It’s official, the videogame streaming service OnLive will debut on June 17 in the US, which is also the last day of E3. Their will be a monthly subscription of $14.95 and other fees like renting or owning a game will be extra.
According to COO Mike McGarvey, who talked to MCV, the membership price “provides access to an ever-increasing library of high-end, new release game content and a host of exclusive community feature such as Brag Clips and massive spectating.” He also noted that “individual titles will be available for purchase or rental on an a la carte basis. Specific game pricing, including rentals,purchases and loyalty programs, will be announced prior to the consumer launch event at E3. We’ll also be announcing additional loyalty and discount programs for consumers in the coming months.”
When the service launches, it will only be available for both the PC and Mac; however, the home Micro Console — which allows games to played on any TV — is scheduled before years end. “For the initial rollout of the consumer service, we are focusing on delivering high-performance games to PCs and Macs and we will be making an announcement regarding our plans for the MicroConsole rollout later on in the year,” said McGarvey.
Three titles have been confirmed when OnLive launches on the internet, which are Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creed II and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, along with THQ’sMetro 2033. Although, expect more to be announced soon — maybe even tonight when OnLive has a keynote during GDC.
It’s been known for awhile that Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros and THQ have all jumped on the OnLive bandwagon. However, up until this point the biggest publisher in the world — Activision — has yet to be sold on the streaming service concept.
After the jump, read about what I think is the biggest hurdle for OnLive. (more…)
Are you still playing DJ Hero? No? Well a third music downloadable pack is about to both Xbox Live and PSN, so maybe you’ll dust off your plastic turntable. The pack will feature three mashups of six different songs by both Jay-Z and Eminem, which are:
“Shake That” by Eminem mixed with “Show Me What You Got” by Jay-Z
“Without Me” by Eminem mixed with “Encore” by Jay-Z
“Can I Get A…” by Jay-Z mixed with “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
If you care to buy them, the price for all three mashups will be 640 Microsoft Points or $7.99 on PSN. They will be available on March 25th.
Sony has whipped out a new TV spot with “Sony’s” Kevin Butler, which advertises God of War III. It’s pretty much a fair warning to all the girlfriends/boyfriends’ of the world, whose significant other is about to play the third installment, in just a few days.
Also while you watch, check out the names and titles of both people in the video — it might make you chuckle.
Even though Harmonix is well underway developing Green Day: Rock Band, the studio has just announced that they are also hard at work creating Rock Band 3, which should be released THIS holiday season. The news was just revealed on the official Facebook fan-page for Rock Band.
According to the simple status update on the social networking site, we should expect something new and fresh:
“Harmonix is developing Rock Band 3 for worldwide release this holiday season! The game, which will be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, will innovate and revolutionise the music genre once again, just as Harmonix did with the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band. Stay tuned for more details!”
I really hope Harmonix has something exciting up their sleeve because if they don’t, I think many gamers will be hesitant on buying the next installment of the famed music series. The music genre as a whole is really starting to take it’s course because the market was flooded with rhythm games. Sadly, I wouldn’t even blame Harmonix for the amount of titles in stores that require gamers to press colored buttons on plastic instruments. A lot of it has to do with Activision and milking their Guitar Hero franchise.
Since the first Rock Band was released in 2007, we have seen a total of three games on the home consoles with the name. However, in the same span Activision has shipped a total of NINE games under the “Hero” name.
Hopefully Activision hasn’t ruined the fun for both EA Harmonix, but again it really is up to them on bringing something new to the table. And then in a year, their competitor can steal the idea.
According to a source over at VG247, Sony is set to hand out a press release regarding their anticipated motion controller tomorrow. Heavily rumored to be called Arc, the unit is expected to be ship with two separate components, much like how the Wiimote has the Nunchuck attachment; however, nothing has been considered solid evidence to prove this.
When the peripheral was first announced last June during E3, it was shown off as one unit. But now it seems as though Sony took the Nintendo route and believing it’s a necessity to have two units in order to play most games. Hopefully if all goes to plan, we should know everything about the peripheral this Tuesday night, around 5PM Pacific Time.
