Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition Announced July 16, 2010

Capcom has announced there will be a Dead Rising 2 Collector’s Edition, dubbed the Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition.

The Zombrex Edition will include tons of medicinal goodies, playing into a lot of the promotion done for the game up until this point (where press members were given “innoculations” while shotguns were always at the ready just in case).  Things like a syringe, a medicine pad and a safety info card will be included in the game, as well as a “making of” video.  They really seem to be intent on reminding the players that this zombie virus was medically created, and up to this point can only be medically delayed, not sure if there’s a cure yet.

The Xbox 360 version will include the entire live action Dead Rising Sun film made as a promotion for the game’s release.  The PS3 version will come with an exclusive dynamic theme.

The ZE will be avalible for Xbox 360 and PS3 September 28th, 2010.  It will retail for $79.99 US.

November Xbox 360 Update Will Upgrade Interface July 15, 2010

Screenshots have leaked onto the web which have been confirmed by Microsoft as genuine that have depicted a new interface for the Xbox 360, scheduled for release alongside the November update.

The new menu options include support for the Xbox Live Family Plan, where you can have four Xbox Live accounts running for 100 a year (half the price of 4 separate accounts), giving parents greater control over their children’s Xbox Live accounts.

I don’t agree with putting restrictions into hardware use for any reason, or for that any use of console lockouts or v-chips based on rating as I consider that age discrimination, but I’m not a parent and I know that gaming parents do appreciate having this kind of technology available to them.

1 Vs 100 Will Not Continue July 15, 2010

Microsoft has officially announced that they are not continuing their widely popular Xbox Live Arcade game 1 vs 100, effectively terminating the game’s future.

This has devastated the internet today, as the game was extremely popular and very highly reviewed.  However, while the game was only available to Xbox Live Gold Members the game was free, and it was likely Microsoft wasn’t making enough money off of it to justify continuing support.  This is also disappointing because the game was one of the few to support the Live Avatars.

Hopefully Microsoft will offer another game to take it’s place in the gaming primetime slot for gold members, but no game has been announced.

Comic-Con 2010 Starts July 22nd July 14, 2010

I’m sure many people will think Its odd I’m mentioning a convention about comics on a gaming website, but over the past few years Comic-Con has become more of a convention for everything rather than just comics. Movies and video games have been previewed at the convention, and this one’s looking to be huge.

Microsoft has announced Gears of War 3, Halo Reach and Kinect are scheduled to appear. They are the biggest Xbox 360 releases of the next 12 months.

Comic-Con will start July 22nd this year. If anything new is posted up I’ll try to comment on it here.

Some Halo Reach Achievements Announced July 10, 2010

Bungie has announced that Halo Reach will have 49 achievements, 23 Campaign, 7 Firefight, 4 Multiplayer, 6 Training and 9 Player Experience. Some of the Training Achievements can be earned in both Campaign and Firefight. and here are some of them.

There will also be special achievements for each campaign mission, similar to Halo 3 ODST and Halo Wars achievements, there will be certain achievements only accessible from one level.

The game will also have full support for Halo Waypoint, which will enable extra functionality such as new multiplayer armor.  The Waypoint achievements will be stackable alongside your Halo 3 and Halo 3 ODST awards, enabling further unlocks.

Halo Reach will be released September 14th, 2010 for the Xbox 360.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Taking Beta Signups July 9, 2010

Want to play the highly anticipated MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic before it hits shelves?

Bioware, who is making the game, and is responsible for making such hits as the original Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Jade Empire, is now taking beta tester requests for Star Wars: The Old Republic, a massively multiplayer online game which will continue the popular Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic storyline.

In an MMO, beta testing is critical.  Problems need to be found and fixed before the game hits store shelves, and with the amount of users expected, the servers need to be stressed to make sure they’ll be able to take on a full load of users.  It will also clue the developers into just how popular the game is going to be, and allow them to plan ahead how many servers will be needed, and just how many copies of the game should be manufactered.

Go to this website, sign up, and get a good chance you can play this game before it hit store shelves!

Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released to the PC.

Enslaved Coming October 5th, 2010 July 9, 2010

Ninja Theory has announced the release date for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

This is the same company that worked on what was for at least a few days, the PS3 killer app, Heavenly Sword, a really underrated game that I enjoyed tremendously, which had fantastic graphics and a fantastic story along with God of War style gameplay that worked pretty well given the subject matter.

Enslaved is a whole new gameplay style, where you play as two completely opposite characters.  One has “enslaved” the other (get it?) so they both can survive this post apocolyptic wasteland reconquered by nature.  Graphics look phenominal and very colorful.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West will release for PS3 and Xbox 360 October 5th, 2010.

Dead Rising 2 Website Launched July 9, 2010

Capcom has activated their official website for the upcoming Dead Rising 2, a sequel to one of the first killer apps for the Xbox 360, and a game that really stood out to me early on in the HD Console generation as graphically incredible and with a unique gameplay style that has not been attempted again until now.

The mall is being replaced with Las Vegas, well not really Las Vegas, but a fictional town just like it.  With a new main character, more freedom, and more opportunities to slay zombies, it looks like a really fun game.

You can check out the game’s official website here.

Dead Rising 2 will be released  on September 28th for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.  A downloadable prequel which will chronicle the events between Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2 will be released exclusive to the Xbox 360.

PS3 3D Blu-Ray Support in September July 9, 2010

You may have previously noticed Sony was promoting what they called 3D Support for the Playstation 3 back when Firmware version 3.30 was coming out, and then activated that functionality when they released 3D-Enabled Bravia HDTVs.

Well apparently, that 3D firmware did not include the full functionality of 3D, it only enabled native 3D in supported video games, not for 3D Blu-Ray as I had originally believed.  Blu-Ray.com sets the record straight and reports that 3D support for Blu-Ray is coming, but not until September.

Seriously?  Unless you really had your heart set on watching “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (and only that movie) in 3D you should be just fine.  However I just don’t think 3D is going to be as successful as all these companies think it’s going to be (because the price is just out of this world and content is still pretty non-existant).

3D photo support will come some time after Blu-Ray support, making the PS3 compatible with 3D images taken by the upcoming 3D Sony Cyber-Shot.

Dragon Age II Announced July 8, 2010

Bioware has announced today a sequel to their extremely popular Dragon Age series is in development.

Dragon Age: Origins was a harken back to the early days of Bioware’s successful fantasy RPGs such as Neverwinter Nights. The game was critically praised and commercially successful.

Unlike the first game, which offered many possible origins for your character, this sequel will offer a new character and a new story. You will play as a male or female character, forced to survive in an ever changing world. Your backstory will be constant in the game, and you will likely delve deeper into it as you play.

Dragon Age II is slated for release March 2011. The first game was released for PC, PS3 and XBox 360, and Dragon’s Age II is expected to support the same platforms.