18 Million Map Packs Sold to 23 Million Black Ops Owners Activision shares some impressive figures regarding digital revenue and Call of Duty DLC There were quite a few angry people out there when Activision decided to bump the price of Call of Duty map packs up to $15 each from $10. Some even promised to avoid buying the map packs altogether to protest the "ridiculous" new price. Whether or not they stuck to that -- something tells me many didn't -- there are more map packs selling now than ever before. Activision revealed some numbers during an Analyst Day event today, including the fact that the company has seen $1.7 billion in digital revenue in the 12 months leading up to this June. By comparison, the previous 12 months (up to June 2010) saw $1.4 billion, and the 12 months before that (up to June 2009) saw $1.2 billion. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: 18 Million Map Packs Sold to 23 Million Black Ops Owners
BioShock Infinite's Elizabeth Recording Her Lines In an unusual move, Irrational Games decided to prominently feature two of BioShock Infinite's voice actors at PAX Prime this past weekend. Voice actors don't generally get a lot of face time or attention for their contributions to games, at least before they're out, but Irrational had Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth) and Troy Baker (Booker) at the show to talk about their performances. "I think we had a lot of people asking about the characters at E3 -- Booker and Elizabeth and what their story was, and so much of that came out of... well, we were lucky enough to find Courtnee and Troy and work with them," Ken Levine told 1UP. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: Watch BioShock Infinite's Elizabeth Recording Her Lines
Review: Bodycount is Not a Complete Game It might have been considered a complete shooter in 2001. Bodycount is not a good game, but I'm not sure it's trying to be. I think it?s a prototype that somehow ended up on a retail shelf. The game seems like it's trying to prove that a few key gameplay systems could be used in a complete game down the road. That's really the only explanation for the game's existence that makes any sense to me, because it's missing several elements that we expect to have in a modern shooter. These elements include: Story: You are an operative of an agency known as "The Network." You enter into an African warzone to make peace for some reason. The most efficient way to make peace is of course to shoot everyone. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: Bodycount Review for PS3, 360 from 1UP.com
Review: No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise Will Make You Think Your PS3 Is Broken Finicky Move support and an inexcusable frame rate will send you running back to the Wii. I'm not going to lie: I really liked the first No More Heroes -- and anyway, that would be a pretty dumb thing to lie about. I've always been a cautiously optimistic fan of Suda 51; in fact, it's become a cliche to remark that he makes bizarre games that aren't necessarily the most playable things in the world. Well, clichés become clichés for a reason, and Suda mostly deserves his shaky reputation. Like Silent Hill 2 before it, Suda's Killer 7 struck me as a wholly original and genuinely disturbing experience untouched by corporate overseers. For most, it was more memorable as an experience rather than a game :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: Heroes' Paradise, NMH Review for PS3 from 1UP.com
360 needs price cut to outsell PS3 this holiday ? analyst Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has offered up his (always sought-after)*opinion*on Microsoft?s position with the Xbox 360 following the PS3 price cut last month. He believes that the company needs to lower its own price if it is to outsell Sony this holiday season.?If Microsoft does nothing, I think PS3 will outsell Xbox 360,? he told*IndustryGamers. ?However, my friends at Microsoft are extremely proud, and they absolutely refuse to tolerate the possibility that the PS3 will outsell the Xbox 360. *I think they have the ads printed for the Xbox 360 price cut, and will drop them on us the instant they see PS3 sales greater than 360 sales. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » 360 needs price cut to outsell PS3 this holiday – analyst
Uncharted bundle coming to US Sony has announced that the shiny Uncharted bundle ? already available in Europe ? will be making its way to the US on September 6.The set includes both Drake?s Fortuneand the Game of the Year Edition ofAmong Thieves. That means all of the post-release DLC will be included, along with a PSN avatar and dynamic theme forUncharted 3: Drake?s Deception.Two of PS3?s finest adventures for $39.99 ? can?t really argue with that, can you? :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Uncharted bundle coming to US
More Driver likely ? Ubisoft The console versions of Ubisoft?s open-world racer Driver: San Franciscois hitting shops in the UK today. Rather than wait and see how consumers react to it however, the French publisher is already plotting for the franchise?s future.?We are working on the plan for what happens to Driver next,? Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told MCV at Gamescom.?Reflections is a great studio and as part of our global studios network is already working on its next project. The goal is to make sure this one is an event release for us. The multiplayer aspect is new and fresh so we hope it will do well.?Next Monday?s weekly UK charts data should give some idea of how the title is performing.The game will launch in NA next Tuesday. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » More Driver likely — Ubisoft
