Game Faces: Meet the 1UP Community
Written by from on March 13th, 2010 | 0 CommentsGame Faces: Meet the 1UP Community 1UP users speak up about themselves and their love of games. By Mike Cruz Who is 1UP? Our staff page is part of the answer to that question, but 1UP is also made up of thousands of gamers who contribute blogs, comments, videos, cheats, and countless other precious bits of gaming knowledge to the site. Now, it’s time to turn the spotlight toward a few members of the 1UP family to learn about their backgrounds and get some insight on their attitudes towards gaming. Meet: NintendoTheory | LadyDiablo | MattClark | Bboy_Izilla | AngelsFail | SixArmedSamurai TheNintendoTheory Name: Cody W. Location: Utah Age: 23 Favorite Games: Majora’s Mask , Yoshi’s Island , Fable II
See How the N64 and XBLA Versions of Perfect Dark Compare
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsAfter seeing screenshots or video of the Xbox Live Arcade version of Perfect Dark , you may not have been blown away. Coming just weeks after the release of the gorgeous Battlefield: Bad Company 2 , not to mention the myriad of other great-looking FPS games that have been released in recent years, it’s easy to be underwhelmed. You might even think that it hasn’t been updated much from the N64 version — but if that’s what you’ve been thinking, you clearly haven’t taken a look at N64 game in a while. The video above shows some footage of the opening cinematic and part of the first level in both the N64 and XBLA versions of Perfect Dark. It doesn’t take long to see that Rare has clearly polished up the graphics quite a bit since the game’s release back in 2000, although it looks like the AI still leaves something to be desired. You’d think the guards would have more of a reaction when they see a woman waltzing around with a gun in her hand. Perfect Dark releases on the Xbox Live Marketplace next Wednesday, March 17, for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).
BioShock 2 DLC is Already On the Disc
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsTrouble is brewing in Rapture. The recently released Sinclair Solutions multiplayer pack for BioShock 2 is facing upset players over the revelation that the content is already on the disc, and the $5 premium is an unlock code. It started when users on the 2K Forums noticed that the content is incredibly small: 24KB on the PC, 103KB on the PlayStation 3, and 108KB on the Xbox 360. 2K Games responded with a post explaining that the decision was made in order to keep the player base in tact, without splitting it between the haves and have-nots. “The way our engine and game structure works is that people need to have the exact same content for people to play together,” wrote community manager 2K Elizabeth. “One of the challenges with post launch content for MP is that it can split the player base, and we want to avoid that whenever possible. For this content, creating the DLC package the way we did allowed for us to not split the player base – so whether you purchase the new content or not, you can still play with your friends.” The answer may not be enough to satisfy upset fans who would’ve preferred on-disc content unlocked from the beginning. But as Shacknews notes , it’s possible this content was made on a separate DLC budget. That would essentially force the company to recoup the development costs through DLC charges. It does raise the question of what will happen with future DLC. This pack is a large boost to the multiplayer, but 2K has promised more packs coming in the future, which could include more multiplayer expansions. If this move was made to keep from splitting the player base, one has to wonder if future multiplayer DLC is already on the disc as well. The effort to keep everyone playing together is noble, but if it leads to more instances like this one months down the line, fans will probably grow increasingly annoyed.
Rock Band Offers Three Doors Down, Mute Math Next Week
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsIn addition to the Lady Gaga DLC that was announced earlier this week, Harmonix has revealed four more Rock Band tracks scheduled to become available next week. Songs by Three Doors Down, Mute Math, and The Subways are all queued up for the Rock Band music store next Tuesday, May 16 on Xbox 360 and Wii, with a PlayStation 3 release planned for Thursday, May 18. The developers have also posted a list of all the latest songs that were added to the Xbox 360’s Rock Band Network store over the last week. The grand total for the platform’s second week: 23 new tracks, including downloads from Flight of the Conchords, Jonathan Coulton, The Shins, and many others. The Lady Gaga four-pack will cost you $6.99 (560 Microsoft points) on Xbox 360 and PS3. Individual tracks are all going for the standard $1.99 (160 Microsoft points; 200 Wii Points). Price varies on the Rock Band Network DLC, but it ranges between $1 (80 Microsoft points), $2 (160 Microsoft points), and $3 (240 Microsoft points) per track.
DICE Takes a Shot at "Mapathy," Free BFBC2 Maps Coming Soon
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsWhile Infinity Wars appears to have some premium downloadable maps coming on March 30 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , DICE, too, is at work on new maps for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 that are set for release on the same day. DICE has made it no secret that they’re out to best MW2, and they’ve taken shots at Infinity Ward in the past — after it was revealed that MW2 wouldn’t have dedicated servers, DICE released an FAQ that stated, “So rest assured PC players, Battlefield will stay true to its roots offering dedicated servers to all its players and continue the tradition of the ultimate FPS gaming experience!” With the announcement about the new maps at the end of the month, DICE has once again knocked the competition. In addition to pointing out that releasing the new maps for free helps to prevent segmenting the community, DICE said, “It also plays a vital part in making sure you, the players get proper value for the money you’ve invested in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This is why these map packs are available at no extra cost, contradicting the industry standard and what our direct competitors are doing.” If that’s not blatant enough for you, they went on to add, “We’re dedicated to taking care of this product for a long time — helping you avoid ‘mapathy’ without getting nickel-and-dimed.” The new maps aren’t entirely new, however; instead, the existing Arica Harbor map is being repurposed as a Conquest mode map, and Laguna Presa is being turned into a Rush mode map (both pictured above). You’ll need to be a VIP member in order to get the maps for free. In other words, you’ll simply need to have purchased a new copy of the game and entered the accompanying code to grant yourself VIP access.
