2K Games announces Bioshock Limited Edition!

The petition worked. The plight of fans was heard by 2K Games and how! After promising to make a Collector’s Edition for Bioshock if the petition collected at least 5000 signatures- which it has already- 2K Games have stuck to their tongue and has finally announced the Collector’s/Limited Edition for Bioshock!

But that’s not all, 2K Games is also letting you choose what the Limited Edition should include! Should the Limited Edition include a soundtrack CD? Or an artbook? Maybe the ‘Making of DVD? Posters? Or the Big Daddy figurine! Choose here.

Currently, the Big Daddy Figurine is winning by a huUge margin.

We did it, gamers, we did it.

Forza Motorsport 2 demo in April

Doc Steel, of the Wii60 forums, got his latest edition of OXM Magazine (May) which contained an advertisement for Forza Motorsport 2 which clearly states, in big bold teasing letters, that a demo of this much anticipated racing game is to hit this April on the Marketplace. But it better not be tomorrow, April 1st, that would be a rude joke.

Start your engines.

Heatseeker releases for PS2 and Wii, PSP version to follow suit

Delivering true air superiority into the hands of gamers everywhere, Heatseeker, the exhilarating arcade aerial combat game from Codemasters arrives in stores nationwide today.

Leading the attack with the PlayStation 2 and Wii editions, with the PSP version to follow, Heatseeker gives players unparalleled control of the military’s finest and most sophisticated airborne arsenal. Take control of over 35 jet fighters [and their variants] and skyrocket to victory over forces of evil across the US, off the coast of South America, over Antarctica and into the Far East.

With over 18 land and sea based missions to complete, players will be pulling face-melting loops over and under bridges, screaming in low under the radar blanket and protecting allied fleets – all whilst facing a seemingly unbeatable number of enemies both on the ground and in the air. Teeming with more aircraft in the sky than any of the leading competitors, Heatseeker is the ultimate in blackout-inducing, close quarters aerial combat.

Air superiority can only be achieved with the most advanced aerial weapons and Heatseeker has it all. Players can choose between 60 different weapons packs which include everything from radar-guided missiles to rocket propelled torpedoes to take out the opposition. Ultimate carnage can even be reigned down upon hapless foes with the power of nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.

Take to the skies with Heatseeker, launching nationwide today on the PlayStation 2 and Wii. Fighter pilots can view all new PS2 movies and more by laser-targeting www.codemasters.com/heatseeker.

Sony PSP v3.30 FW update

Sony today announced a new firmware upgrade for the PSP system, version 3.30, enabling PSP users to play compatible games online, surf the Web, and download podcasts at more than 7,000 T-Mobile HotSpot locations, including select Starbucks coffee shops, Borders bookstores, Hyatt Hotels, and more than 70 major airports across the United States.

This limited time promotional offer includes six months of Wi-Fi network access to T-Mobile HotSpot starting at the initial log-in on the T-Mobile HotSpot network for PSP owners who have downloaded the firmware update. Once the six-month period is complete, T-Mobile will offer PSP owners an option to purchase a subscription at a special rate. Details of the post offer will be available directly from T-Mobile. PSP owners must log-in to the T-Mobile HotSpot Network by March 28, 2008, to access the six-month promotional period.

“This new offer enables SCEA to take portable gaming and entertainment to a new level of mobility and convenience for PSP owners,” said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. “With T-Mobile’s service, we’re making it possible for the PSP community to connect in new ways and access the online content they want in more places than ever before. More and more PSP users are going online to challenge each other in multi-player games, and we can now make it more convenient to access online gaming as well as the Internet, showcasing the rich feature set that PSP has to offer.”

Joe Sims, Vice President and General Manager, Broadband Products and Services, T-Mobile USA, said, “Through SCEA’s offer to PSP owners, T-Mobile HotSpot is expanding the ways customers can stay connected. Now the millions of loyal PSP users in the United States will be able to go online at thousands of T-Mobile HotSpot locations across the country that they may already frequent daily.”

