Gaming Tips & Reviews from BigMacca81625 » Microsoft

Fable 3 – Better Co Op Game Than Fable 2

Stephen — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:38:56 +0000

If there’s one thing we could’ve used in Fable 2, it was a more fleshed-out co-op system. Sure, we could see our friends’ orbs floating about Albion and we could even invite them to play as a one-off character in our world, but it was one unable to collect experience or have any lasting impact on our game. As you might image, Lionhead’s head lion Peter Molyneux is ready to deliver just that in Fable 3. Molyneux told the 4Guys 1UP podcast: “I heard you all about co-op. You want to have your own hero come into the world. Okay, fine, you can have that definitely.”

Detailing the system further, he admitted that the player’s dog and weapons will also be available in co-op. “When you come into my world, you come in as your hero, with your dog, with all your unique weapons, self-crafted weapons. I heard you — you don’t wanna be tied to my camera, you wanna go off and do your own thing in my world. Fine, fair enough.”

That said, he warned about “consequences” from bringing in said friends to your own version of Albion. “It means careful who you invite in, ’cause they can screw the whole thing up, man!” And then, when the possibility of using the new “touch” functionality came up, things took a turn for the weird. “Yes you can use touch with your co-op partner. Yes you can walk down the street hand-in-hand. Yes you can drag your co-op partner to your dungeon and see what happens. Absolutely.” Keep in mind, folks — what happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon. Rawr!

Free Online Games, Don’t Be Bored.com! Play Flash Games

Stephen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:17:07 +0000

Ok are you bored.com? Looking for something to keep you entertained? I know when im bored I look for free online games that will pass the time, the question is, where is a good place to find a wide range of free online flash games?

Well there are a number of websites that I used in order to play free online games and it all depends on what mood I’m in and what sort of game I want to play. Do I want to play a sports online flash game, or a shoot em up free online game?

Sometimes I actually don’t know what kind of free online game I want so I’m basically stabbing in the dark as to what to pay. When I’m like that I have a website that usually takes care of it all, freeonlinegames.com has a good range of free online games to keep you occupied when boredom sets in. Don’t let yourself be bored, there are places out there that let you play free online games without having to worry about registering, or paying a “donation” in order to have free access to all the games.

Don’t forget, if your bored, play free online games where ever you can find them, we even have one to keep you entertained here, if you use the search function for street fighter, then you should be able to play street fighter 2 turbo free.

Facebook Challenge Google & Microsoft With Hotmail & GMail Killer

Stephen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:14:01 +0000

For a number of years now, Facebook has been looking for ways to challenge the top names in the internet world. Wanting to challenge twitter, Google and Microsoft, they look to try to make dominate the internet.

With more than 4 million users world wide, they are probably in a fantastic position to do that, with systems such as advertising available to all users, and a search feature, they are not far away. They may now just be looking for that last way to beat them and I’m sure the answer is an Email system to rival hotmail and Gmail.

Internally, the project has been named “Project Titan” however there are employees who are calling it “Gmail Killer”. There have been agencies and individuals however, that have been questioning the need for another email system. With so many available, will it get used and will it benefit.

If you use facebook every day, I bet you would want a facebook email account? I know I would, they could help you filter out things such as comments and alerts you don’t want, which is exactly what gmail and hotmail don’t do. They may even totally replace hotmail in the future, lets see if plans materialise and we do finally see a way to bring down hotmail, gmail and the two big internet giants, microsoft and Google.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 – Expansion Pack Unveiled, Possible Death to DLC

Stephen — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:39:46 +0000

The guys at Infinity Ward announced over at CES 2010, that there will be an expansion pack for the most played online game, call of duty modern warfare 2. There was however, no mention of the previously suggested map packs. This could possibly spell the end of downloaded content(DLC) in favour of full blown expansion packs.

Is it smart to bring out an expansion pack for a game as popular as modern warfare 2? I believe it is, as many people who play the game online feel that the offline story mode is very very short, so we may see some extra missions like what rockstar have done with GTA4. This expansion pack will also probably include a few new multiplayer maps so that you can enjoy call of duty modern warfare 2 with a little bit of freshness breathed up is backside.

I personally will be looking forward to the call of duty expansion pack as there are a few maps online I don’t exactly enjoy playing at the moment. Hopefully we will see some fantastic maps aswell as hopefully, alot more robust code added to the game as the current code brings so may call of duty glitches and hacks into life, that its almost unplayable at times.

The only problem I forsee is the possibilty that this may cost an awful lot more to recieve than a standard map pack would, and with other games winning game of the year, its unlikely to see a game of year edition of call of duty modern warfare 2.

CES 2010 – Microsoft Give Gamers a Taste of Project Natal – Better then the Wii??

