Guitar Hero 2 Effects Pedal Confirmed for 360

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The instruction manual of the 360 version reveals what that mystery port is all about.

Thank ye gods of rock!! According to a picture posted by Joystiq, the purpose of the X-Plorer guitar controller's mystery port has finally been revealed: an unreleased effects pedal will occupy the jack. When the pedal will be out in retail has not been announced (the manual didn't disclose any additional information), but it should come sooner than later.

One question does arise: how will the effects pedal be incorporated into the game? Will solos from the game (one that comes to mind is Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name," which is heavy on effects) utilize the pedal, and if so, by how much? All of this will be revealed in time.

Mar 31, 2007

News by Seleeke Flingai.

Force Unleashed Concept Artwork

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A fan site for the upcoming Star Wars title have provided us with some stunning new concept artwork.

The Force Unleashed is an upcoming video game set in the Star Wars universe will be set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and a New Hope, players will be taking the role of none other than Evil Lord Darth Vader’s apprentice allowing them to tap into all sorts of unholy powers that Luke Skywalker could only ever dream of.

The game will be coming to the Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo DS. Unfortunately the game’s publisher Activision recently announced that the game has been delayed until 2008 instead of its previous November 2007 release date.

SWForcedUnleashed.com, a fan site dedicated to the game recently uploaded a brand new batch of concept artwork. We’ve taken the liberty of uploading the images to our own image gallery for your viewing pleasure, just click in the thumbnail links above to check them out.

Mar 31, 2007
News by Karn Bianco.

New Halo 2 Maps On The Way

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Details on two new upcoming maps for Halo 2 that will be arriving on the 17th of April.

Bungie have updated their official website with some details about two new Halo 2 multiplayer maps that will be made available on the 17th of April later this year. Both maps will come in for the small price of $4 (for both) and will be named ‘Tombstone’ and ‘Destruction’, remakes of ‘Hang 'Em High’ and ‘Derelict’, respectively.

Because the maps are for an original Xbox game you will have to use actual money rather than MS points. You will also require a gold account since the Xbox can’t distinguish between gold and silver. But fear not, the maps will be compatible with the 360 once they have been downloaded.

“The king of “Halo” maps has returned at last. Hang ’Em High, arguably the most popular multiplayer map for the original title, has been reimagined for Halo 2 as Tombstone, with all-new graphics, features and a few hidden surprises.

Now fans will enjoy the dangerous catwalks and trenches that made this the most requested Halo multiplayer map ever, with a modernized Halo 2 flavor.

The second map, Desolation, is a symmetrical, Deathmatch-oriented map and a beautiful remake of the original Derelict. With new graphics and effects and a massive gameplay overhaul, the old favorite is now faster-paced and more balanced than ever — perfect for intense Halo 2 combat.”

Mar 30, 2007

News by Karn Bianco.

Fan Made Halo Lego Models

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Awesome display of Lego skills used to create Halo inspired models including a Warthog and Spectre!

We’ve seen a good few Lego mock ups in our time (see the Lego Wii for a recent example) but somehow we never get bored reporting about new creations! No doubt the quality of the creations themselves has something to with that, and this latest example is no exception.

A user over at Flickr has uploaded a few new shots of some Halo-inspired Lego creations including a Warthog and an alien Spectre. You can see one such image above this article but for more head over to the original gallery, here. Nice one!

Mar 19, 2007

News by Karn Bianco.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 [X360]

Overall Score

Pros:: Outstandingly polished; Looks awesome; Well-presented plot; Robust, option-packed multiplayer

Cons:: A little too similar to the previous game

Graphics
Sound
Gameplay
Story
Interface
Multiplayer

Find out just how much the Ghosts have advanced in the latest in Ubisoft's tactical shooter series.

By: Mike SmithPosted: 8 Mar 2007

In a follow-up to one of the biggest 360 hits of 2006, tactical shooter Advanced Warfighter 2's plot sees our heroes -- an elite US military unit known as the Ghosts -- on a lengthy and tortuous hunt for some missing weapons of mass destruction. Let it never be said that the plotlines of military shooters bear no resemblance to real life. Your Tom Clancy-inspired search will take you to both sides of the US-Mexico border as the latter county dissolves into out-and-out civil war.

Although this story picks up right where the previous game stopped, the Ghosts have had time to apply some serious equipment upgrades. Maybe it's not so lifelike after all -- there's no way a government agency could move that fast. Chief among these additions is a revamped "cross-com" command interface, which gains the ability to view through the eyes of whatever unit you happen to have selected. Thanks to the clearer and more convenient strategic map, this ability isn't as useful as it sounds, but hey, we'll take it.

