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Had your fill of Grand Theft Auto IV yet? The most controversial game of the year has stirred up no end of controversy following its release and has been blamed for everything from car bombings to crime sprees in New York. So as to prevent everyone having a chance to calm down and stop committing crimes in the name of Niko, Rockstar is releasing an expansion pack next year called GTA IV ‘Lost & Damned’, with further release details recently confirmed for the Xbox 360. It follows the adventures of Johnny Klebitz, a member of a Liberty City biker gang and claims to show a different side of Liberty City to its parent title. It’ll be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace but strangely is also being released in stores. The retail version just includes a double-sided poster and a bit of card with a code on that you enter to download the game, so we’re not quite sure why it’s wasting precious packaging in these environmentally conscious times. Regardless it’ll hit the streets (and the online store) on the 17th of February 2009 and will only set you back about £13. Bargain. - Paul Lester [EuroGamer] GTA Rockstar Xbox

Original post by nafiz

The iPhone has set it sights on becoming a decent little gaming platform, among everything else, and one of the most exciting games en route is Hero Of Sparta which launches next week. Above is the very slick official trailer, which makes your mouth water, even though it’s pre-rendered video and not gameplay, but the screenshots on the next page make it look like the iPhone is going to get it’s own God Of War. Like God of War it’s a 3rd person game. This time your hero wakes up on a beach with no memory, a bad headache and a desire to let his shield and sword do the talking with a mass of mythological creatures. There is full 3D movement and combat - no side-scrolling here. A virtual analogue stick lives at the bottom left of the screen and there are 2 buttons on the bottom right for attacking and defending. There’s also an array of weapons to choose from and developer Gameloft says that you can perform combos for ‘devastating′ finishing moves. Gameloft adds: “Take up the maddest challenge in this mythic full-3D adventure and let it bring you from the depths of the Underworld to the summit of Olympus. Be prepared for hours of gaming and visual enjoyment, and fight the most phenomenal mythical creatures in majectic [sic] 3D environments.” It’s due out on the App Store on Dec 8th and considering just how graphics-heavy this is, we expect it to eat through your iPhone battery in no time.-Martin Lynch games iphone phone

Original post by nafiz

Every year, the National Institute on Media and the Family releases a report card which grades various aspects of the video game industry on how well they keep “inappropriate” games out of the hands of children. This year’s report was largely positive, which is surprising given the history of strong criticism by the Institute. They acknowledged that gaming is becoming a much bigger part of family life than it was in the past, and they’re making an effort to shift the focus onto the parents to keep their kids′ gaming habits under control. The full report is available here (PDF), and Game Daily has an interview with Entertainment Software Alliance CEO Michael Gallagher which touches on some of the same issues.

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Original post by Soulskill

Microsoft Xbox folk are probably still back-slapping each other and popping champagne corks at the news that the Xbox 360 console has outsold the original Xbox earlier than expected. Just days after the Xbox 360 turned 3 years old, Microsoft has said that the Xbox 360 has outsold the original Xbox, with sales topping 25 million units. It even managed it a week or so early, thanks to the recent bouts of generous price cuts. Speaking to MCV, Vice president of interactive entertainment business for EMEA Chris Lewis, said: “We′ve already surpassed the installed base of the original Xbox - which is a really significant milestone. We′ve been blown away by the appetite of people to consumer digital entertainment experiences.”"We′re at a price point that is uniquely placed - not least of which because we′re in somewhat of a challenging economic time. Ever since we dropped the price seven weeks ago, we′ve outstripped PS3 on a weekly run rate in all the territories we care about in EMEA - specifically the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Russia.” Interestingly, elsewhere Microsoft execs cite stats which claim that 75% of most console sales happen after the price drops hits $199 or less - something the 360 price did just a couple of months ago. Somehow though, I doubt the 360 will be around long enough to push that 25 million to 100 million.-Martin Lynch [MCV] xbox Microsoft consoles

Original post by nafiz

Woolworths, home to all kinds of home products, consumer technology, toys and gadgets, has officially gone into administration, putting 30,000 jobs on the line and becoming the biggest High St. casualty of the recession so far. The group said it has entered administration following its failure to secure the sale of its 800 stores to restructuring company, Hilco. Although stores opened across the UK today, the fate of Woolies’ 30,000-strong workforce remains unknown. In a statement, the company’s board said: ‘The Board of Woolworths Group plc announces that discussions relating to the potential sale of its retail business have now ended. ‘Following, and as a consequence of the termination of those discussions, the boards of Woolworths and Entertainment UK have concluded that there is no longer any prospect of those businesses being able to operate as a going concern. Accordingly, the boards of both companies last night resolved to file petitions for administration in the High Court.’ Deloitte has been appointed as administrators and, while they say there has been some interest from third-parties in the crippled retail giant, it’s looking increasingly likely that they will start selling off Woolies stock at rock bottom prices to recoup some money for creditors. Get your bargain hunting runners ready.-Martin Lynch recession shopping news