Watch Ubisoft talk up the Assassin?s Creed Encyclopedia [video=youtube;xjU0qXXZpck]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjU0qXXZpck&feature=player_embedded[/video] A 5-minute whopper of a video talks about and shows glimpses of the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia that Ubisoft's put together; watch here to see what it's all about and how to get a copy yourself. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Watch Ubisoft talk up the Assassin’s Creed Encyclopedia
Dungeon Siege III gets Treasures of the Sun DLC Done lootin?? Oh you ain?t never done lootin? son!That is to say that Dungeon Siege IIIis soon to be armed with new DLC, titled Treasures of the Sun. Inside you?ll find a new area, Ehb, in which you?ll search for the lost hero Legion.But new missions aren?t the only thing on the cards for this pack; one big draw the an increased level cap, allowing characters to go up to level 35. New abilities, upgrades and enemies will also be thrown in, making it a pretty little package.The DLC will release next month for $9.99 across XBL, PSN and PC. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Dungeon Siege III gets Treasures of the Sun DLC
Full Shadows of the Damned soundtrack available Throughout all the murder,*innuendos and yet more innuendos that we enjoyed during our time with Shadows of the Damned, it would have been nothing without the epic, sweeping soundtrack.Okay so we?re*over-exaggerating*a bit, but we?re still happy to learn that the game?s official soundtrack has been released to the masses over at GhM?s Webstore.This will be the full score then, unlike the one found in the pre-order edition of the game. A ?Kurayami Magazine? will also be released on September 9, featuring an interview with Suda 51 about the game.We might buy it out of sympathy for the game, which has had some truly terrible sales figures. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Full Shadows of the Damned soundtrack available
Black Rock closure effective today Split/Secondand Puredeveloper Black Rock Studio has shut its doors as of today, Eurogamer reports.Disney announced plans to shut down the studio back in June, but former director Nick Baynes today posted on Twitter: ?@blackrockster officially closes it?s doors today. Thoughts go out to all facing their last day. A bright future awaits all though I?m sure!?The studio had been developing a free-to-play title before going under. Employees there are just some of the many to be hit by Disney Interactive Studios? round of layoffs and priority shifts.Various members of the team have already gone on to form new, smaller studios such as Baynes? Roundcube Entertainment. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Black Rock closure effective today
Video posted on September 2nd, 2011Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 gameplay snipes, stabs [video=youtube;WkJshzzU3kI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkJshzzU3kI&feature=player_embedded[/video] Almost four minutes worth of straight up gameplay in this Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 video. A few types of kills to be seen, though the cut-off point is a letdown. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 gameplay snipes, stabs
Speculation points towards Mass Effect social game Could the Mass Effect series be getting its very own social game for the likes of Facebook and co?Well we don?t know, but fans have gathered up a few clues which point towards such a*possibility, as VG247 reports. A recent job listing at EA mention work on a ?social game for gamers?. Not exactly much to go on, but tied with the nearing launch of Mass Effect 3and stacked up againstDragon Age: Legend?s launch just before Dragon Age 2, we could be on to something.Or we could really not. But BioWare have their own social studio, and they?ve already had success with theirDragon Age IP ? why not try the Mass Effect series too? :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Speculation points towards Mass Effect social game
Red Dead?s Myths & Mavericks Bonus Pack dated and detailed Truly Red Dead Redemptionis the gift that keeps on giving; over a year after release and Rockstar has lifted the lid on yet another DLC pack, which just so happens to be free.The*Myths &*Mavericks Bonus Pack will arrive via horseback on September 13 for the PS Store and XBLA. Found inside this treasure chest are new multiplayer characters and areas as well as four new strongholds for you to storm.It?s odd to hear about DLC for games this far from launch, but then again we doubt we?ll still be seeing Marsden and co for quite some time yet. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Red Dead’s Myths & Mavericks Bonus Pack dated and detailed
