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Forza 4 “American Le Mans Series Pack” Available Today

Sam Naylor — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:30:49 +0000

A new DLC pack for Forza 4, the “American Le Mans Series Pack”, is available from today.

The car pack focuses- as you might expect- on Le Mans cars, but there are some others in the mix too. A modified luxury car, an “E3 award winner,” and some proper old fashioned muscle are also in the lineup:

·         2011 #2 Audi Sport North America R18 TDI: Featuring a closed cockpit design (the first such Audi Le Mans car fielded in more than 10 years), the R18 is a marvel of modern racing design. Featuring a lighter materials and a premium on aerodynamic efficiency, it’s little wonder the R18 TDI brought home top honors during the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans.
·         2011 Panoz #050 Panoz Racing Abruzzi: A five hundred horsepower engine that will feel right at home tearing down the straights of Le Mans, the Panoz Racing Abruzzi’s tusk-like front end marries unique styling with impressive performance.
·         2010 Dodge Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Challenger SRT8: Owned by UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, this 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is one of the most aggressive-looking cars ever seen in the Forza Motorsport series. With red and black rims that need to be seen to be believed, this Challenger will turn heads in Forza 4 the moment the race begins.
·         1991 Mazda #55 Team Mazdaspeed 787B: One of the most unique sounding cars in Forza 4, the Wankel rotary engine-equipped 787B is also legendary for its performance. It won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans race and the model was soon retired after FIA rules changes subsequently banned the use of Wankel-type rotary engines.
·         2011 Bentley Platinum Motorsports Continental GT: This Bentley Continental GT features a widebody construction that was custom created by Los Angeles-based Platinum Motorsports. The Continental GT looks great and features some serious power underneath the hood—two factors that contributed it to being selected as Forza Motorsport’s “E3 2011 Car of Show”.
·         1986 #2 Audi Sport quattro S1: Introduced in 1985 as a Group B rally entrant, this was the car that put Audi’s rallying program on the map. One of the most powerful Group B cars ever made, the quattro S1 held multiple hill climb world records in its day and is still widely regarded as one of the most incredible race cars Audi has produced.
·         1992 Alfa Romeo 155 Q4: A “compact executive” with the heart of a touring car, the 155 Q4 features a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine capable of 187 horsepower and an all-wheel drive drivetrain.
·         1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R: Long sought after by Forza’s Mustang fans, the 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R is big and beefy American muscle at its finest. Its SVT-modified 5.8 liter Windsor V8 pumps out 300 horsepower and plenty of torque. The car’s legendary status is further enhanced by its rarity—just 250 Cobra R models were produced.
·         2011 Holden HSV GTS: More power, better handling, and new technology are all hallmarks of Holden’s 2011 HSV GTS. The car’s MRC suspension brings a responsive ride in the corners that, when coupled with the 6.2 liter V8, makes the GTS a joy to drive.
·         2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI: A great-looking hatchback with surprising grit underneath the hood, the 2011 Polo GTI packs a 1.4 liter twin charged engine combining both a turbocharger and a supercharger, belting out an impressive 177 horsepower in a compact size.

The pack is available from Xbox Live for 560 Microsoft Points.

Xbox Live Prices Go Up Despite Decline in Metacritic Scores (XBLA)

Ben Nanke — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:01 +0000

The Xbox Live Arcade is mirroring the times, says a recent analysis, and that may leave you strapped for cash.

The fine folks at XBLA Fans, so driven by their fandom of XBLA, completed an expansive inquiry into the sales and statistics for 2011, and the results are interesting to say the least.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice that the prices for many new XBLA releases are at the 1200 point mark ($15) as opposed to 800 points ($10). You probably also noticed the same if you’ve been browsing the XBLA catalog lately. It’s become the buzz phrase of the community; “1200 is the new standard.” But is it really?

Well, compare 29 games with the 1200 point price tag to the 59 games sold at 800 points. While there definitely are more 1200 point games than in the past, they are definitely not the new standard. At least, not yet. Currently, most of the games demanding 1200 points are high-profile, highly advertised games. This means that the games you want are going to cost more, it’s the same situation you would see at your local GameStop: Better game equals higher price. That’s just supply and demand, or the equivalent in an infinite-supply environment.

But what if the games aren’t really better?

The XBLA benchmark for “better” is undoubtedly defined by the Summer of Arcade promotion. Anyone who purchases the five Summer of Arcade featured games gets entered into a drawing for some truly epic prizes. In 2011, the average Metacritic score for these games was at 78.8, down 6 points from 2008′s score of 84.8. Plus, the average cost has gone up by 160 points.

However, there is a glimmer of hope for the frugal amongst us. XBLA Fans also looked at the frequency of game sales and found that a whopping 73% of games go on sale within a year of their release. Although some of the games are on sale for as short as one day’s time, being diligent and observant can snag you some killer deals.

Times are getting tougher, but with the similarity of XBLA’s situation to the real world, learning to catch a deal on Xbox Live might just help you out in life.

Check out the full study at XBLA Fans for some more exciting info, and good luck; it’s a jungle out there.

