Crytek’s award winning 2007 PC game Crysis is now available on Xbox Live Games On Demand and Playstation Network. The game features Crysis’s full single player campaign with a few tweaks to gameplay and improved controls to suit the gamepad controller.
The console version of Crysis also features improved overall graphics thanks to CryENGINE 3, which features all new lighting and visual effects. Remembering that the original PC game took a beast of a machine to play on maximum graphics, it a relief to see that console player are not going to be missing out on the visual feast that Crysis has become renowned for.
Crysis is available for download now on Xbox Live Games On Demand for 1600 Microsoft Points and on Playstation Network for $19.99.
With its 23rd season now airing in the US, the end of The Simpsons has appeared due for years, but now looks like it may happen in the worst of ways: a pay dispute.
Every few years, Fox Studios, who produce the show, and the voice actors, who bring the population of Springfield to life, battle it out over the actors’ pay. Threats are usually thrown around, as Fox mention how they can simply replace them with soundalikes, apparently unaware how quickly the show would fail if they did so.
But now, Fox have stated that the show is too expensive to produce “under its current financial model”.
Last week the actors proposed a 30% pay cut, in return for a small percentage of the merchandising and syndication income, which the studio collects almost entirely. The execs refused, offered a 45% pay cut with no back-end earnings, and underlined it with the dire warning that if they don’t accept, the plug will be pulled on the show.
When new episodes stop being produced, the cast’s salaries (which currently stand at about $US8 million per year apiece) simply cease, with little income from reruns. Trying to claim a piece of the gigantic merchandise pie is a wise move, securing an income when The Simpsons ends its record-breaking run. But an insider told The Daily Beast that Fox Studios believe they have the upper hand.
“They’ll continue to make a ton of money (after the show ends). They’re free to sell it to cable and a second round of syndication, and they figure that the cast has very little leverage.”
The Simpsons has been a staple of most nineties kids (and adults, for that matter) their whole lives, has spawned merchandise of absolutely everything under the sun (I have Simpsons guitar picks, shoelaces, and a doorbell among my collection), and is seen pretty much every night of the week, every week, here in Australia, with similar syndication around the world.
We already know Fox seems to like cutting popular shows down in their prime – Futurama and Family Guy spent years in limbo before being revived due to fan demand and crazy DVD sales figures. But few would argue that The Simpsons is still in its prime.
Maybe the show is due to end. Many would argue it’s well overdue. As a loyal Simpsons fan, I’m undecided. But if its twenty-three year run is due to close, the show must be given a proper finale. You cannot simply end the pop culture juggernaut that is The Simpsons with a standard episode – the creators must wrap it up creatively. This could be the biggest television finale of our times.
I know I’ll be keeping an eye on news relating to this. What are your thoughts? Should The Simpsons go out with a bang, or just get out?
It is hard to believe that 15 years ago in October 1996 Tomb Raider first graced our home consoles. The iconic heroine has seen many redesigns over the year, and most recently Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are rebooting the franchise with next year’s release of Tomb Raider. But that is then, and since October marks the anniversary, Crystal Dynamics is beginning a digital art exhibition where they are commissioning eight pieces of art to be created by professional artist and released twice a week during the month of October.
Fans can find the art pieces on the website here, where they can find the first piece created by Andy Park which you can see below. Besides these digital pieces of art, October 14th will also be the date that artists will be available to sign things at the New York Comic Con. Also a limited amount of T-shirts and posters featuring Tomb raider art will be available for purchase at The Nerd Machine where an undisclosed amount of proceeds will go to benefit the Child’s Play charity.
Feel like your Nintendo 3DS is missing a bit of music and rhythm in its relatively tiny game library? Well then perhaps you may want to take a look on retail shelves as Natsume has released Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D today only on the 3DS. Though the title was also released on the Wii as WiiWare previously, this is the first retail version of the title.
In the game players will take the role of Gabrielle, a girl who happened to sneeze out her soul and in an effort to retrieve it, travels to Monsterville. There she seeks out help from those there through the power of dance. This of course means that there will be plenty of tapping and sliding to the music to be had.
