GamerNode: Latest Game and Console News

Activision releases 30 from 7 Studios

Back in April, Activision acquired the developer of DJ Hero's competitor Scratch the Ultimate DJ. Today the publisher laid off approximately 30 people from the developer, 7 Studios.

Both the developer and Activision are in the middle of a lawsuit with Scratch publisher Genius Products and the turntable controller maker Numark Industries. The suit claims that Activision and 7 Studios conspired with one another "in an effort to delay the development and release of Scratch and to gain access to proprietary technology."

Activision has denied these charges brought on by the suit and states that the purchase of 7 Studios was designed to "bolster its development capabilities," and not delay DJ Hero's competition. Activision also said the acquisition occurred because it "provided the fledgling devel...

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GTA IV: Ballad of Gay Tony achievements strut in

Developer Rockstar Games has released the Xbox 360 achievements list for its upcoming GTA IV expansion, The Ballad of Gay Tony.

The list potentially reveals certain key plot elements of the new content, so avert your eyes if you wish to experience Ballad unfettered. Netting the entire gamut of achievements will gain you a total of 250 Gamerscore points.

Without further ado, the achievements:

Gone Down - 5

Complete all base jumps.

Diamonds Forever - 5

Complete the Trinity.

Four Play - 10

Hit a flag with a golf ball four times.

Bear Fight - 15

Win the L.C. Cage Fighters championship.

Catch the Bus - 15

Dance perfectly in both Tony's nightclubs.

Snow Queen - 20

Complete 25 drug wars.

Adrenaline Junkie - 25

Freefall for the longest possible time.

Maestro - 30

Finish the Ballad.

Past the Velvet Rope - 45

Score 80%...

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Full track list revealed for DJ Hero

The full track list for DJ Hero has been released by Activision, showcasing 93 different tracks from all different genres of music. Check out the full list below.

DJ Hero releases on October 27 in both the standard $120 edition and the $200 Renegade Edition which comes with a stand for your turntable controller and an exclusive CD featuring Jay-Z and Eminem.

* 2Pac - "All Eyez On Me" vs. The Aranbee Pop Orchestra - "Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)"

* 50 Cent - "Disco Inferno" vs. David Bowie - "Let's Dance"

* 50 Cent - "Disco Inferno" vs. InDeep - "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life"

* Afrika Bambaataa - "Zulu Nation Throwdown" vs. Freedom Express - "Get Down"

* Beastie Boys - "Here's A Little Somethin' For Ya" vs. DJ Shadow - "The Number Song (2009 Version)" (Produced and mixed by DJ Shado...

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Nintendo named World's Best Company

If ever there needed to be any more evidence that videogames are mainstream, this recent announcement from Business Week is it. The magazine has announced its 2009 list of the World's Best Companies/Global Top 40, and Nintendo took the number 1 spot.

The article in Business Week gave Nintendo credit for staying strong throughout the recession. "Its sales have risen 36% annually over the past five years, while its value growth averaged 38%," wrote Esmé E. Deprez. "Despite the hard times of the past year, Nintendo's continued emphasis on innovation has helped the company develop must-haves such as the DS handheld game machine and the Wii console, which outsold rival offerings from Sony (SNE) and Microsoft (MSFT)."

The top five was rounded out by Google, Apple, Doosan Heavy Industries, and Hyu...

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Activision trademarks Call of Duty for film adapta...

Imagine the epic scenes from the Call of Duty series being played out in a theater near you, because they may very well be in the next few years. Activision recently trademarked the popular first-person shooter series centered on war for a film adaptation.

The trademark details the filing for "pre-recorded movies featuring comedy, drama, action, adventure, music, theatrical performances and/or animation."

This isn't the first hint as of late for a film version of Call of Duty, as Robert Bowling of Infinity Ward recently tweeted, "Grabbing lunch with Xavier Gens, director of the Hitman film while in town. Talking game films." It would appear that film audiences will be getting a dose of Call of Duty sometime in the eventual future.

[Joystiq]

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DotA developer joins Valve

IceFrog, the secretive developer behind the celebrated Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients: Allstars has been chosen to lead a new design team at Valve Software.

While not revealing any specific details on the decision to join Valve, IceFrog does remark that the move will be "great news for DotA fans."

"I finally have all the resources needed to do some very exciting stuff that you guys will love," IceFrog states. "As I've said many times in the past and especially after today's developments, I am very excited about DotA's future!"