Sensibly, the game usually gives you some intel about the forces and terrain you'll be facing before it makes you choose your weapons and team composition. Medics are the most important addition here, and come with a limited number of medkits that can heal any team member (including yourself). They're not so good in combat, but are often worth choosing over sharpshooters, anti-tank soldiers, or grenadiers. Some purists may dislike the more forgiving atmosphere this engenders, but you can still easily get shot to pieces if you're careless.

Unlike its patchier predecessor, GRAW2 happily stands with Gears of War for single-player polish (and, less happily, for its slightly stingy length at about eight hours). You'll segue smoothly from solo anti-sniper sections to commanding a full team of Ghosts, an M4 tank and a helicopter, then searching an enemy-held hacienda for a captured friend as day shifts smoothly into night. Transportation sequences like chopper flights or jeep rides keep you constantly fed with new intel and slick video news updates on the progress of the wider war. If GRAW2's sprawling single-player acts were books, we'd call them unputdownable.

The original Advanced Warfighter still looks outstanding, but GRAW2 goes even further, adding more detail and interaction to its environments - and smoke, lots of smoke. Yes, this is just the kind of thing software companies love to put in their sequels to make them sound New and Improved: "This time we have smoke!" But here it's used to provide a genuine effect on the gameplay , thanks to the return of the airborne scouting drone that can spot enemies from a comparatively safe altitude. Lay down some smoke, roll in the drone, and it'll designate the bad guys for you to pick off -- you don't even need to see your targets to hit them.

Together with the somewhat more forgiving difficulty level, GRAW2's single-player campaigns encourage complacency. It's easy to see why. When your gun comes equipped with its own camera so you can shoot from cover without exposing yourself, it's easy to feel invulnerable. And then, click, something small and round bounces next to you. Habitual players of military shooters won't need the big red warning icon on their HUD to know what that means. GRAW2's enemies will happily resort to creative tactics like this to flush you out of cover, and they're a good shot with a grenade. Thankfully, friendly troops are smarter and a lot less likely to get themselves killed this time, too.

Games Due Out This Week Home : News : News Story
A big week with Virtua Tennis 3, TMNT, Cooking Mama: Cook Off and plenty of other titles to keep you busy.
Will you be picking up any of these throughout the week?
Virtua Tennis 3 (360, PS3, PSP)
Cooking Mama: Cook Off (Wii)
TMNT (360, PS2, PSP, PC, Wii, GC, DS, GBA)
The Elder Scrolls IC: Oblivion (PS3)
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Wii)
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road(PSP)
Armored Core 4 (360, PS3)
Silverfall (PC)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Mar 18, 2007 News by Richard Manley.

The Hollywood Byte #58: Bill Goldberg

John Gaudiosi talks to the former pro wrestler and current host of SpikeTV's Bullrun about his love of video games.

By John Gaudiosi

16 Mar 2007

Wrestling fans know Bill Goldberg on a last-name basis. For years, he dominated the ring in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He also took a stab at Hollywood with the movie Universal Soldier: The Return. These days, Goldberg is working on a new SpikeTV series called "Bullrun," which is like a reality show version of the popular '80s flick Cannonball Run. The new TV series, which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m., follows 12 teams of two drivers who use their own cars in a cross-country rally.

"It's something different," said Goldberg. "It's an eclectic group of people and their cars. They go on a rally for 4,000 miles. The kick is that they really have no communication and only $2,000 cash for the entire trip. It's a really diverse group of cars and even more diverse group of people. The interaction between the cars and the people is really what drives the show."

Goldberg believes the TV show could spawn its on videogame. He said the concept is perfect for a racing game. He also hopes the show will warrant subsequent seasons. "I think it'd be great to come back and do this show every year," he said. "Hopefully, this thing is a huge success and I can work on changing the setting of the race and come up with more interesting cars and more interesting drivers. There's a lot of potential there."

Goldberg has been a gamer all of his life. He really got into games back when John Madden Football debuted on Sega Genesis and he was playing linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons.

"When I was in the NFL, during training camps, we had a lockdown curfew situation where we couldn't go out," said Goldberg. "One of the ways we kept ourselves sane was beating the hell out of each other on the videogames. It was pretty cool to be able to play your own team. I don't know if I was ever on there, because I was a backup, but it was pretty cool to play guys in the videogame that you were actually playing against. It was pretty fun."

Nowadays, he's not nearly the gamer he used to be because he has a new nine-month-old baby boy to take care of. He said it's hard to find the free time to waste away and play videogames.

"I have an Xbox 360 and I have a big high definition 52-inch flat screen," said Goldberg. "I get away when I can and play Fight Night Round 3, FEAR and some of the racing games, the NASCAR games. It's awesome. One of the coolest things I heard is that NASCAR drivers play the game and get better prepared for a track they've never been on before by playing the videogame. These guys have every edge they can ask for with NASCAR."

