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Heavy Rain The Taxidermist DLC releasing for everyone April 1, 2010
Heavy Rain Chronicles downloadable content add-on “The Taxidermist” will be released on April’s Fools Day, April 1st 2010, for all of those who didn’t pre-order the game and thus don’t already own the add-on.
The Taxidermist is the first episode of the “Heavy Rain Chronicles”; additional self-contained adventures for Heavy Rain which will be built upon with future add-on packs.
Although The Taxidermist was available for free to those who pre-ordered the game, if you didn’t pre-order you’ll have to pony up the $5 for this short additional episode when it releases on April Fools.
“Heavy Rain: Chronicle One – The Taxidermist” features investigative journalist Madison Paige in one of her first cases tracking down the Origami serial killer, and sheds new background on Madison. It is an expansion and update to the original “Taxidermist” Heavy Rain demo that received extremely positive responses when Heavy Rain was first shown off in 2008 at E3.
Here’s a trailer for the episode.
Via GameSpot
No comments »Final Fantasy XIII sales of 1 million in America five days after release. 5 million sold worldwide
Final Fantasy XIII has sold over 1 million copies within five days of release in the U.S. and Canada, driving its first-week worldwide sales to 5 million.
This is a landmark as FFXIII has now broken the franchise record by having the largest first-week sales in the series storied 23-year history. Overall the franchise has sold over 96 MILLION units worldwide!
This will certainly come as a relief to publisher Square Enix, who had been toiling away on the thirteenth installment of the series since it was announced four years ago at E3 2006. Which is also the same year as Final Fantasy XII was released, the last core-game in the series until #13 hit last week.
This surely also confirms to Square that the decision to release an Xbox 360 version of the game outside of Japan (where FFXIII remains a PS3-exclusive) was definitely the right decision. Although the company did not release numbers on how the sales-breakdown per console went. But the game most definitely benefited from an Xbox 360 release in the West.
Square also announced that they expect FFXIII to top the 6 million sold mark by this December.
Next up . . . Final Fantasy XIV, which is currently also due for release this year!
Via GameSpot
Sony’s Kevin Butler mocks Wii and NATAL in new PlayStation Move commercial
TheKevinButler’s newest PlayStation Move PS3 TV Spot takes aim at the Wii Remote from competitor Nintendo and Microsoft’s upcoming Project NATAL; In his typically hilarious manner.
While the commercial doesn’t actually mention any Move games, it does show sporadic footage of gamers playing Motion Fighters and SOCOM 4 using the PlayStation Move motion controller system, which features a Wii Remote-like controller with a colored light atop, working in conjunction with the already-released PlayStation Eye camera to create a new way of doing motion-sensing, gesture-control-based gaming.
In the video Kevin Butler mocks the way Wii Sports Boxing is often played and then takes aim at Microsoft’s Ricochet game in which players swipe at oncoming red balls.
As always, the commercial is extremely effective and quite funny to boot.
BAFTA Video Game Award 2010 winners include Batman: Arkham Asylum (Best Game), Uncharted 2 (Most Awards) and Shigeru Miyamoto
Batman: Arkham Asylum won Game of the Year and Uncharted 2 picked up the most awards at the 2010 BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) GAME: British Academy Video Game Awards ceremony that took place in London.
Batman sealed the deal as quite possibly the best game of 2009 by unseating Uncharted 2 at BAFTA and winning Best Game along with Best Game Design. This impressive showing follows directly on the heels of doing the same at the Game Developer’s Choice Awards just last week where it beat Uncharted in the Best Game Design category.
However Uncharted 2 plowed onward in a big way, winning the most awards of the night, including: Best Action Game, Best Original Score, Best Story, and Best Use of Audio.
Other games were also highlighted at the event of as well of course. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 won the Game Award of 2009 for being voted as the best game by the public, Flower won the award for Best Artistic Achievement and LittleBigPlanet PSP won the Best Handheld Game Award.
This was also a big night for Shiggy, i.e. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pikmin, Wii Sports, Wii Fit and overall Nintendo mastermind, who won the honorary Fellowship Award. This very prestigous category is shared by previous winners Will Wright (of The Sims and SimCity creator fame) and Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari and the one who popularized and trademarked the game “Pong”. Based on Ralph Baer’s original “tennis” design).
One contentious or rather sad moment of the show came with the Modern Warfare 2 win for most public votes, as the award was accepted by an Activision UK representative, and NOT by the creators of the game at Inifinity Ward. This is due to a brutal legal fight between the publisher Activision and developer Infinity Ward. The latter’s two presidents were terminated and Activision is now being sued for over $36 million in damages by the two in a messy court battle.
The awards were hosted by comedian Dara O’Briain for the second year running, and the show was located at the London Hilton Metropole Hotel.
