www.gamedaily.com

Like many game developers, Quantic Dream’s CEO believes cut scenes are bad. With Heavy Rain, he hopes to redefine electronic storytelling forever.
by John Gaudiosi on Thursday, December 04, 2008
PARIS–The term “interactive entertainment” has been bandied about for almost as long as “convergence,” but next year’s PlayStation 3 exclusive Heavy Rain could give new meaning to both. That is, if all goes according to the plans of Quantic Dream’s president and CEO David Cage.

“We want to create experiences that engage the player emotionally and we want to explore the potential of interactive storytelling,” said Cage, who opened the doors to his Parisian studio to a small group of American journalists. “Our goal is to create a new format for an adult audience. This stems from the idea that there are a lot of kids’ games out there, but I’m 39. I was born with videogames, but I don’t want to play the same games I did when I was 12.”

Even at this stage, characters in Heavy Rain look amazingly lifelike.

Quantic Dream’s Indigo Prophecy, a critically acclaimed but poorly marketed PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox game from Atari, was the first step in the direction that Cage and his team focused on. Heavy Rain is a film noir thriller, based on interactive story telling that changes based on the player’s actions, choices and consequences.

“It’s much more a journey than a series of obstacles,” said Cage. “It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride that should give players pleasure through a deep range of emotions.

Depth and meaning is important for us. We want players to have an interest in the characters and care about the characters. We try to tell a story that means something and makes you think a little bit. It’s not about a battle between good and evil but something that makes you think as a human being.”

Cage is keeping mum on the plot, in part because it changes depending on how one plays the game. A professional musician who gravitated to gaming 11 years ago after designing music for games, Cage spent 15 months writing 6,000 pages of notes and references and the 2,000-page script that powers Heavy Rain. The porous script is packed with 30,000 words of non-linear dialogue, which has been brought to life by a cast of 70 actors and stuntmen. Currently, a development team of over 220 people will bring the extensive motion-captured action — the largest ever for a videogame — into a narrative that gamers can explore.

“The key was to find a structure that had a solid backbone and a potential for non-linearity and then I introduce a fractal structure, since we don’t tell a story that’s 90 minutes long like a typical Hollywood film,” said Cage. ” Each scene becomes a short movie in itself. Sometimes parts of a scene have that same structure. It’s interesting to have consistency between this.”

Despite the gargantuan script and the unprecedented 170-day mo-cap shoot, players won’t find many cut scenes in Heavy Rain. Cage uses cut scenes only when there is no other way to relay part of the story. The core of the gameplay is for the story to unfold around the player. Like many game developers, Cage believes cut scenes are bad.

“We only use cut scenes for really key moments when there’s nothing to play,” said Cage. “Each scene must offer something strong that matters in narrative and gameplay. You can’t just have a fantastic story but nothing to play or vice versa. It’s a challenge to find both an interactive and storytelling component in every scene.”

Taking a cue from another Hollywood medium, television, Cage has crafted a story that offers scenes that can be played quickly and seamlessly. This should open up gameplay to a more mainstream audience, just as Sony’s PS3 is reaching a larger install base of global consumers.

“This is not a game where you spend four hours in a set and then come back two hours later because we have to reuse the set,” said Cage. “We want to surprise you. Many things will change from one scene to another. This is a good thing for the way people play games today. Sometimes people play four or five hours in row and sometimes they just want to play for a short time. You can jump in and play a scene if you want.”

Although Cage was coy with revealing much about the actual story, some clues did come to life through his presentation. He sent a small team of artists to New York for two weeks to take digital pictures and videos as reference for the story, which will take place on the East Coast of the United States. A train station that was shown in a real-time 3-D level was called Lexington Terminal, so it’s not clear whether the city in Heavy Rain will be an actual city or a fictitious setting. Ethan Mars is the protagonist of the story, and there is a serial killer called the Origami Killer, who will likely serve as the antagonist. There will also be a love interest named Famille.

Cage won’t likely unveil much more about the actual plot because he wants people to enjoy an experience that will be unique depending on how the player interacts with this promising video game, set to release sometime in 2009.

www.nextgn.com

A French website - jv247 - reports that firmware 2.53 for PlayStation 3 originally was suppose to include Playstation 2 backwards compatibility update but it was pulled at the last minute. They also say that it may be added in a future update and that Playstation 2 games might appear on the Playstation Store. ESRB is backing up the rumor by rating a Playstation 2 game - “Rayman 2: Revolution” for PlayStation 3.

www.psxextreme.com

Hey! Talk about springing up out of the blue…of course, this may only refer to UK gamers right now, but let’s hope this includes North America as well.

As you can see by this update over at the SCEE forums, the PlayStation Home servers will be offline until 7 a.m. today (UK time), while Sony makes a few new changes. Once it’s back, beta testers will finally be able to purchase new items from the stores in the Mall, which have been closed up until this point. Of course, we’re still not sure exactly how we’ll go about buying this new stuff - a concrete mode of gathering funds hasn’t been established yet - but we’re hoping to nab a few new things for our temporary Home space today. We’d also like to know if anything we buy now will transfer over when Home becomes an open public beta later this month, but that’s just another question that may not be answered immediately. For the time being, we remain impressed with what we’ve seen of Home so far, and we’re fully convinced it will become a very special and revolutionary service over the next few years.

If this only applies to testers in the UK, then it’s too bad for everyone else. But we’ll find out soon enough, and we look forward to any new updates Sony provides.

Of course Kanye’s sales were going to take a drop from the 957k he did with, “Graduation.” The economy, no battle wit 50 and an entirely different style had less people buying his album this time around. Ludacris dropped one of the best Rap albums of the year with, “Theater of The Mind,” and sold a good 212k during the first week of sales. Beyonce is still going strong with 254k sold.

gamestation.co.uk

It seems that LittleBigPlanet may not have done as bad as most thought it did. The charts of UK retailer Gamestation shows Sackboy - Sony’s creative ray of hope - at the top of the charts. Call of Duty 5: World at War (XBOX 360) comes in at second place followed by Mario Kart Wii, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Fallout 3 (XBOX 360).

www.gamercenteronline.net

Well, if you’re a fan of the movie, like me, you may already know that Ghostbusters is more about jokes then scares, but there also was a creepy side to it. I mean that’s what made Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters. And what should make the game any different?

Appearently, shifting from Sierra to Atari gave Terminal Reality some time to work on Ghostbusters creepy side. When speaking in London today CVG was told by Drew Haworth of Terminal Reality that, “[Terminal Reality] added some more creepy elements, a couple of more puzzle elements… we feel that the combat is in a very solid spot.”

