Xbox Live 360.com. Games and Games.

Guitar Hero 3, Legends of Rock Cheats:

Hyperspeed
O, B, O, Y, O, B, O, Y

Performance Mode
RY, RB, RO, RB, RY, GB, RY, RB

Precision Mode
GR, GR, GR, RY, RY, RB, RB, YB, YO, YO, GR, GR, GR, RY, RY, RB, RB, YB, YO, YO

Unlock All
YO, RB, RO, GB, RY, YO, RY, RB, GY, GY, YB, YB, YO, YO, YB, Y, R, RY, R, Y, O

Rock Band is arriving in stores on November 20. Along with a guitar, mic, and drum kit, the $169.99 package includes 58 songs (45 licensed tracks, and 13 more that are unlockable). For months, Harmonix/MTV/EA has teased us with pieces of the track list. Today, we finally have the complete list of licensed tracks. Keep in mind that each week following the release of Rock Band, new downloadable songs will be made available. Among the DLC is the entire Who's Album "Who's Next," Metallica's "One," and eighteen songs by The Grateful Dead.

1960s

• Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter"

1970s

• Aerosmith "Train Kept a Rollin'"*
• The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
• Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"
• Mountain "Mississippi Queen" (cover)
• The Police "Next to You"
• David Bowie "Suffragette City"
• Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (cover)
• Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
• The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
• Deep Purple "Highway Star"
• KISS "Detroit Rock City"
• Molly Hatchet "Flirtin' With Disaster"
• The Outlaws "Green Grass & High Tides" (cover)
• Sweet "Ballroom Blitz" (cover)

1980s

• Rush "Tom Sawyer"*
• Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
• The Clash "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
• Faith No More "Epic"
• Pixies "Wave of Mutilation"
• R.E.M. "Orange Crush"
• Iron Maiden "Run to the Hills" (cover)

1990s

• Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
• Metallica "Enter Sandman"
• Nirvana "In Bloom"
• Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
• Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
• Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock"
• Radiohead "Creep"
• Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
• Hole "Celebrity Skin"
• Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid"
• Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun"

2000s

• The Hives "Main Offender"
• Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"
• The Strokes "Reptilia"
• Jet "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
• OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
• Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds"
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps"
• Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
• Coheed & Cambria "Welcome Home"
• Fallout Boy "Dead on Arrival"
• The Killers "When You Were Young"
• New Pornographers "Electric Version"

Unlockable Tracks

• Bang Camaro "Pleasure (Pleasure)"
• Twelve more yet to be revealed

Other parts of the blog-o-sphere are reporting some issues with the bundling of Guitar Hero III with wired guitars. I'd like to address a different problem that I've had, along with a number of others according to forum posts.

I'd like to preface by saying I really do enjoy the Guitar Hero series (although I have to admit my wife is better at the games than I am), and I've bought 4 games with 4 guitars to date (2 on PS2 an 2 on 360). However, after the issues with the X-Plorer, I'm surprised there was not more quality control with the wireless Les Paul.

I picked up my copy (360 version with wireless guitar) at GameStop at midnight and went home to play. Now, I'm not terrible at the game, and I was having some real problems once I hit tiers 4 and 5 on medium. I assumed I was tired, and went to bed. The next morning, both my wife and I started playing, and once I was able to watch the game more closely, I found that the red and yellow buttons were not registering being pressed. After disassembling and re-assembling the guitar, the problem continued. I tried blowing on the contacts a la NES cartridges circa 1988. While the responsiveness improved, it was still only in the 70-80% range. I exchanged it for a new guitar, which seems to be working in a 95% or higher error range, which is far more acceptable (though still less than ideal on a game that requires such accuracy).

The issue almost certainly stems from the detachable neck's contact system, which is truly unfortunate since the removable neck was generally a good idea. I hope that Red Octane will resolve this issue sooner rather than later. The button problem seems to be appearing on many message boards, so I don't believe my problem is an isolated one.

On an unrelated note, it seems there's some sort of error in the track "One" on medium between the 85 and 90% mark. I at first thought it was the guitar, but having seen the same error with both myself and my wife with both the X-Plorer and Les Paul, I think there's something not working correctly in the track. And it's limited to the Medium difficulty. If anyone else notices this issue, please let me know, but I will acknowledge that I might be wrong on this track error.

Bloggers in the video game realm know they've truly "made it" when Jack Thompson personally responds to a post. While I haven't been able to verify the identity 100%, the responses I received are generally consistent with Mr. Thompson's form, so I thought I would take this opportunity to respond to them, but without the name calling Mr. Thompson feels necessary to include.

jackthompson said...

Dennis McCauley got it wrong, of course and as usual. The FTC reg pertains to use of a credit card to verify a parent's identity, not a minor's age. Go read what he links to at the FTC on his site, and you'll find you're wrong.

It is a violation of bank card agreements to use credit cards as age verifiers, and obviously so since kids as young as 12 have credit cards and since junior can "borrow" dad's card. Pretty simple stuff, really, if your brain has not been fried by games.

The last time I sued Best Buy in this regard, they caved and settled and agreed not to sell M games to kids. They are in breach of the agreement, as well as violating Florida's anti-fraud statute. It's a shame you all don't know what you're talking about. Jack Thompson

October 25, 2007 5:35 PM

jackthompson said...

Actually, it is up to the government to decided these things, just as it is up to society to stop 7-11 from selling beer to 12 year olds. Duh. That's why we have a deceptive trade practice law in every state in the union. It's called democracy, gamer nerds. Deal with it. And grow up.

October 25, 2007 5:38 PM

It is so difficult to select a place to begin. I suppose I will start from the bottom, where you make the broad statement that it is up to the government to decide "these things." What you have stated is a philosophy on governance, not a fact. In your mind, the government should be free to control the hearts and the minds of the people as they so choose. In reality, our democratic republic has taken a small segment of the choices people can make and placed restrictions upon them. Alcohol, tobacco, and pornography are all among the things with restricted sales to minors. Movies, music, and video games are not. As I have pointed out repeatedly, there is no content beyond the level of the Saw movies in even the Manhunt games. If you had taken the time to experience them, you would know this to be the case. Therefore, if your basic supposition is that the government should add violent media to the category with alcohol, tobacco, and pornography, then so be it. But there is a logical fallacy in attacking content in only one medium when the same content exists in another medium which is equally accessible to the people you claim to be trying to protect.

