June 2003
Gaming FM
 Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:15 PM |
Category: General |
This isn't anything brand new, but none the less, you may not know it exists. Internet Radio just got a lot more interesting to me since I found GamingFM. This is the ultimate radio station for video game fanatics. It's broken up into four stations. Modern Console, which has a huge variety of games from current and last generation console games, Classic Console, which is filled with oldies but goodies, Total PC, the newest station with music straight from PC games, and Complete, which plays all the tunes in the entire catalog. You can request songs live through the site and see the most popular requests for the last month. Gamers can listen for hours on end and see why game soundtracks are so good. Enjoy!
Max Payne 2 Screenshots
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:05 PM |
Category: General |
Max Payne Headquarters has posted 15 new screenshots of the upcoming Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne. Check out the shots here and keep in mind that everything is in real time and the game is not pre rendered. The game looks beautiful, but the new actor for Max Payne just doesn't do it for me. He looks much older now, but that's alright. As long as the game is solid, I could care less.
Videogame Code In Hulk Movie
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:57 AM |
Category: General |
Hidden within a scene in the new Hulk movie is a secret code that you can pop into a computer terminal in the Hulk videogame to turn the big green monster into a big gray monster. For those of you who don't know, the original idea for The Hulk was to make him gray in color, but when printing the comic there was a problem and Stan Lee decided to make him green instead. Where is this code in the movie? You can find it in the scene just before Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk for the very first time. I hadn't noticed it when I saw the movie, but then again I wasn't looking for it. Excellent idea on the part of the filmakers and the game developers working together for this cool secret.
Eternal Darkness In Movies And TV
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:50 AM |
Category: General |
Fans of the dark and twisted Nintendo game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem will soon have more to sink their teeth into besides the game. Hypnotic has secured the rights to make movies and even televison shows based off the game. Hypnotic will have control over the many different responsibilities in bringing this to life. I'm currently about 3/4 of the way through this game myself and the throught of the story being fleshed out in a television series is mind blowing. It's a shame the game hasn't sold too well since it's release but with luck, the upcoming movie and TV series just might be what the doctor ordered to give this franchise some mainstream interest.
ESRB Ratings To Change
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:41 AM |
Category: General |
According to Yahoo, as of September 15th of this year, you'll be seeing a change in the way games are rated. The Entertainment Software Rating Board has announced a revision in this current rating system to keep up with the evolving industry and to keep violent games from being banned for sale to minors in some states. The change will address how violence is interpreted via the ratings system. Four new categories: "cartoon violence", "fantasy violence", "intense violence", and "sexual violence" will help describe the type of violence in games more clearly to buyers. Also, the Mature and Adults Only rated games will change to show the minimum age recommended for the game.
EA Dominates Draft On ESPN
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:32 AM |
Category: General |
If you are planning on watching the NBA Draft on ESPN then expect to see a lot of ads for basketball video games. Sega Sports own ESPN lineup of games? No, EA Sports logos will fill your screen with draft themed ads (much like they did in the NFL draft). I saw this in an IGN article and they said this about as good as anyone else, so I'll just quote it: "So much for ESPN's devoted loyalty to Sega and its competing ESPN NBA Basketball game set to launch around the same time as Live". Isn't that question just banging violently in your head? This can only be a bad omen for this years Sega Sports games, which always get ignored unjustly.
RIAA Prepares To Serve More Lawsuits
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:17 AM |
Category: General |
These people are relentless at trying to stop piracy, and it looks like they are far from giving up. This Fox News article says that starting today the RIAA will find users on file sharing networks with substantial collections to trade and plant them with lawsuits. Several hundred lawsuits are expected to be dished out in the coming weeks. This is all due to a drop in music sales recently. I still think that the real problem lies in the quality of music. Shovel more of that trash in our direction and watch as sales continue to decline. Put out some more decent music and we'll buy more albums.
No More Acclaim On The Cube
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:00 AM |
Category: General |
An IGN article states that gaming publisher Acclaim may not be producing their games on Nintendo's Gamecube anymore. The reason? A lack of sales on the Cube platform make it hard for the company to justify commiting games to it. Apparently, it is being looked at on a case-by-case basis, so they aren't ruling out making new games for the console, but it is expected to be less likely than before. If you recall, Sega Sports announced the same thing not long ago for the very same reasons.