Ghostbusters: The Game was one of the most unfortunate victims of Activision’s merger with original publisher Vivendi, which left the game floating in limbo, until Atari came to TR’s rescue.

“[The move to Atari] allowed us to go back and tweak and see ‘oh, this experience would be enhanced here by adding more scares, more cooldown areas… - pacing basically. We also upgraded some of the in-game cinematics.” add Haworth.

“It wasn’t frustrating as much as our course has changed now,” Haworth said of the switch. “We were certainly happy to get a new publisher. After Vivendi decided not to publish the game we were surprised more than anything else. It also allows us an extension to polish and improve the quality of the game”.

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Remember all the talk during the presidential campaign about a middle-class tax cut? It could be showing up in your paycheck early next year.
As the debate heats up over how to pull the economy from the ledge, it’s likely that tax cuts for the middle-class will play a central role.

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President-elect Barack Obama hopes to have a massive economic stimulus plan waiting for his signature when he takes office on Jan. 20. It’s expected to include hundreds of billions in spending on infrastructure and green energy, but he also made clear last week that he wants it to also feature tax cuts to lower- and middle-income Americans.

Tax cuts are “part and parcel of what we need when it comes to stimulus,” Obama said last week.

“We’re going to be putting money in people’s pockets so that they can spend on buying a new computer for their kid’s school, so that they can, you know, make sure that they are able to deal with heat and groceries and all the other strains on the family budget,” he added.

The long-term benefit, in his view: It would create more fairness in the tax code.

One promise he made but may hold off on for awhile: the reversal of some of the Bush tax cuts for high-income taxpayers, who are roughly defined as individuals making more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000. Specifically, Obama has said he would increase the top two income tax rates and the capital gains rate to their pre-2001 levels.

Mindful that a tax increase during a recession might do more harm than good, he and his advisers have left open the possibility that they might wait to implement the increases until 2011, rather than next year. “Whether [the tax rate changes are] done through repeal or whether that’s done because the Bush tax cuts are not renewed is something that my economic team will be providing me a recommendation on,” Obama said at a press conference last week.

Tax cut considerations

Some economists think tax cuts for the middle class might be one way to create or save some of the 2.5 million jobs Obama has promised over the next two years if lawmakers put together the kind of stimulus package he envisions.

Others say it’s a bad idea.

“It would be a serious mistake to enact tax cuts aimed at increasing already excessive consumption,” wrote Stephen Roach, chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, in the New York Times last week. “The Obama administration needs to encourage the sort of saving that will put consumers on sounder financial footing and free up resources.”

So what kind of tax cuts are being considered? Obama’s transition team isn’t offering details yet and one Democratic aide on the Hill told CNNMoney.com that specifics have not yet been discussed.

But in talking about his economic recovery package, Obama has mentioned his campaign promise to offer a “net tax cut” for “95% of American workers.”

One option that could get Obama a good way toward that 95% is his proposed Making Work Pay credit — a centerpiece promise in his campaign. The credit would essentially work as a payroll tax credit equal to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples.

The credit would have an income threshold. Only those making $75,000 or less ($150,000 or less for couples) would get the full credit. Individuals making between $75,000 and $85,000 (and couples making between $150,000 and $170,000) would get a partial credit.

The credit also would be refundable, meaning that even tax filers without any tax liability — typically very low-income workers — would receive one.

Rather than mail out checks to consumers, the IRS, together with employers, could coordinate a change in how much money is withheld from workers’ paychecks, so they’d simply get a bigger paycheck.

Economist Mark Zandi, however, believes a payroll tax credit like the kind Obama has proposed could be tricky to implement because it’s based on income. As a result, it could take longer to take effect than, say, an across-the-board payroll tax holiday — a temporary suspension of the payroll tax viewed by some as another way to boost spending.

“Under the Obama payroll tax credit, payroll and other accounting software would have to be recoded and implemented across many businesses,” said Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com.

Even though the short-term impact of such a credit could be muted, it has more potential bang for the buck in the long run than a tax holiday.

“A payroll tax credit would provide more of a spending boost since it is a permanent change in the tax code,” Zandi said. “Households are more likely to spend a tax cut if it is the result of a permanent change rather than a temporary one.”

www.videogamer.com

The PSP isn’t doing too badly when you think about it. Sony entered a handheld market that had been completely dominated by Nintendo for years and managed to take a decent chunk. The problem is that there just aren’t enough games. When you think back to all the great PSP games you’ve played this year, and what’s on the horizon, there aren’t too many. So, in an attempt to spur Sony and the rest of the video game world into action, we’ve put together a list of the PSP games that, if they were ever to come to fruition, could save the PSP in 2009.

World of Warcraft Handheld Edition

World of Warcraft is played by over 11 million people across the world. It’s the most popular MMORPG on the planet, but once you leave the house, and the comfort of your PC gaming chair, that’s it. No more Warcraft. What if a handheld version of the game, one that allowed WoW players to genuinely affect their in-game characters, perhaps through item creation, auction house interaction, character customisation and guild management, were to be released on the PSP? We reckon that would sell bucket loads, and would probably make many of those 11 million WoW players at least consider buying a PSP, if they haven’t got one already. You wouldn’t even have to be online via a hotspot for many of these gameplay elements. You could, after importing your character data to the PSP, level up trade skills and professions offline, as well as check statistics, fiddle with weapon and equipment set-ups and anything else that doesn’t require interaction with other players, and then sync your character data up when you got back to your home PC. If there’s one title that’s a stone wall system seller, it’s World of Warcarft, and with Blizzard’s merger with the multi-platform kings Activision, it’s more likely than you think.

www.TechRadar.com

So Atari has finally pulled back the curtain on its new line-up for early 2009, with a solid number of interesting new titles announced.

And while there was nothing particularly surprising in the line-up, as TechRadar reported yesterday, it was certainly nice to see a once great gaming brand look like it was back on the up.

Since the announcements, one question has been whispered around the TechRadar office – can Phil Harrison save Atari? Can the ex-Sony man turn around the slow-burning financial disaster that the once-mighty Atari had become in recent years?

Experiment early, fail cheaply

“I think Phil Harrison can save Atari,” says GamesMaster magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Robin Always.

“Possibly not with the fairly traditional line-up of console releases they’ve just announced, but with their commitment to internet-based, in-the-browser gaming and shaking up the development process with their ‘experiment earlier and fail more cheaply’ approach.”

“Phil Harrison can certainly talk the talk,” opines TechRadar’s very own Patrick ‘Gaming’ Goss, “and frankly the Atari brand deserves better than it has had for the last few years.”