The Xbox 360 Kinect Reps Itself with Two Super Bowl XLVI Ads

Catherine Cai — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:30:59 +0000

Ahh, the Super Bowl. A great excuse for Americans to watch hulking men don pads and pound each other in the name of the Vince Lombardi Trophy–all whilst pigging out on massive amounts of nachos and beer. The rest of the world shrugs and goes about their day, not really even sure what the hell gridiron is.

But the Super Bowl is hardly all about football. I’m not here to talk about the atmosphere of camaraderie that arises when you’re cheering with a friend over twenty-two men doing their damnedest to break each other’s necks. I’m here to talk about the Super Bowl ads.

The Kinect brought two of its own ads to the big stage. One’s not exactly going to turn heads, but it hits home with the cheesy, inspirational music and the montage of NFL players gaming on the Kinect with little kids. After all, if a kid’s obese from sitting on his ass playing video games all day, the natural thing to do to fight obesity is play more video games, but with the Kinect, you actually have to move.

The Kinect’s second ad is definitely the one that Microsoft wanted to air. Even though it’s an old ad from October 2011, it’s production values are a smidgen higher than the NFL Play 60 ad. Then again, you don’t exactly need high production value to deliver a mixed message showing kids running outside and also playing video games inside. Anyway, the old ad highlights all the possibilities that the Kinect opens up. Tired of playing the same old Fruit Ninja and Dance Central? The Kinect will let you play air piano and violin. Just think of the future!

Total PS3 Sales Close to Xbox 360 But Gap May Widen

Michael Futter — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:00:04 +0000

While it’s probably unfair to assume that no one wants the next generation of consoles right now, it’s undeniable that the majority of gamers are still quite content with their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Recently, Sony hinted that they would be the last to reveal their plans for the next generation system (presumably named the PlayStation 4), with Microsoft being demure about what they would be bringing to E3 in early June.

The first Thursday of the month is typically “earnings call day,” and Sony revealed that their total PlayStation 3 sales have now reached 47.9 million units, compared to the Xbox 360′s 50 million units (as disclosed during Microsoft’s final CES keynote). While the numbers seem fairly close, it’s important to look at the trends.

In the quarter ending December 31, 2011, Sony moved 6.3 million PlayStation 3 units. This is down .2 million from the same period last year. In contrast, Microsoft is boasting 2.7 million Xbox 360s sold in the same period which is up a monster 70% over last year. The Kinect, which has disappointed core gamers but, clearly, found a place with the younger and casual markets, saw sales of 2.4 million and throttled past the overall 10 million unit mark. Microsoft continues to see growth, where Sony’s sales of gaming hardware has stagnated and shrunk.

There are some factors that might help explain away a portion of the sales figures, but nothing terribly significant. Microsoft is likely seeing a portion of sales from users replacing out-of-warranty, red ringed 360 consoles. On the flip side, Sony is experiencing very weak PSP sales as the Vita launched, though too softly, in Asia and will be in other major territories in a matter of weeks. Sony can turn the ship around with some clever marketing and bundles that tie a complete Vita experience to owning a PS3 (and vice versa).

Put up alongside Microsoft likely showing something about the next Xbox at E3 and Sony vehemently denying that they will match, one has to wonder if the positions should be reversed. Clearly, Microsoft knows that there is a lot of life left in the 360 whereas Sony might have too much faith in the PS3. With E3 quickly coming upon us, we’ll have all the news you can handle soon.

Stephen “Stepto” Toulouse and Microsoft No More

Michael Futter — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:00:51 +0000

If Facebook is the place where we don’t talk to people we know in real life, then Twitter is the place where we talk, every day, to people we’ve never met.

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Toulouse in person, but I feel like I know him, at least in part. Toulouse, known on Twitter and elsewhere as Stepto, is a dog lover (my heart broke recently when he publicly shared a tragedy with one of his beloved pets), comedian and writer, but many know him best as the Xbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement for Microsoft, a role he has just announced that he will be vacating on February 15, 2012.

This is a very bold step for someone who has been with the software and gaming giant for 18 years in a number of different roles. While he doesn’t have concrete plans for what he’ll do starting on the 16th of February (other than visiting family in Dallas and participating in the 2012 JoCoCruiseCrazy), there is no doubt that we will continue to see him at PAX, performing with Jonathan Coulton and tweeting his heart out about gaming. One thing we do know, is that he feels absolutely confident in the current and future states of the Xbox and Xbox Live products. In a truly adventurous move for the man who has been keeping our Microsoft spacebucks safe, Stepto isn’t leaving because he’s not happy. Rather, it seems like he’s taking his bow for exactly the opposite reason.

Stepto, from everyone here at RipTen, thank you for keeping Xbox Live safe. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

If you’d like to read about Stepto’s plans for the future, along with his now-traditional farewell email to colleagues at Microsoft, head on over to his personal blog at www.stepto.com.

Halo 4 to Make Appearance at Microsoft Spring Showcase?

Ben Nanke — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:30:30 +0000

Fans of the Halo series looking for news on Halo 4 are in luck. Rumor has it that the cybernetically-enhanced super-cat may be out of the bag at the end of the month, in the form of a Microsoft Spring Showcase reveal in San Fransisco.

