NES Game Sold For $41,300.00

Stadium Events, one of the rarest NES games was sold to a collector on Ebay for a record breaking $41,300.00. What made the game sell for as much as it did was the fact that the game was still factory sealed with its original price tag left on the box. This game is also rated at number six on a list of 20 of the rarest NES games ever made. JJ Hendricks had previously held the record for the most money paid for a single NES game. JJ Hendricks has purchased the Nintendo Campus Challenge game cartridge off of ebay for $20,000.00.

Mass Effect 2 DLC "Hammerhead" Hits Late March

Bioware, earlier this evening shared some more information on their previously announced DLC called "Hammerhead", sharing with us a rough idea of what we can expect and a handful of some finally crafted screen shots.

On Biowares official site for Mass Effect 2 they have listed as a release date of late March for their DLC and will include a set of 5 Missions. The information on the site states;

"Download the Firewalker pack and gain access to 5 new missions featuring the Hammerhead. The Hammerhead is a heavy assault vehicle that hovers over the battlefield at up to 120 kilometers per hour and features a guided missile system ensuring accuracy even during aggressive maneuvering. Coming late March, free to all Cerberus Network members!"

The free content is rolling out like wild fire for Mass Effect 2. I really hope they keep this up and maybe other developers in the future will take note of their success.
Until we get a definitive release date, please enjoy these 5 new screen shots.

Nintendo DSi XL

DSi DSi XL

Nintendo will be launching the Nintendo DSi XL in North America next month on March 28th. The DSi XL will have a 93% bigger screen. That's right the two screens will both be 93% bigger than the current screens on the DSi. Why couldn't they go a full 100% bigger? Looks like Levis will benefit from this because everyone will have to buy new jeans with bigger pockets. How much will this cost you ask? Amazon.com is currently taking pre-orders for the device at $189.99

Forza Motorsport 4

I know this is not a surprise to anyone but I just got word that Microsoft and Turn 10 are working on the fourth installment of the Forza Motorsport series. Microsoft and Turn 10 are currently hiring for the next game in the wildly successful racing series. Forza Motorsport 3 has sold over 2 million copies since its release in October 2009. One can only assume that this will be a 2-3 year development cycle. This will give current players of Forza Motorsport 3, plenty of play time with the current game and for more DLC to be released for the current game.

2K Announces BioShock 2 DLC "Sinclair Solutions Test Pack"

Early today 2K announced their extensive plans for supporting BioShock 2 with continued DLC. They also revealed their first piece of DLC pack for the games Multiplayer entitled "Sinclair Solutions Test Pack".

The first of several planned packs, the test pack will raise the multiplayer level cap to 50, granting you even extra rewards as you level up. Theres 2 new characters to run around Rapture with, named Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca, as well as five new masks to customize your characters with. 2K also revealed that there will be 20 new trials to complete and a third weapon upgrade for each weapon. The DLC will be priced at 400 Microsoft Points when it be comes available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

2K president, Christoph Hartmann, said this about BioShock 2's future support: "The fans who waited in the snow, rain and cold for the midnight launch of BioShock 2 have spoken and their message is that Rapture still has many fascinating stories to tell."

He also added, "Downloadable content is a key part of our efforts to continue to entice the fans that have made 2K a household name - we intend to deliver single and multiplayer content that respects and expands upon one of the greatest fictional worlds ever created."

All and all, 2K will be expanding the game's single player story via DLC in the coming months, promising to provide further insight into Rapture by adding more narrative, new challenges and new tools to enhance the experience.

No word yet on when the DLC will arrive beyond "soon" and there's no confirmation of extra achievements either. We'll just have to wait and see. One thing's clear though. We'll be spending a lot more time in Rapture than we'd first anticipated...

Borderlands' General Knoxx DLC Priced & Dated

Earlier this afternoon, Gearbox and 2K Games talked with Team Xbox saying that their third piece of DLC, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, would be coming out tomorrow on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The DLC will be price at the usual Borderlands DLC price of 800 Microsoft points and will include an all new environment with all new quests, increased level cap and also include 10 achievements worth 250 gamerscore!

Talk about short notice! But this sounds like it will be a great addition to an already great game.