Goss adds that he thinks “gamers want to love Atari again, and by signing up Mizuguchi, Harrison is taking a large step in the right direction.” We look forward to reading his extended musings on the topic on his weekly MSN Gaming Goss column sometime very soon!

Needs to raise its PC game

“Atari’s track record recently has been patchy, but their recent announcements show continuing faith in new IPs, which is impressive given how conservative most publishers are right now,” thinks PC Gamer’s Editor, Ross Atherton.

“Alone in the Dark showed that they need more patience and expertise at the closing stages of a project, and I really hope they’ve learned from the abortive release of that game – its fantastically imaginative mechanics were woefully under-polished.

“They will need to raise their game in this regard when it comes to Demigod, which looks a very exciting signing, and could be the start of a great new IP for a publisher who own precious few.”

A publisher to watch

PC Zone’s newly-appointed Editor, Ali Wood, agrees with us that, “obviously Phil Harrison made a great impact at Sony, responsible for some of the most innovative games of our time.”

Wood also reiterates our hope that “with his experience and reputation, his appointment at Atari can only be a good thing; he’s already recruited a leading development talent in SingStar creator Paulina Bozek, but with this in mind you have to wonder if Atari will be looking to focus on the mass market gaming audience.”

Wood also adds that, “Atari has never been best known for its PC product, so it will certainly be interesting to see what impact Harrison has on this. Nonetheless, having been through many changes in recent months (and years), Harrison’s enviable developer contacts and influence on Atari can only be a good thing.

“His appointment has confirmed Atari is going nowhere and I think they’re going to be one of the publishers to watch.”

By Adam Hartley

www.insert-credits.com

Just got home from work (yes..I have a real job!) to find out that the infamous NBA2K9 has been finally fucking patched!

Let me remind everyone why this is such a big deal….for the past 5-6 years(?) 2K Sports have made NBA2K THE basketball series of choice for anyone who calls themselves a videogame basketball fan. Ever since the Dreamcast I’ve been in love with the series, great graphics, awesome mix between sim/arcade and the best animations in any sports game PERIOD.

Enter NBA2K9, I rented it from Gamefly after waiting patiently for a year only to find out that the game was SUPER-GIMPED. No 2K camera option (a camera view made famous by the series), framerate issues, several game crushing bugs and worst of all the online part of the game (the meat and potatoes) blew dragon balls since you couldnt connect to anyone 70% of the time. Also 2K Sports decided in all their infinite wisdom that it was best to remove the option for players to set up ranked matches on their own and instead opted for a random opponent type of thing, this left countless players up in arms on their forums including me, I quickly returned it back to Gamefly because it was a waste of my time.

Looks like I’ll have to re-add it into my rental queue since the patch does away with most if not all the problems, check out some of the fixes :

Online

Player Match Crash – It was discovered on launch day that when a certain number of users simultaneously select the ‘Player Match’ option, the game will eventually crash when looping through the available players.

Team-Up Lag – An intense round of optimization has taken place for the Team-Up experience. The changes made grant significant speed improvements for users on slower broadband connections such as lower-end DSL connections. The end result is a much smoother gameplay experience for everyone.

‘2K’ Cam – In order to increase user satisfaction with the title, we have added the ‘2K’ camera angle as a playable camera angle when playing online.

First FT Lag / Difficulty – The first free throw of an online game had a variable amount of lag depending on which camera was chosen for the shot. We have corrected this issue by asserting a fixed camera for this shot that eliminates any controller lag. In addition to this, the ‘make’ window for free throws in online play has been increased to account for the timing difference.

Waiting For Opponent – Users with poor connections were causing the game to loop too long on the “Waiting for Opponent” dialog before continuing on into the game. We’ve cleaned up this behavior to place players into the game in a much quicker fashion.

Quick Match Connection Problems – An issue was identified where users were being re-directed to the online FAQ instead of being taken into a game. This message will now only appear in appropriate situations.

Online League Injuries – In online leagues, injured players that were taken off the roster weren’t healing. The game now properly detects injured players and heals them in the appropriate time frame regardless of where they are placed on the roster.

PS3 Voice / Team-Up – An issue was uncovered where voice chat would drop or become intermittent when more than two users were talking simultaneously. This issue has been resolved.

Team-Up Cameras – The Broadcast camera for Team-Up has been optimized to show the user a better balance of their player, the ball, and they player they should be guarding. Also, 2K Cam has been added to the list of cameras the user can use during Team-Up play.

They seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

c9049Okay, so that is referring to the Scarlet Pimpernel, a fictional English nobleman who disguises himself and sneaks French noblemen (and women) out of France back to England, confounding the silly peasants-turned-rulers of post-revolutionary France.

But what if he was really Altair, previously the assassin climbing and stabbing his way through Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus during the Crusades in the game Assassin’s Creed? After all, they both sneak around during a chaotic violent period of history trying to do a greater good.

Well, if it was to be him, he’d have to have aged incredibly well, found the fountain of youth or a time machine, or be a product of ancient cloning technology. Or maybe it wouldn’t actually be him, but a relative following in his footsteps several generations later.

liberty-copyIf recent rumours are to be believed, the next Assassin’s Creed may indeed take place in 1700s France around the time of the French Revolution. And why not?

We already know from the first game that in the future what we believe is a relative of the famous Altair is being probed for his ‘genetic memories’. Apparently the future isn’t interested in his relatives that were school teachers or pig farmers and are concentrating on those that were important instruments in history.

The French Revolution was a huge historic period of upheaval where the notion of absolute rule by the monarchy and the aristocrats was turned on its head when the downtrodden, starving, smelly, diseased peasants, incited by the intellectuals and merchant class, revolt and start killing off their so-called betters.
bastille

Storming of the Bastille Prison during the French Revolution

When they ran out of them, they followed by killing each other off too during the Reign of Terror. Of course the ideas of freedom, equality, and brotherhood were all dandy but repression was more fun. It was just that repression was now carried out by the lay-people, not just upper crust lords and ladies in wigs.
The other monarchies of Europe felt threatened by the French Revolution and so attack. Napoleon fights them and wins. For awhile anyway.

Enter Altair, or his relative. Mayhem everywhere by everyone. Again the question arises: who are the good guys fighting for long-term peace, and who are the manipulators making war to further their own agendas? Storm the Bastille and free the unjustly imprisoned! Kill off the warmongering nobles from the other nations. Kill off the backstabbing leaders of France who like the guillotine way too much to be healthy in the head! Assassinate all the enemies of peace! Vive La Revolution!
The view from Notre’ Dame Cathedral

The view from Notre

Of course Paris back then was not the romantic Eiffel Towered city it is today. It was an overcrowded mess full of beggars to get in Altair’s (or his relative’s) way (didn’t you love the pesky beggars in the first game?) and full of cut-throat gangs for you to kill off when they torment poor old women.