Here is a full list of the categories and winners. Article continues »
Nier comic books coming from DC Comics
Square Enix’s Nier Action RPG is scheduled for release on April 27, 2010 and to further promote it the company has tapped DC Comics to create a comic book series.
This new Nier comic will flesh out the back story for the game and will give readers a whole new look at the world they will encounter in the game.
The comic will be released in digital form through the official web-site (the first edition of which is available now, hit the link above) as well as on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.
The mini-series will be composed of three issues and will conclude on the launch date of the game. Although the main characters from the game (The titular hero and his infected daughter Yonah) will be highlighted in the comic, it will also highlight others like Nier’s companion Kane and the sentient book known as the Grimoire Weiss. The origin of the Black Scrawl virus will also be delved into.
Handling duties for the comic is the DC Comics Wildstorm imprint and it will feature the work of Emmy-winning creator and executive producer Ricardo Sanchez. Other contributors include Pop Mhan (Batgirl, The Flash), Eddie Nunez (DC Universe MMOG), and Carlos D’Anda (Justice League of America, Deathblow).
Nintendo DSi XL comparison
The Nintendo DSi XL system launches in America on March 28th.
The new portable is a supersized version of the regular DSi with screens that are 93% larger than the DS Lite’s screens. At a cost of $190, the new system is designed to allow for easy viewing for groups of people around the player, with screens that are crisp and clear no matter what angle you view them at (though it’s worth noting that the resolution is the same as on the other models). And since they are larger, you can much more easily share your portable gaming experience with someone next to you or those around you.
Let’s start you out with an official video from Nintendo that shows the new features of the DSi XL and improvements over the regular DSi. Watch it here:
Two colors will be available on launch day, Burgandy and Bronze, and the system includes a glossy top section with a matte-finished bottom half. This allows players to easily grip the system and avoids the fingerprint issue of the DS Lite.
DSi XL comparison to original DSi system:
Screen Size – The DSi features the biggest portable screens for a handheld gaming system yet. The TFT-LCD screens (top is regular, bottom is touch-screen) are a whopping 4.2 inches as compared to the DSi’s 3.25 inches. The original DS and DS Lite had 3 inch screens.
Stylus – The DSi XL comes with a large, thick, literal pen-sized stylus (129.3mm long) instead of the small, skinny one (96mm long) that you are used to with older DS systems. Although it also comes with a longer regular stylus (yep, that’s two styli in one box).
Battery Life – The DSi XL has an improved battery life of 13-17 hours (if you have it on the lowest brightness level). This compares with the 9 to 14 hours of the regular DSi. Although it’s still not as high as the DS Lite’s 15-19 hours.
Dimensions – This is the longest, widest and heaviest DS model yet. It’s dimensions are: 161mm wide x 91.4mm long x 21.2mm thick while weighing 314 grams. In comparison the DSi weighed 214 grams. And was 137mm wide, 74.9mm long, and 18.9mm thick.
The DSi XL also includes the following features:
* Comes with two cameras, one facing you, and one facing away for easy snapshot taking.
* The DSi XL features a menu interface where Apps, games, etc. are shown as selectable icons.
* Like with the previous DSi, the DSi XL can connect to the DSi Shop where you can download DSiWare games and additional apps, game demos, etc.
* Photos can be taken with the cameras and viewed via the camera gallery, which also allows you to edit and play with the photos using ten different “lenses”. And photos can be directly uploaded to Facebook via the built-in Facebook app in the DSi XL.
* The DSi XL contains an SD card slot which allows you to save and few specific files. You can listen to music on the SD Cards (supported formats include AAC, .mp4, .m4a, and .3GP. MP3 IS NOT supported) using the DSi Sound app. Where you can play with the audio. You can also record ten second audio clips using the DSi XL’s built-in microphone.
* Pictochat allows you to paint-chat with up to 16 users with a direct wireless connection (no online support), as was provided on previous DS models.
* Includes Flipnote Studio. An app which allows you to create word and picture-based notes using your stylus and the touch-screen. You can then add sounds and use your drawings to create frame-by-frame flipbook-style animations.
* You can browse the Internet using the DSi XL’s built-in browser and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
* Includes 3 pre-loaded games: Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age: Arts & Letters, and Photo Clock. The latter allows users to customize the pictures that appear on the background of their clock.
Also launching alongside the system are the games “America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking” (where users help multiple chefs prepare delicious recipes) and WarioWare: D.I.Y. (where players finally get to create and share their own WarioWare microgames!)
See all of the new features of the DSi XL and how it compares to past DS systems in this European video, where the system was released in early March 2010.
Fragile Dreams walkthrough video guide (Wii)
In this Fragile Dreams walkthrough, you’ll see the beginning to ending moments of cutscenes and gameplay in this highly anticipated action adventure horror title for the Wii.
