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Bungie vows never to follow the Activision route and charge extra for online multiplayer

HairyArse@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:11:05 +0100

'You should never have to pay for core entertainment, for core enjoyment'

Bungie, speaking this week to promote the imminent Halo: Reach, announced that it has no plans to follow the Activision model and charge for the multiplayer portion of any of its future releases.
"‘I think our philosophy is probably always going to be you should never have to pay for core entertainment, for core enjoyment." said Campaign Designer Niles Sankey and Bungie Community Director Brian Jarrard while speaking to our good friends over at Videogamesdaily.

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Saw II, Castlevania and Def Jam playable at Eurogamer Expo

HairyArse@allaboutthegames.net — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:40:18 +0100

Konami brings out its big guns

Eurogamer today announced that Konami will be bringing a trio of titles to its Earl's Court Expo between the 1st and 3rd of October.
The Eurogamer Expo, which has increased exponentially since its debut two years goes from strength to strength with this year no exception. Today's announcement that Konami will be unveiling playable demos of Saw II: Flesh & Blood, Castlevania: Lords of Shadows and Def Jam Rapstar is testament to its pulling power.
From the press release:
Def Jam Rapstar is the first true interactive Hip Hop music game. The ultimate emcee e...

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Hydro Thunder Hurricane Review

HairyArse@allaboutthegames.net — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:42:15 +0100

Worth taking out for a splash?

The people that spend their working days posting on videogame forums are a predictable bunch. When they’re not extolling the virtues of their preferred consoles, they’re either nailing their colours to a best-loved developer’s mast or worshipping at the feet of their favourite marketing executive, salivating and lapping up their words like a thirsty lapdog. And these last few post-E3 weeks have been no exception.

But in and amongst the usual in-fighting, trolling and flame-baiting there has been one recent recurring theme: time vs. cost.

This is hardly an original topic of conversation for the notoriously vehement and vociferous gaming community, but it’s particularly apposite given Microsoft’s current Summer of Arcade promotion, a promotion during which it intends to release a series of high-profile digital-download-only Xbox Live Arcade titles. While last week saw the release of the delightful

This article is written by HairyArse concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

We Rule updated yet again

HairyArse@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:37:58 +0100

Reap that shit up

ngmoco's hugely popular farming sim We Rule has been updated yet again with its level-cap now raised to 35.
There're also additional crops which can be harvested for extra cash and XP including: blueberries, honey-dew melon, sunflowers, dragon fruit and cat whiskers.
New structures include the Red Dragon Lair - only available at level 35, as well as the level 16 coach house.
We reviewed We Rule some time ago, scoring it 3/5, and criticising it for its ultimately pointless gameplay with no apparent en...

This article is written by HairyArse concerning the iPod/iPhoneiPod/iPhone. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Street Fighter X Tekken footage lets Ryu and Chun Li face off against Kazuya and Nina

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:27:50 +0100

No neurons harmed in the making of this gameplay footage, thankfully

Since I heard the news that Capcom and Namco were going to produce a couple of videogames based around their most popular franchises, I've been a shell of a man, imagining the distinct versions on offer from each studio.
Now I've seen this footage though, I feel a mite happier about Capcom's offering. Here's gameplay of Street Fighter X Tekken showing Ryu and Chun Li pitching fireballs and thighs against the pointy hairstyle and crevice-chafing G String of Kazuya and Nina respectively.
It looks delicious, it looks action packed and I really can't wait. Bit of a pity ...

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The Nintendo Wii can survive bolts of lightning, the wrath of Odin

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:19:23 +0100

360 and PS3 not so fortunate, as one gamer discovered after a lightning strike

It might just be Thor and Odin both displaying their own warped and twisted sense of humour but when Bioware's Jeff Hickman had a bolt of lightning come-a knocking at his chamber door one night, the Wii was the only console to survive.
The bolt not only toasted his Xbox 360 and PS3, it took out several other pieces of equipment including his Rock Band drums and a bunch of surround sound gear. It also struck the retainer in his daughter's mouth just for good measure (Eeek!) but thankfully no humans were harmed, just a lot of expensive gaming gear.
Hickman sagely no...

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LittleBigPlanet 2 Comic Con gameplay footage looks brilliant

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:54:50 +0100

It's bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy fun fun fun fun fun!

Sackboy shows off his new moves and what looks like a far better jumping mechanic than the original game in this latest LittleBigPlanet 2 gameplay trailer.
Shown off at Comic Con 2010 in playable demo form, LittleBigPlanet 2 drew massive queues and crowds and it's not difficult to see why.
Loads of improvements seem to have been worked in by MediaMolecule this time round. Sackboy's jumping isn't quite as spongy and annoying as it was (for some people) in the original game. Your little hessian pal also comes armed with a handy grapple beam to navigate through levels.

