Xbox Live 360.com. Games and Games.

Yep, its true, the release of IPTV for our 360's is soon!

What is it?
It is a system where a service is digital television delivered by using internet protocal over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. A general definition of IPTV is television content that, instead of being delivered through traditional broadcast and cable formats, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks.





Video:

Shortly after Rock Band was first announced for the Xbox 360, retailers posted product pages for the game's various instruments and an all-in-one bundle. However, Harmonix and MTV Games remained stubbornly mum on the subject of pricing and package options for the music game.

Battle racing hits a new level this March as the critically acclaimed Burnout franchise slams onto Xbox 360™ with Burnout Revenge™. Orchestrate the most realistic crashes ever seen in a video game, reach mind-blowing speeds, and head online for a supercharged Xbox Live® experience.

Burnout Revenge Unlockables:

Complete these achievements to unlock Xbox Live Gamerscore points:

50 To Won (25 points):
Win 50 races online.

Celebrity Status (65 points):
Have a Burnout Clip in the Top 20 Downloads.

Check It Out (10 points):
Share a Burnout Clip.

Complete Maniac (45 points):
Get all Perfects in the Maniac rank.

Crack the Unsafe (15 points):
Get all Perfects in the Unsafe rank.

Crash Addict (20 points):
Win 40 crash events online.

Crashes To Ashes (35 points):
Complete all Crash Intersections with Perfect ratings.

Dominate The Dominator (60 points):
Get all Perfects in the Dominator rank.

Easily Offensive (20 points):
Get all Perfects in the Offensive rank.

Extremely Dangerous (30 points):
Get all Perfects in the Dangerous rank.

Grudge O'War (40 points):
Score over 100 times with the same rival.

Laying The Takedowns (20 points):
Get 50 Takedowns online.

Most Wanted (55 points):
Get ahead of all five rivals in an online lobby.

Not Harmless (10 points):
Get all Perfects in the Harmless rank.

Opening A Can (15 points):
Get five in a row on one Revenge rival.

Perfect Assassin (55 points):
Get all Perfects in the Assassin rank.

Race Ace (35 points):
Complete all race events with Perfect ratings.

Road Warrior (25 points):
Get 1,000 Takedowns.

Run Burner, Run (20 points):
Win thirty times for the Blue Team in online Road Rage.

Rush Hour Revenge (35 points):
All Traffic Attacks completed with Perfect ratings.

Server Surfer (5 points):
Compete in a Burnout Revenge event online.

Settle With Metal (10 points):
Settle a score online.

Should Be Autographs (35 points):
Complete all 24 Signature Takedowns.

Speeding Bullet (25 points):
All Burning Lap and Preview events completed with Perfect ratings.

Stack The Pack (15 points):
Blow up five rivals at once.

Start Something Ugly (5 points):
Take someone down online.

Takedowns Galore (20 points):
Get 250 Takedowns.

The Crushinator (15 points):
Getting two Vertical Takedowns in a race.

The Terminator (25 points):
All Eliminator events completed with Perfect ratings.

Totally Insane (40 points):
Get all Perfects in the Insane rank.

Triple Trouble (15 points):
Get Revenge three times in an event.

True Elite (70 points):
Get all Perfects in the game.

Truly Fearless (25 points):
Get Perfects in the Fearless rank.

World Rage (35 points):
Complete all Road Rage events with Perfect ratings.

Wreck Reckless (15 points):
Get all Perfects in the Reckless rank.

Your Opinion Counts (10 points):
Recommend a Burnout Clip.

If you have any more cheats that you know and I didn't include here I'll be really grateful if you add it in a comment.

As an almost complete departure from my normal content, I wanted to share a theory I had about Halo 3. This post contains some very mild spoilers, so if you're still not a good way through the campaign and trying to avoid EVERY spoiler, you may want to wait before reading it.


Spoiler Dead Space


Anyone who's played most or all of the campaign solo knows that you only play as Master Chief, and the Arbiter is around as an NPC some of the time (co-op is different, but I believe that that's placement of convenience rather than story cannon). In fact, the "dropping" of the Arbiter story line has been complained about in a number of reviews. This leads me to the theory:

There will be a Halo 3.5. Or Halo 3-2. Or Halo 3: Directors' Cut.

The storyline will basically be the Arbiter's cannon story during the activities of Halo 3, filling in all the gaps of absence in the Chief's escapade. And after all, why not? It would only be addition to the story, which would take a comparatively small development time. It might even be able to be sold as downloadable content off the marketplace. And it would make even more money off negligible changes to the Halo 3 engine. And then they can re-sell "Halo 3: Game of the Year Edition" with the Halo 3 and Halo 3.5 content. Yes, it's a very Bethesda-esque route (much like Oblivion has done), and it's one Bungie avoided in the past (given the theory that Halo 1.5 would be released with Xbox Live multiplayer). But it could happen, and that's just my theory.

Ubisoft’s updated release schedule shows Assassin’s Creed for PC has been delayed until early 2008. Console owners shouldn’t worry about their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, those have a release date on November 13th, 2007.
To quote: “One of the most anticipated video games of the year comes to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system in November, and to PC in early 2008.”

