A prequel to the original Halo may be in the works. This is according to a rumor that popped up from EGM's Quartermann. 1up notes that part of Bungie going independent from Microsoft required giving them some more games. The rumor mentions that it involves early battles between the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST) and Covenant.
From 1up: "Our spies tell us to expect a third-person action/adventure shooter hybrid that takes place before the original Halo, chronicling early skirmishes between the ODST troops and the Covenant. This may or may not be the oft-mentioned "Peter Jackson Halo Project" -- though apparently Microsoft is hiring a seperate team for that -- but WETA is definitely involved in some capacity. Look for a massive reveal around the time Gears of War 2 ships this fall..."
See the unwrapping, aka "unboxing," of the Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3) in a video below. The video shows someone opening up the PLAYSTATION 3 version at a retail store, since the street date isn't until 4/29/08.
Tucked away in the black GTA IV metal safety box:
- Grand Theft Auto IV game with special packaging.
- Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book, featuring never-before-seen production artwork from Grand Theft Auto IV.
- Selected soundtrack CD from Grand Theft Auto IV, featuring new material from top artists, only available on this release.
- An exclusive Rockstar key chain for the safety deposit box keys.
- Limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.
Well, we haven't started playing yet, but another update is now available for the Metal Gear Online Beta. Once you launch your Metal Gear Online Beta game, select Start Game and accept the terms. You'll be notified that a 1.02 Update is now available. Select peer to peer or HTTP download (peer to peer downloaded quicker for me).
The update says: "The update currently implemented will modify the way in which the beta client connects to our server."
The MGO Beta is scheduled to go live at 12:01 AM PDT on 4/26/08 (at the crack of midnight tonight), so you should probably get ahead of the game and download the 1.02 update asap. You don't want to be jammed in a queue for the download at midnight! The Metal Gear Online Beta is currently up for gamers in PAL regions (Europe).
Capcom once hinted at a possible multiplayer feature in Bionic Commando Rearmed, but today they confirm it.
Multiplayer characters you can choose from include:
Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer
Supervisor Joseph Gibson
Generalissimo Killt
Groeder
You'll have to unlock some of the characters by completing the story mode. Bionic Commando Rearmed will be available for $10 on the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PLAYSTATION Network.
See a multiplayer video below from Capcom, featuring writers from Destructoid, Gamespot and IGN in a multiplayer duel.
With the PLAYSTATION 3's Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack release yesterday, Infinity Ward is having a Call of Duty 4 action packed weekend. Earn 2 times the experience points during the Double XP Weekend in multiplayer maps from 12:01 GMT, Friday, April 25 through 11:59 PDT, Sunday, April 27.
Starting this afternoon (4/25/08), PLAYSTATION 3 COD4 gamers can take on developers from Infinity Ward from 2 PM to 5 PM EDT and 8 PM to 11 PM EDT. To challenge the developers, you'll have to add the following PLAYSTATION Network IDs to your friend’s list:
Make way on your PLAYSTATION 3 hard drive, because there is plenty to download from today's PLAYSTATION Store Thursday releases. Definitely download the echochrome demo. See a video of it below. The much anticipated Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack is now available for $9.99. Eye of Judgment gamers will be happy to know they can put their Set 2 cards to use with the newly released expansion set ($14.99). Count me in. The PSP also gets an echochrome demo and the classic side-scrolling shooter R-Type. Take Iron Man for a spin too!
