All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Remember the report that said the average Call of Duty: World at War player has spent $9 on DLC? It looks like that number is about to get just a bit higher, as Major Nelson has announced that all of the World at War map packs have been reduced to 400 ($5). That's half of the usual $10 price tag. Taking all three packs together, that's 12 maps for $15, putting them at a buck and a quarter each. Not bad. If you want to snag 'em on the cheap, you have until November 1. Sure, it's probably just a cash grab before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 makes everyone forget World at War, but hey, it's hard to argue with cheap. Browse the available World at War DLC right here.

Take a look at the exclusive in-game melee weapon.

With the stylus, anything is possible.

Share your creativity with friends and family!

Not everyone is brave enough to venture through the cracks in time -- well, Ratchet and Clank are. The duo has found no reason to retire and have once again set out for adventure within your PS3. The latest entry in the series -- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time -- promised to bring an epic story and non-stop chimpin' action this time around. Has it delivered? 1UP (A): "I'm a casual fan of the series and I still found myself excited to get home and play the game each night the past week. It may be a lot of more of the same, but more of the same has never been so darn addicting." IGN (90/100): "Insomniac has created a visually appealing game with enough personality to match its good looks. With so much to level-up and enjoy, there's enough to keep even hardcore Ratchet fans coming back for more -- especially with the new Clank sections that feature some enthralling puzzles. Now that the awkward space sections from Tools of Destruction have been replaced, there's almost nothing I don't like about Crack in Time. Unfortunately, as Crack in Time still relies heavily on the tried and true Ratchet Formula, gamers that were satisfied with old Ratchet games might not have enough reasons to come back." GameTrailers (89/100): "If A Crack in Time is indeed the final Ratchet & Clank game, then the series has been finished the right way-with a solid game that doesn't stray from what fans love while giving them plenty of service in the process. And in this way, it's also guilty of playing it a bit safe, but when expectations are that high, and are met, it's a sure sign of a quality game." Videogamer (80/100): "Fans of Ratchet and Clank will find A Crack in Time to be more of the same, with a few twists here and there. It's a fine end to the current storyline and packs in loads of content that will see you playing well beyond the closing credits. The lack of fresh ideas, especially during Ratchet's sections, will be seen by many as a negative, but there are so few games that nail the action platforming genre that it's easily forgivable. If you're looking for a fun, imaginative, family friendly PS3 game, A Crack in Time fits the bill perfectly." Eurogamer (70/100): "But I've been playing R&C games for years now, and I was hoping for something extra. That doesn't mean radical change - goodness knows no one wants Ratchet to "go dark" or start running round sandbox environments. I still want a meat feast pizza, I just want it to have a stuffed crust. And maybe some dips. Or in other words, a proper selection of exciting new weapons, original puzzles and a bit of innovation. It's not that A Crack in Time is all fur coat and no knickers. The problem is, it's all fur coat and the same knickers it's been wearing for seven years. Time for a change." Gallery: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

A look at Princess Robot Bubblegum.

Freefalling above Liberty City

The Japanese Nikkei newspaper is reporting that, later this year, Nintendo will introduce a new version of the DSi that replaces the system's 3.25" screens with luxurious 4" screens. The new system will replace the current DSi and will retain the ¥18,900 ($205.50) price tag. According to GameLife's summary of the article, the screen size has been increased with older gamers in mind. The Nikkei article states that it'll be out in Japan sometime this year, but that plans for other countries have yet to be made.We're inclined to believe Nikkei when it makes predictions like these. It's previously made shocking claims like the announcement of a DS system with a camera and music playback functions, and a Nintendo/Dentsu video service.[Via NeoGAF]

"Even in those fantasy realms, luxuries can confer status.  “People get some kind of satisfaction or kudos from showing the power of their latest watch or car,” Mr. Fletcher noted.

Small wonder then, that virtual worlds seem to be breeding a generation of high rollers, who, for fees that rarely exceed the cost of a few Netflix rentals or a monthly utility bill, can acquire an online persona that is unassailably chic."

Let's see anyone kick this much ass with a pen.

"Oh man, I can't wait for the New Pork map for Fat Princess. It'll probably cost money and not come out until next year." Well, fictional person made up for this blog post, you are wrong! New Pork, a brand new map revealed during PAX, will be available to all players this Thursday, 10/29, as part of the upcoming 1.03 patch. In addition to the new map, the patch tweaks a number of issues and even introduces two new control methods. "Two new control schemes have been implemented to allow players to use the R1 button to attack and to free the player's right hand for target switching. This is AWESOME," says the PlayStation Blog.Additionally, the no-blood mode now features candy confetti -- a delicious way to kill opponents and make your parents happy. If that's not reason enough to log back on, we don't know what is.