A photo of what looks like a portion of an article in the Finnish gaming publication, Pelaaja, was tweeted today.

The article states that Microsoft will be showcasing Halo 4 at their Spring Showcase, which is set to be held on February 29th in San Francisco. IGN later chimed in, announcing that they have an invitation to this event, although they make claim that they were unaware of any Halo 4 showcase.

However, my gut tells me that if Halo 4 is going to be there, the event will likely revolve around it . February 29th is the leap day, which comes every four years. Four years. Halo 4. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but if I was a marketing specialist I’d be jumping all over that shit.

Even more interestingly, the invitation states that the Spring Showcase features “hands-on with some of the biggest experiences coming to Xbox 360 in 2012.” Congratulations Microsoft, my interest has been piqued. However, interesting or not, currently we can’t call it anything more than just a rumor, but the moment more info comes up, you’ll be the first to know.

Microsoft Poised to Snatch Up Fake Halo 4 Beta Website

Ben Nanke — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:30:47 +0000

For those of you who may have stumbled upon the website Halo4Beta.com and thought it was your lucky day, well, it wasn’t. The site was a fake and promptly taken down. A tweet by 343 Studios’ David Ellis, outing the phony page, sparked heavy coverage on a number of gaming sites. In addition, it now looks like Microsoft is now looking to acquire the website, having already filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum to gain ownership of the Halo4Beta domain. The case is expected to conclude without a hitch.

Halo 4 is set to release Christmas 2012, so get your stockings and stopwatches ready people. That’s only 11 months away.

Rumors Say The Next Xbox Will Play Blu-rays, But Not Used Games

Todd Schlickbernd — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:30:57 +0000

We just heard about Kingdom of Amalur‘s online pass content, and have been hearing about online passes for years now. People are pretty not-down with online passes, but the industry has a bone to pick with used games and Microsoft may have a strategy which, if successful, will reduce the used game industry to nothing but, well, bones. According to Kotaku, the next generation Xbox might be implementing a system which prevents used games from being played. Now what this means is rather specifically unstated, whomever informed Kotaku doesn’t know how Microsoft plans to do it. However, we do know what it means if they do implement it, sadness. Or at least that’s the immediate reaction. Let’s explore something here.

Most people were pretty shell shocked holiday 2011 with the impressive lineup of AAA titles being released from September to December, and we eventually realized one thing: we can’t buy them all. Not without selling organs, and even then some people probably had to take other people’s organs if they wanted all that the holidays had to offer. However, this crazy lineup of full price games didn’t stay full price for long, Need for Speed: The Run, Assassin’s Creed Revelations, and many other AAA games went on sale rather soon after their release because they had to compete.

Now, imagine that there was no way to buy those games used. Well now people are really pinching pennies (which is very rude to penny-kind, by the way) and only buying the games they really, really want and sometimes having to avoid even those games for a time. There’s no “I’ll buy this one now, and get the other one used later”, because there will be no used! So instead the logic might follow, “I’ll have to wait until they both drop in price”, and when an entire group of consumers thinks that way, prices will start dropping. At least in theory. Also it’ll mean the end to online passes because there would be no point. Scary as this all sounds, it’s important to consider that while the industry will (hopefully) be making all their intended revenue, there’s give-and-take and when gamers and non-gamers alike can’t afford games like they used to, the industry will have to respond.

Beyond that controversial bit, included in the rumors was the fact that the Xbox 360 will play Blu-rays, a noticeable 15 – 35gb size limit increase over that of DVDs. Yay, Blu-rays, higher graphical quality, Blu-ray movies, and… oh wait, remember what happened with the PS3 and backwards compatibility? Uh oh. Well let’s hope that plays out favorably. I didn’t pay $600 for a console six years ago and I won’t do it two years from now. I’ll just duct tape my 360 to my 720 or whatever the new console will be calling itself. I’m thinking… the Ybox. Or the Wbox, depending on the perspective.

Lastly, there are apparently features planned for the new Xbox which will better accommodate the Kinect and allow it to detect users more accurately. There’s a rather good chance the new device, if there is one, will be called “Kinect Movement Extra” and will be a small cube rammed somewhere into existing Kinects. All of this is speculation, but along with the recent news of the possibly super amazing graphics, the next Xbox may be able to land at a late 2013 release.

Gears 4? Epic Hiring Technical Artist to Prototype for Next-Gen Hardware

Catherine Cai — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:00:33 +0000

According to an Epic Games job posting on LinkedIn, the studio best known for their Unreal Engine and a little thing called Gears of War you may or may not have heard of is prepping, as expected, for the next generation of consoles. The job listing, calling for a technical artist, states:

“Your goal will be to attack the more complex issues that arise when we push the technology envelope, both in production on current hardware, and prototyping for next-generation hardware.”

The Wii U (or whatever it ends up being called) is due to launch sometime between E3 and the end of this year, and new hardware announcements will probably come pouring in come end of 2012, so it’s not a surprise that Epic’s already prepping for its move onto new consoles. After all, fans will be expecting Gears of War 4 to look as lifelike as possible.

Next Xbox Could Have Radeon HD 6670-Like Chipset

Sam Naylor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:00:11 +0000

The next Xbox will reportedly have six times more graphical power than the current model, using an AMD 6000-series chipset.

