Aug/1025
NooBTooB Ep 179 – Heavy Rain, Yakuza 3 demo, Plants Vs Zombies iPhone
Check us out at noobtoob.com Get swag! Shirts, buttons and more: zazzle.comNooBTooB is a weekly independent gaming podcast for casual and serious gamers alike. Games we’ve been playing: (PS3) Heavy Rain: 1:48 (PS3) Yakuza 3 Demo: 18:40 (iPhone) Plants vs. Zombies: 28:20 New Releases: (PC) Napoleon: Total War: 36:23 (Multi) Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing: 39:21 (Wii) Endless Ocean: Blue World: 40:14 (Multi) Borderlands DLC: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx: 41:53 If you crave a higher quality Noobtoob video, come check out our high res video on iTunes by clicking here: phobos.apple.com
Aug/100
Best Buy and Target announce video game trade-in programs, clearly don’t read webcomics
For some reason the used-video-games-as-controversy stars have aligned, and Best Buy and Target picked now of all times to announce new used game trade-in programs. Target is going to offer in store credit for all sorts of electronics trade-ins, including games and DVDs, with just a few stores for now, but expanding to 850 stores by the end of the year. Target isn’t making any mention of reselling that stuff just yet, but Best Buy plans to start selling used games “soon,” on top of the 600 stores it’s launching it own trade-in program in this week. What’s so special about all this? Well, THQ CEO Cory Ledesma just made headlines for a bit of a rant about the topic (”We hope people understand that when the game’s bought used we get cheated”), and then Penny Arcade weighed in with a comic, as is their wont, which kicked off a bit of a gamer vs. publisher vs. retailer internet battle of the words. Which is our favorite kind. With online distribution, one time unlock codes, and DLC all warring to make used games obsolete, this debate might be moot in a few years time, but for now there’s no shortage of opinions on the subject, and we’d love to hear yours in the comments!
Best Buy and Target announce video game trade-in programs, clearly don’t read webcomics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Joystiq | | Email this | Comments
Aug/100
Dragon Age: Origins story concluded in ‘Witch Hunt’ DLC
And you thought they’d save this one for the sequel! BioWare has announced “Witch Hunt,” a new Dragon Age: Origins add-on that concludes the storyline and investigates the true motives of Morrigan, the sardonic witch known for delivering sick burns via verbal insult or fireball incantation. This will be of particular interest if you spent time, err, investigating Morrigan during the main quest.
As BioWare puts it dramatically, “Her plans and her whereabouts have remained a mystery… until now.”
Well, until September 7, when you’ll download Witch Hunt for $7 (or 560 MS/BioWare points) on PC, PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. The content will allow you to create a new, high-powered character or import your hero from Dragon Age: Origins and the Awakening expansion. “But whether you seek answers, revenge, or reconciliation with your lost love,” BioWare warns, “you may find more than you bargained for.”
That’s always nice when it comes to DLC, isn’t it?
Dragon Age: Origins story concluded in ‘Witch Hunt’ DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Dragon Age: Origins story concluded in ‘Witch Hunt’ DLC
- People Pictures
Aug/100
Operation Flashpoint: Red River takes the fight to Tajikistan
Codemasters has officially unveiled Operation Flashpoint: Red River, the followup to 2009’s Dragon Rising, for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. While “Red River” doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as “Dragon Rising,” perhaps the very fact that there’s more Flashpoint on the way is exciting to those disappointed by the end of Dragon Rising DLC. There’s also the promise of new cooperative modes and new classes.
The press release also details the setting for the new shooter: “a deadly new battlefield set in the remote yet beautiful country of Tajikistan along the Vakhsh River.” Guess we’re going to have to make that military shooter about the escalation of the OU/Texas football rivalry ourselves.
To see more Red River, check out GameSpot’s interview and impressions, and see concept art in our gallery.
Operation Flashpoint: Red River takes the fight to Tajikistan originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Operation Flashpoint: Red River takes the fight to Tajikistan
Aug/100
Mass Effect 2 DLC delivers ‘Firepower Pack’
There’s a fine art to negotiating with otherworldly forms of life. As Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard has demonstrated on numerous occasions, it is sometimes best to put aside your intolerance and treat those six-eyed scumbags with the respect and dignity they think they deserve. But when diplomacy fails — and it will — it’s best to speak in your native tongue WHICH IS BULLETS.
If you’re done shooting the breeze with these inhuman invaders, try shooting the bejesus out of them with the Firepower Pack, a new downloadable add-on for Mass Effect 2 (available now on Xbox 360 and PC). A donation of 160 MS / BioWare Points ($2) will grant access to the Phalanx, a heavy pistol with a laser sight, and the Mattock heavy rifle, a “semi-auto beast” usable by those proficient in assault rifles. You’ll also get the Geth Plasma Shotgun that hits enemies with a charged shot and at greater distance than regular shotguns.