After the jump, check out my thoughts about the peripheral. (more…)
UPDATE: Many users on various forums are reporting the “bug” has fixed itself; however we recommend that you wait until Sony gives the ‘okay’ to turn on the system.
Right now, Sony is warning PlayStation 3 owners worldwide not to turn on their system because of a serious bug that is paralyzing the popular console. According to numerous gamers from around the web, when they decided to turn on their console earlier, an error message appeared numbered ‘8001050F‘, which would disbar owners from playing a game offline, online and even crippling trophy support.
From what it sounds like, the bug’s roots started with the PlayStation 3’s internal clocks. The PS3 has two separate clocks — a system clock and a OS clock. The system clock is always running, even if the system is shut off, thanks to an internal battery. Once the PS3 boots up, the system clock communicates with the OS clock, to tell what the day and time is. However, where the problem lies.
For some reason, the system clock was programed to think there is a February 29th, 2010; however, the OS clock was never programed that way, and once the system clock tells the OS clock that it’s 2/29, it flips out and reverses itself to 1999. And in the end bricks a bunch-of-systems.
Not all of the systems have been affected, and in fact, it seems as though the PS3 Slim line if safe, said Sony in a statement:
“We believe we have identified that this problem is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system…We hope to resolve this problem within the next 24 hours. In the meantime, if you have a model other than the new slim PS3, we advise that you do not use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained trophies, and not being able to restore certain data.”
Before the statement was released, it sounded like someone at Sony might have originally thought the error stemmed from the PlayStation Network and not actually a glitch inside the system. We talked to a Gamestop Manager who did receive an email from his corporate office early in the morning today, regarding the “bug.” According to him, the retail company received an explanation from the hardware manufacture, addressing what they felt at the time was a PlayStation Network-only problem and not from the system itself.
“We are aware that many customers are experiencing issues when attempting to connect to the PSN. Customers with the slim PlayStation 3s appears to be unaffected. PSN engineers are currently working to resolve the issue, and apologize for any inconvenience this causes your customers. Please reiterate to your customers that this is NOT a hardware issue, it is an issue with the PSN.”
It doesn’t seem like every ‘fat’ PS3 model has been infected with the ‘clock-bug,’ and it looks more like a first-generation problem. If you tally up the people reporting the issue and which system they have, you can narrow it down to which serial numbers have been crashing. So far it looks like CECHA01, CECHE01, CECHG01, CECHH01, CECHK01, CECHL01 and CECHP01, have been coming up with this new dreaded error message. However, if you own a fat PS3 and and a serial isn’t listed, I still recommend you DO NOT turn on the system and test it to see if it works.
Some news is starting to trickle out of Nintendo’s US Media Summit in San Francisco. The company has confirmed dates for two highly-anticipated videogames for their Wii console. And let’s say summer is gonna be a good season for Wii gamers, which is generally unusual for the industry.
The sequel to arguably the best Wii title to date, and perhaps this generation of consoles as a whole, Super Mario Galaxy, is dated for May 23. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was predicted to be a huge holiday title for the Big N when it was first announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, but it never saw the light of day — nor mentioned much after the convention.
Another big title which was also first shown at E3 — Metroid: Other M – now officially has a date. The title, which is being co-developed by Team Ninja — makers of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden — will be in stores on June 27th of this year. The next installment of this particular Metroid game, will experiment with the combination of both first and third-person action sequences, a departure of the recent Metroid games, which was almost all in a first-person prospective.
It’s interesting to see Nintendo release these games before or right after E3, considering not much has been talked about them. With that said, it’s going to be hard for Nintendo to gain E3 hype for both titles. While I don’t see that being to much of a problem for Mario because well…it’s Mario, I do see Metroid having some advertising problems.
When Metroid is released, it pretty much is right after E3 ends, which doesn’t sound like a horrible idea at first; however, it’s risky. The reason is because the title could get lost, with all the other gaming announcements by various companies. And if the game doesn’t impress gamers when it’s showed off, they might forget it even exists when it ships a few weeks later.