Also, contrary to what you seem to believe, there are in fact people who do not agree with you on a philosophical level. In fact, there are even people who vote for the same candidates you do who do not agree with your basic ideology that the government should have unlimited control to censor content. Moreover, there are many people who believe the government is not some grand babysitter or pseudo-parent who should be making decisions for people. In fact, it has been argued that the usurption of personal responsibility by "progressive" government programs has been a key cause of the downward trend of society, tracing back to unnecessary government coddling in the New Deal.

That being said, your view is in such the substantial minority that it cannot be allowed to prevail. Tyranny of the minority cannot be tolerated (and if you're not familiar with the concept, I suggest you brush up on your Federalist Papers). In fact, your very position that violence is "obscenity" is fallacious under the Burger test for "obscenity":

The basic guidelines for the trier of fact must be: (a) whether 'the average person, applying contemporary community standards' would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest, (b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

Emphasis added to the key element, the prurient interest. There is no sexual arousal associated with violence for the average person.

This brings us to the error in your "for the children" argument. If your goal were to simply keep these games out of the hands of minors unless their parents decided otherwise, I doubt seriously you would face much opposition. No one opposes movie theaters or Wal-Mart for policies of this sort. The difficult aspect is that your goals go well beyond "the children" to keep this content out of the hands of adults, whom are more than capable of making their own decisions, to the point that you eventually want to run many, if not all, game manufacturers out of business. (I'm still unclear if you would start to target less objectionable content, say Smash Bros. Melee, if you succeeded against the most extreme outlying targets.) Anyone who has monitored your commentary knows that you would just assume punish parents who buy T or M games for children under 13 and 17 respectively as you would prevent the kids from playing the games. Ultimately, that is the parent's decision, not yours, to make.

Speaking to your credit card reference, children under 18 cannot acquire credit cards on their own. I will grant you that Dennis's reference is not exactly on point, but the concept is essentially the same. Anyone under 18 with a credit card has been granted said card by someone of legal age, likely a parent or guardian. In that case, the person who has the card has given implied consent that the card be used, and thusly implied consent to purchase the M rated game. Ultimately, the account holder is still in control, and to dictate otherwise would mean that you are preventing people who are 18 from easily purchasing games from online retailers.

You also mention "junior can 'borrow' dad's card." If Junior has asked for permission, then the parent has granted permission to play the game. If Junior has not asked permission, then Junior has more to worry about than the content of the game as he's already committed fraud and identity theft.

Your comment about Best Buy "caving" really has little to do with the present situation. Large companies often choose to settle disputes to discontinue wasting time on what amount to nothing more than meritless nuisances. It it often cheaper and quicker than proceeding with legal action.

Finally, I do take some personal offense to the implication that games have "fried my brain." I've been gaming for nearly two decades, but I also have an undergraduate and two graduate degrees. If you continue to assume that you'll never encounter anyone on the opposite side of the debate with an an ounce of intelligence, you'll continue to have your simplistic responses outdone by intelligent gamers. Eventually, sensationalists in the media will tire of your particular issue, and you will be relegated to a historical footnote.

I'm certain many of you, the readers, have seen the latest Jack Thompson coverage on Game Politics found here and here. Dennis was quick to point out the FTC provision about credit card ownership being adequate proof of age for online transactions, and the FoxNews contributor was quick to play the free speech card. However, there's an elephant in the room I'd like to address.

Everything Mr. Thompson has said about games applies to movies on DVD.

Anyone with a credit card can go to Amazon.com and pick up Saw I, II, or III (unrated, meaning the more violent cut than the theatrical one) just as easily as you can order Manhunt 2. The same applies to Best Buy, Circuit City, or whatever other entertainment online store you'd like to site. To the same ends, in-store id checks are equally lacking on these (and other) movie titles. While I haven't played Manhunt 2, I can only imagine the graphic content is probably on par with the Saw series, which is exceptionally brutal if you haven't seen the movies. Given that the research on the impact of media is mixed, and that movies have been found to affect young people like games by some studies, why ignore the movie industry?

There can only be a few answers:
1. Mr. Thompson is afraid of the people in the movie industry, as they would likely be viewed as "more powerful" than the game industry.
2. Mr. Thompson is giving undue weight to the unproven link between interactivity and a heightened impact.
3. Mr. Thompson has an unhealthy fixation on and unequivocal bias toward games, which cannot easily be explained.
4. Mr. Thompson's logic is flawed, for some other unexplained reason, so that he either ignores or actually favors violent movies. (Perhaps he is a Saw fan.)

The simple point being: If you would like to go on a crusade against the media, go on a crusade against the media, not one medium.

Ultimately, the decision should still be left to the parents, and the tools are in place for the parents to make those decisions. It is not up to the government, or Mr. Thompson, to make those decisions for society, parents who are failing to perform their duties as parents, or parents who are actively monitoring their child's media consumption. And if anyone is to be held responsible, it should be the inadequate parents, not the game manufacturers, game retailers, or game raters. I can only hope that the news media will tire of this issue soon, or that the American people will begin to realize that playing the "For the Children" card has reached a point where it should be accompanied by automatic scrutiny, as it is rarely actually being used to help the children anymore.

Microsoft has finally posted the long promised "Revised" Game Content Usage Rules. They are available here. Now that they are available, what has changed? The short answer is "Not much."

1. The "reverse engineering" rule was re-written to clarify "not normally permitted by the game." As such, things like the Halo 3 Forge or the Halo CE included editors seem to be acceptable.

2. One of the most notable changes is the specific reference to film festivals. You are allowed to enter film festivals, even those with prizes, with machinima. However, this seems like a fine line as there is also a specific note as to contests. Generally, the difference seems to be securing Microsoft's permission for the use.

3. The music/soundtrack/sound effect issue is more resolved, and for Halo fans, Halo 3 is specifically noted as having a usable soundtrack for machinima. This, as I noted in previous articles, falls about in the manner you would expect. The soundtracks are often licensed, and it's more noticeable in some games (i.e. PGR where the tracks are named) than in others. Microsoft seems committed to making notice of this on a game by game basis on the Xbox.com site/forums, which seems like a more reasonable course of action than an outright ban.

4. The phrase "You'll know it when you see it." appears a lot. On the plus side, this leaves a lot of room for interpretation. On the negative side, this leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I suppose we'll find out more as this is enforced, both as to the content and as to "Microsoft approval" on contests.

