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World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft players might be experiencing some troubles this weekend. It is being reported the MMORPG is suffering from some widespread outages.

And while this would be a problem for any company that runs a MMORPG, it’s on a massive scale for WoW. With more than 6 million players worldwide, a major outage here can seriously dent the weekend plans for a whole lot of gamers.

It seems the outages for WoW players are being caused by the virtual world’s service provider, but the company is also doing some emergency maintenance as well. Many of the game’s individual servers have been effected. This is not the first time WoW has experienced problems, but this appears to be the biggest issue the game’s faced so far.

We'd like to make all players aware that at this time our internet service provider is experiencing significant complications, and as a result the playability on a large portion of realms has been adversely affected," said a message from Epifanio, Senior Game Master, on the WoW forums.. "Symptoms include but are not limited to lag, random disconnections and slow authentication. Our network technicians are doing everything in their power to work with our ISP so that this issue may be resolved as swiftly as possible."
Netcraft


Related:
WoW Heading To The Xbox 360?
WoW Hits 6 Million, Adds Spanish
WoW Players Face Discrimination?
Is 5 Million Too Many For World of Warcraft?

Comments >>



World of Warcraft
Rumors are churning about the possibility of World of Warcraft making an Xbox 360 debut.

It seems Xbox World 360 magazine ran an article on the MMORGP and set the rumors into motion, which go on to say Blizzard Entertainment is already working on the project.

Blizzard has denied its intent to put WoW out for the 360 in the past, however.

The rumors come after Blizzard made the announcement its hit 6 million players worldwide. Considering other MMOs like Eve online are in the 100,000-subscriber range, this makes WoW more than huge and the prospect of its availability on the new platform would be appealing for gamers. Plus, it might also appeal to Blizzard – the company seems to be enjoying the massive numbers its MMORPG has drawn.

So, it’s anyone’s guess whether this one will pan out to be true.
Hexus

Related:
WoW Hits 6 Million, Adds Spanish
WoW Players Face Discrimination?
Is 5 Million Too Many For World of Warcraft?

Comments >>



Spore
Will Wright didn’t reveal too much new about his upcoming game release, Spore, when he spoke at the Game Developers Conference Thursday, but he did manage to pack in a crowd.

More than 3,000 filled the seats to hear how the creator of SimCity and The Sims came up with his latest gaming idea.

Spore will allow gamers to take a micro-organism and develop it into a larger critter that will eventually spawn a colony, a city and then take off into space to form more colonies. The God game is considered one of the most anticipated titles of the coming year.

Information about the actual release is sketchy with some sources saying later this year and others 2007. It's expected to be available for multiple platforms.

Regardless of the release date, this is going to be one of the hottest games going. The concept’s unique. It places lots of power in gamers’ hands. And, it comes from Wright. Nothing more need be said, even if I don’t get the appeal.
ZDNet

Related:
Spore Going Mobile
In-Depth Look At Will Wright's Spore
Will Wright's Spore coming to Xbox 360, says Ballmer?
Will Wright's Unveiling of Spore Video

Comments >>



Eve Online
Plans for the Chinese launch of Eve Online are nearing completion as CCP Games has announced the finalization of a licensing agreement with Optic Communications. The aim is to launch the MMO in China by the third quarter of 2006.

Eve is a space-based MMO that’s been out for a while, but is seeing a steady increase in popularity as gamers discover the fun that awaits them in the Eve universe.

The opening of the China cluster follows the accelerated growth of EVE Online in the US and Europe during the past six months, and will be the first fully localized and separate game cluster established by CCP. Optic will introduce EVE Online to the Chinese player base with a large scale open beta commencing in Q2 of 2006.

The partnership between CCP Games and Optic Communications will open the industry's largest virtual universe to the world's most dynamic online games market. EVE Online(R) recently set the PCU (Peak Concurrent User) world record at 25,665 users, which is greater than the total capacity offered by any other MMOG in a single persistent universe.

