Burnout Paradise

Welcome to Big Surf Island!

We haven’t released anything new on this awesome, premium downloadable content since way back in May, so it’s high time we gave you a little update.

For all the latest info, we’d recommend you check out the very latest Crash TV. It’s your chance to hear all the latest news on the island direct from its creators.


This first shot shows your arrival point on the island. From here, you can make out the awesome cylindrical tower referred to in this Crash TV Episode 15. With the right car, it’s possible to drift all the way to the top of this tower and back again. But you’re unlikely to drive down, because this location is all about massive jumps. For a while, we considered naming it Big Air Island!

The building to the right is the hotel we named after one of our die-hard fans. DBC9MX earned the right name the hotel after winning the Downtown Showtime Showdown competition and chose to name it after his son – Taylor J. You check out the footage in Crash TV for a better look at Taylor J Towers.


This second shot is the first time we’ve shown you the view looking back down from the island towards the bridge and mainland Paradise City. Our mantra is ‘if you can see it, you can drive it’ – which means that even the bridge to the city features multiple levels and massive jumps.

The construction yard in the foreground is loaded with gameplay and the scaffold at the top features in one of the island’s most memorable pieces of gameplay. Everywhere on the island is like this.


This third image is the first look at the other side of the island, featuring the palm trees that give it a distinctly tropical flavour. The unusual shape of the lighthouse, and the massive ramp in front of it are more tell-tale signs that the geometry is more than just scenery.


And finally, here’s our favourite shot.

This shows the kind of action the island is built for. The scaffold towers in the construction yard can be climbed and all the hoops can be jumped. If you want a taste of what the island is all about, head for the airfield, quarry or beach in Burnout Paradise right now and imagine an area the size of Downtown dedicated to that kind of gameplay. The car featured here is the Dust Storm. It will be made available at the same time as the island.

We’d mentioned in a previous podcast that this would be free content, but we can now confirm that it will be premium paid-for content.

Here’s why. We never expected to create anything this ambitious for the island, but as it progressed we got more and more excited about what it could become. (In fact, that’s the story of all our Downloadable Content.)

Big Surf is the culmination of everything we learned creating Paradise City, and we want it to bring you a truly spectacular new experience – the highlight of a year of incredible premium content. Burnout already delivers incredible value for money – literally hundreds of hours of gameplay with your original disk or PSN purchase, plus more with the free Cagney Pack and free Burnout Paradise Bikes.

We want Burnout Paradise players to experience the greatest support ever seen in a console game. We’re transforming not just Burnout Paradise, but the whole Burnout franchise through DLC, and we appreciate the support we know you guys will give us for our paid content. We think it’s worth it.

Next week, we’ll bring you the first of our “Paradise City Boroughs” guides - Downtown Paradise. We’ll cover the whole of Paradise City borough-by-borough in some detail, culminating in a big reveal of the island in the new year.

GAMINGLADDERS.EU

Playstation Home Beta

For those who got into the private Playstation Home Beta, you may notice some people running around with clothes that aren’t available to you. These items are unlockable through the arcade games in the Bowling Alley. I am compiling a list of the unlockable items, including clothing and furniture, and what is needed to achieve them. Here is what I have so far:

Echochrome - Receive 4000 points on Level A (gloves, shirt, pants, shoes that resemble echochrome character), Receive 10,000 points on Level B[Possibly lower, I had 10,000 points when I recieved] (shirt) Receive 10,000 points on level A or B (trophy)
Ice Breaker - Beat level 5 (beanie), Beat level 8 (shirt), Level 13 (pants)
Carriage Return - Unknown

Tips:
Echochome: Remember, they only turn left.

Stage B: There is a platform seperated from the rest. No black men will appear on that platform. If you simply wait there and build up a large collection of black people you can take them out all at once and get large points. Just make sure to move your curser as the game will time-out after 3 minutes.

This information is based on when I received the items. If anyone unlocks them with a different point/level score then me or unlocks something I have not listed, please leave a comment so I can add it to the list. I will continue to update this post until all unlockables are added to the list.

GAMINGLADDERS.EU

PlayStationHome

Update: We've included a walkthrough of Home below from the official portal.

The home of PlayStation, PlayStation.com is finally including a section for its much anticipated, social networking application, Home. This section features everything any gamer would need to know about Home. Considering the Home team has finally expanded its private beta to 100,000 more PS3 owners, this is yet another step in the right direction and to the public release.

As many of you are painstakingly aware, Home has seen its fair share of delays and disappointing news, but with all of these new steps, it seems we're almost Home.

"PlayStation Home is a 3D social gaming community that allows PS3 users to meet, chat, plan, and launch into games together. You can create your own custom avatar, decorate your personal apartment, play mini-games, shop, watch videos, attend special events, and much more - it's all part of PlayStation Home." - Official website.

The site has been updated with the video below.

playstation home

Update on HOME invitations - 26th Nov

No invitations will be going out today, thought I should make that clear straight away.
However, those that have not received their emails from last week (we can tell who they are) will be re-added to tomorrows batch which is on course now.
More news tomorrow and dont forget, tomorrow night has a load test session starting at 7pm UK time for the lucky ones who get an invite. For everyone else Open Beta is not far off now.

GAMINGLADDERS

PlayStation Home

Watch the Watchmen Trailer in PlayStation Home
More Watchmen content is promised for Sony's virtual world soon.

When Home was first revealed, back in the ancient days of March 2007, one of the features heavily promoted was the ability to watch real-world content on in-game movie and television screens. Now, in the present days of November 2008, some of that is finally coming to fruition, as film marketing company PPC (Picture Production Company) has brought the latest Watchmen trailer to Home movie theaters.
As PS3Fanboy reports, this is only the start of further cross-promotions between Watchmen and Home in the near future, as PPC promised "some very exciting movie related activity next month." Whether any of this will have anything to do with the recently announced game remains to be seen.