5. The backstory/lost chapters rule has changed significantly. You are now allowed to tell any story, but if your story contains elements from the game's story arc or surrounding content, then you're providing Microsoft a license to use that content. This is actually a fairly good solution to a real problem, even if it seems as though the machinimist is losing the rights to their "story." There have been many cases (mostly in the film and literary arenas) where someone writes a story, then without knowing, someone else writes a related story. Or, a writer sends a script in, the script is returned and the film company makes a similar movie. This often results in a lawsuit. What Microsoft is trying to avoid is the instance where they already have a story planned, and then one or more machinimists create something similar, Microsoft releases their content and the machinimist sues for infringement. If you want to work in Microsoft's universes, you have to accept that Microsoft may use a similar story, and you're giving up recourse if that happens. On the other hand, if you create something totally original, you've given up nothing.

6. You can let other people build on your work, but it's governed by the same rules as your work. Basically, it's a trickle down license.

7. They actually provide a contact email for people interested in getting a commercial license or for film fesitval sponsors who want approval. The address is gamevids*at*microsoft.com.

All in all, while the changes are not unexpected or dramatic, they are all positive and address many of the concerns of the machinima community.

Related Stories:
Past Microsoft Machinima Rule Coverage
Blizzard Machinima Rule

I do apologize for the shortage of content as of late on Law of the Game. My time has been largely consumed by client projects and the development of a new website for The Vernon Law Group. I will certainly have a post directing you to the new site once it is public. In the mean time, though, it appears there will be another week or two of 1-2 posts per week instead of my more usual 3-5 posts per week. Thank you.

The hugely popular squad-based tactical shooter Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 ( GRAW2) is looking to draw players back into the battlefield with the release of five new co-op campaign missions.

Up to 16 players can compete over Xbox LIVE or through System Link, enjoying maps drawn from the original two Ghost Recon games for Xbox (Ghost Recon and Ghost Recon: Island Thunder) plus classic, fan favourite maps such as Railroad Bridge, Battlefield Caves and Plantation. Missions range from having to destroy a fleet of convoy vehicles to silencing artillery that is battering allied troops in a nearby village.

In addition to the five co-op maps there are nine adversarial maps available in the pack, seven of which are from previous games with two completely new environments. Here players can fight against each other in Ghost Recon’s various multiplayer modes.

All nine levels have been recreated using the pin-sharp graphics and fidelity of GRAW2 and as such will offer a blast of nostalgia to long term fans of the series while giving new players chance to investigate some classic level designs.

The pack introduces an additional 125 achievement points to play for. These tasks range from, for example, performing a grenade kill after you’ve already died to completing co-op maps without dying or re-spawning on hard difficulties.

The pack of nine maps is exceptional value and will offer players countless hours of multiplayer enjoyment over the forthcoming holiday season.

Click Here to buy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter from amazon.com

Ubisoft and Manga Entertainment Ltd are proud to give you the chance to win the Ultimate Naruto prize where you can win everything you possibly want Naruto related - games, DVDs, merchandise and an Xbox 360 console!

There is a top prize of an Xbox 360, every Naruto DVD released in the UK, Naruto Rise of a Ninja on Xbox 360 and £100 worth of Naruto merchandise! There are dozens of runner-up prizes of games, DVD’s so you’ve got a great chance to win something.

You still can Participate in the competition just Click Here.

There are some rules for the competition so I've listed them here:

1. The competition is open to all UK residents with the exception of UbiSoft Limited (the “Promoter”) employees, their families and anyone professionally connected with the competition. The Promoter reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of winners.

2. Minors (ie. persons under 18 years of age) must have authorisation from their parents (or the person who exercises parental authority) to enter the competition on the terms of these rules.

3. Entry to the competition is via the webpage located at the Ultimate Naruto Competition. In order to enter, you must answer three questions correctly and the winning entries will be randomly selected for the prizes.

4. The competition will commence on 15/10/07 (the “Start Date”). All entries must be received no later than midnight on 15/11/07 (the “Closing Date”). By submitting their entry, entrants will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these rules. Entries through agents or third parties will be invalid.

5. The prize structure is as follows:

• 1st prize: 1xXbox 360 games console, 1 year Gold membership to Xbox Live, Naruto Rise of the Ninja on Xbox 360, 2100 Marketplace Points, the complete Naruto DVD collection from Manga Entertainment Ltd and £100 of Naruto merchandise.
• Runner-up prizes: 10xbundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 1 Part 1 & Party 2, 10xbundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 2 Part 1 & Party 2, 10xNaruto Unleashed complete series box set and 10xNaruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

6. There is a limit of one entry per person. Correspondence will be entered into only at the absolute discretion of the Promoter.

7. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries. The panel of judges will contain at least one independent member. The judges’ decision will be final and binding.

8. Winners will be notified by e-mail or post before 20/12/07.

9. Prizes will be posted to the winners within 28 days of the Closing Date.

10. A list of the prize winners can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to Ultimate Naruto Competition, Ubisoft, 1st Floor Chertsey Gate East, London Street, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8AP within 3 months of the Closing Date.

11. Entrants to the competition accept that, if they win, the Promoter will have the right, without additional payment or permission, to use their name, age, town of residence and likeness for the purposes of announcing the winner of this competition and for related promotional purposes.

12. All entries will become the property of the Promoter on its receipt of them and will not be returned. Entrants to the competition agree that the Promoter shall be entitled to use entries as it sees fit without additional payment, permission or reference to the entrant.

13. Entrants may be contacted from time to time in the future about new products available from the Promoter. Entrants who do not wish this to occur should tick the relevant box on the entry form.

14. The Promoter is Ubisoft, 1st Floor Chertsey Gate East, London Street, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8AP. Please note that under no condition should competition entries be sent to this address.

15. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate transcription of entry information, or for any human error, technical malfunctions, or any lost/delayed data transmission, or any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, line failures of any telephone network, computer equipment, software, inability to access any website or internet service, or any other error or malfunction, or late, lost, illegible or misdirected entries. No automated entries will be accepted. Entry will be declared made by the authorised account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. “Authorised account holder” is defined as the person assigned the email account by an internet service provider. If the Promoter determines, in its sole discretion, that there is any suspected or actual electronic tampering with the competition or if technical difficulties compromise the integrity of the competition, the Promoter reserves the right to void the entries at issue and/or suspend, modify and/or terminate the competition.

