Lord of the Rings Online Fishing

As promised, Lord of the Rings Online’s Book 13 update included fishing!

Woot, fishing!

For no good reason, I have done fishing in every MMO I have played that made some sort of angling mechanic available. I have had characters with fishing skills at the cap in EverQuest, EverQuest 2, and World of Warcraft.

Therefore I knew when Turbine announced fishing for LOTRO, I would be there.



Friday night I found the NPC that grants the fishing skill in Bree. He sends you off to another NPC in Staddle, by the pond of course, who finishes up the “how to” and will sell you some bait.

LOTRO follows the WoW model, where bait enhances your ability to catch fish, but is not required. This is compared to EQ where, at least back in the day, you needed bait for every cast and EQII where not only don’t you need bait, but you don’t even need a fishing pole. One just appears miraculously when you need it.

Equipping my new pole (and hat), I was soon fishing.

In my usual haste to get to the good part, I skipped through all the… well… words… and just started casting. So it took me a minute or two to figure out that you have to hit the fishing action button both to cast your line AND to reel in a fish when you get a strike.

I noticed other people making the same mistake, so I passed along that tidbit wherever it seemed appropriate.

And speaking of getting a strike, LOTRO’s fishing, like so much in the game, is a quality experience. You actually see a fish in the water approach your bobber and take the bait. Granted, it seems to always been the SAME fish, one that bears almost no relation to what you actually end up catching, but it is a damn good looking fish, there in the water, and it makes the experience that much richer.

So far I have caught weeds, goldfish, minnows, and, no doubt in homage to EQ fishing, rusty daggers! (Too bad my weaponsmith cannot sharpen them for skill improves.) All of them are vendor trash as far as I can tell.

Of course, also like real fishing, once you find a decent spot where the fish are biting, everybody else in the world seems to show up.

Exclusive Reviews?

Recently we pointed to IGN’s perfect 10 review of GTA4. I couldn’t be more excited about the game, however, some critics have a point: Isn’t the concept of exclusive reviews suspicious? Obviously, such an early exclusive review drives web traffic for the news site and creates influential early impressions among consumers.

Do exclusive reviews represent a clear conflict of interest?


A few points:

Any pre-release review released with exclusive publishing rights, while other media outlets are under embargo restrictions, is obviously pre-screened. Even if all reviews were genuine and pure, the publisher is going to cherry pick among them and only grant exclusive-coverage deals to the more positive ones.
Since game scores and media coverage is so influential, especially among the “inner circle” of influential media outlets, some corruption should be expected. There’s a clear conflict of interests. Publishers pour time/money into shifting media converage to a favorable light, and why wouldn’t they?
IGN’s scores are widely respected for a good reason. They have earned a strong reputation among many over years of review scores. (Clearly, many disagree, but in general, they have earned high credibility). I still haven’t played GTA4, but I lean to believe that the review is justified. I’m sure that plenty of reviewers engage in corrupt coverage practices, however I’d suspect IGN is less guilty of this given their record.

Silent Hill: Homecoming

I managed to tear myself away from the Call of Duty Map Pack (with Double XP for this weekend, as we reported earlier) and come to post here with some pretty nice updates on the upcoming Silent Hill game.


We have heard many different things, including it’s supposed death, its name change last year and many other rumours, but today the new logo has been released, for the recently re-titled ‘Silent Hill: Homecoming’.

At this risk of sounding pesimistic, though the logo looks great, the newly released (today) screenshots do not exactly thrill me and I have had doubts about this game for some time.

However, it will be out in the Autumn and I will play it and report my findings. I just do not want this to harm the reputation of a pretty good franchise.

Oh, and if you are into the arty-farty design side of gaming (you’re not alone) the logo can be found below, and some screenshots.

SOCOM - First Good Use of SIXAXIS?

Any SOCOM fans out there? Here’s a video interview with some actual gameplay footage in there. Once I get a job I might pick this one up - downloaded, even.








Of interest to me were the comments right near the end where they said that you can use the SIXAXIS motion controls to lean your character, among other things. I wonder if this will end up being the first really useful SIXAXIS feature?