Remember: Guns don’t kill people, they kill aliens.
[This message brought to you by the Cerberus group. Firepower Pack not brought to you by the Cerberus Network.]
Gallery: Mass Effect 2 (Firepower Pack DLC)
Mass Effect 2 DLC delivers ‘Firepower Pack’ originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Mass Effect 2 DLC delivers ‘Firepower Pack’
Jul/100
Red Dead Redemption to get four new DLC packs (also: zombies)
Starved for more Red Dead Redemption content? Rockstar just announced four new DLC packs for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, with the first one — dubbed “Legends and Killers” — due in August for $10. You can expect new characters, weapons and active map locations (for both freeroaming and competitive multiplayer modes) to be added to New Austin over the coming months. Also … zombies.
Mosey on past the break for the full rundown.
Continue reading Red Dead Redemption to get four new DLC packs (also: zombies)
Red Dead Redemption to get four new DLC packs (also: zombies) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Red Dead Redemption to get four new DLC packs (also: zombies)
Jun/100
Nintendo 3DS gets official, includes 3D camera
We’ve been reading about it for what seems like ages, looking over images of the FCC prototype with a magnifying glass, and now Nintendo is showing it off at its E3 press conference. The company that Mario built is trumping up how superior its glasses-free technology is better than others, “a solution that lets you take 3D gaming along with you wherever you go” according to Reggie. The upper screen is surprisingly only 3.5-inches, not the wider that we’d expected. There is a slider on the side that lets you tweak the 3D effect, seemingly enabling you to adjust its depth based on your distance from the screen — or turn it off entirely. As with the current DS, the bottom is a touchscreen, and is not 3D.
That’s what looks to be an analog stick on the side there, as well, that Nintendo is calling a “Slide Pad.” There is a gyro, motion sensor, it’s compatible with DSi games, and has two cameras enabling 3D photos. Nintendo is also talking up partnerships including Disney, games that are said to be playable today, at the show, with one of the highlights being a new Kid Icarus game which looks quite action-packed to say the least — and has better graphics than most of the Wii titles Nintendo has shown thus far. Nintendo has mentioned the 3DS will have the “biggest launch support ever” from third party devs, and a 3D Nintendogs should be a huge seller — if only because it has cats too. Other games include Madden, Ninja Gaiden, Resident Evil, a Batman title, Splinter Cell, and, finally, a Metal Gear Solid entry.
Nintendo is also talking about how the system will seek out WiFi hotspots or other 3DS systems “without you knowing,” which sounds a bit ominous, to be honest. Systems can communicate regardless of which games are being played. It can even pull in new DLC directly from other consoles, all without a monthly fee.
Still no release date or price, but Nintendo is showing off two colors, red and blue, and they’re said to be playable on the show floor. You can be sure we’ll be running there right now.
Update: Full list of launch games after the break, including some biggies, like Metal Gear Solid “The Naked Sample,” Madden, FIFA, and more!
Continue reading Nintendo 3DS gets official, includes 3D camera
Nintendo 3DS gets official, includes 3D camera originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Jun/100
Skate 3 ‘Maloof Money Cup’ DLC available on June 8
Taking a few steps away from the game’s Port Carverton playground, the Maloof Money Cup event has you competing in Flushing Meadows, New York, where “the site of the 1964 World’s Fair has been converted into one gnarly skate mecca.” Said gnarly skate mecca adds new challenges and includes a new, custom-built street park in which impressive skating can net you heaps of cash. And that could only lead to even more fame, fortune and a lucrative sponsorship with McDonalds. I’m Maloofin’ it.
Skate 3 ‘Maloof Money Cup’ DLC available on June 8 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Skate 3 ‘Maloof Money Cup’ DLC available on June 8
Jun/100
Red Dead Redemption ‘Outlaws to the End’ DLC due on June 22
If you think Red Dead Redemption’s desolate landscape is best explored and conquered with a band of gun-toting ne’er-do-wells at your side, you’ll be pleased to note that the free Outlaws to the End DLC pack has roped in an official release date: June 22. It’ll toss six online co-op missions (for two to four players) into the sandbox and take your posse uphill, downstream and in-between several shootouts.
You’ll need a PSN account or an Xbox Live Gold Membership to partake, of course, but we’re assuming most of you have access to such wonderful luxuries. Spare a thought for life in the olden West, where folks had to get by with just 28.8k modems and AOL keywords.
