Pokémon Black/White never changes

Game Review

Game Review :Pokemon Black

Yep it’s that time again. Time for another round of new Pokémon games, which means more monsters for you to imprison so you can force them to cockfight. You can also bring over Pokémon from previous titles, after you beat the game. The guys at Game Freak don’t like changing up their RPG formula, but this pair of games does feature some slight tweaks here and there. 

White features more triple battles, while Black has more rotational battles. White features a forest where you can find rare items and fight unevolved rare Pokémon. Black features a city where you can buy rare items and fight evolved rare Pokémon.  It’s super effective! – The biggest change in this pair of games is the graphics. 

Some other graphical overhauls are present, like a revolving seasons feature that changes the landscape based on how long you’ve been playing in-game (this also affects the appearance of certain Pokémon). Also, in battles your Pokémon move! Pokémon centers and marts are integrated as one, and you can battle wirelessly offline at any point in the game. It’s not much, but in a Pokémon game, the smallest things are the biggest changes.

That pretty much guarantees that if you really want to catch ‘em all, you’ll be playing for quite some time. This time around, the game tries to top double battles by bringing triple battles into the game! Playing online with random matchups, no friend codes needed. It’s Pokémon. This set of games may have the most revolutionary changes, but it’s the same thing we’ve been playing. 

Fire, grass, and water starters. Less gyms? Different starters? It’s definitely more than Game Freak has done for any other Pokémon game, and that makes them quite noticeable. everything in the game has been graphically overhauled to meet our ever-growing standards for gaming, with over 150 new Pokémon to boot.

 If you’ve never tried out a Pokémon game before, this one is more than willing to welcome you into the fold with open arms and get you hooked on catching those weird little creatures. 

The latest version of Game Freak’s Pokemon has just been released, and the Pokemon Black and White Version for the Nintendo DS has just hit another Sales Record. Now the Pokemon Black and White Version has just reached another line higher. 

Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version feature more than 150 new Pokémon for players to catch, train and battle. Back in April, 2007, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl sold a combined total of 780,000 units. Black and White, however, sold 1.08 million. Pokémon Black and White were officially released released last Sunday, March 6 in North America. 

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Untold Story of Scarface

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For “Young Al Capone: The Untold Story of Scarface in New York, 1899-1925” (Skyhorse Publishing), William and John Balsamo spoke to people associated with Capone — including the man responsible for giving him the famous moniker — in what they believe is the first book of its type. The Balsamos — William, 71, and John, 73 — also grew up in Brooklyn around members of the Mafia and made friends during their days working at the Brooklyn waterfront.

Their talks about Capone originally started as a hobby, conversations with “old-timers” at weddings and family events, and once they realized how much information had accumulated, decided to turn it into a book. William Balsamo, who now lives in Midland Beach, recalls meeting with Frank Galluccio, the man who scarred Scarface. “The fight with Galluccio was over his younger sister, who Capone had insulted,” William Balsamo said of the encounter in a Coney Island bar.

John Balsamo also recalled his interviews with a 97-year-old woman who lived across the street from Capone when he was a boy. He also knew Capone’s childhood friend, Gido Bianco, who told stories about the gangster’s early life. The book reads more like a work of fiction than a biography with flowing prose that includes Capone’s conversations. “Capone is the most infamous gangster, the most celebrated gangster in the world,” William Balsamo commented. “Everyone has heard of Alphonse Capone.”
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"PlayStation Store" Spending Soars

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Game Review

The PlayStation Store had something of a bumper year in 2010, according to Sony America’s Pierre Gravereau. Gravereau says 80 per cent of PlayStation owners are now connected to the web. More people are splashing more cash on the PlayStation Store than ever before, Sony has revealed. 

Your frivolous spending lead to a 70 per cent fatter annual take for Sony's virtual shop last year than in 2009, Sony America's Pierre Gravereau divulged at GDC. For instance, there are more PSN accounts and therefore potential shoppers: Gravereau puts the PSN account number at 70 million. There were also 60 per cent more shoppers nosing around the PlayStation Store last year. 

Also, the weekly PlayStation Store updates these days offer an enviable, coordinated stack of content.  More than than 80 percent of all PlayStation 3s worldwide connect to the Internet, and Sony has tallied more than 70 million PlayStation Network accounts worldwide, a company exec revealed at the Game Developers Conference last night, according to video game blog Joystiq. 

Pierre Gravereau, digital distribution manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America, reportedly told those in attendance at his panel discussion in San Francisco that Sony's PlayStation Store traffic is up 60 percent and its revenue has risen 70 percent, compared with the prior year. In addition, Gravereau said--and several publications reported--that Sony has sold 41.6 million PlayStation 3 units worldwide.

