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DirecTV and G4 are no longer friends

Justin Mienkiewicz
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Last week the gaming/nerd culture channel, G4, was dropped from satellite TV provider, DirecTV.  On the outside, this may seem like a dire blow to the gaming community, but interestingly enough, this is not so.

G4 had originally started out as a more “indie” and “true” nerd channel, named TechTV, previously being hosted by internet legend Kevin Rose, creator of popular news and pop culture aggregating website, Digg.  When it started out, the channel had shows like ScreenSavers and the Electric Playground, with Kevin Rose giving real tech advice (often for the more tech savvy viewer) on day to day problems for the former and game making legend, Tommy Tallarico, weighing in on the various games that were being made and coming out for the latter.

As the channel’s popularity grew, so did it’s need to break out of the “niche” audience and attract the less tech savvy, everyday person, more on the order of what Spike TV does.  Using TV “celebrities” like Kristin Holt and Olivia Munn, G4 became moderately popular, building shows around funny videos from Youtube and doling out the periodic tidbit of news that would be relevant to the channel’s new demographic.  Unfortunately, amongst all of this, the constant and monotonous rerunning of the show, Cops, (and various variations such as Campus PD) have become synonymous with the channel.  Nowadays if you turn on the channel, you can bet that some form of Cops will be on for several hours at a time.

A DirecTV rep was quoted today saying, “At this time we are no longer negotiating and we have no plans to put G4 back up…Since G4 is among the lowest rated networks based on the latest Nielsen data, we decided that it made sense to focus on preserving programming that is more relevant to our larger customer base.”.  Sadly, this isn’t that surprising.  I, personally, loved the channel back in the day and even for a bit of its newer lifestyle, but I honestly haven’t watched the channel in at least 2 years, due to a combination of now having seen every Cops episode at least 4 times and generally not caring about the uninspired cashing in on today’s pop culture that the channel thrives on.  G4 was quoted saying, “We have been trying to engage DirecTV in fair and reasonable discussions to continue to carry G4. G4 offered DirecTV the same basic deal we have had for the past three years. However they still plan to drop the network and deny G4 fans the only network that focuses on the popular gaming lifestyle.”  While this may not be a dire blow to the general gaming community, it surely is for G4.  Barring my opinions on the channel’s quality, the fact that G4 is owned by Comcast, a huge rival to DirecTV, MAY have a hand in all of this.  Just sayin’.

Need for Speed- Parking at 100 mph

J. Bradshaw
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November 16, 2010.  Remember that date.  On that day, DO NOT leave your car unattended or with a valet.  Especially if you own a Lamborghini.  You do own a Lamborghini, right?  This is fair warning from EA then, as most valets will be too busy playing Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit to worry about a lousy car.  After all, why bother driving one Lamborghini when you can drive any car of your dreams, even cop cars?  Exactly, there is no point.

The video embedded is the first in a series of trailers detailing exactly whats gonna happen to that fancy sports car on November 16.

In this linked video, our villains, the valets, make their introduction.

So what happens when you have to park your own car? This video explains.

Now that you have been fully terrorized, this video can help calm you down.  It will help explain the demo, and tempt you to try the valet’s deadly adddiction.  However, on this once in a life time oppurtunity, you can say “YES” to speed.

Now we go to Austin, and wish that we lived in a big enough city for EA to throw a bash there….that might just be me though.

Dynasty Warriors 7 will come to 360 overseas

Travis Bruno
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Back when Dynasty Warriors 7 was first announced by Koei the game was listed as a PS3 exclusive inside of Japan. That will not be the case however as Koei announed today that once the game travels overseas to the US and Europe there will be two versions, one for the Xbox 360 and another for the PS3.

This version of Dynasty Warriors will bring the storyline beyond it’s usual limits and include the Jin Dynasty and introduce even more new warriors to the already huge roster.  There will also be PS Move support and 3D support, though there has yet to be any news of Kinect support if any.  No real news yet about an exact release date for the game beyond Spring 2011, but those who love hack and slash and killing thousands of enemies on one battlefield should be excited to hear that it will not be an exclusive anymore.