For everyone anticipating the new action-adventure game, Ubisoft just released a new trailer titled “Altair Was Here.”

Unlockables:

Special Ending:

A point I brought up in my 2005 paper, which was recently touched on by Symantec according to an article, is the possibility for money laundering through MMO games. The idea is simple enough: push money through virtual transactions to lose the connection to crime. According to the report:

"... a criminal enterprise could open several thousand MMOG accounts. Each could be used to trade with other players in the purchase or sale of in-game assets, the funds from which would ultimately be withdrawn from the accounts. Since thousands of accounts may engage in millions of transactions, each with small profits or losses, it would be difficult to trace the true source of the funds when they are withdrawn. These transactions can be conducted worldwide without the oversight that typically accompanies international bank remittances. In fact, in February 2007, China's central bank and finance ministries called upon companies to stop trading QQ coins and virtual currencies, presumably to curb the unregulated exchange of currency."

I estimate that Symantec's solution to the problem is with greater security and client verification. However, a more simplistic approach would be taxation on virtual revenue, even if the concept is opposed by players. Think of it this way: Right now, income from sales in MMO games is supposed to be reported as ordinary income. Many people neglect to do this whatsoever. If, instead, there was automatic reporting to the IRS (or other country's tax agency, based on the residence of the player) of income derived from MMO sales, then the tax agency would know to expect payment from said individuals. Moreover, it ties a person to the MMO account, eliminating the possibility of spreading one person over 100 accounts and going unnoticed. Of course, this would have to be based on a cash out value, as has been suggested before by both myself and Bryan Camp. In any event, the process of losing money in the transaction generally makes different things less appealing as money laundering vehicles, and thus virtual taxation could be one answer to the problem.


[Via Kotaku]

Following reports that defective packaging for the limited edition of Halo 3 allow the game to come loose and become scratched, Microsoft has added the game to its disc replacement program.

Under the regular terms of the program, consumers can get a replacement disc for certain titles published by Microsoft, provided that they return the disk to the company along with a small fee.

The current fee is USD 20, GBP 10, or 15 Euro.

For the Halo 3 Limited Edition and Essentials discs, consumers will be able to receive a replacement at no charge through December 31, 2007.

Microsoft has not yet commented on the percentage of Limited Edition discs being scratched, or any changes being made in the packaging.

Click here to go to Microsoft's official disc replacement page.

Click here to go to Halo 3 review, trailer and release coverage.

New Yorkers were the first consumers in the U.S. to get their hands on Halo 3 after hundreds of eager fans lined up ahead of the midnight extravaganza at Best Buy near Times Square. In addition to day-long activities, some fans in line had the chance to play Halo 3 against on-site celebrities, with a new personality arriving every hour. A number of Bungie team members, local professional athletes, and celebrities were on hand for launch activities and there was a surprise spectacle at the stroke of midnight.

Initial numbers for sale quantities of Halo 3 are coming in from a number of sources. The Xbox 360 exclusive title is said to have sold through 1.8 million copies during the first 8 hours of release. This quantity breaks down to about 1.5 million units sold through pre-orders, and additional 300,000 copies sold at impulse (without pre-order).

It is estimated (assuming this trend continues) that a total of 950,000 fresh units will be sold within the first 24 hours, bringing the grand total to 2.45 million units (950,000 + 1,500,000). Microsoft has released the game in three SKUs ranging in price from 59.99 to 129.99. It is estimated that the average sale price of the title is currently at about 78 USD. Thus, Microsoft has already made an estimated 140.4 million dollars (1.8 million x 78.00 USD). Microsoft is thus expected to cash in about 191.1 million dollars today (2.45 x 78.00 USD).

Congratulations are in order as this will place Halo 3 at the top of entertainment’s highest day one sales list.

• Apollo 13
• Seabiscuit
• The Chronicles of Riddick

• Casablanca
• Constantine
• Dukes of Hazzard

• Four Brothers
• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

• The Rundown
• Blazing Saddles
• U2: Rattle and Hum

• U-571
• The Perfect Storm
• We Were Soldiers

Microsoft confirms only its own employees are under scrutiny, not its paying customers.

Microsoft has confirmed it won't ban the Xbox Live accounts of those who have snagged a pre-release copy of Halo 3.

There were widespread panic, arm-waving and forum threads with far too many exclamation marks when word was going round that Microsoft had started banning those on Xbox Live who had played a pre-release copy of Halo 3. With copies floating around eBay, Argos breaking the release date and some rogue videogame stores in Norway also selling the game early, it turns out quite a few people have now appeared online with 'Recently played: Halo 3' showing up on their Xbox Live accounts.

This was followed by stories that Microsoft was banning those who had played Halo 3 before its release date and even if those players had played it without being connected to Xbox Live, Microsoft would be able to backdate when Halo 3 was played when they did connect to Live and catch them that way. This sparked a spate of "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU LOL" reactions but Microsoft is only banning its own employees for breaking Halo 3's street date, not you.

