Alan Wake review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Microsoft, Reviews, Survival Horror,
“Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear.”
- Stephen King
And so begins the story of Alan Wake. When you begin the game, that line is spoken by the main character, writer and horror novelist Alan Wake, and it sets the tone perfectly for the adventure that you are about to embark upon. Alan Wake is a game where you’ll spend time searching for answers, questioning what is real, and answering questions that the main character never wanted to have asked. The beauty of the title is that the premise is simple and enthralling all at once—a horror novelist’s story has come to life, and he is in the middle of it. Even stranger, he doesn’t recall writing it.
We must say, we’ve been excited about Alan Wake since we first heard about it some five years ago. The narrated gameplay makes it feel like you are playing through a novel, or maybe more closely, a series of Twilight Zone episodes. This is a welcome difference from the all-to-common feeling that developers often try to make it feel like you are “playing” a movie. The game has been in development forever, and saw a couple of delays, which normally signals trouble (just look at Too Human.) However, we are here to tell you that Alan Wake didn’t suffer for it. This is one book that you won’t want to put down until the very last word.
Click to continue reading Alan Wake review
Gallery: Alan Wake review
Advertisement
Project Natal launching on October says UK’s Jonathan Ross
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360,
Long-tenured UK TV host Jonathan Ross was able to give the upcoming Xbox 360 motion gaming add-on, Project Natal, a try. Aside from the hint of jealousy he left us all with, he also tweeted out an interesting tidbit of information on his Twitter account, which in a nutshell says that he feels that Natal has potential, and that Microsoft has until October to get it right. So the obvious question is, does that imply that Natal gets an October launch (which does fit in with the holiday 2010 launch period)? Or does it mean it has to all be done so they can start packing and shipping devices for launch in early November? I’m sure everything will be made clear in a couple of months at E3.
Hit the break for a video of Jonathan giving Project Natal a try.
Click to continue reading Project Natal launching on October says UK’s Jonathan Ross
Gallery: Project Natal launching on October says UK’s Jonathan Ross
Original Xbox games lose Xbox Live access on April 15
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,
Check it out, Microsoft just announced that all games made for the original Xbox will no longer be able to access the Xbox Live service as of April 15, 2010, and we couldn’t be happier with the news. No, we don’t hate classics like Halo 2, but the thing is, those titles are many years old, and they’ve been holding back the full potential of Xbox Live for far too long. As an example, it’s no secret that we hate the Xbox Live friend limit, and the major reason it exists is because of Halo 2. With Halo 2, and all the rest of the original Xbox games, being denied access to Live, Microsoft will be able to stop worrying about those original Xbox restrictions - and that means, among other things, that we should finally see that friend limit jacked up, if not removed entirely.
It should be noted that, even if you downloaded original Xbox games on your Xbox 360 using Games on Demand, even those won’t work when you try to connect to Xbox Live. It’s just the nature of the beast, and it’s all in the name of progress.
Read More 
| Gamerscore Blog
Gallery: Original Xbox games lose Xbox Live access on April 15
iPad: What it means for Apple and gaming
Posted by Drea Avellan Categories: Casual, Editorial, Electronic Arts, Portable/Mobile,
Yesterday, many rumors were put to rest with the release of the Apple iPad. People were excited, joyful, angry, disappointed, or just plain indifferent. Whatever you stance, you had some kind of reaction to Apple’s announcement of the iPad. Is it a giant iPhone? A female hygiene product? A cool netbook replacement? That’s for you to decide.
Whatever iPad really is, and regardless of what it’s competing against, one thing is clear–Apple wants to make a dent in the gaming industry. Developers and publishers were present at yesterday’s conference, including Gameloft and Electronic Arts (EA,) to show off their games running on the iPad, including a full-screen version of Need for Speed. EA made its presence clear, by announcing during the presentation they are to support the iPad platform with future titles built specifically for the device. This should come as no surprise to most, as EA has been a huge supporter of the iPhone and iPod touch as a gaming platform.
Click to continue reading iPad: What it means for Apple and gaming
Gallery: iPad: What it means for Apple and gaming
Netflix streaming comes to Wii this Spring
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Nintendo, Wii,
If you’re a gamer who doesn’t own an Xbox 360 or PS3, then you’ve been left out in the cold as it pertains to Netflix streaming. All of that changes this Spring, though, as Netflix and Nintendo have announced a partnership that will allow you to stream Netflix instant content using your Wii console. Similar to the Playstation 3 scenario, you’ll have to insert a Netflix disc in order to view content, as opposed to the Xbox 360 method, which has Netflix built right in to the dashboard. No firm date has been announced just yet, but the Netflix streaming disc will be free with the cost of your Netflix subscription.