All this cross-promotional content comes along with the news that 100,000 new Home beta invites were sent out this week, along with the launch of Home beta v1.0 (via Eurogamer). As a Home community manager announced on the European forums, yet another large batch of invites is planned to be go out next Thursday, with an open beta "not far behind." After nearly two years of waiting, could it be that Home is finally nearing a true, full-blown release? Sure seems that way.

GAMINGLADDERS

Gran Turismo

Kazunori Yamauchi Says Gran Turismo Still Coming for PSP
After four years of delays, Yamauchi says Gran Turismo on PSP "is moving forward."

Think way back to May 11, 2004 -- the day of Sony's E3 2004 press conference, where they first announced the PSP. You may recall they also announced Gran Turismo 4 Mobile, a complete port of the PlayStation 2 game for the PSP that, after years of delays, has still yet to materialize. But according to Gran Turismo mastermind Kazunori Yamauchi, that doesn't mean it's dead yet.
In a video interview with IGN (via Kotaku), Yamauchi was asked about the status of Gran Turismo on PSP, to which he responded with vague yet reassuring statements. "It is moving forward," he said. "It hasn't been knocked off the plans -- it's there." There...where? Yamauchi wouldn't say, as that's as much detail as he gave.

At this point, we have to wonder if a Gran Turismo game on PSP would still even be based on Gran Turismo 4 -- or if it is, whether it would have "Gran Turismo 4" in the title. That game is four years old at this point, so we wouldn't be surprised if Sony gave it a fresher branding, whenever Gran Turismo does finally ship for the PSP.

PlayStation 3, Trophies

PlayStation 3 Trophies Mandatory Starting January 2009

A leak from Europe has claimed, and several sources have confirmed, that starting in January of 2009 all PlayStation 3 games will be required to support Trophies. Word of the initial leak came from VideoGamer.com, which cited an anonymous tip from someone in the UK game industry. Later, a representative of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe confirmed the information. We still weren't sure, however, what the mandate actually meant for old games.
Today VideoGaming247 reports that the rule only applies to new products, which means only games that are submitted for approval after January 1, 2009. In other words, if a game is submitted for approval in December but releases in January, no Trophies will be required. It also doesn't apply to old games, as the decision to patch in Trophy support is still being left up to publishers. We've heard mixed messages about this in the past, but it seems now that Trophy support being on a case-by-case basis for older games is the standard.

Trophies arguably haven't really become the institution that Achievements are for Xbox 360 owners -- after all, who ever heard of a "Trophy Whore"? Hopefully by making them standard operating procedure for the foreseeable future, more addiction-prone gamers will latch onto them, especially once they're supported through Home.

Far Cry 2

Far Cry 2 Downloadable Content Coming Soon For Xbox 360 and Playstation 3


Today Ubisoft announced it will be releasing exciting new downloadable content (DLC) for Far Cry 2 by the end of November. The Fortune's Pack DLC will bring new vehicles and new weapons to both the single-player game and the multiplayer game, giving gamers even more diverse means of destruction. Be the silent stalker armed with your crossbow or jump on your new quad and blast through the dunes of Africa. The Fortune's Pack DLC for Far Cry 2 will be available for download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points and from PlayStation Network for $9.99.
The Fortune's Pack DLC for Far Cry 2 will include:


Single-Player Mode
Three brand-new weapons
Silenced shotgun
Sawed-off shotgun
Crossbow
Two new vehicles
Unimog
Quad
Multiplayer Mode
Four new exciting maps
Cheap Labor
Last Resort
Lake Smear
Fort Fury
New single-player weapons and vehicles also available in multiplayer
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Far Cry 2 will be the newest innovation from Ubisoft in the world of next-gen first-person shooters. More than just a visual and technological achievement, Far Cry 2 immerses players in an entirely new kind of gaming experience. Running on a new tailor-made gaming engine, Far Cry 2 features non-scripted enemy Artificial Intelligence, entirely destructible environments, dynamic fire and storm effects and multiplayer gameplay, all in 50 square kilometers of a completely open world environment. Players will find themselves immersed in a war-torn African state, where they will be forced to make deals with corrupt warlords on both sides of the conflict in order to survive and move ever closer to their primary objective – The Jackal. Players must identify and exploit their enemies' weaknesses, neutralizing their superior numbers and firepower with surprise, subversion, cunning and, of course, brute force.

For more news and information on Far Cry 2, please visit the game's official website at http://www.farcrygame.com.

Shaun White Snowboarding

Today Ubisoft announces that Shaun White Snowboarding for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Wii home video game system from Nintendo, the Nintendo DS system and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system have gone gold. The game is scheduled for release on November 16, 2008.
Shaun White Snowboarding was developed in close collaboration with Shaun White, Olympic gold medalist and eight-time X Games gold medalist. The game is powered by the award-winning Assassin's Creed engine for Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 system, and truly captures the action sports lifestyle. Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip was also developed from the ground up for the Wii, taking full advantage of the Wii Balance Board accessory and featuring its own unique storyline and adventure with Shaun White. Shaun White Snowboarding for the PSP system and Nintendo DS allow players to enjoy the thrilling sport of snowboarding anytime, anywhere. Players can earn points and build their characters in Shaun White Snowboarding for the PlayStation 2 system, which also features co-op and multiplayer modes.