In other words: if you do have a pre-release copy of Halo 3, you're safe. Though it's best wait for the actual release date and join in the euphoric fun and an entire community coming together to celebrate Halo at the same time, no?

Microsoft Game Studios and Bizarre Creations announced that Project Gotham Racing® 4 (PGR 4), the latest installment of the best-selling and award-winning racing franchise, has been released to manufacturing. The team also confirmed that the game's new web site is up and running. Visit http://www.pgrnations.com/ for all the latest news, features, and updates from the PGR universe and the team at Bizarre.

Isn't it good to own an Xbox 360? No matter what, each day brings something new up on Xbox Live Marketplace and this day is no different as there's some new Forza Motorsport 2 content available and waiting to be downloaded. What could it be....? Cars, of course! 10 in total and from the world's most famous manufacturers.

The official report coming straight from Microsoft's Game Studios today says that 10 brand new racers and muscle cars have been thrown in a downloadable car pack for "Forza Motorsport 2," becoming available for grabs as soon as this weekend, via Xbox Live Marketplace. However, Microsoft clarifies exactly what is a free download and what isn't: To get fans warmed up, we're offering a rally inspired hot little European hatch the 2007 SEAT Leon Cupra as a FREE download to bolster the already extensive collection of "Forza" racers. For 400 Microsoft points, Forza fans can own the track taking laps in 10 great vehicles including a race ready turbo diesel (the Audi R10) and a low performance class inline 4 that’s an absolute tuner’s dream (the Honda Civic Si Coupe). Show your muscle with an American classic, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T or turn it up another notch behind the wheel of the 415 horsepower, 8,400 rpm 2007 Porsche GT3 RS.

And here's the full list of available cars:

2007 SEAT Leon Cupra (FREE DOWNLOAD)
2006 Audi R10 (#8 Audi Sport Team Joest) Prototype
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi
2006 Dodge Challenger Concept
2006 Honda Civic Si Coupe
2007 Honda Civic Type-R
1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
2006 Lamborghini Miura Concept
2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)
2007 Saturn Sky Red Line
2007 SEAT Leon Supercup

What do you say, any of those among your favorites? All right then, if you need more information on the newly announced downloadable car pack for Forza Motorsport 2, visit the game's official website right here. Have a good one!

An interesting piece was recently posted on Virtually Blind by Israeli attorney Jonathan J. Klinger. The crux of his argument was:

For example, earlier this year, Michael Carlton, CEO of online sportsbook Victor Chandler, was arrested in Israel. An Israeli court asserted jurisdiction over Carlton, a foreign citizen, and stated that as long as a portion of the illegal activity (here, gambling) occurred in Israel, there is no need for universal jurisdiction, and the website operator is subjected to the Israeli law (State v. Carlton, Hebrew decision). The court stated that it was in Victor Chandler’s responsibility to bar all communication from Israel since the activity they offer is illegal for Israeli citizens to participate in.

Using the same rationale, any employee of Blizzard or Linden Lab could be subjected to the Israeli penal code, as they are allowing illegal conduct (under Israeli law) to take place on their servers. Blizzard could face harsher liability as it distributes World of Warcraft actively in Israel, while Second Life is only available for download.

The only solution to these legal problems is to separate players according to countries, or even states (as some state laws in the US differ regarding pornography and violence). Any other solution may cause a conflict of laws, and subject the industry to liability twice: the first is the constitutional tort, where legal expression is barred though there is no local legal reason to bar it (e.g. ageplay in the U.S.) and the second is potential criminal prosecution by another state which may prosecute company leaders for user actions that are actually legal in the home country of the company.

I, however, do not agree. Moreover, I believe the precedent set by Isreal should be looked at with disdain by the legal community. Take note here that I'm departing from an actual analysis, which the above quote limits itself to, and moving into theoretical alternatives that would generally be beneficial to all those involved.

I want to begin with a meta-theoretical statement. The purpose of virtual worlds is to bring people together. As such, the solution that either people must be divided on geographical lines or game providers must be subjected to liability is a pure frustration of purpose. Of course, the concept of making a "virtual world" an actual nation is equally blasphemous. In fact, it seems at though negative consequences could easily result from creating "independent nations" within nations that exist on servers. So, what solutions are available to the problem? Clearly the social conscience of a person in Texas cannot be made to match a person in Isreal or Japan or France. That idea is equally impracticable, and in the same vein, the pipedream of creating "universal rules" to govern the internet is impracticable. Moreover, the idea that we allow complete free speech to govern our online worlds only gives rise to the most deplorable of content, as child predators would take refuge under the "free speech" of the digital world. There is also the final consideration that, ultimately, the server space is private property. The Grid belongs to Linden. Azeroth (all of the various iterations on the various servers) belongs to Blizzard.

