Also revealed today is that LucasArts and Dark Horse have teamed up again to create another webcomic series.  The new seires is titled “Blood of the Empire”, you can get a sneak peak here.

*Some items are only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Also coming next week are singles from 3 Doors Down (“It’s Not My Time”) and Mute Math (“Control”), as well as two songs from The Subways – “Oh Yeah” and “Rock & Roll Queen.” Additionally, a special version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” by South Park’s Eric Cartman, will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 16) and PlayStation 3 system (March 18):

• Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
• Lady Gaga – “Just Dance”
• Lady Gaga – “Monster”
• Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
• 3 Doors Down – “It’s Not My Time”
• Mute Math – “Control”
• South Park – “Poker Face (Cartman version)”
• The Subways – “Oh Yeah”
• The Subways – “Rock & Roll Queen”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Lady Gaga Pack 01”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

• Epic Games and NVIDIA have worked together to integrate “out of the box” support for NVIDIA® 3D Vision technology into Unreal Engine 3.
• Unreal Engine 3 is the engine that powers some of the most successful games in the marketplace including: Gears of War and Gears of War 2,Shadow Complex, BioShock 2, Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, Borderlands and Batman: Arkham Asylum.
• The updated version of Unreal Engine 3 and UDK will be available in the near future for all licensees allowing games developed with that revision (or later) to deliver “out of the box” support for 3D vision.
• 3D Vision is the world’s leading consumer 3D solution and supports PC gaming, photographs, videos, Blu-ray 3D, and 3D Web browsing.
• 3D Vision consists of wireless, active-shutter glasses and wireless USB emitter and can work with compatible 120Hz desktop LCDs, 3D TVs and projectors. A NVIDIA GeForce® 8800 GTX or higher GPU is also required.

Pricing for the DLC is as follows Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 440 Microsoft Points, the PlayStation Store for $5.49 and the Wii Shop Channel for 550 Wii Points. The three songs are also available as single downloads for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PlayStation 3 for $1.99 and Wii for 200 Wii Points each.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Multi-platinum selling and Grammy Award winning group Green Day, along with Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records today announced that Green Day: Rock Band, the full standalone music video game experience that celebrates Green Day’s historic career and genre-defining albums will launch worldwide June 8, 2010, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii system from Nintendo.

Green Day: Rock Band allows players to step onto the stage and into the shoes of Green Day, the multi-platinum, Grammy® Award-winning band that jump-started the punk-pop revival and has continued to pave the way for American rock music into the 21st century. Taking on the likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool, players progress through the story and history of Green Day, gaining access into the band’s media vault, where they can unlock more than 100 collectible images, and more than 40 minutes of rare and unreleased video from interviews, outtakes and performances.

Featuring the three-part vocal harmony technology Harmonix introduced with the award-winning The Beatles: Rock Band, Green Day: Rock Band gives players access to an incredible setlist of 47 tracks that span the band’s career including “Brain Stew,” “Jaded,” “Hitchin’ a Ride,” “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” All 47 tracks are fully exportable, providing players with the opportunity to play the songs in Rock BandTM, Rock Band 2TM and the recently announced Rock Band3! Green Day: Rock BandTM features an export fee of $9.99 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system. The export feature is not available for the Wii system. In addition, the six Green Day tracks already available in the Rock Band Music Store as downloadable content can be played in Green Day: Rock Band with added vocal
harmonies, unique performance visuals, and exclusive archival material.

Green Day: Rock Band pricing is as follows:

Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system
o US MSRP $59.99

Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Wii system
o US MSRP $49.99

Green Day: Rock Band Plus for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system (US/Canada only)
o US MSRP $69.99
o Includes special packaging, free export and six Green Day DLC tracks ($22 total value)

Green Day: Rock Band will be released simultaneously in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Wii. The game is compatible with all Rock BandTM instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other third-party music video game peripherals and microphones.

This latest Rock Band title aims to encapsulate the spirit and energy of a band that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and been hailed as one of the best live acts touring today. Green Day has won critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Performance for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot and Record of the Year for their smash hit “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Earlier this year, Green Day released their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, on Reprise Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock and Alternative charts, fueled by the alternative radio No. 1 single “Know Your Enemy,” and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.

Green Day: Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Prizing for the Online Tournament:

* 1st Place – 4th Place:

o Up to $2,500 in travel reimbursement to Boston, MA

o 4x Free 3-day Passes for PAX East and GeForce LAN BYOC Seats

o The #1-#4 seeds in the Nvidia PAX East BF:BC2 tournament

Random Online Prizing:

* 10x Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 Video Cards

* 5x TRITTON Technologies AX 180 Universal Gaming Headsets

* 5x Xfire $20 Gift Cards

* 20x Official Battlefield: Bad Company 2 T-Shirts

Prizing for the Tournament Finals at PAX East:

* 1st Place: $6,000

* 2nd Place: $3,000

* 3rd Place: $1,000

Registration is free and can be found here http://battleforpax.com/register

We recently had a chance to see the game in action.  While the game still has many months of development ahead the early alpha build we saw had the essentials all intact.  The level we saw finds a Tier 1 squad in the mountains tracking an enemy convoy.  The convoy was previously marked with inferred strobes(which you complete in an earlier mission).  As you track the convoy you need to be on the look out for enemy patrols.  Luckily for the team this mission is taking place at night so you can use the cover of darkness to sneak around and surprise the enemies.  Taking out a single enemy from the shadows will cause his partner to cower in fear.  Once you obtain visual contact on the convoy and confirm that it is the correct one using your night vision googles to view the strobes, you then call in the circling AC-130 gun ship to bring the rain.  Once the convoy is destroyed the team continues up the mountain encountering more patrols.  As you move through small bombed out villages you have the options of attacking head on or using darkness once again to hide and set ambush attacks.
And that concluded the mission we saw.

While the game is only about 60% complete it looks and played amazing.  At night various environmental lights from fires to headlights/flashlights all look realistic.   The various lights also cause nice lens flares and will blind you if you look into bright lights.  As you sneak through the shadows enemies will go about their business of smoking and looking out over the horizon just to all of a sudden feel you hands around their necks.  As firefights unfold bullets will damage various objects and leave apparent marks in walls and doors, each with their own unique look depending on the material they are made of.  Walls and doors will splinter or break off when shot, dirt and other particles are thrown up from stray rounds, and the all important blood spray will fill the air when bullets hit their targets.  This Medal of Honor is going to be M rated for the first time in the series after all.

While not many new details were confirmed, from the trailers we saw and our discussions with the developers on hand, there will be various drivable vehicles, as you can see by the ATV in the trailer.  No word on if their would be other call-ins besides the AC-130 but its safe to assume their will be.  No word on multiplayer details.

