Expect this patch to be pushed out in the coming days making GTA 4’s multiplayer ready for the influx of players that are sure to hop online after purchasing the game’s newest expansion, The Ballad of Gay Tony.

via joystiq

The King of Fighters XII

Well, it looks like the developers have taken note and are planning on releasing a patch to address such issues:

“While not all players experienced these issues, an update for the game will be available tomorrow, Tuesday, July 28th for the PlayStation 3 which should help improve the overall quality and stability of online play for everyone.”

Kotaku reports that the Xbox 360 version will be getting a similar patch at an unannounced date.

To stand out in the MMORPG market, developers have to make compromises and do things other developers aren’t willing to do. The guys behind Dungeons and Dragons Online decided to re release their game as a free to play MMORPG called Dungeons and Dragons Online: Unlimited.

As for a release date, it was announced today that Dungeons and Dragons Online: Unlimited will be made available for play on August 6th.

Yesterday we found out what the Metal Gear Arcade’s hardware would look like and now we know what the its gameplay will look like.

If you didn’t know Metal Gear Arcade is basically just Metal Gear Solid 4’s online component. The different with the arcade version, however, is that you will be using a new kind of controller specifically designed for this application along with the fact that its completely in 3D. So yes, you will be wearing some kind of 3D glasses goggles while playing this game.

Still no word on if Metal Gear Arcade will ever hit American arcades but it is set to his Japanese arcades sometime later this year.

It was recently announced over at the Smash Bros. Dojo that the service that allows users to upoad things like replays and custom stages will be no more. Below is the following announcement taken straight from the site:

As of June 30th, 2009, the current service that accepts user-generated snapshots, stage designs, and replay data will no longer be available. Please note, however, that we will continue to distribute such data after that date.

Hmm, no word as to why this service will be ending or if it will ever return.

Oh yeah and before you get too worked up please make note that this announcement won’t affect your ability to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl online, you just won’t be able to upload user created content anymore.

That’s why THQ and Relic Entertainment are unveiling Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Amongst the various forces and factions of the futuristic universe are the human forces of the Ultramarines, foremost amongst their ranks are the Space Marines, the blue armor clad elite of their army. The action RPG game will have players controlling individual units in a ‘narrative-driven story campaign’ and of course in large scale online battles. Relic Entertainment is bringing years of experience developing games under the Warhammer licenses to the table along with THQ’s own history of success. The title is being developed for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3

Final Fantasy XII isn’t even out yet and already Square Enix is taking the wraps off of Final Fantasy XIV. Don’t expect to gain much in terms of gameplay from the above trailer as it is entirely CG. Of course, it the CG is done beautifully as in all Final Fantasy games.

Anyways, we know now that Final Fantasy XIV will be an MMORPG much like Final Fantasy XI and will be a PS3 exclusive. However, Joystiq reports that they said PS3 will be the games “only console” which means a PC version might be in the works.

All things aside, FFXIV will be out sometime in 2010 presumably after FFXIII.

EA has recently gone ahead and announced a new play-in-your-browser game entitled Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. No, this won’t be an MMO based around golf but instead a regular run of the mill golf game that you play in a web browser.

There isn’t news much in terms of gameplay but EA let us know that courses like St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, and TPC Sawgrass will be featured.

Tiger Wood PGA Tour Online is apparantly scheduled to launch sometime in the fall with subscription based pricing. However, if you want to get in on the action early you can sign up for the beta here.

It’s growing steadily and is getting a huge foothold in a substantial marketplace: China. In 2008 the online video games market in China grew by 63% to reach $2.8 billion. Analysts at Pearl Research are expecting this trend to continue, with a projected market of over $5.5 billion in the next four years. Industry members attribute much of this growth to the rising popularity of social networking sites which make it easier for users to be introduced to new games, which in turn gets them bringing their real-world friends on board.

The three most popular games are all of Asian origin, two being from Chinese companies and one a Korean company. World of Warcraft however holds a strong foothold on the market with one million users. Some might attribute the greater popularity of the other games over Western-world dominating WOW to cultural bias, but it seems some of the appeal of the other titles could be simply financial as all the other titles are less graphically intensive than WOW and thus require less computer upgrades.

If you have been playing EA’s The Godfather, then you are sure to love this news that new premium upgrade packs have been released for use. The Godfather II videogame will be releasing premium upgrade packs to provide players with level-four weapons, an additional crew member equipped with four unique specialties, and two new multiplayer maps that will make their family stronger as they fight to become the most powerful mob syndicate in America.