So where does this leave possible solutions? Governing in-world conduct being left to the worlds owners, how should jurisdiction be handled? I think it is time for a paradigm shift an analyzing jurisdictional elements with virtual worlds. Put simply: Server location dictates jurisdiction. While this idea won't bode will with the "minimum contacts" proponents out there, the theory does have a logical base. Ultimately, the activity occurs on the server, not at the user end. I can click buttons all day long on my personal computer, but without the server end, there is no net effect. As such, the server is the critical component. This is the basis for a client-server model, and this is, in my opinion, how it should be treated under the law. This provides the maximum certainty for the developer.

This, of course, leaves the issue of performing an activity illegal in one country on a server located in another. Ultimately, issues like these will have to be resolved by the governments, rather than putting the developer in the line of fire or forcing the defeat of the purpose of virtual worlds. So, for example, if a 3rd world nation hosts "Child Porn: The Game," it will be up to the international community to pressure that country to abolish the game. (Moreover, with something as pernicious as child pornography, local governments could likely track subscriptions and users in order to find offenses in the local countries. I can't say I favor invasion of privacy, but I also can't say I oppose using any means necessary to remove dangerous predators from the streets.) On the other hand, with something as hotly debated as online gambling, rather than leaving the user and developer in difficult and awkward positions, it would have to be resolved between nations. Ultimately, either the moralists would win, or the simple positive economics would. In either case, the burden is on the government, or indirectly on society as a whole, rather than punishing the developer or the user based on what are largely ambiguous lines.

Will this paradigm shift happen? It seems doubtful given the overwhelming analysis of jurisdiction to the contrary. However, I think that we have reached a time in which the old analysis need to be seriously re-examined based on the dramatically different world and virtual worlds that technology has created.

[Via Virtually Blind]

I thought many of the readers out there might be interested in the Metanomics 2007 programs going on in Second Life. They are hosting a number of speakers, including my former professor Bryan Camp from the Texas Tech School of Law.

Those interested in the study of Metanomics should try to attend some of their seminars. For the uninitiated, their FAQ gives the following overview:

“Metanomics” refers to the study of the business and policy aspects of the “metaverse” of virtual worlds. Metanomics can focus on issues arising within virtual worlds, such as how developers manage the economy of a game world (like World of Warcraft), or how residents of virtual worlds manage and regulate business. Metanomics also includes the study of how real-world businesses can use virtual worlds as part of their strategy, and how real-world law and regulation might apply to virtual-world activities. Finally, metanomics includes the use of virtual worlds as laboratories in which to study real-world business or policy issues.

Metanomics can take an "immersionist," "augmentationist," or "experimentalist" perspective. Immersionist metanomics attempts to understand business and policy issues from entirely within the virtual world in question, with little reference to the outside world. Augmentationist metanomics views the metaverse as simple an addition (augmentation) to the real world, and examines how its appearance affects business practice and regulatory policy. Experimentalist metanomics uses the metaverse as a laboratory in which to conduct controlled experiments that can tell us something new about the real world (such as eliminating capital gains taxes actually does increase investment and productivity).

[Thanks to Robert Bloomfield for the tip!]

Before the genre-leading beast that is Ace Combat arrives on the Xbox 360 later this year, another aeronautical sequel has landed in the form of Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of World War II.

The game's predecessor was a fairly mediocre release, which was dogged by its own choice of theme. In opting to focuses on military technology that was cutting edge sometime before rock 'n' roll hit the charts, the first Blazing Angels felt a little sluggish and unwieldy.

Perhaps in response to this, one of the most noteworthy additions to the second release in the series is the option to unlock, upgrade and fly a fairly substantial list of prototype aircraft loosely themed on unrealised designs of the era, with super-responsive handling and agility. Most are also fitted with semi-fictitious WWII weaponry, such as homing missiles, which clearly weren't in everyday use in the famous dogfights of WWII.

The artistic take on the grim reality of the Second World War also extends into some of the 18 sizable single-player missions that make up Blazing Angels' main content. Over the skies of Egypt, with the Pyramids resplendent below you, you will face a huge zeppelin foe, armed to the hilt with machine gun turrets and spewing forth waves of enemy fighters in a scene more reminiscent of a boss battle in classic shoot-'em-up 1945 than a typical arcade flight-sim.

Do not be mislead though, as Blazing Angels 2 is certainly not an outright 'alternate-reality' WWII release like the forthcoming Turning Point: Fall from Liberty. In fact the vast majority of the emphasis of Secret Missions of WWII is on more realistic content. Again, the controls are wonderfully responsive and simple, keeping things instinctive, and for those looking for something of a challenge, perhaps a little easy.

The thumb sticks and shoulder buttons handle all of your aerial manoeuvres, firepower and targeting, meaning most of your effort is spent not on struggling to keep your plane in the sky, but instead on keeping your targeting reticule on a foe's tail. Before unlocking the prototype planes, none of your weapons seek out their target automatically, though in the case of most rockets the leeway with regard to your accuracy is fairly generous in your favour. Ammunition also comes in liberal quantities, and throughout this is very much an arcade game, comparable in many ways with all kinds of action-shooters over and above more traditional flying games. If you've played Ace Combat you'll understand the kind of thrills on offer here.

