http://www.stageselect.com Video Game Information - Pictures, Rarity, Codes, Collecting, and Community. Music, games, and more all in one great URL. Copyright 08/01/2002 - 11/7/2009 12:00:00 AM, Stage Select LLC. comments1@stageselect.com (Chris Larson) comments1@stageselect.com (Chris Larson) en-us http://www.stageselect.com/Template/images/AdBanners/banner125x125.gif http://www.stageselect.com 125 125 Stage Select There's no question that the games industry is suffering through a bad year. According to the NPD Group which measures US sales for the industry, sales of games are off of last year's pace by 13%. Activision is hoping that their Modern Warfare 2 can turn the industry on its ear. The hype from both Activision and retailers is strong. On November 5, Activision had an earnings call, where Activision's leadership outlined a profit of $15 million, versus losing money the year before. Therefore, Activision is in a strong place now, and with one of the most intense launches of a game EVER, spending close to $200 million for promotions and licensing (according to CEO Bobby Kotick), Activision expects Modern Warfare 2 to perform quite well at retail. In fact, Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan expects sales of 12 million for Modern Warfare 2 by Christmas. That's a windfall of 1/2 a billion dollars. Retailers are positively giddy: 'We expect it could be the biggest game of all time.' These are the words of Tony Bartel, marketing VP for GameStop, whose seen more pre-orders for Modern Warfare 2 than any other game they've ever sold. During an earnings call Activision's President, Mike Griffith, had the following to say: 'We think one of the problems with our PC (releases) on this title in the past is that it has not been as friendl. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4694-modern-warfare-2-player-concerns-wont-deter-sales.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4694-modern-warfare-2-player-concerns-wont-deter-sales.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4694-modern-warfare-2-player-concerns-wont-deter-sales.aspx#discuss EDITOR'S NOTE: We'll have impressions / reviews soon! Shattered Horizon launched on Wednesdsay and is currently in the top ten in Steamandrsquo;s weekly top sellers list, and number five in the action games list, just one place below Modern Warfare 2. Given the competition we are up against at this time of year we are delighted with how things are going for our first, self-published game. Early reviews are positive, weandrsquo;re seeing full servers (dedicated of course!) and lots of happy PC gamers enjoying Shattered Horizonandrsquo;s zero gravity gameplay. That zero gravity gameplay has been our focus but in comments threads and forums many gamers seem more curious about how sound is handled in the game. Reading these threads prompted us to put together a short video on Shattered Horizonandrsquo;s 'silent running' mode. No sound seems like a cool idea at first, but itandrsquo;s actually very hard to play an FPS without any audio cues. Our solution was to give the player's space suit 'audio . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4693-shattered-horizon-silent-running-feature.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4693-shattered-horizon-silent-running-feature.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4693-shattered-horizon-silent-running-feature.aspx#discuss The sequel to Valve's Game of the Year Left 4 Dead has had quite a ride. From its initial announcement at E3, Left 4 Dead 2 has drawn some harsh criticism from the gaming community. It was also adamantly justified by Valve to deliver a higher level of quality and gameplay that simply could not have been achieved other than as a stand-alone game. Recent estimates suggest that Left 4 Dead 2 has already surpassed four times the amount of pre-orders than the original, which means fans are expecting great things. Whether you took place in the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott, or have been a steadfast fan since the beginning, its time to dig into flesh of Valve's hard work and determine just how worthwhile Left 4 Dead 2 is going to be. So let us summarize our impressions with a simple image: Yeah...it's kinda like that. We'll admit to being pretty hardcore fans of the original Left 4 Dead, but our evaluations here are meant to be fundamental and unbiased. In fact, with so much exposure and time invested into the original Left 4 Dead, our expectation. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4686-left-4-dead-2-demo-infected-with-goodness-hq-scree.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4686-left-4-dead-2-demo-infected-with-goodness-hq-scree.