DICE Takes a Shot at "Mapathy," Free BFBC2 Maps Coming Soon
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsWhile Infinity Wars appears to have some premium downloadable maps coming on March 30 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , DICE, too, is at work on new maps for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 that are set for release on the same day. DICE has made it no secret that they’re out to best MW2, and they’ve taken shots at Infinity Ward in the past — after it was revealed that MW2 wouldn’t have dedicated servers, DICE released an FAQ that stated, “So rest assured PC players, Battlefield will stay true to its roots offering dedicated servers to all its players and continue the tradition of the ultimate FPS gaming experience!” With the announcement about the new maps at the end of the month, DICE has once again knocked the competition. In addition to pointing out that releasing the new maps for free helps to prevent segmenting the community, DICE said, “It also plays a vital part in making sure you, the players get proper value for the money you’ve invested in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This is why these map packs are available at no extra cost, contradicting the industry standard and what our direct competitors are doing.” If that’s not blatant enough for you, they went on to add, “We’re dedicated to taking care of this product for a long time — helping you avoid ‘mapathy’ without getting nickel-and-dimed.” The new maps aren’t entirely new, however; instead, the existing Arica Harbor map is being repurposed as a Conquest mode map, and Laguna Presa is being turned into a Rush mode map (both pictured above). You’ll need to be a VIP member in order to get the maps for free. In other words, you’ll simply need to have purchased a new copy of the game and entered the accompanying code to grant yourself VIP access.
Torchlight Headed for Consoles Soon?
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsTorchlight was the toast of the dungeon-crawling crowd when it released on PC last year, but what if your rig just doesn’t cut the mustard? No worries — word on the street suggests Runic Games’ debut could be headed to a console near you. Game Informer first picked up on a quote from Runic CEO Max Schaefer, who recently showed up on The Rumble Pack podcast. “We’re going to put some serious effort into it — pretty quick — getting Torchlight onto consoles,” Schaefer confessed on The Rumble Pack. Nothing’s official just yet, but Schaefer did mention that they’re talking with multiple publishing partners to help make Torchlight on consoles a reality. Whether he means a full retail package or a Xbox Live Arcade/PlayStation Network release remains to be seen, but we’ll keep you updated as more announcements are made.
Mass Effect 2 Bringing "Kasumi’s Stolen Memory" DLC in April
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsThough BioWare has been providing a steady stream of free content for Mass Effect 2 for Cerberus Network members, their plan has always been to introduce paid downloadable content as well. We’ll be seeing the first of it on April 6, when “Kasumi’s Stolen Memory” hits the Xbox 360 and PC. Joystiq reports that the new content will add the female thief, Kasumi, to Shepard’s squad after meeting her on the Citadel. Her loyalty can be gained by helping her go undercover against a corrupt art collector. Kasumi’s quest can be started in the midst of a game or after completing it, and her presence adds the “Locust” SMG and a flash-bang grenade to your repertoire. It’s said to provide about an hour and a half of new playable content, but a price hasn’t been determined yet. If you’d rather not pay anything, BioWare is still supplying Cerberus Network users with new content, and the Hammerhead DLC should be out later this month.
Gabe Newell Teases New Song for Portal 2
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsIn an interview with 1UP after accepting the Pioneer Award at tonight’s Game Developers Choice ceremony, Valve’s Gabe Newell offered a few details about his company’s upcoming Portal 2 . When asked if he could provide a piece of trivia about the game that people wouldn’t know, Newell mentioned, “Jonathan Coulton is awesome — he’s just brilliant; he’s a joy to work with,” referring to the songwriter behind the now-famous end credits song in the original Portal . I followed up asking about a new song in the sequel, to which Newell replied, “He’s brilliant.”
ilomilo Is Action-Puzzle Games Cubed
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsBack in 1985, Hudson made a game called Binary Land , a puzzle game where you guided a pair of penguin lovers through a maze — at the same time. Simple, clever, and underrated, it was the kind of game typical of the flourishing game design spirit of the early ’80s. ilomilo (EE-low-MEE-low), from Swedish developer Southend Interactive ( R-Type Dimensions , Tecmo Bowl Throwback ), has a similar gameplay concept to it: Get the gumdrop-shaped creatures Ilo and Milo through a path of obstacles in a level so they can meet and be happy (unlike the penguins, though, they’re just friends). And that’s about where the similarities end. ilomilo’s chief advantage over Binary Land is that it’s in 3D, so you’ll be guiding Ilo and Milo up, down, and all around the cube-based platform worlds of the game. And you won’t be controlling them simultaneously. For example, if you get stuck as Ilo, you just push a button to switch to Milo, and have him (her?!) stroll through the level to clear Ilo’s obstacle.