Lawlz Brawlz

Dirt Showdown debut gameplay trailer rides up

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

This Friday! Friday! Friday! Codemasters is offering the first in-game look at Dirt Showdown. Virtual drivers smash! dash! bash! and crash! for your amusement in a trailer and screenshots, giving a gander at how Codemasters is amping up the action in this offshoot of the once-sim-y racing series.

As well as a Demolition Derby mode, Dirt Showdown will pack stuntastic freestyle driving in Hoonigan mode, and full-contact racing on obstacle-strewn tracks. If you're simply looking for a quiet drive in the countryside, you'll have to look elsewhere--doubtless there's a niche German simulator to fulfill your desires.

Dirt Showdown is slated for release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in May. Check out the first batch of screenshots here.

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's online pass unlocks single-player content

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a single-player action-RPG, but that hasn't deterred publisher Electronic Arts from locking some of the game's content behind a single-use "online pass." Folks purchasing new copies of Big Huge Game's newest title will find their codes in their boxes, but folks procuring used copies will be in a different boat.

As noted by Destructoid, the "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Online Pass" unlocks the "House of Valor" faction quest, which includes "seven additional single-player quests."

Warner Bros. received some flak for locking Catwoman behind an online pass in last year's single-player Batman: Arkham City. Those without a new code would be able to buy her campaign for an additional $15. EA implemented "online pass" features in Mass Effect 2 as well, locking an extra character and additional missions behind a DLC pay wall.

It's likely (but not confirmed) that the "House of Valor" faction quest will also be available for purchase separately. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning comes out for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on February 7.

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Mass Effect 3 'Special Forces' trailer shows co-op warfare

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

We've seen some of the Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer, but a new trailer shows off the combinations of races and classes available as "Special Forces." In it, we see Commander Shepard giving the space-warfare version of the St. Crispen's Day Speech, encouraging the allied alien forces to stop the invasions or die trying.

Taking part in these (seemingly doomed) battles will contribute to your Galactic Readiness as part of the Galaxy at War system. Check out the trailer below.

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THQ layoffs hit admin and publishing departments

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

THQ has laid off an unspecified number of employees today, following the announcement of a new strategic realignment. This round of layoffs impacted the administrative and publishing departments, but didn't touch any of THQ's five internal studios. This latest in THQ's strategy shifts involves shutting down its various child-friendly properties to focus more on "core" games.

Joystiq reports that the unaffected studios are THQ San Diego, Relic, Volition, Vigil, and THQ Montreal -- all studios that focus on core games.

This follows an announcement from earlier this week, in which THQ announced it will focus on core games on existing consoles, emerging platforms, and expand its digital properties. The announcement included the revelation that the company would exit its various licensed kids' properties, while continuing to sell some previously released licensed titles.

"As recently announced, the company is exiting the kids' licensed games category, and is focusing on its core game franchises and developing its digital initiatives," THQ said in a statement. "The company will provide greater financial detail regarding the costs and organizational benefit on its third quarter 2012 conference call scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2012."

When the publisher began closing studios last year, its silver lining was healthy projections for Saints Row: The Third and the uDraw peripheral game. Saints Row managed to sell through 3.8 million copies, but the uDraw saw weak sales that led to layoffs. Given these results, it's not surprising that now THQ is leaning more on core games, and less on family-friendly titles.

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Oil Rush Updated

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Version 1.01

* Fixed memory leak induced crashes.
* Fixed loading saved settings by the launcher.
* Better compatibility with Mesa on Linux (improved support of open source video drivers).
* Steam overlay notifications are moved to the left bottom corner.
* Changed default video mode to fullscreen with native screen resolution in Steam version.
* Fixed sound on/off logic.
* Fixed minor GUI layout problems in Russian version.
* Slightly increased level loading speed.
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The Bioware Method: Why Bioware's stories are so good

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

With Mass Effect 3 just a few months away and Dragon Age 3 officially announced, not is as good a time as any to talk about Bioware. The company has long been lauded as one of the few developers that have put an emphasis on storytelling. Even their games that have featured largely unimpressive gameplay have been remembered as classics just because of how well the story was told. But with Bioware's latest two series they've found a very unique way of telling a story with the mechanics through each property's protagonists. Shepard and the warden are both vehicles for the player to act in a separate world and individual characters in their own right.
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The RPS Social Club Is On Tomorrow