Staying with the controls for the moment, there is also no way of locking your crosshair on to you rivals. Instead the camera can be locked-on by holding the left shoulder buttons. At first this is particularly difficult to get used to, as aircraft sweep behind you causing the camera to pan right round to your plane's nose, but soon you'll be wondering why this excellent feature doesn't appear in more flying games.
Along with the number of unlockable extra planes, the most substantial improvement to Blazing Angels is the visuals, which really do impress. The first game on the Xbox 360 felt very much like a direct port of the Xbox version, with very little extra attention put into graphical quality.

This time around Blazing Angels looks superb. The planes lack the polish of their contemporaries in Ace Combat 6, but the ground below you is incredibly detailed and well developed. Sweeping over Paris, famous landmarks are numerous, positioned with some accuracy and realised in fabulous detail. Around them hundreds of streets lined with 3D houses and rows of trees twist and wind, parks are alive with people and boats bob on the gentle ebb and flow of the water. Blazing Angels 2 really does boast one of the best landscapes seen in a game set in the skies, and at times its enchanting detail and varied layout can draw you in a little too close.

Hidden stunt tokens and other secondary targets that unlock extra content are also tucked between buildings and below bridges, encouraging replays and tempting you to clip your wings on the ground while exploring hard-to-reach areas. As well as the physical intricacies and stylistic flair of each level, the skies are also very pretty indeed. Clouds look very realistic, and change in colour and texture throughout the game, dependent on the sun's position in the sky. As the air fills with planes, things begin to look immense. A fog does hang heavy in the distance, hiding distant detail, but otherwise there is very little to complain about in terms of Blazing Angels 2's appearance - aside from a bit of screen tearing here and there. The sound is closer to average and, though of decent quality, it regularly falls back on the tired old stereotypes of jolly, posh Brits and the kind of score we've heard all too often in Medal of Honor games.

Sadly, when it comes to gameplay, the missions begin to feel slightly repetitive and occasionally are drawn out. Most see you destroying waves of incoming planes before moving on to a larger target, and all too often feel very pedestrian Those that ask you to perform more unusual tasks such as stealth kills feel somewhat awkward and unworkable within the genre's setting. The multiplayer is great however, and filled with opportunities to tussle in the skies above beautifully realised versions of Rome and the Himalayas.

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII trailer:

While Blazing Angels 2 has its faults, it is still a decent title and a marked improvement on the first instalment from Ubisoft's Romania studio. If you're looking for a complex, challenging flying game then you're better off spending your cash elsewhere, but if you fancy some light-hearted arcade action and know you'll make use of the multiplayer mode, or just have some leftover enthusiasm for WWII games, this could be the one for you.

I recently got some awesome Halo ActionClix from Wizkids in the mail. I was really excited to get these not just as a collector but as a gamer in general. I have never had the chance to play a Wizkids miniature game and I am looking forward to sitting down at the coffee table with a friend and checking this series out.

One thing I can say is that these minis are extremely detailed. I was very impressed with the overall package of these booster sets. I am already hooked and plan on buying more of these in time.

My ActionClix photo gallery.

The Video Game Industry can now add Oklahoma to their list of victories against game laws, as an opinion was released today in Entertainment Merchants Association v. Henry, Case No. 5:06-cv-00675 (W.D. Okla.). The opinion grants the plaintiff's request to have the enforcement of the act permanently enjoined.

The opinion makes it quite clear that there is no grounds to support this law. For those unfamiliar, the Oklahoma version of the law placed a $1,000 fine on any dissemination of video games with "inappropriate violence" to minors. This language even included a parent giving a game to a minor. The opinion made a few distinct points on the issues at hand:

1. Video games are protected speech. No particular peculiarities of the medium nor amount of user control can change this legal fact.

2. Regulating violence is a content based restriction on free speech, and therefore presumptively invalid and subject to strict scrutiny. Violence, unlike sexual content, is not regulating obscenity.

3. Video game violence does not compel youth to commit violent acts, nor is there "substantial evidence" of a link between video game violence and youth violence. To quote the opinion on the latter, "Beyond Defendants’ generalized statements, there is a complete dearth of legislative findings, scientific studies, or other rationale in the record to support the passage of the Act. Defendants’ argument that “common sense” dictates that playing violent video games “is not good for children,” and that the onus is on Plaintiffs to prove otherwise, completely fails. (See Defs.’ Resp. at 9.) The First Amendment does not allow prohibitions based on “common sense.” See Kendrick, 244 F.3d at 578; Granholm, 426 F. Supp. 2d at 663-64."

4. The standard on violence in this act was so very vague that it was fatal to the act itself, in addition to the numerous other flaws pointed out. "The Act “does not satisfy the rigorous constitutional standards that apply when government attempts to regulate expression. Where First Amendment freedoms are at stake . . . precision of drafting and clarity of purpose are essential. These prerequisites are absent
here.” Erznoznik, 422 U.S. at 217-18."

The question from here is whether the government officials in Oklahoma see fit to continue to waste taxpayer money and the court's time in addressing this issue, as California seems determined to do. I have long supported the proposition that parents should be controlling their children's media consumption, not the government, and this seems to be another step in the right direction.