PSP users can now enter a T-Mobile HotSpot location and access compatible online games via the PSP’s Wi-Fi functionality. Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, the highly acclaimed newest chapter in the popular franchise, is the first title to take advantage of this new online access, enabling PSP owners to tackle the title’s various multi-player options whenever they’re at a T-Mobile HotSpot. Additional software titles supporting access to T-Mobile HotSpot locations will be released later this year.

Additionally, this new capability makes it easier than ever to access the PSP system’s multimedia features beyond online gaming. PSP owners can take a break from the controls and watch a streaming video or download a podcast while drinking lattes at Starbucks, check out online reviews of the latest book releases while browsing at Borders, or access online city guides for restaurant and nightlife recommendations when passing through the airport or a Hyatt hotel.

Additional Firmware 3.30 Upgrades

The firmware 3.30 update is now available and includes the addition of T-Mobile HotSpot access as well as the following upgrades.

• Full-resolution video – PSP users can now view videos saved on a Memory Stick Duo in full resolution (720×480).
• Thumbnail support – Thumbnail files for video and RSS content can now be displayed.

PSP system firmware updates can be wirelessly downloaded directly to a PSP system using a Wi-Fi connection; downloaded to a PC from http://www.us.playstation.com/psp and transferred to a PSP system through a USB cable; or installed using upcoming UMD software.

Crackdown auto-update released

There is nothing like a good bed-time Crackdown story, so I pop in my DVD, sit back and wait it to get loaded (while totally ignoring the Xbox 360 Drive grinding noise). But looky at what I get! An auto-update! I wondered what it could be, so I start snooping around when I get my nose stuck at Major Nelson’s blog. Apparently, the update fixes minor technical issues to make the online play smoother and also increase the number of gang cars roaming around throughout the Pacific City.

2K Games announces Bioshock Limited Edition!

The petition worked. The plight of fans was heard by 2K Games and how! After promising to make a Collector’s Edition for Bioshock if the petition collected at least 5000 signatures- which it has already- 2K Games have stuck to their tongue and has finally announced the Collector’s/Limited Edition for Bioshock!

But that’s not all, 2K Games is also letting you choose what the Limited Edition should include! Should the Limited Edition include a soundtrack CD? Or an artbook? Maybe the ‘Making of DVD? Posters? Or the Big Daddy figurine! Choose here.

Currently, the Big Daddy Figurine is winning by a huUge margin.

We did it, gamers, we did it.

Gears of War patch coming soon

Mark Rein just dropped the bomb on the Gears of War’s official forum. He posted that a new update is coming soon and is in the certification process. The update will fix a load of glitches, fix the issue of users running on 720p with VGA cables, and will include a new multiplayer mode called Annex.

Mark Rein said:

"The next title update for Gears of War is currently going through the certification process. We’ll have more detail about the update next week but I can tell you that in addition to fixing a whole bunch of glitches, and providing 720p for VGA users running at 1280×1024, it will contain a brand new multiplayer gametype called Annex.

Some folks who got to play it a few weeks ago said they think it is our best multiplayer gametype yet but I’ll leave it for you fans to decide what you think for yourself when it shows up soon on Xbox Live. More details next week."

You can read the post here.

Heatseeker

Among the onslaught of FPS, TPS and RPG game titles, there had been one genre which had always intrigued & fascinated me, but which unfortunately never managed to keep my interest like the aforementioned FPS games. That one genre is flight simulators. My Logitech Wingman now lies in some godforsaken corner in one of my cupboards, collecting dust. I remember having borrowed Microsoft’s Flight Simulator 2002 from a friend 4 years ago, when I was all ultra-enthusiastic about taking an entire Boeing 777 to the skies and just enjoying the peace & tranquility at 30,000 feet. However, my enthusiasm came crashing down to earth when I fired up the game and saw that there were 50+ controls just to keep your craft airborne. I promptly uninstalled the game and chucked it back at my friend. I mean like, come ON !! Would you call a program, that makes you use Ctrl-Shift-Alt-F3 just to start Engine One, a ‘game’ ?!? I think NOT !! After that, I never looked back, never touched another flight sim again.