GTA Reviews

The reviews for GTA 4 are starting to come out. IGN hasn’t given a score this high in ten years! Wow!

GT5 Prologue Impressions

Control
I tried this game with a dualshock 3, and it’s good, but IMO, to get the real immersion factor, you need the steering wheel controllers. The G force sensations are still the big omission, but overall, this game comes surprisingly close to delivering the genuine racing sensation. The force feedback effects are much more involved than the simple buzzing you get from the dualshock: you feel all the bumps in the pavement and the tension in the wheel whenever you go into a tight turn. Also, the full 900 degree turning radius on the newer wheels is a huge improvement over older wheels that just let you turn within an artificially small range. Even though you only use a small part of that during regular racing (you won’t be doing too much parallel parking), it makes a big difference.



I use the Driving Force Pro, but if you are thinking about buying a new wheel, you are probably best waiting for the Driving Force GT, which looks like a slightly upgraded model. The Logitech G25 is also highly regarded, but that is at a way higher price point. For all but the most hardcore looking to get a real racing wheel, I’d recommend waiting for the GT.

Overall
Overall, this game is great. It’s surprisingly improved from GT4. I wasn’t expecting much because: the graphics were already spectacular in GT4 so an upgrade in this department sounds predictable and mundane, none of the feature list bullet-points sounded exciting, and it’s the same basic formula with less content.

Thankfully, it’s a lot better than that. The graphics are a huge upgrade and it’s very noticeable. The driving feels much more realistic and the computer cars are more fun to race against. The track selection and event selection is definitely limited next to GT4, but there is still plenty to do. I’ve logged many hours into this already, and it definitely has longevity to it.

The new interface is great. Loading times are much snappier than GT4. The selection of cars isn’t near GT4, but it’s surprisingly complete and will have most favorites. The in-cockpit racing view is beautiful. And, overall, the whole game still has that hyper fine polish, style, and attention to detail that the series is known for.

Downsides
There is a limited selection of tracks, and a limited selection of events and ways to progress through the game. While it’s great to finally get online play, the online mode is currently very simple.




Footnote
I went to a large arcade recently, and played several arcade racers: it’s amazing how much better home systems are today. Of course, the arcade games are designed for quick novelty enjoyment, while the home systems are designed for more extended and serious play. Also, the home steering wheels are much nicer quality. This is probably because the arcade equipment is designed mainly to tolerate public abuse and easy repair rather than to provide accurate control and complex force feedback effects.

Burnout Paradise Goes up on Two Wheels

Criterion’s successful sandbox racer has a number of updates on the way this year: this we know. Something we also know is they have cool names such as “Davis”. Personally I’d like to see them drop some Greek mythology on us with a “Hercules” update. Pandora’s DLC anyone? Maybe that’s just me. Anyway, some exciting news from Paradise City, and a first for the Burnout franchise.

Coming in August you’ll be able to tear around the streets on motorcycles. Not only is this a whole new vehicular avenue for the Burnout series but the addition will come with new game modes, challenges and even locations. Apparently this is tailored to their “unique performance and handling characteristics”. I read that as “jumps”. Ridiculous, gravity-mocking jumps.


Along with that bombshell “Davis” will also introduce a day / night cycle. Aside from presumably looking very pretty with those night time visuals, driving in the dark will reduce the traffic load. How can you practise those sweet drifts with rush hour going on anyway? Check out the Criterion website here for the full update.


The date is as refined as some time in August so far. However, to keep you petrol heads going the “Bogart” PS3 update will be available in under 12 hours (our 360 neighbours will have to hold on a little longer).

Elveon Alive After All, Uses Unreal Engine

If you can remember all the way back to 2006, a little game, based on the Unreal Engine 3, was announced for the XBox 360 and PC called Elveon. Well, the developer, 10Tacle, had to can 25% of their staff including the development team for this game. Therefore, the game was handed over to Climax, the developer of Silent Hill Origins and Viva Pinata for Windows.

