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By Brenna Hillier - Thu Oct 8, 2009 4:40am
There's been quite a lot of firin' and very little hirin', in the industry news recently, so it's quite cheering to have some good news for once! A team of Bungie veterans have gotten together and started their very own studio, Moonshot Games.
The three members of the newly-christened studio have all served time on the Halo franchise, and bring their various experience and expertise to bear in new roles.
The three members of the newly-christened studio have all served time on the Halo franchise, and bring their various experience and expertise to bear in new roles.
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By Brenna Hillier - Thu Oct 1, 2009 12:53am
You can never have too many controllers. Alright, when the couch feels a bit lumpy and you find half a dozen scattered under the cushions, that's a trifle excessive, but if you're prone to minor fits of rage then a back up or two always comes in handy.
Thinking of adding one or two to your collection? Now's the time, as Microsoft offer a 20% discount on a range of Xbox 360 control pads.
Thinking of adding one or two to your collection? Now's the time, as Microsoft offer a 20% discount on a range of Xbox 360 control pads.
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By Matt Keller - Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:01pm
Coming Attractions has now moved to Mondays in an effort to bring you more new release information in a more timely, and therefore useful manner. Leading off the week tomorrow (or tonight if you’re into the midnight launch thing) is Halo 3: ODST. That will be followed big time MMO hopeful Aion: Tower of Eternity, grindhouse style ninja action in WET, junk collection action in Katamari Forever and a whole bunch of puzzle solving in Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box.
Don’t forget to check out the full release schedule for the latest changes and information on upcoming games.
Don’t forget to check out the full release schedule for the latest changes and information on upcoming games.
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By Brenna Hillier - Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:21am
This week saw the raising of a worrying question: is there a shift taking place in portable gaming that will drive core gamers away from the hand held platforms?
Those of you who stick firmly by Windows or Linux probably didn't notice anything beyond perhaps an iTunes update, but it's been quite an exciting few days in the Apple world. The company voted "most likely to cause a generation of damaged hearing" held a special media event to reveal their intentions for the future of the iPod and iPhone range. During his remarks to the gathered press, co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs described their phenomenally popular products as legitimate contenders for the portable gaming throne.
Those of you who stick firmly by Windows or Linux probably didn't notice anything beyond perhaps an iTunes update, but it's been quite an exciting few days in the Apple world. The company voted "most likely to cause a generation of damaged hearing" held a special media event to reveal their intentions for the future of the iPod and iPhone range. During his remarks to the gathered press, co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs described their phenomenally popular products as legitimate contenders for the portable gaming throne.
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By Brenna Hillier - Thu Aug 6, 2009 5:14am
Microsoft are planning big things for the Xbox 360, particularly with regards to Xbox LIVE. They're calling their latest additions, due August 11th, the "Summer Update", which should already tell you everything you need to know about it. If not, take a look outside and tell me if you think it looks very summery - no? Well, perhaps that's because you have the misfortune to not reside in the United States, the locale for which most of the most interesting bits of information are relevant.
Never mind, it makes pretty good reading as a kind of comprehensive wishlist for features we'd like to see hit Australia, and maybe one day we will!
Never mind, it makes pretty good reading as a kind of comprehensive wishlist for features we'd like to see hit Australia, and maybe one day we will!
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By Steven Perdikis - Tue Aug 4, 2009 1:14pm
Microsoft have revealed yet another Xbox 360 bundle in a bid to entice the gaming public to make an impulse buy. On the 6th of August, select retailers will be offering gamers a special bundle of sorts - an Xbox 360 Pro console, (that is the one with a 60BG hard drive) with two of the best selling games on the platform - Halo 3 and Halo Wars.
The bundle's aim is to give those who haven't got a Xbox 360 the opportunity to catch up with what's happened in the Halo universe a chance to catch up before Halo 3: ODST launches on the 22nd of September.
The bundle's aim is to give those who haven't got a Xbox 360 the opportunity to catch up with what's happened in the Halo universe a chance to catch up before Halo 3: ODST launches on the 22nd of September.
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By Brenna Hillier - Mon Aug 3, 2009 12:44am
I know how upsetting the thought of playing a Halo game as anyone other than Master Chief is, but Bungie want us to stop snuffling into our rather damp hankies, man up, and step into the shoes of specialist Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in the upcoming prequel, Halo 3: ODST. If you can stop howling your bereavement for a few moments, you might want to check out this short documentary narrated by Sergeant Eddie Buck, introducing the ODST team sent to investigate the Covenant's attack on New Mambosa and giving a preview of their fancy-pants weaponry and tactics.
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By Jessica Citizen - Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:07am
Each week, we collate the most popular stories that we published over the past seven days, plus a lineup of the most downloaded files added in the same timeframe. That way, in case you missed something, you can catch up in one helpful little spot, every Monday morning.
Who'dathunk, last week, that we'd be celebrating the news that Sam Raimi had been announced as the director of the Warcraft movie? Gamers are all still fascinated by what's been selling (or not) on Steam, and by the 15-minute walkthrough of Mafia 2, narrated by Denby Grace. We also got information that Episodes from Liberty City will be released in October, just after Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.
It was a week packed with more than a few interesting bits and pieces - why not take the time to trip down Memory Lane?
Who'dathunk, last week, that we'd be celebrating the news that Sam Raimi had been announced as the director of the Warcraft movie? Gamers are all still fascinated by what's been selling (or not) on Steam, and by the 15-minute walkthrough of Mafia 2, narrated by Denby Grace. We also got information that Episodes from Liberty City will be released in October, just after Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.
It was a week packed with more than a few interesting bits and pieces - why not take the time to trip down Memory Lane?
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By Brenna Hillier - Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:17am
I'm sorry, I really am, but with the San Diego Comic Con apparently the only thing the industry wants to talk about, I'm faced with the task of telling you about yet another piece of tie-in merchandising or hiding under the desk and hoping the boss doesn't notice I'm missing. Besides, I know you want to hear about this one: Halo is spawning its very own series of anime films.
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By Brenna Hillier - Wed Jul 8, 2009 8:04am
Standalone expansion Halo 3: ODST is already looking like a mighty tempting purchase, with its promises of an all-new campaign taking place in the events leading up to Halo 3's plot, explaining some of the background to the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa - and heck, obviously, it's more Halo! Nevertheless Bungie seem happy to sweeten the deal for those who might be wavering, throwing in a few new multiplayer maps to keep fans busy online: Heretic, Citadel, and Longshore, and we have the low-down on what potential Spartans can expect from the three additions.
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By Steven Perdikis - Mon May 18, 2009 4:44pm
For those that have been wanting to pick up an Xbox 360, but have felt that the packages available at retailers are a little bit lacking, Microsoft have announced a new deal for those looking to pick up an Xbox 360 Elite console.
Starting on the 28th of May, at select retailers, a "Game of the Year" bundle including Halo 3, and Fable II, along with a Xbox 360 Elite, will be available for the recommended retail price of just the console, effectively giving new Xbox 360 owners two games for free.
Starting on the 28th of May, at select retailers, a "Game of the Year" bundle including Halo 3, and Fable II, along with a Xbox 360 Elite, will be available for the recommended retail price of just the console, effectively giving new Xbox 360 owners two games for free.
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By Brenna Hillier - Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:43am
Just in case the resin statues, lavishly illustrated play guides (no doubt unused), posters and replica Master Chief helmet game case were not enough proof of your devotion to all things Halo, you can add one more piece of merchandising to your Christmas wish list, in the form of the Halo Encyclopedia, an exhaustively fabricated researched tome due for publication in November this year.
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By Matt Keller - Sun Apr 5, 2009 9:02am
With the new release barrage over, I’ve been spending a bit of time revisiting some of the games I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with. One such game is Resident Evil 5, which I am quickly discovering has a lot of post-endgame content and stuff to unlock. As much fun as it is grinding out levels to get new treasures and battle points to exchange for weapon upgrades and unlockables (I love my L. Hawk with unlimited ammo), I found myself turning to a play guide to find a better way.
This week, The Warp Pipe takes a look at the progression and usage of video game play guides.
This week, The Warp Pipe takes a look at the progression and usage of video game play guides.
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By Matt Keller - Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:00am
With the end of March upon us, we make the translation from crazy game release period to crazy game announcement period. A few bits and bobs were revealed at GDC this week, but we’ll start seeing the real juicy stuff in the next 2-3 months, particularly with the apparently re-energised E3 happening in June. I think this year we’re going to see a lot more games released during the American summer time – the current release schedule already has Ghostbusters, InFamous, and The Sims 3 are already lined up for the first month. Is possible that gaming sales could top the summer box office?