According to sources close to IGN, production of the Radeon HD 6670-like hardware will begin at the end of 2012 with a view to the console’s release in the 2013 holiday period. Developers will be able to access the new hardware in August.

Aside from the 600% power increase, the new chipset allows DirectX11, multidisplay output, 3D and 1080p HD output. Expect Microsoft to try to get us to ignore that the 6000 series is already outdated in the PC market. Still, it’s nice to have a little more proof that there’s a new Xbox coming along soon enough.

Rumor: Microsoft to Allow Real Money on Xbox Live this Year

Sam Naylor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:30:56 +0000

Rumor has it that Microsoft will be phasing out their silly points system by the end of the year.

A source close to the company told Inside Mobile Apps that the points system for Windows Phone, the Zune marketplace and Xbox Live will be gradually removed, with MS telling developers for each platform to change their plans accordingly.

Instead real money will be the currency of choice, meaning that we no longer have to buy stuff in Magic Spacebux™ and have stupid tiny amounts left over in our accounts. Points left in accounts will be converted to your local currency, said the source.

Of course, a Microsoft spokesman said “we do not comment on rumours or speculation.”

Inside Mobile Apps via Joystiq

Xbox Dashboard Update Takes Color Out of Your Life; Microsoft Working on Fix

Catherine Cai — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:15:43 +0000

The recent Xbox dashboard update has reportedly washed out color from videos for some users. No, Microsoft isn’t throwing back to the days of old black and white TV.

Microsoft’s Major Nelson, via his Twitter, stated that Microsoft is on the case for the fix, although there’s still no ETA for when the fix will actually come about.

If you’re one of the unfortunate souls whose Xbox dashboard is currently spectrum-challenged, stay tuned. We’ll let you know as soon as there are any updates. For now, just pretend that you’re playing a videogame on a really old TV set.

[Via Joystiq]

Microsoft Denies Xbox Live Security Compromised

Brandon Fenty — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:39:07 +0000

When we start to talk about possible breaches of Microsoft’s online security, many gamers get paranoid. While known for being much more secure than some other online gaming networks (ahem, Sony), they are not totally immune to security breaches. Microsoft today responded to a scare about possible loss of personal data, stating that no data was stolen and that your information is secure.

“Microsoft can confirm that there has been no breach to the security of our Xbox Live service. The online safety of Xbox LIVE members remains of the utmost importance, which is why we consistently take measures to protect Xbox LIVE against ever-changing threats. Security in the technology industry is an ongoing process, and with each new form of technology designed to deter attacks, the attackers try to find new ways to subvert it. We continue to evolve our security features and processes to ensure Xbox LIVE customers information is secure. Online fraud and identity theft are industry-wide problems, and as such people using any online services should set strong passwords, not share those passwords across multiple services and refrain from sharing any personal details that could leave them vulnerable. As always, we highly recommend our members follow the Xbox LIVE Account Security guidance provided a thttp://xbox.com/security to protect your account.”

Well that lets us all sleep easier at night, knowing our Xbox Live accounts are safe. I mean, a big company that could stand to lose millions like Microsoft would never lie about something like this, right?

Microsoft Previews Age of Empires Online’s Skirmish Hall in New Video

Jensen Walker — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:14:57 +0000

Microsoft has released the latest ‘booster pack’ of content for Age of Empires Online in the form of a new Skirmish Mode. This mode allows players to join together and combat four computer controlled AI enemies, each of which can utilize a variety of different playstyles.

The new mode also grants access to all units currently available in the game regardless of the player’s level, which is useful if you haven’t advanced particularly far and are interested in a preview of what to expect.

You can view the video for the Skirmish Hall Booster Pack below, and head over to the official website for further details.

Will The PS4 and Next Xbox be Announced at E3 2012?

Catherine Cai — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:54:35 +0000

Nintendo’s response to slowing Wii sales was to announce the Wii U at E3 last year, hoping to leapfrog both Microsoft and Sony with the next generation of consoles. When they announced that their intentions of having the Wii U out by 2012, everyone shook their head amusedly and with a sarcastic smile said, “Oh Nintendo.” Sure enough, the Wii U’s release has been delayed.

MCV reported today that Microsoft and Sony will both announce their next iteration of consoles at E3 this year. The new reveals would the outshine Nintendo’s announcement of the Wii U’s final specifications and price point, effectively nullifying Nintendo’s plans to leapfrog its competitors.

Since both Microsoft and Sony are announcing their new consoles so soon, assuming that this rumor is true, I don’t expect to see much beyond some pretty pictures of the PS4 and Xbox 720 boxes and maybe some “gameplay footage” that they’d dig up. Still, if this rumor does prove true, E3 2012 will be an exciting time, indeed.

[Via MCV]

Microsoft Tweaks Indie Game Size Limits and Pricing On Xbox Live

Catherine Cai — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:30:21 +0000

Indie games published on Xbox Live can now be bigger and cheaper.