On their official site’s homepage, there is an image of Elveon with the header “New 360/PS3 Project.” In addition, there’s a similar image for another, heretofor game called Exiles, also slated for the 360 and PS3.

That’s all we know for now. Keep tuned for further details as we get them

echochrome demo tomorrow!

echochrome demo is coming out tomorrow.



Wow, PSN is on a roll with content. Brand new store with GT5:P last week, echochrome this week, a demo of Siren next week. Very nice.

Home Delayed - We are homeless until Fall

I had a feeling it wasn’t going to fully ready by spring. I was thinking there was going to be a open beta at least. Now it’s pushed back until fall. I can see delaying it because it’s not ready. But at least let us look at it. We know it’s Beta, and everything isn’t 100% yet. Home has great potential but Sony sure is taking their time.

“We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today,” said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition.”

Sony Delays PS3 Home (Again!)

Well, you’ve waited, waited, and waited some more. Well, at least you’ve had practice. Sony annoounced this morning (Tuesday) that it wiould delay the much anticipated “Home” 3D Virtual World and onlince community for the PlayStation 3. The new release date is sometime in Autumn of this year. “Home” was originally supposed to be released last Autumn but delayed it to this Spring.

Similar to Second Life, the workld will allow users to decorate their homes, play games, and cusomize the chat rooms. ”We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer,” Sony Computer Entertainment Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai said in a statement.

“But we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today.”

Please stay posted and we’ll tell you more as we find out.

Metal Gear Online beta delayed in North America & Europe

Konami Digital Entertainment announced today that it has decided to delay the Metal Gear Online beta test in North America due to unprecedented demand. The company made an official statement on its official website today, explaining the reason for the delay.


“We would like to thank all players for their keen interest in taking part in the beta test. However, we regret to inform you that due to extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe, we have been unable to run the service to the level we expected.

As a temporary measure, we will be deferring the start of the US public beta test until we are able to stabilize our server.We would like to apologize for all inconveniences as well as confusion caused.

We would like to add that due to the above reasons, we will be making the following changes to the schedule:

1) Starting date: TBA. We will be making another announcement on 22/4/2008 23:00(PDT)
2) Beta Test closure: This will now be on 11/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT) rather than 06/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT)

IMPORTANT: Please note that your voucher code will only be valid up until 05/06/2008, so please make sure to register them by then.”

The European beta has also been suspended, with the following announcement being provided on the UK website.

“1) Suspend beta test: As of 21/04/2008 08:00(CEST)
2) Restart date: TBA. We will be making another announcement on 22/04/2008 08:00(CEST)
3) Beta Test closure: This will now be on 11/05/2008 at 24:00(CEST) rather than 06/05/2008 at 24:00(CEST)”

Siren for PS3

Reminds me of Juon and The Grudge. Can't wait for this game to be in stores. Hope it's as good as it appears to be in the video.

Mortal Kombat Vs DC

Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine them making this game. Seems like the characters get more buffed up after every game. I wonder if they are going to include fatalities?

March Hardware Sales

- Above only includes US + Japan figures. I currently can’t get reliable Europe figures which would be very nice to include.


- The 360 managed to eek out a small lead over PS3 in the US NPD numbers this month. Of course, PS3 has a much larger lead in Japan and Europe, so globally, the PS3 is well ahead for the month. It would be nice to see PS3 keep the US lead over 360 in March, but given preliminary vgchartz numbers, it looks like PS3 will take the US lead back for April while keeping large leads in both Europe and Japan.

- First party PS3 titles such as MLB ‘08 The Show and Hot Shots Golf didn’t make a splash on the top 10 charts. They could be doing well outside the top 10, and they may sell over a longer stretch of time, but we can’t tell.

- Sony is putting out some really strong software content and firmware updates. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

PlayStation Store Update 4.17.07

Some of this was out earlier this week. But this is the full list. Quite a update after the 2 weeks off. If you’ve been wanted to trying our Lair, jump onto the Hong Kong PlayStation store to grab the Lair demo, it’s even in English from what I hear.



