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Portal receives radio patch, tunes in hints of a sequel
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 02:15 GMT in Portal
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shacknews.com
Valve has released a new patch for Portal on Steam, and the patch notes say only that it has "changed radio transmission frequency to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations." A curious note, especially since Portal, as a computer game, doesn't actually transmit anything over the radio. That got the forum train a'moving on the Steam boards, and they eventually discovered that radios have been added to each level of the game which, when carried to the correct spots in each level, will tune in a series of coded messages. Connecting to all (or any, according to some reports) of the 26 messages in the game will supposedly unlock a new hidden achievement called "Transmission Received." At least, we think so -- as of this writing, no one seems to have unlocked it yet.

Some of the messages are morse codes that range from the technical ("External data line active") to the silly ("Beep beep beep beep"), and some are encoded images of numbers and equations ("B.dA=3"), but the whole thing appears to be hinting that AI antagonist GLaDOS may have transmitted information or part of herself out of the Aperture Science facility before the first game ended. Which would probably mean that a sequel reveal is imminent. We'll stay tuned for more information -- we didn't really expect to hear from Valve at GDC next week, but a Portal 2 reveal would make our San Francisco visit that much nicer.

[Thanks, Rob!]

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Turbine makes more money by giving its MMO away for free
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 07:00 GMT in PC Gaming News
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joystiq.com
Here's a story that you're probably going to see a lot over the next few years: A company started giving away its game for free, and now reports that it's making more money than before. That's what happened to Turbine, maker of the Dungeons and Dragons Online MMO. Last year, it decided to move from a subscription model to free-to-play, instead earning its revenue off of in-game transactions, and now it's announced that income has increased by 500% and the game is making more money than ever.

DDO is sort of a special case here -- the game was already developed for a subscription model, so the content might be a little more in-depth (not to mention officially licensed) than you'd find on most free-to-play properties. And since the game still does offer subscription plans, the number of subscribers has actually doubled since the changeover (there's no information about whether more money is being made from selling in-game items or from new players who have decided to subscribe). But you can be sure other game developers are closely watching this model, and it's not a stretch to think that, in the next few years, we'll see many more publishers -- of MMOs and otherwise -- try to pull off the paradox of making more money by giving their games away for free.

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Bookie suspects Uncharted 2 has highest odds of success at BAFTAs
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 05:30 GMT in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
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gamesindustry.biz
British bookmaker Victor Chandler has a strange sense of what things people should be betting on. For instance, we never would have thought that high-stakes wagering would ever find its way into the British Academy of Film and Television Awards. Yet somehow, gambling on the BAFTAs has becoming a thing, leading Chandler to tally up the odds for each of the awards show's categories.

Perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, Chandler's calculations place Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in front of the video game category -- the only award chosen by a public poll -- with odds of 6/4. Modern Warfare 2 falls slightly behind that with 9/4 odds. Check out the full breakdown of nominee's odds to take home the prize after the jump. We went ahead and split our life savings evenly among the ten contenders, guaranteeing us a victory when the BAFTAs are distributed March 19. Man, we're so good at gambling.

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NeoGeo classics coming to PS3 and PSP, ESRB reveals
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 15:15 GMT in PlayStation News
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siliconera.com
It looks like the PlayStation "Virtual Console" is expanding beyond PSone and TurboGrafx-16 games. Siliconera spotted updates to a number of classic NeoGeo titles, including Metal Slug, The King of Fighters '94 and Fatal Fury. All of these titles have been re-rated to include the PS3 and PSP.

Other NeoGeo games to appear on the ESRB database include Alpha Mission II and Baseball Stars 2. Like the listings above, these games also support both the PS3 and PSP. Hopefully, these downloadable NeoGeo games will feature the same functionality as PSone classics, specifically the ability to download to both the PS3 and PSP for no additional charge.

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Blacklight: Tango Down coming to PSN, XBLA and PC this summer
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 14:15 GMT in Blacklight: Tango Down
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joystiq.com
Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network haven't traditionally been the most familiar territories for new first-person shooters, but titles like Serious Sam HD and Battlefield 1943 have started carving out a respectable niche. Ignition has decided to join the fray, announcing that Blacklight: Tango Down is set to arrive on XBLA, PSN and PC this summer.

Details are hard to come by on the Zombie Studios title (first revealed nearly a year ago), but we know it's a "military action" franchise that prides itself on its weapon and character customization. Zombie describes the near-future world of Blacklight as "disturbingly detailed," with "old-world architecture dripping with modern sci-fi lighting and brightly lit advertisements." And just a crazy number of Grateful Dead posters.