Shaun White Snowboarding for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system will ship with a "T" for Teen rating by the ESRB. Shaun White Snowboarding for the PSP system and the PlayStation 2 system, and Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip for the Wii will ship with an "E10+" for Everyone 10 and up rating. Shaun White Snowboarding for the Nintendo DS and PSP system will ship with an "E" for Everyone rating by the ESRB.

For more information on Shaun White Snowboarding, please visit http://www.shaunwhitegame.com.

Killzone 2

Killzone 2 going Head to Head with GTA IV DLC on February 17 Showdown


USA Today and various Internet reports have Killzone 2 and GTA IV Downloadable content for 360 listed as coming out the same day. Which seems to be a good strategy by the companies and the respected console developers of each system. Killzone 2 is set to be a beast of a title for Sony next year and Grand Theft Auto IV’s downloadable content which is exclusive to Xbox 360 is sure to do outstanding numbers upon its release.



Kilzone 2 is the third Killzone title for Sony (including Killzone: Liberation on the Playstation Portable) and so far as been a reasonably well selling game for them, the media hyped the first Killzone up to be a Halo killer but fans quickly shut this down upon release due to average reviews. After playing Killzone 2 for myself however (Courtesy of the Eurogamer Expo this year in London) I can say for myself that this game will be breathtaking on release. Im not sure It’s for me to say whether it’s a ‘Halo killer’ as i have never played a Halo game right through and I m far from a fanboy, but I will say that this game may just end up being for Playstation 3 what Halo is for Xbox 360 in terms of first person shooters.




With Grand Theft Auto 4’s IV downloadable content you play as new character Johnny Klebitz, member of the Liberty City biker gang The Lost. Although Johnny is a completly different character to Niko Dan Houser has said that during your time taking control of Johnny, tons of details and mysteries from the main story with Niko get explained during Jonny’s story. Which sounds very interesting as this content may even add more value to the main storyline, which many long time GTA fans apparently weren’t happy with this time around. Fans should also not feel nervous about playing as this Liberty City biker character as the Rockstar team always do a great job of putting you into the shoes of these characters and making you feel at home with them. Regardless this downloadable content should be something special for Xbox 360, and Xbox 360 owners should feel happy and support this content as it may never see the light of day on Playstation 3.


In conclusion Mid-February will be a great time to be a next gen gamer considering February is usually a sleeper, now both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 owners with have these two blockbusters to look forward to on the same day as long as this actually goes ahead with no push backs. Bitch which one will do better, and which one has more hype? I guess this is here the fans take over and let their opinions be known.

Happy Gaming

Killzone 2

Will Killzone 2 Sell Well?


We all remember the great debacle that was the 2005 target render of Killzone 2. Videogame fans all over the world were stunned to see the power of the PS3. The monster was out of the bag. PS3 would be the world’s most powerful console ever. Then reality set in. While the first few years of the PS3’s life cycle have seen a few lookers, (Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, MGS4) none of them have lived up to the expectations that the Killzone 2 target render had set. This combined with a lack of games is the reason that I believe that Sony completely stumbled out of the gates with PS3.

Now just a few months away from the release of Killzone 2, we are starting to see just how powerful the PS3 is. Killzone 2 looks phenomenal. From what I have seen of it, it is hands down the best looking game on any of the current consoles, even rivaling the graphics of a high end PC. This is a game that quite honestly could sell itself solely based on graphics.

The problem I see Killzone 2 having when it comes out, is not the game itself. I am confidant that all the time the game has had in development will pay off. The problem I foresee is the same problem that has plagued all of Sony’s big releases, total lack of advertising. Sure you see a few commercials for a big Sony exclusive, but they are so few and far between that it is hard to justify Sony in their marketing decisions.

When the Microsoft has a big game coming out they start the advertising early and bring it on heavy. Sony just lets a few ads out and then doesn’t even have them in heavy rotation. It’s like they purely rely on word of mouth. Look at the latest victims, Little Big Planet and Resistance 2. Little Big Planet is supposed to be a massively huge title for Sony. It is a game that has been hyped by all the websites and all the magazines. So when push comes to shove where are the commercials Sony? Where are the massive billboards and Saturday morning spin off cartoons. The whole time the game was being developed gamers were led to believe that it was the “next big thing”. One would think that this would lead to a massive media push, but sadly there was no push. The same goes for Resistance 2. It’s sad when the supposed answer to Gears of War 2 gets trounced by the game it’s competing against in the marketing department. Where are the TV specials and a midnight releases?

If Sony truly wants the PS3 to succeed, then it starts with Killzone 2 and throwing every ounce of market muscle that they can muster at it. If they fail to do so, it will not bode well for the PS3. It will cause Killzone 2 to become one of the many games to be a critical success and at the same time a total commercial flop. This is a scenario that Sony can flat out not afford to happen. It’s time to put you’re money where you’re mouth is Sony, pony up the dough to push Killzone 2 or let it slip through the cracks like all you’re other big exclusives.

NEWS Search

Burn Baby Burn

Today, we’re announcing the incredible new Carson Extreme Hotrod.



We’ll be back in the New Year with all the details on this powerhouse racer, but for now we’re keeping it under wraps.

We could tell you that it’s the fastest car in Paradise City – a stripped down, ultra low, overpowered straight line monster.

We could talk about its roots in American Rat Rod culture and it’s wildly exaggerated Hot Rod features, based on a ‘20s Roadster.

We could explain that we’ve rewired Burnout’s vehicle dynamics system, so it handles more intuitively and drifts more realistically than any other car.

We could reveal that it’s the first of a pack of 2 cars designed to re-imagine Burnout Boost. Which explains the blue exhaust flames.

We could do all that, but we don’t want to give away too much. For now, all you really need to know is that this car will give you the ride of your life and in early 2009 you will NEED to own it.