All New Fallout: New Vegas Details That You Can Bet On

GameSpy has posted a list of Fallout: New Vegas features from an article in USA Today, which exposes some very interesting new info regarding Obsidian's new foray into the Fallout world.

In the news item Bethesda marketing bod, Pete Hines reveals some new details about the forthcoming game, including the following list courtesy of GameSpy:

• You play a courier, not a vault dweller, who is shot and left for dead in a shallow grave in the desert. As evidenced in the teaser trailer, a robot digs you out and brings you to a local caregiver who nurses you back to health.
  
• Vegas is up and running. Said Hines, "It is not a ghost town. It still exists and thrives. There are casinos, and you can go down onto the Strip. It will have a very different feel from that standpoint."
  
• The game takes place a few years after Fallout 3, but New Vegas is a self-contained story. No characters from Fallout 3 appear, but you will hear a bit about the events that took place in that game.
  
• A big part of the story will be finding out who tried to kill you and what they took.
  
• New Vegas is similar in size to the DC area in Fallout 3. Said Hines, "It is a massive game world that will take you hundreds of hours to explore every nook and cranny."

Star Wars: TFU Hoth Mission Comming to XBL Marketplace

A new single-player level for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace on February 23rd. The DLC, previously only available on the retail version of Star Wars: The Force Unleaded Sith Edition will take The Secret Apprentice to Hoth, where the 'Infinities' storyline concludes following the previous Tatooine mission.

Excitingly, while on Hoth you'll face Luke Skywalker himself and will presumably be able to finish the fight that the Wampa couldn't, in a tasty lightsabre duel. The Secret Apprentice will also be able to visit several iconic locations as seen in The Empire Strikes Back.

Still no word yet though as to how many of our hard earned MS Points it will cost.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II was also announced recently, due for release later this year. So keep an eye out for more information as it becomes available.

Crackdown 2 Pre-order Incentives

More from last weeks X10 Event is that, Ruffian Games' Crackdown 2 will be getting exclusive pre-order content as a bonus, something becoming increasingly common these days (presumably to get consumers into buying new, rather than used games).

Get your pre-order in early and you'll get four free agency armours, described only as gold, brushed, red and metal.

You can make your own minds up as to what they might look like, but you can bet they'll look damn cool.

We've got a shot of the Gold armour to give you an idea of what kind of uberness you can expect.

Final Fantasy XIII Special Edition Console Bundle

Details of the Final Fantasy XIII Special Edition Xbox 360 Bundle has been announced at X10 just last week. Major Nelson has also posted a video announcing the bundle on the Xbox Live dashboard in his latest Majors Minute episode.

The bundle will launch on March 9th in North America and will retail for $399.

The Special Edition bundle will be packed with a 250gig HD, two Wireless controllers, a standard copy of the game and Exclusive DLC. In the Majors Minute video, Nelson also said that there would be a special edition custom faceplate that you can get, but no word yet on what you have to do. I'm guessing a mail-in rebate maybe?

Seems as though they are really trying test the waters with there 250gig HD. With the 120gig HD being discontinued in many stores I am guessing by summer or shortly after we will start to see the individual sale of the 250gig HD alone. So if your looking for some more space, try and hold tight just a little bit longer.

Halo: Reach Beta Announcement

Last week we saw the return on Microsoft's X10 Event in San Fransisco, with Microsoft confirming a date of May 3rd for the Halo: Reach Beta.
Bundled with Halo: ODST as an added incentive to purchase the game, the Halo: Reach keys will become active on that date, enabling you to participate in the first public Beta.

Halo: Reach is currently scheduled for a Q4 2010 release.

No Alan Wake for the PC???