"The completion of this license agreement with Optic Communications marks the establishment of CCP as a world wide leader in innovative online games and recognizes the enormous potential for EVE Online in Asia," said Hilmar Veigar Petursson, CEO of CCP Games. "Their local expertise and full backing of CITIC Pacific makes Optic Communications the ideal strategic partner to enter the China market with and further accelerate the growth of our subscriber base."

Optic Communications will provide the Chinese player base with a fully localized version of EVE Online(R), which includes nationwide marketing and sales coverage, management of game system operations, and 24/7 customer support service. CCP will work closely with Optic personnel to ensure that EVE Online is tailored to meet the tastes and demands of Chinese gamers.

In addition to setting new PCU records for virtual worlds several times since last year, EVE Online has nearly doubled its subscriber base in the past six months, and broke through the landmark milestone of 100,000 active subscribers in February of 2006.
Media release


Related:
EVE Online Cold War Edition Deployed
$16,500 EVE Online Heist

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Nintendo Revolution
Despite some pretty hopeful speculation, Nintendo’s Saturo Iwata did not announce the Nintendo Revolution’s final name during his keynote speech at the GDC, nor did he give credence to an earlier release date for the next-gen console.

Speculation ran high that Iwata was going to give out the Revolution’s final name and perhaps announce a summer release for the console. It was also ventured the Revolution’s final name would end up being Nintendo Go.

Nintendo’s president focused on gameplay and the innovations that are in the works. He used the DS to demonstrate some of Nintendo’s philosophies. The game Brain Age as well as the game Metroid Prime Hunters was used to illustrate some of the new innovations Nintendo has made.

In conclusion, Nintendo Revolution fans did not learn anything new today. Iwata did not spill any big secrets, nor did he reveal any details. We are still as clueless as were yesterday. Hopefully E3 2006 will be more informative, but we will have to wait and see.
Revolution Portal


Related:
Nintendo Revolution Name Might Be Revealed Today
Turkey, Dressing, Nintendo Revolution?
Nintendo Revolution Rumour & Counter-Rumour

Comments >>



Nintendo Revolution
All eyes will be on Nintendo president Saturo Iwata today when he makes a keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference.

Speculation has Iwata possibly revealing the actual name for the next-gen Revolution console. It’s also thought news will come about the console’s release. Latest news on the release has it coming out in time for the holidays, but speculators are saying a summer release isn’t out of the question. If so, the Nintendo project would get the jump on Sony’s PS3 by several months.

The name change idea for the Revolution comes from Nintendo’s longstanding tradition of developing products under a codename and then giving them their actual monikers before release. No matter what Iwata reveals today, however, the news is likely to be hot as gamers gear up to enter the next-gen scene with a console other than the Xbox 360.

The other persistent rumour which has been doing the rounds is that Nintendo may launch the Rev as early as June. It's a fair old long shot this one, comparable to us suddenly being called up by Sven for the England World Cup squad on the strength of a good five-a-side game at the weekend. However, its shelf life has been slightly extended by Akiteru Itoh from Japan's Media Create.
Speaking to BusinessWeek, Itoh said, "There are rumors that the Revolution could be released as early as June. If that happens and Nintendo sells around one million units, Sony could have a harder time catching up."
CVG


Related:
Turkey, Dressing, Nintendo Revolution?
Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints?
More Nintendo Revolution Images, Rumour
Next 3D Mario Coming to Revolution

Comments >>



Halo 2
Peter Moore, Microsoft’s VP of Interactive Entertainment, recently hinted that gamers may soon get a look at the next Halo game in the series.

He wasn’t very forthcoming about what the title will hold, but said it was likely gamers would get a look at what Bungie is developing before the end of the year. Speculation has an announcement coming during May’s E3 conference.

Moore begins with the standard MS Line of, "We haven't made any announcements regarding the Halo franchise. So Bungie is busy, they're an industrious bunch." But then more excitingly adds: "I think certainly this year, 2006, we might give you a peek at what Bungie is working on. I'm not going to give you any specific days, times or events."