Medal of Honor as it stands right now is shaping up to be a great shooting experience and is poised to take the long running series to new heights.  Following the footsteps of the recent smash hit Modern Warfare, gamers of that series might now have a hard choice, and after seeing the game in action could be very easily swayed to Medal of Honor.  The team has been working closely with various Special Operations Community members to bring an authentic game to gamers.  We look forward to E3 to see more of what we can encounter on the front-lines this Fall.

Playstation Move Motion Controller

Works with PlayStation Eye camera to accurately track player position
Includes action buttons of DUALSHOCK®3 and SIXAXIS® wireless controller for direct input o Sleek and Wireless
Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery
Advanced motion sensors in the controller precisely track both fast and subtle movements
Color of the sphere’s light provides visual feedback during gameplay
Vibration feedback is felt during specific actions
Bluetooth® technology supports wireless gaming
Simultaneously use up to four motion controllers with a PS3 system
Charge the controller and automatically pair it with the PS3 system via a USB cable (Type A – Mini-B)

Playstation Move Sub Controller

Wireless control completely untethered from PlayStation Move motion controller
Intuitive navigation of in-game characters
Easy and intuitive XMBTM menu navigation
Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery
Charge the controller and automatically pair it with the PS3 system via a USB cable (Type A – Mini-B)
Sleek curved body design that easily pairs with the motion controller
**DUALSHOCK 3 and SIXAXIS wireless controller can be used in place of the sub controller for all games that are compatible with the sub controller**

Playstation Eye Camera

Engineered to perform in low-light conditions so that the rooms do not have to be lit brightly for the camera to deliver crisp, perfectly exposed video
Two position zoom lens for close-up and full body options
At 60 frames per second, captures a sharp, clear picture at 640 x 480 resolutions
Frame rate of up to 120 frames per second for improved tracking, responsiveness and smoothness
A sophisticated microphone with the ability to reduce background noise and focus on spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition

The new control system will allow gamers to manipulate onscreen content in true 3D space.  The new devices ships this Fall and have yet to be priced.  We hope to have some more details and some hands on time later this year at E3.

The DLC will be available for the Xbox 360 on the 18th for 640 , on the PlayStation Store for the PS3 on March 25 for $7.99.  And all mixes will be released as downloadable singles for Wii™ on March 25, 2010 for 300 Wii Points each.

I am not a huge fan of racing games it actually is one of my least favorite genres. Simply because every racing game I have ever played except for arcade type like Full Auto turns into a big brawl off the start and then the player would fight to get into first and would basically just race himself over the finish line after the initial scrum.

Blur appears to be a bit different though. The whole time playing it no player is ever more than 5 seconds ahead of the next and the races are short enough where you aren’t discouraged to stay in the race because it is impossible to come back. Plus for not being a racing fan I managed to place top 3 in 14 races and won 7 of them and have raced in a total of 23 so the math says I am awesome…or everyone invited to the Beta are even worse than me.

Activision and Bizzare Creations have tried to add depth to the multiplayer scene with Blur. This is very refreshing seeing as racing was very straight forward for multiplayer and pretty generic. The only thing you truly fought for was leaderboard position. (Hey EA take note that 1v1 in Madden isn’t revolutionary anymore when games are being created that support more and more players). With Blur you get a very user friendly and Call of Duty approach to the racing scene. Players start of with one car unlocked for A,B,C, and D class racing in which you get to color from an expansive color selection and although not offered in the beta you can even choose the paint style.

Then each player has a mod shop (unlocked at level 3) where the player chooses a racing style that suits them best. I used the aggressive style where I did more damaged to cars if I rammed them,gained a random powerup off the start, and the ability convert hits from other players into a usable powerup .The beta offers 4 different styles but there are bound to be more maybe even customization for mods when you get even higher up.

Then they have Challenges almost identical to the Call of Duty screen. You do certain tasks like “place top 3 in 10 races” and you are given a bonus points towards your level up. Then you hit the next level of that challenge and have to place top 3 in 50 races. Things like that which add a little something to the multiplayer experience.

The last big feature you find on the multiplayer menu is the ability to start a party. This is one of the coolest features for a racing game where you and your xbox live party can join races together and even come and leave fluently where you don’t have to re-invite or join back up. With a feature this cool I found it odd that there was no team racing in the game. Regardless a friend and I painted our cars an obnoxious color to recognize each other and ended two races with a one-two finish like Will Ferrel and John C. Reilly in Talladega Nights(Shake N’ Bake was said a number of times).

Now for the racing. You are given a matchmaking type system, you aren’t really put in depending on your rank but rather there are various playlists that you can decide to hop into. The modes are 2-10 player racing,4-20 player racing,Motor Mash, and Supercar Racing. Other race types that aren’t available in the beta can be seen but their are only 2 that I understand one being One on One racing and the other is Community Events which could be cool.

The racing is pretty smooth and realistic for the most part. It is not crazy realistic where you can’t turn your car or you spin out constantly like racing games where they have pushed for more and more realistic driving but more of a user friendly experience. The powerups truly make the racing fun though. With the powerups I have seen you have Nitro boost(Speed burst),Pulse(shoots a pulse from under your car and any car near you gets shocked and thrown),Mine(drop a mine in front/behind you),Bolt(shoot three ninja star type objects that really spin out cars),Shunt(homing missile attack that can be dodged and is quit the adventure trying to do so),Shield(obvious),Repair(obvious),and Shock(lightning storm shot on parts of the street where zig-zagging patterns are a must). Now all these powerups can be used to help you win the race or take someone out of the race. The projectile abilities can even be shot forward or backward very similar to Mario Kart. Last night my friend and I even had the chance to sandwich a racer between us. He was in first I was in third and we both shot a Shunt and literally tossed his car through the sky and he was unable to recover. (increasing my want for team racing)

Like I said in the beginning the races are shorter than typical racing games and it could just be the Beta but it was for the best in my opinion. Frustration didn’t really set in for me because the race was over before I noticed I had no chance and you almost always had a chance for a comeback regardless.

The last feature worth mentioning is the leveling system. The points system is FANS where the more fans you earn the better. Basically they are experience I do not know if you can lose fans or not but to earn to them things like evading homing missiles,ramming opponents,top 3 finishes,fastest player in the game,etc. (like Call of Duty’s accolades) will earn you more fans and level you up quicker.

In the beta at level 8 you unlocked the Motor Mash playlist which plays like Vigilante 8 and Twisted Metal. One big demolition derby where points are awarded for ramming enemies and hitting them with powerups (bonus points for destroying their car). This nice addition to the playlists was really cool in adding even more to the racing game and a nice way to chill out with constant collisions and explosions all from the comfort of your driver seat.

Graphically the game looks amazing. Car models are clean and damage as races unfold. The particle system looks great and runs smoothly even in the online only environment we’ve seen. Cars kick up dirt and dust as they fly across the tracks, and the various energy ripples and lighting off the power-ups are great.

The game is fun and doesn’t have any real flaws with gameplay or graphics, and with the addition of an experience/leveling system it is bound to add more replay value for the big racing fans.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Reach beta is set to drop May 3rd.

