Bad Company 2 to offer free March 30 ‘mapathy’ cure
Mar/100
Oh man, EA’s pursuit of Modern Warfare 2 just got hot, as DICE has announced via the Battlefield Blog that on March 30 — the same day the Stimulus Package DLC will boost Modern Warfare 2’s map count — Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s VIP members will receive the free “VIP Map Pack 2,” which adds a Conquest mode scenario to the Arica Harbor map and Rush mode to Laguna Presa.
Both maps aren’t new to the game, however neither has been available for play in the “unlocked” game modes noted above. So, that kinda qualifies as a “map pack,” right? Regardless, it’s free, as DICE boldly proclaims in its stab at Activision and Infinity Ward: “How to avoid ‘mapathy‘ without paying!”
[Thanks, Qwaint]
Bad Company 2 to offer free March 30 ‘mapathy’ cure originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Green Day: Rock Band releases June 8 worldwide
Mar/100
That’s right, folks — Harmonix has just revealed that Green Day: Rock Band will be available for all come June 8 on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Up to 6 players (3 mics; 3 instruments) will progress through the career of the trio, unlocking collectible images (more than 100, apparently) and some 40 minutes of “rare and unreleased” footage from interviews, outtakes and performances along the way.
As alluded to above, GD:RB will also sport the same vocal harmonizing feature that made The Beatles: Rock Band such a delight for mic hogs and comes loaded with 47 Green Day tracks, including “Brain Stew,” “Jaded,” “Hitchin’ a Ride,” “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
Oh, and if you’re looking to export these tunes, worry not: all 47 tracks are fully exportable to a console hard drive and playable in Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and the recently announced Rock Band 3. The export fee is $9.99 via Xbox Live or PSN. The export features is not available for the Wii system. Additionally, if you’ve picked up the six Green Day tunes already available as DLC, you can play them in the new game with added harmonies, “unique” visuals and more “exclusive archival material.”
Green Day: Rock Band will be available as a standalone game for Xbox 360 and PS3 for $59.99, while Wii owners will get a bit of a price break at $49.99. A special edition Green Day: Rock Band Plus will also come to Xbox 360 and PS3 for $69.99 and includes fancy packaging, an “export” feature (we assume, a voucher to export the disc tracks to a hard drive) and the six previously released Green Day DLC tracks.
Update: The GameStop pre-order bonus for the standalone game is an export voucher (for Xbox 360 or PS3). Essentially, pre-order GD:RB from GameStop, and you can export all 47 tracks to your console hard drive for free.
Green Day: Rock Band releases June 8 worldwide originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Interview: Microsoft on integrating Xbox Live into Windows Phone 7 Series
Mar/100
Windows Phone 7 isn’t just Microsoft’s attempt to compete against Apple’s iPhone. It’s also the introduction of the first portable Xbox platform. During GDC today, we talked to Xbox Live GM Ron Pessner and XNA Game Studio manager Michael Klucher about how games integrate into the mobile platform and what gamers and developers can expect in the future.
For the purpose of this interview, Pessner and Klucher merged into one entity (they spoke over each other a lot!) to answer our questions:
Microsoft plans to separate games that do and don’t support Xbox Live functionality on Windows Phone. Are there any concerns that this will turn off indie developers?
Pessner and Klucher: The short answer is “no.” The way that we built the Phone and Marketplace experience makes it very easy to search for what you’re looking for. With XNA Game Studio 4.0, you can use the same set of tools to build an Xbox Live game or non-Xbox Live game on the platform. The benefit that developers get for working with Game Studio is everything we just described.
We also are very interested in seeing concept submissions from the indie community, and we’re out talking to a lot of independent developers. Fortunately, we’re working with a lot of these folks in context of the console today, and many of the console titles that have come to us through the Indie Channel or Xbox Live Arcade, we think will also make fantastic mobile titles. So we’re reaching back out to these developers and accepting submissions for ideas as a way to help make those Xbox Live titles. It’s up to the developer in terms of what they want to do on the platform, but we’re really excited with the response we’ve seen so far.
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Interview: Microsoft on integrating Xbox Live into Windows Phone 7 Series originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Windows Phone 7 Achievements to feature up to 200 Gamerscore points per game
Mar/100
We just got our hands on the Windows Phone 7 during an interview at GDC, and given our unnatural obsession with bolstering our online notoriety, the most prevalent question in our mind was: just how many Gamerscore points can we crank outta this thing? The answer: A beefy 200 Gamerscore points per game, which will be added to your total Gamerscore, as displayed on your Xbox Live Gamertag profile.
We’ll be writing up our impressions of the platform, as well as our interview with its creators, later today. For now, rest assured knowing that when you unlock an Achievement in a Windows Phone 7 game, it totally makes that satisfying “bloop-bloop” noise.