Original post by nafiz

Woolworths, home to all kinds of home products, consumer technology, toys and gadgets, has officially gone into administration, putting 30,000 jobs on the line and becoming the biggest High St. casualty of the recession so far. The group said it has entered administration following its failure to secure the sale of its 800 stores to restructuring company, Hilco. Although stores opened across the UK today, the fate of Woolies’ 30,000-strong workforce remains unknown. In a statement, the company’s board said: ‘The Board of Woolworths Group plc announces that discussions relating to the potential sale of its retail business have now ended. ‘Following, and as a consequence of the termination of those discussions, the boards of Woolworths and Entertainment UK have concluded that there is no longer any prospect of those businesses being able to operate as a going concern. Accordingly, the boards of both companies last night resolved to file petitions for administration in the High Court.’ Deloitte has been appointed as administrators and, while they say there has been some interest from third-parties in the crippled retail giant, it’s looking increasingly likely that they will start selling off Woolies stock at rock bottom prices to recoup some money for creditors. Get your bargain hunting runners ready.-Martin Lynch recession shopping news

Original post by nafiz

cavis writes “My organization just received an e-mail from the Intellectual Property enforcement division of the Entertainment Software Association. Click the link below to read part of their letter. It accuses one particular IP address with ‘infringing the copyright rights of one or more ESA members by copying and distributing unauthorized copies of game products (through peer-to-peer or similar software/services).’ It goes on to name the filename and the application: Limewire. Has anyone had any contact with this group? Are they following the RIAA’s lead and pursuing litigation for peer-to-peer piracy? I’m just trying to evaluate what I am in for as I try to battle P2P within my network.”

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Original post by kdawson

Nine out 10 compulsive gamers are not addicts according to Europe’s only dedicated clinic for treating games addicts. The Smith & Jones Centre in Amsterdam was set up by Keith Bakker in 2006 and, despite having successfully treated hundreds of people addicted to computer games, he maintains that they are not addicts. Instead, their compulsive gaming can be attributed to their social environment/experiences. This has resulted in the clinic changing its treatment to reflect that their compulsive gaming is a social problem, not a psychological one.Bakker says addiction counselling is no longer the best way to treat those people that spend 4 hours or more every day playing games like World Of Warcraft and others. “These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions and chemical dependencies, he told BBC News. “But the more we work with these kids these less I believe we can call this addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and their school teachers - this is a social problem.” He added: “This gaming problem is a result of the society we live in today. Eighty per cent of the young people we see have been bullied at school and feel isolated. Many of the symptoms they have can be solved by going back to good old fashioned communication.” Any compulsive gamers out there want to share their view? As a former World Of Warcraft crackhead, cold turkey was the only thing that worked.-Martin Lynch [BBC] games addiction PC

Original post by nafiz

German audio specialist, Teufel, are newcomers to the UK market but with almost 30-years experience and lots of awards, the company is hoping to make a splash this Christmas with UK shoppers. The company has announced its award-winning Concept E Magnum Power Edition 5.1 Speaker Set for console, PC and Mac users. With 450W pumping from the dedicated subwoofer (W30 x ᱊ x D40.5cm), a centre speaker (W23.5 x ᰪ x D11.5cm) and four satellite speakers (W9.5 x ᰭ x D11.5cm), we are talking a bit more punch than your typical PC surround kit. The Concept E Magnum PE comes in two colour options: midnight black or matt silver. Because Teufel sell direct, the system weighs in at a reasonable £162 and if that’s not enough to sway you, they also offer an 8-week ‘try before you buy′ service. You can find it here.-Martin Lynch PC audio surround sound

Original post by nafiz

An alleged mole at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s (SCEE’s) yearly staff briefing last week in London has spilled the beans on how the PS3 is getting a price cut, how PlayStation Network will be getting a lot more investment and how God Of War III is looking sweet indeed. First off, the supposed price cut. At the meeting, SCEE President David Reeves revealed that the PS3 will be getting ‘more competitive’ from March 2009. That said, most consoles get a price cut when they turn 1-year old. It had better be a good cut though since the gap between the PS3 and Xbox 360 Premium is around £100. He also bragged that the PS3 has now got a bigger ‘install base’ in PAL territories than the Xbox 360 [any independent stats on this?] and that this will widen considerably next year. Playstation Network apparently raked in £150m in revenues, prompting a big investment push for the Xbox LIVE rival while PSP versions of LittleBigPlanet and Motorstorm were also previewed. The PS3’s Killzone 2, due next March, also got an airing as did Uncharted 2, the successor to arguably the most fun PS3 game so far. The finale came with what sounds like a proper trailer for God Of War III, with Kratos taking out the skeleton and Cyclops trash on his way to Mount Olympus for some God-bashing. Of course, you must some - not all - of this with a pinch of salt.-Martin Lynch [D+Pad] ps3 console games

Original post by nafiz

An anonymous reader writes “One of the biggest complaints I hear from ‘discerning’ gamers is how few and far between well-written games are. Titles like Mass Effect and the Black Isle series just appear far too rarely. Writing and storyboarding are aspects of the industry that have always appealed to me — I’m an enthusiastic hobby gamer with a real passion for well-developed games. But there’s very little guidance out there on getting exposure as a writer in this world. I’m interested in working in the field, freelance/part time initially as I break in, then with an eye to professional employ after a time. My questions to you are: How can I get involved in writing for the game industry? Are there any game startups out there with good design but weak story that could use writing help from a college graduate? How do the big guys get people to write for them — am I just going to the wrong booths at the job fairs? What kind of degrees or relevant experience in the field are they looking for? Should I just put on my Planescape t-shirt and stand outside in the rain?”