This week The Warp Pipe will share a bunch of random thoughts and observations on material vaguely related to video games.
This week The Warp Pipe will share a bunch of random thoughts and observations on material vaguely related to video games.
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By Brenna Hillier - Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:27am
In excellent news for lovers of thrifty game purchases, Microsoft have announced the addition of three new titles to its Xbox Classics range, best-selling titles re-released at a lower price for those who missed out the first time around. The three games looking for your cut-price love are Bioware's firm favourite sci-fi RPG, Mass Effect, the latest entry in an almost-venerable racing series Project Gotham Racing 4, and for the three people and one elderly cat that haven't already played it into the ground, Halo 3.
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By Brenna Hillier - Mon Mar 9, 2009 12:34pm
The DS is not the gaming platform normally associated with first person shooters, but for those of you who just can't get enough fragging and regret those wasted minutes on public transport, C.O.R.E. may be the game for you. If you simply can't see any point in firing away at the game's AI, then be heartened by the somewhat astounding information that a single C.O.R.E. cartridge will be capable of hosting multiplayer matches with up to four human participants! Gobsmacked? Incredulous? This multiplayer trailer shows off all the action.
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By Steven Perdikis - Wed Mar 4, 2009 10:01am
Halo 3 is an incredibly popular game. So much so that since its release in 2007, one billion games of Halo 3 have been played via Xbox LIVE. The one billion game milestone was broken in a three minute, nineteen second game of infection by four players.
While Bungie are proud of the achievement, they've attempted to put into context how long exactly the collective Halo 3 player-base has invested into to the game. It comes to a staggering figure - some 64,109 years of match-making and gameplay - without counting off-line or custom matches.
While Bungie are proud of the achievement, they've attempted to put into context how long exactly the collective Halo 3 player-base has invested into to the game. It comes to a staggering figure - some 64,109 years of match-making and gameplay - without counting off-line or custom matches.
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By Steven Perdikis - Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:07am
For those of you who've been sitting on the fence in regards to picking up one of the consoles, Microsoft have just announced an upcoming offer that may be difficult to resist. To coincide with the release of Halo Wars, every new Xbox 360 console sold between the 26th of February and 26th of March will be complimented with a free copy of Halo Wars.
As can be expected by an offer of this sort, the limited time frame that the offer will be available is also accompanied with a disclaimer of the fact that it is "while stocks last" only. The offer should be available at all retailers of the console, and applies to purchases of each flavour of the console, including the Arcade, Elite, and the Pro.
As can be expected by an offer of this sort, the limited time frame that the offer will be available is also accompanied with a disclaimer of the fact that it is "while stocks last" only. The offer should be available at all retailers of the console, and applies to purchases of each flavour of the console, including the Arcade, Elite, and the Pro.
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By Jessica Citizen - Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:24pm
Word on the street today is all about the Xbox 360 - more specifically, the games contained therein. Those of you who were bracing for the horrible wait until March 13th to be able to play a bit of Resident Evil 5 have received some good news. The latest update in the landmark survival-horror series is set to tease you, with a two-level playable demo made available exclusively on the Xbox 360 for one week only, starting Monday, January 26.
To know a bit more about what's in store, a shiny new, high-def trailer for the game - previously seen only at Tokyo Game Show last October - will be launched onto Xbox Live this Friday, January 16th.
To know a bit more about what's in store, a shiny new, high-def trailer for the game - previously seen only at Tokyo Game Show last October - will be launched onto Xbox Live this Friday, January 16th.
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By Jessica Citizen - Tue Jan 6, 2009 12:02pm
The end of the year is typically the time for roundups and recaps, summing up the year past - but sometimes, it takes a little while longer to compile all the information, bumping the news to the new year. This is the case with the official Xbox 360 Top 20 LIVE Games of 2008 list, which has just been announced.
We have here the list of both the the Original Xbox and Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (both lists based on unique users), as well as the Top Arcade Titles (based on full versions purchased). Not sure if there's any real surprises here (hello, Halo), but it is interesting to note the number of demos in the list that are not accompanied by the full game.
We have here the list of both the the Original Xbox and Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (both lists based on unique users), as well as the Top Arcade Titles (based on full versions purchased). Not sure if there's any real surprises here (hello, Halo), but it is interesting to note the number of demos in the list that are not accompanied by the full game.
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By Jessica Citizen - Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:46am
This year's Tokyo Game Show saw the announcement of the next game in the Halo franchise. Since October, gamers have been waiting patiently for any scrap of news about the standalone expansion, Halo 3: Recon ... but now, they'll have to change their wishlists.
I'd like to introduce the newly-retitled Halo 3: ODST - and we've got some new details on the game, fresh from Bungie. In case you were wondering, ODST refers to the legendary "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers", and this is the story of one of them, dropped into the ruined city of New Mombasa, and tasked with sleuthing around the Covenant-occupied city.
I'd like to introduce the newly-retitled Halo 3: ODST - and we've got some new details on the game, fresh from Bungie. In case you were wondering, ODST refers to the legendary "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers", and this is the story of one of them, dropped into the ruined city of New Mombasa, and tasked with sleuthing around the Covenant-occupied city.
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By Jessica Citizen - Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:36pm
Well, after less than 24 hours of it going live, the jury's still out over the New Xbox Experience. I still haven't had a chance to play with it yet, having been chained to my PC every waking hour, but I've heard interesting things about it.
One new feature that has been introduced is the ability to install your games directly onto your console hard drive. While the game disk still needs to be in the tray, the hard drive installation can make some title perform better - and of course it reduces stress on the DVD drive. However. "Some" titles is not all titles - with Bungie coming out to explain that installing Halo 3 will actually make the game run slower than if you use the DVD.
One new feature that has been introduced is the ability to install your games directly onto your console hard drive. While the game disk still needs to be in the tray, the hard drive installation can make some title perform better - and of course it reduces stress on the DVD drive. However. "Some" titles is not all titles - with Bungie coming out to explain that installing Halo 3 will actually make the game run slower than if you use the DVD.
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By Jessica Citizen - Sun Nov 9, 2008 12:05pm
Word on the street suggests that CCP, developers behind space MMO EVE Online may be looking to branch into the FPS genre, possibly even bringing the EVE universe to consoles.
At a recent presentation on the future of the game, company bosses Nathan Richardsson and Hilmar Petursson showed footage of a "Halo-like shooter", featuring an art design very similar to the current look of EVE Online, set on an Earth-like planet. Footage from a third-person perspective, showing a land vehicle driving across the planet was also shown.
At a recent presentation on the future of the game, company bosses Nathan Richardsson and Hilmar Petursson showed footage of a "Halo-like shooter", featuring an art design very similar to the current look of EVE Online, set on an Earth-like planet. Footage from a third-person perspective, showing a land vehicle driving across the planet was also shown.
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By Jessica Citizen - Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:00pm
Treyarch have something to prove with Call of Duty: World at War. They earned their stripes with Call of Duty 3, learned from their mistakes, and have moved on. This time around, they've taken their time, producing a game that takes the franchise to a new level, as well as two all-new locations, the Pacific Theater and the Eastern Front.
We recently popped into the studios for a chat with Noah Heller, senior producer at World at War, to take a look at the game and ask him a few questions about what it's all about. We even took along a video camera, to see what we could see.
We recently popped into the studios for a chat with Noah Heller, senior producer at World at War, to take a look at the game and ask him a few questions about what it's all about. We even took along a video camera, to see what we could see.
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By Brenna Hillier - Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:05am
There are plenty of good reasons to celebrate Halo 3, and happily, gamers aren't the only ones to realise it. The incredibly popular FPS has netted a place in this year's Technical Excellence and Creativity Awards, which are run by The Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio, a not-for-profit sound industry organisation based in California. Halo 3 was one of five titles nominated in this year's addition to the Outstanding Creative Achievement categories, Interactive Entertainment Sound Production.
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By Steven Perdikis - Fri Oct 10, 2008 4:46pm
As if to spite those of us to think the Halo 3 wagon had broken a wheel and collapsed, Microsoft and Bungie Software have just announced a new instalment for the franchise, entitled Halo 3: Recon, the standalone expansion will introduce a new character, while extending the Halo 3 franchise with all new multiplayer content.
Details are currently fairly scarce for the title, but we've managed to grab a factsheet, and a first look trailer, granting a little preview as to what Xbox 360 gamers can expect from the title.
Details are currently fairly scarce for the title, but we've managed to grab a factsheet, and a first look trailer, granting a little preview as to what Xbox 360 gamers can expect from the title.