In addition, these upgrades will help as players take their advanced crew members online and compete to be the Don of Dons on the leader boards. Players can experience all the premium upgrades for The Godfather II two weeks after launch worldwide on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PLAYSTATION Store on April 23, 2009.

The complete list of upgrade packs includes:

• The Pentangeli Map Pack: Download for the all-new Cuba multiplayer map and the Junkyard multiplayer map. $6.75 / 540 points
• Level 4 Weapons Bundle: Download this collection to receive the Modern Dillinger, the .700 Magnum Impact, the Herzstopper, the MG-S1 Sniper Wolfe, and the Street Sweeper. $4.00 / 320 points
• Jack of All Trades: Download Jimmy Lira – the Jack of All Trades to have this character in your family. Jimmy Lira starts out with the arsonist, engineer, medic, and safecracker specialties and comes equipped with a level 2 machine gun – the MP38. $4.00 / 320 points
• The Corleone Bundle (All of the above): Download the multiplayer map pack, the level 4 Weapons Bundle, and the Jack of All Trades (Jimmy Lira) crew member. $10.00 / 800 points

(Source) Press

Nintendo has launched a new DSi but it looks like it is not solely for the portable gamers. The handheld gaming system will come complete with two new built-in cameras and an SD card for saving music files. The gadget comes complete for social networking abilities and priced at $169.

Nintendo DSi handheld is compatible with all 850 titles available for the DS and is supercharged with characteristics not found in the original handheld gaming system. The device comes with two cameras and 10 different interactive lenses that can be used for snapshots. Furthermore, gamers can fully engage with other players by using the new digital camera which offers a greater interactive experience.

DSi is also ideal for social networking Web sites including Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Users can merely save photos and share them across the Internet. Nintendo designed the new handheld to provide a better gaming experience.

While the Nintendo DSi Camera is one of the most distinct features, it also comes with a complete sound application, microphone, stereo headset, and offers full voice recording solutions. Users can actually modify their voices and change the rhythm and beat of a song when utilizing the application. Music files can be saved on an SD card for better portability.

Another impressive feature is the new Nintendo DSiWare application which lets users download new software for the device. This is similar to Nintendo’s WiiWare where developers can create new applications and make them ready for use online.

(Source) NEWSOxy

Great news everyone! Sanrio Digital and Aeria Games has recently announced a partnership that will bring Hello Kitty Online to North America, w00t!

Sanrio Digital exec Robert Ferrari had this to say:

Sanrio Digital is very excited to partner with Aeria Games, who will be our online publisher and operator for Hello Kitty Online in North America. With Aeria Games’ leadership position in the free-to-play casual MMO sector and Hello Kitty brand awareness among the underserved female gaming audience, Hello Kitty Online will grow into a leading social gaming destination for teens and female adults

I don’t know about you guys, but this seems like a joke from a certain South Park episode.

Want more information about Hello Kitty Online? Head over to the game’s official website, here.

71.1%, or 7,111,508 people have completed F.N.G.
68.8%, or 6,886,509 people have completed Cargo Ship.
46.5%, or 5,654,643 people have beaten the game on any difficulty.
2.8%, or 283,632 people have completed Airplane on Veteran difficulty.

According to IAMfourzerotwo.com, PSN numbers indicate somewhere around 4,3 million unique players, combined with the PC sales as well, CoD 4 has sold 15 million copies to date. Impressive!

If you get tired of dressing up your avatar or run out of things to watch on Netflix then you can get a friend or two gathered around your console for digital recreations of classic board game experiences. EA is bringing more games under the Hasbro Family Night banner to Xbox Live Arcade. They’re set to begin releasing in the Spring of this year, including classics like Boggle, Battleship, Yahtzee, Connect Four and Sorry. To keep things interesting there’ll be some new playing modes with mini-games, online play and achievements.

The first deal is for the Halo Legendary map pack which will be available for 400 MS points or $5 real world cash. That’s a discount of 200 points which begins on Tuesday at 9AM pacific time until next Monday when a new item will go on sale.

Previously reserved just for the Collector’s Edition of Warhammer Online, a somewhat public beta will go live on September 7th incorporating all who pre-ordered the game from various retailers.

Previously, only those who pre-ordered the Collector’s Edition from Amazon.com, Gamestop, Game Crazy, GoGamer.com, Bestbuy, and EA Store.com would get the beta key, giving you an idea of where you would have to pre-order the standard version to also get the key.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is a subscription-based MMORPG currently under development by Mythic Entertainment that will hopefully begin shipping for the PC September 18th.

With SOCOM: Confrontation just about 2 months away from its October 14th release date, developers Slant Six have made a smart move in announcing an open-beta to strengthen the multiplayer only title.

