GamerNode: Latest Game and Console News

This week's releases: 12/21 - 12/27

The week before Christmas is a slow one for new releases in the world of gaming. Only four titles will be arriving in stores this week, with Guitar Hero: Van Halen on the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for the Wii headlining.

Here's the complete, yet tiny, list of releases for this week.

DS:

Playmobil: Pirates

PC:

No New Releases

PlayStation 2:

Guitar Hero: Van Halen

PlayStation 3:

Guitar Hero: Van Halen

PSP:

No New Releases

Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero: Van Halen

Wii:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal BearersGuitar Hero: Van HalenPlaymobil: Circus

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Browser Pong is a great way to avoid work

Anyone who works on a computer all day knows that a good online distraction can go a long way toward getting you through the day. Put duty-shirking intent together with one of the earliest video games known to man and you're sure to have a winning (or perhaps losing... job-losing) combination.

Browser Pong is a fun little time-waster that turns your browser windows into two paddles and a ball, and allows one or two players to enjoy classic arcade game using a few keys on the keyboard. If you're really bored (or just easily amused), you can untick the "human" boxes and watch the game play itself. Yeah, I did that.

[Browser Pong]

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Take Two head explains underwhelming sales of GTA ...

It started out simple enough. Continuing the urban saga of the sprawling Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto IV's two DLC packs -- The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony -- would encourage players to explore the side-stories of GTAIV's peripheral characters.

However, less-than-stellar sales of the extra content has left many scratching their heads as to the apparent disinterest of GTA players. Take Two's CEO Ben Feder believes it was a case of bad timing.

"Both we and Microsoft believed there was a big market for GTA 4 episodic content and some factors affected their performance.

"Both were released significantly after the launch of the core unit and therefore weren't able to leverage GTA 4's initial marketing campaign and initial launch fervor."

As both packs were released near...

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Mass Effect 2 DLC could include full expansion pac...

In a recent interview with CVG, BioWare producer Aden Cho reiterated the developer's commitment to creating plenty of DLC for Mass Effect 2 after the game's release; something that was promised with the original Mass Effect but only amounted to two packs.

"Downloadable content was always on our radar from day one," said Cho. "The team's actually been transitioning some members into creating DLC content already."

The DLC that BioWare is planning to add, according to Cho, could include new weapons, armors, side quests, and full expansions packs. He was then asked if the expansion pack approach the developer would take would resemble how Rockstar handled their expansions for Grand Theft Auto IV.

"I think so," replied Cho. "It depends on the scale. The price range I think is really important so t...

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PlayStation Home hits 10 million users

Sony announced today that their PlayStation Home community has now reached over 10 million users.

"PlayStation Home is fast becoming the meeting place of choice between users and developers," said European Home Business Manager at SCEE Dan Hill. "Every new game space enhances the overall experience for consumers, offering more variety, more choice and more enjoyment from a PlayStation Home session."

Hill went on to say that for developers, the PlayStation Home game spaces act as the best way for them to drive interest into their fans and that "PlayStation Home ought to be a core element of every studio's marketing strategy for new titles."

In addition to the 10 million mark, Sony announced the opening of game spaces for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Rachet and Clank: A Crack in Time.

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New stages revealed for Super Street Fighter IV

The information has begun to pour in for Super Street Fighter IV, the expanded re-release of Street Fighter IV which features new characters, modes, and improved online play. Now Capcom has revealed the new stages to be featured in the game and sent us a press release with all the details on the locales that you can beat your friends down in. 

Final Fight fans will scream with glee when they check out the Metro City stage that features Hugo in the background and a giant, in construction Mike Haggar statue holding a Metro City banner. The African stage plays host to numerous critters and is among the most animated stages being introduced. Meerkats will pop up and you can knock over hippos during your bout. The Korean stage is a remake from Street Fighter Alpha 3 and features an over excited ...

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Hasbro sues Atari over D&D Liscense

Hasbro, owner of Dungeons & Dragons through subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, has filed a complaint in the District Court of Rhode Island. The complaint by Hasbro is seeking elimination of a licensing agreement with Atari, developer of Dungeons & Dragons Online, due to alleged fraud and five separate breaches of the licensing agreement for Dungeons & Dragons.

Hasbro is alleging that Atari may have entered into an unauthorized sublicensing agreement with Namco Bandai Partners, a competitor of Hasbro's. Earlier this year, Atari sold its PAL distribution arm to Namco Bandai Partners and Hasbro maintains that a sublicensing agreement with Namco Bandai is strictly prohibited under the D&D licensing contract.

