1P Start

Ladies and Gents it pains me to say my farewells to 1PStart. I’ve been here only a short time, though I’ve been at Xbox 360 Rally (another 451 site) for just under a year. I will miss you guys, though you’re probably throwing a party, chanting “he’s leaving! Huzzah! Huzzah!”. If you do miss me, though, you can find me at my new home BingeGamer.net.

It’s been fun, and I hope to see y’all around.

P.S.: Qbix — E-mail me, dude. I’m still gonna get your GTA IV to ya.

Lots of random little great deals have popped up post Christmas for you to spend any left over (or newly received) monies.

For those that don’t have it still, Halo 3 is only $29.90 at GoGamer.

GameFly is having a Year End Sale up until January 4th: Some example deals are The Darkness only $12.34, Forza 2 $14.24, and Shadowrun for $12.34. I would really check this link and look into their full list, they have a ton of deals on all systems.

For the PC users, Steam is having a sale, 10-50% Everything! Great deals include, The Orange Box - $37.45, Bioshock $37.45, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - $22.45, and Psychonauts - 9.95!! (If you haven’t played this title yet, you have no excuse not to now. You can even use a 360 controller.)

World of Warcrack - $9.99!! (Now you have no reason not to get addicted!)

Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged - $7.99 @ Amazon
Comes with full versions of
* Geometry Wars
* Bejeweled 2 Deluxe
* Wik - Fable of Souls
* Hardwood Backgammon
* Outpost Kaloki X.
Possibly the best deal of them all.

Expreview, a site I’ve never heard of before now (I don’t get around, I’m sorry) is reporting that nVidia’s newest graphics card, the nVidia GeForce 9800 GX2, will be released on February 19th, 2008.

We can not learn much of the card, Only knows it will be a dual GPU card and communicate with built-in SLI. It also have a SLI connector so it will become the another card supporting Quad SLI like its predecessor 7950 GX2. The power module of the card is somehow different, it have one 6pin and one 8pin power connector.

The previously rumored release date for the high-end 9800 GX2 was sometime in March. While the above refers to the GeForce 7950 GX2 as the immediate predecessor to the upcoming 9800 GX2, the new card will be using dual G92 chips as the 8800 GX2 does. It will be very interesting to see how this new card performs, though my rational side has a hard time believing that nVidia would already want to trump it’s 8800 series.

…I get the distinct feeling all our console readers saw was “crap, blah, blah, techno crap, more crap, blah, even more techno crap, blah, blah”. I assure you, console faithful – this all makes perfect sense.

If it’s true, of course.

nVidia, GeForce, 9800 GX2

Wow, it has been a pretty bad set of releases recently. I know, holiday stuff came a month or so back, but man, some one game could come out and really cash in just for the fact that it would have no competition. This week features MX vs. ATV Untamed on almost every console that exists, and of course the great return of the Nights series on Wii. I hope it does good for Sega and also because I want it to be good when I spend my hard earned money to rent it. Without further adieu, the releases this week:

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Last week’s release list of games wasn’t too shabby, no notable big name titles, just an overall list of quantity. The week before that however, it was just sad. Well, it looks as though it is another week of sad as far as a good list of games is concerned. Maybe this is all for the better, I still need to rank up a lot more in Call of Duty 4, I have plenty of stars to get in Mario Galaxy, and to add to this my friend lent me his copy of Mass Effect (which I haven’t even put a dent in).

There is one thing this week though that is strictly for the hardcore, if you haven’t caught on to what it is by the header picture, then you must not be a PC gamer or PS3 owner…. Unreal Tournament III is here (instant wood for K&M gamers). Check after the break for the full list of games this week:

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You wanna see something you won’t see every day? How about Jean-Claude Van Damme actually working? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Jean-Claude Van Damme has joined the ranks of Mr. T and William Shatner as a spokesman for the game that really… really doesn’t need any spokesman, World of Warcraft.

In France. Video after the break.

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The kind folks over at NinjaBee have enlisted me to give you all notice: They’re holding a contest to give away a copy of Band of Bugs for the PC. You also get a T-Shirt, but let’s not kid ourselves — the game is the main draw here.

If you want to get a feel for Band of Bugs before you enter the contest, download the demo on Xbox LIVE. It’s a simple, fun, addictive little strategy game that, with the inclusion of a custom map creator, will have you coming back again and again.

And I’m not just saying that. I actually like this game.

Here’s how you enter the contest: You have to submit a picture of yourself with any character from the game, Band of Bugs. Doesn’t matter how you submit the picture (sketching, PhotoShop, MS Paint, etc.), but you have to submit a picture to contest@yahoo.com. Images are ranked based on humor factor, so get to makin’ the funny. The contest ends on November 30th, or a week from Friday, so get to it.

NinjaBee, Band of Bugs, contest, free game

Cyanide Studios, who’ve previously worked on several DS and PSP titles as well as Loki for the PC, have announced that they are working on a game called “Blood Bowl”, which will feature a new game engine developed by Cyanide Studios that promises to blend “real-life, real-time character behaviour for collisions, falls, tackles, kicks, punches, etc while takeing into account all the forces governing the game environment”.

Blood Bowl itself is based on a table-top fantasy football game from Games Workshop (Warhammer 40,000 ring a bell?), set in a universe where goblins, dwarfs, elves, trolls, orcs and humans settle their differences on the gridiron, in an obvious parody of American Football. I asked how the game will play, and while nothing is yet set in stone, I’ve been told that it will involve both Madden-esque real-time play as well as the tabletop/turn-based gameplay found in both the table-top game and Cyanide’s previous release, Chaos League. Of course, this info could easily change over time.

