Gamer News 01.16.09: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…the new DLC for Fable II is now available on Xbox Live? It will cost you 800 MS points ($10) but it’s totally worth it for what you get. Not only does it unlock a new area of the map called Knothole Island, but the island itself offers some great upgrades including a resurrection shrine, new weapons, potions to repair mistakes you made earlier in the game like gorging on too much pie and a lot more. Check out the details at: Lionhead Studios
…the Steve Miller Band is finally coming to Rock Band 2? A new list of upcoming tracks for next week’s Rock Band DLC includes SMB classics, “The Joker,” “Take the Money and Run” and “Space Cowboy.” Also in the DLC will be one track each from: Godsmack, Belly, Mute Math, Rob Zombie and Ghost Hounds. Full story: 1Up
…Princess Peach and Cortana are the SAME woman? At least, they are voiced by the same woman, Jen Taylor, who was also the voice of Zoey in Left 4 Dead, and a few more that may surprise you. Games Radar has unveiled a really entertaining and sometimes mind blowing list of video game voices, that kept me hooked for the whole read. It’s worth checking out at: Games Radar
…Gears of War 2 is losing the sales war to Call of Duty: World at War? According to the latest US sales numbers, Gears 2 has sold about 2.8M units to date, but COD:WaW snuck past them last week with about 3M units. Let’s not forget that Gears had a one week head start, and yet they still fell behind. Check out the numbers at: VG Chartz
…Nirvana bassist, Krist Novoselic, can’t seem to master Nirvana on Rock Band 2? In a pretty funny little antidote he shared on Seattle Weekly’s blog, Novoselic described stumbling upon a RB2 demo at a big box store, and attempting to play “In Bloom” with disastrous results. Give it a read at: Seattle Weekly
Tags: 1Up, Belly, Call of Duty World At War, Cortana, DLC, Fable II, Games Radar, Gears of War 2, Ghost Hounds, Godsmack, Hey Did You Hear..., Jen Taylor, Knothole Island, Krist Novoselic, Left 4 Dead, Lionhead Studios, Mute Math, News, Nirvana, Princess Peach, Rob Zombie, Rock Band 2, Seattle Weekly, Steve Miller Band, VG Chartz, Zoey
Gamer News 01.14.09: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…the Wii Rock Band 2 downloadable music story is (finally) open? The store features 20 FREE songs for download and an additional 30 or so songs available for purchase for 200 wii points (about $2/each.) Full story: Wiihotties
…kids in schools will soon be using Nintendo’s Wii Music in the classroom? Nintendo has partnered up with The National Association for Musical Education to bring Wii Music to schools in 51 cities across the US. The game will help kids learn the basics of music like tempo and rhythm. Wait, does that mean kids won’t be forced to play recorder concerts anymore?! Full story: 1Up
…you can make some sweet music with those gaming hands of yours? A dude named Gerry Phillips who claims he’s been making music with his hands for 38 years tackles the Super Mario theme song using only his hands to make little fart-y noises. Now, I’ve posted a lot of funny musical numbers based on games, but this one is certainly the most unique I’ve seen. Check out Gerry in action on You Tube
…the Resident Evil 5 demo will hit US Xbox 360’s later this month for a one week limited download timeframe? The highly-anticipated demo to the even more highly-anticpated sequel will be available for download on Xbox Live on Monday, January 26th. What a great birthday present for KP1gL37! Full story: Nothing But Software
…Sony may have succeeded in creating an unhackable PSP? The most recent PSP that was released on Oct 14, 08 (the PSP-3000) has gone unhacked since its launch. Considering the previous PSP versions were hacked within what seemed like minutes of release, a few months seems like an eternity. Is it possible Sony finally got wise, and found a way to really lock it down? Give it another couple months, and then we can call this one a success. Full story: PSPWorld
Tags: 1Up, demo, Hey Did You Hear..., News, Nintendo Wii, Nothing But Software, Playstation Portable, PSP, PSP 3000, PSPWorld, Resident Evil 5, Rock Band 2, Sony, Super Mario Brothers, Wii Music, Wiihotties, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, You Tube
Gamer News 01.07.09: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…gamers are bidding farewell to Electronic Gaming Monthly? Publisher Ziff Davis announced that they are selling their 1Up gaming division to Hearst’s UGO Entertainment division, and the print magazine, EGM, will be the first casualty of the sale. No word yet from UGO on the fate of the other properties that were part of the sale, including 1Up.com, Mycheats.com, GameVideos.com and Gametab.com. Full story: Gamesutra
…Wii Sports has surpassed Super Mario Brothers for the NES as the best selling video game of all time? This is based on recent sales figures from the last week in Dec that place units sold at 40.24 million. Full story and a chart of the 10 best selling games of all time: VG Chartz
…the FTC is getting involved in the whole DRM in video games issue? Thanks in part to the massive consumer backlash surrounding the SecuROM DRM/Spore issue of 2008, the FTC has decided to hold a conference on March 25th in Seattle to discuss DRM in more detail. Read more about the town hall, and how you can participate from the official FTC website.