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4686-left-4-dead-2-demo-infected-with-goodness-hq-scree.aspx#discuss FAIRFAX, Virginia andndash; November 6, 2009 andndash; Mythic Entertainmentandtrade;, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that the critically-acclaimed MMORPG, Warhammerandreg; Online: Age of Reckoningandreg; (WAR), has replaced its 10-day time-limited free trial with a new, endless free* trial program which is now available for download. The new streaming client for the endless free trial enhances the gameandrsquo;s accessibility and greatly decreases the download time, making it easier than ever for new players to experience the never-ending battles of WAR for themselves. . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4695-press-release-mythic-entertainment-introduces-endl.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4695-press-release-mythic-entertainment-introduces-endl.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4695-press-release-mythic-entertainment-introduces-endl.aspx#discuss After statements during online chats hosted by Infinity Ward and Activision's public statements, members of the hardcore gaming community are feeling slighted by a dearth of features in Modern Warfare 2. PC gamers have been most shocked by the relelations to come out of Infinity Ward. During an online chat session, the following new news about the game was discovered: Of course, people understand by now that PC players will not have dedicated servers. In addition, however, Modern Warfare 2 will not have the ability to vote-kick players from a match. When pressed about the issue, Infinity Ward has stated that they'll be taking action against hackers that make their way past VAC (the anti-cheating system). Infinity Ward has confirmed that gamers cannot opt-out of hosting matches, a concern for those players that are on ISPs that don't allow dedicated servers. With all of these limits, it's hard to imagine more, but... Modern Warfare 2 is also limited to 9 vs 9 matches, only 18 total players on a map. One last kick to the PC gamers is the lack of a Console Mode (a mode where PC gamers are able to enter commands directly into the game). When asked if Modern Warfare 2 was simply a console port, Infinity Ward said 'No, PC has custom stuff like mouse control, text chat in game, and graphics settings.' Apparently, they have absolutely no idea what was meant by the question.andnb. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4691-pc-gamers-fear-modern-warfare-2-is-a-console-port-.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4691-pc-gamers-fear-modern-warfare-2-is-a-console-port-.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4691-pc-gamers-fear-modern-warfare-2-is-a-console-port-.aspx#discuss Cambridge, Mass. andndash; Nov. 6, 2009 - Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of tracks from The White Stripes and singles from The Damned and Kasabian will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360andreg; video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStationandreg; 3 computer entertainment system and Wiiandtrade;. Tracks from No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSPandreg; (PlayStationandreg;Portable) system. Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4692-press-release-the-white-stripes-make-their-rock-ba.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4692-press-release-the-white-stripes-make-their-rock-ba.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4692-press-release-the-white-stripes-make-their-rock-ba.aspx#discuss Santa Monica, CA andndash; November 5, 2009 andndash; Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that the greatest Super Heroandtrade; action/RPG team-up just got a super-powered upgrade with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 downloadable content, now available until December 31, 2009, for the Xbox 360andreg; video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStationandreg;3 computer entertainment system. Players can now experience Marvelandrsquo;s epic Civil War storyline with five all-new playable characters in their arsenal: Carnage, Psylocke and Cable make their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system debuts in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series alongside returning fan-favorites Magneto and Black Panther. The downloadable content also includes four new challenge missions, including all-new boss encounters, dangerous gauntlets and more, all downloadable from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points and from the Pla. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4689-press-release-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-downloada.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4689-press-release-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-downloada.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4689-press-release-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-downloada.aspx#discuss Stockholm, Sweden andndash; November 5, 2009 andndash; DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Companyandtrade; 2 multiplayer beta exclusively on the PlayStationandreg;3 computer entertainment system. Starting November 19, . