Well fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops in Japan will not be seeing the same things that everyone else playing the game will be thanks to some censoring done by Square Enix. Since Square Enix has announced that there will be certain elements of the game will be censored before the game is released in Japan.
First of all the zombies that feature swastikas on their uniforms will instead have just an Iron Cross instead. There will also be cuts in scenes that feature extreme brutality in an interrogation scene, and no dismemberment. After hearing that the console version of the game has been banned completely in Germany I can’t wait to see the uncut version myself when the game when it releases on November 9th worldwide.
There isn’t much detail in the most recent schedule release from Microsoft, but there is enough information for you guys to set some money aside for the titles you want. Below you can check out the games and DLC coming out in the next 3 weeks. Not much I know, but I’m sure your money is going to some more expensive “Controllerless” items for now.
Xbox Live Arcade
Undergarden – 10th Nov
Faery Arcade – 10th Nov
Days of Thunder – 17th Nov
Trouble Witches – 17th Nov
Crazy Taxi – 24th Nov
Key DLC Dates
Castlevania HD – Add-Ons: Music Pack 2 – 10th Nov
Crackdown 2: Deluge Add-On – 16th Nov
Mafia 2: Joe’s Adventure – 23rd Nov
Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack – 30th Nov
We had an amazing article last week about the Halo community. This week, we feature an amazing man. Scratch that. Two awesome people. One is human. The other is enhanced human. One is flesh and blood. One is pen, paper and pixels. One is the creator; one is the created. If you have no idea what were talking about, you should probably watch the video, if that isn’t what you already are doing. xSoGx Grim, a Halo Reach Forge user, created a scale model of the Spartan Sniper, Jun-A266. Yes, he created this huge model that actually fires, and he only used the utilitarian building materials available in Forge mode. Quite simply, I stand and applaud xSoGx Grim.
The launch trailer for James Bond Blood Stone is pumped full of violence and action. Then again, you can’t really have anything Bond related without a bunch of explosions and tons of violence.
Check out the launch trailer below, and pick up James Bond: Blood Stones today in the US. Europe has to wait till Friday, sorry.
EA has decided that besides the various other ways they have been promoting Dragon Age II, that a Facebook game could only help their cause. And I would have to agree considering the ability that these games have to draw attention among friends. They have decided to call their game Dragon Age Legends.
Inside DA: Legends players will be taking control of the Viscount of Kaiten. When something happens to Ravi’s son Elton, you must do your best to save him. Players will be able to do a variety of quests, gain different loot, and even grow their kingdom to a more powerful state.
Those who want to get early access to Dragon Age Legends can sign up at EA’s website. This may get you into the beta testing before the actual release of the Facebook game in February. Which means players will have a whole month to get their fill of 2D Dragon Age fun, and even unlock a few bonuses that will be available in Dragon Age 2 itself. Fans will need an EA account to get these bonuses, but that is easily enough acquired via their website as well.
Game: Red Dead Redemption – Undead Nightmare Developer: Rockstar Publisher: Rockstar Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror Format: PS3, 360 Price: 7.99, 800 MSP Release: Out Now
The Story
Red Dead Redemption – Undead Nightmare is the latest add-on content for the seminal wild west adventure from Rockstar Games, released just in time for Halloween and now whipping up a dust storm on both XBox Live and the Playstation Network!
Undead Nightmare sees players once again take on the role of John Marston as he searches for a cure to combat a freak zombie mutation that has suddenly swept the country. The surprisingly gripping story will often have you on the edge of your seat and the particularly horrifying intro which sets the tone nicely and gives the game a real sense of purpose from the get go.
Despite the rather grim nature of the quest the humour and absurdity of the situation is never forgotten and this is reflected well in the dialogue with some really snappy one-liners from Marston and company. Just listening to the townsfolk in full panic mode is incredibly entertaining especially when it comes to their views on what they think caused the outbreak to begin with. For example: the shop owner, Herbert Moon, blames the zombie invasion on a British catholic homosexual conspiracy! Quite how he (or Rockstar) came to this conclusion is frankly anyone’s guess but it’s certainly presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner and not to be taken at all seriously.