However, Gravereau's hardware sales figures are off, a Sony spokesman confirmed to CNET this morning. A hardware-sales tally on Sony's corporate page, which includes the third quarter of the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, reveals that Sony has actually sold 47.9 million PlayStation 3 units worldwide. The 41.6 million unit sales Gravereau cited were tallied through the end of the company's fiscal second quarter.

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Crysis 2′s Multiplayer Weapons Intrigue "Explode "

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Pro tip: watching Crysis gameplay videos muted while listening to Darude’s “Sandstorm” makes them oddly compelling. Anyways, either through misplaced optimism or sheer credulity, I’m hopeful for Crysis 2. While mostly everything points to generic gun combat with amazing graphics, I still find myself looking towards its March 22^nd release date. Take this new multiplayer weapons trailer for example. 

When playing Crysis 2 multiplayer you will earn points to be spent on unlockable items, as first person shooters go, you unlock new guns to be used with predetermined or created classes. You can modify things like your rates of fire, weapon type, and loadouts. Or you can add things like Scopes, Laser Targeting, and a wide range of suppressors.

The Crysis 2 multiplayer demo is available now on the Xbox 360 and PC, and coming soon for the PS3. Download and install and you can get a small taste of the broad range of options and unlockables at your disposal over two maps and gamemodes from the multiplayer portion of the game. Crysis 2 will be released on March 22nd for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Be Strong. Be Fast. Be Invisible. Be The Weapon.

It seems Crysis 2 have followed an ever-popular idea of giving gamers points for kills which can be spent on upgrades for weaponry including scopes, lasers, suppressors and non-standard upgrades which include a whole new range of extravogant weaponry that you wouldn’t see in other traditional shoot-em-ups. The video leaves us thinking about the possibilities that the multiplayer modes could offer because of the weaponry and equipment, it does a very good job in making the game look attractive.

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"Crysis 2 Demo" Coming in Only Two Weeks

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At a GDC press event, EA announced a multiplayer demo for Crysis 2 will arrive on PSN on March 15th. The upcoming demo will feature two game modes: team instant action and crash site. Team instant action is a variation of team deathmatch, and crash site is a capture-the-zone type mode. 

With Crysis 2 being developed by Crytek and published by Electronic Arts, two very big and reputable companies in the video game world, expectations have been fairly high for the game. Thankfully, many players were able to get a chance to play the game yesterday and enjoy the amazing gameplay (talked about below). Unfortunately,high demand for the game has resulted in a series of problems that cropped up last night/this morning, which have kept many players from trying the game. 

When the game launches, it requires you to create an account before you begin playing. For many users, game would get stuck at the “Account is being created...” screen. Crytek has made vast improvements to multiplayer gameplay since the first Crysis. Next, after logging in, the user sees a dynamic, almost ‘boggling’ display; the in-game menu display shifts according to where the player’s mouse is. 

This unique feature gives the game the high-tech, sci-fi feeling that is also featured in the actual gameplay. The player’s HUD (Heads Up Display, AKA the UI) shifts around depending on what the player is doing (running, turning, jumping etc.). Although unnecessary to mention to veterans of the first Crysis, for any new players, the nano-suit dramatically changes the FPS (First Person Shooter) multiplayer gameplay. 

Many popular FPS games are fairly static and one-dimensional compared to Crysis 2. Games like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, and even Halo, have just the standard “pick a class or make a class, shoot and kill enemies, get kill-streak rewards”. Crysis 2’s gameplay however, is highly dynamic and constantly changing. Now the amazing Call of Duty player down the hall of Northeastern’s dorms can no longer dominate an entire team of players on his own.

Although it is easy for many new or unskilled players to join a game and get a decent KDR (Kill to Death Ratio) the game requires a high level of skill to master, the most notably difficult class being the sniper. This makes sniping a little more difficult for players, but once you master it, the gameplay is amazing. Though only 2 types are available in the demo, many more will be offered once the game is released. Named “Crash Mode” players have to move around the map and take control of pods that crash into the map one at a time. 

The multiplayer demo for Crysis 2 is already available for Xbox 360 and PC users, but PS3 players were left out in the cold. Well, not anymore, as the PS3 demo for the shooter will be available starting March 15th. PS3 owners will have to sit tight for just a couple more weeks, but now you have a solid date. The game will officially come out about a week later, March 22nd, for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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Nintendo DS "Android Emulator" App Released

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Game Review : Android Emulator

Nintendo DS emulators have been around for awhile on PCs, but a proper touchscreen version for a mobile platform like Android OS? This time we're talking about an actual handheld-based DS emulator. You'll also need Nintendo DS ROMs, software copies of the original Read Only Memory chips used in Nintendo's video game cartridges. 