The competition prizes are:

• Xbox 360 games console
• 1 year Gold membership to Xbox Live
• Naruto Rise of the Ninja on Xbox 360
• 2100 Marketplace Points
• The complete Naruto DVD collection from Manga Entertainment Ltd
• £100 of Naruto merchandise

Naruto Unleashed Series 1
Bundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 1 Part 1 & Part 2

Naruto Unleashed Series 2
Bundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 2 Part 1 & Part 2

Naruto Unleashed complete series DVD box set
Naruto Unleashed complete series DVD box set

Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Winners will be notified by e-mail or post before 20/12/07 as we said before also you can check how won through this link here.

BioWare finished with first leg of sci-fi trilogy; limited collector's edition to include art book, backstory primer, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and more.

Mass Effect is an Electronic Arts franchise now, but that isn't stopping Microsoft from pushing the Xbox 360-exclusive sci-fi role-playing game as a big part of its holiday lineup. Today Microsoft announced that not only has the game gone gold in preparation of its November 20 release date, but it will also receive a full-blown Limited Collector's Edition.

Click here to buy Mass Effect from Amazon.com

The Limited Collector's Edition of Mass Effect will include a wealth of background on the game. Foremost among the premium package's offerings is a pair of 36-page booklets, one of which offers a primer on the game's universe and timeline, and the other a collection of concept artwork. The set will also include a bonus DVD with documentaries on the making of the game, a look inside BioWare, 18 Xbox Live gamer pics, 16 dashboard themes, 10 songs from the soundtrack, and 600 concept images with commentary from the game's art directors.

On top of that, gamers who preorder either version of the game at participating US retailers will receive a bonus disc with an introductory documentary on the game, a dozen gamer pics, eight dashboard themes, three songs from the soundtrack, and various trailers.

As has become standard for limited-edition packages, Mass Effect's collector's set will be available for $69.99, a $10 premium over the regular edition's $59.99 price tag.

Taking its inspiration from its 8-bit namesake released on the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1988, Bionic Commando features Nathan Spencer, a government operative who represents the ultimate fusion of man and machine. After distinguishing himself in a fierce conflict against the Imperials, Spencer is betrayed and falsely imprisoned by the very people he unquestioningly served.

Three years later, on the day he is due to be executed for his supposed crimes, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an immensely powerful earthquake coupled with a radiation shockwave that leaves the city in ruins, wiping out its populace. Military intelligence suggests that a large terrorist search force has moved in and occupied Ascension City, but as yet their motives remain unclear. With the terrain in ruins and the terrorists in control of Ascension City’s air defences the FSA has only one option open to them – the reactivation of Nathan Spencer.

Bionic Commando harnesses the power of the latest generation of hardware to fully exploit the swing mechanic that made the original title so unique. The ruins of Ascension City and its surroundings provide an engaging environment of towering buildings, suspended roadways and monorails, deep canyons and sheer rock faces that allow gamers to traverse each area via multiple routes using swinging, rappeling, climbing and wall-walking techniques.
An expertly trained operative, Spencer is able to target and take out enemies while hanging upside down, climbing a building or even in mid-swing. At close quarters, the bionic arm packs a mean punch, while from a distance, objects such as boulders and cars can be grabbed and launched at enemies.

The development team behind Bionic Commando represents a unique and compelling collaboration of cultures and skills, consisting of an American Producer living in Japan, a Japanese Creative Advisor and highly-rated Swedish developer GRIN providing a European influence. This partnership provides a further example of Capcom’s strategy to work with the best developer talent, whilst maintaining the unique elements of creativity and approach to game design for which Capcom is renowned.

Say goodbye to Tony Hawk's games and welcome the skate. - EA's latest product.

Finally, a skateboarding franchise we can play and enjoy instead of the declining Tony Hawk series. Though both Tony Hawk and Skate are of course skateboarding games, they differ in many aspects of the game such as controls and graphics. Not to mention that, skate is a lot more fun to play both online and offline.

The first thing you will notice while playing skate is that it is actually somewhat realistic. No more doing 30 second handstands, no more “Natas Spins” (thank god), and best of all, no more 1,000,000 point combos. The second thing you will notice is that this is in no way, shape, or form a button mashers game. The thumb-sticks are the main parts of the controller used during the game. The left thumb-stick controls your body while the right thumb-stick controls the board. Although it does take some getting used too, once you get it nailed down it just makes the game a hell of a lot of fun to play.

The story starts off similar to a movie. You are shooting a skate video, and let’s just say you should have looked both ways before you crossed the street. You basically get owned by a bus, and get rushed to the hospital. The doctor says it’s going to take some major reconstructive surgery to fix you up, so now it’s time to create your character the way you want him to look. The create-a-character isn’t exactly “great”, but it beats the Tony Hawk create-a-skater by a long shot, so be thankful with what you got. Once you finally get out of the hospital, what do you do? Skate of course! You and your friend (camera man), decide to go to the skate park in the suburbs to do a rehab session of skating. This is where you are taught everything you need to know on how to play the game. All of the tutorials are in this area, and once you finish them you should be all set to go. The main objective of the story is to earn recognition by being on the cover of skate mags and taking part of the X-Games. Not too much of a storyline here, but the game makes up for it in a big way. The city of San Velona is so huge that it’s almost overwhelming.

This is why the game never gets old. Finding sick spots to skate is what it’s all about, and that is what you will spend most of your time doing when playing this game. There are four sections of the city, each having there own type of fun to them. Those sections are the Suburbs, The Res, Downtown, and Old Town. The suburbs are exactly what you think of when you think suburbs. Lots of regular houses, some cool places to skate, a good size skate park. The Res is downhill skating all the way. If you like speed, this is the place for you. Downtown is the place with the best skate spots, but is swarming with security; so be careful. Last but definitely not least is Old Town, which is great for skating mainly ledges. The missions in the game are pretty frustrating at times to say the least. I’ve caught myself about to throw my controller a few times, but that’s nothing compared to breaking my headset while playing Halo 3...but that’s a different story. Anyways, this isn’t a game you can just breeze through. It takes time, practice, skill, and sometimes a good amount of luck is involved too.

The London Games Festival is a weeklong cultural and business celebration of computer and video games, reflecting their influence and importance as central to popular culture and entertainment. Created by the London Development Agency and with the full support of the industry, trade bodies (ELSPA and Tiga) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, it will provide an exciting week of consumer and trade events in the capital. The Festival is a collection of independent events, which will run concurrently at venues throughout the city between 22 and 26 October 2007.