Set in a post-apocalyptic vision of Japan, Fragile Dreams is a fantasy adventure game that takes place in a world seemingly devoid of human life. Consequently, gamers will experience an acute sense of isolation as they guide an abandoned young boy named Seto, who is searching for survivors on the way to his final destination.
An engaging and unique game, as the story unfolds the gamer gradually begins to make sense of the desolate world while fending off ghosts and other hostile creatures, using the Wiimote as both weapon and torch.
Visually stunning, audio is also crucial in Fragile Dreams – along with an emotional soundtrack, ghostly sounds emanate from the Wiimote’s speaker, adding to the eerie environment. It can also be pointed at the source of a sound and used as an aid to detect key items and locations.
Fragile Dreams walkthrough video guide part 1
Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing shortcuts guide
What are the shortcuts in Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing? Our guide will help you find shortcuts for all the various tracks in Sega’s new racing game, so that you can get the upper-hand in getting the best time on each course.
Shortcuts on Icicle Valley Course
You’ll find a shortcut right near the beginning of the track on the first left turn. You’ll see there is a cave blocked by two signs.
Shortcut on Lost Palace Course
To get to this shortcut, you’ll find it after the big jump. There is a lone island that has a boost pad on it. After the big jump, make sure you land straight onto that island. It’ll allow you to jump over the island and to the track beyond it.
Shortcuts on Outer Forest Course
The shortcut on the Outer Forest track is found right after leaving the house. You’ll notice on the left turn you can go straight/leftish through the trees, where you’ll find a secret passage.
Shortcut on Ocean Ruin Course
#1 – You’ll find a shortcut right before the finish line. You’ll see it after the big jump out of the tube. It’s located after the cave when you go back on the docks before the end.
#2 – After the first left turn at the docks, signs will tell you to turn right. Instead keep going straight/leftish. You’ll then be able to do a jump that can save you a lot of time and turning.
# 3 – This shortcut is located on the final wooden pier. Before you go into the big building by turning right, head straight instead. This will allow you to skip the pier and gives a big shortcut. Article continues »
Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing cheats for unlockables
Looking for cheats for Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing for Wii, DS, PS3, Xbox 360 or PC. Below you’ll find codes and a list of unlockables for the cart racer.
Unlockable characters
You’ll be able to unlock the following characters by spending the amount of money it cost to buy each new character.
1. Chuchu Pilots (Chuchu Rocket) – Cost $25,500
2. Jacky Bryant and Akira Yuki (Virtua Fighter) – Cost $18,500
3. Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone) – Cost $32,500
4. Ulala (Space Channel 5) – Cost $12,500
Unlockable courses
You’ll be able to unlock the following courses by spending the amount of money it cost to buy the courses.
1. Bingo Party (Sonic The Hedgehog) – Cost $11,000
2. Dark Arsenal (Sonic The Hedgehog) – Cost $5,500
3. Deadly Route (House Of The Dead) – Cost $10,000
4. Highway Zero (Jet Set Radio Future) – Cost $9,500
5. Lava Lair (Billy Hatcher) – Cost $11,500
6. Lost Palace (Sonic The Hedgehog) – Cost $7,500
7. Monkey Target (Super Monkey Ball) – Cost $12,000
8. Ocean Ruin (Sonic The Hedgehog) – Cost $10,500
9. Pinball Highway (Sonic The Hedgehog) – Cost $6,500
10. Rampart Road (Billy Hatcher) – Cost $5,000
11. Rocky-Coaster (Samba de Amigo) – Cost $9,000
12. Rokkaku Hill (Jet Set Radio Future) – Cost $8,500
13. Sandy Drifts (Super Monkey Ball) – Cost $8,000
14. Sewer Scrapes (House Of The Dead) – Cost $7,000
15. Thunder Deck (Sonic The Hedgehog) – Cost $12,500
Unlockable Music
You’ll be able to unlock the following music tracks by spending the amount of money it cost to buy each new song. Article continues »
Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing Missions walkthrough video guide
In this Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing walkthrough, you’ll see the beginning to ending moments of gameplay for Sega’s latest cart-racing all-star extravaganza.
Get ready for the ultimate racing showdown with Sonic and his SEGA friends! Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is a fast and furious battle to the finish line. In a frantic battle to the checkered flag, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rain forests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Fan favorites such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi, Amigo and many more will join Sonic in their custom built vehicles, revving their engines and jostling to stay ahead of the pack. Each character will race around the track in cars, planes, motorbikes, and in AiAi’s case — a banana mobile! Secret short cuts, swift handling and avoiding strategically placed obstacles are certainly the best way to get to the top of the podium.
