1P Start

EEDAR, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, has just released a new study that finds that Achievements may be linked to better review scores. Yes, you read that right. The more achievements a game has, the higher the average score tends to be. …it’s a very slow news day.

According to the study, games with more achievements generate both higher review scores and higher revenue sales, and games with online Achievements generate up to 50% more cold, hard cash than games that do not. Games with hidden achievements, however, do more poorly than games where all achievements are viewable from the start.

This is an interesting find, but slightly flawed: I would make the case that games with more achievemtns are indicitave of developers who have truly taken the Xbox 360 concept to heart. Also, I would argue that a game with unique and intricate achievements is a sign that the developer has spent an equal amount of time fine-tuning the game.

Read the full Press Release after the break.

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Having played exactly one match of Team Fortress 2 before jumping right back into Portal, I can’t say I have personally experienced this lag that I keep reading about online in various places. The people I do keep reading having the lag issues do seem to state that it of course depends on who is hosting the match, so finding a lag-free match is just a matter of jumping in and out of a couple of games until you find the right one (unlike The Darkness, which I remember was a pretty much every game I played had the terrible lag).

According to 1up, Valve is not only on top of the situation, but it seems they are already done with it, now it is up to Microsoft to hurry up with their certification process to get the update out to the many gamers out there tring to enjoy The Orange Box to its fullest, like myself… after I finish Portal that is, I know it is only a 3 hour game, but I haven’t had 3 hours to play it yet, get off my back! I can’t wait to hear the Still Alive/Cake is a Lie/Whatever song in its proper place now that I have it always running through my head..
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The Orange Box, Team Fortress 2, TF2, Xbox 360

Capcom has revealed to Gamespot that they are working on a new entry in the long-heralded Bionic Commando franchise! Simply entitled Bionic Commando, the game will bring back everything we loved about the 1988 classic, bringing it to the glorious third dimenson! Could this have been the big Capcom announcement?

Here is the game outline from the Gamespot article:

After serving his country honorably in conflict with the Imperials, technologically enhanced agent Nathan Spencer is framed for a number of crimes by his superiors and sentenced for execution. Fate intervenes, as an experimental terrorist weapon is detonated in Ascension City on the day Spencer is to be executed. With the city in ruins and Spencer uniquely equipped to handle the many skyscrapers, monorails, and suspended roadways, the government reluctantly turns to its imprisoned bionic commando for help.

The Gamespot article goes on to note that Capcom is keeping this title in-house. For those of you who need it spelled out for you, Capcom is developing AND publishing this one. In short, people — they want this one to be awesome. You can mock my excitement all you want, but I will say in my defense… screw you. This is my childhood reborn.

[Gamespot]

Capcom, Bionic Commando, Sony, PlayStation 3, Microsoft, Xbox 360, PC

I am taking this all with a grain of salt because of lack of sources that will say their names, but then again, that is why there is a rumor section after all. The word on the street is this game is not only something that is thought to be coming out, but is actually already “coming along considerably well and is a step up in the genre of first person shooters.”

Step up? First is what I guess going to be another change in the character of Joanna, saying she is darker than usual and “the entire game has tints of grey surrounding all the character.” What that means exactly, I am not sure, but just thinking back of the N64 Joanna vs the Perfect Dark Zero incarnation, there was a definite change from a female lead character I could take serious to then the almost “please younger audience take notice of me!!!” chick with guns (still not as bad as Lara Croft though).

As with games like Mass Effect, the Fable series, and to a lesser extent, Bioshock, the new Perfect Dark will have some form of a morality system where the things you do will have a “huge impact” on the game.

I am not sure if this is going to be a plus or not, but the rumors also claim there is probably going to be no cut scenes throughout the game. I think of most current games and how cut scenes are most of the time now just using the in game engine and not all cgi’ed up, so having other characters reveal/further the plot without allowing the player to put down the controller may actually prove to be a more immersive experience.

I am hoping somebody out there is already on top of this rumor and get some sort of comment out of Rare about this, I mean, I can’t wait for the new Banjo as much as the next person, but a new Perfect Dark game that could possibly make up for the horrendous Perfect Dark Zero would be welcome with open arms (or just give us Killer Instinct!)

[GameGuru]
[CVG]
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Perfect Dark Zero, PDZ, Rare, Rareware, Perfect Dark 2, Joanna Dark, Nintendo 64, N64, Xbox 360, First Person Shooter

This week is pretty lacking. Not in new games, but rather in GOOD games. I don’t know about you all, but I haven’t been sitting here in giddy anticipation for Power Rangers: Super Legends or Mahjong Garden Deluxe. However, we do get a new Tony Hawk game, and the PS3 finally gets Oblivion GOTY, so it’s not ALL bad.