Video Games Live. 22nd October. Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London

Xbox is proud to sponsor this year’s Video Games Live concert, celebrating iconic game music, performed live by members of Classic FM's Philharmonia Orchestra. The show will be held at the Royal Festival Hall on London's Southbank, on the 22nd of October as the opening event to this year’s London Games Festival. Tickets can be purchased at: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/all-events/productions/video-games-live-17937

Video Games Live™ is not just a concert, but a musical, visual and interactive celebration of gaming that will enthral anyone who has ever played a video game. Whether it's the power and passion of Halo® 3, or nostalgia for the days of Pong and Space Invaders, Video Games Live™ promises to deliver an experience you will remember.
More information and footage from previous shows can be viewed at www.videogameslive.com, where there is also the opportunity to download a free track from the forthcoming Video Games Live: Greatest Hits album.

Eidos has confirmed that Tomb Raider Anniversary will be released on October 26th '07 for the XBOX 360. The game is currently only available for the PS2, and PC. The 360 version will be on retail shelves and also listed on XBOX LIVE Marketplace downloads in November.

"Anniversary has already been a great success on PS2 and PC Games for Windows and now 360 owners will get the choice of either owning a boxed copy or downloading the game straight to their 360 hard drive." said Kathryn Clements, Senior Brand Manager for Tomb Raider.

A PSP and Wii version will also be released at the end of October.

Tomb Raider Anniversary will use the same game engine as Tomb Raider Legend and was developed by Crystal Dynamics.

According to Bungie insider lukems they are currently working on new maps to be available for download. He gives you a little teaser about the ones they are currently testing.... His quote after the jump.

"Work is progressing on new maps for future downloadable content, with the design and art teams vigorously engaged in the process. More entertainingly however, the ad-hoc test team of Bungie staff is enjoying these new maps greatly. My favorites are what I have already nicknamed Jodrell Bank and Moonbase Alpha."

"I “invented” a game type on Jodrell Bank which is actually just Team Slayer with Swords and Snipers. Thanks to some unique geographical features of that map, it works great. Moonbase Alpha, on the other hand is best suited to objective games, like CTF and Assault, but it has some natural deadlocks that make Slayer interesting and Infection terrifying.

Which reminds me of one more downloadable map. The scariest map of all time. Dark, frightening and surprisingly enormous. One of the scariest things that has ever happened to me (and this in a lifetime fraught with terror) was racing away from a marauding gang of zombies in Infection atop a Mongoose, only to have one leap out of the darkness ahead and unseat me with a throaty scream. I call that level John Carpenter’s Prince of Dorkness. It’s not as catchy as Jub Jub, but it’s every bit as accurate."

Continuing from Part 1, this article addresses the concept of mergers and acquisitions, which are undoubtedly important to the smaller developer. For those outside the industry, or who don't hav a business background, the overwhelming question is probably a simple "Why?" Part of it seems to be a trend in the industry, a trend which has happened in many other industries before. Large game companies (i.e. EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony) like to acquire up and compning developers for a number of reasons, such as adding fresh thought to the development process, adding new intellectual property to their roster both from the standpoint of the software and the brand that accompanies it, and a broader mass appeal, not to mention the added revenue. From the standpoint of a start up developer, a big studio taking over gives you many of the perks that come with being in a big company, and may remove many of the financial concerns and burdens that occur with a smaller business. Of course, if your small business is more like, say, id software, or if you happen to have a genius like, say, Miyamoto* break off to form a small development company, then you're probably not looking into being acquired.

So, what are mergers and acquisitions? Well, it's two different means to the same ends: two companies combine to form one. A merger is where two companies come in on more equal footing, and merge into one new entity. An example would be SquareSoft and Enix becoming SquareEnix. An acquisition, on the other hand, is typically used to describe a large company absorbing a smaller company, such as when Microsoft originally acquired Bungie. In both types of transactions, the mechanism is controlled by the contract, and often times they all work about the same, other than the respective sizes and bargaining powers of the entities. Hence, Mergers and Acquisitions (or M&A, as they're often called in the legal and business worlds) are typically discussed as a single concept.

This brings us to the basic workings of the concept. Generally, this starts either by one company deciding it wants to acquire another, or two companies mutually deciding they're be better off joining forces. From there, the deal is negotiated through, once again, the contract. There may be some additional regulatory issues if there's a cross-border transaction or if both companies are publicly held, or if the new company would result in some sort of a monopolistic anti-trust monster, but generally, there won't be too much government interference to worry about, unless a location happens to require particular permits. There is also always a tax element to pay attention to, but that applies on both a local and national level (as well as a state level in many places). Once all of the details are ironed out in negotiations, there is some sort of closing to sign the documents, and then the companies are re-assembled according to the terms of the agreement. As this is such a flexible process, given the flexibility of the agreements and the dramatic differences between potential parties, this is another occasion where tips are more appropriate than a guide.

1. Keep your position in perspective. Remember that no two transactions are alike, and your place respective to the other party in the deal may reflect directly on your bargaining power. If it's a merger, you probably can't force the other party into too many different directions. In an acquisition, I tend to believe the little guy often has more power than the big guy. Typically, in an acquisition, the big guy wants the little guy, and the little guy may be able to get a few extra perks because of that desire. Of course, individual situations do vary.
2. Each side needs independent counsel. Much like I stated in the previous part, everyone needs to have their interests represented independently. More than that, independence removes the appearance of impropriety in case the deal falls apart down the road.
3. Organization is the absolute key. Negotiations in these deals can, and do, drag on for months at a time. Without a pretty thorough organization, things will be overlooked. Your legal representation should handle organizing the documents and keeping you apprised of the word for word changes in redlined versions, but checklists help with the bigger picture.
4. Remember: Contracts are flexible. When it comes right down to it, most any outcome can be written into the contract. If you want to maintain separate offices, that can be done. If you want salaries locked in for 5 years, that can be done. If your big sticking point is making sure there's a frozen yogurt machine in the breakroom, that can be addressed too.
5. Build in a mechanism to resolve future issues. As much as every attorney wants to be sure the document accounts for every contingency and every alternative, inevitably something will come up. If a way to resolve issues is built into the contract, hopefully it will keep the deal from falling apart over unresolved problems, be they with healthcare or office attire or the number of action figures allowed in a cubicle.