I hope Nintendo has something HUGE up their sleeve for the expo because these are two games that would normally be considered Christmas titles. With that said, Nintendo is certainly not forgetting about the ever-so-important holiday season. So I fully expect some major announcements by Nintendo at the famous videogame convention in June.
British Comedian and talk show host Jonathan Ross apparently had the opportunity to play Project Natal recently. Besides telling everyone he enjoyed the experience, via twitter, he might have also spilled the beans on the month we should expect to see the peripheral in stores.
“OK. Before bed. Natal on X Box impressive. Not quite there yet i think but tye have til october and if they get it right…skys the limit.”
October sounds about the right time Microsoft would release the motion cam, just in-time for the holidays. Although, him saying it’s not quite there yet, does make me a tad nervous, and makes me wonder if the ‘lag’ is still prevalent today, as it was back at E3.
Now if you question why Ross was luckily enough to be one of the few people to play with Natal, he has worked with the company in the past. According to IMDB, he actually was uncredited for some voice work for Halo 3. So, the actor does have some ties with Microsoft.
If you wanna watch him play with Natal, click here.
God of War III won’t require a HDD install, like a lot of other games published by Sony. The news comes straight from Christer Ericson who is the head of technology at Sony’s Santa Monica Studios, the developers behind the anticipated third installment. Mr Ericson tweeted the confirmation a little while ago:
“God of War 3 does NOT do a HD install. The 5MB listed on box back is for save game only.”
This news comes after the revealing that the game will fill over 35GB of data on one single Blu-Ray disc. I’m actually happy that the team figured out a way of fitting the full game on one single disc. Between owning a bunch of titles for the PlayStation 3 and having a first generation system, I only have limited space on my hard-drive, and each blockbuster game that is released, I see less and less room available for extra goodies like Demos and movies.
So, kudos to Santa Monica Studios for working diligently on making the game work on just the disc, without the need of an install.
Mark down March 17th because that’s when one of the best first-person shooters of-all-time is making a return. Microsoft has announced that Perfect Dark, the classic title for the Nintendo 64, is getting its re-released on that day for 800 Microsoft Points. Microsoft has also revealed that from March 3-30 is when Xbox Live House Party will take place.
According to them, House Party is playing host to some of the most anticipated titles for Xbox Live, which obviously includes the spiritual successor to Goldeneye. Including Perfect Dark — three games will be part of the ‘House Party’ and if gamers buy all, they be refunded 400 Microsoft Points. If they are already a Gold subscriber, they’ll get one month free to Xbox Live.
The two other games are Toy Soldiers; which comes out on March 3rd and Scrap Metal; which has a release date March 10th. While I’m sure the other games will be fun, I’m craploads more excited for Perfect Dark. During the PSX and N64 generation, Perfect Dark was, and in many ways still is \, one of the best games to play with friends. But thanks to Xbox Live, I’ll be able to play with the same people as I did almost ten years ago, over the online service. I get the feeling Rare is about to take a lot of my time once again…
After the jump, check out a description for each game. (more…)
Summer is universally known as a slow time for gamers. Most of the anticipated titles skip the warm season and generally come out when the weather gets colder, just in time for the holidays. However this year, Electronic Arts has decided to change up the theory “when games should be released.”
Barring no major setbacks or delays, EA is set to release both the reboot of the Medal of Honor game, which is set in modern times and Realtime World’s ambitious title APB (All Points Bulletin) will be released this summer. The publisher expects to release both games between July through September; however no exact date was announced.
The company also announced vague dates for a couple other important games as well. From October to December, Crysis 2, Criterion’s (Burnout) first take on Need for Speed and EA’s MMA game will all be launched. Following December and ending in March, Dead Space 2, a sequel to Dragon Age, an unnamed Epic Games shooter, along with a unannounced action title, are all scheduled to ship.