Blood Bowl is currently slated for a late 2008 release on the Xbox 360, PC, PSP and Nintendo DS.

Download the full resolution Blood Bowl image

Cyanide Studios, Blood Bowl

My excuse to buy a Wii is finally here! No, not Super Mario Galaxy, although that is pretty badass in itself. I am referring to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Other notable games this week include Assassin’s Creed, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men and WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008.

At this rate, we may have to cancel Christmas because we’re all broke.

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Now that Halloween is behind us, it’s time to gear up for Christmas! …sure, there’s Thanksgiving and all, but let’s be honest: Who cares about a bunch of turkeys when Santa is but weeks away!?

Many notable games are due out this wee–*coughCallofDuty4cough*… excuse me. As I was saying, there are many not–*coughSimpsonsGamecough*… damn, must be gettin’ sick. Now, again, many notable games coming to all plat–*coughGearsofWarPCcough*… lots of games. Click after the break to see just what all is due in stores.

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LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment have announced “Chapter 7: A Collection of Heroes” for their continuing MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. The new content, which will be free for all current and new Star Wars Galaxies subscribers, includes encounters with C-3P0 and bounty hunter IG-88 as well as new content for those of you who have managed to level your character up.

Star Wars Galaxies was released on June 26th, 2003 to much fanfare. Since thats time it has seen three expansion packs (Jump to Lightspeed, Rage of the Wookies, and Trials of Obi-Wan) and its popularity dwindle to the point where there as less than 20,000 active players. Why SOE continues to support this game is beyond me. At least Microsoft had the foresight to see that their MMO, and killed Asheron’s Call 2 in 2005.

However, if you are one of those few who still find fun in the galaxy far, far away, I’m sure you’ll be excited. As for me… well, I haven’t played this game since 2004.

[Game Informer]

Star Wars, Star Wars Galaxies, MMORPG, epic fail

Thanks to Foxnews.com, we have this hard hitting piece of people who are playing a game doing virtual things, such as using avatars/characters that are young looking. A crapload of times Fox news articles hit my radar as a joke, this one, is a mixture of not so much bad reporting, just a subject that hits me as being non-news, something that I have no doubt is happening, but doesn’t matter to me other than being video games related.

In Second Life, there is a section of the game behind a strip mall that has younger looking characters that offer sex acts to users. If you read the article on Foxnews.com, you would be left with the impression that Linden Lab is doing nothing about the issue, but after clicking a few links, they have done investigations on the situation and seem to have a second age verification process on top of the already implemented one (ie you already have to be 18 to have just a regular account anyways, but another layer of ID process will be required for some areas in the game).

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Guitar Hero III and The Simpsons Game, if you aren’t getting one, you should get the other, hitting all three big systems this week. Though I am going to wait on Rock Band myself (I want those drums), Guitar Hero III is here now, and has a great line up of songs itself. The Simpsons Game might possibly be *the* Simpsons game to own, looking like a perfect mixture of comedy and gameplay, however, with the track record of past Simpson games, it may be best to keep an eye on Metacritic before making a full on dive into buying it.

Some other notable things this week, Manhunt 2 makes its way onto Wii, I might give this a rent, though never into the series, the fuss it has caused makes me curious as to the content. Virtual Fighter 5, the first good fighting game on the 360, I am still waiting on Soul Calibur, but for now, VF5 looks like a “definite rent.” PC games seem to reach into every single genre, even fashion designing. PS3 gets a hold of Stranglehold finally, and… well, time to just check the full list after the break:

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Yes, though we still have no exact release date, Will Wright (father of The Sims, father of SimCity!) has finally offered up a good quote that gives us a little hope for those who were thinking this was going to end up like Duke Nukem with how long it has been taking for the team to get this title out to players.

Wright, who just received the fellowship BAFTA (UK’s equivalent to basically a lifetime achievement award for the most part, except this was not exclusive to just video games, so big big nod to Will for getting this), has now been quoted as saying on when Spore’s release will occur, “roughly available in six months time.”

There you have it. Yes, though six months away doesn’t sound that great, and deep down I feel they will probably delay it more (since it is just a quote, not necessarily a press release from EA about it). Still, it is nice to hear some kind of date for the game which they say will take you, “from a single cell to space exploration.”

For no reason other than I just was able to see this clip myself recently and really haven’t had the place to share this with you, here is the latest trailer for the game:

[Eurogamer]
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Will Wright, BAFTA, Spore, EA, Maxis, The Sims, SimCity, British Academy of Film and Television Arts

At the top of this week should be noted that PS3 finally has what some may consider a “system seller” title with Ratchet & Clank. Platformers are not everyones cup of tea, however you have to admit the game is rated ‘E for Everyone’ and can help the PS3 make sure it has some consoles sold this holiday season (that and the now “Affordable Edition” of the PS3).

I am not sure what is worse with Nintendo, the Dancing with the Stars (also on PS2) or the game that gives me nightmares of the Noid (NES) and Cool Spot (SNES) games, M&M Kart Racing!!! Seriously, what in the hell. Anyways, for the rest of the systems, there seems to be quite a bit of ’something for everyone’ .. Ace Combat (360), a new Phoenix Wright (DS), Assault Heroes (PC), and… well, just check the list after the break:

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