North America

Games/Demos:

- Gran Turismo 5 Prologue ($39.99)
- Metal Gear Online beta (if you have a beta code)
- UEFA EURO 2008 Demo

DLC:

- Warhawk Broken Mirror Pack ($7.99)
- Warhawk Booster Combo ($11.99)
- LAIR - Dragons and Control Pack - free
- Super Stardust HD - Solo Add-on Pack - $4.99

Rock Band tracks:
- GlaDos from Portal - “Still Alive” (master) - free
- Motley Crüe - “Saints of Los Angeles” (master) - $0.99

Pack - $5.49
- Blondie - “Call Me” (master) - $1.99
- Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Simple Man” (master) - $1.99
- The Police - “Message in Bottle” (master) - $1.99

Pack - $2.99
- Bang Camaro - “Rock Rebellion” (master) - $0.99
- Count Zero - “Shake” (master) - $0.99
- Freezepop - “Super Sprode” (master) - $0.99

Trailers:

- Warhawk Broken Mirror Trailer
- Condemned 2: Bloodshot Making Of The TV Spot
- HAZE Mantel Corporate Vision
- This is Vegas Annoucement Trailer
-Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - “Beyond the Apex”
-Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - “Friendly Fires”

Themes:

- Warhawk Theme (x2)
- Lair Mokai Theme


United Kingdom

Games/Demos:
- Metal Gear Online beta (open to all of Europe/PAL, won’t work for non-PAL users due to IP restrictions)
- SEGA Superstars Tennis demo

DLC:
- Super Stardust HD - Solo Add-on Pack - £2.99
- Guitar Hero III - Dropkick Murphys pack - free
- WarHawk - Operation: Broken Mirror Add-on - €7.99

Trailers:
- Bionic Commando Rearmed
- GTA IV - “Trailer 4″
- Lost Planet - “2″
- SEGA Superstars Tennis

NeoGAF

[Update]

Also there is a update for TEKKEN® 5: DARK RESURRECTON™ ONLINE

· Pickup Match Mode - For those who want to skip the waiting room, players can now continuously face off in one-on-one matches
· DUALSHOCK 3 rumble support – Feel the impact of each blow and attack
· Room name display – Allows users to input and display names for online rooms
· “Flag” search - A network filter that enables users to better select opponents with optimal connection speeds
· New notifications – Let’s waiting players know when it’s their turn to fight or inform them when others have entered or left the room
· More casual matches – When Rank Match is set to Off, match results no longer affect Win/Loss record.
· Multiple bug issues have also been resolved

Three New Modes Heading to Burnout Paradise

I got bored of Burnout Paradise a long time ago so I’m not too bothered about this news but I know some people who still play Burnout Paradise who may be interested in the 3 new modes that will be part of the “Cagney Software Update”.

No date (or price for the new modes?) has yet been officially announced for the software update.

Online Stunt Run

• This is 8-player simultaneous online Stunt Run – everyone competes for the highest score within the 2 minute time limit and you can play anywhere in Paradise City.
• An on-screen display shows all player scores, so you can easily see how you’re doing.
• Earn multipliers for taking each other out but you lose your combo score, if you’re taken down.
• Eliminated players are greyed out of the scoring area but can exact brutal revenge by chasing after players that have managed to keep their combos alive beyond the time-out.
• For the first time, you can drive alongside someone as they complete a billion score in Stunt Run - you can absolutely use this mode to try and show off to your friends.

Online Road Rage

• This is an 8-player online team event.
• At the start, everyone chooses their team (red or blue).
• One team of “runners” has to drive to a checkpoint then the finish – they can only see one checkpoint ahead.
• The other team has to take them down. These guys can see the checkpoint and finish and choose whether to wait and ambush in key locations, shortcut to the action if they get left behind or just follow the pack and cause chaos.

Online Marked Man

• We randomly choose a “Marked Man”.
• There’s an intense few moments, while all players wait for the selection to be made – you want to stay close to other players, so you can hit the Marked Man, as soon as he’s selected but far enough away that that you can run like hell if it’s you that’s the Marked Man.
• The target is selected and a 90 second timer starts – you get 1 point if you survive and 1 point if you take down the Marked Man. After 90 seconds a new Marked Man is selected at random.
• If you’re the Marked Man, you can’t see the attacking players on the map, your car is a little slower and you don’t get boost.
• The session usually consists of around 10-12 minutes of intense gameplay depending on the number of players involved.