When BioShock was announced, few would have known the impact it would have on the gaming landscape and few would have known just how well it would turn out. Coming from the guys behind the two System Shock PC games, there was history but there was also unknown. This was a brand new take on the 'Shock' style of games and both System Shock 1 and 2 were very complex, perhaps too complex, for today's more casual gaming world.

However 2K Games have proven us all wrong and BioShock has not only turned out to be a contender for game of the year but perhaps the first game to really make you buy a next generation console. Yes, the game really is worth a couple of hundred bucks if you have to fork that out.

BioShock is a revolution in the shooter genre that will forever change the expectations for the FPS. Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. BioShock is the Shooter 2.0!

After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea.

Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, while wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors, mutated little girls scavenge the dead, and genetically modified citizens ambush you at every turn. Players must ultimately make meaningful choices and mature decisions, culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?

Hey folks, im hosting a contest in the 360style.net forums that you should definitely check into if you are a collector and attending a Halo 3 Midnight Madness launch line.

Here is the grand prize:

Custom 360style.net Tshirt with your gamertag.
Medal of Honor: Airborne for Xbox 360
Super Ultra Extremely Mega Rare Swag Pack !

* Swag Pack includes:
Geometry Wars Glow in the Dark Stars [from pax 2007]
Mountain Dew Game Fuel wrist sweatband [from e3 2006]
3 Xbox 360 Pins [from 'Crackdown' Event at MS]
Viva Pinata sticker set ['Largest Pinata Party 2005']
Rockstar Sticker [from pax 2007]
Kane & Lynch Sticker [from pax 2007]
EA Rockband Drum Sticker [from pax 2007]


Get all the contest details here !

-click comic to enlarge-

Everyone loves collector's editions, Actvision will be releasing CoD4 M.W. on November 4th get ready to fork over a good chunk of money for a good game.

"Each Limited Collector's Edition includes a special hardcover book featuring exclusive concepts, never-before-seen imagery and final artwork from the award-winning team that details the breath-taking action from the soldier to the satellite.
The Xbox 360 edition also takes gamers behind-the-scenes with a bonus DVD containing more than four hours of interviews and features, an exclusive documentary exploring the British S.A.S from World War II to modern day, and a series of "making of" vignettes highlighting Infinity Ward's research, technology and story development for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare."

Source: CharlieOscarDelta

The Medal of Honor series is now into its eight year with the 11th title, Medal of Honor: Airborne released on Xbox 360. The franchise has attracted a huge fan base over the years due to its cinematic qualities and the chance its given gamers to get to grips with some authentic war time weapons, but earlier this year following the release of the, quite frankly, awful Medal of Honor: Vanguard, I really did think the series was looking old and ragged and secretly hoped that I'd never see the franchise re-emerge from its sorry looking state. But, while I was getting all in a fluster over EA's lack of innovation in their World War II shooter, it appears the team must have been busy putting all of their efforts into the next-gen version of the franchise…


Medal of Honor: Airborne doesn't reinvent the first person shooter genre, like they'd like us to believe, but it does look and feel so much fresher than the last game in the series. Thankfully, many of the frustrations have been ironed out, leaving the series totally reinvigorated and standing proudly shoulder to shoulder next to other top next-gen shooters.

It's always a good sign when you have the motivation to complete the game that you're reviewing. I never did finish playing Medal of Honor Vanguard - it was just too frustrating . I only played to a point where I thought I knew enough to review it. But, while playing MOH: Airborne, I barely glanced at the clock and kept battling through to the end. I’m delighted to say that the series has been injected with a much needed dose of pace.

In fact, so much so that, just when I realized how much fun I was having playing the game, it was abruptly over after merely 5 hours of gameplay. The time it takes to complete MOH: Airborne is undoubtedly an issue especially when you're paying top whack for a videogame, but though I've mentioned it, I really don't want it to put you off the experience of playing the most enjoyable World War II shooter I've played for some time.

Following in the footsteps of Microsoft, Blizzard unveiled their own "Machinima Rules" late last week. The approach taken by these rules, however, is the complete opposite of Microsoft's approach in my opinion.

First and foremost, their primary concern (like Microsoft's) is that the use isn't commercial. Rather than going the strictly non-profit route, Blizzard essentially gives the stamp of approval to the method that Rooster Teeth made popular (even though Rooster Teeth has no Blizzard-derived machinima at this time). Specifically, there has to be a free version of the video available, even if there is a pay version with, say, better download speed or, I assume, in higher resolution. There's also no restriction on donations.

Second, there is no restrictions on elements of the game. You're either allowed to make your movie or not. So, the sound effects and background music appear to be fair game.

Third, Blizzard has placed a pretty harsh, but simple, content restriction that all movies keep within the "T (Teen)" or "PG-13" type content level. (Blizzard specifically cites "T," but it seems relatively safe to assume that that equates to a PG-13 rating.) While this is much stricter than Microsoft's restriction, it's also a fairly established bright line. According to the ESRB, "Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language."