Microsoft has changed the maximum file size limit of indie games on Xbox Live from 150 MB to 500 MB. Indie developers also now have the option to price small games (< 150 MB) on Xbox Live at 80 MSP, the equivalent of $1, when before the pricing options were set at 240 or 400 MSP. This price reduction allows indie developers to price their smaller releases accordingly. Cthulu Saves the World, for instance, has already been reduced down to 80 MSP. Hopefully, it’ll see better sales figures at the reduced cost.

Microsoft announced that it was making these changes in order to ”enable our developers to make even better content for Xbox Live Indie Games.” Good news, indie developers. Microsoft still realizes that supporting indie developers is probably somewhat important. But no, access to the Xbox Live Indie Games section is still buried deep within the recesses of the new Xbox Live dashboard. Hopefully, Microsoft will realize that indie developers rely on the fact that Xbox Live users stumble onto the Xbox Live Indie Games in order to explore and buy indie releases. Otherwise, there’s really no reason for Xbox Live users, who usually wouldn’t (care to) be informed about indie releases to wander into the Xbox Live Indie Games section since it’s buried multiple clicks deep into the dashboard.

[Via Edge]

Buyer’s Remorse: The Problem With Online Passes

Justin Carter — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:09:25 +0000

You go to Gamestop. You buy your copy of Battlefield 3 and get ready for some long hours of multiplayer madness. All the updates are downloaded, and you’re ready to go. Right? Wrong. The game asks you to put in the code from your online pass. But you don’t have one, you bought it used. And you spent all the money you had, so you can’t spend $10 on the pass. Looks like you’re screwed.

The online pass system has been pretty aggressive this past year. First came EA Sports Season Ticket, which gave subscribers their sports game three days earlier than the competition. A great idea which should be replicated. Then came the PSN Pass for Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3. Buy the game new, get online access. Standard multiplayer shooter affair. But here’s where things get complicated.

September 20, 2011: Gears of War 3 launches. In a first for a Microsoft game, there’s a Season Pass for 2400 Microsoft Points, which translates to $24 (aka, over 1/3 of a regular game). The Pass nets you the first four DLC packs the game puts out, with the first two already on the Xbox Live Marketplace. That may not sound like a big deal, until you learn that some of the maps for DLC may have been scrapped from the game when they were all ready to go. The Pass also doesn’t cover weapon skins that all show up in the game. You have to pay $3 each, which makes no sense. The same thing goes for unlockable character skins as well; chances are that you’ll have to wait for those to go on the Marketplace to buy them.

October 18, 2011: Batman: Arkham City launches across the 360 and PS3, with resounding critical and sales success. Not surprising, given that Arkham Asylum was nothing short of amazing. The shit really hit the fan when gamers found out that Catwoman would be a playable character. It wasn’t that they were upset, in fact, people were excited. It’s more of how late to the game WB was forthcoming about the issue. Buying Arkham City new nets you playable Catwoman, just type in a code and you’re done. Used owners have to fork over $10 to play one of three characters that was, up until that point, touted as having a story that fits in neatly with the Dark Knight’s. Nothing was given to say otherwise until a few weeks before the game came out, and people were pissed that WB held that information back from them for so long. Hell, it may not have been that big of a deal if WB hadn’t screwed the pooch and shipped games with leaflets that contained invalid codes that didn’t work or had no code to begin with.

November 15, 2011: Saints Row:The Third bo-duk-ens its way onto stores, with an added twist. It comes with a Season Pass for $20 that takes 15% off future DLC. Fifteen. Percent. That’s pretty ballsy, considering that Saints made the mistake of going up against Skyrim, Halo Anniversary, Assassin’s Creed, Modern Warfare 3, and Skyward Sword within the same week. With those six games all going against each other, it’ll be interesting to see how much Saints sells. Something tells me it won’t be good.

I get that game developers and publishers want to get more money. Really, I do. But they’re going about this all wrong. Take a look at the aforementioned EA Sports Ticket. If EA extended that into other games like Mass Effect 3, where you could get the game on March 3 because you forked over an extra $5-10, I can say that people would eat that up in a heartbeat. I mean, KMart broke the street date on Modern Warfare 3 days before it was supposed to be sold. Just don’t penalize people, and everything would be sweet. Even with no job, I’d go to some lengths to fight the Reapers a few days before the rest of my friends got to. And since I have a PS3 and would need to install it with my crappy connection, that would certainly be a win-win for me and for EA.

This year proved that, more than anything else, the online system is broken. Gears 3 cracked the mirror, Arkham City obliterated it with a baseball bat, and Saints threw the shards at passerbys. The backlash from Arkham alone proves that a new method needs to be done. Ball’s in your court, publishers. You gonna throw it back, or do I have to pay $10 for that, too?

Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft Have Pulled Their Individual Support From SOPA…Sorta

Catherine Cai — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:43:12 +0000

Well that’s interesting.

It seems that Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have all decided to pull their support from SOPA. Essentially, SOPA allows a company to force websites and users to pull down any content they believe is infringing copyright. Why do gamers have to be concerned? Any gameplay footage that a gamer uploads to websites like YouTube can be marked down as “piracy.”

Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, the three biggest names in videogames originally supported the bill when it was first introduced. It’s interesting that they choose now to rescind their support. Is it out of fear that Anonymous may end up targeting them for hacking? Anonymous had already announced its intentions to hack Sony for its support of the SOPA. Although many believed that Anonymous would be bringing down the PSN as they have allegedly done in the past, they have recently made it clear that they are not going to be targeting the PSN, just Sony executives.