This adventure also sees the return of some other fan favourite characters from the original story and without too much of a spoiler some of these once beloved characters are now not quite so welcome so prepare to get your hands dirty!
Game Play
Gameplay in Undead Nightmareclocks in at around 6 hours but as with any sandbox style game you could certainly add a few more on to that should you decide to embark on every quest, save as many people as you can or simply go sightseeing in the moonlight.
The flow of the game is much the same as in Redemption and as before the bones of the title sees you head from person to person and town to town trying to find out just what in tarnation is going on and how the heck you can stop it! There are a plethora of side missions which range from helping survivors lost in the wilderness get back to an unaffected town or helping the towns themselves if they have been over-run by zombies The rewards for saving towns and cleansing graveyards can be very motivating, especially if you are in need of a better weapon, extra ammo or even a bed for the night – which, in true Red Dead style, means your character can get some much needed sleep whilst you save your current in-game progress.
You will find most of your time will be spent running and gunning down zombies instead of relying on stealth. This suits the pace of this particular chapter as the undead are surprisingly swift and if they spot you hiding behind a barrel for instance, trying to be a little too crafty, they will come running and clawing at such a fast pace you will have no choice but to beat a hasty retreat… or better yet, start praying!
The ‘dead eye’ feature really comes into it’s own this time around and if you find you have a little distance between you and an approaching zombie horde it will provide you with much more precise aiming. I recommend the head-shot as a sure-fire final solution. I’ve yet to meet a zombie who rose again after their dome was blasted clean off their rotting body!
There is a lot of time spent on horseback so this will colour your experience depending on whether or not you enjoyed this aspect of the original game. However, some of the trudging can be negated by completing side quests and ensuring towns are completely free from the zombie scourge as this will enable the fast travel feature between certain areas on your map.
A really great bonus, exclusive to this add-on is the hunt for the four horses of the apocalypse – presumably belonging to the four horsemen – War, Famine, Pestilence and Death! These legendary stallions appear randomly on the map and when found can be broken and ridden. Each of these mounts also has a special ability that will help you in your mission to end the zombie plague.
Pestilence:Surrounded by a cloud of greenish mist, Pestilence has infinite stamina and a very high pain threshold.
Famine: Surrounded by a swarm of locusts, Famine also has infinite stamina.
War: Has amazingly high stamina (not infinite, although near impossible to diminish) and anything its fiery mane and hooves touch bursts into flames.
Death: Has infinite stamina as well as a ‘wind of death’ circling it. Handily this wind causes the zombies’ heads to explode on contact! (My personal Favourite)
Online Game Play
The brand new online multiplayer mode, Undead Overrun, is a co-op survival mode for between 2 and four players which sees you working together to see how long you can fend off seemingly continuous waves of flesh eating zombies. At the start of each game you and your teammates each select a weapon from a selection that consists of the Ravager, Overkill, Long-Shot and the Mauler. All of these weapons are pretty good and all get the job done but if you are after something with a bit more bite then I thoroughly recommend the Overkill as this particular weapon packs a quite a punch when it comes to quickly depleting the zombie masses.
Each multiplayer map takes place on a desert plain with just the odd building scattered here and there for cover. Of course there’s always the church and what church is not complete without a graveyard – the perfect setting for a zombie takedown, just watch your back!
Although cutting through the first few waves is pretty easy the difficulty is quickly ramped up and becomes challenging and energetically paced. After stage 7 having 3 or 4 players really becomes the ideal and continuing to proceed much further with less is quite literally a monstrous task. More is most definitely merrier here – at least when they are on your side!
Graphics and Sound
Once again Red Dead offers up some pretty remarkable visuals with breathtaking vistas and some very atmospheric weather adding a spooky sense of doom and gloom. This visually stunning weather changes throughout with a denser fog usually hanging over infected areas like a heavy grey beacon. As usual, the cut scenes are detailed and character animation is smooth and varied both here and in the game itself.