We know Bungie is working on an unannounced title as well as the Windows Vista-bound Halo 2, but really, Moore can't be talking about anything other than Halo 3, can he?
Moore goes on to admit that "Halo is one of those games that will drive sales", so surely for the success of Xbox 360, we'd have to expect at least a first look at what Bungie has in store at this year's E3? Which must be good news for both gamers and MS. We'd further suggest that it will be Halo 3 which will be unveiled at E3, and hopefully the sequel will launch before the end of this year.
CVG


Related:
Halo Comic Book On The Way
Halo movie looking for 2007 Summer release
Halo 3 listed by retailers

Comments >>



Playstation 3
It’s official. The PlayStation 3 will offer something most other gaming systems don’t: a world without walls.

During a question-and-answer session following his keynote speech at GDC, Sony Computer Entertainment president Phil Harrison let the cat out of the bag so to say. The PS3 will be region free. Harrison also revealed some details about the upcoming online service as well.

Considering Sony’s wall of silence surrounding the console in past months, this news is bigger than big, it’s huge.

It is believed that the reason for this is to help combat piracy - importing is the one justification for mod chips and swap-discs, but with region locking no longer a problem, it will be easier to crack down on the pirates. On top of this, games will be able to be released simultaneously worldwide. Of course, this could cause issues on 50hz games played on 60hz televisions, and vice-versa. But, with most recent TVs this should not be an issue.

More details on Sony's online service were also revealed. It will be available at the console's launch, with a free service available. There will also be downloadable content, as well as 'micropayments', which can be used to buy small game features. Video chat will be supported, while messages and contact lists are a given.
Palgn


The PS3 is due out some time in November in North America, Europe and Japan. It’s believed the console will also make its Australian debut in time for the holidays.

Related:
PS3 Finally Has A Release Date
PS3 Games at the Annual Playstation Meeting
PS3 To Lose Over A Billion In The First Year?
PS3 To Be Even More Powerful Than We've Seen?

Comments >>



Xbox 360
The shelves of my local Wal-Mart where an Xbox 360 ought to go are barren right now, but that may soon change.

Microsoft, the creator of the first next-gen console, is reporting its production will increase “two to three times” in the very near future. It seems the component shortage that’s plagued the console since its November launch is going away and the third hired-on manufacturer, Celestica, is up and running with 360 production.

The timing on the increase coincides with the Australian launch, which means the console is now available in most major markets the world over. The gaming console has gone live in most continents now and demand is high in most locations.

The production increase is very good news for gamers who have been patiently (or not so) awaiting the console’s arrival. And now with a promised 80-plus titles for the console, choices for players are pretty darn amazing.
Game Spot

Don't forget, if you're still running a current gen Xbox, you can win a free game by answering our trivia question and entring our drawing for Tony Hawks Underground 2. To find out how, click here.

Related:
Xbox 360 Titles To Top 80 By Summer
Three Manufacturers Lined Up for Xbox 360
No Free Xbox 360 for Ballmer

Comments >>



Ghost Recon
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter experts have a chance to win a free trip to the upcoming E3 conference and a Dodge Caliber to boot.

Ubisoft and Best Buy have teamed up to sponsor the online contest that will take place online starting in April.

Considering the tough entry requirements for the E3, this could be a gamer’s dream come true. The conference begins May 11 in Los Angeles and will included some of the biggest names in gaming. At the conference, lots of breaking news is expected as well so winners of the tourney may be among the first to hear news about upcoming titles, next-gen console releases and more.

The tournament will be facilitated by the Global Gaming League and kicks off on the XboxLive(R) online game service April 1 and continues through May 1. Entrants must have Xbox Live Gold to participate. The two teams that make it to the finals will battle for the grand prize of a Dodge Caliber at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center on May 11.

"Best Buy makes sure gamers have everything they need to compete online," said Jill Hamburger, vice president of video games at Best Buy. "And this tournament has it all - phenomenal game play with Ghost Recon, live interaction with your opponent on Xbox Live Gold and great prizes. It's going to be fun."

For the first three weeks of the competition, teams of two will compete against thousands of other teams as they eliminate each other for the top spot to compete in the death match final. The two finalist teams will then travel to E3 and compete for the grand prize of an all-new 2007 Dodge Caliber, a sporty five-door compact car with a powerful stance that provides the functional flexibility of an SUV. The first-place winner will also receive $5,000 and the second-place winners will each receive cash prizes of $1,000.
Finanzen


To register or get more information, click here. Registration is on Best Buy’s site and ends March 31.

