GamerNode: Latest Game and Console News

Faliszek: 360 community "head and shoulders above ...

In a recent interview with CVG where he told of pre-orders for Left 4 Dead 2 being quadruple that of the original, Chet Faliszek had another big statement. Valve's projecct lead took a shot at the PlayStation Network when he said that the Xbox 360 community, lead by Xbox Live, is "head and shoulders above the PS3."

Faliszek stated that the community aspects of both the PC and Xbox 360 "really fit" Left 4 Dead. So PS3 owners should not be looking for a port of the game anytime soon.

"Right now for Left 4 Dead 2 we're looking at PC and 360 because the community aspects really fit the game - it's all about playing with your friends," he said. "But that's the short term. What we're looking at for the long term... if it works out, it works out. Right now don't not buy it on the 360 because you th...

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Imperial Agent class revealed for Old Republic

A week after the obvious reveal of the Jedi Knight class for Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare community manager Sean Dahlberg revealed another class today on the highly anticipated MMORPG's forums. That class is the Imperial Agent.

The inspiration for the Imperial Agent class, according to Dahlberg, was characters like Zam Wessel and Grand Moff Tarkin. They are people who will operate behind the scenes to do Sith Empire's dirty work.

"Specializing in high-tech gear, the Imperial Agent always has the right tools at the right time," posted Dahlberg. "They use abilities of subversion and subterfuge to infiltrate and assassinate enemies of the Sith Empire with deadly efficiency. Players who choose to be Imperial Agents in The Old Republic (TOR) will see the underbelly of the Empire in a whol...

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Left 4 Dead 2 has "four times" the pre-orders over...

With the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott officially dead, Valve is completely focused on the upcoming zombie shooter sequel's release in two weeks. After all, the company has "four times" the amount of pre-orders for the sequel over the original.

"As we get closer to launch we see the reaction to the demo, pre-orders are four times what Left 4 Dead 1 was, people's excitement, the boycott itself and how it's changed... I think people are just excited now," said Chet Faliszek, Valve's project lead.

Looking back at the boycott and how Valve handled the situation, Faliszek said the whole series of events changed "how we talked about it and how we talked with everybody."

"Honestly I made the joke and it's true: If you put $20 in a box and charge $10 for it someone would complain you didn't put $50 in a box,...

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta exclusive for PS3

A recent PlayStation Blog post written by EA DICE Associate Producer Gordon Van Dyke chalks up another victory to PS3 gamers by revealing the multiplayer beta for the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be exclusively available on the PS3 beginning November 19.

The beta contains a solitary map, "Africa Harbor", that showcases the "Rush" game mode in which players battle over equipment crates. The map highlights fluid transitions between vehicular and infantry combat by featuring an assault on a military outpost followed by intense street-to-street fighting through an industrial harbor.

Interested in joining the fray? While each country will have differing methods of accessing the beta, North American players will be able to get the beta through pre-ordering the game from certain retaile...

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BlazBlue coming to PSP

Count one more awesome game for the PSP. Arc System Works is bringing the high res 2D fighter, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, to the PSP. Announced via Famitsu, the new version of the fighter will launch on February 25 in Japan and come packed with a few extra features. The game will include all the entire cast, ad-hoc multiplayer for up to four people, and a new Legion Mode that has players fight to gain territory on a board.

We haven't heard if the port will be a lower resolution or if any effects will be removed, but if you find yourself chomping at the bit for some portable BlazBlue, the PS3 game does support Remote Play. That should hold you over until the game's US release.

[Joystiq]

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Xbox 360 Arcade $199 sale at Walmart confirmed

As an attempt to alleviate the onslaught of shoppers that bombard stores during the dreaded Black Friday, retail giant Walmart will hold weekly and one-day sales of certain products leading up to the holiday shopping season -- starting with the Xbox 360 Arcade priced at a tantalizing $199 on November 7. Too good to be true? Evidently not.

Confirmed earlier today, the price-cut of the console will hopefully alleviate expensive or out-of-stock console shopping woes that betide upon parents and other holiday shoppers. A $100 gift card is also thrown in to sweeten the deal.

If gaming consoles aren't on your list this holiday season, consider the additional electronic items that are discounted this coming Saturday -- TVs, a Blu-ray player, a DVD player, and a laptop.

Check out Walmart's official s...

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Collector's Edition Roundup: Splinter Cell Convict...

Welcome to Collector's Edition Roundup! This is a new feature we're running where we detail all the new collector's editions of big profile games that are coming out! Okay, this isn't a new feature, but with all these collector's editions being revealed, it feels like we should start one for these goodie-infested versions.