Red Dead Redemption ‘Outlaws to the End’ DLC due on June 22 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Red Dead Redemption ‘Outlaws to the End’ DLC due on June 22
May/100
Sony PSN+ rumors thicken for E3: new features for paid users, free users can still play online
Our BFFs over at Joystiq have what seems to be a pretty solid line on PSN+, with multiple sources verifying features mostly in line with what was gleaned from that survey last year. Lucky for us, most of the features seem to have to do with giving new features to paying users, instead of taking away functionality from the existing free service. Notables include exclusive DLC, PSP Minis, and PSone Classics, “first hour” demo access, Sony Protection Plan service, and cross-game voice chat. The sources seem to be less clear on pricing for all these goodies, but someone tossed out a speculative $9.99. What everyone does seem to agree on is that we should be seeing this announced in full at Sony’s E3 media briefing a few weeks from now, so start stashing those Hamiltons!
Sony PSN+ rumors thicken for E3: new features for paid users, free users can still play online originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Joystiq | Email this | Comments
May/100
EA Sports to charge used game buyers $10 to unlock basic online multiplayer
Replace the phrase “I want my two dollars” with the slightly more complicated “I want you to pay me more money for a game you bought used, even though we received full price at retail originally,” and you’ll have a pretty good grasp on the situation here. For a while now game companies have been waging war against used game sales, most recently resorting to DLC unlock codes in games that can only be redeemed once, making the used purchase less attractive. However, EA Sports has escalated this practice right out of the stratosphere with its new “Online Pass” feature. Basically, the original purchaser is bestowed online functionality, added features, and bonus content, out of the kindness of EA’s heart (and a fun-to-enter redeem code), while a used buyer will get a 7 day trial of those things, and then have to pony up $10 if they want to keep at it. Yeah, you heard that correctly: you’ll have to pay $10 to play FutureMadden: Robots in the Red Zone online if you bought it used. The first title to get this special treatment will be Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, and after that? Well, we’re really hoping this doesn’t take off, but the most unfortunate aspect of this diabolical scheme is we really don’t see how this could possibly hurt EA’s bottom line. Sure, it’s evil, but that’s never stopped them before.
EA Sports to charge used game buyers $10 to unlock basic online multiplayer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Joystiq | 
EA Sports | Email this | Comments
May/100
Play as the ‘other’ Nier in this week’s DLC, ‘The World of Recycled Vessel’
New DLC for Nier, expected to be available tomorrow, adds 15 new stages, new costumes for Kaine, Emil, and Nier, and new Shades, as part of a new time-traveling scenario. Perhaps more importantly, it also enables players to control the young version of Nier from the Japan-only, PS3-only Nier Replicant, effectively removing the single difference between the two versions.
The character model change is included as a bonus in the “World of Recycled Vessel” pack, whose main component is a world unlocked by a hidden diary, in which Nier and his companions find themselves in a “dreamscape” that combines the past and present of the game.
Square Enix didn’t announce pricing for North America, but the price in Europe, where the release date is May 12, is €6.99 or 560
.
Play as the ‘other’ Nier in this week’s DLC, ‘The World of Recycled Vessel’ originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Play as the ‘other’ Nier in this week’s DLC, ‘The World of Recycled Vessel’
May/100
Dragon Age Darkspawn Chronicles trailer kills the Wardens
Dragon Age: Origins is great and all, but it’s a little too goody two-shoes, if you ask us. Thankfully, some new DLC is set to cater to our evil side. Darkspawn Chronicles will allow players to step into the grotesque, mud-soaked shoes of Ferelden’s evil inhabitants and play out an alternate scenario: What if the good guys never won?
It appears we’ll all find out come May 18.
Dragon Age Darkspawn Chronicles trailer kills the Wardens originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 May 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apr/100
BioShock 2 DLC trailer shows off new venues for mayhem
Want to see what won’t be available this week in BioShock 2? 2K’s new trailer for the downloadable Rapture Metro Pack, due sometime in the indefinite future, gives us an idea of what the new content will be like whenever it deigns to make an appearance.
All six new multiplayer maps are highlighted in this trailer in gameplay footage — hectic, hyper-violent gameplay footage depicting BioShock 2 multiplayer sessions. In fact, 2K seems intent upon filling every moment of this trailer with brutality, even to the point of showing someone blowing himself up by accident. Way to sell that content!
Without any indication of a release date, we’ll just play it safe and say that you’ll be able to get your hands on these new maps sometime this year.