That is, until now……until Heatseeker came along. After all these years, here was a game that FINALLY gave me exactly what I wanted from a flight simulator ( minus the peace & tranquility, of course !! ). So, read on to find out what goes into this combat flight sim and makes it soar……

Firstly, and most importantly, is the ease with which you can control your plane. Flight sims are known for their insane reality and unearthly control schemes. This was the major point which put me off the genre years ago. Thankfully, Heatseeker makes controlling your machine a joy. All you need is the right analog stick to increase or decrease throttle, and the left analog stick to maneuver your craft. The face buttons are used to lock on to targets, cycle through weapons and look behind. The R1 button fires your missiles & bombs, while the L1 button fires your mounted machine guns. The controls have been extremely well-thought out and implemented. The control scheme of this game will have even the biggest of noobs flying like a pro in under an hour ( eg: yours truly !! ).

Moving on, let’s take a look at the actual game itself. Heatseeker is an intense combat flight simulator devoid of any real storyline. Developed by IR Gurus and published by Codemasters, the game is set for release sometime in March 2007. Hardcore flight sim fans may be repulsed by the game’s simple control setup, but for many people like myself, this is a BIG plus point. Being a combat flight sim, you’re main objective across all missions is to kill, kill, and kill some more. This would’ve been extremely boring if it were not for the intensity and tension surrounding each battle, as well as the intermittent scouting and escorting missions. This game seriously feels like the ‘Call of Duty’ of flight sims, because the number of enemies you face at once is unbelievably overwhelming. In almost every mission, you will face upto 15 enemy airplanes, 5 boats, and 2 attack subs, all at once !! And all you get as your backup is one or two measly wingmen. Thus, the game leaves pretty much all the killing & destroying to you.

GTA IV trailer up!

Rockstar has finally unleashed the trailer for the most anticipated game of this year, Grand Theft Auto 4. Although there were some problem when the countdown struck zero, Rockstar’s server crashed, people screamed at the frustration, others posting fake stories of the trailer and some were lucky enough to watch it even. But that’s all gone now, it was 2 in the morning when all this happened. Now the servers are free and it’s ready to be downloaded in High-Definition!

The trailer is pretty short, though (about 1 minute). All those looking for a full featured lengthy trailer will be disappointed. Nevertheless, it delivers the goods and how! The game is set in what looks like New York, some parts of Manhattan are shown, even the Statue of Liberty. Different monuments and landscapes are shown, and then it moves to a close up of the main character. He seems to have a Russian accent in which he narrates “Life is complicated…I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different.”

The graphics are amazing. The lightning effects, the landscapes, the draw distance, everything looks impeccable! And it’s all in-game with Rockstar’s new RAGE engine! It surely will have the best graphics than any other GTA games and probably any other game released for the 360 and PS3.

You can download the HD trailer from here. Or you can watch the stream below while the HD trailer downloads! Ten points to spot the GetaLife sign!

You can also watch the stream on our mainpage or you can head over to our forums for additional download links and discussion!

Windows Gaming Championship 2 announced

The region’s top ICT portal ITP.net announced that Windows Gaming Championship 2 (WGC) will expand to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait this year, with the final tournament set to take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

WGC 2 also takes a surprising turn in opting for Pro Evolution Soccer and Counter Strike Source as its games of choice this year, as opposed to Warcraft 3 and Quake 4 from last year’s tournament.

According to Windows Editor Matthew Wade’s article on ITP.net:

“The first event of this year’s three contests will be held in Kuwait City from May 10 to 11.

The second country event, which is due to attract hardcore button bashers from both Saudi Arabia and nearby Bahrain, will then take place in Al Khobar, on May 30 and 31.

Last but certainly not least, the UAE competition will be held in Dubai on June 22 and 23.

In addition to the standard two-day contest, this final UAE leg of the WGC gaming tour will also see Saudi and Kuwaiti finalists flown in for the regional grand final.”

Click here to read the full article on ITP.net

More information will be released on the WGC microsite soon.

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