The Carson Extreme Hotrod. Light the touch paper and hang on for dear life.

We’ll be back with movies, screens, more info and interviews with the creators on this and the “other” boost car that will be available to buy as part of our Burnout™ Paradise Boost Specials Pack in 2009.

Grand Theft Auto 4 DLC Coming February 17

[UPDATE] We received the official announcement press release confirming the title Grand Theft Auto IV: the Lost and Damned and release date of Tuesday, February 17 next year. Along with that are four screens you can check out on the GTAIV media page.
Six months after the release of Grand Theft Auto 4, details of the much-hyped episodic downloadable content have emerged. And no, it's definitely not 28 Days Later-style zombie outbreaks or a return trip to San Andreas. Instead, USA Today is reporting that the narrative, titled "Lost and Damned" and due February 17, will shift to The Lost biker gang member Johnny Klebitz. Klebitz is described as being "very different" from former protagonist Niko Bellic, with Niko himself fading into the background and only making a few cameo apperances

"I can't go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released," said Rockstar Games vice president of creative development Dan Houser. "But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City."

What that new side of Liberty City will constitute, we're not sure. But we do know that it will explain "tons of details and mysteries from the main story" and that it will "add a lot of color to the main story." Houser also hinted that Lost and Damned won't be the last GTA4 DLC pack.

"We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of depth and detail," Houser said.

No price tag yet, but Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expected it to run up to $20, with Rockstar being able to sell between 2 and 3 million downloads. In the meantime, we'll go on wishing for DLC pack featuring Vice City.

Call of Duty: World at War Cheats

Unlockable: Zombie Mode
To unlock Zombie Mode, complete Campaign Mode once through in its entirety.


Unlockable: Death Cards
To unlock the Death Cards below, find them on the corresponding mission.

Berserker (Become Berserk) - Breaking Point
Body Armor (Only Headshots Kill Foes) - Ring of Steel
Cold Dead Hands (Enemy Weapons Disappear) - Vendetta
Flak Jacket (Stronger Enemies Against Explosives) - Relentless
Hard Headed (Stronger Enemies Against Bullets) - Little Resistance
Painkiller (Revive Dead Co-Op Teammates) - Blowtorch & Corkscrew
Paintball (Paintball Guns) - Heart of the Reich
Sticks & Stones (Knives & Rocks Only) - Their Land, Their Blood
Suicide King (Explosive Pistol Rounds) - Hard Landing
Thunder (Explosive Headshots) - Semper Fi
Undead Soldier (Enemies Revive Themselves) - Eviction
Vampire (Recharge Health by Killing) - Burn ‘Em Out
Victory (Limits HUD/Friendly Fire) - Downfall

Playstation 3 is More Hardcore

Sony is the world’s most recognized electronics company. The company name is synonymous with reliability and value. When a consumer buys a Sony product they are not only buying that product, but they are buying the name, with confidence. From cameras to televisions, computers and consoles, the Sony name floods any electronics store. Since the release of the Playstation, Sony has pushed the envelope of the gaming world. Sony has lead gaming to grow from a childish form of entertainment to a mainstream hobby. Gamers today come from all age groups and backgrounds and there is no better console to appease them all than the Playstation 3.


Sony’s latest and greatest console was delivered to a very unhappy crowd, coming in at an unheard of high price and showing off a weak launch lineup. The console has suffered an up hill battle since it’s launch and every month it proves it can complete the challenge, not just in sales but improvements. Sony’s dedication to the product is nothing less than spectacular. Even while losing money on every console sold, the team at SCE still pays a great deal of attention to its followers. This is evident most in the Playstation Network.

At launch, PSN was nothing more than a laughing stock of the gaming community. The laggy connections resulted in horrible gameplay and upset gamers. The Playstation Store took a great deal of time to load and the content was scarce and unattractive. The downloads would easily take hours. Though download speeds are still not lightning quick, they are much improved. This is back before there was even a weekly update. There could be months with out a real “update”, sure things would show up but nothing people would rush to see. Now everything Thursday, PS3 owners rush to see what has been brought to their finger tips. Online gaming is smooth and if issues do arise Sony quickly responds to weather the storm. Sony bringing the network to the level it has through all the hostility is nothing less than commendable. The Playstation Network along with the Playstation Store are excellent additions to the powerful console. What’s the best part of it? Sony has done it all at no additional fee, no monthly or annual memberships. A gamer can come create as many accounts as they have email accounts to enjoy. Playstation Network has proven that a great online experience cost nothing more than the time the player contributes to it.



Not only has the Playstation 3 established its place with gamers by fixing the store and correcting server issues. The Playstation 3 has some of the most anticipated updates of any console. At the slightest announcement of a firmware update, owners quickly check the stories posted across the web to see what they can expect. Firmware 2.5 was one of the most anticipated updates any console as seen. It game the gamer so many desired additions such has Trophy support, In-game XMB, and the ability for the developers to allow for personal music during gameplay. While most would claim this was something the Xbox 360 has had since launch, PS3 owners knew it wasn’t about how long you’ve had it as much as it was about how much it cost. Playstation 3 owners have proven that its not about paying for an experience to enjoy it. While Sony has struggled to keep up with its competition, its fans haven’t. Sony’s fanbase is what makes the console the ultimate gamers system. Through thick and thin, trials and tribulation, Sony fans will cherish their system. Very rarely will you encounter the ignorant adolescent online who just expanded his vocabulary by 15 explicit words. The majority of online experience on the Playstation 3 are mature fun.