Stephen — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:42:21 +0000

Ok this week at CES 2010, there has been all sorts of latest news reviews and gossip about possible things that could be brought out on your favourite console. My favourite from this week at CES 2010 is the new project from microsoft the project natal.

You may have heard about it or read my article about project natal a few weeks ago. This new project natal is very similar to the nintendo wii in the way that it has sensors that pick up motion. However in a different twist, the nintendo wii requires you to have a controller stuck to your hand in order to detect movement. The natal only requires your body in order to detect motion.

Have microsoft hit the nail on the head with what gamers want? The video that was shown at CES 2010 got masses of applauds aswell with everyone feeling that this could be a big success. This may just spell the end for the nintendo wii as many gamers may just choose to buy an xbox with natal attached, there is then a much higher quality of graphics and a larger choice of games for your xbox console.

Would you buy the nintendo wii over microsofts project natal? I would always pick the project natal over any nintendo wii! Did you goto CES 2010? If so we want to hear your views below.

More Project Natal Info

Sony Taking Loss On Playstation 3 Price Cut – They Should Learn From Microsoft

Stephen — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:58:38 +0000

Sony are currently slightly trailing in the world sales of the playstation 3, however in a bid to try and rescue it they have introduced a playstation 3 price cut. This playstation price cut however, is not doing all it can in order to help sony increase profits.

They are currently selling the playstation 3 at a loss in order to ship more units. Is this really worth it? With current prices still way higher than the xbox 360x i don’t believe its worth losing everything in order to be the best selling. There is no point if your broke.

The figures of this loss are as follows, sony currently retail the playsation 3 in the US for $299, which is a bargain to be honest for the hardware you get, however, they spend roughly $340 er unit to actually manufacture! Whoever does the maths at sony probably needs sacking because the playstation 3 will bankrupt them.

Why is it so pricey to manufacture? Well the most expensive part inside the playsation 3 is the blu ray dvd players, these are $66 when you consider you can pick up a replacement dvd drive for the xbox 360 for around £20 retail then you realise just how expensive this actually is. I personally prefer the xbox 360 although the playstation 3 has the better hardware and reliability, i always find that microsoft have done a better job when it comes to network infrastructure online.

Xbox Live Affected With PC Like Modern Warfare 2 Hacks

Stephen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:44:53 +0000

Ok, I have literally only just posted an article online regarding the unlimited ammo hack that has been sweeping on the pc which I imagine Infinty Ward would be patching up and banning everyone using it.

However I have just found that this hack is also spreading right across Xbox Live and killing anyones joys of having a good game of Modern Warfare 2. Unlimited Ammo is as it says, no reloads, no ammo depletion, just simply hold the trigger and your bullets will continue to spray. Will this hack kill your attempts to play modern warfare 2?

There is an article on toms guide, that says people regard this as an early christmas present. If this is an early christmas present then this guy is not all together upstairs. Glitches ruin our every day life in gaming and if this causes the game to become unplayable then it will also ruin a game developer. Is it any wonder assassins creed got ign game of the year for the xbox with all these glitches coming to light.

This apparanly has came in through a modded xbox and is a virus in all intents and purposes. This will climb down the internet and infect your machine. The result will be unlimited ammo for all of your bullets. These is a way to clear this out but if everyone is doing it, will you clean yours out? If thats what you are looking to do, simply disconnect from xbox live and turn off your console. After about half an hour, your cache should be cleared and you can play all you like without this virus, but it may affect you again straight away!

IGN Video Game of The Year 2009 – Will Modern Warfare 2 Be King?

Stephen — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:12:18 +0000

Its that time of year again, its the time when we all find out what will be game of the year. The IGN Game of the year awards will be announced later today ith the whole world expecting Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 to be crowned king of the pile.

There are a number of categories with games competing for a number of different awards. All the nomnations are below, please take some time and watch the video provided by IGN of further explanation of the nominees.

Modern Warfare 2 & Call Of Duty Has Bad Company

Stephen — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:19:29 +0000

EA have today confirmed that they will be looking to massively step up attempts to break the hold that the call of duty series currently has on the gaming world.

Allthough modern warfare 2 is not being called call of duty, EA wants to try and bring down all of the games that are even similar, with one of their own first persn shooters. Are they just looking to cash in on the massive amount of sales that Modern Warfare 2 has had since its release?

The game they hope will kill of modern warfare 2 is Bad Company 2. Does this sound familar? It should do, electronic arts ran a huge advertising campaign to help bolster sales when the first game was realesed, BF Bad Comany.

Speaking at the UBS 37th Annual Global Media Conference, the CEO at Electronic arts had this to say

“Call of Duty, a title I’m very much targeting at taking back, started as million unit franchise, and it built to being more than 10 million,” Riccitiello said. “But often, in a category as competitive as this, a title can get tired.”

