players who are not aware of the bug. Basically, if you're injured, you're supposed to slow down when you swim, the way avatars run slower on land when they're mostly dead. But in some parts of the game, you don't slow down, not if you're abusing the bug. You don't move FASTER than normal, either. That's the problem, there's no speed modifier at all for your injury.
The story goes that the CSR sees the scumbag... person... swimming at speed even though he's almost dead and assumes he's using a speedhack. This is just funny. We use BOTH observation and technology to detect cheaters. When the idiot cheating is moving faster than god speed, we suspend for seven days. (Yes, faster than god speed. Not faster than normal speed.) But we don't perma-ban until we use our technology to prove that the moron with the suspension was indeed cheating.
Using speed hacks in rvr zones is indeed very lame. Mythic is offering lifetime free accounts to people who tell them how this is done. Just keep in mind the reward isn't a license to cheat, but rather a bounty for performing a good deed. I'd assume you can just report this bug via the /appeal system, or use the community feedback form and leave your contact info.
What Games Did You Buy Last Week? 02:45 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(22 comments)
Today is the last chance to vote in the poll which asks, Which will you be buying this week?. Or, since it's Sunday, which games did you actually end up buying? Vote on your right!
If you have any suggestions for next week's poll, feel free to share them.
Top 25 Games Played Right Now 01:56 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(7 comments)
Per Gamespy:
1. Half Life 30437 servers, 76271 players
2. Half Life 2 18512 servers, 59279 players
3. Battlefield 2 6359 servers, 40604 players
4. Call of Duty 6294 servers, 15528 players
5. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory 3280 servers, 11617 players
6. Americas Army: Special Forces 1835 servers, 8663 players
7. Unreal Tournament 2004 2543 servers, 7310 players
8. Neverwinter Nights 1317 servers, 5833 players
9. Medal of Honor Allied Assault 2115 servers, 4622 players
10. Quake 3: Arena 1999 servers, 3821 players
11. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Spearhead 1294 servers, 3766 players
12. Soldier of Fortune 2 1245 servers, 3485 players
13. Unreal Tournament 2157 servers, 3437 players
14. Battlefield 1942 811 servers, 2812 players
15. Halo: Combat Evolved 758 servers, 2579 players
16. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy 700 servers, 1767 players
17. Battlefield 2 Demo 83 servers, 1342 players
18. SWAT 4 230 servers, 1101 players
19. Battlefield: Vietnam 252 servers, 922 players
20. Vietcong 284 servers, 817 players
21. Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth 218 servers, 754 players
22. Halo Demo 175 servers, 706 players
23. Return to Castle Wolfenstein 255 servers, 657 players
24. FEAR: First Encounter Assault Recon 222 servers, 615 players
25. FEAR: First Encounter Assault Recon Demo108 servers, 547 players
I'm suprised more people aren't jumping on Quake 4.
Gears of War Bits 01:47 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(0 comments)
While reading Beyond Unreal I noticed that there are a couple Gears of War bits floating around, including a new trailer originally shown at X05, plus also an interview at Gamasutra with CliffyB. Gears of War is of course Epic's big Xbox 360 shooter. Lastly, Cliffy updated his personal site with some various musings.
The Week Ahead... 11:27 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(23 comments)
Your guide to all that is being released in the week ahead.
PC:
- 80 Days
- Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None
- Battlefield 1942 The Complete Collection
- Call of Duty 2
- Call of Duty 2 Collector's Edition
- City of Villains
- City of Villains Collector's Edition
- Civilization IV
- Heroes of the Pacific
- Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition
- Missing: Game of the Year Edition
- Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary Collection
- Sniper Elite
- Vietcong 2
- X3: Reunion
Playstation 2:
- Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
- Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood
- Ford vs Chevy
- Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition
- Nicktoons Unite!
- Ratchet: Deadlocked
- Resident Evil 4
- Resident Evil 4 Premium Edition
- Shrek SuperSlam
- Sims 2
- Soul Calibur III
- Spartan: Total Warrior
- Taito Legends
- World Championship Poker 2
- Zathura
Playstation Portable:
- Ghost In The Shell
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
UMD Movies:
- Bewitched
- The Crow
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- The Terminator
Xbox:
- Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
- Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
- Ford vs Chevy
- Shrek SuperSlam
- Sims 2
- Spartan: Total Warrior
- Taito Legends
- World Championship Poker 2
- Zathura
GameCube:
- LEGO Star Wars
- Mario DDR
- Midway Arcade Treasures 3
- Nicktoons Unite!
- Shrek SuperSlam
- Sims 2
- Spartan: Total Warrior
Nintendo DS:
- Metroid Prime Pinball
- Shrek SuperSlam
- Sims 2
GameBoy Advance:
- Atomic Betty
- Gunstar Super Heroes
- Nicktoons Unite!