PLUS A SPECIAL COMEDY CENTRAL^® SOUTH PARK VERSION OF “POKER FACE”
MTV NETWORKS CELEBRATING DEBUT ACROSS CHANNELS

Cambridge, Mass. – March 9, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a four pack of songs from pop sensation Lady Gaga, as well as a special Lady Gaga cover byCOMEDY CENTRAL’s South Park’s own Eric Cartman will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Lady Gaga joins the more than 400 artists currently available through theRock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available,Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

“Lady Gaga Pack 01” will include “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster” and “Poker Face” and will be available for purchase as “Lady Gaga Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Lady Gaga is touring Europe and the United States this spring and fall, as part of her successful Monster Ball tour. For more information on tour dates, please visit www.ladygaga.com.

Additionally, a special version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” made famous bySouth Park’s Eric Cartman, will also be available in theRock Band Music Store next week. The track first appeared in the “Whale Whores” episode which will re-air on COMEDY CENTRAL March 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The 14th season of COMEDY CENTRAL’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning seriesSouth Park premieres Wednesday, March 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

MTV Networks is celebrating Lady Gaga’s debut inRock Band across its television channels, including the following:

· MTV: “Bad Romance” video rotation during music hours, 30-minute Lady Gaga video blocks on MTV Hits, the debut of Lady Gaga’s new video “Telephone,” a collaboration with Beyonce, and an airing of the Lady Gaga episode ofAmerica’s Best Dance Crew March 16 (also on MTV2)

· Palladia: Airings of Lady Gaga performance specials including,London Live (airing March 10, 13, 16, 21 and 24),VFest (March 20 and 26) and the2009 MTV Video Music Awards (March 19 and 20)

· Logo: An airing ofLondon Live andNewNowNext PopLab Lady Gaga Edition (March 16)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Having the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and play in front of my home crowd was one of the best experiences of my life.  To now be chosen as the next cover athlete for NHL 2K11 is another dream come true. It was awesome to work with 2K Sports last year on the NHL 2K10 commercial shoot and the outdoor motion capture session on the Las Vegas strip was incredible to be a part of.  I’m looking forward to having just as much fun again, and helping them make another great hockey game this year

NHL 2k11 will be hitting stores this Fall.

Designed by Creative Director Stuart Black (co-creator and designer of Black, 2006), Bodycount is being created by an all-star development team using the EGO® Game Technology Platform, an evolution of Codemasters’ award-winning engine, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and scheduled for release in Q1 of 2011.

“Our core focus for Bodycount is to deliver best-in-class gun play that places the gamer at the heart of the experience,” said Executive Producer Tom Gillo. “From the jaw-dropping devastation caused by firing into enemies or shredding the world around you in a hail of bullets, Bodycount will crystallise that moment of pulling the trigger into an exhilarating sensory overload of action.”

In Bodycount players become ensnared in a clandestine global power struggle as a powerful combat asset with a green-light to eliminate enemies known only as ‘Targets’ on behalf of the ‘Network’. Equipped with a mouth-watering selection of contemporary weapons, players and opponents tear through destructible cover to execute explosive kills in a shreddable world where operatives are encouraged to leave no witnesses. Complimented by online multiplayer and co-operative game modes, Bodycount will blast outrageous action and spectacular fire-fights from both barrels.

“We’re all massive FPS fans,” said Stuart Black, Creative Director on Bodycount “and believe that there’s room for a refresh of the shooter experience. If Race Driver: GRID™ was all about the purity of racing, then everything in Bodycount is absolutely centred on the bullet and its impact on the world. Our shredding tech enables us to create a different kind of gameplay, where players and AI can’t hide behind indestructible cover and rely on whack-a-mole mechanics. Here the environment is constantly changing as the game world is shot to hell; it’s going to be a huge amount of fun.”

Bodycount is being developed using the EGO Game Technology platform, evolved from the award winning EGO Engine. Enabling Codemasters development talent to share tools and technology across its Studios and Central Technology teams, the EGO Game Technology Platform empowers Codemasters game designers to realise their creative visions across multiple platforms featuring cutting edge graphics, powerful AI and advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

“By investing extensively in our people and tools, we have attracted an exciting team of development talent to Codemasters Studios Guildford, empowered with a mandate to create innovative, original games using award-winning technology,” said Gavin Cheshire, Vice President, Codemasters development. “As our first internally produced new IP for many years, Bodycount will deliver a fresh FPS experience powered by intense combat, compelling narrative, advanced AI and engaging online multiplayer game modes.”

In the UK, Bodycount debuts with a front cover of Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine, which heralds the game as ‘the ultimate shooter’; the magazine is on-sale March 11th. An extensive announcement feature is also running in PlayStation Official Magazine on-sale March 16th.

For all the latest on Bodycount follow @bodycountgame on Twitter (www.twitter.com/bodycountgame), become a fan on Facebook or visit www.codemasters.com/bodycount

VALVE TO DELIVER STEAM & SOURCE ON MAC

Leading Gaming Service Expands to Mac Platform

March 8, 2010 – Valve announced today it will bring Steam, Valve’s gaming service, and Source, Valve’s gaming engine, to the Mac.

Steam and Valve’s library of games including Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life series will be available in April.

“As we transition from entertainment as a product to entertainment as a service, customers and developers need open, high-quality Internet clients,” said Gabe Newell, President of Valve. ”The Mac is a great platform for entertainment services.”

“Our Steam partners, who are delivering over a thousand games to 25 million Steam clients, are very excited about adding support for the Mac,” said Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development at Valve. “Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge. For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam Cloud, allows a gamer playing on their work PC to go home and pick up playing the same game at the same point on their home Mac. We expect most developers and publishers to take advantage of Steam Play.”

“We looked at a variety of methods to get our games onto the Mac and in the end decided to go with native versions rather than emulation,” said John Cook, Director of Steam Development. ”The inclusion of WebKit into Steam, and of OpenGL into Source gives us a lot of flexibility in how we move these technologies forward. We are treating the Mac as a tier-1 platform so all of our future games will release simultaneously on Windows, Mac, and the Xbox 360. Updates for the Mac will be available simultaneously with the Windows updates. Furthermore, Mac and Windows players will be part of the same multiplayer universe, sharing servers, lobbies, and so forth. We fully support a heterogeneous mix of servers and clients. The first Mac Steam client will be the new generation currently in beta testing on Windows.”

Portal 2 will be Valve’s first simultaneous release for Mac and Windows. “Checking in code produces a PC build and Mac build at the same time, automatically, so the two platforms are perfectly in lock-step,” said Josh Weier, Portal 2 Project Lead. “We’re always playing a native version on the Mac right alongside the PC. This makes it very easy for us and for anyone using Source to do game development for the Mac.”

In partnering with Playboy, we are able to add a unique element of authenticity to the game by using vintage images from the magazine that illustrate the power of Playboy’s influence on the attitudes and culture of that generation.