SoF 2 For Xbox
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 2:11 PM |
Category: General |
Activision has just announced that SoF 2 for Xbox is due in stores presently:Gamers can suit up for top-secret covert operations with the release of Activision's highly anticipated first-person action game, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. Based on the critically acclaimed PC title from Raven Software, the game features all of the intense, gritty action found in the original, plus full Xbox Live support for mayhem-packed, all-out multi-player combat. Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix for the Xbox is currently available at North American retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $49.99.
Game Boy Player Now Available
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 3:35 AM |
Category: General |
The Game Boy Player, a new Gamecube adapter from Nintendo, is available as of today in the US. It should be retailing at the $49.99 range. Game Boy Player is an adapter that plugs into the bottom of your Gamecube and allows you to play Game Boy games (all generations) on your TV. Sounds nifty? Pick one of these babies up. I'm sure you won't regret it.
Independent Games Festival Announces Call for Entries
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:34 PM |
Category: General |
The Independant Games Festival is calling out for entries for next year's festival. You can submit entries for the IGF Competition from now until the deadline of September 1st and student showcase entries are due November 14th."Playing videogames is as much a part of our leisure time today as reading, watching television, or playing sports. As such, an enormous community of independent game developers has emerged over the past decade," said Alex Dunne, chairman. "The Independent Games Festival was established in 1998 to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers. We have seen the benefits the Sundance Film Festival provides to independent filmmakers, and we have crafted a similar event for the game industry." The festival will be held March 24-26, 2004 in San Jose, CA during the Game Developers Conference.
Amazing Honda Commercial
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:35 PM |
Category: General |
First off, check out this site to watch a new Honda Accord commercial. Impressive, is it not? Now, what would you say if I told you that there is no photoshopping, no film tricks. That's right. Hard to believe, but every bit of that commercial was done in one single take (after 605 failed takes) without any computer tricks. How did they do it? Check out this article to see just how they did it all (yes, they do explain how the tires roll uphill).
Terminator: War Of The Machines Announced
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:50 PM |
Category: General |
Atari has announced their newest project, based of the Terminator universe. Terminator: War Of The Machines is a first person shooter scheduled for the PC this fall. The game will put you in the shoes of everyone's favorite Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, complete with the actor's likeness and voice. The game will include multiplayer mode where you can take control of one of eight different classes. Fans of the movie series will be wise to keep an eye on this game.
Dreamcast On The Go
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:00 AM |
Category: Hardware |
Gamespot has a news bit about the Treamcast, which is a portable version of the cult favorite console Dreamcast. It contains most of the same hardware found in the original system but has been modified to include a speaker and LCD screen. It comes with two controllers, a remote control for video playback, a car adapter, and a carrying case. It retails for about $170 currently. This is not an official Sega product, so don't look for it to spread outside of the Hong Kong area.
Ritual Lightens The Load
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 11:04 PM |
Category: General |
I just caught this depressing news over at Blues News. Ritual's Tom Mustaine has stated that after finishing up on Star Trek Elite Force II they had to let go of some talent.We had three very engaging projects lined up for the team, but unfortunately, none of them came to actual fruition. We found ourselves unable to maintain multiple AAA teams and were forced to release some of the most gifted game developers back into the industry's talent pool. I didn't see any names listed, but never the less I hope they all find a new job doing what they enjoy.
More MechAssault Downloads
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:54 PM |
Category: General |
Microsoft really seems to like MechAssault because it wasn't too long ago I posted about a second batch of downloadable content available on Xbox Live. Now, without even announcing it, they have released a third downloadable content package. This time it includes a whopping five new gameplay modes and three new maps. Apparently, four of the new gameplay modes are really two modes with a teamplay option. If somehow you happen to be bored with the new content you just got, you've just been given more. Why can't other games get this much content?
Eidos Has The Golden Touch
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:40 PM |
Category: General |
Eidos has just put two titles to gold status and is preparing them for release as you read this. The first one is the long awaited Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness. Eidos says the game should ship as early as this weekend for your Playstation 2. The second game is the PS2 version of The Italian Job. The game is based on the recently released movie of the same name. Does anyone remember (or even take notice) that The Italian Job was released on the PSOne well over a year ago by Rockstar?
Sega Sports 2K Series Goes Bye Bye
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:30 PM |
Category: General |
Sega has announced that NFL 2K4 is no longer getting released under the 2K name, but instead has been renamed ESPN NFL Football. A rather odd change of names that will either help or hurt the games sales. If you remember, most sports gamers have a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to ESPN football games thanks to Konami. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp has also been tapped to be this year's player on the cover. If Sega's sports games can actually get some decent promotion this year, I don't see why they can't eventually grab that top spot on the sports games ranks. Their games have proven to be top notch when looking back over the last few years.