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By Jessica Citizen - Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:34am
Can you believe it's nearly been a whole year since Halo 3 was released? To celebrate the game's first birthday, Bungie have taken this opportunity to unveil some new achievements and a handful of cheat-busting tactics, all wrapped up in a patch known as Title Update 2.
The patch includes new achievements for both the Campaign and the Legendary Map Pack, and while no date has been officially announced, our best guess puts this release some time before the end of the month.
The patch includes new achievements for both the Campaign and the Legendary Map Pack, and while no date has been officially announced, our best guess puts this release some time before the end of the month.
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By Chienne - Mon Jul 7, 2008 8:09pm
In case you hadn't checked the calendar yet today, it is the seventh of July... that is, 7/7 - Bungie Day!
To celebrate this year, Bungie are rewarding Halo 3 players with a new, free multiplayer map - Cold Storage, plus some free gamer pics, dashboard theme, and a price drop on the Legendary Map Pack, to 600 MS points.
You'd better be quick, though - these are only free and available for one day only... and that day is today!
To celebrate this year, Bungie are rewarding Halo 3 players with a new, free multiplayer map - Cold Storage, plus some free gamer pics, dashboard theme, and a price drop on the Legendary Map Pack, to 600 MS points.
You'd better be quick, though - these are only free and available for one day only... and that day is today!
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By Matt K - Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:06am
Reviews have been attacking The Warp Pipe from all directions this week, but I'm sure by the time you're sitting down to read this, I'm taking a much needed break. It hasn't really been a very interesting week in the world of video games - we're lucky that those big Xbox 360 leaks hit the wire on Tuesday, or the industry would have been about as exciting as a 24 hour Today Tonight marathon.
This week we're going to take a look at some of the more impressive Xbox 360 Achievements, revisit Bethesda's Terminator: Future Shock and finish up with another new section called Removing the Rose Tint.
This week we're going to take a look at some of the more impressive Xbox 360 Achievements, revisit Bethesda's Terminator: Future Shock and finish up with another new section called Removing the Rose Tint.
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By Matt K - Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:08am
It's back to regular Warp Pipe programming after another pair of retrospectives. After two series retrospectives in about six weeks, I'm a little worn out on the concept; fortunately, there is little in the way of major franchise releases coming out this year (that we know of), so I should be able to take a decent break. I spent some of my newfound free time checking out the Game On exhibit at ACMI – it's quite a good little show, and it's still running for another month, so Melbourne readers who haven't checked it out should do so as soon as possible.
This week, we look at the issue of quality in licensed products intended for children, revisit the 1994 classic Street Fighter: The Movie, and introduce a new section called Flawed Masterpieces, which looks at games that fell just short of being classics.
This week, we look at the issue of quality in licensed products intended for children, revisit the 1994 classic Street Fighter: The Movie, and introduce a new section called Flawed Masterpieces, which looks at games that fell just short of being classics.
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By Draqul - Wed May 14, 2008 4:12pm
Yes yes, you're all sick of hearing about GTA IV, I know - and I could be spending this time more profitably stealing cars and going on man-dates, too, but this is pretty big news. Further to holo's story of last Thursday, Guiness World Records have just announced that GTA IV has officially smashed two World Records. One of them, while extremely impressive, is not that surprising in light of the figures holo reported- those 3.6 million copies sold on launch day have generated a staggering US$310 million in the first 24 hours after release. Predictably, GTA IV has ousted Halo 3, with its comparably mere US$170 million, from the top position of Highest Grossing Video Game in 24 Hours and stolen the title for itself. But wait! There's more.
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By holo` - Thu May 8, 2008 12:00pm
Just by looking at the charts which were released yesterday, it's a no brainer that nearly everyone who owns a PS3 or Xbox 360 has abandoned their everyday lives and begun a potentially bitter relationship with their new mistress, Grand Theft Auto IV.
With record-breaking sales figures and a huge turnover, Rockstar have really done well with Grand Theft Auto IV. With sales of six million copies world wide (all in just a week!) the latest in the GTA franchise has shattered sales records around the globe.
With record-breaking sales figures and a huge turnover, Rockstar have really done well with Grand Theft Auto IV. With sales of six million copies world wide (all in just a week!) the latest in the GTA franchise has shattered sales records around the globe.
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By holo` - Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:13pm
Those Halo 3 players of you amongst us will be pleased to know that the Legendary Map Pack is now available. Following on from the release of the Heroic Map Pack (which is now free) - the Legendary Map Pack features three new maps - Ghost Town, Avalanche, and Blackout.
The Legendary Map Pack is available now on Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft points.
The Legendary Map Pack is available now on Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft points.
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By Matt K - Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:20am
Easter has passed us by, and I'm sure many of you had a good time gorging yourselves on chocolate. The Warp Pipe spent its holiday nestled up to a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with a few hours dedicated to attaining that all important 100% in Bully: Scholarship Edition. It has been a busy week for gaming here, actually; I think I managed about 3,000 new achievement points since the return of my 360 (which pushed me into the top 100 Australians on MyGamerCard), I pushed my way through the majority of Smash Bros' single player modes and I've been reading Steven Kent's The Ultimate History of Video Games, which I'll talk about more in a later column.
This week I thought we'd do something a little different: spurt out some interesting facts, insightful thoughts and bold proclamations. As promised last week, we'll look at one of Shiny's most underappreciated efforts in Sacrifice, and throw our cheap gaming buddies a bone with the Gothic Universe collection.
This week I thought we'd do something a little different: spurt out some interesting facts, insightful thoughts and bold proclamations. As promised last week, we'll look at one of Shiny's most underappreciated efforts in Sacrifice, and throw our cheap gaming buddies a bone with the Gothic Universe collection.
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By Draqul - Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:54am
Whenever I hear Blue Dragon I can't help but think of Guan Yu in Dynasty Warriors. Some of you may be disappointed to hear that the Chinese war deity doesn't make an appearance in Hironobu Sakaguchi's company Mistwalker's offering. Luckily for the secret fanboys and girls amongst us, plenty of other fairly glorious sounds do.
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By Chienne - Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:13pm
Halo 3 gamers around the world are eagerly awaiting the release of the Legendary Map Pack, which is due to arrive April 15th. Last week, holo` told you all about the first two maps, but one of them was still a mystery.
Well, I'm pleased to announce that we have information (and pictures) for the third and final map from the Legendary Map Pack, a little place known as Blackout. I'm also pleased to announce that if you were hanging out for the free release of the Heroic Map Pack, your wait is over, and the maps are now free to download through the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Well, I'm pleased to announce that we have information (and pictures) for the third and final map from the Legendary Map Pack, a little place known as Blackout. I'm also pleased to announce that if you were hanging out for the free release of the Heroic Map Pack, your wait is over, and the maps are now free to download through the Xbox Live Marketplace.
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By holo` - Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:34pm
Halo 3 is no stranger to map packs, with its first "Heroic Map Pack" hitting Xbox Live back in December. Today, Microsoft and Bungie have announced that the Legendary Map Pack will be released on April 15th.
For 800 Microsoft Points, the Legendary Map Pack will include three new maps: Ghost Town, Avalanche, and a yet to be announced map.
For 800 Microsoft Points, the Legendary Map Pack will include three new maps: Ghost Town, Avalanche, and a yet to be announced map.
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By UgLyPuNk - Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:46pm
If you are one of the millions of people who snapped up Halo 3 when it came out you might want to pull it out of its box and take part in the Samsung TV sponsored APAC region Halo 3 tournament. There are a few nice prizes up for grabs including a Samsung 40" LCD TV Model LA40A550, exclusive Halo 3 artwork, a brand new Xbox 360 Elite, Xbox 360 accessories and Microsoft Points. The tournament is open to all Halo 3 players in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand and the top ranked player from each market will be crowned Halo 3 National Champion and will be rewarded with a piece of exclusive Halo artwork, and will qualify for the Asian Final, which if you trust the press release the winner of the final will become.... "truly legendary".
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By holo` - Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:33pm
Havok is a name which many gamers are familiar with - with the Havok physics middle ware solution in use by over 200 titles on the PC and console platforms. Havok brings physics systems into the hands of developers to enable them to implement physics easily into titles without creating a physics solution in house - this enables fast implementation of physics into game engines.
Havok have announced that their Havok Complete software product will be available for download in May 2008 for non-commercial use absolutely free. By allowing both users and developers to download the Havok Complete application for free, there is hope that the technology will become more accessible and well known amongst indie devs, and start-up companies who would otherwise not be able to afford to use the product.