Check out the full list after the break.

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You know it. I know it. Everyone who has ever played Super Mario knows it. What is it, you ask?

When you’re flashing, you’re a God. This 27-second video from Super Mario Galaxies reminds us why that bouncing star was always a welcome sight to the desperate plumber in all of us.

Nintendo, Wii, Super Mario Galaxies

In a sit-down with GameDaily BIZ, Ray Muzyka of BioWare (one of the companies sadly gobbled up by EA in the wee hours of the morning) has reassured Xbox 360 owners that their upcoming RPG Mass Effect is still an Xbox exclusive.

Our focus is pure and simple; it’s to deliver the best game possible for our fans with Mass Effect, and that’s an Xbox 360 exclusive. Microsoft’s a great partner… they’ve really helped build the value of the product and we’re proud to work with them

So there you go, people. Sony fans shouldn’t feel totallyd defeated, however. Later in the interview (which includes both BioWare and Pandemic), Greg Zeschuk leaves the window slightly cracked, saying they “can’t predict the future”.

[GameDaily BIZ]

Microsoft, Xbox 360, BioWare, Pandemic Studios, Electronic Arts

UK website Pro-G will be having a video interview posted next week with Patrice Desilets, the creative director, of Assassin’s Creed. For now though they posted a few quotes to pretty much rile up fanboys of both the 360 and the PS3, so at the least it is even handed. Patrice claims that both Sony and Microsoft have helped out so the quality of the game is the same on both systems, yet, then is quoted as saying:

“…we have a big challenge on the 360 to make it fit on a DVD, to put five languages, to put all the data on eight gigs. On the Blu-ray side we’re really good, but then the memory is quite different. How we handle memory is really different between the two machines and we’re struggling right now on the PS3.”

Such kind words for both systems, but, can’t deny that this is going to be a problem for all developers that choose to go multiplatform. Already I recall the issues Epic was having with the DVD format on the 360 and also John Carmack (of ID software) speaking on the issues of working with the PS3 because of its lack of memory.

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I want to give you all a heads up on a pretty f’n nice contest being put on next Sunday by our good friends at PlatformNation.com (Home to XBL Radio, The Gamers Pub, The Fanboys, and PSH Radio). The full list of prizes are:

Halo 3 Legendary Edition

20 dollar MS Point Card

10 dollar MS Point Card

5 dollar MS Point Card

Speedfreek from KontrolFreek.com

A Xbox 360 skin from GamerGraffix.com

You are all in luck, as the tournament will be taking place on a Sunday, a day I normally work, so I probably won’t be present, which means you have a chance of winning, as well as I have played with JW, he is a Halo 3 noob who poses no challenge to you if he gets in. Here is the official rules and all that fine print stuff that you need to know:

To sign up add your gamertag to this thread (click the link), nothing else but your gamertag.

The times will be Sunday nights, 6pm Pacific time, so if your unable to make it, please don’t add your name to the tournament.

Teams of 4 people each will be chosen at random, chosen by my tournament software, not any people

This is a single elimination tournament

Sign up will end on the 19th

The tournament will start on the 21st

All the round details (who is playing who, maps and game types)will be out on the 20, you must check the forums to keep yourself updated, I don’t have the time to prep everyone every round.
Each round will be a best out of 3

The final two rounds will be a free for all with the top 4 advancing to the finals and then the top 4 battling it out for the grand prize.

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Halo 3, Legendary Edition, Contest, PlatformNation, XBL Radio, Tournament, KontrolFreak, GamerGraffix, Microsoft Points

A scan which is only being attributed to Chelmo_Evil who posts on the IGN boards, is the cover for the next Game Informer magazine. What other information about the game do we have? None. I think its fair to say that Chelmo_Evil is an asshat for posting this cover without giving any information about the contents of the magazine itself other than a review of Mass Effect. So what can we gather from looking at the cover:

Game Informer had the exclusive rights to announce this.

Jack Black (Tenacious D, Cable Guy, Saving Silverman, a million other things, here is his imdb page, you know who he is) is part of this project.

Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island), a legend for the hardcore gamer, is behind it.

The artwork for the cover is in the style of Guitar Hero, however I have heard others say that it is “Full Throttle” style, which I also can see it being.

I await to hear .. anything more about this project. I know he isn’t the only person who has an internet connection and subscribes to Game Informer magazine (then again, if someone is a Game Informer subscriber, maybe they don’t have the internet and thus the reason they are reading a magazine for their gaming news).

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As JW would say, UPDATO MAGNIFICO!!:

Destructoid user Suff0catingSight has posted the 10 pages from the Game Informer issue. All scans are big enough so you can read all that good text, I am too lazy to transcribe, but below you will find all the information that the public will know about this game for now:
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Boys and girls across the world rejoice, for Burger King and Microsoft have teamed up yet again. Fresh off the success of the Halo 3 campaign at Burger King, the two have shacked up again, this time promoting the new Xbox 360 title Viva Pinata Party Animals.