It was rumored that a PC version of Alan Wake would be worked on after the release of the Xbox 360 version of the game. If you want to play one of the most talked about games of 2010 then I highly suggest you purchase yourself a Xbox 360 if you haven't already done so. Microsoft seems to think the Xbox 360 is the only platform that this game should be played on. The following quote is from a Microsoft spokesperson: "Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen. We ultimately realized that the most compelling way to experience "Alan Wake" was on the Xbox 360 platform, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive. Both Microsoft and Remedy have long histories in PC game development. This decision was about matching this specific game to the right platform." I myself believe that this is a sales strategy for Microsoft to sell Xbox 360's at a time where normally sales are down. Normally big title are released during the holiday season to get profits up for the 4th quarter of the fiscal year. If the Xbox 360 is the only way to play a game then it will force people to pickup the system and generate more green for Microsoft. The comment about "Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC" is absolutely correct. Take a game like WoW or Guild Wars, those games are definitely more suited for the PC but you can make a game work on a console that is normally meant for a PC. RTS games are usually played on a PC but Halo Wars which is an RTS game was made for the XBOX 360 and it works quite well. I have only played the demo and from what I experienced I really enjoyed and I plan on eventually picking up this game. I believe that a game can be enjoyed on either a console or a PC and it is up to the gamer to decide how he or she would like to play their game. Some gamers prefer to play a shooter on a PC while I prefer to play a shooter on a console because I can move better using the analog sticks than I can with the arrow buttons on a keyboard. Also with a keyboard you have many more buttons or keys to remember and what their function is. For a console you have much less buttons to remember and they are right there and you don't have to move your hand way left to get to the button or key and then back right to the next button or key that you need. What ever you prefer is a decision you have to make yourself. The only PC game I play is Guild Wars and I enjoy it on the PC. I suppose it could be made for a console. What would make it or break it for success would be of course the button layout and access to spells and weapons. Fable I and II were both made for Xbox and are highly enjoyable. Everything is easily accessible and I see no reason why putting these games on the PC for them to be enjoyable.

January 2010 NPD numbers

Sales figures in order for the month of January are listed below.

In first place we have the Nintendo Wii with a whopping 465.9k
Second place the Nintendo DS at 422.2k. Not too far behind the Wii sales figures.
In third place we have the Xbox 360 at 332.8K.
In fourth place is the Sony Playstation 3 at 276.9k.
In fifth place is the PSP at 100.1k.
Last but not least is the Playstation 2 still chugging along at 41.6k. It really does amaze me that people are still buying the Playstation 2. I guess some people don't care to have an HD system like the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3.

Fallout: New Vegas Details

The first teaser trailer for Fallout: New Vegas was just released last week, and it seems as though we are already getting our first info for the game. It is rumoured that the latest issue of PC Gamer has had the first look at the Obsidian developed title, and that a whole lot of information was gathered.

At the moment, it seems only subscribers have had the privilege of receiving the new issue of PC Gamer, though luckily, the information has been leaked on the web.
the information is as follows;

• There is an optional hardcore mode, the character needs to drink water, ammo has weight, healing isn’t instant etc. Normal mode is more similar to Fallout 3 gameplay.

• The storyline is focused on the New California Republic vs. Caesar’s Legion vs. New Vegas residents.

• You are not a vault dweller but are given a Pip-Boy by someone who is one.

• There is a screenshot of a vault suit as well.

• There is an assault rifle looking like the M4, as well as a new big gun with a backpack, held like a mini gun.

• There are special moves for melee weapons in VATS – specifically a move for a golf club called “Fore” which seems to be a groin shot.

• The Hoover Dam is in the game and is supplying electricity to the city.

• There is a quest to rescue a ghoul from some super mutants. The ghoul can then become your companion.

• The Geckos are back.

• There are both dumb and intelligent super mutants, including the elite Nightkin.

• Some super mutants look similar to the ones in Fallout 3, while others are new. There is e.g. a female super mutant with a 1950s hairstyle who apparently is one of their leaders.

• Screenshots include a guy with a beard and straw hat, a ghoul an NCR Ranger

• The only picture of New Vegas itself is concept art and not a screenshot

• Some location screenshots include a huge model dinosaur advertising a hotel, some satellite dishes, an array of solar panels

• A character generation shot showing a “vigour machine” instead of the skill book

• NCR base is the McCarran Airport, Caesar’s Legion is based in the Vegas Strip, while super mutants are based in a place called Black Mountain. There is also a town called Fremont and another called Primm. A topless reuve is mentioned as being in the latter.