“I think were at that point. And I think [Bad Company 2] represents our best opportunity of taking the first-person shooter business back from Activision.”

Not only does he believe EA can conquer the FPS market, he aslo then started to knock the most successful first person shooter ever in Modern Warfare 2.

“I think it does online better, it’s got destructible environments, and driveable vehicles, which makes it much more interesting from an open-world perspective,”

I dont quite understand how anyone can have the cheek to call modern warfare 2 for its online playability. I think its the outright simpleness of the modern warfare 2 online that makes it so successful. We don’t want to drive or blow up walls in our way, we want to shoot the other person, if were not doing that were not happy. Discuss below if you feel EA should continue with making successful sports games.

Playstation 3 Motion Controller – Do We Finally Have a Name

Stephen — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:02:57 +0000

Officially we have been waiting for a name for the motion controllers for both the playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Have we finally got one? Have the people who mattered, dropped a bombshell that alot of us may have just missed.

A confrence help in New York city yesterday morning may have been where the name drop occured. The CEO of Electronic Arts was speaking at the UBS 37th Annual Global Media Conference. Here he made a passing mention of the upcoming playstation 3 and xbox 360 motion sensor controllers.

“In the coming year, both Sony and Microsoft have announced new controllers. Motion sensor controls, Natal and Gem, these are likely to bring new consumers into the marketplace”

Dont get me wrong, these could very well be just code names for the entire project however I’d not heard of these codenames, nor have anyone else ive spoke to. It really would be a big thing if sony can bring the sony playstation 3 further into the current generation by adding motion sensor controllers.

Wii sales have droppedthis year with playstation 3 looking only months away from overtaking the xbox as the most popular sold console. This new motion controller may just see Wii sales drop even further and playstation 3 sales to go absolute through the roof. If it doesnt I firmly believe it will help he final profit/loss margin for the playstation 3 side of the sony business.

Work as a Spy If You’re A Gamer – GCHQ Recruit on XBL

Stephen — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:38:32 +0000

GCHQ, the organisation responsible for collating intelligence for the British government, is using Microsoft’s online games portal, Xbox Live, to target potential agents.

GCHQ has launched a recruitment campaign on Microsoft’s Xbox Live portal, aimed at “quick-thinking 18- to 34-year-olds”. The six-week campaign features banner ads, video clips and static advertisements which give more information about GCHQ’s work.

The campaign will also highlight some of the key roles within the organisation that might appeal to gamers, including fighting organised crime and targeting hackers. GCHQ hopes to fill around 250 positions in mainly IT and technical roles at both graduate and professional levels.

“We can offer excellent training and careers for people with specialist technical skills,” said a spokesman for GCHQ. “However, the fact remains that many potential candidates remain unaware of GCHQ and what we do. Using video on Xbox Live helps carry our message to the right people in a creative and innovative manner.”

Banner adverts will also be rolled out across popular games, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which has smashed sales records since it went on sale earlier this month, and Assassin’s Creed II. GCHQ has not confirmed whether the campaign will roll out to other platforms, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3 or PC games.

GCHQ said that many of its recruiting criteria are “reflected in gameplay experiences on Xbox, such as quick thinking, problem solving and team work”.

It’s not the first time the intelligence agency has launched a recruitment drive through the video games industry. In 2007, it ran a similar in-game campaign in Splinter Cell, which saw the number of visitors to GCHQ’s website increase by more than 500 per cent.

Xbox & Microsoft Look To Bring in Cheaters System – Bad News For Gamers

Stephen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:30:19 +0000

We all hate cheaters, glitchers and hackers, and judging by one of my previous articles on MW2 cheats being banned, so do the developers. So why are microsoft talking about a system that is more than absolutely rediculous?

By now you’re probably wondering what I am talking about! Well Microsoft have indicated that they may just develop a system for xbox live, to allow gamers to not only cheat, but share these cheats with their fellow gamers at the touch of a button. Even if this is meant to be for sharing walk through and achievements this has outraged me, that microsoft have even contemplated allowing cheats to be shared.

Although microsoft have yet to comment on this, the Director Games Platform Strategy at Microsoft, Andre Vrignaud filed a patent that reveals what the system is about. It is a plan so that gamers can find a place to go when then are really stuck, this place will be filled with user inputted text, videos and pictures. Although on the face of it, they only really want this to be used to help solve some of the more difficult achievements, I feel this system will be massively abused by gamers.

The abuse will come in many forms with people sharing glitches and hacks to people who show off the finished products of their glitch, i.e. a player being out of an online map. Either way, I feel this may just be the downfall of Xbox Live!

Would you abuse this glitch? Please discuss below.