Related:
New Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter Trailer Released
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 3 Announced
Ghost Recon 2 for PC Cancelled

Comments >>



Xbox 360
I did some shopping for games yesterday. After heading to a Game Works and having an absolute blast playing House of the Dead with some friends, I thought I’d check to see if I could find that title for the Xbox 360.

I wasn’t lucky enough to find the 360 version, since it’s not out yet, and the old Xbox version wasn’t available. Despite the purchase failure, I was struck by the number of other titles available at a small Wal-Mart in my neighborhood. An entire case was filled to the brim with 360 and current-gen games just waiting to be emulated on my 360. (I did note, however, there were no 360 consoles available although there were plenty of current-gen machines.)

So, it doesn’t come as much surprise that Microsoft is reporting its Xbox 360 will soon have more than 80 titles available to give gamers more than a lot of choice when it comes to checking out what the next-gen has to offer. The recent number announcement is set for a timeframe of the end of June when the 80-plus mark will be breached, and with some big titles on the way, Microsoft might be able to enjoy its only next-gen console on the block status for a little while.

Upcoming titles include Tomb Raider: Legend, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and Final Fantasy XI.

Making the announcement Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft commented, "With 80 games available worldwide by June, and new content and experiences coming to Xbox Live all the time, there has never been a better time to own an Xbox 360."

In addition, Microsoft confirmed that over 10 million digital downloads have been completed via the Xbox 360's Marketplace since the console launched at the end of November 2005. Highlights on the service in the coming weeks include new cars and achievements for Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing 3, new maps for Perfect Dark Zero, and an update to Rare's Kameo: Elements of Power that includes co-operative play. Demos from EA's Burnout Revenge and Battlefield 2: Modern Combat will also be making an appearance on Xbox Live Marketplace shortly. Microsoft also reiterated that new Xbox Live Arcade titles coming soon will include Capcom's classic beat-em-up Street Fighter II, and the free game Texas Hold 'Em Poker from Riverbelle.
TVG


Related:
Xbox 360 Gets Hacked
Capcom Announce New Sci-Fi Shooter for Xbox 360
Xbox 360 Team On Back Compatibility Issues
Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility List

Comments >>



Halo
The Master Chief will make his comic book debut later this summer when the new Halo Graphic Novel hits shelves.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics and Bungie Studios, the novel will include 128 full-color pages in a hardcover design. The novel is expected to hit bookstore shelves in July 2006.

The Halo Graphic Novel is an anthology of original stories set in the Halo universe representing an unprecedented display of visual storytelling. Building on the success of the critically acclaimed Halo®: Combat Evolved and Halo® 2 video games for Xbox, the graphic novel will feature the series' iconic characters, weapons and scenarios and the epic struggle against the alien threats known as the Covenant and the Flood.

Bungie Studios will handle the graphic novel while Marvel will publish and distribute it "We are thrilled to be working with the Halo property, as it's proven to be an international sensation since its very inception," said Ruwan Jayatilleke, Director of Development, Publishing. "And being that I am an avid Halo fan, this creative synergy in the graphic fiction medium makes it all the more thrilling."

HGN first edition and following three series are the master pieces of renowned comic artists including: Moebius, Phil Hale, Ed Lee, Tsutomo Nihei, Jay Faerber, Andrew Robinson, Simon Bisley, and Lee Hammock. Also, there will be never before seen original Halo inspired artwork created exclusive for HGN by the artists and Bungie’s Team.

"The chance to give our faithful fans something this special was a chance we had to jump at," said Harold Ryan, Studio Manager of Bungie Studios. "Re-exploring the Halo universe with some of our favorite comic book artists and writers—indeed, some of the greatest of all time—was a true labor of love and we couldn't have picked a better partner than Marvel to help us achieve our vision."