George Bush Spills On A Segway
Posted
by
Sean 'Hades' Connolly
at 11:13 AM |
Category: General |
A news story over at CNN.COM shows the President of the United States, George W. Bush making an attempt to ride a Segway. If you're in need of a good laugh check out the story and look at the second picture.
Love him or hate him, you'll still get a chuckle out of his segway ride.
Wolfenstein Downloadable Content Really Downloadable?
Posted
by
Sean 'Hades' Connolly
at 10:57 AM |
Category: General |
An article over at Boomtown shows us that the "downloadable" maps from the XBOX version of Wolfenstein aren't actually downloaded. The maps are on the disc when you purchase it, you just need to connect with the XBOX Live service and download a tiny (140 byte) file to unlock the map in the game. An independent gamer who discovered this information has said the following:
"I can actually confirm with 99.9% certainty that the [Wolfenstein] maps were indeed unlocked. I have a mod-chipped xbox, allowing me to ftp into my Xbox DVD drive and HDD and I can confirm that the "barn" map is as fully on the retail disc as all other maps. Not only this, there are two other maps that are not also not currently available, called "chateau" and "safe". Finally, the file that was downloaded off the live service was infact a miniscule 140 BYTES confirming that it in no way was part of the map and was just means of unlocking the already present file." If the maps were done before the product was shipped I can see why they would throw them on the disc, but it seems like a bit of a rip off to have to use the online service just to unlock the content. You can also see where the maps are listed on the disc by this screenshot.
Grand Theft Auto:Vice City Statistics Page
Posted
by
Sean 'Hades' Connolly
at 10:44 AM |
Category: General |
The great people over a Slashdot have posted a link to the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PHP Stats Page. You'll have to upload your stats.txt file from the PC version and it will generate a nice looking page with all those stats for you to share with (and make fun of) your friends. Check out an example of the output page here.
I don't have the PC version to try this out for myself, but those of you with it should definately check it out.
Bungie Releases Halo 2 Preview
Posted
by
Sean 'Hades' Connolly
at 10:35 AM |
Category: General |
Bungie has released a video preview of the much anticipated FPS: Halo 2. The video is high quality and even recorded with surround sound. Check here for a large list of mirrors to grab this movie from.
Do your eyes a favor and grab the movie today.
Game Boy Player Release Date
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:26 AM |
Category: General |
Like many people, I've been waiting for the upcoming Game Boy Player peripheral for the Gamecube but have yet to find a specific release date other than "June 2003". I just noticed on Nintendo.com that the Game Boy Player has been given a street date of June 23, 2003. That's right, June 23, 2003. That would be a Monday however, so I would imagine that is the shipping date. You'll probably see it appear on store shelves on June 24th, which is Tuesday (but that's just an educated guess on my part).
The Game Boy Player is a new accessory from Nintendo that lets you play your favorite Game Boy (any generation) games on your TV through the Gamecube. It will only be available in black, but for those of you without a black Cube, don't worry, black goes good with anything! I'm sure it'll look pretty cool regardless of the color you have.
F-Zero GX Screenies
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:22 PM |
Category: General |
IGN has a handful of new screenshots of the mind blowingly beautiful F-Zero GX. Go here to check them out. Do it now, and then reserve your copy of the game (and get a Gamecube if you don't already have one) because this game is going to own your free time.
Black & White II Preview
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:17 PM |
Category: General |
Gamespot has a cool little preview about the upcoming Peter Molyneux game Black & White II. The preview isn't long but covers some interesting topics.Molyneux then went on to show an example of one of Black & White II's eight "epic miracles." We watched the "siren" miracle, an effect that summons a gigantic blue-skinned spirit with flowing hair that will beckon all living creatures to herself. As Molyneux explained, he himself has used this ability in play-test sessions to lure enemy soldiers into a single location, which then allows him to build a wall around them to entrap them. Molyneux explained that these and other strategies will be vital in the sequel's multiplayer component, in which players will be able to bring their own customized creature and armies into play with one of five races of worshippers. Look for Black & White II in February.