The soundtrack is absolutely spot on and exactly how you might imagine a zombie-western to sound. Sound effects add to the ambiance with a notable stand out being the quickening pace of zombie feet as they scramble toward you.
Overall
With such a successful franchise as the supporting frame this off kilter add-on had a lot to live up to and rather than being the point where Red Dead ‘jumped the shark’ this innovative and lovingly produced chapter has actually added a unique spin to an already compelling story. The old west meets zombie mash-up works much better than I had imagined and although I am not a big zombie fan I feel like I have been converted – to a fan and not a zombie of course! Creatively mowing down zombies turned out to be incredible fun as was riding horses that were, quite literally, on fire! What more could a girl want… except for maybe a canyon jam-packed full of zombies and and a fully loaded Overkill!
The story never feels shoe-horned into the Red Dead world and the main game always flows well, with just the right balance of zombies to kill and and survivors to rescue. The interaction with NPC’s is also spot on and their growing panic and paranoia really makes you feel like you are in a full-on zombie invasion.
The online mode is fun and very addictive although not for the faint-hearted if you are playing with less than 3 in a team. The teamwork and quick reflexes required to survive make for some seriously immersive gameplay and more than a few ‘jump out of your seat’ moments when things get tough.
The ending to the main game also features a really great twist which I will not spoil here. Needless to say it’s definitely worth downloading and playing for yourself just to find out…
For only £7.99 or 800 Microsoft Points I really can’t recommend Undead Nightmare highly enough. Although Halloween has just passed and Christmas is only a weeks away you really don’t need a seasonal excuse to wail on a few zombies, especially when the quality of the product is so high. At around 6 hours of solid gameplay in the story mode alone you certainly get your money’s worth.
Word has it that this is the Last add-on for Red Dead Redemption and if that’s true Rockstar have closed the book with a real bang… followed by a blood curdling scream… followed by a bang!
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is available now on PSN and Xbox LIVE. The expansion will also be released on disc, along with all the previous DLC packs on November 26.
In other world news today, a young mother has pleaded guilty to killing her baby son, after he interrupted her with crying; while she was playing FarmVille on Facebook. In a sign of the times, this is yet another messy situation that the courts have had to deal with, and one which obviously leads people to squarely point the finger- at video games.
A 22yr old from Jacksonville, Florida, Alexandra V. Tobias’ son was just 3 months old. She was arrested in January, where she told police that “She shook her baby, then had a cigarette to calm herself. Then she shook him again.” Tobias says he may have hit his head during one of the shakings.
According to the Florida Times-Union, the plea of guilty was entered at the end of October before Ciruit Judge Adrian G. Sound in Florida. Tobias` plea will help her family avoid reliving this tragic event.
No doubt this puts, the developers of FarmVille; Zynga, in the spotlight and yet it is Alexandra ultimately who is to blame. With the majority of players accessing the game through Facebook, FarmVille exists as a co-operative social experience with over 60,000 members.
Although, it is reasonable to assume that the mother was perhaps suffering from post natal depression, it certainly highlights the implications of playing games under the influence of other mental and physical conditions, such as drugs, alcohol or depression. As gaming, weather it be as simple as FarmVille or as complicated as a full blown AAA title, encroaches ever more on our lives, we have an ethical and social responsibility to ourselves and each other to play responsibly, healthy and above all else remember: It’s just a game.
Since the last story about video games and politics, an incredible amount of information and updates have been unearthed. If your all for video games remaining uncensored, this article is for you. Some of it may infuriate you, but the ending will give give you some hope.
Lets start out with CNN and G4TV. CNN interviewed Adam Sessler about the California law and judicial case. In my opinion, Adam brought out some extremely good points, and CNN seemed to be agreeable. Shocking though it may be, as we have all seen how many times the media has dredged gaming through the dirt, the media actually does provide a balanced view of gamers. Check it out!
