Evil Avatar - News Items

Battlefield 1943 For the PC Received a Stealth Release

pwnophobia — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:15:59 GMT

With no official announcement, Battlefield 1943 has appeared on the EA store for $14.99. While we don't know if this was a mistake or not, you can make it all the way through and start downloading the game. Keep checking this post as there may be an update in the morning if the game gets pulled at some point.

I'll be checking this post in the morning to make sure it wasn't a mistake, but if you download and play it let me know!

Thanks to Planet Battlefield via Blue News courtesy of noobiewan007.

SW: The Force Unleashed 2 Combat Developer Diary

StormBringer — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:47:21 GMT

Gotta love that hat!

Nintendo Tries to Foil Pirates Again With System Updates

modeps — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:06:28 GMT

Nintendo rolled out some new updates recently for their DSi handhelds and Wii consoles which don't do anything, again, but try and get rid of those pesky homebrew 'unauthorized' applications.

Quote:

But forum posters at GBATemp.net report the new firmware breaks many popular brands of DSi flash cart, including the Acekard 2i, Supercard DSTwo, M3i Zero, iPlayer, DSTTi. Some flash carts reportedly still work under the update, including the popular Hyper R4i.

The latest version of the Wii firmware, Wii Menu 4.3U, warns updaters that "if your Wii console includes unauthorized modifications this update may detect and remove unauthorized content causing immediate or delayed inoperability of your console."

It'd be nice if they added some cool features instead of just trying to foil those bad pirate people.

Eastern Conference Roster For NBA Jam Is On Fire!

gzsfrk — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:33:15 GMT

ESPN.com has the scoop on the finalized roster for the Eastern Conference teams in Electronic Arts' over-the-top roundball reboot, NBA Jam. And while the lifelong Hawks fan in me wants to cheer the inclusion of my two favorite team players (Dominique Wilkins & Spud Webb) as Legends, the Celtics fan in me has to wonder why they decided to go with Kevin McHale over Robert "The Chief" Parish. What an epic boss battle that would have been:trying to score on the big double-UH-OH as he slaps down everything you put in the air. Oh well.. here's hoping he makes the inevitable NBA Jam - Tournament Edition release.

To view the full Eastern Conference roster, click here.

I know it was a pipe dream to hope that Jordan might allow his likeness to go in as a Bulls Legend, but I'm still disappointed that it didn't happen.

Tron: Evolution PAX 2010 Gameplay Trailer

gzsfrk — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:49:59 GMT

In a world where videogames could fall in love with one another only to subsequently engage in various shocking procreative acts, one might easily reach the conclusion that Disney Interactive's upcoming movie tie-in Tron: Evolution was the result of a passionate, unprotected tryst between parkour-heavy platformer Prince of Persia and neon-blinged racing title Blur. Unfortunately, the world in which we live requires a more tedious and (one would hope) less sweaty process to produce such a genre hybrid. So stop your perverted daydreaming about the potential mechanics involved with game-on-game copulation and instead watch the below Tron: Evolution gameplay trailer from PAX. Sicko.

Looks pretty good for a game set to coincide with a film release, although I'll admit that I'm more than a bit disappointed that it won't be positioned as a direct sequel to the fantastic Tron 2.0.

UK: Less Than 1 in 20 Games Industry Employees Female

gzsfrk — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:10:47 GMT

According to a study conducted by the University of Liverpool in the UK, the percentage of women actively employed in the games industry has fallen to just 4%. This is a significant drop from the 8% reported in 2006. Why the drop-off among the XX crowd?

Quote:

The study�s author said dissatisfying working cultures in game studios, as well as other related companies, was the key reason for the sudden drop in female workers.
...
She said 43 per cent of those surveyed believed the industry�s infamous long-hour and crunch culture had a negative impact on their well-being.

Thanks to Develop-Online for the source article.

An even more alarming finding from the survey was that even though fewer than 1 in 20 games industry workers were female, a full 2 out of 5 are regularly watching Glee. Now THAT'S something to be concerned about. KIDDING! I made that last part up (but I'd still bet it's true). :p

Rift: Planes of Telara Fire Rift Trailer

gzsfrk — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:35:04 GMT

Apparently they get some nasty weather out there in Telara. I mean, sure--we all get the occasional cumulonimbus formation giving way to a flaming stone demon head in the sky. But in the world of Rift, that head starts sneezing out assorted devils and ghouls like flaming balls of hell. See for yourself in the brief preview trailer below:

Now where have we seen something like that before?

See what I did there? Because "hail" and "hell" are pronounced the... No, you know what? Screw you; it was a great joke. I don't have to explain anything.

Final Fantasy XIII To Be Released On 360 In Japan

gzsfrk — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:16:03 GMT

The 11 people in Japan who fall into the cross-section of "Owns an Xbox 360 but not a PS3" and "Hardcore Final Fantasy enthusiast" will be pleased to know that Square-Enix is finally releasing the 360 port of Final Fantasy XIII (that's "13" for you Roman numeral haters out there) for their region. The game is set to hit retail in the Land of the Rising Sun on December 16--almost a year to the day from when Japan saw the PS3 version of the game drop. EDGE magazine also reports that the belated release will include some bonus content not available to owners of the Japanese PS3 version:

Quote:

Dubbed Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits Edition, it will be an international edition boasting content from the Western versions of the game not present in the PS3 original. It will also feature an easy mode, English voice-acting, a post-completion quest called �Episode I� and sections of content cut from the original release, which had sold 5.5 million copies as of May 2010.

On a more disappointing note, the game's director has confirmed that DLC plans for FFXIII have been effectively cancelled.