In the grand scheme of things, M&As are pretty routine. They have been happening in business forever, and there are plenty of professionals who have significant background in these transactions. Now that the game industry is one of the biggest kids on the block, more traditional business issues will continue to arise in the industry and be well publicized, just as the recent events noted in Part 1 were.


*Note: There's no indication this would ever happen, but he's a recognizable example of the concept. This is not meant to create some grand rumor about a new studio in the works.

Check out this custom Red team flag. It would be cool if you had a Master Chief MJOLNIR armor suit and a Mongoose to go with it.

Source: eBay

Unreal Tournament 3 will be on Xbox 360 in 2008,

Epic VP Mark Rein has reassured gamers that UT3 will still be coming to the Xbox 360 in 2008, after a comment made by Epic president Mark Capps was taken out of context and implied at PS3-only release. After Rein's comment ended the inevitable flame-wars that erupted around the web, Rein went on to discuss Epic's desire to keep the PC version's system requirements down.

"The reason we put out a beta version of our demo was to get feedback on how well the game runs on older hardware." Rein said. While this doesn't exactly relate to the console versions, it is nice to be reassured that Epic is concerned with making the game as accessible as possible.

Mass Effect is a sci-fi action RPG created by BioWare, Mass Effect delivers an immersive, story-driven experience coupled with awe-inspiring visuals, delivered exclusively to the Xbox 360™.

As one of the first human beings to step onto the galactic stage, you face a grave threat that may destroy all of civilization. Your job is complicated by the fact that no one believes that there is any threat at all. Travel across an expansive universe, exploring the uncharted corners of the galaxy, searching for pieces of the truth in order to discover how to defeat the coming destruction.

Explore uncharted worlds: Uncover a mystery that defies imagination as you travel to the far corners of the universe. Visit unexplored planets, finding side quests that unfold parallel to the main story. Discover alien life, new resources, ruined civilizations, and powerful technologies.

Fight in real-time: Mass Effect features a real-time, squad-based, tactical combat system. Enjoy intense and exciting third-person action as you face off against your enemies. Engage your foes with ranged weapons, biotic powers, science-based magic, and tech powers, all accompanied by astonishing visuals.

Customize your character: Build a stunning, photo-realistic character, expanding your skills and statistics as you progress. Utilize a deep reward system as you travel further afield and discover more about the coming invasion. Change the appearance of your characters with the additions of newly discovered weapons, equipment, and armor to make each one truly unique.

Experience the next generation: Mass Effect takes full advantage of Xbox 360 hardware, providing players with photo-realistic high definition graphics, amazingly realistic characters, branching dialogue with A.I. responses, and a massive universe to explore. As the future of gaming continues to expand online, look for premium downloads on Xbox LIVE

Xbox 360 Mass effect trailer:

Down below is a leaked photo of Microsoft’s newest but yet to be released Xbox 360 Arcade package, the photo was first published by Ars Technica. It seems certain that this Arcade package will replace the cheap but popular Xbox 360 Core package. Microsoft has told the press to expect the price tag of the Arcade to be the same as Core which would be around $279 and that Arcade would contain more features than Core.
The estimated differences between Arcade and Core package are as below:
Other than that, Arcade would be pretty much the same as Core, but this is still an estimation, Microsoft might add more changes before it launches Arcade to the market. By offering more features while maintaining the same low price point with this Arcade package, Microsoft is planning to give more reasons for people to buy an Xbox 360.

What to do if you are sharing your connection from your PC to the Xbox 360 and you got a limited or no connectivity sign on your Local Area Connection???

There is a small IP conflict on your PC that needs to be resolved,
1. Go on PC to “Start”
2. Then “Control Panel”3. Go to “Network Connections”

4. You’ll find 2 main categories “Dial up” & “LAN or High–speed Internet”.
5. If you have more than one "Local Area Network" you must first know which of them is the connection to your Xbox 360 console, so unplug the cable that connects the PC to the console from the back of the PC and look which of them on the screen will turn to be unplugged, so that's the connection to the console, then reconnect the cable.
6. Under “Dial up” you’ll find your broadband connection, so right click on it & go to properties.
On the General tap you'll find a subtitle "this connection uses the following items" under this subtitle there are some options one of them is "Internet Protocol(TCP/IP)" double click on this one.Another new page will pop up including a "General" and "Alternate Configuration" set all the options here to automatic.

On General "Obtain an IP address automatically" , "Obtain DNS server address automatically" , On Alternate Configuration "Automatic private IP address".

You must now set all your connections this way, I mean even the "Local Area Connection" or the Broadband connection so all would be on the same configuration with no hassle at all.

Then Restart your PC and go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore To Factory Defaults", when it ask you to apply settings select "Test Xbox Live".

Hopefully this will work, please feed me back after all.

Watch this cool video of Micheal Turner, a very talented comic book artist who has worked on comics like Tomb Raider and Superman. The video was recorded at Wizard World LA 2006.

Source: Youtube (trunks696)
Wiki: Micheal Turner

The Pace of online gaming never slows down with super-fast BT Total Broadband!

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and choose from 3 options
First select the BT Total Broadband Package you want .
Then place your order for BT Broadband by clicking on the Order links there.

And don't forget after you have ordered to note down your order reference and ADSL number and go to http://www.btxbox.onlinerebates.com/ to claim your free 3 months free Membership and Microsoft Points codes.

Would you like to get superfast broadband speeds of up to 20Mb on cable, plus a fantastic phone service, and also get Xbox LIVE Gold Membership free - for a year?

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If so just sign up to Virgin Media Broadband and Phone packages and you'll be entilted to get this amazing offer.

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If your broadband's too slow, and your ping times are too high, you're toast. Virgin Broadband's top tier service is fastest for average ping, download and upload times (official).
That's because it comes via state of the art fibre-optic cable, unlike all the other providers who send theirs down telephone wires. There are other advantages too, like being able to download as many files and patches as you want, with no caps.

Prices start at just £9 a month when you take a phone service (for up to2Mb broadband). Plus, you get Xbox LIVE Gold Membership free for a year.
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Let’s face it; the past few years have not been kind to EA Sport’s flagship basketball franchise. The past few NBA Live titles have paled in comparison to 2K Sport’s NBA 2K games, getting trounced on the court for having weak gameplay and dismal features. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that EA Sports would go back to the drawing board, focusing on making the gameplay mechanics smooth and playable, while bringing the next-gen iterations up to speed with a good feature set. NBA Live 08 ups the ante with some features that range from pretty good to great and long overdue, as well as some excellent on-court mechanics and animations to pull you into the game. While not without a few foibles, NBA Live 08 is still the most compelling game to hit the franchise in years.