Tiger Lab says it plans to pour "huge efforts" into getting the DS emulator up to grade by adding a dynamic recompiler, simulating a graphics processor (GPU), allowing OpenGL hardware rendering, and adding a floating point unit (FPU).

While Sony was busy announcing its PlayStation Certified suite of PS1 games for Android devices, the developers at Tiger King were busy getting an emulator of the Nintendo DS up and running on Android phones.

All emulators start out as proof of concepts and over time, with a little determination and a whole lot of hours spent debugging, a usable app usually turns up. If the emulator seems slow now, wait until people start mucking around with the powerful quad-core Sony NGP.

Tiger Lab apps by Tiger King has just released a Nintendo 3DS emulator demo app for Android devices. Hit the source link to give the Nintendo 3DS emulator a whirl on your Android.

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Killzone 3 on PS3

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In the single-player, relentlessly firing enemies of considerable intellect keep the paranoia high and require the viewer to use a keen eye, scrutinising where the enemy might be firing from. The single-player also offers up a welcome share of diversity; there are sections accommodating stealth, sniping, vehicles, on-rails shooting, and of course, balls-out firefighting. 

There are also even less sections than the previous game where you’re on your own; your hand is held for 90% of the game as you’re with teammates who can revive you several times if you’re downed. The multi-player offering is back and better than before; while there is a local co-op mode and the opportunity to practice with bots, the real allure is the online multiplayer, which is a huge improvement on the previous game, both because the tighter controls make it less frustrating, and because Guerrilla Games have taken more than a few pages out of the infallible Call of Duty playbook. There are three principal modes.

Guerilla Warfare (simple deathmatch fare, playing until the time runs out), Warzone (random mission-based team matches, with objectives involving protecting something or someone usually), and Operations (where controlling an objective is paramount, and in a masterstroke, this mode has cut-scenes which actually feature yourself and the other players). 

Simply, this is a far more concise and rewarding component than the previous game, and with the comprehensive leveling system, there’s a lot that’ll keep you coming back for more, largely compensating for the single-player’s brevity. The frame-rate gets a bit dubious during busy scenes, but for the most part, the odd glitch aside, it stays fluid despite the jaw-dropping level of detail and scope.

The performances are variable – professional thesps like Winstone and MacDowell chew through their dialogue with delicious vigour, while the rest are mostly forgettable. There’s the genuine hope that there’s a longer break between titles next time, but on the whole Killzone 3 affirms and justifies its stature as one of 2011′s premium titles.

This week, the PS3 160GB Killzone 3 Bundle ranked as the No. 1 Customer Favorite item at Toysrus.com. The PS3 160GB Killzone 3 Bundle will include the PS3 160GB hardware SKU and a copy of Killzone 3 $299.99. Killzone 3 will be sold in a standard SKU and a Helghast Edition SKU.

Amazon.com Inc. is offering a access to 3 Unlock Points to be used on a weapon or ability and the Killzone 3 Retro Map Pack with the pre-order purchase of the Killzone 3 standard or Helghast Edition SKU. The PS3 is sold in a 160GB SKU at $299.99, 320GB SKU at $349.99.

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Soundtrack Collaborations for Dragon Age 2

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Game Review

As you know, the Dragon Age: Origins soundtrack is, in my opinion, one of the most epic and beautiful pieces of music recently composed. Part one of the Dragon Age II soundtrack* will be available for purchase on March 8, 2011 at all digital music service providers worldwide for $3.99.

· Dragon Age II Main Theme
· Hawke Family Theme
· Qunari On The Rise
· Templars
· Love Scene
· Arishok
· Tavern Music
· Viscount
· Mages
· Fenris Theme
· Kirkwall Nights
· Rogue Heart

The song choice is interesting, because “I’m Not Calling You A Liar” is probably one of the most low-key songs on the sometimes bombastic Lungs (for example “Drumming Song” seems like it could be adapted quite easily to epic fantasy). Dragon Age 2 composer has this to say about the inclusion on G4 TV.

People are being familiarized with RPG mechanics in droves, whether they realize it or not. “For me, I guess, fundamentally, there are more people who are ready to play RPGs than realise it,” Mike Laidlaw told Gamasutra. “These are people who will play FarmVille. These are people who have shot enough people in the head that they’ve leveled up in Medal of Honor.

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Animals and Apps - Your iPad and Your Pet

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Game Review

Many games currently available to advance our generation, one of the games are quite interesting and much-loved is a Petpet Park. Not only for fun but this game is also claimed to contain a great education, so the children do not know that they are playing and also learn.

