Got any exciting plans for this coming Thursday? Perhaps you've got front row tickets for a Black Eyed Peas concert. Maybe you're meeting your biological father for the first time in your life, a result of him faking his death to escape a hefty mob debt while you were a toddler. Perhaps you've enrolled in Afro-Cuban disco step funk classes at your local community college. Maybe you simply plan on tending to your piñata garden, reclining in the swaying shade of the monkeynut trees. All those sound great -- which is why it gives us a heavy heart to inform you that none of those things, not your estranged progenitor, your community college, your precious piñatas, or Will.i.am, will exist on Thursday.
The Large Hadron Collider, a sixteen-mile long, seven story tall ring of death which straddles the border of Germany and Switzerland, will see to that. We're not exactly sure what it does, but we are fairly certain of a few things -- for instance, we know that despite its colossal size, it runs almost entirely on car batteries and hubris. We also know that it's the world's biggest particle collider, and that trying to shoot one particle into another from miles away is pretty difficult. Oh, also, we know that during its inaugural run this Wednesday, it's going to create a sustainable black hole that's going to devour mankind, the Milky Way galaxy, and Will.i.am.
Sure, the eight-thousand physicists that have worked on the project have assured mankind that the odds of that last event occuring are approximately one-in-a-thrillion -- but of course they would say that. We know the truth, and have already begun selling our automobiles, gaming systems, and houses to afford a sturdy craft that will carry us far from the gravity well's sinister reach. Unfortunately, we're pretty certain we bought a 1974 Gremlin wrapped in duct tape with a jumbo-size roman candle tucked into the tailpipe. We'll let you know how it works out for us.
Have any burning PS3/PSP questions? Good, because that's where our weekly Saturday columns come in. Ask PS3 Fanboy will answer all your PS3 questions. Guess what Ask PSP Fanboy is all about? Every week we'll answer your most burning questions, and our community has responded pretty well. Let us know if you need anything answered!
N+ [PSP] "Without a doubt the best version of N+ available. With content already available for download from the community, we're eager to see more players jump online and share their creations. Do not let this title go unnoticed, PSP fans."
Here in the States, Qore subscribers will be able to fling mud across the startled faces of both friends and enemies alike in the Motorstorm: Pacific Rift demo which is due out this week for those who purchased the fourth installment of Sony's online gaming mag. Unfortunately, Qore number four isn't available on the PSN in other territories -- however, a recent news brief from unofficial PlayStation blog Three Speech hints that Europeans will receive the demo soon -- albeit in a fairlyunconventional manner.
Three Speech reports that random European PS3 owners will be receiving vouchers this coming Thursday via email which will allow them to download the Pacific Rift demo on PSN. We're not entirely sure why Sony decided upon this "Golden Ticket" approach for the demo's release -- sure, the hype built from all the exclusivity will likely pay off, but will all the disappointment felt by the unchosen really be worth it?
Have you fired many a condescending moan at the lead characters of most chart-topping blockbusters over the past few years, commenting on how the protagonist of your homebrew first-person shooter, Hellkiller, is so much more original and marketable? Perhaps it's time you put your unsung character design skills to work -- we suggest entering a contest recently posted by LittleBigPlanetcreator Media Molecule to create a clever outfit for the game's texturized heroes, Sackboy and Sackgirl.
One winner from America, Japan and Europe will be chosen from the entries, and the winning designs will be posted as free DLC for the title "in the near future". Applicants, who must be 13 years or older to enter, simply need to draw a costume over a Sackboy template on the LittleBigPlanet site, and email it to Media Molecule. They don't mention this in the rules, but we imagine equipping the mascot-worthy protagonist with intricately drawn reproductive organs is grounds for immediate disqualification.
Not only is it peculiar that all three bans happen to emerge at the same time, but GP points out that none of the ratings boards of the three nations mentioned have made any announcements on the matter -- even more notably, neither has EA. Also, as one eagle-eyed GP reader pointed out, it's impossible under German law to ban a product before its release. Further negating the German ban, Videogaming247 reports that the title is apparently still going through the ratings gauntlet of Germany's censorship board, the USK.
Regardless of whether this is a misguided publicity stunt, an unfortunate miscommunication, or proof that Andrew Green has mysterious psychic abilities, we certainly hope EA clears up the confusion with a quickness.
Have you been curious about what Sting would look like all wire-framey and covered in ping-pong balls ever since you heard the news that the former Police frontman would make an appearance in Guitar Hero: World Tour? Good news, our little Desert Roses -- you need not look further than a recent promo for the title which we've conveniently posted after the break. We know that you usually rest your clickin' finger during the weekend, but we assure you, making the jump is worth it -- not only do you get to see Mr. Sumner's digital manifestation in action, you also get to hear about his lack of prowess when it comes to jamming on fake plastic instruments (though we hear his tantric usage of Star Power is a breathtaking sight to behold).
With the NFL regular season just barely underway, there's plenty of time for the Madden Curse to sink its hooks into Mr. Favre's vulnerable ankle, but for now, EA is busy squashing a host of bugs that have crawled out of the bowels of latest edition of Madden. The major pest is a freezing issue that can crop up during play calling and highlight screens, reports IGN. Senior designer Ian Cummings has documented most, if not all known bugs on the game's Producer Blog, recommending various workarounds while the team puts together a patch. EA is targeting "less than a 3 week turnaround" from last Tuesday for the update to be released. So put a big checkmark next to the 16th and cross your fingers.