Rush Limbaugh, a Conservative radio host, also had interesting things to say. Although I may not agree with him on a lot of issues, it is hard to disagree with him on this. You can read the whole call here ,but the main thrust of what Limbaugh said is this:
“I’ve been concerned about the reimposition of the Fairness Doctrine. I am glad this is happening. If it takes an impingement on free speech in something you’re interested in, video games, to alert you to what’s happening throughout society then I’m glad it’s happening, because I’m sure you oppose this… Your video game is your video game and you don’t think the government should have any role whatsoever in applying any artistic sanction to it or any stamp of approval — you can say that but you can’t say that — because that’s not permitted… If it’s taken a video game to get you interested and have the light go off, to have you see what liberalism is all about, I’m glad to have you on our side, ’cause I agree with you. Leave your game alone.”
So that was pretty cool. But now lets get down to the juicy stuff. On November 2, 2010, the ESA as represented by Paul Smith, had their opening arguments with the State of California before the Supreme Court. We have linked the whole argument below,# and I strongly encourage you to read the first 59 pages that make up what happened on November 2. It is really fascinating and even humorous.
Zack Morazzini, counsel for the State began the hearing by alluding to Ginsberg v. New York, a case in which minors’ are restricted from buying harmful sexual material. However, Justice Scalia posed the question, “What is a deviant- a deviant, violent video game? As opposed to what? A normal violent video game?… There are established norms of violence?
This statement really sums up a lot of the problems that the State of California had when they drafted this law. Not only is the law vague, but it also near impossible to regulate and implement. It would be the publishers mandate to rate the game and hope they fall into line with what the State has ordered. The law also fails to take into account downloadable games. How can it possibly enforce that?
In the same line of reasoning, Justice Scalia posed the question, ” What is a deviant violent video game?… Some of the Grimm’s fairy tales are quite grim, to tell you the truth… Are you going to ban them too?”
Justice Ginsberg and Roberts followed up that whammy of thought by grilling the State on why only video games, and not other forms of media that have violence were included in the law.
“The California legislature was presented with substantial evidence that demonstrates that the interactive nature of violent — of violent video games where the minor or the young adult is the aggressor, is the — is the individual acting out this — this obscene level of violence, if you will, is especially harmful to minors,” Morazzini said.
However, Justice Sotomayor responded with, “One of the studies, the Anderson study, says that the effect of violence is the same for a Bugs Bunny episode as it is for a violent video. So can the legislature now, because it has that study, say we can outlaw Bugs Bunny?”
Now that the prosecution has had their say, what say we set up a defense now? Enter Paul Smith, who utters, “California, as we have heard today, does not seriously contend that it can satisfy the usual First Amendment standards that apply to such a law. Instead it’s asking this Court to grant it a new free pass, a brand-new Ginsberg-like exception to the First Amendment that would deny constitutional protection to some ill-defined subset of expressive works, and I submit not just video games, but necessarily movies, books and any other expressive work that describes or portrays violence in a way that some court somewhere, some day, would decide is deviant and offensive.”
After discussing this for awhile, Smith goes on to cite how effective the ESRB has been in regulating the sale of M games to minors.
As a side note, according to the FTC, the ESRB holds the best record, beating out R rated movies/ theaters and music sales with an 80% turn away rate for minors attempting to buy M rated games.*
Smith also mentions how this case differs from the Ginsberg law when he states, “… we do not make films for children in which explicit sex happens. We do make films for children in which graphic violence happens.”
After a bit more Q&A, Justice Alito said, “We have here a new — a new medium that cannot possibly have been envisioned at the time when the First Amendment was ratified.”
Smith’s answer was, “We do have a new medium here, Your Honor, but we have a history in this country of new mediums coming along and people vastly overreacting to them, thinking the sky is falling, our children are all going to be turned into criminals.”