Tim Sweeney Speaks On UT2004
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:12 PM |
Category: General |
The next version of Unreal Tournament is upon us with Unreal Tournament 2004 and while there's not a whole lot of information yet, little bits are starting to surface. There's a great interview with Tim Sweeney about the new game and what you can look forward to.The two things we're most excited about are the Assault game type, which was the most popular single-player mode in the original 1999 version of Unreal Tournament, and the Onslaught game type. In Assault, one team is attacking the other team's bases or fortifications, and has to achieve a set of objectives to win, while the other team carries out a defense. The gameplay ends up being very structured and unique, and is great in multiplayer or when just playing single-player against the bots. Onslaught features a large set of vehicles you can drive around (and sometimes even fly). It's somewhat remniscent of Battlefield 1942's Conquest mode, but with the speed and futuristic weapons of UT2003. Read up on the rest of it for details like pricing of the game (since it is more or less an upgrade) and some nifty screenshots as well.
ReplayTV Drops Features
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:00 PM |
Category: General |
The latest line of ReplayTV products will be a bit different from it's predecessors. One of the most surprising is the ability to skip over ads. The other is the ability to send recorded programs to other users. These two features have helped ReplayTV get the subscriber base it currently has and there's no telling what these changes will do to the company. If you still have an older ReplayTV box, don't worry, you can still take advantage of these features, but you won't be able to get newer features (so it's a trade off). Read more about it here.
Elite Force II Goes Gold
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:56 PM |
Category: General |
Activision has announced that Ritual Entertainment's Star Trek: Elite Force II has gone gold. The sequel to the Raven Software hit Star Trek: Elite Force, Elite Force II takes place in The Next Generation universe where you play the role of the elite Hazard Team. The game is rated "T" for Teen and will ship with a $49.99 price tag. Look for it later this month.
Beatallica
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:48 PM |
Category: General |
Do you like Metallica? Do you like The Beatles? If so, you might want to check out this cool band called Beatallica. Essentially, it's Beatles tunes fused with Metallica songs and the strange thing is, it works! The singer of this band sounds so much like James Hetfield you could probably convince people that it really is Metallica playing Beatles songs. If you only check out one of their songs, might we suggest the excellent "The Thing That Should Not Let It Be". According to the site, they should have a new EP out sometime soon as well. Best of all, their music is free. How can you go wrong?
RIAA: Ruining People, One Life At A Time
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:04 PM |
Category: General |
On a music related note, I just caught this story about the RIAA busting a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for running a search engine that finds files on the school's network. His site ChewPlastic.com was busted by the RIAA because it was too "Napter like". The student knows that while music was being swapped, other files such as power point presentations and class notes were also being spread using the search engine.(ChewPlastic) As many of you already know, I signed an order of dismissal with the RIAA (as did they) where they agreed to drop all of their claims against me and I agreed to pay them $12,000. While I am not pleased with this outcome, I entered into the agreement voluntarily. Why? A $12,000 settlement is much cheaper than defending a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The student has now lost his life savings and from the sounds of it, the battle with the RIAA is ongoing. At no point did he promote piracy using the search engine. Someone needs to stop these people. Scare tactics will only get you so far. I'd think it's safe to say that the RIAA is the most hated company in the US.
Half Life 2 On Xbox Or Not?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:26 AM |
Category: General |
Apparently, there is confusion on whether or not Half Life 2 will be on Xbox. According to a Microsoft Product Manager for the Xbox, it's not going to be on the system. On the other hand, Valve Software's Doug Lombardi says otherwise.(GameSpy) Lombardi today told GameSpy Half-Life 2 is certainly in development for the Xbox. "Half-Life 2 is planned for the PC and Xbox. We've announced the shipping date for the PC version, and we'll announce a shipping date for the Xbox version later in the year." It's hard to tell for sure, but if Valve says it is, I don't see why Microsoft would deny them the chance to put the game on the console. Hopefully there will be a clear answer soon.
Tomb Raider Trailer
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:06 AM |
Category: General |
After 800 centuries, the new Tomb Raider game is finally upon us. If you want a sneak peak at the game, head on over to the official website and watch the trailer before it hit TV screens. Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness hits stores June 18th on Playstation 2.
Mint Cubes?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:52 AM |
Category: General |
If you are in Japan and want to get a Gamecube, you'll have a new color choice soon. Nintendo and Namco has announced that a new mint green Cube will be available to support the game Tales of Symphonia. The CD lid will also have game artwork on it. No word on if this will ever make it to markets outside of Japan. We never got Orange, so don't count on it. I still stand behind my Black Cube though, maybe I'm just old fashioned. To read more on this mint green flavored system, check out IGN.