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Splinter Cell: Conviction Xbox 360 bundle coming this April
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 15:15 GMT in Splinter Cell: Conviction
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joystiq.com

click for more top-secret images As was foretold, Microsoft has announced a special Splinter Cell: Conviction Xbox 360 bundle set to arrive this April in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The bundle will retail for $399 and will include two controllers, a standard edition copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction and a 250GB hard drive. We should remind readers that, unlike the one offered in the Final Fantasy XIII bundle, the second controller will actually be useful in Splinter Cell: Conviction, thanks to its split-screen co-op modes.

Check out hi-res images of the bundle in the gallery below.

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Beat City screens are nice and confusing
Posted by Joystiq Mar 01 2010 21:25 GMT in Beat City
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nintendo.joystiq.com
We suggested our enthusiasm for THQ's Beat City may be reduced upon seeing actual screenshots of the rhythm-based minigame collection. We're delighted to report that in addition to sounding like a neat idea, we think it looks pretty interesting as well! It's got an unusual geometric art style.

You can inspect the style of Beat City for yourself in our gallery, and even see storyboard-style sequences that are ... intended to explain the gameplay. We see an assembly line of crows being turned into parrots. We see a loving couple wearing outfits that grow spontaneously more ren-faire. We don't feel illuminated.

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Welcome Wii-centric studio Judobaby to the world
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 13:35 GMT in Nintendo News
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joystiq.com
Several old hands from Sony, Crystal Dynamics, Sega, and Capcom have unveiled their newest project, Wii-focused developer Judobaby, to the world. Just like a real baby, it's been in "stealth development" for around a year*, crafting its family-friendly first release as part of what the company says will be "a line of fun, humorous, 'pick-up & play' products." At the helm of the Redwood City, California firm is Dan Mueller, who last founded the now-dead BottleRocket.

Its secret project is set to launch this year, and Gamasutra reports there's already talk of "a live-action motion picture tie-in." Subsequently, we hope that you will join with us and sign this petition, protesting the rumored film version of this game that we will some day care about a great deal, maybe. The time for action is later! (But we're getting a head start.)

*Yes, we understand the gestation time for a typical human is nine months. Please stop messing up our joke.

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Stadium Events auction hits an unbelievable $800K
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 15:45 GMT in Nintendo News
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cgi.ebay.com

[VGMuseum] First, a mom hit the jackpot when one of the random games she was selling with an old NES turned out to be Bandai's super-rare Stadium Events, which went on eBay for $13.105. Following the excitement about that auction, someone else sold their sealed copy of the NES exercise game (which you've most likely played under its other name, World Class Track Meet) for a staggering $41,300. And then it got ridiculous.

Seller acuraboi12's sealed Stadium Events reached a high bid of $800,200. Unfortunately for acuraboi12, we doubt that's anything but a joke bid. We may be in the midst of an odd Stadium Events gold rush, but that is beyond excessive, considering that the previous $41,300 was the highest known price commanded by an NES game to date. Not even Bubble Bath Babes could command $800k, and it's got nudity.

[Thanks, NiteOwl]

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Japan - G Enterprise bundling DSiWare games into retail release
Posted by GoNintendo Mar 02 2010 06:20 GMT in Nintendo Stuff
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andriasang.com
More screens here - G.G. Series Collection+ - 16 titles have been released to DSiWare in this series - G.G. Series Collection+ contains all 16 games - G.G. Series Collection+ contains 14 all-new games - start game with limited amount of titles, but unlock others through playtime/spending in-game GP currency, or meeting other game-specific goals - buy new hair styles, face [...]

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Konami readying a new Gradius game?
Posted by GoNintendo Mar 02 2010 06:35 GMT in Nintendo Stuff
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siliconera.com
A new trademark pertaining to the Gradius franchise has popped up. Last we saw of this long-running series was a release on WiiWare. What could Gradius Arc end up being? We’ll have to wait until Konami feels like chatting about it.

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Real Football 2010 - screens, release details
Posted by GoNintendo Mar 02 2010 07:02 GMT in Nintendo Stuff
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wiiz.fr
Real Football 2010 is due to hit DSiWare in Europe on March 5th for 800 Nintendo Points.

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PlayStation Network Service Restored
Posted by PlayStation Blog Mar 02 2010 02:05 GMT in PlayStation Network
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blog.us.playstation.com

We are aware that the internal clock functionality in the PS3 units other than the slim model, recognized the year 2010 as a leap year. Having the internal clock date change from February 29 to March 1 (both GMT), we have verified that the symptoms are now resolved and that users are able to use their PS3 normally.