Anyone who’s played the series as of late would know that it didn’t exactly have the most fluid gameplay out there. In fact, the inside game was rubbish, the passing game made some utterly confounding mistakes, and the overall on-court experience was pretty weak. However, the team behind NBA Live 08 has attempted to address these issues as best as they can, and have been mostly successful in their efforts. As a result, NBA Live 08 plays leaps and bounds better than previous games in the series.

One element that the dev team have implemented to fix the on-court game is the new “own the paint” feature. This allows you to press the left bumper button and perform a variety of moves, like fake shots, alley oops, and so on to leave your opponents in the dust. This feature takes a bit of getting used to, as doing the wrong thing will often cost you possession of the ball. However, mastering it is extremely rewarding, and shows how the inside game has been vastly improved from last year’s iteration of the series. Additionally, the ball handling has been improved quite a bit. You can link together skill moves like combos in order to get the drop on your opponents. Do this right and you’ll clear yourself a patch to the hoop every time. However, only certain players can do this properly, and trying to do the quick strike ball handling with “less capable” players will cost you the ball.However, while the on-court play has been updated substantially, it’s still not perfect. The game still has some nagging issues. Shots are still mishandled by the game often, with players attempting to shoot from behind the backboard, or flubbing simple lay-ups and dunks. The AI is also a bit problematic, especially on defense, leaving areas wide open and allowing a clean lane to the basket for your opponent.

Aside from those issues, there’s a lot to love in NBA Live 08. The features from last year’s game, like the All-Star Weekend and dynasty mode, have returned. However, there are some great new features as well. The FIBA World Championship opens up the team roster to international teams, allowing you to face off countries against each other or even NBA teams. The scenario mode is also a nice addition, letting you play through randomized pseudo mission-based scenarios to test your B-ball mettle, and the quick pick mode lets you choose your own dream team of ten players from any team in the game and pit them against another team.

Xbox 360 NBA Live 08 trailer:

One huge addition to the game is the online leagues, which has been something that fans have been clamoring for some time now. The leagues have persistent rankings and rankings for each player, as well as a variety of tweaks that you can do in order to cater your own preferences, matching you up with similar players.

Graphically, the game is a big step-up from NBA Live 07 as well, thanks to its framerate boost to 60 frames per second and some much improved animations. The character models are also done very well, showcasing different body types and sizes as well as accurate facial models. Soundwise, the game is also quite good, with a diverse soundtrack, accurate commentary from Albert and Kerr and solid on-court effects.

NBA Live 08 isn’t without a few problems that have lingered from last year’s game, but the whole experience is generally much improved. The on-court game plays much better than before, and the new features are great additions to the franchise. This is the next-gen NBA Live that we’ve been waiting for since the 360 launched.

Microsoft announced today their Holiday Special. Starting at the end of October you can now get Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance free when you purchase the Xobx 360 for #349.99 (US) or the Xbox 360 Elite for $449.99. So if you're planning on getting a 360 anytime soon, I'd hold off till the end of October. Even if you don't like those two games, remember you can always trade them in at your local Gamestop, or equivalent there of, for a game you do like.

“Xbox 360 is home to the most critically acclaimed next generation games according to Metacritic.coms, the leading aggregator of game reviews from more than 100 publications,” said Microsoft in a statement.

“The most-respected game reviewers have spoken and according to them, Xbox 360 has more than double the games of the Playstation 3 and Wii receiving a score of 90 or higher.”

In an astonishingly anticlimactic ending to what could have been the landmark first case on virtual property, Bragg and Linden have entered into a confidential settlement agreement. And while I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the agreement to be leaked online, even if it were, there would still be no precedent set on virtual property from this case. I imagine it's only a matter of time until some other case does just what many of us expected from Bragg v. Linden, but we will have to wait and see what case does just that.

Previous Law of the Game Coverage can be found here.

[Via Virtually Blind, Game Politics]

Soccer has been dubbed “the beautiful game”. Unfortunately most soccer game offerings have been far from beautiful in their implementation. Fifa, as popular as the series has been has felt somewhat lacking to me, and in the past couple of years the series has had its nose blooded by the fast paced arcadey franchise that is Pro Evolution Soccer. Fortunately then, EA really stepped up to the mark for this year’s Fifa offering.

The new features list contains large numbers with many zeros, such as that players make 1000 decisions every second. These numbers mean little in isolation, but speak volumes in-game. The improved AI along with awesome ball physics (which are affected by factors such as wind speed, player balance, ball spin and air pressure) makes for a very realistic experience. Each iteration of Fifa has had its own nuances and Fifa 08 is no different. In fact it will take quite a bit of time with the game to really master its subtleties.

Fifa 08 has a much slower pace than many would be used to, which makes for a much more considered and tactical game. A game of to and fro, where there is a lot of passing and exploring to find a weakness in the opposition’s defense. In essence, it truly captures the feel of soccer. No longer can you subdue the opposition with wave after wave of attacks. Nor can you cross the ball magically into your striker’s feet from one side of the field to the other (this annoyed my old flatmates to no end). Instead you have to make space, shield the ball and really think about what you are doing, all while the opposition is relentlessly chasing your heels and blocking your passes. Fifa 08 also introduces a new version of the fatigue meter. This time round you cant sit with your finger jammed on the run button, as your total stamina will drop slowly over the game. You have to use short burst of speed.
Another bonus is the beefed up ball control. Passing has been very hit and miss in past iterations, usually involving pointing in the general vicinity and hoping for the best. In Fifa 08 this is much less the case, especially when you turn off passing assistance. The added control really does provide for some excellent build up play.

In my opinion Fifa 08 is quite possibly the most realistic soccer game I have played. I say this, because you have to play as you would on a real pitch. As I mentioned above, the ball physics are really impressive, and its fantastic to see defenders fight for the ball when its loose without it being magically sucked to one of the players feet like in previous versions. Lets not kid ourselves though, someone walking past your tv is not going to mistake it for a real game of soccer, but its as close as we have seen.

All this realism comes at a cost to the casual player…difficulty. Unless you are willing to put some time into the game, it is unlikely that you will be able to truly appreciate its subtle genius. It can be fairly frustrating and hard with goals few and far between. Like I said though, its fairly realistic. Unfortunately it is relatively unforgiving even on the easier setting. The steep learning curve and added difficulty may be a bit of a turn off to those not already familiar with the series.