The latest one to get the special treatment is Ubisoft's Splinter Cell Conviction, the latest installment in the stealth action series. This version will set you back $79.99 and will release the same day as the standard version, February 23, 2010. The set will feature a credit-card-sized usb drive with art and a making-of featurette, a prequel comic book, a DLC weapon and player skin, two stickers: a Third Echelon logo and stylsh bullet hole marks. The game also comes in ...

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MotionPlus to be featured in next Zelda

It's hard to get any info from Nintendo regarding its big franchise games, so count this one as a win for the fans. Nintendo and gaming guru Shingeru Miyamoto has let loose that the next installment in The Legend of Zelda franchise will feature MotionPlus control.

"In this [installment in the series], we're using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you're actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand," said Miyamoto at a Q&A session that was translated by website GameLife. "In the previous game, you aimed at things by pointing at the screen, but this time we'll use MotionPlus to create a much more convenient targeting system and a more pleasurable playing experience."

No word on if the control is required or just an option, but it's good to know one of gaming greats is getting ...

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Infinity Ward declined big budget for MW2

When Activision learned that Infinity Ward had commenced development of Modern Warfare 2, the publisher offered the studio a massive budget to safeguard the standards of quality that every Call of Duty game had possessed so far. The answer? Nah.

Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling steps in once more to explain the company's intentions during an interview published at Develop Online. Of note, Bowling divulges the almost extreme lengths Activision took to seeing Modern Warfare 2 succeed.

"Early on -- when we decided to make a sequel -- Activision estimated out a ridiculous budget. And we were like: 'No, we don't need that.'"

Instead, Infinity Ward chose to use a "pretty tight" budget to ensure that the game would conform to quality standards as set by Activision without the hoopl...

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This week's releases: 11/2 - 11/8

A fantasy RPG filled with blood, gore, and sex by acclaimed studio BioWare will be leading the charge to stores this week. Dragon Age: Origins is the featured title in a week where the other two top releases are rhythm-based LEGO Rock Band and Band Hero. Here is the full list of games coming out this week.

DS:

Agatha Christie: ABC MurdersBand Hero (not compatible with DSi)Barbie and the Three MusketeersCOP: The RecruitDisney's A Christmas CarolHidden Mysteries: Titanic - Secrets of the Fateful VoyageImagine: Babyz FashionJewel Quest MysteriesLEGO Rock BandNeed for Speed: NitroNi Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's CelebrationRabbids Go HomeStar Wars Battlefront: Elite SquadronStyle SavvySushi AcademyStyle SavvyWireWay

PC:

Dragon Age: OriginsFootball Manager 2010Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Si...

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Update: Alice sequel gets first teaser trailer

Update: Turns out the trailer is actually not an official release from EA or Spicy Horse. The trailer was created by Troy Morgan, an artist who has worked with Spicy Horse in the past. He created the site and trailer as an ad pitch to EA. American McGee has commented on his blog, saying, "I wanted to clear up any confusion... it was unofficial, and does not represent any of the final art direction or story elements in Alice 2."

Original article follows:

If you haven't heard, back at DICE 2009, EA announced that it was producing a sequel to American McGee's Alice, a 3D platformer that served as a sequel to the classic story that interprets the events as the dark and sinister imagination of Alice. The sequel is going to be developed by Spicy Horse, American McGee's studio, and would be releas...

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Insomniac could branch out to non-PS3 consoles

At a recent interview, Insomniac community manager James Stevenson has hinted at a possibility of seeing future game titles being released for consoles other than the PS3.

Insomniac is credited with starting successful game franchises in the past with the development of the Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank series. Most recently, the developer has bumped their efforts onto the PS3 platform with the release of the launch title Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 along with the continuation of the Ratchet & Clank saga.

While not going so far as to abandon the PS3 entirely by releasing Ratchet & Clank or Resistance titles for other consoles (the IP for both games is squarely in the hands of Sony), Stevenson does not discount the potential of developing games for the Xbox 360 and Wii con...

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Modern Warfare 2 killstreaks revealed, nuclear lau...

Having the skill and reflexes to score multiple kills in a row within a multiplayer game is cause enough for gamers to celebrate and gloat over their momentum. The original Modern Warfare took this a step further by rewarding players who scored killstreaks with unique items and weapons to employ within the game (such as the infamous helicopter and airstrike). Modern Warfare 2 promises to continue the tradition with 15 additional killstreak awards obtainable after 25 kills -- wait, did that just say nuclear?

Apparently, a lucky player at media website justin.tv managed to snag a copy of the game and record a few multiplayer matches that showcased the various killstreak awards, including the ability to call in a tactical nuclear strike on the enemy team. The potential for ultimate ownage is s...