You won’t be able to climb the Eiffel Tower, but there is still Notre Dame Cathedral, which was desecrated during the Revolution in the 1790s, and the Bastille Castle, which was destroyed during the Revolution.

Obviously there were guns then and not just swords which you might think would change the gameplay a bit. Those guns were only muskets and so would take awhile to reload.: Very much like the archers in the first game, then.

Cannons might complicate things, but climbing while they destroy the environment around you might be fun.

aztectotI think this time period has a lot of potential. I really don’t agree with those who think going to the East and doing a ninja theme is the way to go.

We have had plenty of games that deal with samurais and ninjas. I also disagree heavily with going modern until maybe the third game. Even then I’d rather only part of it is done there. Some think it will be in the Mayan or Aztec period, which might be different.

The Crusader sack of Constantinople due to Venice’s manipulation might have been good. There you had the Crusaders all ready to recapture Jerusalem, only to get into debt with the Venetians who were to transport them there.

crusade-10The Venetians then force the Crusaders to pay off their debt by agreeing to sack the still Christian bastion of Constantinople (present day Istanbul). Lots of manipulators against peace there, plus two great cities in Venice and Constantinople.

Just as unlikely but interesting would be going further back in time to Ancient Rome, Egypt, or Babylon.

Assassin’s Creed was an amazing technical achievement and if they can reproduce and expand on that in the second and concentrate on having an increased diversity of missions, the game should be a hit. That is If they choose the right time and place…

Hopefully soon we will have a confirmed Assassin’s Creed 2 location.
Until then, we seek him here, we seek him there….

xboxoz360gamer.com

When the game begins Lara is trying to escape her mansion which is engulfed in fire. The level looks very impressive with flames, heat haze and embers. The lighting is done really well and one version benefits from dynamic shadows. Yes, you read that right. One version. That would be the PlayStation 3. For some reason the engine team decided to make the shadows and lighting static in the Xbox 360. The only lighting effects you will see are on Lara. And this is a shame because the flicker of the flames light on the architecture and the dancing shadows really look great in motion. We were really hoping that this was just an isolated case, but unfortunately it wasn’t.
After escaping the mansion you jump back one week earlier and are treated to Lara in a wetsuit aboard her yacht. Lara climbs down a ladder and enters the hull of the ship. This is where the games shadow system has some more problems on the Xbox 360. In the PS3 version everything in the room is shadowed nicely. Whereas on the Xbox 360 version it appears like everything is in broad daylight. Not a hint of shadow.

On the surface the ocean water looks amazing in both versions, some of the best I have seen in a game. Even under the water looks impressive with light rays piercing the deep. The second level takes you to the ruins of an underwater temple. Once inside you discover the temple’s main rooms are in an air pocket. But don’t think you will stay dry, water is everywhere - running down walls, dripping from the ceiling and shining caustics on the walls. Well, at least in one version. Yup, déjà vu. The Xbox 360 is missing the animated caustics (light reflecting off water) on the walls and the water sheeting down walls and onto the floor. When you look at the areas that should have water rolling down the wall, it almost looks like it is there…just paused. And this brings up an interesting glitch.

Once you make your way to the end of the level and see the “explosive” cut scene you will find out that you need to escape the temple. Enter everyone’s favorite play mechanic - backtracking. On the trip back we did notice something that wasn’t there before in the Xbox 360 version. Running water. Something in the cutscene triggered the water sheeting effect to come online. It also appears that the PlayStation 3 is running antialised whereas the Xbox 360 is not. Some areas on the Xbox 360 is simply jag-tastic.

Roll over image to see the differences. Please be patient as the image loads.
Tomb Raider Underworld controls well on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And by well, I mean identical. The PlayStation 3 version does not offer any kind of SIXAXIS control, which isn’t a bad thing. I like controlling Lara the way she is.
And the last bit of earth to uncover is the load times. Tomb Raider Underworld doesn’t have an installation on the PlayStation 3. The initial load times aren’t quick, but restarting the level only takes about 5 seconds on both versions.

www.ps3forums.com

DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. will tell Congress that it plans to return to a pretax profit or break even in 2011 when the Detroit Three automakers’ CEOs appear before lawmakers this week to request $25 billion in government loans.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally said he’ll work for $1 per year if the company has to take any government loan money.

After grilling the CEOs at hearings last month, Congressional leaders demanded plans from the automakers by Tuesday to show that they will survive if they get federal funds. The plan Ford submitted said the company will cancel all management employees’ 2009 bonuses and will not pay any merit increases for its North American salaried employees next year.

The company also said it will sell its five corporate aircraft. The CEOs of all three Detroit automakers were harshly criticized during last month’s hearings for flying to Washington in separate corporate jets.

Mulally said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that Ford will give much more detail to Congress than it did previously, and the company will emphasize the steps it has taken to cut its labor

news.yahoo.com

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www.thisis50.com

By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY
Free broadband for America has inched closer to reality: The plan, after two years of debate, is finally on the calendar for a full vote by the Federal Communications Commission.

Assuming the plan is approved at the FCC’s Dec. 18 meeting, one of the agency’s last before President-elect Barack Obama takes office, free broadband could become reality within a year.

First proposed in 2006, the plan calls for a chunk of airwaves called AWS-3 (now idle) to be used for wireless broadband across the USA. Under terms contemplated by the FCC, the winner of the AWS-3 auction would have to reserve at least 25% of network capacity for free broadband.

The winner would be allowed to charge for other services, including premium broadband that would offer faster speeds.

Assuming there are no last-minute snags, the AWS-3 auction will take place next year.

The FCC plans to impose several conditions. Among them: The winner will be required to launch free broadband with a filter that automatically blocks adult content. Users can remove the filter once they’ve confirmed that they are at least 18 years old.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has championed the idea of free broadband. Martin is particularly concerned about rural areas, where dial-up and satellite-based Internet still rule. Dial-up isn’t fast enough to handle interactive fare, including video streaming. Satellite has the muscle, but broadband-strength speeds can cost $100 or more a month.

About 38% of rural households have broadband. In urban and suburban areas, where competition for customers can be fierce, the numbers are a lot higher, 57% and 60%, respectively. Martin says free broadband can help bridge the gap. “This initiative brings with it the promise of a free basic broadband service to hundreds of thousands of Americans who currently have limited or no access to the high-speed Internet,” Martin said in a statement prepared for USA TODAY.

