Twisted Pixel has revealed that they will be taking player registrations for a multiplayer beta of Ms. Splosion Man on the XBLA. This beta will allow 10,000 players to download the beta and take part in the online mode of the game for three weeks when the beta begins on June 6th. Each week two new multiplayer maps will be available to play and anyone who participates in the beta will also be able to gain access to the game’s trial content.
It is interesting to see a beta for an XBLA game and hopefully Twisted Pixel will take advantage of this and create a flawless online mode for the title. You can sign up for the beta at Microsoft Connect’s website here.
If you have been trying to download anything off of the Xbox Live Marketplace today then you may have noticed that you aren’t able to do so. I say may because the system appears to be working for some users but not all at this moment. A glance at the Xbox Live status page shows that the Xbox Live Marketplace is experiencing some problems at the moment.
With the whole PlayStation Network hacking in recent memory it is easy to jump to conclusions about the service and hackers but Microsoft was quick to squash these rumors by releasing a statement to Joystiq about the Marketplace, claiming the outage is due to “an internal operational error.”
You can read their full statement below and hope that it is simply as they say it is.
The Xbox LIVE Game Marketplace and the Games for Windows Marketplace are currently experiencing issues due to an internal operational error. This issue is impacting users’ ability to browse and purchase content from the Marketplace. We apologize for any inconvenience, and are actively working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Please stay tuned to this page for further updates.
Excuse us for a moment while we make a small hopeful cheer. The ESRB has recently rated The Witcher 2 for the Xbox 360 despite there being no announcement from CD Projekt about the title being multiplatform. The Witcher 2 was released on the PC recently but for many gamers the recommended, even the minimum specs needed to play the title on your computer can be too much for their PCs.
This news coincides with the fact that E3 invites to CD Projekt’s booth has been saying that their announcements for E3 will be something that “console gamers might be interested in.” In the past there had been hopes that the first Witcher title would be making its way to the Xbox 360 but it never came to fruition. We have reached out to CD Projekt in an effort to hear more about this ESRB rating and the potential release of a 360 Witcher 2.
Project Ten-Dollar, Online Pass, inconvenient junk, whatever you want to call it there has been a decent amount of backlash to developers that have included these codes in their games that limit gamers buying used games or renting titles from accessing the full title. Now hear is the icing on the cake for some gamers, those who purchase DiRT 3 right now on the PlayStation 3 cannot play their game online even if they bought it new.
The reason for this is because Sony’s PlayStation Store is still down and there is no way to redeem these online pass codes. Another title had this same issue, Mortal Kombat but thankfully Warner Bros. waived anyone from having to redeem their pass for the next few weeks. CodeMasters on the other hand isn’t doing that.
Speaking with Eurogamer, a Codemasters representative said: “We’ve looked into doing something similar for Dirt 3 but it’s not technically possible. It’s hard-coded into the game.” Meaning that it would require the developers to patch the game to remove the VIP pass requirement which they believe would take longer than waiting for the PlayStation Store to come online. So… you punish your paying customers in an effort to reduce used game sales, only now DiRT 3 owners on the PS3 may just trade your title in and buy something else, creating a larger used market for your title. Sounds like a win right there…
DeathSpank and his thong will be showing up once again this summer season in the third DeathSpank game set for release on the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, the PC and Macs. HotHead has so far only released a teaser trailer revealing the actual name of the title, which is going to be called DeathSpank: The Baconing. The title will be the last chapter of DeathSpank’s quest, bringing a conclusion to the trilogy.
No assets have been released at this time, which is curious to say the least. The development time is a good thing though in my opinion. The first two DeathSpank titles were released within nearly a month of each other, though both games were very well done the longer development time can mean good thing for fans of the series. Catch the teaser below. Bacon!
Oddworld Inhabitants has announced that they will be bringing Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath to the PlayStation 3 this summer season. As long as the PlayStation Store is up by then of course. The title will feature HD graphics and a whole bunch of unlisted new features. No price was given with the press release so we can only guess as to how much the game will end up costing in the end.
Munch’s Oddysee is also on its way to the PSN this fall, though this is a bit of a curious move as far as licensing goes. Munch’s Oddysee was an Xbox exclusive launch title, but there has since been no word about any of Oddworld Inhabitants’ games making their way to the Xbox 360. This could be because it was previously it was mentioned by Oddworld themselves that Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath can’t be released on the XBLA due to restrictions in the size of downloadable games by Microsoft themselves.