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Original post by kdawson

You’d be hard-pushed to pay full-price for a videogames these days, with a wide range of online retailers offering substantial discounts very soon after (and in some cases prior to) release. Wii games are subject to the heaviest discounts and this is something that has led Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime to criticise third-part publishers for the poor quality of content.Heavy drops in prices so soon after launch is called ‘early price protection’ and involves retailers striking a deal with publishers to collectively absorb the cost of discounting a game in order to reassure them when ordering large quantities. All platforms do this, but Wii titles are way ahead with 15.1% undergoing publisher-supported price-drops in comparison to 7.5% on the 360 and 9.1% on the PS3. Divinich thinks publishers are just throwing titles out there with little or no regard for marketing and timing (so as to avoid other major releases) and believes that it’s a situation that has to change. “This disparity on the Wii reinforces concerns that the market has had with third-party publishers developing successful titles on the Wii. Because of the highly competitive and unpredictable mainstream and casual markets, EEDAR (Electronic Entertainment Design and Research) believes retailers and publishers are overly aggressive on expectations for Wii games.” There does appear to be far more tat on Nintendo’s console than on other platforms, but if reaction to recent criticism is anything to go by, hopefully we’ll start seeing a bit more quality emerging next year. - Paul Lester [Gamespot] Nintendo Wii consoles

Original post by nafiz

We all knew that the second expansion pack for the World Of Warcraft (WoW) gaming phenomenon was going to do well but, it seems to have exceeded expectations by smashing the one-day sales record for a PC game. Figures just released by developer Blizzard show that Wrath of the Lich King, which hit stores last week, managed to shift a massive 2.8m copies in the first 24-hours, becoming the fastest ever selling PC title. The figure eclipsed the record created by the first WoW expansion, The Burning Crusade, which sold 2.4m copies in January 2007. The indicators were good from the outset with more than 2,500 Warcraft fanatics queuing for the latest instalment on London’s Oxford St. Sales were also helped by the fact that 15,000 stores around the world opened at midnight to feed the frenzy. “After a single day of availability, Wrath of the Lich King is already the bestselling PC game of 2008 at GameStop and ranks as one of our top-selling products so far this year,” said Bob McKenzie, GameStop’s senior vice president of merchandising. Blizzard recently announced that WoW had passed the 11m subscriber mark, proving that being a Level 80 Death Knight is more important than saving for a recession. See the cinematic trailer below.-Martin Lynch games warcraft

Original post by nafiz

The Nintendo Wii is two years old (in the US) today, and can look back at a wildly successful life so far as the format of choice for young and old. One of the biggest reasons for wiping the floor with the 360 and Ṕ in terms of sales is undoubtedly to do with the cootchy-coo family-friendly titles that rope in less hardcore gamers, but it has been criticised for not appealing to more of a core demographic. Most recently, Wii Music and Animal Crossing have hardly set the world alight and Nintendo acknowledges that it’s probably about time to crank things up a bit. US Sales and Marketing VP Cammie Dunaway recently spoke to MTV and said that “next year you’re going to see the tide turn a little bit, in terms of people realizing that the Wii can have something of interest for everybody. I feel there are titles that should make [the core] stand up and pay attention next year.” She goes on to cite The Conduit and Mad World as two examples of ‘pushing the edge of the graphical capabilities of the Wii’, even though this is an area that’s never really going to be able to compete. Still a few more games with parental advisory warnings wouldn’t hurt, Resident Evil 4 was excellent. - Paul Lester [TechRadar] Nintendo Wii consoles

Original post by nafiz

Gamasutra reports on a talk by Far Cry 2 developer Dominic Guay in which he discussed why procedural content generation is becoming more and more important as games get bigger and more complex. He also talks about some of the related difficulties, such as the amount of work required for the tools and the times when it’s hard to retain control of the art direction. Quoting: “Initially, the team created a procedural sky rendering approach based on algorithms — which led to a totally unconvincing skybox that was clearly inferior to what a hand-authored skybox would be. ‘We considered it to be a total failure,’ he said. He explained that a great deal of focus must be put on the tools that surround the algorithms, to allow the systems to be properly harnessed. In the end, the game shipped with a revamped procedural sky system that ended up much more effective than the first attempt.”

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Original post by Soulskill