Big wireless carriers, which stand to lose customers — and profits — if free broadband takes off, have criticized the FCC’s plan.

The harshest critic is T-Mobile. The carrier paid $4 billion two years ago to buy the spectrum that abuts the AWS-3 block. T-Mobile claims the FCC’s plan will cause service disruptions for its customers. The FCC disagrees.

Despite opposition from incumbents, the plan has a number of strong supporters. Chief among them is the company that dreamed up the idea initially, M2Z, a wireless start-up backed by Kleiner Perkins, the big Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

Milo Medin, M2Z’s co-founder and a broadband pioneer, says that in addition to being a big positive for consumers, the plan is consistent with Obama’s belief in the power of private-public partnerships. While free broadband alone won’t close the divide between digital haves and have nots, Medin says it’s a good start.

WWW.USATODAY.COM

According to TMZ:

Chicago cops have arrested William Balfour for the murders of Jennifer Hudson’s mom, brother, and nephew.

Balfour was transferred to CPD custody today after they served an arrest warrant. Charges from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office are pending.

Story developing …
www.thisis50.com

By Kris Erickson
Posted on Dec 1, 2008

Rockstar Games announced this week that the episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV will cost $20. It will also be available in shops, as a special token that players can buy to later download the game via Xbox Live. The company has set an ambitious price for their downloadable content, asking a higher price than many other companies dare for additional gameplay. For example, Lionhead has recently announced an upcoming add-on pack for Fable 2 that will retail for around $10 (800 Microsoft points). Like Lost and Damned, the Fable 2 DLC adds new weapons, characters, and story details to the core adventure. So, is the Lost and Damned DLC worth $20? The short answer is, it depends.

It depends of course, on whether Rockstar can really deliver the goods with this heavily hyped downloadable content. At $20 per episode, Rockstar is essentially asking fans to plunk down the entire retail cost of the game one more time, in order to enjoy some zany new adventures in what amounts to the same game world. Here is what would make Lost and Damned worth $20 of our hard earned GameFlavor bucks:

# If Rockstar includes some new map areas to explore, with new things to do in those areas, this would be a step in the right direction. ($6)

# If Lost and Damned has an entertaining plot and cast of characters that carry the story for at least 6 hours, we would be even happier. ($6)

# Each episode of DLC should come with new challenges to complete that make creative use of the environment of Liberty City. ($4)

# Finally, we want a whole bunch of interesting little extras like weapons, outfits, vehicles and music to round out the experience. ($4)

If Rockstar can pull off all of these things with the first episode of downloadable content, then we will be happy customers. There will also be a much higher chance that we will be excited to do it all again when the second episode finally arrives. The Lost and Damned is expected to go on sale this February 17.

Capcom Japan’s online store has put up a pre-sale page for the limited edition of Biohazard 5, a.k.a. Resident Evil 5 to us gaijin. It’s a handsome LE treatment for the game, and is interesting in that PS3 and 360 will each receive their own variation with unique bonuses.

Set to go on sale March 3, 2009 at ¥12,800 ($137), both LE sets include a 2GB Tricell USB drive, 32-page art book, and BSAA “Waist Pocket” like the characters in the game wear. On the PS3 side, the game’s Blu-ray Disc will include a making-of documentary; the 360 edition will actually come in two flavors: a Deluxe Edition, which includes a Biohazard 5 Selection Track soundtrack CD, and the Limited Edition which … doesn’t. The 360 “DE” will apparently be even more limited than the LE.

Capcom hasn’t revealed plans for a US limited edition for either version of RE5, but, given the increase in volume of premium bundles in the last two years alone, we’d be surprised if its marketing folk don’t come up with something special for Western gamers.

I wasn’t expecting to write anything today, but I guess i will drop a quick note. The firmware 2.53 for PlayStation 3 is now online and ready to be downloaded. I am downloading it right now and this update will grant fellow PS3′ers the following abilities to the web browser:

1. Full-screen mode playability
2. Live movie (using RTMP format) playability

Videos

Wii Music Tips 2: The Overdubbing Concept
Wii Music Tips 3: The Overdubbing and Be-Bops
Animal Crossing: Moving from DS to Wii
Lisa Kudrow cooks Kung Pao Chicken
Personal Trainer: Cooking - Girls cook Crab Cakes
Personal Trainer: Cooking - Demo is Available NOW
Call of Duty: World at War Wii Gameplay
Castlevania Judgment Info Video
Boingz Info Video
Sudoku Challenge! Info Video
Digest Video

Demos (Expire 11/30)

Personal Trainer: Cooking Mac & Cheese Demo
Soul Bubbles Demo
Walt Disney Pictures Bolt Demo
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King Demo

In a profile on 60 Minutes of Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps last night, it was revealed that a Michael Phelps video game is in the works. No other details about the game were revealed.

Phelps, who’s eight gold medals at the Beijing games are more than than any athlete has ever won at the games, is no stranger to video games.

In August he received a promotional copy of Call of Duty: World at War on The Early Show and more recently, he appeared in a commercial for Guitar Hero: World Tour. Video of both appearances can be found at the bottom of the article.

Call of Duty: World at War and Guitar Hero: World Tour are both published by Activision, so it might not be a stretch to deduce that Activision is hard at work on a Michael Phelps game.

Gaming Target is on the case and we’ll have more soon.

From N-Europe.com: “Fan project The Legend of Zelda: The Hero of Time, a movie based on Nintendo masterpiece Ocarina of Time, has been in production for a few years now, but things have been a bit quiet recently given that the last trailer was released to the public in 2006.

The good news is, Nintendo’s fearsome army of lawyers haven’t shut down the project (although “The Legend of Zelda” has now been dropped from the title) and a new trailer has popped up.”

* Money For Trophies? Sony takes back multiplatform market
* MMO’s On Consoles! The End Of Monthly Fees?
* 360 Has A New Hit Goodbye Ninja Gaiden
* Game Review - King of fighters 98 & Street Fighter HD
* Microsoft: David Gosen gets Smashed by HipHopGamer
* Much Much More Enjoy The Show

According to hollywoodinhidef.com, Blu-ray had its best month of sales ever in October, with over 2.3 million disks sold, marking the first time Blu-ray’s sales had topped 2 million units in a calendar month. Compare to the sales from October 2007: 470,000.

Earlier in the year, the future of Blu-ray was in question. It had triumphed over Toshiba’s HD DVDs, sure, but still faced stiff competition from downloaded and streamed videos. Players were also expensive and somewhat problematic. Plenty of critics remain, but the numbers send a strong message. Blu-ray is slowly becoming mainstream.