The majority are games or educational ( lots of kids games and cute wallpapers), but there are some interesting and potentially useful ones that pet owners might be interested in. Free apps are the best...Life for iPad, Humane TV and Daily LOL pets are just a few of the free ones I found.

On the paid app side, your preschooler can dress up cartoon cats with Dress Your Cat HD, or feed play and accessorize a puppy (Pet Puppy). Your whole family can enjoy great animal photos on LIFE for iPad or take the breed quiz on the I know Dogs Breed Guide and quiz game. Pet related apps run the gamut: cute, fun, useful, or strange.

The Barking Dog Home Security App can do that.  For the more organized pet owners among us, there are several options to track your pet’s medical history and vaccination records. Check out Dog Medical Agenda for iPad, I pet Care, or My Dog. Horse owners may like Horse Medical Agenda for iPad.

Om Nom? Can my dog eat it? (or OMG my dog ate it!) It stores client and pet info and automatically moves appointments into the iPad calendar. Very handy! If you have an iPad and pet(s), check out the pet and animal apps. 

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Killzone 3 "gaming tips"

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Game Review

The latest installment in the Killzone series, Killzone 3, picks up right where the previous first-person shooter's action left off. Hermen Hulst, the mangaing director of Guerrilla Games, humbly admitted he might not have discovered all the secret nooks in the game, but he gave us some tips on how he plays it. Slide Tackle.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Weapon Crouching can also help reduce the spread of your weapon while firing. Pay Attention To Class. All the classes are unlocked from the beginning of the game, but each class has its own distinct advantages in each level. Tacticians are awesome at capture-and-hold levels. Search The Scrapyard.

For those of you Killzone 2 fans, you might be able to find a familiar weapon from the previous game. Warning: Nuclear Petrusite Hazardous To Your Health. The Nuclear Petrusite Gun can zap multiple enemies at once. Also, if you're trying to complete the level on the oil rig, blowing things up can help. 

There's no shortage of stunning visuals in Killzone 3, but unfortunately that's where the interest ends. Aside from the occasional jet pack levels and jungle environments, Killzone 3 is irritatingly repetitive. Also, the issue of clunky controls remains present; the analog sticks just feel sluggish in game, something other PS3 shooters do not suffer from.

Sony is pushing the Sharp Shooter Move accessory as an alternative way to play the game as well.  Playing Killzone 3 with Move alone proved to be slightly more enjoyable, but we'd be surprised to see hard-core gamers abandon the DualShock 3. To call Sony's latest shooter, Killzone 3, a serious graphical achievement is an understatement. 

While Killzone 3's universe is far different, you might say that both Gears of War and the Killzone franchise are becoming two very equivalent summer-blockbuster-style action movies that are growing ever-closer together. 

As an actual interactive experience, Killzone 3 can best be describes as rigorously competent. If you've played Killzone 2 (which was one of the first must-play PS3 games), then this is more of the same, plus a small amount of flying around on jet packs. Unfortunately, the implementation of 3D in Killzone 3 isn't perfect.

At first glance, you might dismiss Sony's epic first-person shooter franchise as another title that pairs shallow gameplay with a bland "lone gunman saves humanity from an alien species" plot. Well, "Killzone" is neither. 

Since the launch of the series, players have been treated to deep artificial intelligence, stunning graphics, and a complex plot filled with political intrigue, character development and frantic combat. As time passes and technology evolves, Sony is taking the opportunity to offer fans a more immersive look at the war on Helghast with their long-awaited sequel "Killzone 3." 

"Killzone 3" is a first-person shooter that uses state-of-the-art graphics and programming coupled with rich storytelling to offer the ultimate bullet-slinging experience. Great sound effects and music aside, the game also brings immersion to the next level with the use of full stereoscopic 3-D compatibility.

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Bulletstorm on PS3

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EA's New Victory Games to Focus on Strategy

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A revamp of the Command & Conquer website went up last night before mysteriously disappearing revealed several details about Victory Games and its mission. The new studio has built bases in Los Angeles, Texas and Shanghai, China, and is committing all its Tiberium into forging a new AAA Command & Conquer game. 

The newly-appointed general manager of Victory Games is Jon Van Canegham, who previously worked on the Heroes of Might and Magic series at Ubisoft. "We're not just working on a game, though. Electronic Arts hasn't really been focusing on PC strategy games of late. 

EA seems to be opening a new studio titled "Victory Games" dedicated to strategy games like the Command & Conquer series, if an apparent website flub is any indication. Voodoo Extreme reports that a new Command & Conquer site went up announcing the studio and a new game, but was quickly pulled.