It remains to be seen whether the newest addition to Valve's team will enable the company to branch out into game genres other than shooters. DotA fans are speculating wildly about a possible Valve adaptation of the Warcraft III add-on. Barney Calhoun, DotA he...

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Rocket Knight Adventures soaring back in action

Retro gaming fanatics rejoice! Konami's 16-bit mascot Sparkster, star of a trilogy of action platformers, is making a return to PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 courtesy of developer Climax. Rocket Knight (as it is tentatively named) will be a sequel to the last game in the series and will take the awesome possum on a 2.5D adventure. Climax, who also developed Silent Hill Origins and the upcoming Wii-make Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, will take over development duties.

Sparkster, the brain child of frequent Contra director Nobuya Nakazato, starred in his own trilogy of games, starting with Rocket Knight Adventures and ending with Sparkster. The games put you in the boots of the titular Sparkster as you jumped, slashed, and flew around your pig enemies in order to save the kingdom of Zephyros.

[Joys...

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Epic Mickey finally confirmed

After numerous steampunk-esque screenshots and anonymous tipsters, Epic Mickey has finally been confirmed by Game Informer.  The upcoming game from Warren Spector's Junction Point and Disney Interactive Studios will be featured in the next issue of Game Informer along with some stunning cover art. The game will be a Wii-exclusive action game, though not much is known other than this.

The game's rumored premise is that all the old, forgotten characters from Disney's past are coming back for revenge against Mickey for stealing all the limelight and are looking to get rid of him for good. The paintbrush on the cover could also point to a Wiimote gameplay mechanic a la Okami, and a possible defense against enemies.

[Game Informer]

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Modern Warfare 2 delayed on PC

A report from Electronic Theater is stating that the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been delayed.

Originally intended to release alongside the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game as well as the Nintendo Wii's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex and the Nintendo DS' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized on November 10, the PC version will now release two weeks later on November 24.

Electronic Theater is sourcing the information on the delay to the new release schedule for Activision-Blizzard that lays out their Autumn/Winter line-up.

[Electronic Theater]

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Molyneux hints at Natal in Fable 3

The man in charge of the Fable series and creator of the Project Natal program "Milo" has hinted that the Xbox 360's motion device will be used in the next Fable game. Peter Molyneux said when talking about Fable 3 he is "leaving the most exciting gameplay stuff for later." He then added, "I am going to say it's going to use a controller, but I've never said it's not going to use Natal."

The man behind the series then gave a hint of just how tight-lipped anything involving Project Natal is. "And obviously what would probably happen if I started talking about this is you would see a little red dot appear moving on my forehead," said Molyneux. "And then as I would start to speak the words then there would be a shotgun fire, and I would be assassinated. Quite clearly, it is that sensitive."

Tha...

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Brutal Legend multiplayer detailed

Yeah, hacking, slashing, and destroying your opponents' faces with rock is one part of Brutal Legend's gameplay, but another big chunk of the game is made up of the RTS and multiplayer elements. Tim Schafer has stated that the single-player is more or less practice for the game's ambitous multiplayer, but we've been left in the dark about how the game's RTS elements would work and how the said multiplayer would play out. Well, Double Fine has released a multiplayer tutorial trailer that details how matches will go down. 

Players will have a "stage" which will act as their base, and must summon fan towers to gather resources, summon units, and lead them into battle to take out other opponents' stages. There are also three factions with differing attributes and abilities. Think of it as Defen...

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Red Steel 2, Rabbids Go Home get cross-game preord...

Ubisoft is set to offer Wii owners some cool preorder bonuses for their upcoming releases. Pre-ordering Rabbids Go Home through Gamestop will net you two in-game rabbids dressed up as Sam Fisher and Altair, from Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed respectively. Likewise, preordering Red Steel 2 through the retailer will get you two exlusive in-game swords. 

[VG247]

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CrimeCraft going free-to-play by end of October

MMOFPS CrimeCraft has faced numerous issues since its launch. From financial issues to PR stumbles, the game can't seem to catch a break. Publisher Vogster Entertainment looks to change this by restructuring their subscription plans. According to a press release from the company, the game will have an unlimited free trial plan later this month, while still offering a $4.99/month and $9.99/month plans for players who want a few perks.

The differences between the free-to-play and paid plans are not detailed, but subcribers will gain "customization, skill slots, speed of experience gain and inventory capacity." If you choose to pick up the game at retail, you'll get access to "three months of online game time as well as access to 100 in-game gold bars and a number of exclusive in-game items." 