First off, sorry about the abrupt end to the updates last night. I have an explanation, although it’s not a fun one. Mom Brain left the warehouse early last night cause she wasn’t feeling well. I knew something was really wrong, because she left in the middle of a WWE Pay-Per-View! Unfortunately, I [...]

The upcoming LocoRoco Midnight Carnival features a competitive score-based multiplayer mode. While this sounds like a good idea, this new video from the PlayStation.blog reveals that it's not very competitive. When connected with a friend over wi-fi, you'll be able to see their position on the map, and you'll see who's in the lead. However, you won't be able to interact with them in any way -- at least, not according to this footage.Midnight Carnival doesn't appear to be a significant departure from the previous LocoRoco games. This video does emphasize the importance of the "Boing" mechanic, which requires players to perform consecutive jumps without taking a break. Midnight Carnival will be available as a PSN download later this week.

The freaks come out at night.

A portion of a Press and Sun-Bulletin interview with Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael… Nelson is an avid golfer and apparently enjoys practicing the sport even when he’s indoors. “He is addicted to Wii golf,” Raphael said of the Nintendo video game, where players can imitate the motions of playing golf with their game controllers. [...]

Grand Theft Auto has always been heavy on satire, making exaggerated observations about the world for the sake of a few cheap yuks. It's readily apparent on the in-game radio programs, which poke fun at both extremes of political talk radio. The in-game TV programming does much the same (if you haven't, we suggest you make time to watch "Republican Space Rangers"). It looks like The Ballad of Gay Tony will continue the tradition with "Princess Robot Bubblegum," an anime parody to be featured on the in-game CNT channel. The show will serve as part of the new TV lineup in the upcoming expansion. In Rockstar's own words, "Princess Robot Bubblegum" features the hallmarks of more than a few animes: "Incomprehensible narrative, wretched dialogue and creepy, misogynistic sexuality." See it all in the trailer above.

Netflix was kind enough to answer a heap of nitpicky questions following the announcement that its steaming service would soon be available for PlayStation 3. Certainly, question marks hovered over the application "disc" and whether or not it would have to always be in the PS3 to use the Netflix streaming service. It turns out that Netflix won't have an integrated XMB solution just yet -- but it's coming.Check out our interview with a Netflix representative for the full details: Was the PS3 application developed internally by Netflix? Yes, with the help of the Sony team.Can the Netflix application be installed to the PS3 hard dive from the disc? Or must the disc be inserted every time a user wants to access Netflix?

Netflix was kind enough to answer our most nitpicky questions following the announcement that its steaming service would soon be available for PlayStation 3. Certainly, a major concern of ours was this "disc" and whether it would have to always be in the tray to use Netflix. Turns out that Netflix won't have an "embedded solution available for PS3s," meaning that users will need to think of a disc-based game than a fully-intergrated service for the time being.Read our interview for the full details: Was the PS3 application developed internally by Netflix? Yes, with the help of the Sony team.Can the Netflix application be installed to the PS3 hard dive from the disc? Or must the disc be inserted every time a user wants to access Netflix?

I be a lot of girls would actually love to wear that dress. It’s a must have for the puzzle enthusiast. Thanks to Pugwishbone for the heads up!

The OFLC once again gets the scoop on the next entry in the Final Fight series, with Final Fight 3 confirmed for VC. I don’t think I played this one back in the day. Perhaps it’ll be worth a VC purchase.

Well, unless you work for Weta, of course. The Warthog above, as seen on Pixelated Geek, was made by a company called Custom Creations, and was built for the Halo fan film, Operation Chastity. That's right, it was made for a fan film. Not to put too fine a point on it, but had we been tasked with building a Warthog, it probably wouldn't even be as good as modified Power Wheels. Suffice it to say, it's pretty nice. To see some pics of the Warthog's construction process -- it took approximately a year to build -- head over to the official Operation Chastity website. The project begins filming in 2010.

Screens that promote love and beauty.

That picture above shows the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network Adapter available in Japan. Nintendo worked with Buffalo to create the product, but the design above wasn’t the original vision. Below, you can see what Buffalo originally wanted to do with the design. Thanks to Bentendo for the heads up!

The invention of Wii Mote controller attachments have made it possible for us to put ourselves in the very heart of the Wii Sports action, making every movement count in the challenge to beat your friends . The problem with these original attachments is the danger of getting too involved in the action, violently [...]

Wii wish you a merry christmas!

Mirror's Edge parodies and robotic lighthouses? It's all here.