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Have you ever met a person? EW! People are hairy, covered in limbs, and sometimes they try to talk to you about taxes. Dreadful. But fortunately, thanks to the latest technology created by RPS Laboratories Incorporated, we’ve invented the perfect way to meet actual real people who never talk to you about taxes! (The are [...]
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Resident Evil: Revelations drops back down to $40

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Resident Evil: Revelations is one of the prettiest "console-like" experiences on the 3DS. But does it warrant a "console-like" price tag? Capcom thought so, having originally priced the game at $50. Their explanation? "To handle all of that data Resident Evil Revelations requires a 4GB cartridge, resulting in a higher price point."

Fans didn't take too kindly to that announcement, pointing out that the price difference between a 2GB memory stick and 4GB memory stick is negligible. "I have no idea why Capcom has any fans left," Shacker peepooppooppee commented. "They're probably the most hostile and least consumer-friendly company."

Undoubtedly, many others shared that sentiment. Likely succumbing to fan demand, the publisher has announced a new price point for the upcoming 3DS game: a standard $39.99.

"After weeks of effort, we've been able to lower the price to $39.99," Capcom announced on its blog. "We've spent weeks looking for a way to bring your cost down to standard 3DS pricing. Today we can finally confirm we were successful in this, and hope the reduced price encourages even more people to check out this strong entry in the Resident Evil canon."

We're not entirely sure what "effort" was placed into making the game more affordable to manufacture. While this sounds like a poorly contrived PR message, we can't complain about the end result: saving ten bucks.

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RaceOn Update Released

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

- (Finally) corrected Race On's Volvo C30 weight and inertia
- Updated Formula Masters' final gear ratio to prevent reaching the limiter on tracks like Monza
- Fixed a false cut warning that occured on Curitiba when rolling start was enabled
- Tweaked the location of smoke emission when breaking the Camaro engine
- Slight adjustment to the tyres grip properties
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3G Vita launch bundle includes free 8GB memory card

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

On the fence about the PlayStation Vita? The 3G version's $300 sticker tag does seem rather steep. However, Sony's making it a bit more enticing by offering a "launch day bundle" for early adopters. Included for free with the 3G system is a bonus "worth $55": an 8GB Vita memory card (a $30 value), one month of 3G access (a $15 value), and a free PlayStation Network game.

"This SKU is part of a promotional offer and will sell out immediately so we strongly recommend that you purchase your PS Vita early to make sure you get the extra value," Sony's John Koller wrote on the PlayStation.Blog.

The bonus only applies to the vanilla 3G system. The wi-fi only system and the "First Edition" bundle are not eligible for the offer. The PlayStation Vita will be available on February 22nd.

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Weekend Confirmed 97 - Nintendo 3DS and Wii U plans, FF13-2, Dustforce

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

With the holiday lull drawing to a close, Jeff returns to the cast just in time for Xav's last show as an official Shacker. Ariel Angelotti and Christian Spicer also join the show making this a fearsome fivesome with Garnett. There's plenty on the table, too, with Ariel sharing her experience with the Japanese version of Final Fantasy XIII-2 in advance of its US release next week, news from Nintendo's financial briefing including an update on 3DS and Wii U plans, budding love for Dustforce, Insomniac's farewell to Resistance, and more making the time fly by to the wrap-up with Finishing Moves.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 97: 01/27/2012

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• Subscribe to Weekend Confirmed in iTunes

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If you're viewing this in the GameFly application, you can play Weekend Confirmed Episode 97 directly.

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Show Breakdown:

Round 1 00:00:00 to 00:26:56

Whatcha Been Playing Part 1 00:27:31 to 00:57:24

Whatcha Been Playing Part 2 00:58:21 to 01:24:55

Listener Feedback/Front Page News 01:25:55 to 02:03:57

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest Album, The Wait is Over on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page, and follow him on twitter delriomusic.

Jeff Cannata can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Follow the Weekend Confirmed hosts on Twitter, too! Garnett Lee @GarnettLee, Jeff Cannata @jeffcannata, and Xav de Matos @xav.

