Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 hits milestone

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on May 6th, 2009

codmappackI am a big Call of Duty fan and while I prefer Modern Warfare to the World War II setting, the most recent Call of Duty: World at War game was lots of fun. I don’t like to play my shooters on consoles personally; I stick to the PC for this type of game.

Lots of gamers prefer console systems though and Activision has announced today that Map Pack 1 for Call of Duty: World at War has hit a milestone. The pack has been downloaded over 2 million times combined on Xbox Live and the Sony Playstation Store.

Video game console x-rays

Posted in Games by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2009

Video game console x-raysIf you’ve ever broken any bones, then you have likely seen an x-ray of your insides. But I bet you’ve never seen x-rays of your favorite game consoles. Gamers and Doctor Mario types will be happy to know that the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and Sony’s Playstation 3 (among others) have been x-rayed and are perfectly healthy.

Reintiji uploaded this set of x-rays to Flickr. It’s nerdy, it’s geeky and it’s even damn artistic. There’s some beautiful images in this gallery. Even the simple nunchuk. Wait. Do I see a problem with a torn rotator cuff on it’s analog stick?

EA announces Madden 10 cover athletes

Posted in EA by Shane McGlaun on April 27th, 2009

madden10cover-sbGamers all have their own personal genres that they tend to enjoy most. If you look at a list of the top selling video game franchises a few of them are surprising like The Sims, but many are no suprise at all. Among the most popular and unsurprising franchises out there is EA’s Madden NFL franchise.

EA has announced the cover athletes for the latest version of the game called Madden NFL 10. The game is set to hit store shelves for the PS3, Wii, and Xbox on August 14. Version 10 of the game is the first to feature two athletes on one cover.

Target video game reservation program unveiled

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on April 17th, 2009

targetreservationcardOne of the worst parts about being an avid gamer is that it can be hard to find the newest and coolest video games the day they launch. I have been trying to get a copy of Mario Kart for the Wii for months and can’t find it.

Target has announced a new video game reservation program that is a bit easier to swallow than many pre-order programs that require you to pay for the entire purchase price of the game. The Target program has little cards, which look like gift cards. You pay $1 for the reservation cards and guarantee yourself a copy of whatever game the card is for.

Six Days in Fallujah video game under development

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on April 15th, 2009

konami-logo-sbI am a big fan of shooters on PC; I typically prefer them to be of the first person variety. I have played some third person shooters and often times the controls are the weak link in third person titles. Konami has announced a new third person shooter is in development that could be the most realistic shooter ever produced.

The game is to be called Six Days in Fallujah and is based on historically accurate data from the battle for Fallujah during the Iraq war. The battle for Fallujah was the largest urban battle in 40 years. Konami says that to develop the game 32 US Marines were involved and the development team used battle plans, after action reports, photos, videos, and satellite maps of the area to add unmatched realism.

Fast & Furious game hits iPhone to tie-in with the movie

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on April 6th, 2009

fastfurious-sbI really liked the first Fast & Furious movie with all the cool cars and racing action. The second and third films in the franchise left a bit to be desired, well OK a lot to be desired. The fourth film in the franchise hit theaters over the weekend and as expected video games based on the film are available as well.

A company called iPlay has announced a new game for the iPhone, the sixth Fast & Furious game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The game is available in the iTunes store now for $5.99 and offers social networking and connectivity features. Players can upload their fastest races to YouTube for inclusion in global leader boards. The graphics are high resolution and controls use the accelerometer.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 coming in 2009

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on March 27th, 2009

modernwarfare2PC gaming is where I like to get my frag on; I can’t bring myself to play shooters on the PS3 or Xbox because of the controls. One of my favorite PC shooters ever was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game was great and had fantastic multiple player action.

I was honestly disappointed when the latest Call of Duty game went back to the World War II era, I had hoped for another modern setting for the next installment in the franchise. Infinity Ward and Activision announced recently that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be coming to store shelves this year.

OnLive hands on with Gizmodo

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on March 26th, 2009

onlive-sbGaming is a big business in the US and abroad in not only hardware sales, but also the games themselves can be huge moneymakers. Top-flight titles like Halo have outsold blockbuster movies and games continue to make big money even in the current economy.