Havok have announced that their Havok Complete software product will be available for download in May 2008 for non-commercial use absolutely free. By allowing both users and developers to download the Havok Complete application for free, there is hope that the technology will become more accessible and well known amongst indie devs, and start-up companies who would otherwise not be able to afford to use the product.
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By Matt K - Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:56am
Welcome to the Warp Pipe, a new weekly editorial piece that will grace the pages of the Internode Games Network every Sunday morning. I've got a pretty basic plan in place for what's going to be in the column each week; I rant about something to do with video games, remember old games, make silly predictions and tell you the industry is full of poo, and then you jump onto the Internode forums and rant about how I know nothing and should be shot out of a cannon or be forced to ghost-write John Howard's memoirs.
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By Chienne - Tue Feb 5, 2008 4:53pm
New global conflicts are afoot. News has come to hand that updates are in the works for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Soon, new downloadable maps will be made available for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, bringing all-new combat to the consoles, spread across a number of intense and innovative multiplayer locations.
If you've got the game on PC though - don't fret! The recent release of the official Mod Tools means you can make your own maps... and if you're particularly proud of your work, then why not enter it in the Community Mapping Contest, which was launched recently!
If you've got the game on PC though - don't fret! The recent release of the official Mod Tools means you can make your own maps... and if you're particularly proud of your work, then why not enter it in the Community Mapping Contest, which was launched recently!
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By Chienne - Tue Jan 1, 2008 6:00pm
What will you remember 2007 for, in terms of gaming?
We asked some of the game admins and network staff to find out their thoughts, but I'll give you a quick recap first:
Australia got the PS3 in a bit of an anti-climactic launch, bringing with it a bit of resistance, as well as a stormy racer. We got a new Command & Conquer, another episode of Half-Life 2, a final Halo and didn't get the latest Grand Theft Auto. The world was thrown into "what-if?" with a little game from Massive, a motley crew of cartoons finally arrived, making up Team Fortress 2, and the Call of Duty was heard on a more modern battlefield. Ingame physics were turned on their head and flipped inside-out with Valve's puzzling Portal, our favourite four-fingered family arrived on almost every console known to man, first-person shooters got genetically-engineered, and the world was overrun by pocket monsters, both handheld and motion-sensitive. It's also been a big year for a little Italian plumber, who not only took over the soccer field, he also had a party or two and even headed into space, as well as turning somewhat more two-dimensional. Blizzard released their first MMO expansion, announced their second, revealed that 9 million people played World of Warcraft, took the covers off of StarCraft II, and still managed to keep tight-lipped on their new project.
The Games Network has done a whole bunch of work behind the scenes, making things a lot nicer and easier to work with, even if it looks pretty much the same. One of the major changes would be the upgrade to our file mirror, which now boasts 10 terabytes of space, so there's plenty of room for games, demos, screenshots, videos and patches. We also upgraded our staff, getting a whole new person to work for us, as well as a handful of new newsbots to bring you updates and good stories.
As a team, we tended to stay pretty close to home this year (other than sending representatives to eGames in Melbourne, GO3 in Perth, and BlizzCon in LA!), but we took the time to recognise the local guys with a big meetup for our Adelaide members, volunteers and gamers on the Australia Day long weekend last year. We had a whole pub to ourselves!
Overall, we must be doing something right, as every month, it seems we get bigger and bigger, with more visits, downloads and members! ...and, of course, you guys are the most important thing. Thanks for all your support, whether you're a regular visitor, someone who pops in from time to time, or just someone who keeps an eye out for interesting files in our library.
Bring on 2008 - but first, read on to find out what the admins, staff and volunteers have to say about 2007!
We asked some of the game admins and network staff to find out their thoughts, but I'll give you a quick recap first:
Australia got the PS3 in a bit of an anti-climactic launch, bringing with it a bit of resistance, as well as a stormy racer. We got a new Command & Conquer, another episode of Half-Life 2, a final Halo and didn't get the latest Grand Theft Auto. The world was thrown into "what-if?" with a little game from Massive, a motley crew of cartoons finally arrived, making up Team Fortress 2, and the Call of Duty was heard on a more modern battlefield. Ingame physics were turned on their head and flipped inside-out with Valve's puzzling Portal, our favourite four-fingered family arrived on almost every console known to man, first-person shooters got genetically-engineered, and the world was overrun by pocket monsters, both handheld and motion-sensitive. It's also been a big year for a little Italian plumber, who not only took over the soccer field, he also had a party or two and even headed into space, as well as turning somewhat more two-dimensional. Blizzard released their first MMO expansion, announced their second, revealed that 9 million people played World of Warcraft, took the covers off of StarCraft II, and still managed to keep tight-lipped on their new project.
The Games Network has done a whole bunch of work behind the scenes, making things a lot nicer and easier to work with, even if it looks pretty much the same. One of the major changes would be the upgrade to our file mirror, which now boasts 10 terabytes of space, so there's plenty of room for games, demos, screenshots, videos and patches. We also upgraded our staff, getting a whole new person to work for us, as well as a handful of new newsbots to bring you updates and good stories.
As a team, we tended to stay pretty close to home this year (other than sending representatives to eGames in Melbourne, GO3 in Perth, and BlizzCon in LA!), but we took the time to recognise the local guys with a big meetup for our Adelaide members, volunteers and gamers on the Australia Day long weekend last year. We had a whole pub to ourselves!
Overall, we must be doing something right, as every month, it seems we get bigger and bigger, with more visits, downloads and members! ...and, of course, you guys are the most important thing. Thanks for all your support, whether you're a regular visitor, someone who pops in from time to time, or just someone who keeps an eye out for interesting files in our library.
Bring on 2008 - but first, read on to find out what the admins, staff and volunteers have to say about 2007!
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:34am
Tis the season to be jolly, it seems - especially if you work for 3D Realms, or if you (like so many other gamers) are looking forward to their little project, Duke Nukem Forever.
It seems that a few people who work for the company have been burning the midnight oil, working hard on the project that so many people have written off as just vaporware... and they finally have something to show for it. Not only have we gotten a very shiny new screenshot from the game, but they're promising, tomorrow morning, a brand new teaser trailer for the game.
It seems that a few people who work for the company have been burning the midnight oil, working hard on the project that so many people have written off as just vaporware... and they finally have something to show for it. Not only have we gotten a very shiny new screenshot from the game, but they're promising, tomorrow morning, a brand new teaser trailer for the game.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:16pm
We gave you a headsup a little while ago about the brand new Heroic Map Pack for Halo 3 - and now it's here!
This is the first (hopefully of many) downloadable content pack for the game, and you can pick up three maps for the bargain price of 800 MS Points exclusively on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Check out the twisted and winding corridors and passages of Rat's Nest, perfect for indoor vehicle action; the entrenched bases and fields of boulders throughout the symmetrical valley of Standoff; and Foundry, the ultimate Forge map where everything inside this massive warehouse can be edited.
This is the first (hopefully of many) downloadable content pack for the game, and you can pick up three maps for the bargain price of 800 MS Points exclusively on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Check out the twisted and winding corridors and passages of Rat's Nest, perfect for indoor vehicle action; the entrenched bases and fields of boulders throughout the symmetrical valley of Standoff; and Foundry, the ultimate Forge map where everything inside this massive warehouse can be edited.
[ READ MORE ]
By Matt K - Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:51pm
Those intergalactic travellers out there will be pleased to know that BioWare's latest RPG effort, Mass Effect has reached the platinum milestone with a million copies now in the hands of consumers across the world.
When one considers that Mass Effect has only been on shelves for three weeks and the many other quality titles currently on shelves, it's quite an effort.
When one considers that Mass Effect has only been on shelves for three weeks and the many other quality titles currently on shelves, it's quite an effort.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:34am
Everyone thinks that opposing video game companies hate each other. They're competing for consumer dollars and fame - and there's only so much of that to go around.
However, I have a heart-warming story that sees several major games companies joining forces - for the good of the gamer!
To show their appreciation of both Guitar Hero and Halo fans, Neversoft, Bungie, Activision, RedOctane and Microsoft have all worked together to bring the iconic Halo theme (MJOLNIR Mix) to Guitar Hero III on the Xbox 360 - as a free playable song.
However, I have a heart-warming story that sees several major games companies joining forces - for the good of the gamer!