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Uncharted 2 getting update, Halloween treats

The multiplayer mode for PlayStation 3 hit Uncharted 2 will be getting an update today set to address a number of issues. But that isn't all that's coming to the game's multiplayer this weekend.

Naughty Dog will be having a "Double Cash Weekend" for Uncharted 2, where players will earn twice as much in-game cash towards leveling their profile in multiplayer matches than normal. In addition, the Naughty Dog staff will be playing publicly over the weekend. It is believed they will be recognizable by the creepy skeletal skins shown in the image above.

[Joystiq]

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BioWare reveals Jedi Knight class for The Old Repu...

After much anticipation and with great fanfare, information on the Jedi Knight class has been made available on the official website of BioWare's impending MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic.

As the galaxy's peace keepers, Jedi Knights uphold the law and will of the Republic by safeguarding those who would fall under harm from evil. Of course, when the "negotiations" fail -- as they inevitably do -- the Jedi are able to demonstrate their considerable prowess in battle.

Having honed their bodies and minds through years of focused training and discipline, the Jedi Knights are capable of quickly dispatching their foes through the elegant finesse of lightsaber combat or a quick push through the Force.

For more information, including some sweet pics and videos of the Jedi in combat, hop on over to th...

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God of War 3 Ultimate Edition is ridiculous, aweso...

If you're a game is a high-profile release, you can expect to receive an extravagant (Insert Title Here) Edition. Not to be outdone, God of War 3 is set to compete with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for craziest box set for a video game. Dubbed the God of War 3 Ultimate Edition, the set includes a replica, high-end sculpted Pandora's Box from the game and a limited edition art book.

The set also comes with a bunch of downloadable content that will be accessed from the PSN Store with code vouchers:

- God of War Combat Arena containing an exclusive environment and seven challenges- Premium Kratos Skin - Dominus- God of War: Unearthing the Legend Franchise Documentary - a full-length movie documentary depicting the history of the God of War franchise- God of War Trilogy Soundtrack - God of War...

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EA details Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edit...

EA and DICE revealed the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition version today, and along with it, what the package will entail. The Limited Edition version of Bad Company 2 will come with 6 multiplayer unlocks for players and if you're thinking you'll need to pay extra for the luxury, EA has your back. This version of the game will cost the same as the standrad version at release.

The unlocks are as follows:

Improved Vehicle Armor - An up-armor package is mounted on all vehicle types, decreasing the effect of both explosive and penetrating warheads, significantly improving vehicle survivability.

Supreme Vehicle Firepower - Additional weapon packages are mounted for the driver of all armored vehicles, greatly expanding the range of targets the vehicle can successfully engage and destroy.

V...

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DSi XL confirmed, slated for Q1 2010 release

Seems those rumors of a bigger DSi being released were true. Nintendo has confirmed that it will be releasing a new, bigger DSi, dubbed the DSi XL. The system looks to be about 1/3 bigger than the current iteration of the DSi and come with a fatter stylus. You know, for us gorilla-pawed gamers.

If you haven't already purchased a DSi because you feel the current design is just too small and would get lost among your other electronic devices and in your pockets, the DSi XL is perfect for you. You'll be able to snatch one up sometime in Quarter 1 of 2010.

[Joystiq]

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Team Fortress 2 haunted with Halloween special

The denizens of Valve's Team Fortress 2 appear to have gotten themselves transported to a very scare-tacular place. As the game's first Halloween-themed content pack, frightening new achievements, items and a brand new map are available to those who seek them out...if you dare!

A fresh KOTH map entitled Harvest sticks players into a haunted farmland area complete with shambling zombies and restless ghosts. These poltergeists aren't there just for parlor tricks, either; one good look at their ghoulish faces and you'll be frozen in fear, unable to move for a few seconds. What could be better than a (supposedly) fearless Heavy cowering at the sight of the wandering ghost of Zepheniah Mann?

In conjunction with the spectral hijinks of Harvest, Valve has continued the entertaining meta-game of col...

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Rare sets sights for Natal

Rare has expressed interest in developing for the upcoming Natal technology during a recent feature run by industry magazine MCV UK. What kind of game, you ask? Nothing official...but it could be along the lines of a FPS.

Promising a higher degree of interaction between gamers and their games than ever before, Natal looks to be gaining enough momentum to even oust the Wii as the premier motion-capture technology.

Throwing in their hat along with the multitude of developers seeking to work with Natal may be a critical move for Rare who wishes to garner a unique blend of existing game genres into something special that Natal can utilize.

Rare head Mark Betteridge says:

"Right now our sights are trained on Natal, which is a great opportunity to break new ground with content and gameplay. It's...

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