According to the report, the new site announced that the company had appointed Trion Worlds alum Jon Van Caneghem as the general manager of Victory. Caneghem revealed that the new game is a PC Command & Conquer, but couldn't share more details. He did say, however, that the studio's focus is to update "a lot of the core technology to create a stable base for future development," to assure a healthy future for the C&C series.

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3D and motion controls in Killzone 3 well done

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Game Review

The motion control in Killzone 3 is implemented by connecting the optional Playstation Move controller and navigation controller to a specially-made casing called the sharpshooter (see picture). The gun took a little while to get used to, it’s certainly harder to use than the old-school orange light gun that came with Duck Hunt. Every aspect game is tuned slightly differently when using the gun, which reduces a lot of the frustration.

The 3D additions to Killzone are a bit more straightforward than the Sharpshooter. From a technical standpoint the game is a marvel. Within the game, environments popped in 3D and the game has enough instances of stuff flying right at the player to show off the effect. 

Video games serve as perfect 3-D bait because gamers are not only early technology adopters but also are constantly searching for new ways to dive deeper into rich game environments. The electronics maker sells 3-D Bravia LCD TVs, as well as PlayStation 3 video game systems. Its game studios also have several 3-D-compatible video games in the works.

This space combat game pits the player as part of a squad of humans combating an alien force called the Helghast. "Gaming is certainly one of those key content areas that will help the 3-D industry." Sony isn't the only TV maker betting on 3-D games. While Microsoft hasn't been playing up that its Xbox 360 can also play 3-D games, the system is 3-D-compatible. Call of Duty: Black Ops and Avatar The Game, released in 2010, are playable in 3-D on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

For now, games do not need 3-D to sell well, says Geoff Keighley, host and producer of GameTrailers TV on Spike. Sony's consumer electronics and game divisions collectively "felt like we could make a big splash by updating the (PS3's operating system) to handle 3-D and making sure that we have a bunch of gaming content lined up to sync with the launch of 3-D TVs," said Sony's Scott Rohde.

Other upcoming Sony PS3 games in 3-D include Motorstorm Apocalypse, available April 12, SOCOM 4 due April 19 and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception on Nov. 1. In 3-D, the game plays "much more natural and organic," says Cevat Yerli, CEO of the game's Frankfurt-based developer, Crytek. "I believe (3-D) can work for many other games, too. "Sports games and racing games are a great application for it, too. But not all games need to be in 3-D."

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Test Drive Unlimited 2 "A Return to Arcade Escapism"

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Game Review

“Test Drive Unlimited 2,” the Atari racing simulation series for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Windows operating system, hit the streets in early February. Over the next month, Sam Schembari — our resident racing game aficionado, and a son of James Schembari, an editor for the Automobiles section — will unravel the layers of the game.

“Test Drive Unlimited 2,” the 10th entry in a “Test Drive” game franchise that dates back to 1987, was released earlier this month after more than four years of development. Eden Games, working here with Atari, is entrusted with keeping the franchise fun and challenging, and with “TDU2,” Eden’s developers do just that.

The upside, however, is that all of the game’s cars demand to be driven. In “TDU2,” the objective is to work through different levels and types of races, earning cash to spend on newer and faster cars, as well as Ibiza real estate and properties like nightclubs. As the game progresses, the driver can change clothes and hairstyles. Among driving modes, the free-roam feature is my favorite. A downside to free-roaming, though, arises on long-distance drives. 

While Gran Turismo strives to recreate the perfect car model, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is all about imitating fantasy racing culture. It’s built around indulgent escapism: expensive cars, snazzy haircuts, tropical islands and designer clothes. Whilst utterly materialistic, TDU2 is daftly addictive. Some players will balk at the game’s peripheral activities, but its character development core is what separates it from its peers.

At its core, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a role-playing game more than it is a racing game. Test Drive Unlimited 2 is not just another pseudo-simulator in an saturated genre, it’s a journey of social interaction, character development, and, yes, a little bit of racing.

Starting out in Ibiza (and eventually opening out into Hawaii), developers Eden Games give you the run of a full island to explore, race and, well, get your in-game avatar’s hair styled. Unfortunately, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is not too hot on working.

We’ve held off reviewing Test Drive Unlimited 2 for a good week or so now as we’ve been unable to test some core elements of the experience. Despite the issues though, developers Eden Games deserve credit for their blunt ambition. When the servers are online, TDU2 manages to marry its virtual world with racing emphatically well. There’s a loose narrative depicting the action. 