The Playstation 3 isn’t a stronger hardcore system only because of its free, growing, mature, loyal online community. It’s also got a huge reliability factor. Never has any electronic suffered such mass failure and not been pulled from the shelves as the Xbox 360. The story owned headlines for months on end. Sony never suffered that fate. With a true dedication to console design and a firm desire to build a reliable system, Sony has confidently sold millions of consoles with 0 mass failure issues. While there have been the biased fan based articles stating the PS3 Blu-ray drive fails or the Yellow Light of Death, the truth remains that these cases are very rare. The PS3 is an extremely reliable system, even in some bad conditions.



Sony not only pushed for a great gaming experience but also a great media experience. The addition of the Blu-ray drive set people on both sides to the message boards to discuss. Some hated the expensive addition while others love the addition of a future media reader. No matter what side people were on, Sony delivered. The PS3 can confidently claim to be the main reason Blu-ray out survived HD-DVD. The formats were extremely similar, which simply made it recognition and availability. Both Blu-ray players and HD-DVD players where expensive at launch. Microsoft tried to pull for the HD-DVD side by selling an add on device but the built in Blu-ray player in the PS3 made it the wise choice for consumers. The PS3 was the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market and it was future proof due to internet updates. Today Blu-ray continues to grow and is a great form of media deliverly clear 1080p video with lossless 7.1 audio.

No matter which console you root for, the truth is, Sony’s Playstation 3 is the most well rounded, reliable, future proof entertainment and gaming console out there. The price you pay at the store is all you need to pay to enjoy a great online gaming experience, crystal clear 1080p movies (whether upscaled dvds or Blu-rays), or any of the other features the Playstation 3 boast. With the help of a truly dedicated crew at Sony Computer Entertainment, Playstation 3 will continue to grow in its value for any level gamer.

Xbox Live less stable than PS3 PSN?

Users are reporting connection issues with their Xbox Live accounts. Apparently the accounts are being disconnected from the network. Microsoft has confirmed that there is an issue with Xbox Live at the moment. One would expect that Microsoft would have learned its lesson from last year’s spotty connection issues.

According to Major Nelson, the Xbox Operating Center have noticed that a large number of users are experiencing connection issues. We gave our Xbox 360 a whirl and noticed the disconnect issue as well. However, after waiting a few minutes and constantly retrying to connect, the account was able to establish a connection. Unfortunately, that connection did not last long as it was disconnected shortly afterwards.

If you recall, Microsoft was faced with a class-action lawsuit last December, which was filed to seek over $5 million in damages steaming from breaking the Xbox Live service agreement. The Xbox Live was not so “live” last holiday season, but the question remains if it will be déjà vu all over again.

It is quite annoying to be disconnected while in the middle of an online match. You could say that its frustrating enough to throw your controller at the TV. If the problems continue to persist into the holiday, you can be rest assured that many gamers will be foaming at the mouth.

Back in May, Microsoft announced that Xbox Live reached a new milestone of 12 million Live subscribers consisting of both Gold and Silver members. Considering that the Silver members can’t actually play games online, they really don’t contribute to a great deal of stress on the network.

Also, Sony announced that the PSN reached a new milestone of about 10 million active PSN accounts back in June. So, theoretically Sony and Microsoft probably have around the same number of active online users.

It is quite unfortunate that users that have to pay for the online service on Live are experiencing connection issues while users playing on the free PSN service have had a relatively stable experience. Microsoft needs to get its act together this holiday. I don’t think users will stand for a repeat of what happened last holiday season.

Anyone up for a match of Horde mode in Gears of War 2 the day after Christmas? Lets us all hope that Xbox Live will be up and running then.

Drive 'Toy Cars' in Burnout Paradise Next Year

Like a membership to the Jelly of the Month club, Burnout Paradise is the game that keeps on giving the whole year. Last week, Criterion unveiled an upcoming vehicle for which going 88 miles per hour would hold deeper meaning. Now, just one week later, they're just being silly, literally. Sometime in 2009, the "Toy cars Pack" (pictured above) will also be coming as DLC.
Unfortunately, the official announcement doesn't say whether or not these vehicles will receive special abilities like the Jansen 88 Special's hovering and burning tire tracks, but a 4x4 roughly twice the size of most vehicles should enable some kind of shenanigans.

Helisoft

A helicopter was flying around above Seattle when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft's electronic navigation and communications equipment.

Due to the clouds and haze, the pilot could not determine the helicopter's position. The pilot saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, and held up a handwritten sign that said "WHERE AM I?" in large letters. People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a large sign, and held it in a building window. Their sign said "YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER."

The pilot smiled, waved, looked at his map, determined the course to steer to SEATAC airport, and landed safely. After they were on the ground, the copilot asked the pilot how he had done it.

"I knew it had to be the Microsoft Building, because they gave me a technically correct but completely useless answer."

Marital Counseling

A husband and wife came for counseling after 20 years of marriage. When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a passionate, painful tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the 20 years they had been married.

She went on and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry list of unmet needs she had endured over the course of their marriage.

Finally, after allowing this to go on for a sufficient length of time, the therapist got up, walked around the desk and, after asking the wife to stand, embraced and kissed her passionately as her husband watched with a raised eyebrow. The woman shut up and quietly sat down as though in a daze.

The therapist turned to the husband and said, "This is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do this?"

The husband thought for a moment and replied, "Well, I can drop her off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, I fish."

Killzone 2: Beta Impressions

The Killzone 2 multiplayer beta is here! Read on to find out more about the Clan System, Valor Points, and epic Warzone game modes.

Killzone 2's development team insists that their next-gen FPS is essentially two stand-alone games, maintaining that just as many long nights were put into perfecting the game's multiplayer experience as its single player campaign. Whether you and your buddies want to duke it out in an intimate match, or open the floodgates to a mammoth online bloodbath, the decision is left entirely up to you: Killzone 2 supports up to 32 players per match.