Source: Koei Warriors

Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle Announced

J. Bradshaw
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Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle Announced

Today Major Nelson and Microsoft revealed the Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle.  The bundle includes a 250 GB console, a copy of Forza 3 and a token for downloading Alan Wake.  It will retail for $299.99.  This console bundle is in addition to the 250 GB and 4 GB Kinect packages.  In other news, Alan Wake will be downloadable soon.  Read the Major’s full post.

Sony announces Vocaloid project, Utatane Piko

Travis Bruno
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In Japan, Vocaloids are very hot commodities. There is a large marketbase with fans that spend days creating original music pieces using these various characters that companies are selling. Usually the Vocaloid market grows slowly with a new addition every year, but now Sony is stepping up their game and bringing out a new Vocaloid set to be released on December 8th.

Sony’s new Vocaloid will be named Utatane Piko and character basis will be seen above. Though there will not actually be a physical character as Vocaloids are synthetic singers. This will also be Sony’s first venture into creating their own Vocaloid so it will be interesting to see how they stand up against the power houses of that industry Crypton and PowerFX.

Utatane Piko will be based off of a singer named Piko on Nico Nico Douga and will be able to sing in the same range as a young boy would, similar to that of Kagamine Len. We do not know however if he will be able to sing in English however yet, though this is likely as previous releases such as Lily and Megurine Luka have had this ability. Nico Nico Douga for those that do not know is similar to a Japanese youtube. If their market takes off, will Sony attempt an international release? Maybe not, but none of the other companies which design these song synthesizers have ever had quite as much money as Sony does so time will tell. You may pre-order Utatane Piko at Sony’s Music Shop now but it may be only for Japanese users.

EA and the Windows Phone 7

J. Bradshaw
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EA is fully commited to the Windows Phone 7.  As a result, they are releasing four games to support the system.  All these games include 200 gamerscore and you can use your existing Live gamertag to earn them.  All multi-player will currently only be turn based.

The Sims 3

As with all supported Windows Phone 7 games, the Sims 3 will include achievements.  Just imagine,  if you will, standing in line anywhere or doing virtually anything where you have your phone and hearing that sweet “POP!”  The Sims 3 will include 18 achievements like Life of the Party, Self-Helper, or Inappropriate for 200 points.

Full leader board support will be included with 6 daily, weekly and monthly challenges that will track money, friends and purchases made.

Customize your Sim however you like, and then lead him/her through 73 quests or your Persona Goals..

Monopoly

Like the Sims, Monopoly will include achievements and leader boards.  It will also feature animated tokens and other interactive movement.  Although I have not seen any announcements of multi-player for this franchise, it seems like a natural move.

Need for Speed Undercover

Drive 20 cars and cover 24 missions to earn 10 achievements and pwn your friends leader board score.  Some of the missions include Head-to-Head action, Highway Battle, and Cop Takeout.  Need for Speed Undercover has been optimized for the Windows Phone 7 800×400 resolution.

Tetris

Tetris will have 11 achievements.  It will include 12 variations of the classic game like: fastest version of Tetris ever or clearig 400 lines.  You can also see ALL your stats or learn from the PRO trainer.

Travis Boatman, Vice President of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile said, “Our collaboration with Microsoft brings EA’s world-class catalog of global game franchises to Windows Phone 7, offering a unique set of gaming features perfectly suited to the deep, innovative experiences we value at EA.  We see consumers deeply integrating devices into their lives and entertainment in new ways every day. Challenging your Xbox LIVE friends to an EA game from the phone in your pocket keeps you connected and having fun no matter where you are.”

PopCap Annouces Bejeweled 3!