Of course, the peripheral stuff is just a distraction to the game’s core, which is obviously the racing. With a world reliant on twisty-turny roads and dodging traffic, TDU2’s handling model is a little unusual. Competitive racing is all about the game’s single-player and multiplayer racing action, while collection encompasses the materialistic activities like buying clothes, cars, properties and haircuts. It’s brilliantly in-depth, if a little convoluted in places.

While the game’s hokey handling and peripheral activities will split players down the middle, we’re also convinced there’s a small niche itching for a game like Test Drive Unlimited 2. The game’s enormous sand-box environment and ingrained character development properties offer something that’s both unique and engrossing.

Even from the start screen, Test Drive Unlimited 2 looks like a massive game. This sets up the game like most other racing games — you start at the bottom and must work your way up. None of the characters have much depth, but that’s to be expected from a racing game.

The character customization is vastly improved from the first game. The game now allows you to buy furniture for your properties, haircuts, and plastic surgery. You can also add stickers to customize your car, and these vinyls are much easier to place on your car than in many other racing games.

The game is centered on exploration. Off-road driving is arguably the most satisfying part of the game. Bouncing around on dirt roads is a welcome change from the long stretches of pavement in most racing games. The championships feel much easier than the races in the first game; the largest challenge is mostly the roads themselves.

The game is constantly connected, so the in-game world is populated with other racers on the streets. This gives the game significant depth and makes up for the low difficulty of single-player play.

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Deep Silver shoots down Dead Island

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Publisher Deep Silver's fired a Shotgun blast at the head of rumors pointing to a movie adaptation Dead Island, though assured if the zombie romp were to make the jump to the silver screen it'd be a top notch affair.

Rumors of a flick based on the survival horror outing – which finally crawled out of the woodwork last week after a three-year hiatus – have been flooding the net lately, prompting the publisher to set the record straight

You have probably seen the Dead Island trailer if you are not reading this from under a rock or the Planet Zaed. 

My first impressions were, “Wow, this is captivating. Not, “This is outrageous, that little girl is dead”. OK, it is a little risky showing a dead kid in your opening shot, but in the context of the video, it is justified. There is no controversy to be had here, this is not a game about killing kids, zombie or otherwise. 

In regards to the game itself, can this be anything more than Left 4 Dead, on an island? Guardian UK – Dead Island: will it be the most controversial trailer ever made?The dead kid technique has been used in films and games for quite a while now, this is no new thing. 

In Dead Rising 2, the main character Chuck Greene has a daughter, Katy, she has been bitten and is on the verge of becoming a Zombie and it is your side-task throughout the game to get a chemical called ‘Zombrex’. Also, the F.E.A.R game series has a spooky little girl as their poster child for their title. Alma, an 8 year old girl in a red dress. Alma’s appears in the game at random intervals and make you want to turn the lights on. No controversy there.

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Game Design Reducing PC Piracy "Inflating Identity Theft"

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The PC Gaming Alliance president says that game design is reducing piracy, while also increasing the instances of online identity theft. New PC Gaming Alliance president Matt Ployhar recently spoke to Gamasutra about the current state of the PC gaming industry. Ployhar points out that MMOs and free-to-play games are much harder to pirate than single-player titles. 

The increase in these kinds of titles and bonuses is actually decreasing PC piracy, Ployhar believes. "So what's happening is game design is shifting and as a result of shifting game design, piracy, at least on the PC side, is actually declining as a result," he says. 

The PC is the most famous format when it comes to videogame piracy. "There are stats that do corroborate that," claimed PCGA president Matt Ployhar. For example, you get a game like Crysis that got hit hard by piracy. "So even if you pirate the game you're still not getting the bragging rights. I think the use of Achievements and in-game content has definitely been effective in battling piracy to some extent, and it's something I applaud. 

Just days after the PC version of high-profile shooter Crysis 2 was leaked onto the internet, forcing developer Crytek to issue a statement that said "piracy continues to damage the PC packaged goods market and the PC development community", one group has claimed PC game piracy is actually on the decline. 

"In some cases the crack was done days before the game ever even hit retail shelves. You can't really pirate free to play. So what's happening is game design is shifting and as a result of shifting game design, piracy, at least on the PC side, is actually declining as a result." 

Following Crytek 2's leak online the game industry made its anti-piracy stance clear. The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) told Eurogamer piracy "poses a very real threat to the UK's games industry". 

For example, you get a game like Crysis that got hit hard by piracy. "So even if you pirate the game you're still not getting the bragging rights. Digital rights management is one method game publishers use to try to protect their games from piracy. 

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‘Bulletstorm’ PC Demo Finally Coming

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Game Review

PC fans might have a bone to pick with Epic Games, as the release of a PC demo after the game goes on sale could be seen as more of an insult than a service. Once again, it’s bad news for the PC gaming crowd. Let’s put it this way: now would not be a good time to be filtering through Epic Games‘ fan mail. 