Those looking to pre-order The Darkness 2 will be pleasently surprised to hear that anyone who pre-orders the title will receive an automatic upgrade to the “Limited Edition” version of the game. 2K Games announced earlier today that this limited edition will include an alternate “Crazy Abdul” darkling outfit, “Gourmet Hearts” and “Relic Hunter” character ability upgrades.
Also with the package comes an illustration from Marc Silvestri as well as download codes for the Volume 1 and 2 of The Darkness Origins comics. Gamers have lots of time to save money for the pre-order as February 7th is still the release date for the title in North America and is looking to stay that way.
If you need any more convincing to pick up Need for Speed: The Run when it is released November 15th well EA has a surprise for you. They will be releasing a demo on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the title on October 18th.
In the demo players will have access to the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni to race. Plus if players refer a friend to download the demo, don’t really see why they would without this bonus, players will unlock the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S as well. Either way I’m sure racing fans will just love this demo, and others will have a chance to see if they even want to jump into the Need for Speed series at this point in time.
The 3DS is about to get one more dose of the Resident Evil franchise in 2012 and it is going to happen quite early in the year. Capcom announced today that Resident Evil: Revelations will be released in North America on February 7th 2012 and with it players will be able to experience the full feel of a Resident Evil title instead of a mini game they threw together.
To make things even better, GameStop revealed that they have a very interesting pre-order bonus for anyone who happens to pre-order the title from their company. Pre-orderers will receive a 3DS cover with the image above which changes when in sunlight. The cover looks quite amazing and would definitely fit anyone who owns a black version of the 3DS, especially if it really does change according to the light.
Gears of War 3 is going to be receiving its first piece of downloadable content sooner than we may think. Announced today, the Horde Command DLC package will be released on November 1st and will be available for 800 MSP or free if you have bought the season pass for Gears of War 3. The package contains a number of new things to accentuate the game’s horde 2.0 mode and a handful of new content.
The DLC will include three new maps, a few characters, namely Bernie, Big Rig Dizzy and an Onyx Guard, a few weapon skins and extra fortifications. The player will be able to build a command center now where they can call in support from the Hammer of Dawn, snipers or even mortars. Also players will be able to upgrade the decoy to a fighting robot, a sentry that shoots fire bolts and even an upgrade for the Silverback to include rockets.
So far in the Land of the Rising Sun, the plans of the Playstation Vita’s 3G have been pre-paid plans. For ¥980, a regular user of 3G would get 20 hours worth, while at ¥4,980, users will get 100 hours worth of usage plus 3 hours of high speed usage. No mention of any other plans have come to light… until now. A pamphlet detailing the Vita 3G plans have surfaced on the internet and has revealed a third plan. A post-paid plan (the green one on the right).
For the price of ¥5,460 per month, you can expect to get unlimited access on NTT DoCoMo’s 3G network. What makes it better is that it is high speed 3G. Instead of the 128Kbps/64Kbps speeds the pre-paids cards will be capped at, you will get the same speeds as the 3 bonus hours with the 100 hour pre-paid plan. This is at 14Mbps/5.7Mbps.
It is also quite flexible as it will also be available as a slider plan. There will be a minimal fee of ¥1,000 and the price will rise as usage increases to a maximum price of ¥5,985. After that, you can continuing using the “FOMA high speed” network at no additional cost. This is certainly a great plan for those who want unlimited access on the go. Just don’t expect to download large files.
Now I wonder if Australia will receive this sort of plan. Actually, the real question is who will Sony choose to deliver the 3G network to the handheld.
2K Sports have announced that they have made a deal with the Sydney Kings for the launch of NBA 2K12 which goes on sale this Friday the 7th of October.
“Off the court, NBA 2K12 gives me the chance to relax in my downtime and to get a great sense of what it might have been like to play against some of the game’s greatest legends.” said Sydney Kings player Jerai Grant.
An Australian launch party will be held tomorrow night in Sydney in which players from the Sydney Kings will be present, so be sure to check back here on Thursday for all the details. Of course don’t forget to also check back later in the week for our review to see how the game shapes up to last year’s amazing installment.