3/9

(PS3/360)Final Fantasy XIII: Sort of ironic that a game with so many editions would be called “Final” Fantasy. Anyways I have heard that the PS3 version is better than the 360 for some reason and that you can pick this game up without having to know what you missed in the previous…I’d be lying if I told you what that roman numeral stood for.

(PS3)Yakuza 3

(Wii)Calling-Horror game for the Wii…interesting.

(PS3/360)Resident Evil 5:Gold Edition- If you have yet to pick this up I highly suggest you do so regardless of the system. This was my first Resident Evil game and I fell in love with it.

(PC)Assassin’s Creed II-My favorite original story for a video game. Also highly suggested to everyone who hasn’t had the pleasure to play one of Ubisoft’s most interesting stories.

3/10

(PSP)BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger

(PC)NEW Turtle Beach HPA2 Headset-I have a Turtle Beach I use for my 360 gaming and regardless of how great it is for shooters it adds so much to the experience even if you are playing a singleplayer game (i.e. Mass Effect). Also its worth mentioning because the previous models usually get a big price cut so you may want to give it a look.

3/11

(DS)Pokemon Soulsilver/Heartgold Edition-Although I am much older now I can not criticize the continued releases of these games because I guarantee if I was to play it I would be just as in love with this one as I was with the old ones. If Microsoft was to make a cheap remake of a pokemon type game for arcade where you can vs other trainers through Live and train your “whateverMon” I would be the first to spend the points.

The biggest new addition is the My Player Mode.  Gamers can create their own player and play out a career starting on a Double A team working their way up to the majors.  My Player offers up a varied experience depending on the position you choose.  Fielding positions get the most mix of play, as you’ll be fielding and batting.  While pitchers get a more exciting at times type of experience, but lack batting.  Catchers are by far the most tedious of positions to play in My Player mode, since you don;t actually call the pitches, and the only real action is pop flys or bunts.  As you play games you get skill points for various accomplishments, these points are then spent on increasing your players skills.  Skill points are one part of My Player done fairly well.  Instead of all points being lumped together and then being able to be spent on any training aspect, you get skill points for Batting, Fielding and Running.  However some might get frustrated as you might be good in one area and will find it hard to increase your skills in other spots, this issue is especially  apparent with the running section because that requires scoring runs and stolen bases, and you can’t score runs if your team mates stink, and with no speed your not going to rake up many steals.  However My Player mode does have occasional drills, which allow you pick drills from each area.  If you complete the goal in the drill you get extra skill pints and other skill bonuses, my suggestion is use these drills to work on base running.  While I applaud the development team for finally getting this mode into the game, it still needs lots of work.  After a few games the mode gets boring and quite repetitive (except for pitchers which is pretty fun),  also the mode lacks some realism, for instance you can just jump from team to team by requesting a trade.  My Player Mode is a good first step and I’m sure it will improve next season.

Like NHL and NBA 2k10 the “Today” modes (MLB Today, NBA Today, NHL Today) really make this game special and gives fans a quick and easy way to enjoy their favorite teams throughout the real world season.  As soon as the game launches you see a list of the days games, and can jump right into any of them.  And just like NBA and NHL 2k10, MLB 2k10 features the dynamic announcing and live stats.  So as the real world season unfolds you’ll experience the real stats in game and the announcing team will tie your virtual game into the real world.

This years big development focus was on Hitters vs. Pitchers.  The pitching and batting AI have been vastly improved and hitting that clutch hit, or getting that important K come with a real feeling of accomplishment.  These improvements lead to a game that plays more realistic, if you are a wild batter and swing at every pitch you’ll start getting thrown more pitches outside your range.  And many times you’ll run into high pitch counts on good hitters.  Also added is real world batter eye stats, now when at the plate you’ll get a hint at what’s coming at you, and the better the batter’s eye rating the better the information is.
Controls have at the core remained the same but there are improvements to the total control pitching and now there is total control batting.  Using the right thumbstick you can either attempt Power, Contact or Defensive swings.   Again these controls are quite rewarding and make for a more interesting experience since anyone can just press a single button.  Learning the pitches and getting down batting gives you a sense of an education.  Also new this year is pre-loading of throws, now you have control on how much power you put behind the ball while fielding.

Presentation remains very strong, just like this years NBA and NHL 2k titles.  The broadcast style graphics look great, and the pitch analysis and swing analysis are not only visually nice but also help you become a better player.  The various onscreen stats and counters look very close to what you’ll see during any real world game on your tv.  And the depth of statistical data will blow your mind.  During each pitch you’ll see batter stats for the current count.  However there is a quick fall off in the graphics department after the presentation.  Textures in the game are rather lackluster and seem behind the curve.  While the player models are improved over years past and they are the best part graphically, stadiums and especially the crowds are not that attractive.  What’s even stranger is the My Player mode texture wise looks worse then any other mode in the game.
MLB 2k10 offers up some great animations, but for all the good animation you witness there’s at least as many or more bad animation issues.  MLB 2k10 features many signature animations which at time look real good and transition real well, however the times they don’t transition correctly or our out of place they look real bad.  For instance playing as the Yankees, A Rod made a simple ground catch and instead of going to a simple throw to first he jumps and does a crazy in-air twist.  This would have  looked great if he was moving toward 3rd and throwing back across his body to first, but he wasn’t.  Running towards the plate usually triggers nice animations, especially if the catcher has the ball.  Players will charge the catcher and theres a chance they drop the ball and you get a run, but the transition to these charges is a bit silly as your player kinda pauses and then looks like a bull readying his charge, it’s just not smooth.  Also the extra animations like walking to the plate, or the coach coming to the mound are very stiff and robotic, and at times also witness players spinning in place with out moving a leg.  The animations seem to fall into two categories, either real great or bad no real middle ground.
Audio wise MLB 2k10 is top notch.  2K continues it’s great commentary and statistic discussion, just like in their other sports titles this season.

MLB 2k10 improves in many areas over last years outing but still needs some work.  My Player mode is a nice addition but it’s execution was off the mark.  Hopefully next year My Player mode gets some tender love and care like Hitters and Pitchers did this year.  Presentation and MLB Today are home runs.  Franchise and Season modes continue to be strong, but they are also the seasoned veterans for game modes.  I really enjoyed the control systems, pitching offers a challenge and the new Total Control hitting gives batters options.  Texture and player model wise MLB 2k10 is an improvement over seasons past, but compared to other titles it’s below the curve, hopefully next year graphics get a bump.  After a few years of miss steps MLB 2k10 seems to be getting the series back on track and I look forward to see how the new features are enhanced next season.

Gameplay
Presentation
Graphics
Sound
Replay Value
Overall Rating: 7.6/10

Certain highly populated places such as New York and London have seen a massive influx of turf being claimed in the past couple of months, and the numbers continue to grow on a daily basis

Turf Wars is a free app and can be downloaded from the App Store.