The announcement came via Twitter, as Vice President of Epic Games informed the public that the “Bulletstorm PC demo is in the works! “BULLETSTORM DEMO COMING TO 360/PS3 JANUARY 25th. In other news, PC gamers are grumpy about this.”

PC developer Crytek starts things off by saying Epic’s engine couldn’t handle their game, and Epic fires back by implying that PC gamers are a little excitable and easy to anger. The truth is, there probably couldn’t be more of a poster child for the cockiness and unabashed confidence of the modern console market than Epic Games and Cliff Bleszinski. Hopefully, Epic telling PC owners that they’ll have to wait if they want to try out Bulletstorm before purchasing the game is just the beginning of the showdown. Entering comment threads proclaiming that “console gaming is dead LOL,” or that “PC games are for nerds” isn’t entertaining anybody but the flame warriors. 

PC gamers could accuse consoles of keeping graphics from advancing, and of living in the gaming stone age, but console owners could just as easily snap back by breaking it to PC owners that the most successful games are designed for the console market, and PC gamers just pirate games anyway.

Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein used social-networking site Twitter to make the bittersweet announcement. Meanwhile Epic Games is inviting video game players to a live chat with design director Cliff Bleszinski.

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Pokemon Black and White

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Game Review

With many new features and new Pokemon, Nintendo is releasing the fifth generation of their hit franchise, Pokemon Black and White version. Pokemon Black and Pokemon White are the brand new Pokemon games that were released in Japan on Sep. 18, 2010 and will be released in the U.S.A. Team Plasma isn’t evil like the old Team Rocket, they are trying to stop the slavery of Pokemon. 

Pokemon Black and White is arriving in early March with a brand new area, Unova, and lots of new pokemon to catch and train. Black players will have access to the legendary pokemon, Zekrom, while White players will see Reshiram in their game.

Unlike previous pokemon games, which were set in Japan, Black and White puts you in a replica of New York, including the famous Brooklyn bridge (which is called Skyarrow Bridge in the game). Battle animation is more dynamic and cool and you can have double battles against wild pokemon too! As Pokemon Black and Pokemon White near their March 6 release date here in North America, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are trying to generate buzz by throwing another character distribution event, this time for Celebi.

By receiving this special Celebi in one of the older, already-released versions of Pokemon, you can transfer the creature into either of the new, forthcoming versions and have a chance to capture the tricky fox Pokemon, Zorua. 

The Pokemon Company recently ran a similar giveaway event in which players could acquire the Legendary Trio Pokemon - Raikou, Entei and Suicune, which was how you could collect Zoroark from Pokemon Black and Pokemon White.

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Feeling lucky "Powerball jackpot" Reaches $126 Million

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Game Review

Are you feeling lucky? Cross your fingers this weekend and a take a chance at the Powerball jackpot! The Arizona Lottery Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $126 million for Saturday night’s drawing, according to Lottery officials.

Last time the Powerball jackpot reached above $126 million was June 2, 2010 when a winner in Ohio won an estimated $260 million, according to Jennifer Adler of E.B. Lane public relations. Adler said the last Arizona winner was a woman from Fort Mojave who won an estimated $95.3 million jackpot in December.

The jackpot for Saturday night's Powerball drawing has reached $126 million after no tickets matched all the winning numbers on Wednesday. The cash option is worth $61.9 million. The winning numbers selected in Wednesday's drawing were 9, 13, 21, 23 and 48. The Powerball was 48 and the Power Play number was 2.

Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10:59 p.m. on New Jersey Network. Meanwhile, tonight's Mega Millions drawing jackpot is $52 million with a cash option of $32.1 million. Two tickets sold Tuesday matched five numbers, but not the Mega Ball. Those tickets were sold in Arizona and Texas.

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'Dead Space 2' Review

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Game Review

I don't think two simple words have ever accurately summed up the experience of playing a game quite as apt as those two. Dead Space 2 is the sequel to the hit horror game Dead Space (duh!). The game, much like its predecessor, does an amazing job with the atmosphere. The controls play the same as the first game did, with very little in the ways of improvement. The HUD has a slight redesign to some elements, so for those who played the first game more recently, jumping into DS2 will have about zero learning curve.

It's also interesting to see the ways the technology in the game world has changed. The game runs a good lenght, with most finishing the game somewhere between seven to nine hours. The games conlcusion is fitting as well, both closing the chapter of Clark's adventure and leaving things open for a follow up (as all games these days must do).

