Now where the hell is our Orange Box damn it?
[Via Joystiq]
Posts with tag Electronic Arts
TF2 Soldier video splits sides (with rockets)
Now where the hell is our Orange Box damn it?
[Via Joystiq]
Burnout Paradise screens careen online
Rock Band to have weekly DLC, Full Album downloads, and Metallica
As icing on the proverbial cake, selections spanning Metallica's musical career will be made available, with "Enter Sandman" playable on the retail disc. All in all, Harmonix is pushing Rock Band more as a platform than just a game, and we couldn't agree with the prospect more. We'll be back with hands on impressions and a proper tribute to Weezer as soon as we can.
Watch EA press conference live at GTR
Just a friendly reminder that EA's press conference just kicked off minutes ago and the crew over at Gamertag Radio are streaming the event live on their blog. If you're interested in watching all the EA goodness go down, simply head on over to GTR's E3 2007 page for the live stream. Hurry though, because the conference just started and you wouldn't want to miss any "Spore to be an Xbox 360 exclusive" kind of announcments now would you?
Rock Band Guitar Prices PS3 vs 360
As the story goes, Red Octane supposedly couldn't get a wireless guitar because using Microsoft's proprietary wireless technology would jack the price on the controller. Could the PS3's wireless technology be easier and cheaper to implement that would cause it to be cheaper than the 360's? Harmonix denied their being any discrepancy when asked that question, so we'll have to wait for either an announcement on pricing or some more concrete evidence from retailers.
Video: Rock Band's Mississippi Queen
Update: It looks like the video has been pulled.
Gametrailers has a new video up of a Pre-E3 Rock Band playtest, akin to the one our fellow 'Stiqqers attended, and shows off the menu UI, along with band member selection prior to the song. Speaking of which, today's performance is "Mississippi Queen", and despite Player 2 pausing twice during the jam session, it all went well, especially since the song featured more cowbell. The guitar players are using the Fender Stratocaster, and the drum kit is different than the one seen in the earlier video, as it is all black. Also, at the beginning, other songs in the play list that are different from the ones revealed earlier are David Bowie's "Suffragette City" and The Hives' "Main Offender". All in all some cool tidbits, and we can't wait to play "Say it Ain't So" at E3 next week.
[Thanks, DarkStar]
Joystiq plays Rock Band, now with cow bell!
Of all the wonderful things we've learned about Rock Band, we were completely unprepared for the bombshell dropped in Joystiq's hands-on with the game. It is truly the best thing we have heard in a long time. Yes, that's right, the microphone not only doubles as a tambourine, it also serves as a cow bell. If you're playing Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," you can bet your booties that you'll be applying some judicious cow bell. Of course, Joystiq's hands-on preview contains much more information, and you really should read it, but it is our job to extract the essence of all that we cover. If there be anything purer than cow bell, we haven't seen it.
Gallery: Rock Band
Fight Matt Groening to beat The Simpsons
It seems the upcoming The Simpsons video game from Electronic Arts is positively full of surprises. First and foremost, obviously, is that it actually looks pretty good (visually at least). Add to that the news that Matt Groening, creator of television series, will star as the game's final boss (or one of them at least). Groening has stated, according to gamesindustry.biz, "They did a send-up of videogames. It's a videogame about videogames; and I'm in the videogame. I'm a boss that you have to fight at the end of the game." Groening added that he has enjoyed recording his voice for the game. Eager Simpsons fans can get their hands on the game this fall.[Via Joystiq]
60 FPS: Football will be better on the 360
1UP is reporting that all the heavy hitting football games coming out this year (Madden 08, NCAA Football 08, and All-Pro Football 2K8) will be running best on the Xbox 360. 30 frames smoother to be exact. 1UP says that they've confirmed with developers that the 360 versions of each football game will run at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second while the PS3 version will have to settle for 30 frames per second. What does that mean? Well, it means animations will be smoother, faster and less jarring than the PS3 version. And that's a good thing.We aren't sure why the PS3 versions of the games are stuck at 30 FPS, but we're thinking the dev teams just didn't find it worth the extra cash to optimize it for the platform. But even if that were the case it should still put a feather in Microsoft's ego cap, because it would just further prove that the 360 is easier to develop for.