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Achievements for Modern Warfare 2 released

Developer Infinity Ward has obliged the Call of Duty community by releasing the achievements list for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

The list is comprised of the typical gamut of single-player and multiplayer achievements with a few creative gems hidden throughout; the "Unnecesary Roughness" achievement, for example, rewards 10 Gamer Points for bashing an enemy's skull in with the new riot shield. No word yet on whether this is accomplished through brute strength or by attaching some sort of glinting metal spike onto the shield, as giant hunks of metal are notoriously difficult to bludgeon your foe to death with.

For those who wish to partake in the metagaming madness of achievements, the list can be found here.

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Character creator releasing early for Dragon Age: ...

Looks like Bioware's newest PC RPG is taking the Spore route with its creation utilities. BioWare has announced that the Dragon Age: Origins character creator will release before the game on October 13, allowing players to fully create their characters and then upload them to the game when it drops on November 3.

The 320MB application will be free on the PC, and there has been no word whether or not the program will be offered to Xbox 360 owners as well.

[Shacknews]

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Valve hopes to lure you in with Left 4 Dead 2 pre-...

Valve really wants you to buy Left 4 Dead 2. They know you may feel like it's too soon for a sequel, but to make the deal sweeter, they are offering a nice pre-order bonus for players who nab the game through Steam. Early committers will receive early access to the demo (October 27th), an exclusive American baseball bat in-game item, and 10% off the game.

No word on whether this baseball bat is different from the bat seen in trailers or if it is just a reskin of the same weapon. Either way, if you're looking to grab L4D2 on the PC, get your pre-order in.

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Demo play option in New Super Mario Bros Wii expla...

When Nintendo revealed the Demo Play option that was going to be featured in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a lot of us were wondering how exactly this hint system would work. Would it take control from you to complete the level or just warp you ahead? Well Nintendo of Europe has updated their site with a description of how the feature will work. After activated, the game will show a demonstration of how to get past the obstacle or level, and the player can then intervene at any time when they wish to make the attempt.

While this feature won't be of much use to hardcore players, it could be a great way to help your mom or girlfriend out when you're not around to swoop in and defeat those Goombas for them.

[Joystiq]

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Bowie, Styx join Band Hero

The music genre craze has worn out its welcome for most gamers, but that isn't stoping Activision from releasing their family oriented Band Hero this holiday season. Activision has revealed more tracks that will be included in the game and adds that Taylor Swift will be a playable character. Joining Ms. Swift are David Bowie, Styx, and Fallout Boy, among others. Check out the full list below:

-The Airborne Toxic Event - "Gasoline"-Big Country - "In a Big Country"-The Bravery - "Believe"-Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Up To Dry"-Counting Crows - "Angels of the Silences"-Dashboard Confessional - "Hands Down"-David Bowie - "Let's Dance"-Devo - "Whip It"-Evanescence - "Bring Me To Life"-Fall Out Boy - "Sugar, We're Goin' Down"-The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"-Hilary Duff - "So Yesterday"-Jesse McC...

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Splinter Cell Conviction Collectors Edition reveal...

No triple-A title is safe from the special edition treatment these days, and Sam Fisher's latest outing is getting a swanky package as well. Austrailian retailer JB Hi-Fi posted a listing to the Splinter Cell Conviction Collector's Edition featuring:

- "Exclusive" code to unlock in game content

- 32 page comic book that establishes the link between Double Agent and Conviction

- "Making Of" DVD

- Code to download Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory from Xbox Live Arcade

- A Sam Fisher figurine

While this doesn't confirm this specific edition being released here, it seems more than likely considering Splinter Cell's popularity and the hype surrounding the game. Another thing to note is that it says Chaos Theory will be downloaded from XBLA, even though this could mean Xbox Originals.

[VG247]

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NIS America games half priced on PSN Store

Just pick up your swanky new PSP Go? Are you overwhelmed by all the Minis and PSP games that populate the PSN Store, not knowing that you get first? Well Nis America has quite a deal for new PSPGo owners. For one week, they are slashing the prices of all their PSP games on the store to half price. The games being offered are Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, Dragoneer's Aria, Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman!, Mana Khemia: Student Alliance, and Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? are steals at half off, and Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! is a great, quirky game for strategy fans. Be quick though, it only lasts a week. After that, the games go back to normal price.

[Joystiq]

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