Fourth, Blizzard explicitly allows the use of movies in various contests, but a license is required. However, it seems that as long as the content rules have been followed, a license should come with little resistance.

Fifth, educational use is specifically allowed. I find this comforting, but many people would argue that "fair use" would allow educational use regardless. "Fair use" can be read narrowly or broadly, and I think the clarification here does a lot of good in that regard.

Sixth, they place a 10 second restriction on sponsor inclusion. This seems to go toward the "no commercial use" ends more than anything, and I expect few will have a real problem with this restriction.

Finally, they make no mention of a commercial license per se, but do give a specific contact e-mail address for questions.

With Microsoft and Blizzard on board, I am left to wonder how long before other companies follow suit. I also wonder if Microsoft may follow some of Blizzard's leads in the revisions of their rules which are supposedly being drafted. In any case, this is generally good news for the various WoW machinimators out there.

[Via WOWInsider, Machinima for Dummies]

Just a few, new key updates:

1. There will soon be a standard contact form for commercial licenses.
2. There has been some mild clarification on reverse engineering, but still nothing definite. In short, if you can extract assets without doing anything illegal or abnormal to the game, it may be fine. A more detailed description is available in the original post.

[Via Machinima for Dummies]

My T-Shirt Design Monkey's over at Narcoleptic Insomnia have come up with a new shirt that asks a very Important Question That I, myself, have asked countless times:



A Simple Design for a Simple Question.

--Capt.Capcom
LINKS: NARCOLEPTIC INSOMNIA PRODUCTIONS

Halo 3 Special edition Xbox 360

Do you face any issue with your Xbox Live connection?

Is your internet service provider Eircom?

Are you using a Netopia router or modem?

You might face some issues with Xbox Live connection when your internet service provider is Eircom and your router or modem is a Netopia one.
Actually this might happen to you because your router needs configuration.
So let's go through the steps to do this router's configuration and you'll find your Xbox Live connection fine after this.

• First we'll need to go on the PC.
• And open the internet Explorer and type 192.168.1.254 in the address bar. Now you've accessed Netopia's settings page.
• On the menu to the left you'll find Firewall, click on it and select Low then save the changes.
• On the menu to the left you'll find Expert Mode, click on it then Yes to enter Expert Mode.
• On the menu to the left click on Configure, then Advanced then NAT.
• Now you'll find Service Name so scroll down the menu until you find Xbox Live Games. Now click Enable then Enable again.
• On the menu to the left click on Configure then Connection.
• Then on the main page scroll down until you find UPnP and check that box.
• Then Save.
• And finally turn off the Netopia router then turn it back on again.

Now you'll go on Xbox Live and everything would be working fine.

I hope this helps you.

And Enjoy Xbox Live...!!!

I haven't been able to post many Blogs, due to my incredible addiction to the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Multi Player Beta. But I feel I needed to address the recent surge of Xbox Live Banning Stories that have been surging the Internet.

As many web savvy folks know, It seems some people have been banned from Xbox Live until the magical date of 12/31/9999 ... or basically one day before New Year's Day 10,000 AD!!! This is due to these (Very Few) naughty players who have been cheating to get into both the Call of Duty 4 Beta without a token or a Closed Halo 3 Beta (code named Epsilon), that they had NO BUSINESS obtaining. I'm not clear on the actual details of how players were able to do this, but I do know that its a Violation of the Terms of Service and these folks got their Live accounts Banned until... well let's just say Forever.

Don't believe the huge out cry though... this only happened to a small handful of players, and Microsoft didn't ban Thousands of Accounts like some websites are reporting. Some Websites are even reporting that these players got Advanced copies of Halo 3 from Local Best Buy Stores... that too is wrong.

Regarding Halo 3... I say for shame! A well deserved Ban on these players for cheating. The game comes out in LESS THAN 30 Days... which is A LOT sooner than 12/31/9999, it just wasn't worth it.

As for the the COD4 beta, the best advice I can give in a situation like this is try and be patient. Microsoft knows you all want to play, but PLEASE be patient cause if you break the rules, you can be banned. Look Even I got a Token, and If I can wait for one, so can you!

--Capt.Capcom
SOURCES: MAJOR NELSON
XBOX Terms of Service

A recent PC Magazine interview sheds some light on the ESRB rating process, which leaves a lot to be desired. While I am a firm proponent of industry self-regulation, I have often been puzzled at the ratings some games get. For example, when I saw that Smash Bros. Melee was rated "T for Teen," my immediate thought was "What next, Barbie's Mystic Horse Adventure 7 being rated M?" For those not familiar, while Smash Bros. is a "fighting" game, it's no more violent than a typical Saturday morning cartoon and contains no blood at all, whatsoever. In any event, now that the ESRB has stated how the games are "rated," it makes more sense.

To summarize the interview, game publishers send in a DVD of selected scenes and a lot of paperwork to get the game rated. In fact, the process is outlined in detail on the ESRB website. The point being that the ratings board never plays the games. Yes, you read that right. The people who rate video games do not play the game they are rating. It would be the equivalent of basing movie ratings on a form and a trailer. Context would be wholly absent.