…the new Laura Croft has been unveiled and she’s smoking hot? Alison Carroll will be the latest model for the infamous adventurer, following in a line of lovely ladies who have held the distinction. Check out a photo gallery of the brunette beauty at buzznewsroom
…next time you are at the airport, you can pick up a handheld game from a vending machine? Best Buy launched vending machines at select airports in the US where you can purchase handheld consoles and games for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. And, unlike everything else at the airport, these vending machines shockingly offer the same prices as regular retail. Full story: 1Up
Tags: 1Up, 1Up.com, Alison Carroll, Best Buy, DRM, EGM, Electronic Gaming Monthly, FTC, GamerTab.com, Gamesutra, GameVideos.com, Hearst, Hey Did You Hear..., Laura Croft, MyCheats.com, NES, News, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Playstation Portable, PSP, SecuROM DRM, Sony, Spore, Super Mario Brothers, UGO Entertainment, vending machine, VG Chartz, Wii Sports, Ziff Davis
Gamer News 12.29.08: Hey, Did You Hear?
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…the gaming industry is primed for world domination (mwah-ha-ha!) in the next 3 years? According to research firm, The Diffusion Group, 190 million households worldwide will own a current-gen console by the year 2012. Full story and more tasty facts: Softpedia
…Sony is taking whatever measures they can to cut costs and try to break even on the PS3? Hurting from the loss they have to take on every unit sold, they recently found a way to cut costs of materials by 35%. That seems like a pretty big cut, considering their current cost is $448.73 per unit. Here’s hoping they don’t just jam it full of crappy parts to save a buck. Full story: Yahoo Tech
…you can expect the next Tony Hawk game to be a more “authentic? skating experience” According to Hawk, they will be “rebuilding the whole game” in order to incorporate motion controls, which has been a much-anticipated feature for fans of the franchise. No word yet on the consoles, but I’m thinking it’s a natural fit for the Wii board. Full story: 1Up
…if you have any burning questions to ask Harmonix co-founder, Alex Rigopulos, he will be taking user questions online at the New York Times blog? Check out his bio, and submit a question on Guitar Hero, Rock Band, or how to build your own video game empire at Freakonomics
…Sony’s virtual environment, Home is going a tad far in the censorship department. In addition to the slew of other bugs users have been complaining about, Home, seems to be a little overzealous on the auto-curse word filter, preventing words including, “gay, lesbian, bisexual, Christ, Jew and hello (…starts with hell.) Full story: San Francisco Chronicle
Tags: 1Up, Alex Rigopulos, Diffusion Group, Freakanomics, Guitar Hero, Harmonix, Hey Did You Hear..., News, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, PS3, Rock Band, Softpedia, Sony, Tony Hawk, Wii board, Xbo360, Yahoo Tech
Gamer News 12.21.08: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under News
…Pain was the #1 downloaded game on the Playstation Network in 2008? Second went to High Velocity Bowling and third to Super Stardust HD. Yawn. A complete list of the 10 most downloaded games on the PSN in 2008 is available at Joystiq.
…someone mapped out the evolution of the video game controller? A researcher and blogger at Pasta&Vingear was involved in a project that included mapping out the progression of the console controller from Tandy all the way to current gen consoles. Pretty interesting reading if you are into the science of gaming.
…playing with your Wii may be dangerous to your health in you live in the UK? According to a recent report in the Sun, 10 people in the UK are sent to the ER each week with Wii-related injuries. Ten a week? Either the Brits are waaay out of shape, or they are getting a little too absorbed in their tennis matches with grandma.