This year event is being held at eh Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas Texas from August 12th to the 15th.  QuakeCon is a free event and all gamers are welcomed to stop by and have some fun.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii
Brother/sister duo The White Stripes will release a second three pack of some of their most loved songs on Rock Band next week. The band, composed of Jack White (of The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, both featured in Rock Band) and Meg White, has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards, including three for Best Alternative Music Album. “The White Stripes Pack 02” will feature “Fell in Love with a Girl,” from 2001’s White Blood Cells; “Seven Nation Army,” from 2002’s Grammy Award-winning Elephant; and “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told),” from 2007’s Grammy Award-winning Icky Thump. A tour documentary titled “The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival September 2009 and is currently making the festival rounds to rave reviews.  The film, directed by Emmett Malloy, is a visual and emotional documentation of The White Stripes making their way through Canada where they played every province and territory, culminating with their 10th anniversary show in Nova Scotia. “The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights” is available to purchase as a standalone DVD/Blu-Ray or as part of a limited edition box set and will be released March 16. To pre-order either version and to find screenings of the film at a theater near you, please visit www.whitestripes.com.
Post-punk English rockers The Futureheads, who are currently touring England, make their Rock Band debut next week with “Decent Days & Nights” and “Hounds of Love,” both from the band’s debut, self-named album. Sixties rockers The James Gang offer up “Walk Away,” and “All of This” and “Tie You Down” from Shaimus, as well as Neil Peart’s “The Hockey Theme” will also be available next week in the Rock Band Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 9) and PlayStation 3 system (March 11):

• The Futureheads – “Decent Days & Nights” +
• The Futureheads – “Hounds of Love” +
• The James Gang – “Walk Away” +
• Neil Peart – “The Hockey Theme” + *
• Shaimus – “All of This” + *
• Shaimus – “Tie You Down” + *
• The White Stripes – “Fell in Love with a Girl” +
• The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
• The White Stripes – “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “The White Stripes Pack 02”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:

$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “The White Stripes Pack 02”
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track
Tracks marked with “*” are 99 cents per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Players of the series will be able to jump right into the game as the controls are the same, but for newbies an all new skate school will help you learn the basics.  Unlike the prior games where you are shown the control moves you need to learn, Skate 3 uses a new teaching system.  For instance during the grind training once in the air the game freezes and allows you to see the required controls and control the skater mid-air, allowing the less experienced an easier understanding of what is need to complete tricks.  Beyond the skate school the next biggest change comes with the map editor.  Skate 2 allowed players to move objects around the map, but Skate 3 goes one step further and allows gamers to drop in any game object they desire.  This opens the game up to customization like never before.  Any object found int he game from cement slabs to soccer balls can be dropped in and all have their own unique physics.  But the customization doesn’t stop there.  The game offers creators a chance to create their own skate parks.  And once you have the ultimate skate park you can share it with your friends.  And to make your park even more custom, just like in NCAA Football you can go online and import your own logos and graphics to use on the various items within your park.  And don’t worry all this content you make and share will net you some in-game cash and experience!  Finally creators young and old can reap rewards for hours of hard work.  For those less artistic or with less time you can browse user upload skate parks via your console or on a PC(for later download) and have a fresh boarding experience months after the games release.

The game looks and plays real good.  Skate 2 seemed rather dull and dirty, but Skate 3 looks clean and polished.  The environments are lush and look great.  The controls remain solid and allow for gamers of all levels to enjoy the game.  Also the addition of teams will be great for you and your online friends, as you can create a team and take on other teams.  And what would skateboarding be without video clips.  After pulling off a sick trick with a button presses you can create a video highlight and share that online as well.

The skate series has grown and evolved with each release and this years game looks to be the best yet.  Skate 3 is slated to hit stores in May.

Fans of the prior years game will feel right at home, and be happy to know that Sony has listened to your calls and made some much welcomed additions.  The highly missed Home Run Derby is finally in the game.  Gamers can jump right into the Home Run Derby or as they play through season modes the Home Run Derby as well as Futures Game and All-Star Games will be played during the All-Star Week.  While it’s great having the Home Run Derby, I was a bit let down.  The Home Run Derby in real life has taken on a life of its own with different gimmicks, like special prize targets around the stadium, streaking ball tv graphics effects, and the golden charity ball.  None of these gimmicks are in the game and would have made the Home Run Derby a lot more exciting.
Most of the other new features are found within the gameplay itself.   For instance players can now play the game as the catcher, calling the pitches and become the ultimate field general.  The camera system has also been revamped with more true to life broadcast camera angles.  For pitchers there is a more robust pick-off system.  Instead of a single pick-off type players can now choose between three types of pick-offs., you can either use a casual, quick or deceptive pick-off.  Also the game has received some nice multiplayer updates both online and offline.  Season modes can now handle 1-30 players, so now you can run your ultimate league with friends at home, in the dorm of over the Playstation Network.  Rounding out some of the new additions is the inclusion of 11 new stadiums, all current MLB stadiums, plus 5 new Minor League stadiums and 6 classic ballparks.
My favorite mode of the series has been Road to The Show for many years.  And this years RTTS mode moves to version 4.0.  The first change gamers will see is how the game is presented.  You now have some choices you can play as normal, only when your player is involved, or you can watch various parts of the game when not involved.  Also new this year, instead of starting in Spring Training you will be drafted to a AA team where you need to earn a spot for the following years training.  To make the game even more realistic there are to new tracking systems.  The first is the mistake tracker, where throwing to the wrong base or not covering the correct base will have a negative impact on your playing time.  The second new system is the Green Light system.  This system focuses on base running, those who have good base stealing abilities will have a green light those who don’t will be penalized and have their green light status revoked.  Once your green light status is revoked you will need to work on speed and base running skills to gain it back.  Last year we saw the addition of batting practice and base running drills to RTTS mode.  This year we get the added fielding drills and pitching training.  While similar to last year these drills are only offered every few weeks and have only a slight effect on your skills.  There is also now the option to participate in pre-game batting practice, which adds to the realism of the game but would have been nice if it also helped your batting skills a bit.

While the gameplay additions are great, MLB 10: The Show really shines in the graphics department.  The players have never looked this good, and the new animations especially the facial animations are amazing and give these virtual players some emotion.  Strike out on a big play and your player will show disappointment.  Or when the ball just makes it over the wall, don’t be surprised when the outfielder slams the wall in anger with his fists.  And the graphical details have gone beyond the on-field players, the crowds look great as well.  Fans in the first row will lean over for foul balls, and even sometimes fall over onto the field.  You will now see people walking around the stadiums.
The lighting system has also received some work as well.  Games that start in the afternoon will transition to night all the while stadium shadows will shift across the field.
For the most part the graphics are top notch and are surprisingly better then last years amazing graphics, but there are some bugs and hiccups.  While there are thousands of animations in the game, their transitions aren’t always smooth.  There are times where batters start to run during foul balls just to pop magically back to the plate. Also fielders transitioning from catching ground balls to running can be shaky and sometimes lead to missed outs.  And lastly this year’s broadcast graphics are a bit on the dark side.  The on-screen graphics lack pop and are just bland.