Killzone 2's multiplayer matches are rife with customization options. We've browsed through the countless options you can choose from and tried some of them out, but we'd really need at least a week to get a feel for everything possible when piecing together custom matches. And as in Halo 3, once you create a match type you'd like to hang on to, you can save it as one of your custom-made, multiplayer modes.

Killzone 2 has a lot of good things going for its online support, but probably the most unique is the game's intricate clan system, which stands as a new high point for console FPS games. Not only will you be able to form clans, you'll also be able to schedule tournaments in advance (from your PC or PS3) against other clans, and even track your online stats by logging onto Killzone.com. Valor points can also be used by clans to "place bets" on the outcome of online multiplayer matches. The more points you get, the more access you'll have to higher level matches.

We played through all five of the multiplayer game modes. These include: Assassination, where a single player is randomly chosen to either be protected or killed; Body Count, which is your standard team deathmatch mode; Capture and Hold, where you must guard different points in the map to gain points; Search and Retrieve, Killzone 2's flag-less answer to Capture the Flag; and Search and Destroy, where you have to either defend or blow up a machine. Best of all, you can string several of these game types together in one long match to add some variety.


Multiplayer class lineup.
The Badge Guys: Multiplayer Classes
Rifleman: The rifleman does not have any special abilities, like the rest of the seven other classes, but what he lacks in skill he makes up for in firepower. Picking the rifleman will grant you access to more devastating weaponry when assigning your primary and secondary weapons.

Engineer: You can repair damaged war goods such as ammunition crates and auto turrets using the engineer. This class will also allow you to set automated turrets around the map, which target enemy soldiers.

Medic: As its name suggests, the Medic is able to heal and revive teammates. It's always a good idea to have at least one Medic on your side, especially when you anticipate taking heavy damage from the enemy team.


The Scout is a formidable sniper.
Scout: Because of similar armor to that of Solid Snake's "Octocamo," choosing the Scout will allow you to blend into your environment and rendering you virtually invisible to your enemies. The camouflage effect distorts when you move or fire.

Tactician: With the Tactician class, you can toss colored smoke grenades that act as spawn points for teammates. The Tactician can also call for airborne support in the form of a flying sentry robot.

Assault: Choosing the Assault class will give you longer playing time, as this character type is equipped with extra-tough body armor. If you're sick of getting wiped out in milliseconds, consider the Assault class.

Saboteur: The Saboteur class can mimic enemy players. You'll not only look like one of the players on the opposing team, but display the correct name. Once you've breached their perimeter, you can inflict damage in any number of ways.

Play Against Rockstar Devs in Midnight Club: LA on Nov. 16

Play Against Rockstar Devs in Midnight Club: LA on Nov. 16
Exclusive Xbox Live event will let players take on the makers of the game



Have you recently purchased Midnight Club: Los Angeles, the latest entry in Rockstar's street racing franchise? Then you may be interested to learn that Rockstar and Microsoft will be hosting a "Game with Rockstar" event exclusively on Xbox Live, where you'll have a chance to play with and against the makers of the game. From 4-7PM (EST) on November 16, you can hop online and go into multiplayer matchmaking for a chance to meet up with a number of Rockstar San Diego developers.
Moreover, from 7-9PM (EST) on the same day, you can also have a chance to play Midnight Club: LA against MURS, who the press release identifies as "a Warner Bros. recording artist and Los Angeles-based rapper." MURS, evidently, is featured in two songs on the Midnight Club: LA soundtrack, including "To Protect and Entertain" with Busy P and "Looking Fly" with Will.I.Am (we really hope he performed the Will.I.Am song via hologram). MURS' Gamertag is "Rob Feature," and the Gamertags of the participating Rockstar San Diego developers follow:


RockstarNYTest1
RockstarNYTest2
RkstrNYQALEAD1
RkstrNYQALEAD2
RkstrSDDesign1
RkstrSDDesign2
RkstrSDDesign3
RkstrSDDesign4
RkstrSDTest1
RkstrSDCode1
RkstrSDArt01
RkstrSDAudio1
rockstarnyc01
rockstarnyc02
rockstarnyc03

well i have put this on as the xbox blog is not doing much

Criterion Announces Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars

Hey folks … great to be back on the only blog that counts (apart from the one you’ll find at www.criteriongames.com, of course).

We’re continuing to support Burnout Paradise through 2009. The fun starts with our Burnout Paradise Party Pack in Feb and will be followed by our awesome Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Pack.

This year, we’ve introduced some of the most incredible vehicles yet seen in a Burnout game. Our FREE Cagney pack brought you the crazy Steel Oval Racer and the Hippie Wagon, and the FREE Bikes Pack introduced motorcycles to Paradise City for the first time ever.

In 2009, we’re taking Burnout vehicles to the next level with some truly unbelievable new vehicles. First up – The Jansen 88 Special.

This classic 1980’s styled silver sports car is based on the fan-favourite Jansen P12, but we’ve made a few interesting modifications.


Fill the gauge and hit boost to trigger burning flame trails from your back wheels. The 88 Special’s fast, manoeuvrable and great in the air.

In fact, if you want to take off, this is just the car for you. Hit L3 to switch to hover mode – the wheels retract and the car takes off and hovers through Paradise City at head height.

Seriously. It hovers.


This is the first of 4 cars that we’re making available as part of a wealth of new downloadable content for Burnout Paradise. They’re available to buy individually or discounted, if you pick up the whole set. In addition to the Jansen 88 Special, look out for the Cavalry Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and the GT Nighthawk!

