August 31st, 2009 by admin

After having to be patched due to offensive Islamic themes showing up in the launch version of the game, the game was also recalled due to the offensive themes. Well, with LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition shipping to retailers on September 8th, many retailers were told to pack up their LittleBigPlanet copies and send them back.

Today, GameStop received an internal memo telling managers to load up their copies of LittleBigPlanet for a recall. Why you ask? It seems that the Game of the Year Edition of LittleBigPlanet will be using the same sale sku as the original title, and they’ll only be offering the GOTY edition here on out. Whether other retailers are also recalling the title hasn’t been confirmed, but doing a quick search online will show retailers like BestBuy are still selling the game online, while GameStop/EBGames currently lists the game as ‘Currently Not Available Online’.

August 31st, 2009 by admin

Within the next four weeks, we will treat European and North American gamers to two opportunities to jump into the world of Aion and explore Atreia as Asmodian or Elyos characters ahead of its release in Europe on 25th September and North America 22th September.

Aion’s Open Beta Test featuring version 1.5 will take place 6-13th September and will include numerous Western enhancements, including improvements to Aion’s innovative character customization with a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements. Open Beta will retain a level cap for both Elyos and Asmodians characters at 30 allowing players to focus on getting to the same level so they can explore the lands of Atreia together, as well as the Abyss.

Players who have pre-ordered Aion will be treated to a Pre-Select and a two-day Headstart period giving them the opportunity to explore, organize and progress through the game prior to the official launch. Pre-Select will take place on 18th September, while Aion’s Headstart will begin 20th September. Players can still participate in the Aion’s Pre-Select and Headstart programs by pre-ordering the game through several participating online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

Remember to update your Aion game password if your Aion account was created prior to July 29, 2009.

August 31st, 2009 by admin

EVE Online’s largest player-controlled virtual bank, Ebank, just can’t seem to catch a break these days.

A few months after it was revealed that the company had been defrauded of a staggering amount of virtual cash, it turns out that the institution’s digital vaults are far more barren than many realized, leading to an in-game freezing of accounts for any individual or organization that happened to have invested any InterStellar Kredits (ISK) with the bank.

Early this summer, it came to light that a veteran EVE player (known only as ‘Ricdic’) had embezzled — and then sold in the real world — over 200 billion ISK from Ebank, causing a run on the virtual financial institution.

However, this was just the beginning of the problems for the player-owned bank. Recently-installed Ebank Chairman Ray McCormack admitted that the bank had been mismanaged, and rules, safeguards, and controls were not enforced. As a result, it’s been revealed that Ebank is 380 billion ISK poorer thanks to a number of defaulted loans.

Because of the aforementioned mismanagement, it apparently took the bank’s new officers a while to figure out just how far in the red their institution is.”

August 31st, 2009 by admin

Karos Online is a new free-to-play MMORPG set in the torn fantasy world of Asmara. Players take the role of a hero engaged in an epic war to defeat the forces of Malyx, God of Darkness, who seek to free their captured lord and conquer Asmara.

Through questing, guild clashes and mass PvP, players fight for control of the world’s vital energy source, Fletta, with the ultimate goal of becoming the mythical Karos warrior who brings glory to the side of Light.

Karos Online is being developed by Galaxy Gate lead developers of Laghaim and Last Chaos, and will be published in Europe by NHN Corporation in 4Q 2009.

August 31st, 2009 by admin

The Entertainment Software Association has released this year’s fiscal report, putting out their numbers to level the finger at new targets.

Following up on last year’s published report, this one has a whole bunch of new numbers to ponder.

The top five P2P game piracy countries this year are: Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Poland. The ESA’s anti-piracy program notes, ‘Chief among this year’s actions were five separate law enforcement raids against game pirates in California, resulting in the seizure of several thousand games and dozens of modded consoles, and the arrests of five individuals.’

But don’t worry, they’ve expanded to other countries. ‘The ESA sent takedown notices to ISPs covering more than 45 million instances of infringement of member company games in more than 100 countries worldwide.’

Source: Slashdot - read full post here…

August 31st, 2009 by admin

Fans of the popular football video game Championship Manager will be able to choose how much to pay for the new version of the title.
Developer Eidos is offering a download of the game from a penny, along with a £2.50 transaction fee.
It is the first time that a pay-what- you-want model has been tried with video games, said the developer.