Windows Phone 7 Achievements to feature up to 200 Gamerscore points per game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Capy porting Clash of Heroes to PSN and XBLA
Mar/100
In addition, new equippable artifacts are being added, and the existing ones tweaked, to improve balance in multiplayer. Even better, you’ll now be able to go back and replay segments of the game after completing them. Capy expects to release Clash of Heroes in late summer.
[Via GameSetWatch]
Capy porting Clash of Heroes to PSN and XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Former Baltimore mayor’s telltale Xbox 360 now on eBay
Mar/100
Here’s a bit of backstory for those of you who don’t follow the hot Baltimore news scoops: Sheila Dixon, once mayor of Baltimore, became the former mayor Baltimore after being indicted for embezzlement earlier this year. One of the main pieces of evidence in her trial was an Xbox 360 prosecutors claimed she purchased with gift cards given to her by local developers, which were supposed to be given to various charities.
The telltale 360 recently appeared in an eBay listing, attracting a number of prospective buyers hoping to get their hands on the game console/slice of Baltimore history. If you’re interested in owning a device which is capable of single-handedly ending someone’s mayoral career, the auction is still running. Its price is significantly higher than a standard console, but you’ve got to pay a premium for all that history.
[Via Baltimore Sun]
Former Baltimore mayor’s telltale Xbox 360 now on eBay originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hands-on: The Path of Go (XBLA)
Mar/100
Ready to frustrate yourself forever? Learn the game of Go. It’s an ancient Chinese game that’s over four thousand years old, and games can last up to 16 hours in tournaments. Sounds just perfect for an adaptation into the frenetic world of video games, right?! Well, your wish is granted. The Path of Go or How We Came Up With A Proprietary Name For The Public Domain Game of Go is being developed in-house by Microsoft at the likewise excitingly named Microsoft Research Cambridge division.
We played the game briefly at GDC, and it’s actually very robust. It includes a tutorial where your avatar has some faux back and forth dialogue with an ancient Go master, in which he really does teach you the game. I tried reading an old instruction manual for a set of Go I found at a thrift shop once, and was so confused by terms like “ko” and proper stone placement that I just re-thrifted the set. Now, I’m ready to take on Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind and kick his ass.
Additionally, the game features single player or two player both locally and through Xbox Live, multiple backgrounds, and full 3D environments where you can control the camera. There’s also an actual story mode in here, where you learn the nuances of the game in “beat the situation” scenarios while heading down a path. The … wait for it … Path of Go.
Hands-on: The Path of Go (XBLA) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft bringing ‘the full lineup’ of Natal titles to E3
Mar/100
GDC 2010 is the hotness this week, but according to Microsoft’s Mindy Mount (speaking at a tech conference in NYC), E3 should be fun this year, too. As you might expect, Microsoft is bringing “the full lineup” of Project Natal titles to the convention in June.
We know there are a whole bunch of developers working on Natal titles, including EA, Capcom, Forza Motorport’s Turn 10, and SpawnPoint Studios. Mount promises that Microsoft is “putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we’re going to have some great stuff.” We’ll start working out now to make sure we have enough stamina to flail our limbs all week long.
Microsoft bringing ‘the full lineup’ of Natal titles to E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Vintage Playboy centerfolds grace Mafia II
Mar/100
It appears mobsters aren’t the only things getting rubbed out in Mafia II, as 2K Games announces it has signed a license agreement with Playboy magazine for the mob saga. The pictorial publication will have over 50 of its “vintage covers and Centerfolds” inside the game when it eventually releases.
The iconic publication first premiered in 1953, so unless the game, which covers the ’40s and ’50s, is rewriting history, the Playboy collectibles won’t show up until the latter part of the game’s story. The magazine apparently won’t merely be window dressing either, as players will have the ability to “collect virtual copies of the iconic magazine” — to read the articles, of course. If you have roommates, we recommend investing in Purell hand wipes. We’re not implying anything, simply “safety first.” It is still flu season, after all.
Vintage Playboy centerfolds grace Mafia II originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Disney: Split/Second coming to PC retail and digital distribution (plus: new GDC trailers!)
Mar/100
Earlier today, we noticed a report over on That Video Game Blog that stated Black Rock’s upcoming racer, Split/Second, would only be available on the PC as “a limited online release.” Turns out, that isn’t the case, as a Disney spokesperson has confirmed to Joystiq that the game will be available on the PC both via retail and digital distribution on May 18, alongside its console cousins.
When questioned about which digital distribution services the game would release on, Disney couldn’t say. So, as a peace offering, we were given a pair of new trailers: the first you can see above this chunk of text, while you’ll need to click past the break for the other. We know, we push you guys too hard!
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