Whatever the reason, it’s good to see Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony understanding the realities of SOPA and how much damage it would do the gaming industry. Although whether it was for the interest of their fans or fears of their own business remains to be seen.

Update: Although Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have been removed from the updated list of SOPA allies, the ESA still remains on the list… and all three companies happen to be a part of the ESA. It’s a nice PR move for them to remove themselves from the list of SOPA allies, but until the ESA does so, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony still technically back SOPA.

[Via Business Insider, Destructoid, and PlayStationLifeStyle]

RipTen Review: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Brandon Fenty — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:00:12 +0000

The HD remake is becoming a rather popular trend in gaming these days. Just last week, Metal Gear Solid released their HD collection, Goldeneye Reloaded the week before that, and now Halo: Combat Evolved is getting the same treatment. The game redefined a genre a decade ago; ten years later, does it still hold up?

Halo Anniversary is not simply an upscaled version of the original. The visuals have been completely reworked to take full advantage of the 360′s hardware. Models have been updated, textures are high-res, and dynamic lighting effects are implemented. It’s not just a fresh coat of paint, the visuals represent a serious overhaul. At the same time, however, it’s still the same engine running under that glossy new exterior.

Because it’s running on the same engine, the gameplay in Anniversary is exactly the same as it was in Combat Evolved. The weapons feel the same, enemies react the same, and moving through the environments feels the same. This is both a blessing and a curse; while the nostalgia factor is definitely there with things like the Assault Rifle and Pistol, there are definite points where the game shows its age. More than once I would walk around the corner to find enemies just standing there, apparently doing nothing. When I fired, they would suddenly jump into action, but seeing enemies just standing and waiting for me is a huge reminder that I’m playing a remade 2001 video game. Once in combat, however, the AI performs admirably, taking cover and using tactics in a way that stands up even by today’s standards. The vehicles, as well, feel a bit dated. The warthog especially seems to have very little weight, and after playing on more modern Halo versions, it was really tough to get used to again. There are a lot of refinements that have been made over the years, and you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Still, it was a design choice, and I’m glad that the developers stayed so true to the source material.

One of the coolest features that was implemented in Anniversary is the ability to swap graphics back and forth to and from the original on the fly. From a technical standpoint, I’m sure this is no easy feat, but it really helps showcase how much better the updated graphics look, as well as letting you easily compare old to new. At the same time, you’ll see just how true the developers stayed to the original. While the models are updated, every object, building, and landscape is still the same shape and in the same place; the attention to detail is certainly impressive.

The audio has also been remastered for Anniversary, and it sounds amazing. The updated audio was one of the first things I noticed, after the obviously updated graphics. The music sounds much more full and rich, the guns have more punch, and the ambient sound has more depth. Everything is in surround, and the effect is stunning. At the same time, the sound is still true to the original, and maintains the original voice work. It’s an immersive experience and just as important as the updated visuals, and I’m glad the developers took the time to do it.

One of the more unexpected additions to the title is Kinect support. Usually, you wouldn’t think that an FPS title would support Microsoft’s motion-sensing peripheral, but what they’ve done with it, however, is actually kind of cool. You can use your voice to do things like reload, switch weapons, pause the game, or swap graphical modes. While totally optional, once I figured out how to do it I found myself reloading using my voice just as much as the actual controller. It’s a cool addition that is fun if you want to use it, but doesn’t get in the way if you don’t.

Another addition to the game is the Library. If you’ve played Metroid Prime, you’ll feel right at home going into analysis mode and scanning objects in your environment into the Library. You can access the Library from the pause menu as well as the main menu, and while it’s basically a glorified model viewer with a little bit of backstory thrown in, it’s a nice extra option if you like collectables in your games.

The multiplayer component to Anniversary is, quite literally, Halo: Reach. If you own Reach, your score contributes to your overall score for Reach. Addons that you have from Reach carry over into Anniversary as well. Game types and weapons are still from Combat Evolved, as are the maps, but other than that you’ll feel like you’re just playing a new map pack on Reach. Speaking of which, if you own Reach, you can use a code that’s included in the box to activate those same maps for play from the Reach disc as well. It’s a nice addition to avoid swapping out discs. However, if you were hoping for a multiplayer experience that recreates the original, this isn’t it. Sorry, no Blood Gulch for you!

While an amazing presentation, Anniversary is not without its issues. The biggest is a framerate that stutters regularly. It’s understandable: a ten-year-old game engine has been updated to modern graphics, with the ability to switch on the fly between graphics setups. That’s a lot to ask of the system, but it still affects gameplay. The stuttering is most pronounced in many of the cutscenes, especially when there are sweeping views; but when in an intense firefight there were a few issues as well. This occurred when the game was installed to the hard drive and also played directly from the disc, so that doesn’t seem to matter. It’s never game-breaking, but it can get annoying to see stuttering in what is otherwise such a polished game.