For a Limited Time (naturally), if you order a kids meal from BK, you will receive one of eight different Viva Pinata toys:

Hudson Horstachio (Fortune Spinner or Lenticular)

Spalding Sparrowmint (Foot Sack or Party Light)

Ella Elephanilla (Flying Disc or Kazoo)

Fergy Fudgehog (Sticker Dispenser or Kaleidoscope)

Mongo Macaraccoon Sour (Party Knocker or Block Puzzler)

Franklin Fizzlybear (Flip Book or 3D Puzzle)

Cecil Cocoadile (Maze Craze or Yo-Yo)

Gordon Goobaa (Launcher or Viewer)

You’ll get one toy per meal, while supplies last, for a limited time only. So, if you’re a Viva Pinata nut, get your happy ass down to BK first thing tomorrow mornin’ and pick yourself up one of these nifty little trinkets.

[Burger King]

Burger King, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Viva Pinata, Party Animals

Bethesda has announced the final piece of downloadable content for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, entitled ‘Fighter’s Stronghold’, which along with Vile Lair, Thieves Den and Wizard’s Tower, comprise the four themed domiciles for Oblivion.

While it’s a shame to finally see the Oblivion support come to an end, Bethesda is giving us a little going away treat by allowing we, the people, to download Fighter’s Stronghold for FREE for the first week it’s available.

From the Bethesda blog:

Fighter’s Stronghold provides the last of four themed domiciles (along with Vile Lair, Thieves Den, and Wizard’s Tower) for the adventurer on-the-go. You inherit the rights to Battlehorn Castle, located on a lovely stretch of the Colovian Highlands, west of Chorrol. Dining Hall, barracks, wine cellar, training room, and your own private Shrine of Julianos. Update your castle furnishings, perhaps even a Dwemer Forge for the aspiring Armorer? Hire a taxidermist to tastfully decorate your new abode with trophies from your adventuring.

Now, now, PS3 owners — you’re not being left out in the cold. Also announced on Bethesda’s blog is the impending arrival of The Shivering Isles expansion pack on the PlayStation 3. While they can’t definitively say when, or whether it will be on disc or downloadable, they’ve promised that The Shivering Isles will be coming. Soon.

Finally, in addition to the Game of the Year version of Oblivion making its way to the PS3, we’re reminded that the boxed version of The Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles will be making its way to the Xbox 360. So, all in all, a good week for Oblivion fans. It’s just a shame that this is the last of the Oblivion content.

[Bethesda Blog]
[Fighter's Stronghold]

Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls, Oblivion, The Shivering Isles, Fighter’s Stronghold, PC, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Sony, PlayStation 3

You know, of all the franchises that scream “video game”, Gundam is it. I mean, think about it; you have giant robots with swords and guns beating the hell out of each other. Sure enough, there have been many cracks at a good Gundam game, but sadly, none of them have ever really lived up to the Gundam license.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam does it’s best to change that. Does it succeed? Keep reading and find out.

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Take a close look at the image above. If you need to, give it a click and view the bigger image. Notice something? Yeah, that’s Halo 3 with a nice, big “Bundle Copy” sticker slapped on it.

According to a message board user by the name of “Ppmateos”, he bought this bundle at his local electronics boutique… I think. Google Translate is truly God awful. Either way, as the images show, it certainly appears that Europe has gotten a Halo 3 Xbox 360 bundle. Don’t believe me? Well, pictures don’t lie.

…why don’t we ever get the cool bundles?

[Elotrolado - Translated]

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Bungie, Halo 3

According to “Games Bulletin”, a new service from media analyst publication Screen Digest, the Nintendo Wii will dominate the “New Releases” list this holiday season.

According to the new report, which will feature data, demographics and trend -forecasting, the Wii will lead all consoles in published titles for the remainder of the year, with an impressive 86. The Xbox 360 came in seconds with 47, while the PlayStation 3 will have 38 titles for the holidays.

So, why is the Wii so popular, you ask? Lower development costs and more exclusives, such as Super Mario Galaxies.

Following other analysts, the report went on to state that the Wii will most likely surpass the Xbox 360 to become the #1 console this year. The PlayStation 3 will, naturally, come in third due to the lack of “firepower to command consumer attention during this crucial trading quarter and it is difficult to see how the catalogue will drive hardware sales in such a competitive environment.”

…that’s industry speak for “lack of games”, fanboys.

[Screen Digest]

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Sony, PlayStation 3, Nintendo, Wii, Screen Digest