I’m very close to getting rid of Paradise but I may hold on to it to see if these new modes add so much needed variety to proceedings.

3 New Modes Heading to Burnout Paradise

MGO Beta - Have a 9 or 11 digit key?

As you may have heard the Metal Gear Online Beta is available to download if you have a valid 12 digit beta key. But it seems a lot of people have 9 or 11 digit keys. I got stuck with a 9 digit key. I’ve contacted Konami and this is there response.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for contacting Konami Support. If your code
is appearing with only 9 or 11 digits, then this is incorrect.

Please
copy your code exactly as it appears on your voucher in your reply to this
email. We’re very sorry for this inconvenience and we will do our best to
rectify the situation in time for the Beta start.

Regards,

Konami Customer Support
kdeussupport@konami.com

I’ve sent them my 9 digit key, I haven’t got my valid 12 digit key yet. But I should get it soon I’d assume. Also after you download the Beta you’ll need to download a patch for the Beta. Which can be done via BitTorrent or http. Not sure which is faster, because I can’t download it yet.

PS3 Siren From SCE Studios Japan

Sony has had a countdown for a new title to be unveiled.

It has been leaked that this game is a remake by SCE Studios Japan of the survival horror game, Siren.

Demo: April 24th
Final Release: July 24th

Wow, this is a surprise. We should actually get to try this out next week!

New Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trailer with more action

This Naruto title is exclusive to the PS3 and it’s looking amazing graphics wise. Looks just like the anime. Now you can watch it in HD too! But if it has English voices and not a option for the original Japanese voices …. forget it! I can’t stand the American voices for Naruto.

DadHacker

Yesterday I saw on the blog of Jason Scott, (creator of “BBS: The Documentary,” a topic near to my heart, having been a sysop and having had a FidoNet address back in the early 90s) a link to another interesting blog.

Called DadHacker, it covers a wide variety of topics being, well, a blog. And while the randomness of people’s writing whims do not always lead to a good read, this site is worth a peek.

I even found an entry on MMORPGs.

But the gems in this blog are the entries about the authors days at Atari. Posts like, “Donkey Kong and Me,” “Super Pac-Man,” and “The Atari ST” (part 1 and part 2).
If you like this sort of computer ancient history, go take a look.

Metal Gear Online with Catapult Action

Just a friendly reminder that the Metal Gear Online Beta can be downloaded this Thursday. But you can’t start playing until April 21st , and will run until May 5th. I actually managed to get another Beta Key which I’ll give away again. Just leave a comment I’ll e-mail the winner the Beta Key tomorrow morning. Or you can take your chances and enter to win here!

After you download and install the MGO Beta you’ll need to register for a Konami ID . You’ll be taken to id.konami.net when you boot up the Beta. You can get a head start and register now if you want.


In the Beta you have one “character slot” which you can customize to your liking. Your character can have 4 skills and here are a few you can choose from:

"Close Quarter Combat (CQC), knife fighting, quickness, alertness, heavy weaponry mastery, demolition, and sniper mastery are just some of the skills you can specialize in."

Again they’ll be two maps in the Beta. Blood Bath & Groznyj Grad but in the full version it’s five maps to start out.


Yay, they kept the Man Cannon, lol. It’s going to be funny to see a guy flying across the level at random during a heated gun battle. Check out the link below for full details of MGO.

ALERT! “Metal Gear Mondays” Begin NOW on the PlayStation.Blog with Metal Gear Online Beta Details!

New PSN Store Arrives, Some Bugs, Patience Needed

Well, after a long day at the office (and a few needed rounds of COD 4), I logged on to check out the latest version of the PSN Store. To sum it up - it looks awesome but still has a few rough edges.