Most of what I mentioned so far are more incremental improvements than anything new. This is where the Be A Pro mode comes in. In this mode you play as one player, rather than the entire team. This is such a good idea that it makes you wonder why it has not been done in the past. Unfortunately its not as full featured as you would hope, but it definitely makes me excited for the future. EA have also suggested that the game will eventually allow for five a side online games with each player being controlled individually. Normal multiplayer is great fun, and though I did not get time to try out the online leagues, one off matches against a real opponent are awesome. I experienced very little lag in my games, which is a definite bonus.

Given the recent news in the corporate realm for developers Bizarre Creations and Bungie, I thought it would be a good time to discuss some basics of corporate transactions. Accordingly, this will be the first of two articles on Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestments. Given that today is Bungie's "independence day," I thought it would be appropriate to start with divestments, even though the industry seems to have far more mergers and acquisitions.

The basic concept is a spin off. An element of a company, for one reason or another, is pushed into an independent entity, or to another acquiring company. In the event of the latter, the points on mergers and acquisitions are equally relevant.

It would be almost impossible to outline every element of a divestment, and no two divestments are identical just based on the differences between companies. Rather than try to explain the process in depth, this article will give a short outline and some points to keep in mind if your group is being divested.

Generally, a divestment starts with a decision from some level of the corporation that the group needs to be spun off. Once the decision is ratified by the necessary people, then a new entity is set up to move the group into. The assets of the group are then sold to the new entity, and someone is appointed to be the head of the entity. The staff is then re-hired to the new entity, but typically all of this happens in a very short period of time with essentially no lag between the old and the new. Often, the original parent takes an interest in the new entity in exchange for the things being given to the new entity. The alternative is generally a promissory note of some sort, whereby the new entity will pay off the things they're getting from the old company.

Some important points to consider if your group is being divested:
1. Don't panic. Don't take it personally. Ultimately, this is just a business decision, and it's hard for a lot of people to separate "business" and "personal." If you treat it as a business decision and stay calm, it will make the transition a lot easier.
2. Get independent counsel. Odds are that a company large enough to have a divestment usually has an in house counsel or a law firm they do most of their deals with whom you've met or been used to dealing with. No matter how much you trust them, you want your own, independent counsel from an unrelated firm who has experience with transactions. When it comes right down to it, you want to have someone who is in your corner and has no possibility of having a divided interest. There is really no scenario under which this is a bad idea.
3. Make sure you get the important stuff in writing. Promises that are not in writing are generally not going to be honored. That is the unfortunate truth. However, if you took point 2 to heart, you will likely have an attorney you hired saying the same thing. If they promise you can take your really popular game series with you, from engine to trademark, make sure it's in a signed writing.
4. The whole thing is governed by the contract. This relates back to point 3. Typically, the writing in question is going to be the contract itself or an exhibit to the contract. There are really two important things to remember here:

1. If it's not in the contract, it's not going to happen.
2. A contract is an infinitely flexible document, and pretty much anything you want can be drafted into it, given a little work and, in some cases, creative thinking.

5. Make sure to resolve everything. One thing counsel should be able to offer you is experience, and that experience means most every little detail and strange contingency should be addressed in the contract. Keep in mind there is more to deal with than just the IP you created in the company. Things like what happens to employee health benefits, office furniture, parking spaces, etc. are all important. Moreover, if you're keeping the same office space, there will likely be a number of lease issues to deal with, or if the company owns the building, a lease will need to be drawn up. Even issues like interim working capital may be in the agreement, if separate funding is not occurring. Because there are so many details and contingencies, point 2 is really relevant from the time the decision is made since even the location and/or structure of the new entity can have different effects on things like taxation.

All in all, transactions like this occur daily in the corporate world, and so the basic concepts apply to all industries.

Two comments to the Bungie deal specifically:
1. If you're expecting the Bungie IPO to follow shortly, it seems unlikely in the immediate future given the choice of an LLC as an entity. Not to say it couldn't happen, but the choice of an LLC seems to suggest that isn't an immediate goal.
2. This might give more viability to the Halo DS theories.

A novel/comic book series that was popularized in a series of 80’s movies starring a certain “governator” in the titular role, Conan the Barbarian is experiencing a revival of sorts, at least in the video-game universe. Funcom is currently developing an MMORPG for the PC called Age of Conan. On the other side of the fence, however, THQ is publishing their own game featuring the Cimmerian hero.

Simply called Conan, the game takes a straight-forward action approach to the license, drawing heavy inspiration from games like God of War to make for some intense moments. Conan doesn’t bear much of a resemblance to the Schwarzenegger films, as it draws exclusively from the works of Robert E. Howard.

The combat feels a lot like God of War. The camera is controlled by the game, with the right thumbstick dedicated to performing rolls and dodges. You perform combos by combining quick attacks with stronger ones, block and perform reversals. Additionally, the game has an orb collection system that allows you to collect red orbs from defeated enemies to spend on upgrades and new moves. Also like in God of War, the game has some real-time sequences where you have to push a button at the right time in order to perform certain actions, like tapping the B button to pull open a heavy door and so on.

One main difference between the two is that Conan allows you to pick up and use the weapons of your fallen foes. Single-handed blades can be dual-wielded, and two-handed blades add extra power at the cost of some speed. You can throw weapons at your enemies too, adding some range to your weapon repertoire. Using the B Button, you can perform “camel punches” and grabs, letting you throw enemies into others to others as well as objects in the environment.

Xbox 360 Conan Trailer:

In terms of speed and pacing, the game does move noticeably slower than GoW. The action doesn’t feel quite as smooth as a result, and loses a bit of fluidity when it comes to performing combos and one-hit kill reversals. However, since the build was in preview form, this issue could be cleaned up before the game ships. The game wears its M-Rating on its sleeve, as the violence level is quite high, as those familiar with the license would expect. You’ll chop through hordes of enemies, spewing blood and hewing limbs and heads at every turn.

Graphically, the game looks pretty good. The character models and environments are done in the style of Frank Franzetta, renowned fantasy illustrator, resulting in a very stylized look. The lighting effects and textures boast the same quality, lending a comic book feel to the game. The sound effects sound pretty good, the score is impressive and the voice work features Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Blade: Trinity) in the title role.

Conan may seem a bit derivative, but the action is actually quite fun in a gory guilty-pleasure sort of way. Look for it to hit later this October.