We’ll bring you details and footage of these in a future post or on Crash TV (our video podcast), and we’ll be back next week with another killer announcement for next year’s awesome Burnout Paradise content.

And as always, we’re on hand for a while to answer your questions below!

PlayStation Home beta invites are on their way

Sony has already picked "loyal" European community members to join the PlayStation Home beta, and will send them invites when version 1.0 of the virtual world goes live.
"Your next question is, 'How do you decide who gets picked?' and we had a couple of plans on how that was going to be done and my boss is away so I cant ask him which one he chose (yes, we've picked the names already and no, I'm not going to reveal the list)," said TedTheDog, Home community manager, on the European PlayStation forum.
"I'll let you know what I can, once I find out, but both were broadly based on the concept of loyalty. That's very vague I know, I'll firm up what I can, but don't expect too much detail, it was really complicated last time."
When Home version 1.0 will launch nobody knows, unfortunately, but with American PlayStation 3 owners being invited as we speak, the estimate is soon.
And there's no need to worry if you don't get in, as TedTheDog says open beta "won't be far behind". Thank you TedTheDog.
Head over to our PlayStation Home gamepage for our hands-on impressions of the ambitious PS3 online virtual world.

Killzone 2 Beta Invites Glowing Out Now

Welcome to the latest episode of Check Your E-mail Accounts with Kotaku. Today's post will be discussing the public Killzone 2 beta, in which PlayStation Underground members can now partake. The beta's been open to a select group of PlayStation 3 owners for a while now, but a new batch of invites have gone out to players, dozens of whom read Kotaku and tipped us off to its expanded audience. Check all your e-mail accounts, kids, and keep an eye peeled for the glowing Helghast eyes that grant admission to the beta.

wasting my time

i totally agree with you there red why should we bother if no one is going to use it, there is plenty of us in the AAK and plenty wanting to join the clan but no one is doing there bit to help the rest of us, Although destroyer as woke up and started to do is bit on the xbox blog but we do need the other members of the site to join in and help us a bit, just to show a little bit of involement will make feel like we are doing all this for somthing or someone and make worth while, so come on you lazy bums let us know what we are doing for YOU ALL is worth the effort and the time, as for making money i wish then i would't have to remove asbestos for a living.

COD5 WORLD AT WAR

I have just had the pleasure of playing cod5, and though i said i wasn't going to buy it because it was dragging us back to the dark ages, world war 2 weapons, i am glad to report it actually works well. though the weapons are old they shoot well and the add ons i e the perks are all the same, except for calling in an helicopter you have dogs, and these work well and scare the pants of you at imes, they can be killed though which takes a few well placed bullets. the grahics are the same standard as cod4 top notch, maps are big and well thought out with lots of good sniping places, i didnt however work out how to climb a tree, but im shore it it easy to do. the tanks an be driven and a good way to get alot of kills, i think you are going to enjoy this game as you did on cod4. it as a mix of dark maps and light maps my fave is the train yard, plenty of good hiding places and a chance to blow a few tanks up, the beta only as three maps, but i am sure there is more to come. so i for one look forward to the release on the ps3, though i will be playing socom mostly im sure i will squeeze a few games of this in as well, and remember watch out for the dogs.

well i am disapointed in you all, me chief and shat work hard for nothing, i created this site for us all, and all you members of the aak are a waist of time, sorry but you could atleast spare an hour of your week to spend some time on the forums, and bloggs that these two guys work hard on, for you. way to show your support for us boys, i suggest you go and join another clan, i cant be arsed with the aak, how are we supposed to create a new community for us all if you cant even register to these bloggs in fact i bet only three people read this and they are all staff, next year i will be advertising this site and am asking members to ask their local game shop if they can put up posters in the shops. can i atleast depend on some of you to help with that. regardless what people think or have been saying no one earns a penny on here it comes out of my back pocket, the ads only earn if you click on them and use them, and then we only get pennies, not one of you as joined the auction site http://www.uwonit.co.uk/, i will honour the prizes to the winers of the ladders with competitions on, so them that are at the top dont worry. we have big plans for this site but we need you to be involved as much as you can, i aint asking you to edit the site or anything, just war each other ad to the forums, sign up to the bllogs and pass your comments, we get a hell of a lot of people visiting the site but they dont join because its dead, thanks alot, for killing us before we got of the ground, pull your fingers out people its your site thats dieing

BioShock PS3 Add-On Detailed

2K Games hopes gamers will want to extend their stay in underwater Rapture.

The publisher said Monday that add-on downloadable content for BioShock PS3 would cost $9.99 in North America when it releases on November 20.

The content includes three "Challenge Rooms," described by 2K Games below:

A Shocking Turn of Events – A Little Sister is trapped atop a Ferris wheel in an undisclosed location in Rapture. Using only the tools and environment around them, players must use their wits to create electricity to power the Ferris wheel and bring the Little Sister to safety.

The I in Team – Using limited resources, and an even more limited arsenal, players must negotiate traps and find a way to defeat a Big Daddy using their wits instead of raw firepower.

Worlds of Hurt – Step up and take on the most grueling challenge offered in the world of Rapture. Players must battle through eight rooms of Big Daddies, Splicers and the worst that Rapture has to offer. Accumulate Adam, build an arsenal of Plasmids, Tonics and Weaponry, and fight through to rescue the Little Sister.
The PS3 version of BioShock follows over a year after the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. All versions have received widespread critical acclaim. BioShock for PS3 was developed by 2K Boston, 2K Australia, 2K Marin and Digital Extremes.

Mega 64: GRAW 2

Sony patents sound-sensing PS3 controller

PlayStation 3 motion control rumors were revived today thanks to a Sony patent filing for a break-apart controller that works with motion and sound.