Gallery: Netflix streaming comes to Wii this Spring
How To Use Your Gaming Headset with Xbox Live
Posted by Alex Lifschitz Categories: Accessories, Features, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,
If you’re anything like me, and I’m making an assumption here (because that’s what irresponsible journalism is all about), you might only have so much money to go towards fancy gadgets and various electronic compensations for a strikingly diminished sense of personal worth. That can lead to some trouble if, for instance, you have a decent gaming headset that you want to use for your Xbox 360 instead of a bona-fide sound sytem, since you can no longer use Xbox Live without Microsoft’s proprietary, flimsy headset.
A few headsets, like those from Turtle Beach, alleviate this problem by offering individual chat volumes and the ability to both listen to your game and communicate with your buddies. It’s a worthy investment, but a bit of a waste if you already have a good gaming headset - dedicated XBL headsets can hover around the $150 range. All you need is a $5 adapter and zero soldering.
Hit the jump to see what you need.
Click to continue reading How To Use Your Gaming Headset with Xbox Live
Gallery: How To Use Your Gaming Headset with Xbox Live
Wii is now $199, in stock at Amazon
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Nintendo, Wii,
Hey guys, just a reminder, the Nintendo Wii dropped in price over the weekend, to $199, down from $249. That’s the first price cut we’ve seen here in North America for the wildly popular console. If you’ve been on the fence, now’s your chance at picking one up. Near me, both a Gamestop and a Target sold out of them this week, so the tactic may prove successful for Nintendo. Amazon does have Wii in stock right now, so go ahead and grab one, if it strikes your fancy.
Read More | Wii on Amazon
Gallery: Wii is now $199, in stock at Amazon
Dead Space Extraction Interview and Footage
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Electronic Arts, Features, Survival Horror, Trailers, Wii,
The Dead Space franchise is headed to the Nintendo Wii with Dead Space Extraction. earlier today, Visceral Studio announced that the game, which launches in the US on September 29, has gone gold. They’ve released a boss trailer, along with interview snippets with the developers of the game, detailing what we should expect from the Wii version of Dead Space. Hit the video for the full scoop, but here’s a hint: just because this is a Wii title, don’t expect the horror elements to be any less impressive than they were in the original. We’re excited.
Gallery: Dead Space Extraction Interview and Footage
Sony announces slimmed down PS3: $300, available September
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: PlayStation 3, Sony,
One of the worst-kept secrets in the past few months has finally been confirmed, as Sony has finally announced their newer, slimmer PS3. Affectionately known as the PS3 Slim to gamers, the new PS3 is smaller, lighter, and has “all the same features” as the current PS3, according to Sony. Of course, after some digging, we did find that the PS3 Slim won’t support installing Linux on the system like its larger brethren does…but we’re guessing that not too many of you will cry over that. The PS3 Slim will also use 34% less power, and takes up 32% less space than the existing PS3. All this goodness will be available this September for $299. If you want to pick up one of the larger PS3s, those will be available in stores at a new low price, with the 80GB model selling for $299, and the 160GB model selling for $399. The PS3 Slim will pack in a 120GB hard drive.
Click to continue reading Sony announces slimmed down PS3: $300, available September
Gallery: Sony announces slimmed down PS3: $300, available September
Halo 3: ODST Firefight map screenshot blowout
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Bungie, First Person Shooters, Microsoft, Screenshots, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,
One of the biggest updates coming in Halo 3: ODST is the addition of the Firefight mode. Firefight lets you team up with three other friends to take on round after round of enemies. It’s a nice divergence from the standard Halo 3 multiplayer fare, and makes ODST a very attractive package. I was able to spend about 90 minutes playing Firefight yesterday, and I’ve gotta say, I can see this being a new favorite. Firefight is to Halo 3: ODST what Horde is to Gears of War 2 - it allows you to team up with friends against a common enemy, and it doesn’t end until all four of you are dead at once.
We will have our Firefight impressions up in just a bit, but for now, check out all the screenshots we’ve amassed of the maps we were able to check out. There are definitely more, but what we’ve got for you is a look at Crater (Night), Security Zone, and Alpha Site. Have a look at our Halo 3: ODST Firefight Map Screenshot gallery.
Gallery: Halo 3: ODST Firefight map screenshot blowout
Recent Galleries
Playfeed Categories
Playfeed Shows
Advertisement
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.