Take-Two Sues Jack Thompson

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Take-Two is suing Florida attorney Jack Thompson for trying to declare GTA IV and Manhunt 2 public nuisances.

You-know-who is finally getting a taste of his own medicine, as GamePolitics.com reports that the controversial publisher Take-Two Interactive is suing Florida anti-game attorney Jack Thompson for his attempt to declare the upcoming Rockstar games Grand Theft Auto IV and Manhunt 2 public nuisances. Basing their lawsuit on an alleged violation of their First Amendment rights, Take-Two had the following to say about their decision:

Thompson has a history of making multiple threats of legal action, whether substantiated or not, both against (Take Two) as well as the retailers who purchase the video games and offer them for sale to the public. Thompson has made such threats again in connection with Manhunt 2 and GTAIV...

One of these "multiple threats" occurred last year before the release of another Rockstar Games title Bully, and the results of that clearly landed in Take-Two's favor. Stay tuned to GWN for the latest on this interesting situation.

Mar 16, 2007

Castlevania: SOTN Whips in on Wednesday

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PlayStation vampire-hunter classic finally makes its way to Xbox Live next week.

It's been a long time coming from Konami, but side-scroller supporters will have an opportunity to re-visit one of the better 32-bit era efforts next week, when Castlevania: Symphony of the Night melodies its way onto Xbox Live Arcade.

Well-received when it released a decade ago, Symphony of the Night is appreciated by many fans of the series for its dynamic score, in addition to the updated visuals it brought to the franchise. Copies of the game remain relatively rare today, but beginning 2 a.m. pacific time on the 21st, you'll be able to hit up SOTN in exchange for Microsoft draining 800 Microsoft Points ($10) from your Live account.

Along with the standard 12 achievements for 200 gamerpoints, look forward to "modernized sound effects" and "improved graphics" along with widescreen and HD support in the port.

Mar 16, 2007

News by Evan Lahti.

Virtua Tennis 3 Demo On Xbox Live

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A quick update for fans of the Virtua Tennis series - a demo is now available to download via Xbox Live!

A demo for the upcoming Virtua Tennis 3 is available to download for Xbox 360 owners today via Xbox Live marketplace.

Reported by Xbox guru Major Nelson, the demo weighs in at just under 850 MB and went live only this morning. For those unfamiliar with the game, it’s the next-gen debut of the popular Virtua Tennis series, which will be available on PS3 and Xbox 360 from March 23rd.

The dashboard description for the game is as follows: -

"Based on the spectacularly successful arcade version, Virtua Tennis 3 adds dazzling power to the renowned series for next-gen consoles while retaining that easy to play, difficult to master gameplay loved around the world."

There are no specific details on what to expect in the demo or whom you’ll be able to play as, so by all means, get downloading folks!

Mar 16, 2007

News by Michael Harradence.

Halo 3 'Legendary' Packaging Revealed

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Halo 3's expensive super-special edition gets boxed.

Before you get excited: no, the helmet isn't large enough for you to actually wear.

We've seen imagery in the past of what Halo 3's $100...oh wait, $130 "Legendary" edition would look like, but above is the first gander at the decorative boxed set box alongside the replica Spartan Mjolnir Mark VI helm and display case.

In case you've forgotten, a Benjamin Franklin, an Andrew Jackson, and an Alexander Hamilton will buy you (in addition to the game) bonus discs with "behind-the-scenes at Bungie Studios with new insights into the Halo Universe and the making of Halo 3," according to EBgames' retail listing. Master Chief connoisseurs will also net a hi-res collection of cinematic content from the first two Halo games, along with director commentary from the Bungie Team and community content from folks like Red vs. Blue.

If Halo 3's out by Halloween, we envision many a small-headed cat being adorned with the Spartan helmet. Internet message boards: ready your memes.

Mar 16, 2007

News by Evan Lahti.

Lego Star Wars Red Nose Day

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Details about unlockable red noses for all characters that can help raise money for charity!

In case you didn’t know, today (March 16th) is Red Nose Day in the United Kingdom, a day when the whole nation comes together to help raise money for various charities. There is also a fair amount of humor chucked in to keep everyone entertained and in good spirits as well.

In celebration of the event, it has been revealed that owners of the excellent Lego Star War II title across a variety of formats will be able to unlock Red Noses for all every single character in the game, be they droid, Dark Lord or Jedi.

How is it done? Well that's the clever part, if you make your way over the TT Games Website and donate some money (however much you can afford); the cheat code will then be given out to you!

Sounds like a brilliant idea to us, and a great incentive to get gamers into the charitable mood. Be sure to take some pictures of your favourite intergalactic characters with their respective red noses and share them with the community to help spread the word!