Dustin Spencer
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I think everyone seen this coming eventually. PopCap have now announced Bejeweled 3 is on it’s way and will be out before Christmas this year. Sure there have been spin-offs of Bejeweled 2, but this will be the first true sequel for the series in 6 years. Now I’m sure you would like to know the new additions on the way as well, and PopCap has jap packed this sequel full. Here is a snippet of the official press release:

Beyond stunning, high-definition graphics and mellifluous music and sound effects, Bejeweled 3 is packed with completely new game experiences in addition to updated and expanded re-imaginings of the four original game modes from Bejeweled 2. Four all-new secret games including Ice Storm and Poker offer surprising new interpretations of the Bejeweled theme, while Quest mode features eleven mini-games — clever hybrids of Bejeweled game-play with other classic game mechanics — comprising 40 total quests.

“Casual video games have been popular going back to the 1980s, but the introduction of Bejeweled 10 years ago launched an entire industry,” explained David Cole, founder and president of DFC Intelligence, the oldest research firm focused entirely on the video game market. “No other casual game comes close to the success of Bejeweled in terms of popularity and influence. PopCap has been able to keep the franchise strong for 10 years because they have focused on quality and innovation and have not flooded the market with dozens of sequels. I fully expect Bejeweled 3 to not only be a big success in its own right, but also ensure the Bejeweled brand continues to grow in popularity over its next decade on the market.”

Features are set to include:

  • Classic: Play the most popular puzzle game of the century, with powerful new gems and new ultra-smooth gameplay
  • Quest: Journey through 40 magical puzzles in this multifaceted Bejeweled challenge!
  • Zen: Personalize your experience with ambient sounds and binaural beats — a revolutionary new way to relax!
  • Lightning: Charge up with a heart-pounding, beat-the-clock bout of gem-blasting fun!
  • Secret Games: Unlock 4 all-new games including Butterflies and Ice Storm
  • Badges: Earn up to 65 badges to prove your skills
  • High-definition graphics and high-fidelity audio: Bejeweled is now more dazzling than ever before!
  • Ultra-smooth gameplay: Make multiple matches while new gems fall into place

    • “The challenge in creating a new version of Bejeweled is to innovate and keep it fresh and exciting without losing touch with the game-play that millions of people love. So we’re very careful when we make changes to the core game, which is why it can take so long!” said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap and co-creator of Bejeweled. “We’ve worked hard to make sure Bejeweled 3 retains the classic appeal of the earlier games while bringing a host of exciting new features to the table.”

    Since the launch of Bejeweled 10 years ago, 50 million units have been sold across 17 platforms and the franchise continues to sell one copy every 4.3 seconds. I am extremely excited to try out Bejeweled 3 as Bejeweled 2 is a staple of my puzzle games I frequent and this one seems to stick true to the formula which is great to see. My main question as of now is not if, but when we will see the ports on consoles. On December 7th, Bejeweled 3 will release worldwide and you can be held over until then with some nice screenshots and a brand new trailer below.

    New Xbox 360 Dashboard Video Walkthrough

    Philip Federico
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    Microsoft have just released their new Xbox 360 Dashboard that will be rolled out across the LIVE universe.  So the next time you sign into Xbox Live, you will be asked to update. 

    This update will be going out all across the globe, so its not just specific to one geographical region.  I picked up mine at approx 11pm AUS EST time.  Others might be getting it pushed out to them in another few hours.  So sit tight and wait patiently.

    I’ve added this basic video walkthough on what the new dashboard looks like check it out below :

    [pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlIfNYAq3YM[/pro-player]

    Below is a full list of features that are including in this update: 

    ESPN on Xbox LIVE
    Zune Music
    Netflix Search
    Improved voice chat quality
    Improved Gamertag creation
    Streamlined in-dashboard virtual keyboard
    Improved Xbox LIVE Marketplace UI and browse experience
    Easier to get on a wireless network
    Ability to sign-out other controllers in the sign-in UI
    New browse experience for 100% completed games
    Updated Family Settings
    Family Programming

    Check out our previous post for further details of the features included in this update.

