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Well apparently the Xbox 360 has been hacked - it didn’t take long, did it? Some original Xbox owners have illegally modified their machines to run copies of videogames off of their hard-drives. As a result, these gamers would be able to save a good deal of money because they wouldn’t have to purchase games of their own - rather they’d just borrow a copy, copy it, and return it from wherever they got it.
When talking of the Xbox 360 throughout 2005, Microsoft announced it’s done everything it could to prevent similar illegal actions on the Xbox 360. Well, it looks like hackers have already found a way around Microsoft’s protection. According to news.com, some hackers have developed an extraction program that allows Xbox 360 titles to be ripped from their DVDs. However, simply being able to extract data from the 360 DVDs won’t do you much because according to the article, extracted files cannot be run yet. Of course hackers are working to cheat the system to make it so these extracted files do work. Similarly, Microsoft is working around the clock to prevent these hackers from attaining any success.
So who’s going to win? Well, as wrong as we feel playing illegal copies of games is, if the past is any indication, we’d say the hackers will break the system sooner or later. And that will probably happen sooner than any of us would expect.
(Thanks munkyxtc!)
Read More 
| News.com
Pokemon Trozei Puzzle Game Coming to Nintendo DS
Posted by Brandon Gribin Categories: Nintendo DS, Strategy,
According to a press release distributed today, Nintendo is set to release a new puzzle game entitled Pokemon Trozei. The title is being described as a “slide-action puzzle game” where players use the touch screen to align titles and clear them from the screen. Four tiles aligned, either vertically or horizontally, is a “Trozei” - hence the title of the game. We’re looking forward to going hands-on with this one. It should be fun and make for another solid title on Nintendo’s handheld. Look for this one to hit stores on March 6, 2006. Full release after the jump.
Click to continue reading Pokemon Trozei Puzzle Game Coming to Nintendo DS
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World of Warcraft Surpasses 5 Million Users
Posted by Brandon Gribin Categories: Internet, MMORPG, PC, Role Playing Games,
Today Blizzard announced that its massively multi-player online RPG, World of Warcraft, now has over 5 million subscribers worldwide. We have only one word to sum that up: WOW. The World of Warcraft game achieved the status of number 1 MMORPG back in July when they hit three and a half million subscribers. With the game recently launching in Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong, you know the numbers were going to get astronomical. If you’re looking for more Warcraft action, be on the lookout for The Burning Code, an expansion that hits next year.
Read More | Gaming Horizon
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Previous Generation King Kong Drops to $30
Posted by Brandon Gribin Categories: Action, Nintendo Gamecube, PlayStation 2,
In somewhat of a surprising move, Ubisoft has dropped the price of its new King Kong title to $29.99. This price holds for all versions of the game except for the Xbox 360 version, which still retails for $59.99. After somewhat disappointing sales numbers for the month of November, we knew price drops would be coming soon for current-gen games, but this soon? For a title this new? The King Kong videogame has received very good reviews - as the film it’s based off has also. Between Friday and Sunday the film fell short of expectations and grossed a little more than $50 million. Ubisoft probably lowered the price for two reasons - because of lagging videogame sales and also because of lower-than-expected ticket sales for the feature film.
Read More | King Kong Pricing
Can’t get enough of the Mario Kart series? You may want to check out the new Mario Kart Arcade title! The game features eleven characters - including new-to-the-series characters Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky. The game also has 24 unique courses and allows for up to four players to go head to head. We haven’t gone hands on with the unit just yet, so cannot say whether it lives up to former Mario Kart titles. Still, we are sure it is a blast when a bunch of friends get together for some turtle shell-hurling madness.
Read More | Discount Arcade
Get rid of pesky telemarketers, annoying “friends”, and bill collectors with the aid of the Get Off The Phone Excuse Machine. The key chain device features six pre-recorded sound effects that you can use to get off the phone in a hurry. Sounds include doorbells, a police siren, static, a crying baby, Chinese food delivery, and a car crash. You can pick one up for $9.89 and use it for stocking stuffing, or give it to someone as their “main” gift. Word of warning, there is no sound effect that will get you out of explaining why this was the only gift you purchased for your spouse.
Read More | PrankPlace
Get rid of pesky telemarketers, annoying “friends”, and bill collectors with the aid of the Get Off The Phone Excuse Machine. The key chain device features six pre-recorded sound effects that you can use to get off the phone in a hurry. Sounds include doorbells, a police siren, static, a crying baby, Chinese food delivery, and a car crash. You can pick one up for $9.89 and use it for stocking stuffing, or give it to someone as their “main” gift. Word of warning, there is no sound effect that will get you out of explaining why this was the only gift you purchased for your spouse.
Read More | PrankPlace
Following the recent report headed by Nielson and Activision proving the effectiveness of in-game advertising, THQ has decided to beef up its own in-game ads. Massive Network will provide THQ with an incorporated network that will display ads in certain THQ games.
Here’s what THQ’s VP of Worldwide Sales has to say about it:
“Dynamic, in-game advertising not only offers publishers new revenue opportunities, but when done properly creates added realism that can actually enhance gameplay.”
So are you in favor of this? Should ads be allowed in games? And if so, should game prices be lowered as a result?
Read More | Next Generation
The non-profit organization run by Gabe and Tyco of Penny Arcade has raised over $420,000 to donate to children in hospitals over the holidays. Donations include games, toys, and money. Raising so much money for such an honorable cause is outstanding, and we tip our hats to the guys of Penny Arcade.
Read More | Next Gen
Based on Sony’s projections, the PSP install base is about to jump between 2.5 and 3 million before the end of the year. The grand total of PSP units sold would be around 6 million. So why the huge jump in sales? Sure the holidays are approaching, but could this jump have anything to do with a certain other videogame machine’s shortage?
Read More | Next Generation