For all the PS3 fans, this is good news. The larger demand for Blu-ray should lead to more sales of the PS3, a price drop, and most importantly, a stronger online community. Ok, maybe I’m being a tad optimistic about the price drop, but more players can only help. Games like LittleBigPlanet only work because thousands of players contribute. If just 1000 more people buy the PS3 because of the larger demand for Blu-ray, then that’s 1000 more potential players grappling in Resistance 2 deathmatches or 1000 more original levels for everyone’s favorite Sackboy to explore.

thatvideogameblog.com

Stimulate your career. Make some cash, Get More Exposure, Closer to a DEAL
Get $100 to $5,000 for Best song. $1,000 for BEST video
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NOTE: NO JOKES, NO GIMMICKS, NO PURCHASES, NO NON SENSE. You know how we roll. Straight up REAL business and industry project..

Are you serious about your music business and ready to take it to the next level?

1. Join Our Stage: If you want more exposure, get booked for more shows, network with the industry, and to make some cash (up to $5,000 month for best song, $1,000 for best video), Our Stage is a great site for you.

2. The Demo Shopping Symposium. Meet Face to Face with Major Label execs and pitch your music project to them for deal consideration. This is the BEST event for Artist and Producers looking to sign a deal with the Majors or Indie’s distributed by the Major lables.

Jonathan Hay: I feel awful but, yes, I leaked some of those stories. Looking back, I am ashamed of that; there was zero integrity in that maneuver. But this is entertainment and I wanted to obtain publicity - so I came up with some crazy stories and it worked. Rihanna is one of the biggest stars in the world now, and look at how she stormed into the business! Not to take anything from her - she is a great artist - but every artist needs a launching pad and there is nothing better than a good scandal to get the public’s attention. (Laughing)

You began talking to Jay-Z from your association with Amil [from Roc-A-Fella Records]…

Jonathan Hay: I already had his contact info, but once I started working with Amil it gave me a reason to contact him…

Have you talked to Jay-Z since the Rihanna rumors?

Jonathan Hay: Jay-Z and I had a dramatic-instant involving another artist. That is just water under the bridge now, but it’s definitely going in the book. I still talk to Jay-Z every now and then — I probably nag him (laughing) but he always hits me back. Trust me, my Jay-Z chapter is really an eye-opener. He is the greatest businessman in the history of hip-hop. Jay-Z has succeeded in every business possibility, all across the board. I plan on hopefully sitting down with Jay-Z very soon for some lucrative business opportunities.

Let me interrupt to ask you this question real quick: how does it feel to have the tables turned and actually be the person being interviewed - instead of being the interviewer?

Jonathan Hay: It’s funny being on this side of the table, sitting in the hot-seat, but I’ve got the inside information on what makes a good interview, so I should be pretty good at this (laughing).

Jonathan Hay: Now anxiety is coming to the forefront and I’m starting to panic! I hate bad interviews! This is already a bad start! (laughing)

In your own words, Let people know the history of Jonathan Hay…

Jonathan Hay: I was an adopted child, born in Florida in the month of December. I was only eleven days old when my parents received me, the day after Christmas — when I say ‘my parents’ I am referring to the parents that have raised me my entire life. I don’t think of my biological parents as my mom or dad, they were just vessels from God to get me to the beautiful family I am with now. I’ll be honest, I didn’t always think like that; I was confused for awhile and felt a detachment from my family. I’ve finally gotten over that. Anyway, I was only in Florida for a short period of time as a newborn — I don’t even remember it — before my parents moved to Louisville, Kentucky, which I consider to be my hometown.

Giants receiver Plaxico Burress sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, possibly self-inflicted, on Friday night, according to several Web sites, each using unnamed sources. Foxsports.com was the first to report the incident, saying that Burress had spent the night in a hospital but that the injury was not considered life-threatening.

Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports, who co-wrote a book with Burress this year, reported that the bullet “grazed” a leg, and that the injury might keep Burress out of action for two weeks.

Today I’ve received news on a new rumour, this time about Resistance 3, yes you heard me right, RESISTANCE 3. I know that Resistance 2 has just been released in UK/Europe today and this may seem premature, but this news comes from the same person who gave me the rumour on the MGS4 Expansion Pack, which became a hot topic of discussion.

This rumour suggests that SCEA and Insomniac Games will officially announce Resistance 3 in February 2009 along with the first collection of screenshots and the first details of the game, the rumour also suggests that you will play as Cappelli (Member of SRPA) and that Resistance 3 does indeed pick up exactly where Resistance 2 ended, the rumour also said that SCEA and Insomniac Games are planning on releasing Resistance 3 Exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in November 2010

If you’ve completed Resistance 2 then you’ll remember that Cappelli shot Nathan Hale through the head when he finally turned into an advanced form of Chimera, well at this point Cappelli alerts SRPA and Nathan Hale’s body is recovered but it turns out that Nathan Hale isn’t dead, he is in fact just in a coma and he avoided dying because of his Chimeran healing abilities. Then after being studied for 2 weeks Nathan Hale wakes up, breaks free and escapes from SRPA’s custody, from here he uses the knowledge and memories he aqquired from Daedelus and he assumes control of the Chimeran forces. He intends to finish Daedelus’s plan and launch a worldwide assault against the human population. Now it’s upto Cappelli and the last few members of SRPA to track Nathan Hale and stop him and the Chimeran threat for good.

But the most interesting part of this rumour is that it contained two attached files and these were in fact the proposed logos for Resistance 3.

New location in the XMB™
==================================================================

When you start PlayStation®Home from [Game] on the XMB™, software updating will be started automatically. When update completes, the icon of PlayStation®Home will be removed from [Game] on the XMB™ and relocated to [PlayStation®Network].

■ Becoming a Pan-Asia Online Space
==================================================================
Before this update, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore are having their own PlayStation®Home. Now, they are sharing one single space together! Users from these three regions can enter into the same space and enjoy the fun of PlayStation®Home with each other.

■ Opening of Home Cafe
==================================================================
Home Café will be open with this update. Different kinds of events are under preparation and will be held here.

■ Additional / Revamped Features
==================================================================
● The virtual PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) has turned into the Menu Pad.

● “My Home Sapce” is now called “Personal Space”.
● “Market Place” is now called “Shopping Mall”.
● Users have to set up their PlayStation®Network wallet before purchasing any item in “Shopping Mall”.
● “Online Manual” is added in the “Help” menu. You can read detailed user guide from the browser.
● Tutorial is added.
● Club feature is added.
A club is an organization for users that share the same objectives.