This isn’t your typical open-beta mind you, as you will still need a key to gain access. The one and only way to gain entry on the betas first day (September 1st) is to preorder the game through Gamestop, be it online or in person, which will not only include your key but 2 keys to give to friends as well. Other ways into the beta include snagging a key from the June issue of Qore, or subscribing to Sony’s premium service, but that won’t get you into the beta until September 8th.

Come October 14th, PS3 owners will be able to pick up the special edition of the game which includes a Bluetooth headset along with a ‘making-of’ featurette. Those looking to go the cheaper route will be able to pick up either a physical or digital copy of the game for $39.99.

Ask any game developer what sort of feature that the title in question includes, chances are the first thing they mention is the “next gen” graphics, or physics, etc; Of course, it has not taken long for people to start to ask whether features can be next gen or not. After all, all three platforms have been out for over a year. Speaking of which, what about the Wii? Is it truly a “new gen” console? What is “next gen”? What is “new gen”? These questions and more will be answered after the jump.

First order of business: why are we still using the term “next gen”? I believe that there are a few reasons for this. First, thanks to Sony’s PlayStation 2, there has been an unusual amount of overlap between the two generations. Even though the original PlayStation’s production did continue until 2006, the PlayStation 2 was relatively quick to replace it, largely due to the appeal of backwards compatibility. In this generation however, the PlayStation 2 was not replaced by the PlayStation 3 and has managed to hold its position as a current console.

This is not the only way the line separating these two generations is blurred. Looking at many past generations will show that there has often been a much larger divide between two generations. The Nintendo 64 had 3D gameplay compared to the Super Nintendo’s 2D system. Even though the SNES technically did have 3D,it was extremely rudimentary and is not comparable to the N64’s technology. Then lets look at the Fifth and Sixth generations. The graphical leap between the original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 was immense. Now, I am not saying that there is not a big difference between last generation consoles and the graphical fidelity of today’s HD consoles, but I do not believe that graphics are the next generation feature that the seventh generation consoles (PS3, 360, and technically Wii though, it can’t do HD) have to offer. It is a feature just not the feature that differentiates them from their predecessors. I will expand on this later.

For the average consumer, this simply means that the PlayStation 2 is an old console, where as the Xbox 360, PS3, and depending on whom you talk to, the Wii are new consoles. Naturally, it makes more sense to associate an old console as being “last gen” and new consoles as “next gen”.

So where does this leave Nintendo? They have said that they are focusing on a “new generation” of game console, instead of the conventional approach of upgrading the hardware. Nintendo took an unprecedented step back in hardware power for a new platform, and as a result, blurred the line even more between what is considered old and what is new. This creates more of a need to distinguish between next generation hardware and past generation quality hardware.

This is why the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 likely be considered next gen consoles until replaced by their own successors.

What is it that makes them next gen? Many people are confused with this. In the end, a console’s power is not what separates it from its predecessor, or at least not entirely. As I pointed out before, each generation has had something that made it something entirely new, whether it is graphical prowess, or an entire new game mechanic. As if the seventh generation wasn’t confusing enough, it has several new elements that makes it unique. I already touched upon how High Definition is not what this generation will be about when all is said and done. Another feature that is being taking advantage of in this generation is online feature. Once again, while what online is being used is very innovative; it is not the distinguishing feature.

The power behind the next gen consoles opens up for far more innovative content than just good graphics. One thing that has been generally overlooked is interaction. For the first time, dynamic interaction with environments and characters can be fully realized. Assassin’s Creed was based on this idea. Grand Theft Auto 4 will also make use of Natural-Motion physics technology. In the end, this is what next gen is about. Graphics are almost at the saturation point. The next step is the slow death of animations and replacing them with technologies such as Natural-Motion, procedurally generated animations, etc. In the end, that is what makes a game truly next gen, and not simply a high-res version of a last generation game. High-definition and online are definitely a part of it. But going from Star Wars: Jedi Academy to Star Wars: Force Unleashed is a proper generation leap in the same way that going from Super Mario Bros. 3 to Super Mario 64 was. Not that this is exclusive to physics. Dynamic interaction is not exclusive to physics or even physical interaction. Fable 2 is the perfect example of the side of dynamic interaction, where a player’s actions have significant, analogue, influence on the game’s world. Another example is Spore, which uses both dynamic worlds and procedural generation at the very core of its gameplay.

The seventh generation of consoles is not just about HD or online features. The real innovation is that developers are using the power of the consoles to make the game obey real world laws and properties, rather than just simulate them on a situational level.

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