Valve has always been good to their customers (nevermind Half Life 3) and they are rewarding their fans by giving them something from Portal 2 for free. No unfortunately it won’t be the game itself and it also won’t be anything tangible but you will be able to remember all of those great times while you were testing in those chambers.
That is because it is the entire soundtrack for Portal 2 for free. There are 22 songs from the game on this Volume 1 of Songs to Test By as well as six different ringtones that you can use if you have an Android or iPhone phone. You can pick up the soundtrack and the ringtones here. Even if you aren’t a fan of Portal 2, at least you can pick up some extra music for the price of bandwidth.
Announced very recently by EBGames is the latest package exclusive to their stores, the Ocarina Edition of the upcoming 3DS remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
The package for the legendary game includes –
EXCLUSIVE Tri Force Branded Ocarina
2 x Zelda Song sheets for playing on the Ocarina including Zelda’s Lullaby
Copy of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3DS
This is definitely a must have item for any hardcore The Legend of Zelda fan. My Pre-Order is going in ASAP. I suggest you do the same.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time follows the adventures of Link as quests to save the land of Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf and his evil minions. Along the way he must gather various artifacts to awaken the Master Sword from within the Temple of Time in order to do battle against his nemesis.
It has finally come upon us, the day that a lot D&D gamers have been waiting for, the release of the latest video game set in the Forgotten Realms module – Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale!
In Daggerdale, players are summoned by a mysterious Mage figure to defend their homeland against the incoming evil Zhentarim Cleric, Rezlus, who seeks to unleash the Black Lord Bane upon the land of Daggerdale. Travel across mines and towers to a final confrontation against the evil Rezlus.
Players will have choose an avatar that is one of four archetypes – Human Fighter, Elven Rogue, Dwarf Cleric and a Halfling Wizard. The game also features standard Dungeons & Dragons leveling, so things like feats,spells and attribute points can also be picked up by the player.
Daggerdale is currently released on the XBOX360 Arcade for 1200MSP, with the game releasing later this year on the PC.
Be sure to check out the launch trailer embedded below,
as well as the official website.
Please note that this article may not apply to all regions.
Jagex, publishers of the exceedingly popular MMORPG Runescape, have very recently launched their latest title – Herotopia. The game has been released in a partnership with Herotainment, who have developed the game, with the title allowing children to play as a superhero in a safe, fun and vibrant environment.
On the game, the Jagex CEO had this to say –
Mark Gerhard, CEO at Jagex, commented: “Herotopia offers a fantastically rich and fun experience which we know will appeal to the superhero in everyone. Herotopia is our first under 12 title and, with today’s substantial update making Herotopia even more compelling, we are certain that the game has what it takes to be a huge hit with kids all over the world.”
The game features real world locations, such as New York, Paris, Beijing and more that children/players can travel to and from, quests and other challenges at famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower; and even secret bases for players to customise and enjoy with their buddies in-game.
Herotainment joint CEOs on the games development –
Caryn and Wade Teman, joint CEO’s of Herotainment said: “When creating Herotopia, we as parents ourselves wanted to empower kids to be their own heroes and to get something more out of playing an online game than just a high score. The content update launched today is our largest to date and we are very excited to be teaming up with Jagex to make Herotopia the leading virtual world for children everywhere.”
Herotopia is a free-to-play MMORPG that can be run on almost any internet compatible system. There is also an optional All-Access Superhero Membership fee of $5.95 (which a portion of will be donated to childrens charities as voted on by the community), which allows players to buy additional customisation features for their hideout, as well as obtain an Orangutan companion and even access additional powers and vehicles. Members can also unlock and access a hidden and imaginary location, Herotopia Island.
The following is a list of features available in the game –
KEY FEATURES:
Fully customizable Herotopia alter-ego, from super hero cape and costume, choice of Super power, items to decorate your Secret Hideout and more.
25 fun and informative mini-games, including the just released Power Puzzles, featuring trivia and brain teaser quizzes for a daily reward.
Story driven Mission system that empowers players to keep Herotopia free of bullies and their bad behavior.
19 international landmarks and locations for players to visit and learn about, from the Eiffel Tower to the North Pole!
A safe online venue for kids to socialize in, as players communicate through pre-determined phrases, words and charming animated “Heromotes”. Kids truly become Super Heroes, as a percentage of
Herotopia memberships will be donated to the Global Heroship Fund to help kids do their own good deeds in the real world.