UK rock band Radiohead used a similar sales strategy in 2007 with its album In Rainbows.

A survey found that nearly two-thirds of downloaders paid nothing for the album.

The new game will be available to download until 10 September, when the price will rise to £29.99.

Additional content for the game will be sold throughout the year, costing £5 for six updates.

“This is the first time an initiative like this has ever been tried in the videogames market,” said Roy Meredith of Eidos.

Source: BBC

August 31st, 2009 by admin

SouthPeak Interactive announce Section 8 will be in stores on September 1 for Xbox 360, and September 4 for PC in North America. In UK/Asia Pacific shelves for both Xbox 360 and PC on September 11, the rest of Europe will get the game September 18.

Developed by TimeGate Studios, Section 8 is an intense first-person shooter that gives players strategic control over the battlefield, employing tactical assets and on-demand vehicle deliveries to dynamically alter the flow of combat.

Set at the crossroads of a growing insurrection among its colonies, Earth dispatches the elite 8th Armored Infantry to turn the tide. Utilizing advanced powered armor suits, these brave volunteers are the only ones crazy enough to smash through enemy defenses and drop directly into the battlefield from 15,000 feet, earning them the nickname.

August 31st, 2009 by admin

Some good news for you Modern Warfare warriors out there, as it looks like some real talent are lending their voices to the upcoming Modern Warfare 2.

Glenn Morshower from “TransFormers: Revenge of the Fallen,” Turns out, it was the aptly-named General Morshower.

Performing duties also go to Keith David (”They Live” and “The Thing,” plus Halo 3, Mass Effect, and plenty more), Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan), and Scots actor Kevin McKidd (”Grey’s Anatomy” and Lucius Vorenus from HBO’s “Rome”) plays captain ‘Soap’ McTavish. Rounding out this lot will be one Craig Fairbrass, who voiced Gaz in the first Modern Warfare, aka Call of Duty 4. He didn’t finish out the game in the best of shape, making his return more interesting.

So, a nice, well-rounded cast, I’d say. You know, I used to be more in-touch with who was who in voice acting. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just be sitting over in the corner, pondering at exactly what point I lost touch with reality.

Modern Warfare 2 has taken a lot of criticism over it’s price - in the UK it’s £10 more expensive than other console games.

Kevin McKidd also did voice work for Rockstar in Grand Theft auto - Vice City.

August 31st, 2009 by admin

The United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Against Women issued a lengthy list of its observations on Japan’s sixth periodic report on sexual discrimination on August 7. In section 35 of the report on the status of 1979’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the committee welcomed the increased prison times under Japan’s Act Banning Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

However, it expressed concern “at the normalization of sexual violence in the State party as reflected by the prevalence of pornographic video games and cartoons featuring rape, gang rape, stalking and the sexual molestation of and girls.” It also noted that the current child pornography laws do not cover virtual child pornography — material such as some manga, anime, and software that explicitly depict fictional children.

The committee then strongly urged Japan “to ban the sale of video games or cartoons involving rape and sexual violence against women which normalize and promote sexual violence against women and girls.” It further recommends that this issue be covered in the revised act.

While the bill on the act’s revision was introduced in the Japanese parliament last year, the government decided to study the issue of virtual child pornography for three years.

Three years?? That’s a lot of ’studying’…

Earlier this year, it was discovered that Amazon was selling a Japanese game called Rape Lay. Cara Kulwicki describes the game this way on The Curvature:

The entire objective of the game is to rape women with varying levels of violence — sometimes stalking them first, sometimes using gang rape scenarios, and sometimes forcing them into abortions afterward.

Kulwicki sums up the insidious harms of making a game of rape:

The premise of the game reinforces the idea of rape as okay and not a big deal. It reinforces the idea that women exist for the sexual pleasure and abuse of men.

Source: Feminist Peace Network

August 31st, 2009 by admin

Arkham Asylum, home to Gotham’s most infamous criminals and miscreants, has been overtaken by The Joker. Sounds like a job for Batman!

LB Batman Arkham Asylum Game Guide (Walkthrough, Strategy Guide and Cheats) for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC is currently in the works and is sure to help you battle The Joker and his minions, find all Riddler Challenges and Trophies, collect all Interview Tapes, and earn 100% Completion.

LunaPass members may follow the guide’s progress here:

In Progress Guide - Batman AA Guide

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