To show their appreciation of both Guitar Hero and Halo fans, Neversoft, Bungie, Activision, RedOctane and Microsoft have all worked together to bring the iconic Halo theme (MJOLNIR Mix) to Guitar Hero III on the Xbox 360 - as a free playable song.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:25am
As if you thought Halo 3 couldn't get any better - the first in a series of downloadable content has just been announced. The brand new Heroic Map Pack will be hitting Xbox Live on December 11th, containing three new multiplayer maps for your fragging pleasure.
The pack will set you back 800 Microsoft points if you want them straight away, but if you stick around for a few months, it will be available free just before the next pack is released, in Autumn next year.
The pack will set you back 800 Microsoft points if you want them straight away, but if you stick around for a few months, it will be available free just before the next pack is released, in Autumn next year.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Mon Nov 19, 2007 3:29pm
I think I'm glad the eGames & Entertainment Expo is only on once a year - we were only there for two days this time around and I'm still having trouble getting my head around it all!
Building on last year's roots, this year's Expo promised to be bigger and better than before - and from what we saw, it delivered. With big titles such as Crysis, Assassin's Creed, Haze and Mass Effect on show (the official number was 50 new titles either displayed or playable), plus large stalls from Sony and Nintendo, this was a great way to show off just what's around (or coming soon) in the games industry.
Building on last year's roots, this year's Expo promised to be bigger and better than before - and from what we saw, it delivered. With big titles such as Crysis, Assassin's Creed, Haze and Mass Effect on show (the official number was 50 new titles either displayed or playable), plus large stalls from Sony and Nintendo, this was a great way to show off just what's around (or coming soon) in the games industry.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Fri Nov 9, 2007 1:46pm
I was reading the other day that overseas consumers found the Australian gaming market quite amusing. In most other territories, a highly-anticipated game (such as, oh, Halo 3) is #1 in the charts for one week, as everyone rushes out to buy it. In Australia, however, it hangs around the top order for a while, demonstrating Aussies' laidback attitude. "Meh, I'll buy it next week."
That said, while Master Chief still rules the 360, he's been knocked from the overall top spot by a little bandicoot with some big enemies. PC gamers are heading to a horrific Britain, Wii are visiting the carnival while PS2 are still playing soccer, and the DS crowd are challenging their minds some more.
That said, while Master Chief still rules the 360, he's been knocked from the overall top spot by a little bandicoot with some big enemies. PC gamers are heading to a horrific Britain, Wii are visiting the carnival while PS2 are still playing soccer, and the DS crowd are challenging their minds some more.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Wed Nov 7, 2007 12:14pm
Just in case there was any doubt, it's recently been announced that the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system is still #1 in Australia. The record-breaking release of that little Halo 3 game just added to the already-popular console's success - October figures show that the September success was continued into the following month, making Microsoft's console the best-selling next-gen console hardware in the country.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Nov 1, 2007 3:57pm
There is something very interesting in the charts this week. Well, a couple of interesting things. Firstly - the impact that Steam has on PC gamers is undeniable, with the Xbox 360 version of the Orange Box coming in six places higher than its PC counterpart, despite many more PC gamers owning the franchise.
Secondly, I'd like to congratulate Pokémon Pearl, for finally beating that pesky Diamond version in the DS charts. Well done!
Anyway. The rest of us are still being ruled over by a Master Chief, while the PC world is squishing itself into a box the colour of citrus. Wii like to party with a plumber, PS3 prefers football, PS2 has been crashed, and DS gamers are still hangin' out with Link and his timepiece.
Secondly, I'd like to congratulate Pokémon Pearl, for finally beating that pesky Diamond version in the DS charts. Well done!
Anyway. The rest of us are still being ruled over by a Master Chief, while the PC world is squishing itself into a box the colour of citrus. Wii like to party with a plumber, PS3 prefers football, PS2 has been crashed, and DS gamers are still hangin' out with Link and his timepiece.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:26pm
I had a bit of a chat with my statistician this week, about the most recent charts he sent me. There's a little PC game in here, called Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars - you might have heard of it - and it's finally shown up in the charts, at position #4. Apparently it got a bit lost in the mountain of console games and has only now made its way over to its rightful position, smack-bang in the middle of PC-world.
Meanwhile, Master Chief still rules supreme over everything, PC gamers are still going on a simulated holiday, PS3 gamers like a spot of soccer, Link shows up on DS again with his ghostly timepiece, and a couple of newies - Wii is overtaken by some parallel lines, while the PS2 has been Crashed. Oops!
Meanwhile, Master Chief still rules supreme over everything, PC gamers are still going on a simulated holiday, PS3 gamers like a spot of soccer, Link shows up on DS again with his ghostly timepiece, and a couple of newies - Wii is overtaken by some parallel lines, while the PS2 has been Crashed. Oops!
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:18am
Another week, another set of charts. You could almost be forgiven for thinking this is the same charts we gave you last week - but trust me - they're different. Really. Very different. Among other things, the DS seems to be staging a chart takeover bid. That's exciting, right?
Just because Master Chief is still dominating everything, simulated PC people are still going on holidays and Wii's preferred plumber is still made of paper, doesn't mean things haven't changed. PS3 is now ruled by a celestial weapon, PS2 is enjoying some warm exotic evenings, and DS fans are getting reaquainted with Link and his ghostly timepiece.
Just because Master Chief is still dominating everything, simulated PC people are still going on holidays and Wii's preferred plumber is still made of paper, doesn't mean things haven't changed. PS3 is now ruled by a celestial weapon, PS2 is enjoying some warm exotic evenings, and DS fans are getting reaquainted with Link and his ghostly timepiece.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:49pm
A quick glance over the latest Australian sales charts reveals that we're still being dominated by Master Chief. I'm sure you're all surprised to learn that, right?
You also probably won't be surprised to learn that some simulated people are going on a holiday on PC, a paper plumber is still reigning over Wii, PS3 gamers prefer a spot of football, and the DS is extending their cranial capacities. I'm also sorry to state that PS2 gamers still love their karaoke, and the good ol' rock ballad is the current weapon of choice.
You also probably won't be surprised to learn that some simulated people are going on a holiday on PC, a paper plumber is still reigning over Wii, PS3 gamers prefer a spot of football, and the DS is extending their cranial capacities. I'm also sorry to state that PS2 gamers still love their karaoke, and the good ol' rock ballad is the current weapon of choice.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:30pm
If you were one of the handful of people who picked up a copy of Halo 3 recently, you may have noticed that your stats haven't been being recorded properly over the last few days. You're not alone. There has been a problem, involving corrupted data that wasn't allowing things to work properly.
To put it very simply - they're working on the issue and it should be fixed within 24-36 hours. Rest assured, all your stats have been recorded, just not uploaded properly yet.
To put it very simply - they're working on the issue and it should be fixed within 24-36 hours. Rest assured, all your stats have been recorded, just not uploaded properly yet.
[ READ MORE ]
By TheMeadow - Mon Oct 8, 2007 9:23am
It's not very often we see non-gamers take up our side of the 'violent game debate', but it seems some religious leaders are doing it. Churches have started connecting with kids over a nice Bible read and a game of Halo 3.
Although it seems to go against the 'thou shalt not kill' line in the Bible, ministers and pastors are drawing the young into their churches across America with the help of Master Chief. Of course not everyone is for it, but if it's getting the dwindling number of young back into churches, why not?
Although it seems to go against the 'thou shalt not kill' line in the Bible, ministers and pastors are drawing the young into their churches across America with the help of Master Chief. Of course not everyone is for it, but if it's getting the dwindling number of young back into churches, why not?
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Sat Oct 6, 2007 10:50am
Well, after dodging flying rumours for the better part of the week, it's finally official. The seven-year relationship between Bungie and Microsoft has been dissolved, with the Halo developer taking steps to become a privately held independent company. Microsoft will hold a minority equity interest in the new company, and a long-term development and publishing relationship has been created, focussing on the continued success of the Halo franchise (which is owned by Microsoft). Both parties intend to expand this partnership to include new IP created and owned by Bungie.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Fri Oct 5, 2007 4:05pm
Sorry the charts are a bit late this week, my statistician (I have my own personal one) assures me that they've been flat out busy this week, what with the public holiday (not that they didn't enjoy the break), and then there was that little Xbox 360 game that came out last week... do you know the one?
Anyway. That little game's dominating, some may say Mastering, the charts this week, no surprise, and is quickly followed up by some European soccer on both PS2 and PS3. PC gamers are no longer quite as conflicted, but are taking a nice voyage instead. The Wii looks a bit papery this week, and the DS is currently employing more cerebral conditioning.