Still waiting to pick this one up on the cheap. I hope to find a good deal on it before Christmas so I can play through it over the long break.

In-House Content: Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2 Review [MULTI]

lost — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:55:02 GMT

I've got a bandit on my tail!

Click here for the full review!

Plants vs. Zombies Now Available on XBLA

modeps — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:47:02 GMT

Hey Zombie fans! The Xbox Live Arcade version of Plants vs Zombies is now available for purchase, costing about $15 (1200 MSP).

Quote:

Get ready to soil your plants! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

iOS 4.1 Launches with Game Center

modeps — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:17:00 GMT

Just about an hour ago, iOS 4.1 went live and with it comes their latest social gaming application, Game Center. If you've got a device that'll support it, go on and check it out. It's interface is very late-90's-online-casino-esque, but the theory is sound. Now we just have to wait and see how fast the developers update their apps.

There's a button that's setup to help you find Game Center enabled games, but sadly it just opens up a default Safari Game Center explanation page without any actual games listed. Not very helpful at all. I expected it to have some sort of built in app store, or at least push me into a special app store listing, but I guess I was looking for too much.

Within seconds of signing up with Game Center, I received a friend request from "wozniak" who I can only assume is some random user that thought it was clever to steal The Woz's last name. I accepted of course, then reported the user.

Angry Birds, I'm looking at you.

What Does Teen Spirit Smell Like?

Evil Avatar — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:12:15 GMT

Ads of the World spotted the above ad for Sparrow guitars, mocking Activision's Guitar Hero games.

Thanks, Kotaku.

Does it make you want to buy a Sparrow guitar? Anyone heard of Sparrow guitars? Bring me a Gibson.

Mega Man Universe Artwork Revealed; Is Awesome

Kragg — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:24:20 GMT

Capcom has revealed a batch of character artwork for the upcoming Mega Man Universe, and it appears to have a cartoonish flair.

Quote:

Capcom Entertainment has revealed a whole new batch of artwork from the highly-anticipated Mega Man Universe, revealing the endearing cartoon style of some of the included characters. Mega Man Universe is coming to Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Store next year, and is the latest entry in Capcom�s long-running Mega Man franchise.

to you and yours from the Electronic Theatre

Color me hyped.

Naughty Bear Chapter 9 $DLC Trailer

StormBringer — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:21:02 GMT

This one is for the BanHammer.

Rock Band 3 - Keyboard Trailer

modeps — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:01:19 GMT

Tickle them ivories.

Halo: Reach - Deliver Hope Extended Trailer

modeps — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:25:51 GMT

Over on Machinma.com, they've got an exclusive extended trailer for the live action trailer "Deliver Hope" from Halo: Reach. Check it out below, or you may want to click through to YouTube for the bigger version.

I still wish Halo games were as epic as their trailers.

Destination: Arcade Didn't Go Away

modeps — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:43:37 GMT

Remember back when Destination: Arcade was announced, Major Nelson said it would only be available through the Summer of Arcade? Well, here we are, a few weeks after Summer of Arcade has ended and you can still download and use Destination: Arcade.

Some people like it, some people don't, but at least Microsoft didn't make the boneheaded decision of only having it available for a month. Still, these one-off apps are kind of stupid. I miss the old dashboard.

BFBC2 Vietnam Will be Shown at the Tokyo Game Show

pwnophobia — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:12:12 GMT

I've been waiting for this announcement since E3: BFBC2 will be shown next week at the Tokyo Game Show.

Quote:

As you may already know, Vietnam is an expansion pack to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with 4 brand new maps built in Frostbite, as well as Vietnam specific weapons, vehicles, persistence, unlocks, and achievements/trophies.

via the Battlefield Blog.

Only four new maps? I was hoping for a few more...but I'm still excited for more Battlefield!

EA Sports NHL SLAPSHOT and NHL 11 in Stores Now

StormBringer — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:57:17 GMT

Real beauty, eh...

Quote:

EA announced today that EA SPORTS NHL SLAPSHOT and NHL 11 are both available in North American stores today. Both games will be available worldwide September 9, 2010. EA SPORTS NHL 11 is available for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, while NHL SLAPSHOT is available exclusively for the Wii.

"We are extremely excited about our hockey offerings this year,� says Brent Nielsen, executive producer, EA SPORTS. �Our NHL product is consistently one of our strongest titles on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and this year with NHL SLAPSHOT, we feel we�ve created a hockey experience that is unlike anything that has come before it on the Wii."

Click on the Headline for the Full Press Release

American McGee Interview

StormBringer — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:33:07 GMT

EuroGamer's, Robert Purchese caught up with American McGee, to find out what's new with Alice: Madness Returns.

Quote:

Eurogamer: Why has it taken so long for us to get a sequel? The old EA was often criticised of exactly the opposite.

American McGee: When we did the first Alice game it was actually the first M-rated game EA had ever done. There was some trepidation about the release of the title and the effect it would have on people's perception of the EA brand.

It took them a really long time to come back around to see that after 10 years not only had it not damaged people's idea of EA as a brand, but it had in fact continued to sell and was in hindsight a really good, really solid selling game. Over a million-and-a-half units sold, which is just a single PC SKU, which they were quite surprised by. They saw that there was potential for a success in there.

But another part of it was that I had gone off into the world and wound up in China and built a studio out here. There was a moment where I realised that the studio was capable of revisiting the IP in a way that I thought would honour the quality and the experience of the first game, so that's when we reached out to EA. By that time they were ready for it, we were ready for it, and it just so happened that 10 years had gone by.