BioShock 2 DLC trailer shows off new venues for mayhem originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apr/100
MAG’s free ‘Fast Attack Pack’ DLC coming next week
Once again, MAG developer Zipper Interactive plans to release another free chunk of content to its hugely huge multiplayer FPS. Fans of long-range weaponry and loose-fitting clothing will be delighted to learn the “Fast Attack Pack” DLC, which will hit the PSN next Thursday, April 29, includes new “Special Edition Sniper Rifles” and “Improved Light Armor” for all three of the game’s factions.
Then again, fans of shotguns, medical kits, light machine guns and repair tools probably won’t be thrilled to learn that snipers will soon be faster and more accurate. Oh well! You win some, you get shot in the brain from 300 meters away … some.
MAG’s free ‘Fast Attack Pack’ DLC coming next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apr/100
Super Street Fighter IV online lobby system, Avatar items detailed
Download in HD from Big DownloadCapcom’s been pretty vocal about the changes made to Super Street Fighter IV compared to last year’s edition. We’ve seen a plethora of new characters, read about tweaks to existing characters and have been given a small taste of what’s to come from the revamped online system. In the case of that last item, the above video goes into a lot more detail than we’ve been privy to before — including Tournament mode, a free DLC extra that will let players throw down “with the top players from around the world” on June 15, 2010.
In addition, Xbox Live users will be able to dress up their Avatars in slick Street Fighter outfits. Doing so in the privacy of your own dashboard is just one of the acceptable ways in which to show your love for Chun-Li’s kick-ass clothing.
Super Street Fighter IV online lobby system, Avatar items detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Mar/100
Xbox 360 getting USB storage support in Spring 2010 firmware update
Are we gazing onto the cusp of a new horizon, one where our Xbox 360 storage needs aren’t shackled to overpriced proprietary hard drives? Probably not quite. Our best friends at Joystiq have managed to obtain documents (corroborated with multiple sources) showing that the folks in Redmond are mulling over an option to enable USB mass storage support for its game machine. To elaborate, that means downloaded Xbox Live and Arcade games, DLC, other associated game files, and even installed disc-based games can be saved to an external HDD of your choosing. The documents further elaborate that the storage device itself must be 1GB or more; a system partition of 512MB is required, and by default beyond that the consumer partition (i.e. your games and the like) will occupy the remainder of the drive or 16GB, whichever is smaller — and unfortunately, that’s as much as you’re gonna get. This could be another way for Microsoft to, alongside the rumored Valhalla motherboard, trim some fat for a slimmer future… but given the size constraints, we’re guessing it’s more likely to be a more spacious alternative to Memory Units than the main HDD itself. Word has it the feature will be rolled out in a Spring 2010 firmware update — that is, if Microsoft keeps to its paperwork here. Excited? We are. Read the full documentation over at Joystiq.
Xbox 360 getting USB storage support in Spring 2010 firmware update originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Joystiq | Email this | Comments
Mar/100
Darkworks SDK transforms 2D games into 3D games, no 3D TV required
Well, wouldn’t you know it? 3D seems to be the topic of conversation here at GDC , and Paris-based Darkworks is making a splash by announcing the availability of its TriOviz for Games SDK. In short, this magical software concoction is a post-process effect that allows standard 2D games to be transformed into 3D masterpieces… and you don’t even need to buy a 3D television. We were briefed on the tech here at the show, and we’re told that the magic happens in the software and the glasses, and unlike existing 3D technologies, other users around the house will still be able to watch you play in 2D without all those blurred edges. In other words, existing titles (for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC; sorry Wii owners!) can have a 3D experience added in, and we’re guessing that a select few AAA games will be seeing a DLC pack in the near future for those who care to re-play their favorites in the third dimension. We’ll be doing our best to swing by and catch a demo later today, but for now, just know that your life will never be the same once these 3D-ified games start shipping in the Spring.
Darkworks SDK transforms 2D games into 3D games, no 3D TV required originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Business Wire | Email this | Comments
Mar/100
Resident Evil 5 DLC available at a discount in ‘Untold Stories Bundle’
Confused about exactly which costumes you’d get from a Resident Evil 5 costume pack? Buy them all! And buy both DLC episodes while you’re at it. Capcom just announced that it’s bundling the two costume packs, as well as both the “Lost in Nightmares” and “Desperate Escape” episodes together as a single “Untold Stories Bundle.”
It’ll be available today on Xbox Live for 960
($12) and tomorrow on PlayStation Network for $12.50. Individually, all that content would add up to $14, and would require up to four tedious menu navigations. Either way, it’s still cheaper than buying the Gold Edition disc.
Resident Evil 5 DLC available at a discount in ‘Untold Stories Bundle’ originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Resident Evil 5 DLC available at a discount in ‘Untold Stories Bundle’