Anyway. That little game's dominating, some may say Mastering, the charts this week, no surprise, and is quickly followed up by some European soccer on both PS2 and PS3. PC gamers are no longer quite as conflicted, but are taking a nice voyage instead. The Wii looks a bit papery this week, and the DS is currently employing more cerebral conditioning.
[ READ MORE ]
By Max - Thu Oct 4, 2007 7:50pm
Recently, Microsoft announced that to celebrate the release of Halo 3, they're putting together a charity campaign called "Red v Blue" to raise funds for two worthy Australian charities, one called Mission Australia and the other Make-A-Wish Australia.
The Red v Blue charity campaign event will feature a number of challenges between high profile sports, TV, music, and fashion celebrities. Every challenge will feature a Red team representing Mission Australia and a Blue team representing Make-A-Wish Australia. Also there are limited edition consoles being auctioned off with celebrity faces on the side of the machine.
The Red v Blue charity campaign event will feature a number of challenges between high profile sports, TV, music, and fashion celebrities. Every challenge will feature a Red team representing Mission Australia and a Blue team representing Make-A-Wish Australia. Also there are limited edition consoles being auctioned off with celebrity faces on the side of the machine.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:23pm
Like many of you, Tony is a big fan of gaming. He's got lots of favourites, but the Halo series is up there among the top, so you can imagine he was pretty chuffed when we got him to write a review of the latest game for us.
On the other hand, John Howard is someone I never really figured would be much into computer games. He might bash out the quick game of solitaire to pass the time between Cabinet meetings, but he didn't seem the type to spend hours hunched over a console, working his fingers to the bone trying to unlock that last achievement. We've just acquired some pictures that suggest that I am totally wrong, and that lil Johnny can steer a warthog just as well as the rest of you.
On the other hand, John Howard is someone I never really figured would be much into computer games. He might bash out the quick game of solitaire to pass the time between Cabinet meetings, but he didn't seem the type to spend hours hunched over a console, working his fingers to the bone trying to unlock that last achievement. We've just acquired some pictures that suggest that I am totally wrong, and that lil Johnny can steer a warthog just as well as the rest of you.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:43pm
Good Game returns to our screens tonight - ABC2, 8:30pm - and then again on Thursday... and again on Friday night, this time on the "real" ABC!
I had a chat with Junglist the other day, about books and fishing and the new series, and he's also filled me in with some preview information for tonight's episode.
They're promising an action-packed show, full of Halo 3 and Heavenly Sword, as well as a discussion on Are games art?.
I had a chat with Junglist the other day, about books and fishing and the new series, and he's also filled me in with some preview information for tonight's episode.
They're promising an action-packed show, full of Halo 3 and Heavenly Sword, as well as a discussion on Are games art?.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:54am
Last night I had a date. This doesn't happen very often, so it's pretty special when it does. I got all tidied up and left the house, all set to arrive in Rundle Mall by 11:30, as my beau was due to arrive at midnight, on the dot.
When I got there, I soon realised I wasn't the only person there for the same purpose. No - it seems Master Chief is a bit of a floozy, and had asked other gamers on the date, too! There were maybe 150 or so of us, in the cold, standing outside the games shop, waiting, patiently, for midnight, and the official release of Halo 3.
When I got there, I soon realised I wasn't the only person there for the same purpose. No - it seems Master Chief is a bit of a floozy, and had asked other gamers on the date, too! There were maybe 150 or so of us, in the cold, standing outside the games shop, waiting, patiently, for midnight, and the official release of Halo 3.
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By TheMeadow - Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:35am
With the Tokyo Game Show on at the moment, Microsoft's Xbox 360 was the first to get the ball rolling and what a ball! With an announcement this big the only thing missing is being able to get Tokyo on your 360! Everything else is coming!
The main focus was on the Xbox 360's new games Ninja Gaiden 2, Lost Odyssey, Ace Combat 6 and Beautiful Katamari. As well as Square Enix announcing 2 brand new games in development for the Xbox 360! Rez also hits the Live Marketplace!
The main focus was on the Xbox 360's new games Ninja Gaiden 2, Lost Odyssey, Ace Combat 6 and Beautiful Katamari. As well as Square Enix announcing 2 brand new games in development for the Xbox 360! Rez also hits the Live Marketplace!
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By Max - Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:31am
With only a fortnight or so go to until the official launch of Halo 3 on Xbox 360, somehow an Aussie has managed to get his grubby paws on two retail PAL copies of the game Halo 3 and his/her first intentions were to sell them on eBay. How we know they are Australian versions is because in the pictures provided show the OFLC rating on the front of the case, which goes to show the game is rated M. If I remember correctly Halo 2 is rated MA15+, does this mean that Halo 3 won't be as gory or as violent as Halo 2? To me I wouldn't care, it's all about the gameplay.
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By Max - Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:24am
Apparently Microsoft is making very hard and strong examples of anyone who tries to sneak into the Halo 3 Epsilon Test. Recently a 17-year-old boy from Minnesota in the U.S who goes by the handle "Scar" posted a short tale of agony on a Halo focused modding site called Se7ensins. Alongside of his post was this picture (to the right) of his ban notice from Xbox Live, which says his ban will expire on the 31st of December, 9999 AD.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:08am
Just a reminder, Xbox 360 gamers - Xbox Live won't be so Live this evening. Due to shut down at 09:01GMT (6:31pm in Adelaide), everything should be back in action four hours later, at 13:01 (10:31pm).
Sorry if you'd planned a big night of Xboxing, you'll just have to play offline or find something else to do for a while.
Sorry if you'd planned a big night of Xboxing, you'll just have to play offline or find something else to do for a while.
[ READ MORE ]
By Junglist - Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:28pm
As usual, we're scheduled for Tuesday nights at 8:30pm on ABC2, but for those of you resisting the inevitable wave of digital TV, a repeat can now be viewed on main channel ABC! Late Friday nights after the Chaser and JTV, and before Rage. Another repeat on ABC2 is scheduled for Thursday nights, at 10:30pm.
Season 3 of Good Game will also be littered with our E3 coverage. Whether you play socially, competitively or recreationally, these upcoming months are set to be the biggest yet, with more than one blockbuster every week... We spoke to the biggest names in the industry about their upcoming titles and some broader industry issues.
Season 3 of Good Game will also be littered with our E3 coverage. Whether you play socially, competitively or recreationally, these upcoming months are set to be the biggest yet, with more than one blockbuster every week... We spoke to the biggest names in the industry about their upcoming titles and some broader industry issues.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:08pm
Two weeks ago, Bungie made the call that their very (very) eagerly-anticipated baby, that little Halo 3 game, was "99.9 percent" done. Today, Microsoft Game Studios have announced that the sci-fi shooter has gone gold, all ready for its release on September 25th.
If there's still stock, not only is there a special edition console being released, but the game itself comes in three forms: in increasing price order, we have the regular edition, the limited edition, and - of course - the legendary edition, which comes with a little helmet that will make your cat look just like Master Chief.
If there's still stock, not only is there a special edition console being released, but the game itself comes in three forms: in increasing price order, we have the regular edition, the limited edition, and - of course - the legendary edition, which comes with a little helmet that will make your cat look just like Master Chief.
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By Tony Kustro - Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:04pm
In the deluge of titles being released within the next few months, Halo 3 shouldn't have a problem being crowded for space. Last night's Halo 3 event brought together the local 'thirsty' media contingent, a few rather excited competition winners to meet the two brave employees from Bungie here to give the assembled crowd of around 80 their first glimpse into Halo 3's previously unseen single player campaign. Also revealed were details on the local release of the Halo 3 edition Xbox 360, a new multiplayer map (Narrows) and finally some co-op game time on and a taste of the highly entertaining 4-player Co-op segment.
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By Chienne - Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:53pm
As if one new Xbox 360 wasn't good enough, last night at a Halo 3 party in Sydney, Microsoft Australia mentioned that they had a release date - and price - for their exclusive Halo 3 console.
If you're not a big fan of either black or white, and instead prefer a sort of greeny-olivey colour, you'll only have to hold off on your new console until September 20th (yes, a week or so before the game is launched), and shell out $679.95.
We've got more information for you about last night's party coming soon from our man on the spot - so stay tuned!
If you're not a big fan of either black or white, and instead prefer a sort of greeny-olivey colour, you'll only have to hold off on your new console until September 20th (yes, a week or so before the game is launched), and shell out $679.95.
We've got more information for you about last night's party coming soon from our man on the spot - so stay tuned!
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Aug 9, 2007 2:21pm
There is no way something with this many additives can be good for you - but, then again, do gamers really care? Pepsi doesn't think so, releasing a special, limited-edition Halo 3 "Game Fuel" version of Mountain Dew.