Remember to join the Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page and add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

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Moby Games Classic: Max Payne community stories

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Last Wednesday we added 2001's Max Payne to our growing list of video game classics, presented by MobyGames.com.

Max Payne delighted and surprised many gamers and critics alike when it was released back in 2001 for the PC with its blend of solid 3rd-person shooting and gritty noir-style presentation. The introduction of Bullet Time--which allowed players to slow time to a crawl while dodging and returning enemy fire--was brand new, and quite a huge deal at the time. Comic book-style cut-scenes and some appropriately melodramatic voice-over narration blended with the revenge-themed story to create an experience brimming with as much style as gunplay.

Many of us who loved Max Payne when it first came out played through it multiple times, despite its linear storyline and gameplay. Shacknews user friedram echoes this sentiment, stating, "I really loved this game. My girlfriend (now wife) bought it for me, I must have played through it 5+ times."

Max Payne's popularity also spawned some fan-made mods, the best of which was called "Kung Fu 3.0," which empowered Max with some crazy slow-motion martial artistry. Shacknews user Xulu decried our failure to mention the popular mod in our initial post, which you can see in-action, below.

Shacknews user erdstapa recollects the addictive nature of the gunplay, recollecting how he and some friends played the game into the wee hours of the morning. "Two friends came over with the game to check it out just after the release. We played it until 3 A.M., when two of us dozed off," he explains. "In the morning, we found my other friend still in front of the PC barely sitting up and desperately clutching the mouse in his hand and whispering 'Must... play... more...' That's how addictive it is!"

Check out the original Chatty thread for more stories and memories from Max Payne.

Max Payne on MobyGames.com

Max Payne was a police officer of the New York City police. On one terrible day, his wife and newborn daughter were killed by three junkies, who broke into his apartment after having ingested a new designer drug known as Valkyr. After the tragedy, Max quit the police force and joined the Drug Enforcement Administration. Three years later, during a raid on a mafia compound that was reportedly trafficking Valkyr, his best friend and fellow DEA agent Alex is killed, and he becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Now Max is all alone in the cold, snowy night of New York. The mob is out to get him. The police are out to get him. The only way out is with guns blazing, because he has nothing to lose.

Max Payne is a third person shooter stylistically influenced by film noir, "hardboiled" detective stories, and Hong-Kong action cinema. Max can perform rolls and leaps to try and dodge enemy fire. The weapons at his disposal range from baseball bats to Ingram sub-machine guns, grenades, Molotov cocktails, and others. A unique feature of the game is the usage of the so-called Bullet Time - a time-slowing ability that was popularized by the first Matrix movie.

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Moby Games Classic is our chance to look back at the games that helped shape the video game industry with the help of our sister site MobyGames.com. It combines a short history lesson on the title and anecdotes from the Shacknews community.

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Daily Deal - DETOUR, 66% off!

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Today's Deal: Save 66% off DETOUR

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!


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Zynga launches Bingo in beta

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Zynga has launched a closed beta of its upcoming Bingo social game. The game favored by small children and old people alike can be played without having to attend a local fire hall or assisted living center. Zynga is only letting in a limited number of people for the time being, but promises to open the game to a wider audience "very soon."

Zynga touts social features that range from racing against your friends, to getting help from them by filling out spaces on the board for each friend. You can also play with up to six cards at once, and use power-ups to boost your progress. The game sports three settings, including Vegas Lights, Pirate's Paradise, and Farmville Bounty.

Bingo will be part of the Zynga Casino along with Zynga Poker. The company is reportedly interested in moving towards online gambling, which would mean real money on the line in exchange for real prizes. Zynga Casino would probably be at the forefront of that effort.

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SOL: Exodus Update Released

Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:22

Notes:
- Fixed an issue with possible profile corruption and added measures to repair existing broken profiles while attempting to preserve gameplay related progress and upgrades
- Fixed an issue where campaign progress could be incremented accidently at times when completing a mission through the mission select screens
- Targeting triangles for non-targeted, non-critical ships again made to be less prominent in the UI
- Implemented a smart target cycle system, that prioritizes more dangerous or objective centric ships first


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