This article is written by Peej concerning the Sony PlayStation 3Sony PlayStation 3. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Codemasters shoves new EGO 2.0 engine into "new blockbuster project"

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:48:09 +0100

"F1 is just the tip of the iceberg" says Codemasters VP Gavin Cheshire

EGO 2.0 has absolutely nothing to do with Peter Molyneux, it's actually the next generation games engine from Codemasters. With the original EGO engine powering titles like DiRT 1, and getting seriously tweaked for GRiD and DiRT 2, Codemasters has been constantly improving their tech to the point where they believe EGO 2.0 will have "the best weather simulation of any game ever".
Bold claims but the mystery project that will showcase EGO 2.0 is NOT the new F1 game, but something you'll be seeing in 2011.
DiRT 3? Great weather? Oh you know you want it.
Codemast...

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Walker - a retrospective

DDevil@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:41:51 +0100

A look back at an Amiga classic

A couple of weeks ago now I took a look at Splat on the ZX Spectrum. At the time I wrote it wasn't a game I particularly liked as a child, but did find some respect for it's simplicity in the end. So I thought I would pick one of my favourites, something I hadn't played for a while and see what the rose-tinted glasses could do for me.

So I looked back to 1993, and a game on the Amiga which I really raved about at the time – Walker by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis. Probably one of their least recognised games, it holds a place in my teenage Amiga fanboy heart. I still have a boxed original upstairs in storage, I may never let it go.
I also had a few other reason for choosing Walker:
Reason 1: Psygnosis, were Liverpool based, and since Liverpool is now my home town I felt I had to represent.
Reason 2: Walker was developed by DMA Design, creators of Lemmings who are now known as the politician-baiting, GTA making group Rockstar Nor...

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New WRC trailer shows lots of tail-sliding action...

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:21:58 +0100

Someone shoot the person who chose the soundtrack though. There'd better be an off switch!

Here's a gameplay trailer for the upcoming Black Bean / Milestone official WRC 2010 game. We've waited 5 years for a proper official Rally title so here's hoping that it's good. Oddly enough it doesn't exactly look like it's going to melt your screen or blow your socks off but the proof of the pudding will be in the tailsliding, so if it plays well it could end up being great.
Please though, stick a demo out before release if you expect this to sell in the same year that Gran Turismo 5 is finally shipping. There's a dear.
Footage ho:

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Daily Star pays out substantial damages over "GTA Raoul Moat" story

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:17:28 +0100

Rockstar passes "substantial damages" to charity.

Oh the delicious irony. A nasty piece of worm-ridden tabloid filth runs a smear story against a games developer, and the developer comes out on top.
Running a story alleging that Rockstar were planning a "Grand Theft Auto: Rothbury" in their news rag has cost The Daily Star dear. After a damages case awarded Rockstar a "substantial" payout, the developer has announced that the money will go to charity and that they were "not in the least bit amused" by the non-story run by The Star. The article, aired in the paper and on the Daily Star's website, was withdrawn from the sit...

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Maestro Green Groove Review

monkeyfrog@allaboutthegames.net — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:52:47 +0100

Alice 'Monkeyfrog' O'Toole is back, and this time it's musical...!

Once again here at AATG we're lucky enough to have convinced Alice "Monkeyfrog" O'Toole to do a DSiWare review for us. So take it away Alice....
First of all, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this game was incredibly original, fun, and amusing. The introduction clip was very funny, and added that little bit of adventure that the game needed.
The controls are easy to use, especially since you only need to use a stylus. The menu is aesthetically pleasing, and the music is fun and groovy. The game's map is also very creative, and easy to understand- it showed you when and where the bosses were, and when you clicked on it it showed you when a song was waiting ahead for you.

Secondly, I would like to say something about the layout of the game. At the start of the game, you have 'lessons'. These are a bit like a mini tutorial, but they actually lets you practice the things you are told to do.
I personally thought that one of the ...

This article is written by Monkeyfrog concerning the Nintendo DSNintendo DS. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Reckless ('Deliverace') Racing now apparently backed by EA's developer program

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:56:11 +0100

Hands-on at comic con describes it as

Don't panic, it's not an iPad-only game but Pixelbite have obviously impressed the socks off EA with Reckless Racing. So much so that the game is now an EA distributed title and falls under their developer program.
What does this mean? Not a lot but it means it actually exists, and players who've gone hands on with the game for the first time at comic-con have been playing it using iPads and retina display resolutions to good effect.
Pixelbite's top-down racer looks absolutely gorgeous and the iPad version seems to have some sort of "everyone pick a corner" multipla...

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Limbo Review

HairyArse@allaboutthegames.net — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:48:43 +0100

Bright eyes

A boy lies still, slumped in the grass.
Is he dead? His metaphorical game over?
Or is he just asleep in the shade, his weary eyes resting?

I prod with my thumb.
Once.
Twice.
A third time more aggressively.
Nothing.

But then his lifeless body limply stirs.
His brow twitches.
Pin-hole lights glow dimly.
Two piss-holes in the snow.

He sits up.
The sleep leaves his eyes.
His faculties restored.
Hallelujah!
“Let’s play” I squeal in delight.