• NCR Ranger armor is similar to a brown combat armor with sleeves, there are concept arts of a Ranger

• Skills have a bigger effect on conversation choices. E.g. someone with a high Explosives skill may be able to have a conversation about explosives where appropriate.

• There is a Reputation system in addition to Karma.

Fallout: New Vegas is due out this Fall 2010. This is a lot of information pretty early in the year so only time will tell on how accurate it all is. I for one am very excited to read some information about the game and can not wait till its release.

Dante's Inferno DLC Plans

Today we are welcomed to Hell as we see the much anticipated release of Dante's Inferno. We are also graced with a small card inside the game box that reveals information on EA and Visceral's 3 month plan of DLC for the game on one side and on the other a $3 off coupon for the Dante's Inferno Animated DVD Epic.

The list is as follows;

February:

Soul Packs

Poet Costume

Animated Feature Film Costume

March:

Prequel Level

April:

New In-Game Abilities

Trials of St. Lucia

No word yet to any exact release dates or how much any of the DLC will cost. It is however very nice to see that EA and Visceral are looking to support this game so well after release.

Ubisoft working on something BIG!!

Attention all Ubisoft fans, the word on the street is that Ubisoft, is planning to announce something big next week! Check out this Tweet from Aymeric Evennou, the community developer for Ubisoft. What could it be? Maybe a new IP? Speculation is that it maybe a new game title to be announced at Microsoft's X10 event. I personally think its too early for it to be a Project Natal announcement. I am sure Microsoft has ordered all game developers to hold off on any Project Natal announcements till the 2010 E3 show. What do you think this news could be?

Review: Aliens Vs Predator Demo On XBL

Today we saw the release of the long awaited (at least for me) Aliens Vs Predator Demo on Xbox Live, and I must say that I was very impressed.

The demo that was released only features one small part of the multiplayer with a 10 minute, 8 player Death match. The multiplayer mode has the look and feel of your standard first person shooter, however as there is the choice between a Colonial Marine, Alien or Predator the game play can differ dramatically. When you start your search for a player match you are stuck in your own private group till you get grouped in a 8 person team. When you enter the game lobby each person is randomly selected a 'race'. As I could tell there could only be 2 Predators in a game then the rest is split up between the Marines and the Aliens.

Each 'race' has its own benefits and its own drawbacks. While the Marines have a handful of guns with the benefit of long range attacks and are able to use grenades, they are little to no match once an enemy Predator or Alien gets close enough to attack. The standard Pulse Rifle was a nice starting weapon, but things really got good once I found the shotgun and was able to dispatch the other players left and right.

Playing as an Alien allows you to walk on all surfaces using the RT button is transfer onto the wall or ceiling. Also if you have your crosshair pointed to the wall or a overhead beam you can jump and attach yourself right to it. Traveling as Alien though can be quite disorientating as you can often be upside-down or on the wall in the middle of combat and not know what way you are facing.

lastly the Predator, I can see why they only let you have 2 of them during one game. the Predators are pretty powerful. they are able to leap far distances, use a cloaking device to run around undetected, use heat sensors and a gray scale mode to easily detect Aliens and also are able to use Predator Discs and the Predator Cannon.

The demo however wasn't all glitz and glam, I didn't find that the graphics and motion of the other players running around the screen really showcase a great game. I did notice that there were some lag issues, seeing the players skipping across the screen and some points (but i don't think that's the games fault, is it?). The demo map used for the MP is a small to medium sized map it seems and is fairly dark, so to get a good look at how things really look was sometimes a challenge. Another thing that really bothered me about the demo was the animation of the finishing moves, when you were the one being attacked. Sometimes you couldn't even tell what was going on, you just couldn't move anywhere then you see a splatter of blood and realize you were dead. While the finishing moves, look great from the attackers point of view, I really think they could have found some better camera angles to focus on what was really happening to you so you could really get a feel for your character getting sliced to bits.

All of this, either good and or bad, is still just a demo. So I can only imagine that the final product will be just a good and better then this. I'm really looking forward to getting this game when it is released this Feb, and even more then I was before I got to play the demo. This game is looking to have one very unique multiplayer with more then enough modes to find every ones sweet spot. And with 3 different single player story modes this will be one game you wont want to miss out on. I encourage everyone to at least check this demo out and give it a shot.