Call of Duty Elite to premium subscription to cost $50 per year During its Call of Duty XP keynote address in Los Angeles, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg finally shared pricing details about the premium subscription to Call of Duty Elite; a 12-month subscription will cost $50.What will that get you? First off, those who fork over $50 for the year will get every piece of downlaodable content for Modern Warfare 3 through 2012, which will release on a monthly basis. On top of that, premium subscribers will eight times the video storage capacity, as well as access to the programming from Will Arnett, Jason Baseman, and the Scott brothers.Additionally, Activision confirmed earlier rumors, saying a 12-month subscription to Elite is bundled with the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Call of Duty Elite to premium subscription to cost $50 per year
Borderlands 2 leaked gameplay video is 14 minutes of amazing midget-massacre [video=youtube;ENyvxX_Eots]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENyvxX_Eots[/video] Borderlands 2 is running on a platform of trimmed fat and effective economics -- it will be better, Gearbox says, it will be meaner and it will fix all of the problems of its predecessor. We've all heard promises like this one before, but if the leaked gameplay video above is anything to go by, Borderlands 2has our vote.The video shows 14 minutes of Borderlands 2, featuring new weapons such as a disposable, regenerative, Wal-Mart-inspired rifle, a new character in Maya the Siren, an old character in Roland, and new enemies, such as the torturer Nomad, who uses a midget as a meat-shield. Check out the stunning new art style and gameplay mechanics ofBorderlands 2above, and don't forget to vote in 2012pre-order before it drops after April 2012 :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: Borderlands 2 leaked gameplay video is 14 minutes of amazing midget-massacre | Joystiq
Call of Duty XP Event: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition priced at $99.99 Activision has confirmed the suggested retail price for the Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition: $99.99, which is $20 more than previous Hardened Editions. The Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition comes with a one-year membership to Call of Duty Elite, bonus in-game content, a Juggernaut XBL avatar skin, a 100-page field journal and new disc art, all in a fancy steel case.So far, Gamestop and Amazon have the Hardened Edition listed at $99.99, while EB Games Australia is charging $158 for the same package. Modern Warfare 3's jump in price may be attributed to the one-year Elite access alone, which is valued at $50 and bumps users up to "Founder status," which includes an in-game emblem, player card, camouflage and an XP boost. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: Call of Duty XP Event: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition priced at $99.99 | Joystiq
Rage has a cameo in Breaking Bad [video=youtube;mCNSF7lsoSY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCNSF7lsoSY[/video] AMC's Breaking Badfeatured a bizarrely long, obvious advertising plug for Rage on this week's episode, as seen above, and included a light-gun motion-controller that Bethesda assures us is entirely fictional. We knew using crystal meth could lead to extreme, sudden bursts of rage -- we just didn't think it would ever be so literal. The clip shows Jesse Pinkman, drug-peddler extraordinaire, playing a level of Ragewhile hallucinating about shooting chemist Gale Boetticher point-blank in the face.While we don't know what Bethesda's strategy is with this plug, we're pretty sure it's not a great argument against the (bogus) theory that video games promote violence. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: Rage has a cameo in Breaking Bad, because nothing sells games better than meth | Joystiq
Capcom gunning for ?acquisitions and partnerships? overseas In a note to investors, Capcom explained its latest tactics to expand to Western markets by ?aggressively? pursuing opportunities to acquire or partner with companies in order to ?increase our market share overseas.??Acquisitions and partnerships are one of the important strategies for increasing our market share overseas,? writes Capcom.*?We aggressively seek the opportunities of acquisitions and partnerships for the purposes of creating game content with universal market appeal and acquiring technologies and know-how required for our ?Single Content Multiple Usage? strategy.?The note made it very clear that Capcom has no interest in merging with any Japanese companies as it wouldn?t do anything for the company in the West. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: That VideoGame Blog » Capcom gunning for “acquisitions and partnerships” overseas
LG's new 3D TV has true gaming split-screen, reminds us of another display LG's LW980T 3D TV is ready to rumble in the market with Sony's PlayStation 3D Display, both of which pander to gamers, allowing players to see separate images from different angles. LG's TV is scheduled for release this month and comes in two screen sizes: 47-inch and 55-inch, for $2,921 (£1,799) and $4,057 (£2,499), respectively. Sony's display is set for release in November and comes in one size, 24-inch, for $500 (£308). The LW980T (such a catchy name) will come with eight pairs of 3D glasses, but the split-screen gaming glasses will cost extra.LG and Sony recently dropped patent suits against each other and signed a cross-licensing deal after three years of disputes over smartphone, Blu-ray and TV technologies. :demonangel: CLICK THE LINK 4 MORE :demonangel: LG's new 3D TV has true gaming split-screen, reminds us of another display | Joystiq