"While unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Du...

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SCEA dev offers reassurance to God of War fans

The plethora of action-adventure games that are under development speaks clearly of everyone wanting a piece of the Kratos pie, with games such as Bayonetta and Dante's Inferno eschewing singularity for juicier graphics yet similar gameplay. In response, SCEA Lead Animator Bruno Velazquez reminds God of War fans that they have nothing to worry about.

With established publications such as EDGE Magazine handing out clean-sweep scores to the competition -- even going so far as to illustrate Bayonetta's 10/10 "slapping Dante, Kratos and every other hero back to the drawing board" -- the upcoming God of War III looks hard-pressed to deliver any sort of incentive for gamers to return to ancient Greece.

In a recent entry on his blog, Velazquez was quick to curtail any doubts that God of War III wil...

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Assassin's Creed II DLC packs given price, details...

Ubisoft has provided both the details and price for the two upcoming DLC packs for Assassin's Creed II, set to release in January and February. The two packs will differ in price by a dollar.

Both The Battle of Forli and Bonfire of the Vanities will fill in the two missing DNA segments in Ezio's memory that were corrupted and inaccessible to Desmond during Assassin's Creed II. The Battle of Forli, releasing first, will be priced at $3.99, while Bonfire of the Vanities will cost $4.99.

In The Battle of Forli, Ezio is tasked with aiding Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza with the defense of Forli from the Orsi Brothers while keeping the Templars from attaining a Piece of Eden. The pack will cover six new memories.

Meanwhile Bonfire of the Vanities will unlock a new area of Florence, which requires...

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EA: New Medal of Honor will be M-rated

At Spike TV's annual Video Game Awards, viewers were treated to an exclusive debut trailer of some action-packed moments from the upcoming Medal of Honor, which serves as a reboot to the venerable line of war shooters. EA Executive Producer Greg Goodrich further solidifies the franchise's return by stating that the new game will be the first M-rated game in the series.

"This will be the very first (M) rated Medal of Honor. However, we will always be grounded by our core tenets of authenticity and respect for the soldier."

Along with other confirmations involving the game (yes, that bearded guy on the box art is an in-game character), most of the scenes that appear in the trailer is actual game play.

Does that mean those Michael Bay-style vehicle shenanigans can actually be performed by th...

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The Hero of Time fan film is live for your enterta...

Fans of the Legend of Zelda franchise -- particularly the Ocarina of Time lore -- get ready to spend about 108 minutes of your life watching "The Hero of Time." The fan film that began filming in August of 2004 and has been screening around the country since June 6th of this year is finally available as a streaming online video at Dailymotion.com, and is definitely worth a look. To make it easier on you, I've embedded the player below. Enjoy.

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TF2 Demoman waging "War" with old timey weapons

If you haven't been paying attention to Team Fortress 2 as of late, the newest update "War", is pitting the Demoman against the Soldiers in an all out, well, war. Valve has already revealed that crafting will come to TF2, and now the Demoman class is getting their next weapon. Dubbed the "Close Combat Kit", the explosive class will be able to wield sword and shield against their foes.

The sword, titled "The Eyelander", grants an instant decapitation when used. The downside is that you take a hit to your max health. Every enemy you kill though, grants a boost to your health and speed, and stacks up to four kills. You will not be able to inflict criticals with the sword on its own, but you will be able to in conjuction with the shield, "The Chargin' Tate". The shield grants a +50% fire damage...

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Heavy Rain to delay trophy messages

In order to maintain the mood of important scenes, Heavy Rain developer Quantric Dream has gained permission from Sony to have trophy alerts delayed in the PlayStation 3 exclusive.

The game will still feature trophies; however they won't be shown as earned until the player enters breaks between the game's chapters.

This is being done so vital scenes with a strong mood, which is a focal point to Heavy Rain, will not be ruined by an alert message and sound. The alerts will instead be shown during transitional scenes and not when the tension is high.

Achievements on the Xbox 360 and trophies on the PlayStation 3 have been an integral part of the current console generation and widely accepted in a positive manner by gamers. While there is an option to turn off the alerts from achievements, it ha...

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id's RAGE to be published by Bethesda Softworks

A new announcement from Zenimax Media has stated that they have acquired publishing rights for id Software's in-development FPS project, RAGE.

Initially, publishing rights were in possession of Electronic Arts, who no longer has any direct involvement with the game.