NCAA Achievements have product placement
Xbox 360 Achievements got their hands on NCAA Football 08's Achievement list earlier this week. It looks like this year, EA's making an effort to require you to play the game, rather than just simming your way through it, though we can't say for certain that you can't get any of them via simming. The last three did grab our eye, though, they all have blatant product placement for Pontiac and Old Spice, even using the company's respective logo. Fight Night Round Three kind of did the same thing, though the events were "sponsored by the companies". Still, give the list a look, and if your like EA Sports previous offering, hopefully this will fit the bill this year.
EA sponsors indie podcast's trip to E3
Our friends at Gamertag Radio have announced that Electronic Arts will be sponsoring their trip to E3. The significance of this isn't readily apparent, so some explanation is in order. As many of our readers may know, E3 has become an invitation only affair. At first, some suspected that this format would limit coverage to those who were sympathetic to the companies presenting at E3. There was fear that internet journalists (who are arguably more outspoken than print magazines that are heavily subsidized by the very companies they cover) would be shut out. That fear has been mostly allayed (Joystiq, along with X3F, will definitely be at E3), but there remains another gap: independent operations. With Electronic Arts sponsoring Gamertag Radio, a door has been opened, and with that comes a number of questions.
Touchdown! EA unloads Madden 08 info
Boy oh boy has there been a bunch of Madden 08 news hitting the internet lately and we figured what better way to get you the dish than recapping all of it in one convenient post. Yeah, that kind of logic could only come from the smartest of bloggers. So, let's get right into all the crunchy Madden 08 news and media.
First off, EA released Madden 08's official soundtrack list including tracks from The Hives, Timbaland, Daddy Yankee and Xbox Artist of the Month Ozzy Osbourne. Madden 08 sounds like it's going to be a rocking good time. Also released were screenshots featuring all twenty-four new "weapons" classifications which are used to show players' crazy advanced abilities. It's a brand new way to identify stand out players and a first for the Madden franchise. The third piece of Madden 08 goodness comes in the form of a new trailer that we've embedded above. Give it a watch and you'll agree that stiff arms and side stepping never looked so nice. Finally, the Gamerscore Blog crew posted a few photos and a writeup of EA's little Madden 08 party which was held in LA the other night.
Now, if that's not enough Madden 08 news to keep you satisfied then by golly you're a football addict and need to drink some Gatorade. Go hit the showers and review all the new Madden news, because August 14th will be here soon enough.
[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
NCAA Football 08 trailer tackles Marketplace
A new trailer for NCAA Football 08 popped up on Xbox Live Marketplace this morning. Try as we might, it's hard for us to find ways to colorfully describe it. It is football, of that we're certain. There are players, a field, and there is most certainly a ball. The graphics look decent enough, and the hits look good. All in all, it looks to have most of the necessities required by a football game. What more do you need, right? Check out the trailer for yourself, conveniently embedded at the top of this post.
Jam out with more Rock Band instruments
More Rock Band instruments have crept onto the internet this week. Found in the latest Game Informer, we now have our first glimpse of the drums and microphone. The microphone has a very polished and professional look to it. What's more, it looks like it can stand up to some punishment, which is good since it's going to double as a tambourine. The drums (currently a prototype model) take a step back towards a more toy-like appearance, which is unfortunate in light of the authenticity of the guitar. Each drum pad is surrounded by the corresponding color, which we definitely prefer to coloring the pads themselves. There is also what appears to be a pedal for the bass drum as well.
So, which instrument will you "play" when Rock Band makes its debut?
[Via Engadget]