"With Marvel and Halo's similar loyal fan bases, we are confident that Halo's transition into the comic book arena will further bolster the characters, storylines, and huge popularity of the property with not only the longtime, dedicated Halo fans but among comic book fans as well," said Dan Buckley, President and Chief Operating Officer of Marvel Entertainment, Publishing.
The Game Feed


As Bungie gears up for a new Halo game announcement, the Halo movie and now the comic, what I’d like to know is what’s the draw for this game? What makes it such a success? What could other game makers learn from this franchise? Fill me in by visiting our forums!

Related:
New Halo Title Announcement Expected Soon
Halo movie looking for 2007 Summer release
Halo 3 listed by retailers

Comments >>
Spore Going Mobile - 20.3.06  Email to a friend



Spore
More confirmation that gamers on the go will soon be able to create their own universe from the micro-organism up came when Mitch Laskey, EA Mobile senior vice president, gave a recent keynote address.

Laskey slipped in the Spore title under EA Mobile’s plans for 2006.

Most interesting was the "core" games listed on the slide. Casually slipped into the middle of the list was a little game called Spore, confirming that the game will be hitting mobile phones. A mobile release had been rumored for weeks, after a job posting on GameDev.net noted EA was looking to hire for handheld Spore development.
Modojo


Spore, which is expected out later this year, is another title from the creator of the Sims. This one will allow gamers to create their own world starting with a single-celled critter. From there, they’ll work up to full civilizations.

Hype for this particular game has been incredible. It’s received numerous awards already, even before release, and gamers around the world are anxious to check it out. Not a fan of Sims type games myself, I’m curious to know what you all think about this upcoming release. Will you buy it? What’s the appeal? Let us know by visiting our forums.

For more information about Spore, click here.

Related:
Will Wright's Unveiling of Spore Video
Spore Wins 4 Nominations for Best of E3
Will Wright's Spore coming to Xbox 360, says Ballmer?
In-Depth Look At Will Wright's Spore

Comments >>



Xbox 360 controller
TVG is reporting that a group of hackers have managed to get past the Xbox 360’s security features to run a copy of Project Gotham Racing 3.

The group of hackers known as XboxHacker released video footage of their burned copy run.

Progress on hacking the Xbox 360 was first reported back in the middle of December 2005 just a fortnight after it was launched in North America, when a group calling themselves Team PI Coder announced that they'd managed to extract raw data from thirteen games for the system. Today's news however takes things one step further, although a budding homebrew community on the Xbox 360 is still a way off. Furthermore the hack is still subject to the console's region coding so playing Region 1 DVD imports on R2 Xbox 360s is also unavailable.

XboxHacker confirmed that whilst it was in the business of hacking, it wasn't condoning software piracy, and refused to released the firmware of the hack itself, choosing instead to release the video showing that it worked.

In the time before the Xbox 360 was released, Microsoft announced that it aimed to make the next-gen console the most secure yet thanks to its custom hardware design. Making the statement in September 2005, Chris Satchell from the Xbox Advanced Technology Group said that whilst the console was being made secure on a 'silicon level' he acknowledged that attempts at bypassing the security was something that would be inevitable: "There are going to be levels of security in this box that the hacker community has never seen before...I'm sure sooner or later someone will work out how to circumvent security."
TVG


Related:
MS Sued for Faulty Xbox 360's
Xbox 360 Games, Good, Bad and Ugly
Reports of Crashing Xbox 360's

Comments >>
Archives

Browse our archives:

Archive for this week:

25.3.06 World Of Warcraft Suffers Widespread Outages
24.3.06 WoW Heading To The Xbox 360?
 Spore Creator Packs Them In
 Eve Online Ready To Launch In China
 Nintendo’s Final Name Was A No Go Today
23.3.06 Nintendo Revolution Name Might Be Revealed Today
 Moore Teases Gamers With Halo Announcement
 PS3 Will Know No Boundaries
22.3.06 Xbox 360 Production Increases
 Ghost Recon Tournament Announced
21.3.06 Xbox 360 Titles To Top 80 By Summer
 Halo Comic Book On The Way
20.3.06 Spore Going Mobile
 Xbox 360 Gets Hacked





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