A recent Sony PS3 patent filing has revived rumors that the company is quietly preparing to attack Nintendo's motion-sensing Wii head-on.
While just a patent filing for now, the details include features and functionality that would be impossible with a Wiimote or the upcoming 1:1 MotionPlus add-on. For instance, the Sony controller uses the same break-apart design that surfaced earlier this year, but it adds in PlayStation Eye tracking and "ultrasonic" waves to track a player in 3-D space.
"Game interface tracks the position of one or more game controllers in 3-dimensional space using hybrid video capture and ultrasonic tracking system," read the patent filing, which was researched by GameIndustry.biz. "The captured video information is used to identify a horizontal and vertical position for each controller within a capture area. The ultrasonic tracking system analyzes sound communications to determine the distances between the game system and each controller and to determine the distances among the controllers."
The controller also fits together in a variety of combinations, much like the Menacer light gun peripheral for the Sega Genesis in the early 1990s. The original break apart PS3 controller design was actually unveiled in a separate patent filing earlier this year.
The Xbox 360, for its part, also saw its share of motion control rumors swirl throughout 2008. As of today, however, Microsoft has continued to deny the existence of a motion controller for that console.

What’s next for Burnout Paradise?

Phew! Another big week, here at Criterion Games, but it’s great to be back on the blog! Today, we made the first of a series of announcements calling out our 2009 Burnout Paradise content.
So first up, we’re talking about the in-game browser for the PLAYSTATION 3. We always like to embrace the great hardware innovations for PlayStation. We’re using the browser to bring you closer to your friends and also to get you the latest news on what we’re working on – it’s like having criteriongames.com inside the game.
We’ll bring you all the latest on this PlayStation-exclusive feature over the coming weeks, but for now all you need to know is it’s called Burnout Paradise Network and it’ll be ready in Feb ‘09.
Next up let’s talk Burnout Paradise Party Pack.
Burnout’s an awesome social game, but the action’s all online. With Party, we wanted to create something for when all the players are in one place – gathered around a single screen.Fans of the classic Crash Mode from Burnout 2: Point of Impact will know that this is not the first time we’ve done something like this. And we hope the response to Party is as warm as it was for Crash mode.
So, if you like to get together and play games, it’s time to break out the drinks, party hats and balloons!

Now you can enjoy Burnout Paradise in a completely new way.

1. Get together with up to 7 friends and gather round your PLAYSTATION 3. Here you can see some of the Burnout team lining up for a little Halloween-themed fun. You can see the full session in our latest Crash TV video podcast - it’s The Halloween Special!

2. Start Burnout Paradise and get the Party Pack update from the Store

3. Pause to admire the excellent new Party Edition visuals and atmosphere! We’ve overhauled not just the presentation screens but also the in-game visuals, which are now brighter and more colourful in recognition of Burnout’s new party theme.

4. Select 8-player party and get ready for the action. If you’ve got the PlayStation Eye add your picture now.

5. It’s pass-the-pad, so you’ll only need one controller to play, no matter how many players are involved!

6. The game selects a player at random and drops them into Paradise with a simple, fun challenge to complete.
Land a barrel roll!

Survive racing oncoming traffic!

Race a circuit of the dirt track in the best possible time!

There are 3 types of challenge to take on – Stunt, Speed and Skill. Stunt involves jumps and tricks. Speed features quick time trials and timed challenges. Skill includes racing through oncoming traffic and drifting your car.
7. Pick up the winner and run around cheering / commiserate the loser

8. Give it another go! Don’t forget, there are extra trophies and achievements available within this pack, as well as a stack of other enhancements.

You’ll be able to purchase this awesome premium Burnout Paradise content from February 2009, but if you haven’t got Burnout Paradise already, there’s never been a better time to buy.
We announced today that we’re bringing all the 2008 innovations as well as Party to something we’re calling Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box. It’s a new packaged game that’ll be available in Feb 2009!
Look out for more soon – either here on the awesome PlayStation Blog, back home on the Criterion Games Web site and in our video podcast – Crash TV.

Resistance 2

Resistance 2 Midnight Launch Event, Insomniac Community Day Details

It’s here! Well, almost. The launch of Resistance 2 is now only days away, so we hope you and your Bullseye are just about ready to go huntin’ for some Chimera. The game officially hits store shelves in North America on November 4, and to help celebrate Resistance 2’s arrival, we’ve got something extra-special planned:
Midnight Launch Event: That’s right, Resistance 2 is taking over the PlayStation Store in San Francisco’s Metreon for the night of November 3rd (and early on the 4th). In addition to being one of the first to pick up a copy of the game, attendees will be able to meet a host of Insomniacs (including Ted Price, our President and CEO, and members of the community team), receive some cool swag, get their copy of the game signed, and have their picture taken and placed on the cover of Resistance 2. Oh, and if you’re planning on purchasing the collector’s edition, you definitely want to come to this event. Trust us; your wallet will thank you for it. You can purchase the game at 12:01 am, but fans that show up a bit early can meet us and get that photo of yourself on the R2 cover.

While November 4 has been etched in the minds of Resistance fans, here’s another one to mark on your calendar: November 7. That’s the date of our first-ever community day here at Insomniac. Fans will be treated to a studio tour, Resistance 2 competitive multiplayer sessions against the dev team, a panel discussion about our latest title, and other fun activities. If you are at least 17 years old and live/plan to be in the Los Angeles area on November 7, e-mail us at mailto:%20RSVP@insomniacgames.com for more details on the event.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope you use this weekend to get in a few extra rounds with the beta (we just extended it until Monday). See you soon on the battlefield!