Another issue that plagues Anniversary is facial animations. Captain Keyes is probably the worst offender, with his mouth moving completely out of sync from the words he’s saying. The updated graphics only serve to accentuate the issue, which is pretty bad. Again, it’s not game-breaking, but it really takes you out of the experience to have what looks like bad dubbing in all the cutscenes. Bruce Lee wouldn’t mind, but I do.

Overall, if you played the original Halo: Combat Evolved, then you’ll be happy to know that the core experience has survived the years beautifully. 343 Industries has obviously put a lot of love into the title, and while it’s not without issues, the total package is really quite impressive. The ability to play with both old and new graphics truly adds some extra replay value, and the Library brings out the collector in all of us. Couple that with the included Reach multiplayer maps and $40 price tag, and Halo Anniversary is a great buy for any Halo fan.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Great nostalgic value

+ True remake, not just a upscaled version

+ Seamless switches between graphical modes

+ Same great online multiplayer as Reach, literally

- Framerate Stutters

- Somewhat dated engine makes for dated moments

- Lip syncing issues

- This is not the original multiplayer, just a re-skinned Reach

8 and 8.5 represent a game that is a good experience overall. While there may be some issues that prevent it from being fantastic, these scores are for games that you feel would easily be worth a purchase.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on November 14th, 2011 exclusively for the Xbox 360 for $39.99 USD. A copy of the game was provided by Microsoft for Stephiroth but Brandon bought it and beat it first so he reviewed it :-p If you’re a Halo fan, you probably did too.

RipTen Review: BurgerTime World Tour (XBLA)

David Oxford — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:45:17 +0000

The original BurgerTime was released in 1982, and took its place as an arcade classic fondly remembered by many alongside the likes of other such icons of the day as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

The goal of the game was simple, yet something which could only ever make sense in video game logic: Chef Peter Pepper wants to make hamburgers, and does so my walking across the length of giant buns, patties, and other ingredients, causing them to fall down a layer until they are all neatly stacked up on the plates at the bottom. Unlike the cows you see at Chick-fil-a, however, there are other foods (a hot dog, a pickle, and a fried egg) who seem a bit jealous of Pepper’s burger-stacking, and wish to put a stop to it. Fortunately, the wily burger chef is able to stun them with a shot from his handy pepper shaker, allowing him to pass safely by until he can squash them between the giant burger parts.

It’s a weird concept, but sitting alongside a yellow dot-munching circle and knights riding ostriches over hot lava, BurgerTime was relatively mundane and endearing.

However, despite being ported to various platforms over the years, from the Atari 2600 and 7800 to the Intellivision, Colecovision, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and more, occasionally with some slight updates or enhancements, BurgerTime and its cast never really quite managed to move on to become a universal gaming star like those from Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Mario, Frogger, and more. The game did manage to be featured in a portion of the 1990 season 2 premiere of Captain N: The Game Master, but never really rose any higher than that.

Fast-forward a few more years to 1994, as Nintendo released Donkey Kong (affectionately known to some by its production title, Donkey Kong ’94) for the Game Boy. Perhaps this was to re-familiarize its audience with their then-dormant character Donkey Kong before releasing Donkey Kong Country to the world in the holiday season of that year; regardless, they had not only brought back the arcade classic, but remade it.

Taking advantage of the extra storage space of newer game cartridges (as well as the extra boost in capability provided by the Super Game Boy adapter for the Super NES), Donkey Kong not only managed to remake the game with improved graphics and sound (well, in a sense– it was a Game Boy game, after all), but evolve it. 100 levels awaited players with countless challenges across numerous landscapes and a variety of moves and abilities virtually unimaginable to those who had played the original in arcades over a decade before.

And now, we come to 2011 and the release of BurgerTime World Tour, developed by MonkeyPaw Games and published by Konami for WiiWare, the PlayStation Network, Windows PCs, and Xbox LIVE Arcade, which is the version played for this review.

BurgerTime World Tour feels as though the developers took a good, long look at how Nintendo remade their arcade classic, and tried to apply the same formula to BurgerTime… with the benefit of an extra 17 years of technological advancement, of course.

The premise, as noted above, is largely the same: you take the role of Chef Peter Pepper (who now has a new design, not that his was ever very consistent) as he sets out to create giant burgers. Or, in the Xbox LIVE Arcade version, you can instead choose to play as your Avatar instead; the downside to this, though, is that the cutscenes still depict Pepper, which leaves one to wonder what the point is. Nonetheless, it’s not a bad thing to have the option; no harm, no foul.

As for the cutscenes, BurgerTime World Tour does have something of a story, as Peter Pepper sets out to stop a rival chef who has apparently taken over a burger-making machine. Precisely why this is necessarily bad isn’t particularly clear, though we assume it’s to make a statement about the superiority of handmade burgers versus those prepared in assembly-line fashion.

The core gameplay of BurgerTime World Tour is very much like its namesake, with Peter Pepper climbing ladders and running along burger toppings to make them fall, blasting foes with pepper in the process. But that is largely where the similarities end.

Taking advantage of newer technology, World Tour is more of a 2.5D game, with levels based around blocks of different cities, from New York to Paris and from Mexico to Tokyo and more, with 50 levels in total (though only 30 for the upcoming Wii version). The platforms essentially wrap around these settings, making each stage like a very large cylinder; you not only move left and right (in addition to up and down), but also around the levels as well.