The Court also wondered about how much narrative there was in video games, asking how much different a video game is than a game of Monopoly. Apparently, they did not play Mass Effect, Halo or Enslaved. Odd.
“You are acting out certain elements of the play and you are contributing to the events that occur and adding a creative element of your own,” Smith said. “That’s what makes them different and in many ways wonderful.”
Those are the high points, but it is impossible to convey how everything went down. Once again, I strongly encourage you to read the linked proceedings.
Now, onto the current news! Microsoft released an Xbox Engineering Blog detailing all the improved console safety settings in the new dashboard. You may want to check it out right here! Looks pretty good, and it is, in my opinion, the way that console manufactures and parents should have an active role in what games are played by what age groups.
*This is an exhibit to show how effective the ESRB is. This a graph from the ESRB. It was not a part of the court proceedings.
Can't see the text? Click the image to go ESRB.org and see it full size!
#Thanks for putting up the embedded Supreme Court docs, Joystiq.com!
Super Street Fighter IV: Ultra Shoryuken Pack ($3.99)
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype: The Last Chapter ($4.99)
Fifa Soccer 11 – Ultimate Team (free)
Medal of Honor – Hot Zone Pack ($9.99)
Front Mission Evolved: Wanzer Weapons Pack (free)
Front Mission Evolved: Wanzer Pack 2 ($3.99)
Space Invaders Infinity Gene – Bonus Stage Pack 2 ($2.99)
Fist of the North Star – DLC Pack 1 ($2.99)
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 – Bonus Pack (free)
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 – Russian Power Pack ($2.99)
ModNation Racers – Kratos Mod and Kart ($1.99)
EyePet: Music Pack ($2.99)
PAIN: Creepie Character ($0.99)
PAIN: PAINaMotion (free)
Sports Champions – Reverse Course ($2.99)
God of War III – Phantom of Chaos Skin ($0.99)
God of War III – Morpheus Skin ($0.99)
God of War III – Forgotten Warrior Skin ($0.99)
God of War III – Apollo Skin ($0.99)
God of War III – Challenge of Exile Arena + Dominus Skin ($2.99)
God of War III Kratos Skin Bundle ($2.99)
-all god of war skins, you must have beaten game once to access skin.
Def Jam Rapstar
“Dey Know” – Shawty Lo ($1.99)
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Rock Band 3
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“Peace Frog″ – The Doors ($1.99)
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The Doors Greatest Hits: Rock Band Edition Album ($19.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: “The Doors Greatest Hits: Rock Band Edition” Album. This pack includes “Hello, I Love You”, “L.A. Women”, “Light My Fire”, “Love Her Madly”, “Love Me Two Times”, “Peace Frog”, “People Are Strange”, “Riders On The Storm”, “Roadhouse Blues”, “Soul Kitchen”, “The Crystal Ship”, and “Touch Me”.
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Rock Band Network
“Determined (Vows of Vengeance)” – Kataklysm ($1.99)
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“Revolution” – Bang Camaro ($0.99)
“The Gun Show” – In This Moment ($1.99)
“Uncivilized” – Texas in July ($1.99)
Bundles
High Velocity Bowling – Move Bundle ($39.99)
PlayStation Home Items
God of War PlayStation Home Tattoo T-Shirt ($0.99) God of War PlayStation Home Leaping Kratos T-Shirt ($0.99)
Accompanying the release of the Japanese official website for the game, FlingSmash has recieved a whole whost of new screenshots showcasing the game in all its glory. It is the latest game from Nintendo, and will release very soon in collaboration with the built in Wii MotionPlus Wii Remote. In fact, as the game is completely and utterly based on the MotionPlus technology as it requires a level of sensitivity beyond that of a normal Wii Remote, come launch, the game will actually be bundled with a new Wii MotionPlus Controller. This is similar to Wii Play, which as you’ll remember came with a normal controller, which means, like Wii Play, the package will be good value for money.
FlingSmash, bundled with the new Wii Motion Plus controller, will release on the 18th November.