I can see the logic the ESRB is using. First, playing the games would require a release candidate, which could delay the process. Second, it would take their "trained reviewers" much longer to play through the games in full than it would to review some paperwork and a DVD. Third, and finally, it's entirely possible that some, if not a large section, of the reviewers may not be able to complete the games at all. Moreover, the system they have going has rarely been faulted (see Hot Coffee).

On the other hand, I get the impression that ratings for media content are more accurate when the reviewer takes the content in context and on the whole, rather than seeing mere snippets. Perhaps the better approach is to have the ESRB hire "designated gamers," and have the reviewers watch the game being played for some period of time in addition to the forms and DVDs in order to contextualize the game. Perhaps then Smash Bros. Melee would have been rated a more appropriate E or E10+ rather than T. On the other hand, perhaps the powers that be would just assume most games be rated a tier higher than the content actually is, either to give parents more discretion or to insulate themselves from complaints. In any event, with the recent Manhunt 2 controversy, I expect that this issue will likely be blown well out of proportion by certain people in the media and politics. If anything, it creates a harsher rating system, not a weaker one.

[Thanks Jonathan!]

[EDIT: Reader Andrew Eisen, in the comments, points out: "Additionally, ESRB staff, including raters (time-permitting), play the final version of both hand-picked and randomly selected games to verify that all the materials provided by the game's publisher during the rating process were accurate and complete."

My thought is that, while true, and a new addition to the process, it still isn't for the purpose of actually rating the game, or putting elements in context. It's just like a double-check once the game is rated, and only occurs sometimes rather than on all games rated.]

Prior posts on this site about Tournament.com and Kwari have both raised some eyebrows about my particular interpretation of the UIGEA as it relates to games of skill and games of chance. As such, I thought this would be an appropriate time to discuss both types of games, and the reasoning behind my conservative approach to the UIGEA.

Put simply, there are three types of games in the world: games of pure chance, games of pure skill, and games somewhere in between that employ both elements of chance and skill. There are readily available examples of all of them. Lotteries, roulette, and bingo are games of pure chance. All in all, no matter what system you think you're using to select your winning numbers, it's pure luck. You cannot affect the odds of which number will be picked. To be a true "pure" skill game, there must be no chance involved whatsoever, and to that end there are very few, prime examples being chess, checkers, and othello. In any of these games there is no chance element as every move and rule is pre-defined and determined by the rules. After all, rolling a dice, drawing a card, or spinning a spinner are all "chance" elements, even if they are not always treated that way under the law. Between the two extremes lay a spectrum of other games with varying degrees of chance and skill weighing upon the outcome, be they board games or casino games or video games. As such, some games which can be played in either way to be classified as one or the other. Blackjack is typically lumped into the games of chance, even though a card counter would argue otherwise. Poker has been classified both ways. Competitive board gaming, such as Scrabble or Monopoly, would likely be classified as skill since the chance element is so minimal. Of course, these interpretations also vary by county, and the major difficulty with the internet is addressing these games on a multi-national level.

This brings us to the difficult proposition of classifying video games, the vast majority of which I believe fall into the "in between" category. Granted, arcade games are likely games of pure skill, Galaga or Donkey Kong or House of the Dead for example. However most anything else has some chance element to it in a multiplayer context, even if it is minor. The most relevant example would be spawning. In a FPS that has respawning, spawns are the luck of the draw. While many people claim FPS games to be pure skill, there is no amount of skill that can alter the result of spawning in someone's crosshairs. Similarly, in any RTS map, say Starcraft, that has unequal resources at the starting point, there is an element of chance. In a similar fashion, the terrain from a given spawn point may give some players an advantage. The most often cited counter argument is Counter-Strike, where there is no real "spawning." However, even Counter-Strike can have a random element to it if either team is filled out with random players. Even the most skilled players will be severely disadvantaged round after round if their team is arbitrarily filled up with an inept hodgepodge of other gamers. It would be the equivalent of filling out an NFL team with random fans who happen to be in attendance at the game and making them play. Thus, only in the event where both teams are controlled can Counter-Strike be a true "skill" game.

Skill games are not defacto illegal under the UIGEA. In fact, it's rather ambiguous on that matter. When laws are ambiguous, the courts are free to look at elements like legislative history, and one of the key issues the UIGEA hoped to address was online poker. As such, I have been erring on the side of caution in my analysis. Why? Poker has fairly equal elements of chance and skill (skill which includes reading your opponents, an element absent from Blackjack). If poker is covered, then arguably, anything short of a pure skill game could be lumped into the UIGEA if the courts so decide (absent the Skill Games Protection Act). Moreover, the overwhelming sentiment in the US congress seems to be anti-gambling, and thus I would be inclined to surmise that future legislation or interpretation would follow this same thought process. Accordingly, most of my articles have erred on the side of caution in pointing out chance elements that could push certain games into the UIGEA domain. As such, the articles reflect the direction I think the law can go rather than how I would personally interpret it or how I hope it would go. I hope that serves to clarify the two above referenced analyses.