The sounds of the game are still top notch, and those who enjoyed the customizations last year will be happy they are back.  Attach a usb mic or PS3 headset and you can record your own cheers and jeers.  The commentary team of Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersion and Dave Campbell are also back, unfortunately they are still rather bland and get quickly repatative.  While the commentary transitions have been improved, for instance if they begin to talk about the keys to the game only to actually interrupt themselves due to a nice 2 base hit, it sounds real well.  But the real sound gems comes from the stadium, the crowds will become quite during slumps in the game but when you are at home knocking home runs the place will sound electric.

While I’m no where near a baseball fan, The Show has been and continues to be one of my favorite sports games.  This years attention to detail really makes the series shine.  Each time you play a game you pick-up on new little nuggets from the peanut guys walking the stands, to the crowds milling about in common areas.  The core gameplay remains solid and the tweaks to the various systems are very nice.  Road to The Show remains a fun experience and my favorite mode of all, and it’s great to finally have a true representation of All-Star week.  While the game does have a few hiccups, such as repetitive commentary, occasional animation transition issues and some rather bland broadcast graphics, these issues don’t really tarnish this great game.  For hardcore Baseball fans you’ll enjoy the franchise and RTTS modes, for the casual fan you’ll be hooked just like I was 4 years ago on RTTS and also spend hours with friends slugging it out in the Home Run Derby.  MLB 10: The Show continues to be an amazing Baseball experience for al levels of baseball fans.

Gameplay
Presentation
Graphics
Sound
Replay Value
Overall Rating: 9.2/10

In addition, it was announced today that T-Mobile has signed on as launch partner of the Rock Band Network to develop an “Artist-of-the-Month” feature beginning in April 2010 to help fans identify and connect with new talent in the Rock Band Network.

“The Rock Band Network Music Store gives artists at any level the opportunity to reach new fans through our deeply engaging interactive platform,” said Paul DeGooyer, senior vice president of Electronic Games and Music for MTV Networks Music Group. “This new pathway for discovery is a huge win for passionate music fans, as well as an opportunity for artists to promote themselves while positively impacting their bottom line.”

Artists who submit songs for the Rock Band Network Music Store are able to choose from multiple pricing tiers for individual tracks and receive a royalty of 30 percent of the retail selling price (excluding tax) for every track purchased through the RBN Store. There are currently more than 100 songs available for purchase in the Rock Band Network Music Store from artists including The Shins, The Hold Steady, The Main Drag, Bang Camaro, of Montreal, Jonathan Coulton, Skeleton Witch, 3 Inches of Blood, Lacuna Coil, Stroke 9, and Steve Vai*. There are more than 300 artists in the RBN pipeline, with additional tracks already on the way from Flight of the Conchords, The Smashing Pumpkins, Twin Atlantic, All That Remains, Clutch, Prong, The Gaslight Anthem and many more coming soon.

With more than 1,100 tracks available to date in the original Rock Band platform, the Rock Band Network Music Store will immediately boost the number of available songs, further securing MTV Games and Harmonix’s position as the leading provider of downloadable content for music-based video games.

“The response to and interest in the Rock Band Network has been even greater than we originally expected,” said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems. “We’re very excited about the number of bands and labels who have geared up to participate in the Rock Band Network, as well as the number of enthusiasts who have signed up to participate in the Peer Review and Playtest processes.”

Since launching the Rock Band Network open beta in January, more than 4,300 new users have registered as authors and peer reviewers on http://Creators.RockBand.com, the site where songs are submitted before they are approved to be sold. Authors create Rock Band song packages and submit them to the site to go through two processes: Playtest, where the community delivers feedback on a work in progress track, and Peer Review, where revised and final drafts are vetted and approved for sale. During Peer Review, songs are tested for playability, adherence to the authoring standards of Rock Band and checked to check for violations of XNA Creators Club Online community standards (vulgarity, adult content, original content, etc.).

Peer reviewers have the unique opportunity to play Rock Band Network content for free, well in advance of a track’s commercial release. These fans can help shape the track’s final versions, providing crucial feedback and flagging issues throughout Playtest and Peer Review that ensures songs are up to the high standards set by Harmonix. Any music fan with Rock Band 2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and an internet connected PC can join the Playtest and Peer Review processes by purchasing an XNA Creators Club Online Premium membership through http://creators.xna.com/membership.

Once tracks are approved, they are transferred to the Rock Band Network Music Store, an in-game music marketplace where the millions of Rock Band fans will be able to explore this constantly growing set of new content. In an exciting turn of events, for the first time in the Rock Band franchise, users will be able to download sample gameplay of each track to try before they buy! Songs will debut exclusively on Xbox 360 for 30 days. A selection of standout tracks will then be made available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system from Sony Computer Entertainment America and the Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo.

**Update** It seems that this edition is NOT going to be release here in North America, those over on the other side of the pond will be able to pick this up.  Let’s hope this changes…..

Tecmo Bowl fans no longer have to reminisce about the old days as players can return to the first video game that emulated real football with new generation consoles, twenty years after its release. As a game that still holds a strong community following, online community tournaments can now be held nationwide at the comfort of home.

TECMO BOWL THROWBACK brings back the gameplay you loved, and stays true to the Tecmo Super Bowl legacy!

* Online Multiplayer: Find your old buddies online and challenge them to matches just like back in the day
* 2D + 3D Graphics: Experience all new 3D graphics with the ability to switch to the classic 2D style!
* Customizable Teams and Rosters: Play as any of the 32 teams with customizable team names and rosters in full seasons
* Online Leaderboards: Compare your stats in a wide array of online leaderboards
* Classic Game Modes: Battle it out with your friends and kick off a game in Preseason, Season or Pro Bowl modes

TECMO BOWL THROWBACK is rated E for Everyone with Mild Suggestive Themes by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rest assured that more info is coming down the line as the launch of the public multiplayer beta nears. As a reminder, players will be able to access the beta, which launches in just two months, through Halo 3: ODST. Developed by acclaimed studio Bungie, Halo: Reach is being published by Microsoft and launches in autumn 2010 exclusively on Xbox 360.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft points, the “VIP Membership Car Pack” gives you exclusive access and visibility in the “Forza Motorsport” community. You’ll receive special recognition on scoreboards, in multiplayer lobbies, on ForzaMotorsport.net, in the “Forza Motorsport 3” Storefront, and it places your VIP auctions at the top of the “Forza Motorsport 3” Auction House. VIP membership also includes these five must-have VIP Cars: 2008 Aston Martin DBS, 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, 2007 Ferrari F430 Scuderia, 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, and 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997). (IMPORTANT NOTE: VIP Membership is also available for FREE with an Xbox LIVE token included in new Limited Collector’s Edition copies of “Forza Motorsport 3.”)