First, the highlights. No longer do you have to wade through a page of 20 new downloadable Guitar Hero songs to get to what you want to see (since you’ve already downloaded and mastered all of the aforementioned songs), be it the latest demos or add ons to your favorite shooter. Right awat, you can scroll up and down to see the high level categories. The layout is in a better grid like pattern so trying to figure out how to get to a new portion of the store doesn’t require using the Pythagorean Theorem (yeah, how many other PS3 sites use geometry humor…my gosh I’m a geek) or using the thumbstick as a crude mouse.

Also, the overall look of the store just feels better. The old store had more information on the screen at once but this isn’t a normal browser with a normal mouse - users want to do just a few things and do them quickly with a limited control set. So while PS3 purists may say it moved a step closer to the XBox Live Store, this gamer likes the new look and feel.


OK, now the “not ready for prime time” features. Really, there’s only one that I came across in my admittedly quick browsing. Icons can take 10-15 seconds to load (presumably for the first time only) and even then, dozens came up with “image missing” error icons. I’m sure Sony will get this taken care of pronto but it’s a shame this wasn’t discovered in testing. But if that’s the worst glitch, I’d say this transition was done very well indeed.

So what do you think fellow frag friendly fellows? Post your thoughts on the store below once you’ve had a chance to play around. What features do you love, hate, or wish had made it to the store?

GameStop reveals Fallout 3: Collector’s Edition

Gamestop recently posted a listing on their website for a special Collector’s Edition release of upcoming post apocalyptic RPG Fallout 3. Priced at $79.99 and available for pre-order now, the Collector’s Edition hosts a number of special features, which the website revealed in detail

- Fallout 3: From the creators of the award-winning Oblivion comes one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland. Prepare for the future.

- Vault Boy Bobblehead: Enjoy your very own Vault Boy with this collector’s item direct from Vault-Tec.



- The Art of Fallout 3: This hardcover book features nearly 100 pages of never-before seen concept art and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists.

- The Making of Fallout 3: Get an exclusive, inside look at Bethesda Game Studios and the team behind the game with this special DVD.

- Vault-Tec Lunch Box: The entire package comes in a fully customized metal lunchbox.

You know what? That Vault Boy Bobblehead alone is worth it!

Undocumented PS3 Feature Discovered

It doesn’t happen too often but an undocumented PS3 feature has been discovered and posted on YouTube. You too can make your PS3 sound like an Xbox 360!

OK, it’s just a fan test but it does blow out the dust and may help your PS3 last longer (don’t do it too often though). It only works on the 40GB version and we’ve verified it will not work on the 20, 60 or 80GB versions. For those of us with other versions, simply use compressed air or a vacuum cleaner with the drapery attachment (c’mon, I know we’re mostly dudes on here but y’all must know where the vacuum cleaner is, right? Took me an hour but I found mine…)

PSP Firmware v3.95 Details

PSP firmware update 3.95 update includes the following:

While playing PSone games on your PSP, you can now customize how the buttons are assigned by going to [Controller Settings] > [Assign Buttons] and select [Custom].

You can now quit Remote Play and choose to turn off your PS3 or leave it on after quitting. This is useful if you are performing a download and want to quit Remote Play, but still want your download to continue on the PS3. Select [Quit and Turn Off the PS3 System] or [Quit Without Turning Off the PS3 System] from [Quit Remote Play] when you press the HOME button on the PSP system.




[via playstation.blog]

GTA IV Multiplayer Review

The rim comes flying off of the back wheel of our armoured security van, burst by an eagle-eyed copper aiming from a pursuing cop car. We battle to control the battered van as it swerves across the Liberty City highway, with twenty police cars burning metal behind us, eager to ram us into the nearest lamppost.

The entire Liberty City SWAT team is on our case, after we managed to snatch a notorious criminal boss from their custody at the Francis International Airport. But it’s only a short stretch across the city to sweet, sweet freedom, and the rendezvous point is in site…



Suddenly it looks like it’s all over; two loaded-to-the-teeth attack choppers emerge above the sprawling concrete horizon, miniguns aimed and poised to turn us into a flaming chunk of twisted metal. Our task to escape with the NPC convict looks almost hopeless, until we realise that not all the helicopters in the sky are being flown by the police…

As the first police chopper falls flaming towards the road, the second player - with a third gunning from the back of the ‘copter - lays down covering fire on the police convoy laying chase behind our van.