・You have to purchase a club before using it. But during Closed Beta test you can use it for free.
・Each user account can only create one club.
・The maximum number of members for each club is 32, including the creator.
・The maximum number of clubs each user can join is 5, including the one created by that user.
Note: if you have joined 5 clubs already, then you cannot create your own club.

※ To learn more about how to create a club, please refer to Menu Pad > “Help” > “Clubs”.
※ You have to set up your PlayStation®Network wallet before purchasing a club.
※ Club is a service that requires regular payment. During Closed Beta test users can enjoy this service free of charge.
● Clubhouse feature is added.
Clubhouse is a private place for members of a club to gather around. Even users that are not added to your Friends List can request to join or get invited.

・The maximum number of members to enter a clubhouse at the same time is 32, including the creator.
　※ Users that are not members of the club will not be able to enter the associated clubhouse.
・You can add furniture to the clubhouse.
・Bulletin Board is available in the clubhouse.
Only the leader (owner of the clubhouse) or subleaders (assigned by the leader) can post messages on the board.
　Maximum number of messages to be posted at the same time is 4.
※ Note: all the clubs and clubhouses will be deleted at the end of Closed Beta test.

● Some gestures are changed.
● Some screens in the Wardrobe are changed.
● Steps to exit Wardrobe are changed as follows:
Press the × button to display the exit screen, then select “Exit Wardrobe”.
● Log-in screen is changed.
● Background download is now available for space download.
● You can now view the “Session List” to check game sessions that are available in your current location.
　You can join the game from the Session List.
● You will be automatically signed out if you have been inactive for a set period of time.
● You can see the avatar motion when playing bowling.
● Power gauge is shown when playing pool.

■ Special arrangement for previously purchased items in Market Place (Shopping Mall)
==================================================================
Due to revamp to the item management system, this service will now be linked with PlayStation®Network wallet. All the items you have purchased in Shopping Mall will be deleted temporarily and the shopping feature will be out of service after the update on the 20th of November. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Items will be available in the Shopping Mall again in the future and details will be announced in the official website.
Rewards obtained before and default items will not be deleted.

※ You have to set up your PlayStation®Network wallet before purchasing items in the Shopping Mall. Please refer to the PS3™ online manual for details on the PlayStation®Network wallet.

■Note
==================================================================

Please note that the following Club features cannot function properly:

●When the subleader of a club select “Resign”, an error message will be displayed and the user will not be able to resign.
A subleader must be demoted by the leader first before he / she can resign from the club.
●If you stay in a clubhouse for a long period of time, your club menu may not be able to refreshed to reflect the latest information. In this case, “List is empty” may be displayed when you select “My Clubs” in your club menu even though you are already a club member.
※ This problem will be solved when you log in to PlayStation®Home again.

These problems will be fixed in the future. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Sony Online Entertainment’s Kevin O’Hara has revealed in an interview with Kikizo that the upcoming super spy MMO won’t have monthly subscriptions.

The ideal gamer demographic weren’t keen to pay monthly “so I doubt we’ll go for an outright $15 a month,” he explains. Micro-transactions and in-game ads are most likely.

“We’re acutely aware that shooter players are not used to playing monthly fees, so I doubt we’ll go for an outright $15 a month, which works on some of our other projects.”

“So we’re checking out Free Realms to see how they’re going to do with their micro-transactions, and we might incorporate some of that. We’ll definitely have some ad revenue models. The Agency’s the perfect place for some in-game product placement,” O’Hara continued.

He also went into more detail about the games mechanics and talked some more about NPC operatives that can be employed by player characters. These talented individuals can help boost your agent or improve something within your arsenal even while your offline.

“If I get my own operatives, I’ve got my own agency effectively. We’ve got an operative screen - you might have collected a hundred different people who work for you.”

Biker Smashes Back On Curb - Watch more Free Videos

Today we live in a world where materialistic things means more to people than a mans life. People laughing and smiling leaving the walmart in valley stream today while possibly somebodies husband, brother, father, and son is now dead. This is my take on it, Fuck the TV’s , videogames, sales, whatever, this is ridiculous and if Walmart honestly had a better organized set up this would not have happened. If you look at circuit city, best buy, and target it was all organized very well people were civilized, But the people on line at walmart were acting ignorant and i pray for that family and you guys should too. The day after thanksgiving, who would’ve thought that would be his last meal; oh my god. Take Care and God Bless and remember Life is more important than a materialistic item.

The long-awaited Jasper-based versions of the Xbox 360 have finally emerged on the market. These new consoles have a redesigned motherboard with the new 65-nanometer version of the ATI (now AMD) graphics chip that doesn’t run as hot as previous versions. There are other changes that improve the reliability and usability of the system as well.

With the new design, Microsoft has a chance to rise above the problems associated with the Red Ring of Death, as chronicled in VentureBeat’s six-part series on the subject. We’ll see if the systems prove reliable. But logically, they should be a lot better. The graphics chip will likely consume less power than previous versions, allowing it to fit snugly into its motherboard socket. That should lead to fewer system failures due to the graphics chips coming loose.

The new graphics chip will also be smaller and cost less to make. These changes and others lower the overall system costs. That’s why Microsoft was able to cut its price on all of its Xbox 360 models in September. These new Jasper models come with 256 megabytes of internal flash memory, which is used to store all of the New Xbox Experience dashboard. The NXE doesn’t have to be stored on a hard drive or external memory unit and can thus work with even the Xbox 360 Arcade model without a hard drive. You can also use this internal memory to store Xbox Live Arcade saved games.

Older models had just 16 megabytes. Also, they have a 150-watt power supply, less than the earlier versions with 175 watts. These power supplies have a different plug so that you won’t confuse them with older versions and plug the wrong one into a machine.

The previous versions of the Xbox 360 had a 90-nanometer graphics chip that proved unreliable due to overheating issues. Those models were still in inventory in warehouses and at retail. So it has taken several months to flush those out of the system. Still, it’s not clear yet how you can distinguish the Jasper models from the older Falcon-based machines, but I assume it will have something to do with serial numbers listed on the boxes.

What exactly was wrong with the older 90-nanometer graphics chips and the boards that came with them? I’ve gotten some new information on that. The main failure cause was “thermal fatigue” of the leaded C4 connections between the graphics chip die and its organic carrier. The underfill had too low a glass-transition temperature for the amount of heat generated. That caused cracking over time, resulting in graphics chips coming loose.