Additionally, starting today on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, you’ll find other great “Forza Motorsport 3” track and car packs, previously only available to those who purchased a copy of Limited Collector’s Edition of the game. These include:

• “Sidewinder Proving Grounds Track Pack” (400 Microsoft Points) – Download and race on the updated classic Sidewinder Proving Grounds from “Forza Motorsport 2.” This track pack includes 18 challenging courses, designed with various levels of difficulty and set to test your technical driving mettle. Think you can top the leaderboards on Sidewinder? Prove it! (Also available for FREE with an Xbox LIVE token included in Limited Collector’s Edition copies of “Forza Motorsport 3.”)
• “Benchmark High Speed Ring Track Pack” (400 Microsoft Points) – Download and race on the Benchmark High Speed Ring environment. This track pack is a veritable race day playground! Test and tune your favorite rides on the four-mile Benchmark Speedway oval or create epic Xbox LIVE multiplayer games of “Tag” and “Keep It Clean” on the massive wide-open Benchmark parking lot. (Also available for FREE with an Xbox LIVE token included in Limited Collector Edition copies of “Forza Motorsport 3.”)
• “Motorsport Legends Car Pack” (400 Microsoft Points) – Fans of classic cars will be able to collect, customize, and race 10 of the most revered roadsters: 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Stradale, 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage, 1981 BMW Motorsport M1, 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Hemi, 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, 1980 Fiat 131 Abarth, 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400, 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R, and the 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. (Also available for FREE with an Xbox LIVE token included in Limited Collector Edition copies of “Forza Motorsport 3.”)

And we have two other ways to win, for twitter users you need to tweet this(click it to go to twitter):

Test drive Blur, enter to win a multiplayer beta token from @vgrevolution go here for details http://bit.ly/blurbeta #xbox360 #xbox

And pretty much the same on Facebook; leave this messege on our Facebook Fan page wall:

Test drive Blur, enter to win a multiplayer beta token from VGrevolution go here for details http://bit.ly/blurbeta

In-order to win you MUST follow us on Twitter(this way we can DM you) and you must be a FAN of us on Facebook.
If you win you MUST go to  www.Blurgame.com/beta and enter the code we give you.  You will then receive a Xbox 360 token by email to enter into your dashboard and download the beta.  The beta begins on March 8th.  Good Luck and see you on the track!

No word on if gamers who accidentally corrupted their data from powering on the system need to take any actions.  And also no word if this might be an issue in the future, but I’m sure there will be some fix in an upcoming patch to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

With a game as big as Grand Theft Auto and such a big improvement from Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas to Grand Theft Auto IV, a graphical improvement won’t woo gamers or reviewers like GTA IV was able to do. Everyone will be expecting something that made GTA IV the award winning and critically acclaimed hit that it was then to transfer over to something great whenever the next one hits.

You can tell Rockstar is growing up, but growing up like a perverted old man where they know how to look and act respectable but if you have a conversation with this geezer you get more than you could have ever wanted. I think this is a good addition by Rockstar to act a little bit more mature on the surface but players who drive a car around for awhile listening to the radio in-game can tell its still the same old stuff.

I think it will only get better though because as Rockstar grows up so ares its long time GTA fans so its almost like a learning experience together. Which will only get better as time goes on.

Of course there will be graphical improvements but nothing out of the ordinary for a next-gen sequel. So I wouldn’t expect major improvements.

Then again one of the improvements that Rockstar can work on is its physics engine. I am not saying the physics aren’t good but with a game where players including myself love to just drive around the city causing mayhem improved physics can only make it better. Things like better car damage from collisions,bullets,and pedestrians would be great. The coolest thing in the expansion was an explosive shotgun that literally dented in the parts of the car you were hitting and showed realistic denting. So with racing game releases like GRID shows how well game developers have come since the release of GTA IV and other racing games in terms of how realistic the damage can be on real world objects.

Even though you can go into great detail over the physics in a sandbox game the results won’t be as noticeable to everyone who plays. That is why the real goal for Rockstar is offering a feature that will blow people away.

Although Rockstar added things like hanging out with friends, going out on dates, getting hammered, dancing mini-games, and an assortment of leisure games to boot. None of these really offer anything to the game. Those features offer you the ability to spend more time with the character and  get to know him and his world better.

Now Rockstar has shown they have the ability to allow 16 players simultaneously playing online to free roam all of Liberty City and they also allowed a 4 player co-op mode that let players participate in 3 missions.

What would it take for Rockstar to offer a truly unique experience to its franchise? Rockstar has been creating characters and personalities from all walks of life why not let the player create that wanna-be gangster?

Through a create-a-player tool and Rockstar putting the extra effort in voice-over work to allow players to have their name or a nickname said throughout the game in cutscenes and phone calls it will give the player an experience never had in a Grand Theft Auto title.

That is just the beginning though. Like I said, we know Rockstar is capable of having a complete 2-4 player co-op story so why don’t they? I know for myself the story doesn’t mean much to me except for laughs. So I don’t think that making the story co-opable will upset the masses of GTA fans and can even create a better game.

The story could follow either 2-4 brothers or 2-4 friends trying to make it into the criminal underworld. All of them with their unique appearance. Doing missions like bank robberies,car chases,hijacks, and shootouts throughout whatever city they may be in. Even 5 star wanted level escapes with players either jumping in one car or all four solo trying to make it to a safe house. All of this would be a first for Grand Theft Auto and can turn the currently ranked 6th game to the top game played on Xbox Live.

I am currently playing through the Lost and the Damned and except for 1 mission all the missions I have done so far I have done with my motorcycle gang of CPU players. Whether it be Gang Wars,races, or actual storyline missions I am never alone. Rockstar is creative enough to make it work and have shown that they have the ability and have even unknowingly created a story already that it could have worked with.

Now other features are possible but with co-op becoming a mainstream part of all games and Saints Row II offering a full co-op campaign it would be odd for Rockstar to look past this feature.

Here are some of the errors you might face if you power-up”

As you can see some of the errors surround various bits of data, and the side effects of them could lead to corrupted files. As of now no one really knows what the fix will do and what will happen if you did power on your PS3 and now have corrupt data on your hard drive.

As far as what caused this major bug is also up in the air, though some on the intertubes have a theory which sounds very plausible

Well the gist is that the ARM SYSCON CPU that is used to power up the front panel of the ps3, that is responsible for doing things like sleep mode, eject, RTC etc. Is an old batch that sony picked up from the shelf like other manufacturers that has that calendar year bug regarding feburary 29th on certain periods. Causing the ps3 system clock and the real time clock to desync, messing up security measures like Digital Rights management software and sometimes games that relies on clocks for whatever reason. As well as signing up to the playstation network… This CPU is always on even when your PS3 isn’t plugged
This problem is also happening with various of test Ps3 models, particulary the ones that has the emotion engine cpu/gpu for ps2 dev.