The fourth player is laying down covering fire from the passenger seat next to us. This is GTA IV multiplayer. And it’s bloody brilliant.

Source

The Next PSN Store Update

It’s been confirmed that the next system software update and PSN Store update will take place on April 14th, just in time for those of us rushing to file our US Income Tax returns to be forced to take a break and try to track down that receipt for that business dinner at the “Thirsty Alligator House of BBQ”. According to playstation.custhelp.com, the PSN store will be upgraded and inaccessible from April 14th at 8:00 am Pacific Standard Time and available again at 11:00 PM that evening. The entire PSN will be unavailable as well during this time frame. Once the PSN is back up and running, a new software upgrade will be available and will be required to use the PSN.

We wait with baited breath and that’s not just because we ate the “All you can stomach” Fish, Fish and more Fish combo at the local Sizzler…Once you get the update and check out the store, please check back and tell us your thoughts.

Deal of the Day: MGS4 Strategy Guide

I know what you’re thinking…Why buy the Metal Gear Solid 4 Strategy Guide before the game is even out? Well, at over 33% off, you might want to think about it. That way, you can strategize and theorize about your best ways to conquer the game. And even if you don’t want to buy it, why not head on over and at least take a look at it. The drooling is free…

Iron Man: PS3 and 360 Exclusive Suits

Iron Man is really shaping up to be one great title. Everything we've seen so far looks very good. News from Sega came in today showcasing the different outfits available from the game. They’ve also made console specific outfits for both the PS3 and 360. Here are some preview videos:

Nintendo Hits A Home Run With Mario Super Sluggers

Nintendo Announces Surprise Addition to Wii Lineup

The ongoing excitement over Nintendo’s groundbreaking Wii™ system gets a surprise springtime boost with the announcement of a new game. Kicking off its semiannual media summit in San Francisco near the company’s new sales and marketing offices in Redwood City, Calif., Nintendo of America today revealed plans for Mario Super Sluggers™ for Wii, giving baseball fans even more reason to root this season.

“Mario is truly a one-of-a-kind character; clearly fans can’t get enough of him and his friends,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We’re giving Wii users brilliant new ways to enjoy him while expanding our series of active-play games.”

read more

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War II

Sequel to Multi-Million Unit Selling Real Time Strategy Series Features Vicious Frontline Combat, Extensive Co-Op Campaign and Cinematic Visuals

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® II, the highly anticipated sequel from one of the industry’s premiere Real-Time Strategy (RTS) developers, Relic Entertainment, is scheduled to bring the 41st Millennium’s savage warfare to life like never before in spring 2009. Powered by an enhanced version of Relic’s proprietary Essence Engine 2.0™, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II will take players to the brutal frontlines of war where they’ll experience intense action and visceral combat through a non-linear single player experience and a fully co-operative multiplayer campaign. Set in Games Workshop’s (LSE: GAW) highly popular Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is being developed exclusively for Windows PC.

In addition, THQ is pleased to announce that gamers purchasing copies of the recently released Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® - Soulstorm™ will be able to participate in an invitation-only multiplayer beta program for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II set to take place at a future date.

“The original Dawn of War and its subsequent standalone expansions have established the series as one of the industry’s leading RTS franchises,” said Brad Carraway, vice president, global brand management, THQ. “Dawn of War II will re-define RTS gaming to gamers worldwide, delivering brutal frontline action and tactics, and allowing players to get straight to the action with unprecedented fast-paced RTS gameplay and a full co-op campaign, all in stunning cinematic detail.”

“We started with everything fans loved about the original Dawn of War and then added more than they ever could have hoped for in the sequel into Dawn of War II,” said Tarrnie Williams, general manager, Relic Entertainment. “Leveraging our critically acclaimed Essence Engine 2.0, gamers will develop and lead an elite strike force through Games Workshop’s war-torn universe, engage in devastating combat among the ruins of fully destructible battlefields, and be immersed in an ever-changing single-player and co-op multiplayer campaign.”

About Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IIWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is set in the grim, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s (LSE: GAW) Warhammer 40,000 universe – a dark, futuristic, science-fiction setting where armies of technologically advanced warriors, fighting machines and hordes of implacable aliens wage constant war. Developed by critically acclaimed RTS developer Relic Entertainment, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II ushers in a new chapter in the acclaimed RTS series, as ancient races – including the dauntless Space Marines and savage Orks - clash across ruined worlds on a mission to claim the galaxy and preserve their own existence. Powered by the re-vamped Essence Engine 2.0, the next evolution of Relic’s proprietary game engine made famous in the award winning Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II will deliver fast-paced RTS action with ferocious melee and ranged combat in fully destructible environments. Immersing players in an in-depth non-linear single-player campaign and a fully-co-operative multiplayer mode, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is set to deliver the most visually-stunning Warhammer 40,000 setting ever created.

FREE downloadable multiplayer maps for Kane&Lynch: Dead Man

Eidos Interactive, creators of some of the world’s leading videogame properties, is pleased to announce the upcoming release of four new downloadable maps for the innovative Fragile Alliance multiplayer in Kane & Lynch: Dead Men will be FREE on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PlayStation Network.

Coming in April, all four of the new maps will be released in one downloadable pack entitled ‘The Dope Bag’. Each of the four maps features its own unique scenario: take on the local dope dealers and the Russian mafia at an LA construction site in ‘Clean Cut’, clash with the Yakuza in Tokyo in ‘Hooker’s Trail’, raid a drug baron’s mansion in a Venezuelan jungle in ‘Flying High’ and ambush General Fuentes’ military convoy in the streets of Havana to steal the gold hidden in his vehicles in ‘Hasta La Vista’.


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Aftermath of the Polygamist Church Raid

You've probably been reading about this cult bust up over at Eldorado... the polygamist Fundamental Church of latter Day Saints (FLDS) and followers of Warren Jeffs. It's not, by Texas standards, that far from here so I was curious about the exact location. Found this page from Google 3D Warehouse which pinpoints it if you are curious too. The local newspub called the Eldorado Success has quite a few archived stories on the complex, but it seems to be simply because there's not much other news coming from tiny Eldorado.


The count of the number of people who have been brought out of this complex has gone from 50 yesterday to over 500 today, and although it is so far without bloodshed, there is plenty of damage that's already been done to these people by this cult of fear.

It will not be easy for the people taken out of there to adjust to a new life. worth it, of course, but not easy. There is great fear to overcome -- fear of going to Hell for even being tempted to believe anything but the given doctrine, fear of punishment (even torture), fear of God and Prophet, fear of betraying , disappointing or leaving family, love and fear being to intermingled as to be the same emotion. It's the ultimate abusive situation: children forced into marriages with close relatives -- 14 year old girls unwillingly paired with 50 year old men, plus the polygamy.

I have nothing against polygamy as a concept. If all parties are adults and all are of sound mind and wanting to marry more than one person, and all those persons want to be married to all parties concerned, then let it be arranged. To me, polygamy is not really the issue.

There should be freedom of religion. The problem comes in when your religion takes away the freedom of others, and in this case involves imprisonment and torture -- both physical and psychological.

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Airline Woes

Just a week after United Airlines grounded its 777 fleet for safety inspections, American Airlines is canceling hundreds of flights to recheck the wiring on its MD-80s.

Yesterday over 500 flights got axed, and the airline says they'll be more cancellations today. Exactly how many remains to be seen, but we did a random check this morning and it wasn't looking so good. All ten of today's American flights from New York LaGuardia to Chicago O'Hare are canceled, as are half of the ten non-stops from Dallas to Los Angeles.

The airline says it's trying to get people impacted by the safety inspections onto other flights, but over 50,000 passengers were affected yesterday, so expect things to be tough out there for a while.

If you're wondering about the status of your flight, call American at 800.433.7300, or enter your flight details on the "Gates & Times" page of the American website.

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