With so few horror games out, this series still does a great job balancing the intense action with creepy atmosphere that the genre needs to maintain. Three years after the first game, "Dead Space 2" reacquaints you with engineer Isaac Clarke -- who has apparently lost his mind. Players then control Isaac's straitjacketed body and flee the asylum as its residents turn into horrible monsters and take chase.

In "Dead Space," Isaac was essentially his companions' slave as they'd send him off to do every little errand while they sat in a cozy control room somewhere. Fans of the first game will either be annoyed or thrilled to find that "Dead Space 2" has changed quite a lot of gameplay mechanics while sticking to the core gameplay that initially attracted fans. The levels are darker, the flashlight is brighter, and most of the annoying mini-games (like the asteroid shooting game from "Dead Space") are gone.

While "Dead Space 2" is golden when compared to its predecessor, it's still the same game in many fundamental and unpleasant ways. "Dead Space" wanted to be a spooky horror title like "System Shock 2" and it failed miserably. "Dead Space 2" though, has come to terms with the fact that it will never be a suspenseful or scary game and has opted instead to go with the action horror/gorefest genre. 

Dead Space 2" sticks with the "Resident Evil" system of forcing tension by artificially restricting weapon usage. In terms of plot, "Dead Space 2" makes no sense whatsoever. If you're interested in playing a good, mature game and you're a fan of "Resident Evil"-style survival horror, then "Dead Space 2" might be perfect for you. 

It's not often that a video game played with a controller can be physically exhausting, but it seems that the crew at Visceral Games has made it their mission to bring that level of intense game play to consoles, and that they've succeeded. Say hello to the best survival/horror game to date.

It's a game you have to play in small doses because, as I mentioned before, it's incredibly tiring. The developers did a fantastic job never giving you a sense of security. There's not a moment in gaming more satisfying than plowing through alien opponents and being the catalyst for victory in a Dead Space objective game. If you're looking for an extremely well-constructed scare-fest, buy Dead Space 2.

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This is PlayStation phone price

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Game Review

With Sony’s PlayStation expected to come out in April, further details about the device have gradually appeared. Like the company’s forthcoming NGP, the gaming mobile appears to have dropped the PlayStation moniker, and Sony are keen to push their machine as the Xperia Play instead.

Essentially a touch-screen smart phone with a slide-out control pad, the Xperia Play is, understandably, less powerful than Sony’s forthcoming NGP, with a 1GHz processor and a screen resolution of 854x480 pixels.

The PlayStation Phone price may have been revealed by a Sony Ericsson competition giving ten of the devices away. The competition carries the following message, which was helpfully translated by 'lefantome' on NeoGAF: "Prize: Xperia PLAY; amount 10; one item value (without italian tax IVA) 499,00 €; total amount: 4999,00 €."

After seeing the mobile gaming market invaded by smart-phone makers in recent years, Sony Ericsson has now launched the first "Playstation phone," called the Xperia Play. Smart phones have encroached on the mobile gaming market in recent years—in 2009, revenue from iPhone games surpassed revenue from Sony's mobile PSP device, according to figures from research firm NPD and Flurry Analytics, a mobile analytics company. 

The Xperia Play's hardware matches that of any high-end smart phone. Games can be downloaded via the Android Market. 

In a time when many phones are focused on multitouch and motion control, the Xperia Play's slide-out keypad, featuring Sony's trademark gaming controls, may seem slightly retro. "It's almost like a step backward," says Daniel Ashdown, a mobile gaming research analyst with Juniper Research. EA Games, which released its first games for the Android platform last October, has released two new titles for the Xperia Play: Fifa 10 and The Sims 3. Accessories could allow other Android handsets to play those games.

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A Classic Tag-Team Duo Returns Primed for an Epic Bout

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Game Review

Capcom shaved the amount of "Street Fighters" down in favor of newcomers like Arthur from "Ghosts 'n Goblins" and Amaterasu from "Okami." Fans upset that "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" features only 36 characters (20 less than "MvC 2") should relax. I had no problem transposing skills I learned in "Super Street Fighter IV" into "MvC 3," removing the steep learning curve that accompanies some new fighters. 

Character endings consist of art stills with text overlays, a huge disappointment considering "Super Street Fighter IV" had fully voiced and animated conclusions (and only one less character). Fans expecting the suite of online features accompanying "Super Street Fighter IV" should regulate their excitement, because "MvC 3's" virtual arcade only has the basics like ranked and player matches, plus custom lobbies to recreate the "winner stays" arcade experience. 

"SSF IV's" successful tournament mode and multiplayer team battles are inexplicably absent. Small gripes aside, you shouldn't miss "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" if you have even a passing interest in Capcom, Marvel, the fighting genre or good games.

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