Please leave any comments, concerns or questions below. Let us know what you felt about the demo and of the review.

SEGA's Project Needlemouse Is Sonic the Hedgehog 4

Last September SEGA announced a special project called 'Project Needlemouse', we already knew that the codename alluded to something Sonic. But we didn't know it would be a full fledged sequel to the original 2D Sonic games we grew up playing as kids nearly 16 years ago.

The new game now called Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be a true sequel to the original 2D series with 3D graphics. Even more, the game will be released as downloadable episodic adventures on XBLA when it is due to be released this summer 2010.

A small trailer was released today and also some details that Sonic will be the only playable character and players will also be able to compare speed runs with others on the games leaderboards.

If this is going to be as fun as the original then bring it on! sounds like a great game to be for the Summer of Arcade, what do you think?

Fallout: New Vegas Details Emerge

Today is the day, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... Well not exactly. A press release sent out today from Bethesda states, "Fallout: New Vegas, the follow-up to Fallout 3 – the 2008 Game of the Year – brings this beloved franchise to a location only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humour, and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the stakes."

This time around developer Obsidian takes the rains and shows us what it can do with the franchise and a derelict, destroyed Vegas. The trailer below doesn't have to much to offer about the game and is not much different from Fallout 3's teaser. If it does only one thing though that is leaving you wanting more and anticipating its 2010 Fall release.

Bioshock 2 Special Edition Unboxing!

Elizabeth Tobey, 2K Community Manager, released a video the other day showcasing the Special Edition and all of its contents for Bioshock 2. The video really displays the fine artwork of Rapture with the creativity of the whole team at 2K.

The Special Edition will include:

• Bioshock 2 (the game even!)
  


• 164-page Hardcover Art Book (full size, not a small 5'x7")
  


• Three Rapture Posters (rolled)
  


• Bioshock 2 Orchestral Score on CD
  


• The original Bioshock Orchestral Score on a Vinyl 180g LP

Everything looks to be in great shape and looks to be one truly well crafted Special Edition for a game. I do wonder why they decided to roll up the posters and not lay them flat in the box, I could see where some people may have an issue with that. With the year just underway (only one month down) it seems as though this year will be the year of special editions, collector editions, limited edition, you name it for the gaming industry. I'm loving every minute of it, but if they keep this up though I may need another job to support my collective nature.

Dante's Inferno Post Release DLC: Trials of St. Lucia

A trailer that will apparently be shipped with the game Dante's Inferno will reveal that the game will be supported by some rather substantial post launch downloadable content in the form of the Trials of St. Lucia.

Adding online co-operative play with a new playable character, the divine angel-winged St. Lucia of Syracuse is just the beginning, with the DLC pack also providing a level editor that will enable players to create their very own trials.

The DLC looks to add some great new features including community driven content to push EA Visceral's hack and slash epic to a new dimension when it is released this April on the 29th.

Dante's Inferno is available in Australia on February 4th, in Europe on February 5th with the North American release following on February 9th.

Final Fantasy XIII To Ship On 3 Discs

A few months ago an interview with FF XIII's director Motomu Toriyama which quoted him as saying he "hoped" to have the game ship on "about three discs worth of content." The same interview estimates 40-50 hours for the main story, with additional content through side-quests and achievements. Online game rental site, Gamefly, has the game listed on their product page specifying that the game will be exactly 3 discs.

So we will get ATLEAST 2 breaks from the game to check back in with reality once the game lands this year in early March.

Mass Effect 2 Has Sold 2 Million Copies Worldwide

A few days ago EA sent out a press release saying that Mass Effect 2 has sold 2 million copies in its first week in retail, which is a great start to the games life. In addition they had made it a point to mention the forty perfect scores given by review outlets and the average score of 96, making it the second highest-reviewed game on the 360.

I hear the game is pretty damn good. A lot of hardcore gamers have been already finishing the game this past weekend, logging in about 45-47hrs. I still haven't gotten to play it yet, but after all of the great things I have been hearing its a MUST play and I cant wait!