- Shrek SuperSlam
- Sims 2
- Sky Dancers
- The Bible Game
DVD:
- 3rd Rock From the Sun: Season 2
- 5x2
- A Bridge Too Far (Collector's Edition, 2 Discs)
- Alias: Season 4
- American Gothic: The Complete Series
- Baby Einstein: On the Go - Riding, Sailing and Soaring
- Battle of Britain (Collector's Edition, 2 Discs)
- Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (Black & White)
- Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (Color)
- Bewitched (Special Edition)
- Bewitched (Special Edition)/Bewitched TV Sampler 2-Pack Back to Back
- Captain John Smith and Pocahontas
- Darling Lili
- Degrassi Junior High: The Complete Series
- Detective Story
- Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist
- Dragons: Metal Ages
- Effects
- George Romero's Zombi
- Gus Van Sant's Last Days
- Hart to Hart: The Complete First Season
- Herbie: Fully Loaded
- Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition
- House of Wax (Full Screen)
- House of Wax (Widescreen)
- House of Wax/Gothika (2-Pack)
- House of Wax/House of Wax (1953)
- In Living Color: Season 4
- Left Behind: World at War
- Little House on the Prairie: Season Nine
- Looney Tunes: Golden Collection - Volume Three
- Looney Tunes: Movie Collection
- Melinda and Melinda
- Noel
- Point Pleasant: The Complete Series
- Sex and the Teenage Mind
- Single White Female 2: The Psycho
- Single White Female/Single White Female 2: The Psycho 2-Pack Back to Back
- Single White Female/Single White Female 2: The Psycho 2-Pack Side by Side
- Spider Forest
- Tales from the Crypt: The Complete Second Season
- The Doris Day Show: Season Two
- The L Word: The Complete Second Season
- The Munsters: The Complete Second Season
- The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
- The Wizard of Oz: Three-Disc Collector's Edition
- The Wizard of Oz: Two-Disc Special Edition
- Tipping the Rift: The Complete First Season
- Titanic: Special Collector's Edition
- Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection: Vol. 2
- WW II 60th Anniversary Commemorative Box Set - DVD (Das Boot, etc.)
- WW II 60th Anniversary Commemorative Box Set - DVD (Guns Navrne, etc.)
Movies - Now Showing:
- After School Special [Limited]
- Doom
- Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story
- Kids in America
- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang [Limited]
- North Country
- Shopgirl
- Stay
- Ushpizin, Ha- [Limited]
Movies - Opening Friday October 28st:
- Blackmail Boy
- Paradise Now
- Prime
- Saw II
- Somersault
- The Legend of Zorro
- The Passenger
- The Weather Man
- Three... Extremes
- Where the Truth Lies
- Winter Passing
Just time enough to rattle off the choice picks this week.
PC: Call of Duty 2, City of Villains, Civilization IV, Heroes of the Pacific, X3: Reunion
Playstation 2: Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition, Resident Evil 4, Soul Calibur III, Spartan: Total Warrior
PSP: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Xbox: Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, Spartan: Total Warrior
GameCube: LEGO Star Wars, Mario DDR, Spartan: Total Warrior
Nintendo DS: Metroid Prime Pinball
GameBoy Advance: Gunstar Super Heroes
DVD: A Bridge Too Far (Collector's Edition, 2 Discs), Alias: Season 4, Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (Color), Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition, Point Pleasant: The Complete Series, The L Word: The Complete Second Season
Movies: Not too sure…
So, what will you be spending your money on in the week ahead?
Doom Top Of The Movie Pops 11:24 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(1 comment)
In another slow box office week Doom: The Movie was the highest grossing flick, taking little over $15 million:
The box office was Doomed in more ways than one on Sunday, as the movie version of the popular video game "Doom" won the weekend contest, but overall sales tumbled despite a wide range of new releases.
"Doom," starring former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a U.S. Marine who must battle ghoulish creatures on a Mars space station, earned $15.4 million in its first three days, said distributor Universal Pictures. The figure for the $60 million release fell short of industry expectations.
Industry experts had expected "Doom" to open in the $18 million-$22 million range. Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco agreed the $15.4 million bow was "a little on the low end," but said she was more concerned about the overall state of business.
I fear Rob will be bitterly disappointed as he was so looking forward to a sequel.
Civilization IV Review @ IGN 04:39 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Turned-Based Strategy
(6 comments)
In a five-page exclusive review, IGN has awarded Civilization IV an impressive 9.4/10:
The original Civilization is among the most enjoyable, influential games of all time. Its sequels have sought to build upon the basic model by adding greater levels of complexity and streamlining the interface. And though the sequels were definitely great games, they were still rooted in an interface and gameplay style that had changed very little since the original was released in 1991.
That's not the case with Civilization IV. It reenergizes the core concepts of the series, staying faithful to what fans expect while also creating a wholly original game. While the game hasn't lost any depth or detail, every aspect of the design has been streamlined to make it easier for new players to jump in and less monotonous for veterans. Die-hard fans will definitely find that the game offers up so much more variety this time around. The shape of each game is quite different, from the ways you build up your empire to the ways you tear down the empires of others.
Thanks Brett.
In Other News... 04:10 am
- Andrew Burnes
- In-House: In Other News...
(34 comments)
Some rather unpleasant personal business has kept me away from the site, and also prevented me from writing that supposed Age of Empires III review, which I will now endeavour to begin.
With regards to Rob's F.E.A.R. review I have to state that I disagree completely with his assessment of the game - my views are much the same as BabyWookie's, although I would mention my disappointment in having no friendly units accompany my character on missions, as is so prevalent in Quake 4, a title less technologically advanced, but more varied and enjoyable.
In the vain of the 'Daddy or Chips?' QOTD that confused so many back in the day, F.E.A.R. or Quake 4?
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