In previous versions, Microsoft addressed this with better heat sinks. The temperature sense diode was off in a corner and didn’t reflect the true temperature in the core regions. Jasper has shifted to a material with a significantly higher transition temperature. Coming up with this fix took time, since the new material had to be identified and tested. The smaller 65nm chip die also helps since the stresses that cause the thermal fatigue are related to size.

www.venturebeat.com

It seems like a current trend for companys to give a “no comment” answer on many rumors/questions about certain aspects in games, and today, that is not different.

When X_Bardcox_X, a member from the official Playstation forums asked, “Does Killzone 2 support a screeshot- or video-ingame support?”, Killzone 2 Developer Seb Downie, best known as motherh666 on the forums replied, “No comment.” (message 1465)

Only leaving speculation that in-game screenshots/video support will be available in the game, but as of now this is only a rumor and should be taken as one until official stated.

Animal Crossing for Wii finally hits stores early in December, with many Nintendo fans eager to try out the new Wii Speak community microphone that is used in the game.

However, as with any new Nintendo hardware, there has been little solid information released publicly prior to the launch.

Edge interviewed a Nintendo rep recently to find out more about the peripheral, with Ninty reassuring users that the Wii Speak Channel can be re-installed on a replacement Wii, should the user’s Wii break or (shock! horror!) be nicked.

Also, users WILL be able to purchase pre-owned Wii Speak microphones and get an access code from Nintendo to use the Wii Speak Channel – although the code will ONLY work with the one Wii console it is registered to, so you can’t share the microphone around your circle of Wii-owning mates.

Not that you would want to, anyway. Finally, what you cannot do is use a third party to use the Wii Speak Channel.

From the mouth of Nintendo: “When Wii Speak is bought (either as a bundle or standalone) you get a Wii Download Ticket for the Wii Speak Channel to download the channel, this is the only way to obtain the channel.”
By Adam Hartley

Microsoft intend to make their marketing louder and louder this year in a partnership with MySpace and Channel 4 to host a special prime-time music show airing on TV over Christmas.

Xbox Presents Campfire Sessions will be supported by MySpace and 4 Music, and will be filmed in mid-December featuring a selection of 2008’s headline music acts. Microsoft will also be hosting a competition to Xbox owners for the chance to attend the filming, with the final show getting a Channel 4 airing on December 28th at 10pm. Microsoft’s head of gaming and entertainment Stephen McGill commented:

“With the New Xbox Experience we’re not only creating a more intuitive experience with a very rich set of features for core gamers, but also drawing in lots of options when it comes to movies and music.”

“We’re proving that we still have games for gamers, such as Gears of War 2 and Fable II – but also changing people’s perceptions, and proving that Xbox 360 makes a great present for friends or for family.”

Xbox 360 owners began to cheer while many PS3 owners Square-Enix traitors said after the announcement that Final Fantasy XIII multiplatform production. Vandaag reageert Square-Enix op deze uitspraken. Square-Enix today responds to these judgments.

Volgens Square-Enix is dit namelijk helemaal niet waar. According to Square-Enix is certainly not true. Ze vertellen dat ze de PS3 versie immers niet cancellen of uitstellen. They tell them that the PS3 version does not cancel or postpone. (Het grappige is dat de PS3 versie echter pas wordt gereleased in de Verenigde Staten en Europa als de 360 versie geport is, wat dus uiteindelijk wel een uitsel voor de PS3 versie inhoudt.) (The funny thing is that the PS3 version will be released only in the United States and Europe as the 360 version has been ported, thus ultimately be a moratorium for the PS3 version entails.)

“I’d rather they not think of this as a “betrayal” or disappointment. It’s not like we’re canceling or delaying the PS3 version at all! It’s more of an added bonus for 360 fans. We won’t be putting them at a disadvantage in any way.” “I’d rather they not think of this as a” Betrayal “or Disappointment. It’s not like we’re canceling or delaying the PS3 version at all! It’s more of an added bonus for 360 fans. We will not be putting them at a disadvantage in any way. ”

We moeten echter niet vrezen dat de kwaliteit van de game achteruit gaat doordat het spel multiplatform gaat. We should not fear that the quality of the game is going backwards because the game is multiplatform. De 360 port zal immers pas gebeuren als de PS3 versie volledig af is. The 360 port will only happen if the PS3 version is completely off. Ze willen met FF XIII namelijk het beste uit beide consoles halen. They want to FF XIII to the best of both consoles get.

“The fact is, the PS3 version is what’s in development right now, and the team is working to specialize that version to the very best of the PS3’s abilities. After that, we’ll do the 360 port and optimize it to that particular hardware.” “The fact is, the PS3 version is what’s in development right now, and the team is working to Specializing that to the very best version of the PS3’s abilities. After that, we’ll do the 360 port and optimize it to that particular hardware . ”

Maar hoe bekijken jullie het? But how you view it? Vinden jullie dat Square-Enix ons verraden heeft of begrijpen jullie hun beslissing? You’ll find that Square-Enix has betrayed us or you understand their decision? Games maken kost tegenwoordig namelijk veel geld en SE wilt natuurlijk zoveel mogelijk verdienen met Final Fantasy XIII. Games are expensive nowadays much money and want to SE course earn as much as possible with Final Fantasy XIII.

For the most important job in his sports empire, Jim Dolan never could be bothered with the simplest of searches. Dolan flipped through a Rolodex of ex-superstars from anonymous wallflower Scott Layden, dangling the job to peerless point guards. Magic Johnson declined, but tossed his support to unemployed Isiah Thomas. Ownership spent little time probing Thomas for a plan, and just turned the kingdom over to his wayward rule.

This time, Dolan deferred to NBA commissioner David Stern, and the old-boy network spit out Donnie Walsh. He had been a terrific general manager for a long time in Indiana, but his franchise had spiraled in large part because of increasingly poor judgment. Sold as the ultimate NBA insider for the Knicks, an old sage with some of the league’s deepest institutional knowledge, Walsh has had a sluggish start to the job.

For a franchise in full LeBron James-Chris Bosh recruiting mode, there has been little separation of the Knicks’ new order from its dysfunctional past. The mismanagement of the Stephon Marbury saga has delivered a disheartening message to today’s and tomorrow’s Knicks: Once again, Marbury was empowered to drain the spirit out of the locker room. Once again, he’s been enable to dictate the terms of engagement.

With his franchise in crisis, Walsh should’ve been in Detroit on Wednesday to suspend Marbury on the spot. Once Marbury had refused Mike D’Antoni’s demand to play for a second time in six days, the guard never should’ve been allowed back into the Knicks’ locker room.

As much as anything, Walsh never should’ve left his coach to manage this mess alone. Reports were that Walsh had been traveling back to his Indianapolis home for Thanksgiving.

As one NBA execu