Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!
Playing Geometry Wars and Halo 2 On A Best Buy Building
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Xbox 360,
As confusing as the headline is, that is exactly what we did outside of the Bellevue Best Buy. My boy Jason hooked up a projector and Xbox to a spare car battery, and we had an instant time killer on the outer wall of the store. The sleeper hit of the evening was Geometry Wars, followed by Halo 2 and Fusion Frenzy (Sumo and “Jump Duck” reigned.) We witnessed several near-collisions by those driving through the parking lot who had to grab a peek at the gigantic gaming set up. We have a couple more images after the jump.
Click to continue reading Playing Geometry Wars and Halo 2 On A Best Buy Building
Civilization IV Patch 1.09 Released
Posted by Benjamin VanWinkle Categories: PC, Simulation, Strategy,
The first patch for Civilization IV is now available - version 1.09. The file is huge - 24,834,449 bytes - it took about a half an hour to fully download it on my high-speed cable modem connection.
To update your game, click on the Advanced button in the Options menu, then click on Check for Updates. The patch will download, then the updater will pause to request permission to exit out of the game to install it. Installation takes a few minutes, and apparently does not require a re-boot. At the end of the process the program asks if you want to use an application called XFire, which is supposed to facilitate easier multi-player games. I haven’t tested it yet and therefore can’t vouch for it, but I installed it.
Here’s an excerpt from an official release by Dennis Shirk of Firaxis Games:
Some of the highlights include multiple AI improvements and tweaks, worker behavior tweaks, MANY game play improvements (ex Animal Husbandry reveals horses), promotion tweaks, a softer pillage sound (requested by many, many people), fixed diplomatic exploits (gold for gold, peace treaty exploit), multiplayer tweaks (Hot seat, Lobby, etc.), memory, caching and performance improvements, etc. There were also a number of video card specific fixes.
http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/firaxis_note_01.htm
Advertisement
Xbox 360 Demo Sells Itself Short
Posted by Chris Cardinal Categories: Home Entertainment, Video Games,
*Phew.* It’s a good thing I didn’t rush out and freeze for a day to buy something that can’t even stay online for more than a week at my local Wal-Mart. Camped in a nice, cozy, lexan-encased display case, no less. No, I’ll leave that task to Andru, thankyouverymuch. And in case you were wondering, the TV was on—the Xbox 360 wasn’t. Let’s hope this isn’t a sign of things to come for the new console.
Latest Gear Live Videos
Over at Playfeed we have a few Xbox 360 entries, with more on the way:
- Camping Out for Xbox 360
- Bill Gates Crashes the Xbox 360 Launch Party
- Playing Geometry Wars and Halo 2 On the Side of a Best Buy Building
- Rob Stevens Is The Man
Now that we finally have 802.11a going full force, expect Media Center impressions soon enough.
Okay, so the plan was that I would camp out and brave what felt like sub-zero temperatures to secure our spot in line at Best Buy. Lucky thing, too, as I got there 26 hours before launch and there were already 60 people in front of me. Had I waited until the next morning, we might have been screwed - or Cored. So Rob shows up the next morning to hold our spot in line, and I head off to take my baby boy to a doctor appointment. Well, while I was there, Best Buy gave out tickets to those standing in line. If you weren’t there, you weren’t getting a ticket. By the time I got back to the store a few hours later, the tickets were long gone - and I was apparently without an Xbox 360 after freezing to death. So what does Rob do?
This man hands me his ticket, citing the fact that he likely wouldn’t have much time to play it anyway due to school and work. C’mon now Rob, you know you would have made time. You are just a super guy. Others in line were selling their tickets for $150, and that number grew larger as the hours drew near to launch. This Thanksgiving, raise y our glasses to Rob Stevens. He is, the man.
Read More 
| Super Rob’s Fortress of Solitude
Click to continue reading Rob Stevens Is The Man
Bill Gates Crashes the Xbox 360 Launch Party
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Xbox 360,
When the almighty Billy G arrived to greet the hundreds (and hundreds) of camped out fans, the media went crazy and almost trampled the poor guy. Still, he was able to shake hands with and talk to the first man in line, Dan Friedman, a 26-year-old gamer from Bellevue who happens to be a Microsoft programmer. He had been in line since Friday at 5 p.m. Gates hooked Dan up with $1,000 to spend on the console and accessories. He also spent time with the first 30 people in line, on the inside of the store where it was warm.
So, being the crazy cats that we are, we decided to forgo the Zero Hour launch event. I know, crazy talk, right? The thing is, Bill Gates decided to make an appearance at the Best Buy located near Gear Live Media headquarters, and we thought it would be cool to camp out with all the other fanatics. Of course, later on when we nearly died of hypothermia, we questioned our sanity. Luckily, some people built fires in the Best Buy parking lot, and others had retro game consoles and televisions hooked up to car batteries as a way to pass the time. These guys were hardcore. Check out more pictures of the Bellevue, WA Xbox 360 Campout and launch after the jump.
Click to continue reading Camping Out For The Xbox 360
The things some would do for an Xbox 360 at launch…currently it is below 40 degrees, right about freezing, and there are about 120 hardcore gamers standing in line at the Bellevue, WA Best Buy location - the one where Bill Gates will be making an appearance to kick off the launch of the Xbox 360 here on the West Coast. My body is numb, and I forgot my blanket. Luckily, tons of people brought spares, and I got the hook up. Still though. So. Cold. Pictures to come later after I defrost my camera.
What We Will Be Testing The Xbox 360 On…
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Home Entertainment, Video Games,
Okay, so the Xbox 360 is set to launch in less than 24 hours. We are getting ready to head out and wait in line at the Best Buy in Bellevue, WA - yeah, the one where Bill Gates will be on hand to kick off the launch. This will be the first time that I haven’t pre-ordered a console, opting instead to try my luck on launch day. The result is me having to brave the cold for a good 24 hours.
For those wondering, we have a full-featured testing lab for Xbox 360 launch. The high definition display in our lab is a Samsung 46” HLP-4663 DLP unit. As for sound, we went overkill with a 7.1 surround sound JBL system, powered by a Yamaha 7.1 HTR-5890 receiver. We are certainly ready to roll, and would have been bringing impressions to you by now had Microsoft gotten our Xbox 360 review unit and debug kit to us in time. Alas, no dice there.
The next generation in gaming begins very, very soon.
Our High Definition, Surround Sound Testing Uber-Setup
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Xbox 360,
Okay, so the Xbox 360 is set to launch in less than 24 hours. We are getting ready to head out and wait in line at the Best Buy in Bellevue, WA - yeah, the one where Bill Gates will be on hand to kick off the launch. This will be the first time that I haven’t pre-ordered a console, opting instead to try my luck on launch day. The result is me having to brave the cold for a good 24 hours.
For those wondering, we have a full-featured testing lab for Xbox 360 launch. The high definition display in our lab is a Samsung 46” HLP-4663 DLP unit. As for sound, we went overkill with a 7.1 surround sound JBL system, powered by a Yamaha 7.1 HTR-5890 receiver. We are certainly ready to roll, and would have been bringing impressions to you by now had Microsoft gotten our Xbox 360 review unit and debug kit to us in time. Alas, no dice there.
The next generation in gaming begins very, very soon.