This is the one of the same type of CPUs that is powering up mobile devices like zune and blackberries, they have been affected with this bug, so they done some software patches. A syscon update can also fix this problem

The Slims ps3s aren’t affected because they use a newer up to date revision on the syscon cpu that fixes this bug.

A quick way to fix this is to remove the RTC battery for at least 5-10 min and plug it back in, you will see the date and time reset, and voila…

The reason the above theory seems plausible is because offline gameplay is also running into errors. Plus users of the slim including myself have no problems and can play both online and offline.
Obviously for most the quick fix above is out of the question as this will void your warranty and require you to open the console up. From the way the issue sounds, it seems very much like the Zune problems last year, when all Zunes went black due to the date change. I’d just wait maybe check out 24 or Chuck tonight and hopefully by this time tomorrow there will be a patch, keep checking here and on our twitter for updates.

The gameplay is very fun and addicting. As the toy commander you place different armed units on designated build spots. The game uses a cash money system and you get money for racking up kills. String multiple kills together and get a few extra dollars to spend. The money can be spent on more units, unit upgrades or to repair already placed units. That’s the tower defense and RTS portion of the game, but the real fun comes from the war action game portion. You have a few choices on how you play you can, just place units and watch them take out the waves of enemies, or you can jump into the action and take control of any of your units, from the machine gun nests, to the mortar cannons, or for some real fun jump into the provided fighter planes or bigger bomber planes.
As the levels progress you will face more difficult enemy units, and most levels end with a boss unit thats going to take all your power to destroy.
The game offers a single player campaign mode, or split-screen and Xbox Live multiplayer modes. The campaign is straight forward you progress through levels, and complete various objectives to unlock different rewards. These rewards are mainly for show, but once you complete a level you do unlock different units, or new upgrades for units.
The multiplayer action is surprisingly fun. Just like the single-player mode you place various units on build spots and have to protect your toy box from the opponent. However instead of just being on defense you also need to use some offensive strategy and launch various waves of units at your enemy. For once there is a solid offensive mode in a tower defense title.
Controls are very solid. Usually I’m not a fan of RTS and Tower Defense games with a controller and prefer a mouse, but I have yet to get annoyed. Also the controls of the flying units are easy to grasp.

The game itself looks very good. The WWI theme is carried throughout the game. Different environment items break apart from ammunition blasts, like wire fences and trees. And the ground will kick up dirt and look bombed out. Other neat video effects occur when your toy box’s health gets low, the screen will slowly have less color and begin to look scratchy like an old film. It’s amazing how far XBA games have come graphically and Toy Soldiers is one of the top. When flying around the battle field since these are toys in a diorama you can see the surrounding room which really makes the games uniqueness shine.

Overall this is an amazing game and really kicks off the Xbox Live Arcade Block Party with a bang. Toy Soldiers takes all the addicting parts of RTS, Tower Defense and Action games, and mixes them into a masterpiece. The game looks great, sounds great and plays great. I would have liked to see some more useful in-game unlocks, and even some more challenges other then the single challenge per level. But adding Xbox Live multiplayer action really ups the replay value. For a fan of Tower Defense games you’ll love Toy Soldiers, for a fan of RTS games you too will love this, and if you’ve played all the other WWI and WWII games this is another one you’ll enjoy. Finally big kids get to play like their toys do, Toy Soldiers should be a buy for all!

Gameplay
Presentation
Graphics
Sound
Replay Value
Overall Rating: 9.6/10

Get ready soldier it’s time for battle.  Starting March 3rd. the Xbox Live Block Party gets underway with the release of Toy Soldiers.  To kick off the party we have a couple of codes for Toy Soldiers to give away!  We have two codes to give away, we will give one away via Twitter and the other via Facebook.  You may enter and try to win both.  The drawing will take place at 12:01 am EST. on March 3rd.  You may enter as many times as you like, and here is how.

Twitter:  You must tweet this(click the phrase to be brought to twitter):

I want to win a free copy of Toy Soldiers from @vgrevolution go here to enter http://bit.ly/avYcVa #xbox360 #xbox #xbla

Facebook:  Leave this message on our wall on our facebook page:

I want to win a free copy of Toy Soldiers from @vgrevolution go here to enter http://bit.ly/avYcVa #xbox360 #xbox #xbla

For Twitter you must follow us to win(this way we can DM you) and on Facebook you must be a fan!
Contest ends at 12:01 am EST. March 3rd 2010, winners will be chosen at random.

Hunt down and assassinate one of the game’s 50 military colonels; devastate military bases, bio fuel chambers, government infrastructure and more; hijack tuk tuks, military 4×4s, armored vehicles, mopeds, helicopter gunships, light aircraft, mini vans and numerous other military and civilian vehicles; freefall from desert outcrops or from burning planes at 20,000 feet; and unlock one full, multi-stage mission, traversing the mountains to a heavily fortified government radar station and ending in an unforgettable desert car chase.

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of songs from American rockers Disturbed, as well as singles from Silversun Pickups, The Mother Hips and TRUSTcompany, will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Also available in the Rock Band Music Store next week are two singles from alternative rockers Silversun Pickups, who are touring North American in March and April and are nominated for Best New Artist in the 52nd Grammy® Awards. “Panic Switch” and “Sort Of,” from the band’s second studio album, Swoon, will both be available next week. Additionally, “Third Floor Story” and “White Falcon Fuzz” from The Mother Hips’ new album, Pacific Dust, which was released in October 2009, will be available for download next week. The band is currently touring North America. “Downfall” from TRUSTcompany will also be available for download next week in the Rock Band Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 2) and PlayStation 3 system (March 4):

• Disturbed – “Meaning of Life”
• Disturbed – “The Game”
• Disturbed – “Voices”
• The Mother Hips – “Third Floor Story”
• The Mother Hips – “White Falcon Fuzz” + *
• Silversun Pickups – “Panic Switch”
• Silversun Pickups – “Sort Of” +
• TRUSTcompany – “Downfall” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Disturbed Pack 02”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store. Tracks marked with a “*” will come out in Europe only on March 11.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

All track packs will be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Store.  You’ll be able to purchase the packs or each song individually.

You can see the full details of the contest here

Greed Corp is an online multiplayer strategy game in which you battle for dominance over a world once rich in resources. In order to prevail, you must exhaust all remaining resources to build an army, and use the depleted collapsing terrain to your advantage. An extensive campaign mode and multiple unlockables prepare you to take the battle online.

Fret Nice is a 2D platformer that’ll rock your world. Control your character through funky-fresh stages to explore hidden areas, collect items, and clash note-for-note with outrageous, heavy metal bosses! Rock out by blasting enemies with riff combos and creating your own sounds with each “strum” of a chord!