In addition to serving as nerd slangism, RAGE combines id's staple FPS trademark with vehicle racing elements similar to games such as Burnout and MotorStorm. Set within a post-apocalyptic world that The Road Warrior himself would beg to be in, RAGE will sport id's brand new Tech 5 engine that was showcased at 2007's Quakecon.

Under Zenimax, Bethesda is most recently known for their work on Fallout 3, along with hits Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Zenimax purchased id Software earlier in the year, but...

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Prnce of Persia: The Forgotten Sands to take place...

Anyone confused by the reveal trailer of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands can now have clarity. The Prince, in a new game after a series reboot and wearing clothing reminiscent of The Warrior Within from the old series, caused a bit of uncertainty by just where Ubisoft was going with this new title.

Ubisoft now has clarified that the game is indeed a part of The Sands of Time series and not a sequel to the 2008 reboot, Prince of Persia. The game is set to take place during the seven-year gap between The Sands of Time and The Warrior Within, where the Prince went from upbeat hero to brooding warrior.

The game looks to capitalize on the upcoming film adaptation of The Sands of Time, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Jerry Bruckheimer. It will also look to explain just why the Princ...

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I hate reunions: Left 4 Dead cast returns in Left ...

If, like me, you've grown vexed over the incessant giggling of the Mr. T-like Coach or the twangy drawl of Ellis in Left 4 Dead 2, then fear not: Valve's first DLC for the zombie shooter sequel reunites a certain fearsome foursome from the first game.

In "The Passing", the original four survivors -- Zoey, Bill, Louis and Francis -- trek south to meet up with the survivors from L4D2. A new campaign located within the tranquil backwoods of Georgia introduces important plot elements to the survivors' tale, emphasizing the reason for the original four uniting with the new cast to become a raging whirlwind of zombie death.

Doug Lombardi, VP of Marketing at Valve labeled the DLC as "the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story."

"...all the Survivors are being called together in one cam...

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"Biggest surprise premiere" planned for Spike TV's...

Hours before Spike TV's Video Game Awards will be broadcasted, host Geoff Keighley has let slip that the first five minutes of the show will contain the "biggest surprise premiere" that shouldn't be missed.

The VGAs have garnered a reputation as a sort of quasi-convention in which developers tout their latest games through world-exclusive announcements and trailers. The actual awards themselves run the gamut from Game of the Year, Studio of the Year, individual console and genre categories, and Most Anticipated Game.

There's no question whether the premiere will feature a blockbuster title similar to the trailers released last year (such as Uncharted 2 and God of War III). As these games have accumulated a large following, the new reveal will have a tall order to compete with the noteworthy ...

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Dante's Inferno 'Divine Edition' announced, exclus...

Electronic Arts announced today that they will be releasing a special edition of Dante's Inferno, dubbed "Divine Edition", that will be exclusive to the PS3. The enhanced version of the action game will come with a few tantalizing goodies, including developer commentaries, a Wayne Barlow digital art book, soundtrack to the game, and a complete copy of the Longfellow translation of Dante Alighieri's Inferno, all for the standard $59.99.

A playable demo is also available today, Dec. 11, exclusively for the PS3. The Xbox 360 demo will be available Dec. 24.

"We are thrilled to offer an exclusive game pack for PlayStation 3 gamers," said Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer for Dante's Inferno. "The PlayStation platform has a long history of delivering AAA action/adventure games. Adding Dante's I...

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Jeff Lapin takes David Gardner's place as Atari CE...

Atari worldwide announced today that they will have a new CEO for the company. Jeff Lapin will be taking over for former CEO David Gardner, who will step down from the position but retain his Director functions. Lapin has been the COO (Chief Operating Officer) for the company since May 2009 and a Director since 2007.

As the CEO of Atari's global operations, Lapin will be running the business from Los Angeles as well as the Executive Committee that includes Jim Wilson (CEO of Atari Inc.), John Needham (CEO of Cryptic Studios Inc.), Fabrice Hamaide (CFO of the Group), and Alexandra Fichelson (General Secretary). Lapin has had experience with executive functions in the past with RazorGator Interactive Group, Take-Two Interactive Software, and THQ.

"For the last 2 years, first as a Director of t...

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Xbox Live gets Modern Warfare 2 Javelin glitch fix...

Any gamer exploiting the known Javelin glitch on the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be saddened to discover that Infinity Ward has solved the problem and patched the game over Xbox Live. Microsoft made the announcement official via Twitter this morning that the patch had gone live.

The 1.06 upgrade for Modern Warfare 2 will also take care of the Care Package glitch and fixes certain areas in maps that players could get to when they weren't supposed to.

[Twitter]

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