We've got pics and the "nutrition" information - and, honestly, it's all a bit weird. This stuff's promoted as being full of caffeine - and yes, it's got more than standard American Mountain Dew (20.29mg/100mls compared to just 15.50mg - and the Australian stuff's caffeine-free) - but 20mg/100ml is about average for a cup of tea. A cup of instant coffee has 24mg.
...personally, I think I'd rather take the tea, rather than this "citrus cherry" monstrosity - even if that does somehow make me a bad guy, in Master Chief's eyes.
We've got pics and the "nutrition" information - and, honestly, it's all a bit weird. This stuff's promoted as being full of caffeine - and yes, it's got more than standard American Mountain Dew (20.29mg/100mls compared to just 15.50mg - and the Australian stuff's caffeine-free) - but 20mg/100ml is about average for a cup of tea. A cup of instant coffee has 24mg.
...personally, I think I'd rather take the tea, rather than this "citrus cherry" monstrosity - even if that does somehow make me a bad guy, in Master Chief's eyes.
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Wed Aug 1, 2007 4:05pm
The people that do such things have sat down and sipped their cups of tea and discussed the goings-on at this year's E3. They chatted about the types of Games that were on display, and, over nibblings of cucumber sandwiches, they've decided on the official winners for this year's Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007.
"It truly is the year of Rock Band", I said back on July 13th - and looks like I should have put money on that - congratulations, Harmonix, you're Best of Show.
...read on for the full list!
"It truly is the year of Rock Band", I said back on July 13th - and looks like I should have put money on that - congratulations, Harmonix, you're Best of Show.
...read on for the full list!
[ READ MORE ]
By pkd - Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:34am
Something happened in gaming last week ... but I promised I wouldn't mention the E-thing. It is then very hard to explain why we have so many pages of screens for a Monday. Yes ... there are pages. This is not just my imagination at work ... have a look. When you get to the bottom of the page you'll see a little hyperlink that lets you click to the next. What have we got for you this week Army of Two, Halo 3, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed and many, many, many more. All because of that E-word-thingie.
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By Max - Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:48pm
Those of you that played in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, I'm sure you're waiting to anxiously to get your hands on a copy of the game coming out on September 25. Well while you wait we have a few new screenshots, a picture of the newly announced Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Console, the E3 2007 trailer, and a few details about the game from the E3 2007 Halo 3 Fact Sheet for you to drool all over.
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By Chienne - Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:41am
So. The second webcast for my E3 2007 experience was the Microsoft E3 Press Conference, from Santa Monica High School. It was a lengthy presentation and full of all sorts of interesting information - so I'm breaking it up into bitesize pieces for easy digestion. I'm nice like that.
Anyway - if you'd tuned in to the live stream yesterday, you would have been treated to Peter Moore, head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division playing Rock Band on stage with some of the developers from Harmonix. It was, perhaps, the worst version of Main Offender (originally by The Hives) that I have ever seen. You should perhaps be grateful that you missed it.
In other news, though, all of the games shown as part of the conference will be available (at least in North America) by the end of the year.
Anyway - if you'd tuned in to the live stream yesterday, you would have been treated to Peter Moore, head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division playing Rock Band on stage with some of the developers from Harmonix. It was, perhaps, the worst version of Main Offender (originally by The Hives) that I have ever seen. You should perhaps be grateful that you missed it.
In other news, though, all of the games shown as part of the conference will be available (at least in North America) by the end of the year.
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By Chienne - Sat Jul 7, 2007 7:34pm
Even though it's nearly come to a close Down Under, it's still July 7th in a lot of the world - and as some of you may be aware, that means it's Bungie Day!
This year is extra-special, as it actually falls on a year ending with a 7 (yes kids, today's date is 07/07/07, even if you live in America). To celebrate, the kids from Bungie have worked with the kids from Xbox, and there is now free Bungie Day content on Xbox Live Marketplace... but only for today!
Not into Xbox? We've got some new screenshots for Halo 3, just for you.
This year is extra-special, as it actually falls on a year ending with a 7 (yes kids, today's date is 07/07/07, even if you live in America). To celebrate, the kids from Bungie have worked with the kids from Xbox, and there is now free Bungie Day content on Xbox Live Marketplace... but only for today!
Not into Xbox? We've got some new screenshots for Halo 3, just for you.
[ READ MORE ]
By Junglist - Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:10pm
Tonight's ep will be a "Best of Season 2" affair, and it'll be the last time I send this out until we get confirmation of Season 3. If you watched the end of Ep 14 you'll know that this week is also the decider for who gets to go to E3!
Good Game screens at 8:30pm on Tuesdays, 12:45am on Thursdays, and 10:30pm on Saturdays on ABC2 - and all episodes and segments are available for download www.abc.net.au/goodgame (free traffic for Internode customers!).
Here's what made it into the Best Of:
Good Game screens at 8:30pm on Tuesdays, 12:45am on Thursdays, and 10:30pm on Saturdays on ABC2 - and all episodes and segments are available for download www.abc.net.au/goodgame (free traffic for Internode customers!).
Here's what made it into the Best Of:
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By Chienne - Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:18pm
If there's one thing E3 is good for - it's creating a lot of hype. Often unsubstantiated hype that's squished within a few days of coming out.
Such is the case with Gears of War 2. Despite frantic word to the contrary, Epic will not be announcing or showing a sequel to the Xbox 360 blockbuster at next month's E3 Media & Business Summit.
Such is the case with Gears of War 2. Despite frantic word to the contrary, Epic will not be announcing or showing a sequel to the Xbox 360 blockbuster at next month's E3 Media & Business Summit.
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By pkd - Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:02pm
You have got to love leaks on the internet. The internet is like this big sinking ship full of holes. There's always someone out there looking to make another. This time someone has leaked all of the achievements for Halo 3. Looks like there will be 49 achievements for Halo 3 all worth 1,000 points. You can check them out before it all becomes "official".
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By Chienne - Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:28am
...the wait's almost over. Valve have mentioned, in a recent interview, the magic date for their upcoming Orange Box release.
Yep kids - save your pennies for October 9, 2007. All platforms will receive shiny copies of Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal. Valve is managing the PC and X360 releases, while they've handed the PS3 copies over to EA for safekeeping.
This date nestles the games happily between Halo 3's late September and GTA:IV's mid-October releases, at the beginning of what's looking to be a pretty hectic US holiday season.
Yep kids - save your pennies for October 9, 2007. All platforms will receive shiny copies of Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal. Valve is managing the PC and X360 releases, while they've handed the PS3 copies over to EA for safekeeping.
This date nestles the games happily between Halo 3's late September and GTA:IV's mid-October releases, at the beginning of what's looking to be a pretty hectic US holiday season.
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By thecynicalgamer - Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:37pm
Microsoft have been doing it for a long time ... before you start writing infantile responses I am talking about blogging - the Major Nelson blog being an excellent source for up-to-date Xbox related news. Sony are a bit late to jump on the blogging bandwagon cause the bubble has well and truly burst on the gimmicky popularity of blogging from a few years back. Needless to say that they have started up a blog anyway. There is no catchy name for this one. It's just called Playstation.Blog. They must have spent all of their marketing money on selling the PS3 and there was nothing left over in the kitty.
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By pkd - Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:00am
Major Nelson has been busy as usual. Microsoft's Xbox contact for the world has been busy scribing away to let the Xbox 360 gaming community know about all of the new goodies which are being released on Xbox Live. Here's all of the latest regarding the Halo 3 beta and Gears of War. While there has been some mention of some flash new Xbox 360 Halo controllers, which I will get to, there are also more achievements being made available for Gears of War players.
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By Junglist - Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:21pm
A jam packed Ep for yas tonight, as the GG team starts to realise we've filmed too much and theres not enough time for it all! Lets get straight into it, here's a little preview of tonight's ep - expect to see Halo 3, Guitar Hero Encore and Juiced 2 previews, MGS: Portable Ops and Silverfall reviews - and, of course, the Wii Bowling Roffle Cup at Bribie Island Retirement Village.
Good Game airs on ABC2 @ 8.30 Tuesdays, 12:45am Thursday mornings and 10:30pm Saturday nights. Visit www.abc.net.au/goodgame where you can download every ep and segment (free for Internode customers), and give us feedback on the show.
Good Game airs on ABC2 @ 8.30 Tuesdays, 12:45am Thursday mornings and 10:30pm Saturday nights. Visit www.abc.net.au/goodgame where you can download every ep and segment (free for Internode customers), and give us feedback on the show.