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4688-press-release-battlefield-bad-company-2-multiplaye.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4688-press-release-battlefield-bad-company-2-multiplaye.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4688-press-release-battlefield-bad-company-2-multiplaye.aspx#discuss Emeryville, CA andndash; November 5, 2009- Maxisandtrade;, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced they have taken their renowned integration of social connectivity to the next level with a fun and original game application built on Facebookandreg; Platform, Sporeandtrade; Islands. Now available, Spore Islands invites Facebook users to experience the Spore universe in a new way by competing against each other in the ultimate survival of the fittest game. andldquo;In Spore Islands, players get to invite friends in their social web to play on their island, so creating this game exclusively for Facebook was a natural choice for us since they are the largest and most popular social platform for games,andrdquo; stated Caryl Shaw, Senior Producer, Spore Island. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4687-press-release-spore-franchise-launches-first-game-.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4687-press-release-spore-franchise-launches-first-game-.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4687-press-release-spore-franchise-launches-first-game-.aspx#discuss Page 1 Page 2 It's clear that Gearbox Software focused heavily on the console release of Borderlands. So much in fact that the PC version, which was delayed by a week, has still shipped with an unfortunate number of issues that will most likely cause PC gamers some headaches. Whether or not they ruin a player's experience with the Borderlands on PC is going to vary. It is our hope that Gearbox will focus on improving the overall experience for its PC fanbase, if nothing else, to get Borderlands ready for the big league gamers. Perhaps the most noticeable console intrusions in the PC version of Borderlands reside in the control schemes and gameplay. Any Halo fan will immediately notice the outlandish 'space jump' that allows your character enough time to reload, save the game, and enjoy a cup of tea, all before landing. This is very awkward, especially when coupled with the molassas-rich walkspeed andndash; another abyssmal console remnant. There is of course a sprint button that actually lets you cover some ground, but this gameplay element left us wondering why anyone would ever 'walk' in Borderlands. If the combat is meant to be s. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4680-borderlands-pc-needs-patch-to-gear-up-for-pro-game.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4680-borderlands-pc-needs-patch-to-gear-up-for-pro-game.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4680-borderlands-pc-needs-patch-to-gear-up-for-pro-game.aspx#discuss Check out this week's show... The Video Games Show is created and broadcast every week from St. Louis. Experienced radio hosts Rich Bergin and Nick Kraft team up to bring you two hours of News, Reviews, Commentary, and your Emails. The show can be heard on KSLU Radio in St. Louis, streaming on the All Games Network, streaming live as the show is being recorded at www.videogamesshow.net, and of course here at Stage Select. The show is also available in podcast form in the iTunes store under both the Stage Select feed and the Video Games Show feed. Join the thousands of loyal VGS listeners today! Download the Show (VGS #117, 43.2MB) Listen Now: . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4557-vgs-117-video-games-show-11042009.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4557-vgs-117-video-games-show-11042009.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4557-vgs-117-video-games-show-11042009.aspx#discuss See the newest TV video promotion for Valve's upcoming zombie survival fps, Left 4 Dead 2! Take note of some of the censorship to make this video commercial 'TV safe'. There is no direct combat shown between the survivors or the infected (though it is creatively implied). Also, the signature Left 4 Dead hand is not missing a thumb, but rather has it tucked back to emulate the official cover art. This is a bit of a bummer, but it is still really cool to see the hand move and twitch rather than be a stationary image. Left 4 Dead 2 will be available on November 17 for PC and Xbox 360. The Left 4 Dead 2 demo is currently available for download via Steam and Xbox Live. | Left 4 Dead 2 (PC) | Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) |. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4685-new-left-4-dead-2-tv-spot-video.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4685-new-left-4-dead-2-tv-spot-video.