Since CNBC analyst Jane Wells granted us poor peons a glimpse into "the ultimate proof Sony is winning" two months ago, we at Joystiq have been eagerly awaiting another chance to hear from her son, the twelve16-year-old oracle who sealed Microsoft's fate by trading his Xbox 360 for a PS3. And lo, today the all-knowing king of business analysis didst speak once more, granting his youthful wisdom to us poor, unwashed masses.
"Hear me!" came the oracle's booming, high-pitched voice from on high as he surveyed his subjects from his beanbag chair throne. "Though mine PS3 still brings me pleasure, the pleasure of Xbox Live friends may be one that I have treated too lightly. My patience waiting for an offering of new games from Sony has forced me once more to explore the shores of Azeroth. Lo, though times are tough, do not be tempted by the spawn of Nintendo, for I would not be caught dead with that thing."
With that, the doors of knowledge closed with a shattering thud, once again leaving us confused and in the dark. Still, we thank our benevolent information masters for this new glimpse into the heart of the game industry, however brief.
Three tracks from metal band All That Remains will be next week's Rock Band DLC offering. The songs "Two Weeks" and "Chiron" are off the band's latest album, Overcome, which will release Sept. 16. The tracks are offered at a special price for now and will cost double in one month.
All That Remains Pack (240 / $3)
"This Calling" (80 / $1)
"Chiron" (80 / $1)
"Two Weeks" (80 / $1)
Videos for the tracks can be found after the break. The songs will be available for download next Tuesday and Thursday for Xbox 360 and PS3, respectively.
Joining Hendrix, Ozzy and others, Sting will be walking around the virtual concert halls of Guitar Hero World Tour. According to the press release, you can play as Sting during the vocal career "or play alongside him" in the Police track, "Demolition Man." Additionally, three songs from Tool (who are not bringing their likenesses to the game) have been confirmed: Parabola, Schism, Vicarious.
We now know about 65 tracks of the reported "over 85" tracks. With about seven weeks to go before its October 26 North American launch, when do we get to learn the rest of the tracklist? More importantly, where's our virtual likeness of Lars Ulrich?
Ubisoft sent out a press release this morning confirming that Far Cry 2 will hit European retail shelves on October 24th. The company also announced a collector's edition, which comes in a wooden box. The fine wooden case, sure to be made from only the finest trees (not really), will deliver the game, t-shirt, art book, collector's map and "making-of" DVD.
We're still waiting to hear back officially from Ubisoft if North America should plan on getting the game on October 21st, which is what many retailers are currently showing as the release date. Update:GameSpot confirms the date is the 21st.
Resistance Retribution was a surprise hit last month at E3, and we had another chance to play it at last week's Penny Arcade Expo. With more playtime, however, come burning questions that need to be answered. Thankfully, Sam Villanueva, Senior Designer at Bend Studio, was at hand to answer our queries and make sure we could sleep soundly again.
Will you be optimizing Resistance Retribution for the PSP Brite?
That's a good question. We'll be evaluating this. We're pretty deep in development right now. We'd like to optimize, but that could potentially mess with launch time. If we can do it without affecting the date our game comes out, we will. How does the game fit into the series?
Retribution fits nicely between Resistance 1 and Resistance 2. It's a continuation of the European campaign, whereas Resistance 2 is the start of the American campaign. You are James Grayson and you're going in to destroy another Chimeran tower. We wanted the story to deal with some pretty deep, dark stuff. Lots of drama and mystery. The game starts with your brother being infected and you're forced to kill him, for example. Is there a multiplayer mode?
Absolutely. We've got lots of cool multiplayer stuff which we'll be announcing soon.
Members of the Rock Band forums are reporting issues with this week's PAX DLC for PS3 owners. According to users, the pack just won't work. Apparently, the tracks are available in the game but get stuck on the loading screen.
We've sent requests to Harmonix and Sony to clarify what the problem is and when users can expect a fix. This would be the second time in recent memory that something has gone technically wrong with Rock Band's DLC.
Last weekend at PAX, we sat down with Bryan Intihar, the Community Manager / Hand Model (yes, that is on his business card) for Insomniac to go over Resistance 2. We were able to get some fascinating details about the secretive co-op mode (drop-in/drop-out confirmed!), as well as some interesting story tidbits (evidently this time around, Hale remembers he can talk). To start things off, could you give us a quick rundown of changes from the first Resistance?
Sure, there's a lot of course -- but in terms of the campaign we've put a lot more emphasis on Nathan Hale and that comes through in the story and how we're presenting the story. In R1, it was much more of a narrative approach with Rachel Parker telling the story, giving it a third-person feel. This time around it's all about Hale.
There was a time – when he was working at Capcom, creating the likes of Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, and Viewtiful Joe – that Hideki Kamiya didn't say much. In fact, he hated doing interviews. Something's changed, because now that he's at Platinum Games, the historically low-key director is letting his true feelings out – about action games, at least.
Speaking to EGM, Kamiya said that, "I've never played Ninja Gaiden, and to be honest, I'm not that interested." Itagaki could not be reached for comment on whether or not he felt that epic burn.
So, what does the master designer actually like? God of War. "There's one game that I am paying really close attention to, that I think is a rival game, a good game, which is called God of War 3," he revealed, boasting, "I want to make a game that exceeds God of War's sequel." That game, he hopes, is his next: Bayonetta. In particular, Kamiya credits Sony's series with being "Very carefully made," saying, "Devil May Cry was a bit rough, but I think that there's no roughness in God of War." Pretty nice words, eh, Mr. Jaffe?
444 (0.79%) 
5,940 (12.48%)
427 (12.02%)
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