…Shaun White is already talking sequel, but Ubisoft is staying tight-lipped? The Flying Tomato made a few comments recently that alluded to a sequel to Shaun White snowboarding that may be in the works, but Ubisoft insists nothing is official just yet. Full story: 1Up
…the Japanese release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 will be delayed to an unspecified date in the Spring of 2009? This announcement came alongside details of the game during Jump Festa 2009. Full story: Kingdom Hearts Insider
Tags: 1Up, controller, Hey Did You Hear..., High Velocity Bowling, Japan, Joystiq, Jump Festa 2009, Kingdom Hearts 358/2, Kingdom Hearts Insider, News, Nintendo Wii, Pain, Playstation 3, Playstation Network, PS3, Shaun White, Shaun White Snowboarding, Super Stardust HD, Ubisoft, UK, Wii
Gamer News 12.09.08: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…One company is developing apparel that will physically immerse you in the game experience? TN Games has created a special gamer vest and helmet that help give you the feel of “the impact of punches, kicks, bullets and blasts that happen to your character in the game.” Full Story: Hot Hardware
…Nintendo is thinking of changing the accelerometer chip in the Wii? The new chip would be less expensive for Nintendo, and is not expected to cause any changes in the way the system operates. No formal decision has been made just yet. Full Story: 1Up
…Playstation Home may be released in time for the holidays? Rumors have surfaced that Sony plans to launch a beta version of their virtual environment, Home in the next 10 days or so. Hmm…wonder if Xbox launching the NXE did anything to light a fire under Sony’s butt? Full Story: UK Times Online
…If you are so inclined, you can now play Prey on Linux? Programmer, Ryan “icculus” Gordon perfected and released his Linux version of the first person shooter. Full Story: ars technica
…A sequel to Crackdown may be in development (or at least folks at Microsoft are wishing for it)? In a recent Major Nelson podcast, Microsoft dropped a not-too-subtle hint that the expansive sandbox may be revisited for the Xbox 360. Full Story: videogaming247
Tags: 1Up, accelerometer, ars technica, Crackdown, Hey Did You Hear..., Hot Hardware, Linux, Major Nelson, New Xbox Experience, News, Nintendo, Nintendo Wii, NXE, Playstation Home, Prey, Sony, TN Games, UK Times Online
Gamer News 12.08.08: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…Over half of adults are gamers? In a new study released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, also says that 1 in 5 adults play games every day. Full story: MSNBC
…The Rock Band music library has officially reached 500 titles? Harmonix made good on the promise to add 500 songs by the end of 2008, and did so a full month early. In other RB news, we can’t wait for next week’s release of 13 No Doubt songs from their “The Singles 1992: 2003″ CD. Full stories: Steve Streeting and 1Up
…The Saw video game is looking for a new home? The tough times over at Brash Entertainment have left the game near-complete, but homeless. Hopefully this one will get snatched up quick. Full story: Bloody Disgusting
…There is still an N-64 half-pipe in Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia? I came across this pic of it on Reddit, and it gave me a laugh. Check out image on Fongie.com
…A very creative and technically impressive modder, Ben Heckendorn, created a portable Xbox 360? Although pretty hefty, this little machine looks amazingly cool, and allows you to take your game on the road. Full story and detailed how-to: BenHeck.com
Tags: 1Up, Bloody Disgusting, Brash Entertainment, Harmonix, Hey Did You Hear..., MSNBC, N-64, News, No Doubt, Pew Internet and American Life Project, Reddit, Rock Band, Saw, Xbox 360
Gamer News 12.05.08: Hey, Did You Hear…
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Hey Did You Hear..., News
…Nintendo had to issue an apology for a racial slur that accidentally made its way into Animal Crossing on the DS? Apparently, Nintendo sent out 14 copies of the game to members of the press already loaded up with a save game and user-generated content. Unfortunately, that content including one character dropping the n-bomb! Full Story: 1Up
…You can now bundle up your New Xbox Experience avatar with winter garb? The new clothing pack is available now for FREE on Xbox Live and includes cute hats, scarves and puffy coats. I’m looking forward to the pack of shorts and bikinis that Xbox will hopefully launch this summer! Full Story: Major Nelson
…Red Bull is the first company to register for real estate on the Playstion 3 virtual world, Home? Expect more annoucemnts of brand partnerships to come soon, but for now, the energy drink is the first on the Home bandwagon. Full Story: Brand Republic
…Country music is coming to Rock Band? Much to the dismay of hardcore rock n’ rollers, country titles from artists like Dixie Chicks and Brooks & Dunn will be coming to Rock Band via downloadable tracks on Dec 16th. Full story: CMT
…There may be a Michael Phelps video game in the works? Olympic champion, Phelps, talked about the game on 60 minutes, but no real details were given. Stay tuned for more on this as details are leaked. Full story: Gaming Target
Tags: 1Up, Animal Crossing, Brand Republic, CMT, Gaming Target, Hey Did You Hear..., Home, Major Nelson, Michael Phelps, New Xbox Experience, News, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Playstation 3, PS3, Red Bull, Rock Band, Xbox Live