The wind ruffles our hair as we bound through the wilderness.
Hopping over ferns.
Racing through forests.
His short legs slow our progress but his exuberance remains infectious.
We push on as though spirited along by an imaginary invisible force.
Our every movement tracked by overhanging, torrid, shrivelled branches.
Pointing the way or funnelling us towards a deadly conclusion?

This article is written by HairyArse concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Crackdown 2 Review

DDevil@allaboutthegames.net — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:34:27 +0100

They just don't understand.

If games grew old and died, that should be inscribed on Crackdown 2's gravestone. They just don't "get it".

There is a group of people who have played Crackdown 2. They've seen the simple campaign structure, the game mechanics and the less-than-cutting edge graphics and they have said "is this it?"

Well, yes it is. But they're still wrong. Perhaps they don't realise this is not a GTAalike. Crackdown 2 may have fleshed out it's story compared to the original game but it's still less about the characters and their motives than it is about just going out and have fun.

But let's talk about that story for a moment. Set several years after the original, the Agency was in total control of Pacific City and it's citizens. But the emergence of "freaks", mutated humans infected by a virus has ruined all this. Killed by UV light they come out at night looking for victims. Not that the days are safe either - a terrorist organisation known as Ce...

This article is written by DDevil concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Scarabeus - Pearls of the Nile brings a touch of egyptian puzzling to your iPhone

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:55:47 +0100

Digital Reality and Catmoon want to read your Horus-scope

Though I'm slightly disappointed this isn't a revival of the classic C64 / Ariolasoft game Scarabeus, it's welcome nonetheless. Digital Reality and Catmoon studios have collaborated to bring Scarabeus - Pearls of the Nile to the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Mixing some neat Egyptian visuals with a ton of devilish puzzling, the game will be released on the 22nd July. Wait a second, that's tomorrow by the way. Get in.
The game will cost £1.79 on the UK iTunes App store.
Screenshots below for your delectation and now updated with a trailer too:

This article is written by Peej concerning the iPod/iPhoneiPod/iPhone. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Airbrushed Jamie Oliver Xbox 360 finally sells

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:35:45 +0100

For $360 ASD. Someone down under now needs a new therapist

Cheeky cockney mungtoad Jamie Oliver isn't usually the sort of person you'd expect to appear on a gaming website but the chap has his own range of DS titles, and has been known to pick up a joypad in anger.
Love 'im or loathe 'im you'd have to be something of a fan to want the "Special Edition Airbrushed and Signed Jamie Oliver Xbox 360" on offer in this ebay auction. A bog standard Xbox 360, painted with what can ...

This article is written by Peej concerning the Microsoft Xbox 360Microsoft Xbox 360. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Jim and Frank Mysteries - The Blood River Files Review

TheBoy@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:13:23 +0100

It's a mystery, oh, it's a mystery

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Charles Caleb Colton apparently coined this phrase, and he was pretty darn bang on the money with it. The world of videogames is littered with many, er, let’s call them ‘homages’ to the greats. Tetris clones for example, are ten a penny and there have been many imitations of Super Mario.

Considering the success of the Professor Layton games on Nintendo’s DS, it’s something of a surprise that so long has been taken for someone to create a similar styled game for the iPhone. 99 Games and Chillingo have finally spotted the glaring gap in the market and delivered The Jim and Frank Mysteries: The Blood River Files for your favourite Apple touch-screen device.

To say that The Jim and Frank Mysteries: TBRF has been inspired by the Layton games is something of an understatement. The art style and gameplay are very similar as are the p...

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Retro City Rampage coming to Wiiware soon

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:05:15 +0100

Grand Theftendo gets a new name and a new platform

Originally starting out as an indie experiment to see if a GTA-like open-world game could be brought to a platform as old and nadgery as the NES, Grand Theftendo won the PAX 2010 award for best indie game.
Now the game's coming to WiiWare and it's had a slightly less Rockstar-baiting name attached to it. Retro City Rampage is a glorious piss-take of just about any NES era game you can think of, and more than a few pokes at everything from Grand Theft Auto (obviously) to, oddly, the Beastie Boys' excellent "Sabotage" video.
It looks absolutely superb so if you're one...

This article is written by Peej concerning the Nintendo WiiNintendo Wii. | Read More... | Read Comments...

Namco vs Capcom and Capcom vs Namco. Two games, two publishers, mucho violence

peej@allaboutthegames.net — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:13:28 +0100

The dream Battle Royale comes to not one but two games next year

If you're any sort of a fighting game fan, this news will have you salivating like a Weightwatchers Diet fanatic in a branch of Greggs.
Namco and Capcom seem to be developing two games that will mix their gigantic cast of different fighting heroes into two styles of game. On the one hand you'll have Capcom's trademark 2D side-on fighting style as shown off in games like Streetfighter 2 and 4. On the other hand you'll have Namco's more 3D arena battles. The games will pit the likes of Chun Li against Sofita, Eve against Cammy or if you're a bit of a freak you could even have...

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