The cloud-based OnLive gaming service was mentioned here this week and yesterday the guys from Gizmodo went hands on with the PC OnLive system playing Bioshock. Anyone who has seen Bioshock on the PC knows that the game is very graphically demanding.

Target Toss Pro video game: Lawn Darts minus the resulting death

Posted in Sports by Conner Flynn on March 24th, 2009

Target Toss Pro video gameWhen I was growing up, people used to play with lawn darts all the time. Sadly those people are no longer with us as the game often resulted in various injuries and death. They outlawed the game, which was probably a good idea.

Well, the game isn’t outlawed anymore. Incredible Technologies, the makers of PowerPutt Mini Golf, have a video version of Lawn Darts that should be much safer than the original version. It even has a Raw Talk feature with adult profanity, for those missed shots. Video below.

Disney Interactive announces Split/Second video game

Posted in Disney by Shane McGlaun on March 11th, 2009

splitsecond-sbWhen you say the name Disney I automatically think of pirates, kid’s movies, and animated mice. When Disney Interactive studios put out the quad racing game Pure last year I didn’t think much about it until I saw the game and realized how fantastic it was graphically.

Disney Interactive has announced a new video game coming in 2010 called Split/Second that it hopes will draw as much attention as Pure did. Honestly, Split/Second sounds like a much more interesting premise than Pure had. The game will be available for the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3.

Amazon’s new video game trade-in program outdoes Gamestop

Posted in Amazon by Conner Flynn on March 5th, 2009

Amazon’s new video game trade-in program outdoes GamestopIf you’re like me, you don’t like spending $50 on a game only to beat it in a few hours and have it sit on the shelf forever. That’s why I resell games or trade them in, so you can get more for your money. Sadly Gamestop’s trade in prices often suck. Well, good news.

According to Webware, Amazon will now buy back used games for more money than Gamestop. Amazon launched the service today, and they currently accept over 1500 titles across platforms. Webware compared some of the bigger, recent releases, and it looks like Amazon offers $2-$3 more for games on average. Shipping is even free. Thanks Amazon. Thank you for caring about my wallet.

Neon Pac-Man lights

Posted in Lamps by Conner Flynn on March 2nd, 2009

Neon Pac-Man lightsThese geek-a-licious neon Pac-Man lights let you turn your dark abode into the classic video game. Well, almost. Your room would be missing all of the dots and power pellets. But still, it’s as close as you’re gonna get to bringing Pac-Man out of the arcade cabinet and into your home.

They look awesome and you get the original Inky, Blinky, Pinky, Clyde and Pac-Man. At 9 inches tall, they’re a nice size too. The full set is available right now on ebay.

Texas teen sets new Guitar Hero world record

Posted in World Records by Shane McGlaun on February 5th, 2009

Guinness Gamers EditionIf you are too young to drink or simply don’t drink you might not realize that the Guinness Book of World Records was started by the managing director of the Guinness Brewery. The first edition of the book was bound in August 27, 1955 and came from an idea stemming from an argument over which game bird was the fastest.

Today the Guinness Book of World Records covers a litany of records and has spawned a version just for gamers. A 14-year-old boy named Danny Johnson from Texas has grabbed the record for “Highest Score on a Single Song on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.” The teen scored a whopping 973,954 points on the singe track.

EA ships Mirror’s Edge to retailers

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on November 12th, 2008

Mirrors EdgeLast weekend I downloaded the Mirror’s Edge demo for my PS3 and spent a bit of time playing. The game is very cool and fun. You are a free runner that moves atop the buildings in a massive city delivering messages.

To get from one place to the other you have to run, jump, and fight your way there across rooftops. The game has a very cool premise and offers very original gameplay. EA announced this week that it has shipped Mirror’s Edge to retailers worldwide.

Need for Speed Undercover adds online chase mode

Posted in Games by Shane McGlaun on October 9th, 2008

Need for Speed UndercoverI have been playing the Need for Speed series since it debuted for the PC and PS2 years ago. One of the things I missed most with Need for Speed Pro Street was the cop chases. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit was one of my favorite games in the series thanks to the police chases.

EA announced some new details for the latest title in the franchise called Need for Speed Undercover. The game will offer several online modes including modes similar to what we got on Pro Street for circuit race and sprint race.