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4685-new-left-4-dead-2-tv-spot-video.aspx#discuss Shortly before 4 PM CST today, registered Steam community members could begin downloading the official Left 4 Dead 2 demo to the platform of their choice! Be on the look out for our updated impressions in the very near future. Valve's official announcement reveals that demo access on Xbox Live is being provided to Gold Members: [ Valve ] Available Now to All PC Gamers and All Xbox LIVE Gold Members Nov 3, 2009 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the availability of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo to all PC gamers and all Xbox LIVE Gold Members. The Left 4 Dead 2 demo features gameplay taken from 'The Parish' campaign, set in the New Orleans French Quarter. Playable by 1 to 4 players over local or Internet connections on both the Xbox 360 and PC (with two-player split screen available on the Xbox 360), the demo features all the new boss infected zombies and many of the new melee weapons included in the full product. Coming exclusively to Xbox 360 and PC, L4D2 promises to set a new benchmark for co-operative action games and become one of 2009's marquee titles. Set for release on Novemb. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4681-left-4-dead-2-demo-saferoom-unlocked-for-xbox-and-.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4681-left-4-dead-2-demo-saferoom-unlocked-for-xbox-and-.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4681-left-4-dead-2-demo-saferoom-unlocked-for-xbox-and-.aspx#discuss As we reported early, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is being publicly released later today to everyone on Xbox Live and Steam. In order to keep the pre-order incentives rolling along with the demo release, Valve has announced that as an added bonus, anyone who pre-orders Left 4 Dead 2 will receive Bill's signature ('spiffy') hat for use in Team Fortress 2! If you've already made your pre-order, then log into your Team Fortress 2 game and you'll see Bill's hat in your inventory immediately. Though Valve is always a favorite when it comes to providing value to their fans, this is the first time they have done any type of promotional cross-over between games. This offer may come as a suprise to some, but it is welcome bonus to any Left 4 Dead fan who also finds themself sharing their game time with Team Fortress 2, Valve's other well-received team-based multiplayer PC title. And if Bill's hat isn't inspiration enough to pre-order Left 4 Dead 2, Valve is stilling offering the game at 10% of retail price. Another less-publicized option to purchase Left 4 Dead 2 comes in the form of Valve's Four Pack. If you can rally a group of friends to purchase four copies of Left 4 Dead 2, you'll receive them at a discounted price of roughly $33 each...a fantastic deal for any one not yet infected by the series. We're a bit disappointed that the hat doesn't also come with Bi. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4682-preorder-left-4-dead-2-and-get-bills-hat-in-team-f.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4682-preorder-left-4-dead-2-and-get-bills-hat-in-team-f.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4682-preorder-left-4-dead-2-and-get-bills-hat-in-team-f.aspx#discuss REDWOOD CITY, Calif. andndash; November 3, 2009 andndash; Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the award-winning Need for Speedandtrade; NITRO is in stores across North America and will hit store shelves in Europe on November 6. Developed specifically for the Wiiandtrade; and Nintendo DSandtrade;, Need for Speed NITRO brings an unrivaled sense of speed to the streets as players evade cops and take down competitors to become the worldandrsquo;s top racer. andldquo;Need for Speed NITRO pushes the limits of racing on the Nintendo platforms to deliver the ultimate racer of the holiday,andrdquo; said Joe Booth, Senior Producer. andldquo;With deep track designs and intense speeds, as well as accessible controls, NITRO promises insanely competitive races that will appeal to all levels of players.andrdquo; Need for Speed NITRO. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4684-press-release-need-for-speed-nitro-races-into-stor.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4684-press-release-need-for-speed-nitro-races-into-stor.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4684-press-release-need-for-speed-nitro-races-into-stor.aspx#discuss EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA andndash; November 3, 2009 andndash; Leading video game developer BioWareandtrade;, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that the highly-anticipated game Dragon Ageandtrade;: Origins is now available on the PlayStationandreg;3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360andreg; videogame and entertainment system and PC. Dragon Age: Origins introduces a dark and gritty approach to the fantasy genre where players must make ruthless decisions and be willing to sacrifice their friends and loved ones for the greater good of mankind. Several downloadable content packs are also now available, including Wardenandrsquo;s Keep, The Stone Prisoner and the Blood Dragon Armor. andldquo;The launch of Dragon Age: Origins is the fantasy event of 2009,andrdquo; said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group at EA. andldquo;I am extremely proud of the entire development team - and weandrsquo;re all very exci. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4683-press-release-biowares-dragon-age-origins-hits-ret.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4683-press-release-biowares-dragon-age-origins-hits-ret.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4683-press-release-biowares-dragon-age-origins-hits-ret.aspx#discuss A leak out of the UK shows that the Xbox 360 will soon be available there with either Star Trek, or the Transformers 2. In an interesting move, the movie isn't on DVD or HD-DVD. The movie will be made available to users through a USB key - that's right, you'll get a digital file of the movie on a special collector's edition USB drive. In the case of Star Trek, the USB key looks like the Star Trek logo, with the bottom half of the logo containing the actual movie (and the top of the logo being the USB key's cap). The Xbox bundle is contains an Xbox 360 Elite edition, an extra controller, and the movie. The Xbox 360 sold 353,000 units in September, according NPD Group Inc.. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4676-uk-gets-xbox-360-star-trek-or-transformers-2-bundl.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4676-uk-gets-xbox-360-star-trek-or-transformers-2-bundl.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4676-uk-gets-xbox-360-star-trek-or-transformers-2-bundl.aspx#discuss In an attempt to block cheaters, Infinity Ward will not allow Xbox Live Party Chat in Modern Warfare 2. In fact, the option is very clear cut if you open a Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer mode while already in a chat scenario - Modern Warfare 2 will ask you to either quit your party chat, or quit the game. The message that appears is an Xbox 360 dashboard message, rather than an in-game message. This means that gamers are likely to suffer this message in games of the future, not just Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360. Obviously, PlayStation 3 players of Modern Warfare 2 won't get this message, as they don't have party chat. This isn't the first controversy to hit the new title; PC players will not have dedicated servers. It was also leaked late last week (and later confirmed by Infinity Ward) that Modern Warfare 2 will have 3rd person views in some of its multiplayer modes. The leaked Modern Warfare 2 video, which has been pulled from YouTube, showed a multiplayer match using a third person perspective, which has not previously been discussed. Infinity Ward today clarified when and how 3rd player mode will be used in Modern Warfare 2. The 3rd person mode will be available in private multiplayer matches, and all players will be forced to use the third person view if the option is on in the server. In other words, everyone will be on the same level if a third person match style is selected. There will. . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4664-modern-warfare-2-blocks-xbox-live-party-chat.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4664-modern-warfare-2-blocks-xbox-live-party-chat.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4664-modern-warfare-2-blocks-xbox-live-party-chat.aspx#discuss Here are the releases for this week. Highlights include Band Hero and Dragon Age: Origins. Title System Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders DS Band Hero DS Barbie and the Three Musketeers DS C.O.P. The Recruit DS Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4673-weekly-releases-11012009-to-11072009.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4673-weekly-releases-11012009-to-11072009.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4673-weekly-releases-11012009-to-11072009.aspx#discuss EAandrsquo;s The Sims Studio is pleased to announce that The Simsandtrade; 3 World Adventures*, the first expansion pack to the #1 best-selling PC game of calendar 2009**, The Sims 3, has gone gold for the PC and Mac and will be available on November 17, 2009 in North America and will be in stores worldwide in 60 countries and in 22 languages the same week. Sims can now go on the journey of a lifetime in The Sims 3 World Adventures. They can run from mummies in Al Simhara, Egypt, fill the sky with fireworks purchased from locals in Shang Simla, China and master the art of nectar-making in France. Along the way, they can capture the funny, scary and exciting moments while using the brand new photography skill. Once they have completed their quests players can bring their treasures home . . . http://www.stageselect.com/N4675-press-release-the-sims-3-world-adventures-goes-gol.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4675-press-release-the-sims-3-world-adventures-goes-gol.aspx http://www.stageselect.com/N4675-press-release-the-sims-3-world-adventures-goes-gol.aspx#discuss