    Let us know what you think of the new Dashboard update.  Leave us a comment below.

    Beyblade Metal Fusion -Battle Fortress to Receive a Limited Edition on the Nintendo Wii…

    Dustin Spencer
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    A while back, we told you about the collector’s edition for Beyblade: Metal Fusion – Battle Fortress coming to the Nintendo DS. You may have also noticed that Nintendo Wii owners were kind of left without a special edition….until recently anyway. Hudson has now announced that there will be a limited edition of Beyblade: Metal Fusion for the Wii joining it’s DS counterpart when it releases next week.

    The limited edition will include a special DVD including a full-length episode titled, “Merci’s Dangerous Trap” from Beyblade: Metal Fusion with art unique to the disc. The special DVD will be exclusive to the limited edition BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion – Battle Fortress from November 9 until January 10, 2011, or until supplies last.

    Here is a brief look at what this episode contains for any Beyblade fans out there:

    In “Merci’s Dangerous Trap,” which aired in the first season of BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion, Doji sends Kyoya to Wolf Canyon to prove his readiness to battle Gingka. Meanwhile, Gingka is lead to believe that he is on a television game show by Doji, who has pitted Gingka against the computer “Merci” to test Gingka’s skills and collect data. Kyoya eventually makes it to the top of Wolf Canyon – and is ready to battle Gingka.

    Now as for the game, it is shaping up nicely with a complete game-specific story with the original characters from the show. Also featured for the Nintendo Wii version is four-player “Battle Mode” competition allowing players to face off against three other human or AI controlled enemies, or play co-operatively with allies. If you are a fan of the show or just a fan of anime in general, Beyblade: Metal Fusion – Battle Fortress looks to be perfect to quench your gaming thirst as it spins into stores on November 9th. Until then, check out the official website at www.beybladevideogame.com.

    Sony’s PlayTV Celebrates Milestone

    Jared Hilliers
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    The PS3’s reputation to become the gaming industry’s version of the Swiss army knife inched a step closer today with PlayTV reaching a Milestone in sales down under. Sony Computer Entertainment Australia today announced that less than one year on from the launch of the PlayStation 3 peripheral PlayTV, which enables users to watch, pause and record high definition free-to-air digital TV, sold over 100,000 units in Australia.  

    The milestone is marked by the fact that many PS3 users down under are now able to take advantage of the compact and convenient add-on device allowing the type of TV viewing convenience and freedom at a fraction of the price of other premium offerings on the market, and without subscription fees. If you include the success of ABC’s iView and more recently, Channel 7’s catch up TV. It could be said that the PS3 is leading the way for this service down under, which makes for some interesting times as digital distribution grows.  

    Manager Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia had this to say about the success “2010 has seen a flood of content consumption choices like we’ve never before experienced in Australia, making the selling of 100,000 PlayTV units since late November last year especially significant for PlayStation,” he added that “This news comes after a huge six months which has not only seen strong software sales for the PlayStation platform along with firmware upgrades to deliver 3D gaming, but also more catch-up TV and on-demand movies added to the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, our online portal to a world of entertainment content”  

    To celebrate the sales, a competitive new price point of RRP$149.95 has been announced for the Australian market effective today, down from RRP$169.95. The peripheral works by attaching the device via USB, PlayTV then allows you to watch one program while recording another and even record television at the same time as playing a game or watching a Blu-ray or downloaded movie.  

    PlayTV works on a seven day electronic programming guide and has no subscription costs and is endorsed by Freeview, the free digital television service in Australia. It’s also possible to take shows mobile via WiFi with the Remote Play feature of PSP.  In addition, later this month PlayTV users will be able to download a PlayTV live chat feature, which allows text chat as you watch yet another re-run of Two and a half men or any other terrible prime time show. Oh joy!

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