Here's the April 24, 2008 PLAYSTATION Store releases:
Game Demos:
- echochrome Playable Demo
- Iron Man Playable Demo
PSone Retro Game Download (for PSP & PLAYSTATION 3): - R-Types ( R-TYPE and R-TYPE II ) : $5.99
Game Content:
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack: $9.99
- THE EYE OF JUDGEMENT: Biolith Rebellion 2 (Expansion Set Two): $14.99
- Army of Two SSC Challenge Map Pack: $7.49
Rock Band songs:
“Saints of Los Angeles” - Mötley Crüe ($0.99)
“Screaming for Vengeance” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“(Take These) Chains” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“The Hellion/Electric Eye” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“Riding on the Wind” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“Pain and Pleasure” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“Fever” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“Devil’s Child” - Lynyrd Skynyrd ($1.99)
“Bloodstone” - Judas Priest ($1.99)
“Screaming For Vengeance” Album ($14.99)
Guitar Hero III songs:
Def Leppard Track Pack ($6.25)
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore sownloadable songs ($1.49 each)
Game Videos: - Army of Two SSC Challenge Teaser Trailer
- Behind-the-Scenes of “Fast Car”
- Coachella Music Festival
- FIFA 08 Features Video
- GT5 Prologue Techno Video
- Iron Man Action Trailer
- PROTOTYPE – Discover Evolution
- Resistance 2 Teaser Trailer - Interview with Wyclef Jean P.1
- Interview with Wyclef Jean P.2
Movie & Blu-Ray Videos: - 88 Minutes
- The Water Horse
Themes & Wallpaper:
- THE EYE OF JUDGMENT Theme #2
- Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Wallpaper (x4)
PSP
PLAYSTATION Store for PC downloadable content:
Downloadable Games:
- LocoRoco ($21.99)
- Kingdom of Paradise ($10.99)
PS one Classics for PS3 / PSP: - R-Types (PSone Classic) ($5.99)
Game Demos (free): - echochrome PSP Demo (also downloadable through the PS3 system)
Game Videos (free): - LocoRoco Trailer
- Kingdom of Paradise Trailer
- R-Type Command Trailer
- Resistance 2 Trailer
- GT5 Prologue Techno Video
Keep a lookout on Amazon.com tomorrow (4/25/08) for 5 Nintendo DS games going on sale. The games will be featured in Amazon.com's Gold Box.
Here's when the sale starts for each:
12:01 AM PST : A Nintendo DS game will be featured as a Gold Box Deal of the Day, available while supplies last.
[UPDATE]: The Gold Box game is Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for $16.99. Great deal for a good DS game. See reviews here.
6:00 AM PST: A DS game will be featured as a Lightning Deal. Available for the following four hours, or while supplies last.
10:00 AM PST: Nintendo DS game Lightning Deal
2:00 PM PST: Nintendo DS game Lightning Deal
6:00 PM PST: Nintendo DS game Lightning Deal
Keep a lookout and act quick, because Amazon Lightning Deals combined with Nintendo games sellout extra quick!
Today, Nintendo has announced that fiscal year 2008 has brought operating profits of more than $487 billion yen to the company. Mario is clearly raking the coins in. Looking at the lifetime system sales, as of March 31, 2008, Nintendo has shipped 24.45 million Wii systems and 70.6 million DS systems. Nintendo is also reporting a "life-to-date" ratio of 6.07 games sold per Wii system and 5.24 games sold per DS system.
Fiscal Year 2008 (worldwide) units SHIPPED:
Wii system: 18.61 million units
Wii software: 119.6 million units
DS system: 30.31 million units
DS software: 185.62 million units
Fiscal Year 2009 (worldwide) units PROJECTED:
Wii system: 25 million units
Wii software: 177 million units
DS system: 28 million units
DS software: 187 million units
A downloadable demo for Operation Darkness is now available from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The download is 493 MB.
Details on the game, from the Xbox 360 dashboard: "Enter an alternate WWII-era world where history and fantasy collide! Leading an army of ruthless officers and unearthly creatures, Adolf Hitler marches through Europe, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. With his powers on the rise and his armies on the move, it falls on you and your team of elite soldiers to cut deep into the heart of the Third Reich and strike a fatal blow to Hitler’s ever-growing legion of evil!"
Sony Computer Entertainment America releases a new trailer for SingStar on the PLAYSTATION 3. The video shows the gear to be used, a bit of the SingStore, PLAYSTATION Eye compatibility and My SingStar Online (share your SingStar performances with photos & videos and then view/rate online). See the trailer below.
About SingStar: "Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's London Studio, SingStar PS3 takes the successful interactive singing experience established with the multi-million selling global PlayStation 2 franchise to the next level with personalization and community taking center stage. SingStar PS3 allows you access to a catalog of hundreds of downloadable songs featuring the real artists and videos, via the PS3 online SingStore."
SingStar is scheduled for a late May 2008 release in the US. See a SingStar performance here. Take a peek at the UK SingStar website here.
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