Metal Gear Solid 3 Details
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 3:08 PM |
Category: General |
IGN has some details on the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater courtesty of a new issue of Famitsu. In the article, Hideo Kojima answers a few questions about the game's new approach. He mentions how much of the outside environments will be in the game and how the outdoors affects the gameplay. He also talks about the need to hunt in the game and the growing question of who the main character really is, among other things. The more I hear about this game the more I can't wait for it.
New Tides Of War Map Available
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:48 PM |
Category: General |
Return To Castle Wolfenstein: Tides Of War players will be happy to know that they have a new map to play on Xbox Live. The new map thrusts Tides of War players into a winner-take-all battle to locate and destroy a cache of ammunition secretly held by Axis forces, who intend to re-supply battle-weary troops on the front lines. The Allied squad must use well-coordinated teamwork and overwhelming firepower to infiltrate the Axis held barn and destroy the weapons cache. Sounds fun to me. Hop on Xbox Live and download this bad boy.
Unreal Tournament 2004 Screenshot
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:42 PM |
Category: General |
The upcoming Unreal Tournament 2004 has a face to it now. The Adrenaline Vault has a great new screenshot of the game. It shows off a new character model and a few vehicles. Give it a look here and be impressed (or else).
The Animatrix
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:31 PM |
Category: General |
I just thought I'd let everyone know that the compilation DVD The Animatrix is out and ready to be experienced in your home theaters. The Animatrix is a collection of animated short films that explains the world of the Matrix even more. It's a must have for fans of the series (such as myself) and just as much for fans of anime in general. This DVD definitely gets the Official Fraust Seal Of Approval.
Re-enter The Matrix?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:16 PM |
Category: General |
The movie series doesn't look like it'll have a future after November, but The Matrix is apparently getting a good life in the video game realm. Aside from the upcoming The Matrix Online there is rumored to be two more games in the works from the people at Shiny (the ones responsible for the recent Enter The Matrix game). According to Atari sources, the next game will be released in the fall of 2004 and the game after that won't be seen until 2006. That's quite a while, so don't get too anxious. The Matrix will live forever dammit!
The Mafia Is Coming To Consoles
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:07 PM |
Category: General |
The popular PC game Mafia is going to see release on the Playstation 2 and Xbox courtesy of The Gathering. This game was pretty popular among PC gamers when it was released last year.“Shipping on both PlayStation 2 and Xbox in Fall 2003, Mafia has been enhanced to deliver a console experience that will make the Cosa Nostra look like a bunch of choirboys,” said Graeme Struthers, Vice President of Gathering. “Mafia recreates the heyday of the mob in stunning detail and puts the gamer right in the heart of the action.” The release is still a little ways off, but we'll have more information as it becomes available.
Jedi Academy, et al
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 1:16 PM |
Category: Developers_Corporate|x|PC_Action |
GalacticHunter.com asked Kenn Hoekstra a few questions about Jedi Academy, including some new screenshots. Check them out.
In somewhat related news, Raven Software is looking for a high-poly model maker for Quake IV.
Snake Eater Preview
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:05 AM |
Category: General |
Unfortunately I don't have a link for you, but in the latest issue of GMR Magazine, there is a big twelve page section on Hideo Kojima's upcoming projects (most of these are Metal Gear Solid games). There is a good look at Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which is the original MGS remade for the Gamecube, and a great in-depth look at the absolutely jaw dropping Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for Playstation 2. This is a must have issue for fans of the Metal Gear series. The latest GMR Magazine can be found at Electronic Boutique stores for $4.99.
Metallica Treasure Hunt
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:54 AM |
Category: General |
Metallica fans can get a sneak peak of the songs on the DVD that is bundled with their upcoming album St. Anger today by doing some hunting. Eleven websites in the webiverse (did I just invent a new word) will have a streaming presentation of a different song from the DVD. It's up to you to find the sites, but they provide clues here. Happy hunting! St. Anger is due in stores on Thursday, June 5th.
Mace Griffin Is Solid Gold
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:45 AM |
Category: General |
Everyone waiting for Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter (featuring the voice of the almighty Henry Rollins) should be aware that the game has gone gold for some platforms and is now in the process of being prepared to exchange for your money. While Xbox and Playstation 2 gamers will get Mace Griffin on June 19th, PC and Gamecube owners have to wait until September 2nd. No idea why there's a wait until September for those two, but if we find out why we'll let you know.
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