It has been three years since we last saw a Ghost Recon title. However, that’s about to change thanks to a Ubisoft announcement. The publisher has confirmed that their studio Ubisoft Paris, the same team who developed the Advanced Warfare series, is underway working on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
The company is promising the title will include “cutting-edge technology, prototype high-tech weaponry, and state-of-the-art single-player and multiplayer modes,” which isn’t hard to believe since pretty much every Ghost Recon has been considered a “Grade A” series.” And honestly, it was the Modern Warfare before Modern Warfare and not only that, the older Recon’s are STILL some of the most realistic shooters of-all-time.
The game sounds like it will launch sometime this holiday season; however, if you own an Xbox 360 you’ll get a chance to experience a tease beforehand. Included with Splinter Cell: Conviction will be a Ghost Recon: Future Soldier beta key. Exactly what that will entail is unknown, but we’re pretty sure multiplayer will be the focus.
If you haven’t heard yet, Microsoft plans on shutting off the servers for all the original Xbox Live games. This means iconic games like Halo 2 will no longer be playable over the online service, which will officially end the era of an important idea introduced to the console industry.
In response, Bungie has left a note on their website which told their fans to mark down April 14th because they plan on sending Halo 2 off in style.
“That said, mark your calendars now – on April 14th let’s all rally to go online for one last hoorah. One final farewell and one final opportunity for all of you to kick our asses at Halo 2.”
They promised full details of what to expect besides just playing with some of the developers and that information will be forthcoming in the upcoming weeks, so will be checking back for you. Although, I have the feeling the company has something up their sleeve, which should be worth booting up the 5-year-old game. Halo 2 and Xbox Live both played a part in helping the studio grow into one of the biggest in the world.
Just a side note, April 14th falls on a Wednesday, in case any of you were wondering.
Congrats to comment number 68, Rob, who won the copy of Dante’s Inferno.
The contest is now closed, thanks to all who participated.
On February 9th, gamers will be preparing to “Go to Hell.” Not because we’ve been playing murder simulators all our lives (according to the word of Jack Thompson), but due to the fact Electronic Arts is set to ship their latest videogame Dante’s Inferno, which is loosely adapted from Dante Alighieri’s legendary epic poem The Divine Comedy.
Players will assume the role of Dante, a veteran of the Third Crusade. When Dante finds his love, Beatrice, soul trapped inside the clutches of hell, he attempts to follower her, but quickly learns the “light-bearer” Lucifer is personally seizing her spirit. In order to save Beatrice, Dante must fight through hordes of demons in the Nine Circles of Hell and when he finds her, merry her in order to free her soul.
This will be one of the first time a studio, Visceral Games in this case, will take on the task of mixing a videogame with one of the great literary works in human history. I’m excited to see how the team will pull it off, I’m sure most of you are too.
Thankfully one of you /gamer readers will be able to snag a copy of the highly-anticipated title on Xbox 360 for free, thanks to a contest we’re holding. The rules are simple: after the Jump, a question will be asked about the Divine Comedy. All you have to do is type your email, we’re it is required to comment (for contact purposes), answer the question right, and automatically you’ll entered into a drawing. Whomever is selected will be notified right away.
The contest will start NOW and end on February 9th, at midnight pacific standard time.
Yikes! Sony as just announced that the anticipated, yet super innovative title Heavy Rain, is going to require a 4.2GB install, when the game is first put inside PlayStation 3s. That obviously means gamers who purchase the game will have to wait an extensive amount of time before they even can experience the universe that Quantic Dream has developed.
Unlike most games that require the dreaded install, the guys behind the game will try and keep gamers entertained for however long it will take. It has been confirmed once the install screen appears, players will be able to create a swanorigami. Sure, it’s nothing special and I’m sure most gamers would rather play the psychological-thriller right when they pop the game inside their PS3, it’s better then having to wait and watch a loading screen appear for what seems like an eternity.
Heavy Rain is shipping into stores on February 23rd and 24th in both North America and Europe, receptively. A demo is also expected to hit the PlayStation Network on February 11th.