[ READ MORE ]
By pkd - Sat Jun 9, 2007 12:38pm
We've had four big demo releases on Xbox 360 of late and we thought we'd put together a quick summary for everyone. Overlord, Shadowrun, Tenchu Z and Vampire Rain are ready for download. This might just be the start of a big silly season of releases as Christmas comes early for gamers this year. With some titles like Forza 2, Bioshock, GTA IV, and Halo 3 we have some massive titles headed to our screens in the coming months.
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By Chienne - Thu May 31, 2007 10:13am
Despite the fact we in Australia haven't heard anything about when (or even if!) we're getting the new Xbox 360 Elite, the new 120GB hard drive has gone on sale today around the country. Simply hand over AU$229 (RRP) and you can take it home with you!
Sure, it's a bit pricey, but when you compare it to the fact that Americans are currently spending US$179 for the same thing - and that an Australian 20GB drive is still retailing here for AU$169 - it's not too bad.
...but what do you get for your money?
Sure, it's a bit pricey, but when you compare it to the fact that Americans are currently spending US$179 for the same thing - and that an Australian 20GB drive is still retailing here for AU$169 - it's not too bad.
...but what do you get for your money?
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By Chienne - Sat May 19, 2007 11:20am
Just in case you were thinking that "Oh, Halo 3 is only a beta, they won't ban me for acting like a total idiot", think again. Bungie's weekly update announces that yes, they do have a banhammer - and no, they're not afraid to use it.
You won't get in trouble for ingame glitches or exploits, but acting like a tool will get you removed from the game. We've got a quick 'n' dirty Q&A on the topic - which can basically be summed up as "Use your common sense, kthx".
You won't get in trouble for ingame glitches or exploits, but acting like a tool will get you removed from the game. We've got a quick 'n' dirty Q&A on the topic - which can basically be summed up as "Use your common sense, kthx".
[ READ MORE ]
By pkd - Thu May 17, 2007 5:17pm
There was a lot of craziness going on today. I knew of it this morning when I attempted to download the Halo 3 beta via Crackdown before work. The plan was to let it download while I was at work and then check out the Halo 3 goodness when I got home. However, there was no joy. The link in Crackdown had not changed. It seemed there would be no Halo 3 beta for me. I decided to check out Major Nelson's website only to find nothing. A message stating that the website was down and they knew there was a problem with Crackdown.
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By Chienne - Wed May 16, 2007 2:52pm
Looks like the wait is finally over - Halo 3 has finally got a street date - get your wallets ready for September 25 when the final chapter of the ground-breaking Halo trilogy is unleashed on the unsuspecting public.
The Xbox 360 exclusive promises to "raise the bar" for both interactive story-telling and social gaming by plunging gamers worldwide into Master Chief's epic battle for humankind.
The Xbox 360 exclusive promises to "raise the bar" for both interactive story-telling and social gaming by plunging gamers worldwide into Master Chief's epic battle for humankind.
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By thecynicalgamer - Mon May 14, 2007 6:46pm
Without doubt Halo 3 will be the biggest release for the Xbox 360 this year. Bungie have said that it will be the final installment of the trilogy for this series. While we may see other spin off titles as a result this will be the finale for the current part of the franchise. While some will be upset that the single player story line will end, multiplayer is where it is at and the big news is that the multiplayer beta for Halo 3 will go live on Wednesday.
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By Chienne - Thu May 10, 2007 12:26pm
While on the topic of Xbox 360, if you've got a spare $25,000, pop on over to the final Konsoles for Kids charity auction and pick yourself up the exclusive Halo 3 autographed console. But be quick - you've only got until 3pm, Adelaide time!
Konsoles for Kids started on March 23rd and has raised $20,250.00 to date. The Halo 3 console has attracted bidders from all over the world, and will more than double that donation. In addition to the money raised on eBay, Microsoft Australia will donate $1000 to the Make-A-Wish foundation for every customised Xbox 360 console under the hammer.
Konsoles for Kids started on March 23rd and has raised $20,250.00 to date. The Halo 3 console has attracted bidders from all over the world, and will more than double that donation. In addition to the money raised on eBay, Microsoft Australia will donate $1000 to the Make-A-Wish foundation for every customised Xbox 360 console under the hammer.
[ READ MORE ]
By thecynicalgamer - Tue May 1, 2007 10:47am
Microsoft have managed to save the best till last in the Xbox 360 Konsoles for Kids Charity Auction. The Halo 3 one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 goes under the hammer this week at ebay. The Konsoles for Kids Charity Auction has raised over $20,000 so far. They have auctioned off consoles featuring celebrities such as: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Hawkins, Peter Jackson, The Wiggles and many more.
[ READ MORE ]
By thecynicalgamer - Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:40pm
Game developers love hype. Absolutely love it. The more hype generated before a game's release then the less money they have to spend on advertising later. Now, I have a decent amount of respect for generating level headed discussion about a game prior to its release, however, getting excited about the function of a button? Could we all just stand back for a second and realize what it is exactly that we are getting excited about.
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By thecynicalgamer - Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:43pm
Anticipation is the name of the game when it comes to marketing and promoting new releases. With the development time of games taking many years the gaming community creates its own amount of pre-release hysteria. You can venture into just about any gaming forum and read about pre-release speculation on any game whether it be a part of a major franchise or a first title. This is why we are starting to see news items popping up on gaming sites stating that we are making an announcement to let you know that there will be a further announcement later in the week about something to do with such-and-such a game. That is all about anticipation. Let me break the bubble a bit for you and say that the big announcement will be related to Halo 3.
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By AnarchyAngel - Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:40pm
Microsoft has sent word that they are auctioning Xbox 360's that have been custom designed by celebrities to celebrate the first anniversary of the Xbox 360 in Australia.
All funds raised will be donated to Charity, in this case Microsoft's Charity of Choice is the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
All funds raised will be donated to Charity, in this case Microsoft's Charity of Choice is the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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By AnarchyAngel - Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:11pm
Bungie and their Publisher Microsoft Games Studios have announced their highly rumoured to be release in September title called Halo 3 will be releasing in 3 exciting new flavours.
Firstly you have the Standard Edition which is just plain old Vanilla with the game itself and no added extras.
Firstly you have the Standard Edition which is just plain old Vanilla with the game itself and no added extras.
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By Chienne - Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:40pm
How much do you want to know about the tweaked Assault Rifle from Halo 3? I've got four pages of information available, if you want it... it's a whole big pile of words, all about how impressive the new gun is. And believe me - it is fairly impressive.
The MA5C 7.62mm rifle is an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine fed weapon designed for automatic fire. The weapon has an attached electronics suite that provides information on rounds remaining in magazine, compass heading, as well as several other "housekeeping" functions....I've also got some storyboard art, stills from the teaser ad and Master Chief concept art, just in case you're more of a fan of pictures.
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By Chienne - Sun Jan 7, 2007 4:39pm
Now, some of you are getting excited over Crackdown, especially following the news that Beta keys for Halo 3 would be included with selected copies of the game.
Not so Germany. Their ratings board (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbskontrolle) have just denied the game classification - due, probably, to excessive violence (just like Dead Rising) - meaning that now you cannot buy the game online in that country, at all if you're a minor, and it cannot be advertised (or displayed!) in a shop.
...I guess that means there'll be a few more Beta keys floating around then...
Not so Germany. Their ratings board (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbskontrolle) have just denied the game classification - due, probably, to excessive violence (just like Dead Rising) - meaning that now you cannot buy the game online in that country, at all if you're a minor, and it cannot be advertised (or displayed!) in a shop.
...I guess that means there'll be a few more Beta keys floating around then...
[ READ MORE ]
By Chienne - Thu Jan 4, 2007 3:14pm
Hot on the heels of yesterday's news about Crackdown, Microsoft Game Studios - in a move reminiscent of Willy Wonka - are working with Bungie on a new way for you to get in on the Xbox 360 Halo 3 multiplayer beta.
Specially marked Crackdown boxes will contain an invitation to participate in the coveted beta programme. Later this year, when the Halo 3 beta arrives, simply load up Crackdown and use the disk (and your Xbox Live Gold subscription) as a key to download a copy. Then it's just a matter of joining in the battle!
Specially marked Crackdown boxes will contain an invitation to participate in the coveted beta programme. Later this year, when the Halo 3 beta arrives, simply load up Crackdown and use the disk (and your Xbox Live Gold subscription) as a key to download a copy. Then it's just a matter of joining in the battle!
[ READ MORE ]
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