This actually makes things a little interesting when projectiles come into play, as they follow the curve of the stage as well, defying logic and physics; such is the nature of video games. But with that said, it provides a unique and interesting twist on the normal perspective presented in platforming games.

And indeed, this is a platforming game, unlike the original, as Peter Pepper has now learned the art of jumping. Furthermore, he can now also pick up an enemy stunned by a shot of peppper and carry them to the burger ingredients, where he slams them down to force the pieces to fall further than they normally would.

Other items provide further new abilities, including a spatula which handily rids you of enemies outright, and rocket packs which blast Pepper off to new heights; in some cases, you’ll need to blast your rocket up to another rocket and continue the climb. Unfortunately for Pepper, he can only carry one item at a time (not counting his trusty pepper shaker).

And he’ll need all the help he can get. Mr. Hot Dog, Mr. Egg, and Mr. Pickle have all returned, and unlike the originals, whose behavior made them largely interchangeable, they each have new names and characteristics. Frank Furter will seek you out, wherever you go, and climb ladders to reach you, much like the original; Sonny the fried egg can climb, too, but tends to stick to certain areas, and will charge upon spotting you; Ruthless Dill the pickle sticks to certain areas as well, but now jumps when you do in order to prevent you from getting by.

Three new characters also appear to stop Peter Pepper from making his rounds, adding even more variety to the original formula.

Each city culminates in a boss battle, which plays similarly enough to the rest of the game, though there are some twists, such as repeatedly making the same jumbo burgers while dodging condiments to jam a burger-making machine, or dodging the blows of a massive luchador wrestler in the background.

If there is one word we would use to describe BurgerTime World Tour, it’s “unforgiving.”

Make no mistake about it: Despite the silly premise, this game, much like its forebearer, is tough. But even so, we would never go so far as to describe it as unfair; the controls work well, and you’re given plenty of tools with which to go about your burger-making business.

If there is any real problem that we could cite, it is that everything is so colorful and busy that sometimes you might not even see an enemy who is right in front of you… to be unable to see the trees for the forest, one might say. In addition, there’s a certain lack of “impact,” for lack of a better word, to the game’s physics; on the occasions where we would die, we weren’t even quite aware of it for a moment.

But even then, as you play, you develop a certain rhythm and become in-tune with the game, and that’s when it really becomes fun. In an age where “brown” seems to be the go-to color for so many games, we aren’t about to complain about something as vibrant and animated as this; it just takes a little getting used to.

To help with that, the developers have also included a handy Easy Mode. Interestingly enough, this does not seem to change the gameplay in the slightest; rather, you are given more lives with which to tackle each stage, as well as more shots from your pepper shaker to deal with your fried foes.

And it does make a huge difference if you’re having trouble. The only problem is, you cannot save your scores in this mode, and for some reason, the developers make it a point to tell you… at the start of every. Single. Stage.

Incidentally, one mechanic which thwarted us over and over again was when flat moving platforms would crush Peter Pepper to death. In most games, platforms like this are harmless enough, often even letting you pass through them, which just makes these all the more treacherous if you’re not paying attention. Frankly, we think that part seems a little like overkill, as the game is challenging enough without that bit.

Rounding out the game is the inclusion of multiplayer modes, which include simultaneous split-screen and online modes for up to four players. Here, you can unlock new characters, and even use your own as you race to complete the burgers first. In addition, you can even tweak which enemies and power-ups will or will not appear, how many of them there are, and how long the matches run.

Earlier in this review, we likened BurgerTime World Tour to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong revival, which leaves the question of whether or not the game succeeds in that regard.

And we definitely think so; while BurgerTime World Tour may not necessarily surpass Donkey Kong for the Game Boy (despite having an extra 17 years to do so), it has certainly done an admirable job bringing an arcade classic into the 21st century and updating it accordingly. If you love old-fashioned arcade-style gameplay, then this title is a must-play, especially if you were a fan of the original game.

Or, more simply put: this burger is well done.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ BurgerTime lives again!

+ The gameplay is very challenging, yet doesn’t tend to be unfair

+ It is to BurgerTime what Donkey Kong ’94 was to Donkey Kong, or Super Castlevania IV was to Castlevania; this is a sterling example of how to update a classic arcade game

+ Online and multiplayer modes extend the longevity

- While not quite floaty, some of the physics lack “oomph”

- Right, you can’t save scores on Easy mode, we get it… just like we got it the last 82 times you told us

- It’s sometimes hard to remember that moving platforms will squish you; was that part of the obstacle really necessary?

- No Avatars in cutscenes? But I wanted to watch myself get angry at a speeding cab driven by a weenie…

Learn more about the RipTen scoring system and what this score means. Visit our review scoring page.

BurgerTime World Tour was developed by MonkeyPaw Games and published by Konami. It was released on Xbox LIVE Arcade on November 2nd and the PlayStation Network on November 15th, 2011, with PC and WiiWare versions forthcoming. A review copy of the Xbox LIVE Arcade version was provided by Konami, and was played until our reviewer was full, though he now has the craziest craving for some Johnny Rockets…