If the time displayed on the XMB is still incorrect, users are able to adjust time settings manually or via the internet. If we have new information, we will update you through the PlayStation.Blog or PlayStation.com.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Francis
Protip: If the year is evenly divisible by 4, it is a leap year.
2
Linkshot

I told ya that was the problem XD


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Blur Multiplayer Hands-on
Posted by IGN Mar 02 2010 16:00 GMT in Blur
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xbox360.ign.com
Bizarre Creation's arcade racer returns in spectacular fashion - and your chance to play the game early.

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Score Tickets to the Final Fantasy XIII Launch Event in San Francisco!
Posted by PlayStation Blog Mar 02 2010 15:01 GMT in PlayStation News
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finalfantasy13game.com

There’s this PS3 game. It’s called Final Fantasy XIII. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Yeah, well if so, you’ll definitely be interested to know that we’ve worked with Square Enix to secure 100 very exclusive invites to the Final Fantasy XIII Launch Event in San Francisco. That’s right, 50 of you (plus a guest) will have the chance to mingle it up and play Final Fantasy XIII the day before it hits stores on March 9. It’ll be an afternoon of Final Fantasy where you’ll also get special fan treatment, browse a gallery of stunning artwork, check out some cool videos and meet the development staff. There are also some fantastic raffle prizes up for grabs.

WHEN: This coming Monday, March 8, 2010 (one of two afternoon sessions)
WHERE: San Francisco

Of course, we want genuine FF fans to attend, so we’re not going to simply give these tix away. But if you’re free and can be in the city of San Francisco this coming Monday afternoon and you are 18 years of age or older, take our quiz! If you’re one of the first to answer the questions correctly, we’ll send you your will-call tickets and all the info you’ll need to get to the complete Final Fantasy XIII Experience. And if you’re really quick and over 21 years old, then 5 of you (plus one guest) will be granted access to a super exclusive Final Fantasy XIII VIP event that night! Ready?

TAKE THE QUIZ NOW!

4399713775_4f2e6be2df.jpg


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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 UK Review
Posted by IGN Mar 02 2010 14:23 GMT in Battlefield: Bad Company 2
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ps3.ign.com
Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

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Report: Trouble Brewing At Developer Infinity Ward
Posted by IGN Mar 02 2010 07:24 GMT in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
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xbox360.ign.com
Security shows up unexpectedly at studio late tonight.

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Major League Baseball 2K10 Review
Posted by IGN Mar 02 2010 05:08 GMT in Major League Baseball 2K10
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xbox360.ign.com
Just because its stats have improved doesn't mean it's ready for the majors just yet.

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Halo Interview: Legends, Movies and the Next Six Years
Posted by IGN Mar 02 2010 04:39 GMT in Xbox 360 News
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xbox360.ign.com
Frank O'Connor updates IGN on the latest Halo happenings.

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Top Game Design Schools Ranked
Posted by Kotaku Mar 02 2010 03:30 GMT in Gaming News
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princetonreview.com
#college The Princeton Review, most commonly known for its rankings of top party schools and other quality-of-life ratings of colleges, has compiled a list of the 50 best undergraduate schools for video game design, ranking the top eight in order. More »

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WELL THERE GOES ALL MY ARKHAM ASYLUM TROPHIES
Posted by Lord Crump Mar 02 2010 03:09 GMT in Gaming News
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*crag*ing ps3 system clock error

1
Popple
What's been up with that shit anyway? I've seen complaints about it but I still don't know exactly what it is.

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Telltale aiming for new franchises, 'more topical' content
Posted by Joystiq Mar 02 2010 03:15 GMT in Gaming News
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develop-online.net
Speaking to Develop, Telltale CEO Dan Connors had some good news for episodic adventure fans. After noting that Telltale has grown significantly over the last few years, Connors stated that the company is currently "looking to engage more franchises, including those that are more topical and relevant in the current entertainment world." He added that Telltale wants to "work with great characters to tell great stories," and believes that it can target new audiences by "creating interactive versions of the worlds, characters and stories that they love." As an example, he asks what a Sopranos game would look like, saying, "How can you pull those fans into the interactive world?"

Connors made similar statements last year, and it certainly seems that Telltale is looking to expand further into creating games based on popular programming, akin to its CSI: Deadly Intent. It actually sounds like a pretty good idea, especially given the preponderance of mystery-oriented shows out there these days. But just imagine all the completely inappropriate shows that could get the Telltale treatment. Two and a Half Men, The Tyra Show, Perfect Strangers.

Wait, that last one is actually perfect. Someone make that game right now.

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PlayStation 3 Clock Glitch Resolved
Posted by IGN Mar 02 2010 03:00 GMT in PlayStation News
- Like?
ps3.ign.com
SCEA apologizes for inconvenience.
VIEW OLDER ↓

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