WII GUITAR HERO III DISC REPLACEMENT REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Those of you who purchased the Wii version of Guitar Hero III are probably well aware by now that Activision accidentally recorded your discs in mono sound instead of Dolby stereo. You're probably also aware that Activision promised to ship out replacement discs early in the new year.
Well, according to ArsTechnica, Activision has now opened pre-registration for those replacement discs. Apparently you'll have the option of either calling to get on the list or being notified via e-mail.
"Pre-registration for the remastered disc is fairly simple: owners looking for an updated copy need only call (866) 780-8286 from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday, to get their names on the list. Alternatively, the help entry on Activision's customer support knowledge base has a handy "update me by email" function. No date has been given for when the discs will actually be sent out." – ArsTechnica
You know, while I applaud Activision for making good on their mistake, if I had bought the Wii version of the game, I'd be seriously pissed right now. It really shouldn't take this long to get what you paid for. I certainly hope Activision plans on giving those affected something else for their troubles too – even if just a free song.
ACTIVISION INC AND VIVENDI GAMES TO MERGE INTO ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
Just when it looked like it was safe to go in the boardroom, Activision Incorporated (Guitar Hero) and Vivendi Games (World of Warcraft) have announced that they will be merging into Activision Blizzard – a move that involves some 19 billion dollars and will result in Vivendi gaining a 52 percent interest in the new company.
"December 2, 2007 (Santa Monica, Calif. and Paris, France) – Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and Vivendi (Euronext Paris: VIV) today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to combine Vivendi Games, Vivendi's interactive entertainment business — which includes Blizzard Entertainment’s™ World of Warcraft®, the world’s #1 multi-player online role-playing game franchise — with Activision, creating the world’s largest pure-play online and console game publisher. The new company, Activision Blizzard, is expected to have approximately $3.8 billion in pro forma combined calendar 2007 revenues and the highest operating margins of any major third-party video game publisher. On closing of the transaction, Activision will be renamed Activision Blizzard and will continue to operate as a public company traded on NASDAQ under the ticker ATVI." – Activision Blizzard merger announcement
I've got to say that this one is actually a little bit shocking as it would appear that neither company was really in a situation where they needed the assistance of the other. It's also somewhat interesting to see that of all the different companies under Vivendi Games' banner, Blizzard is the one that made the title of the new company. I guess both sides know where the money train is, eh?
The terms of the merger seem fairly intricate, so I won't begin to go into them here in an abbreviated manner. If you're looking for all the details, be sure to check out Activision Blizzard's new website at www.ActivisionBlizzard.com. One thing that I should say right off the bat, is that World of Warcraft fans appear to have nothing to worry about, as according to Blizzard, they will continue to operate as a seperate division of the new company. (and certainly the fact that Blizzard was considered important enough to represent the new company in name indicates both sides are well aware that Blizzard should continue it's operations without interference)
"We're pleased to announce that along with the other companies that make up Vivendi Games, we are merging with Activision to form a new global entertainment organization called Activision Blizzard (pending shareholder and regulatory approval). Similar to our previous arrangement, Blizzard Entertainment will now operate as a division of this new organization.
There will be no changes to our games, our websites, our personnel, or our day-to-day operations as a result of the deal. However, this combining of resources will benefit all of the companies involved and will further strengthen Blizzard's ability to continue delivering high-quality content for our players around the world for many years to come. To learn more about this exciting new development, please read our Activision Blizzard FAQ." – Blizzard.com
I'm also sure Electronic Arts is a bit upset at once again losing the "biggest third party software company" title once again, so be sure to keep an eye out for more possible acquisition announcements in the coming weeks.
- Activision Blizzard – Official website
- Viviendi and Activision to form Activision Blizzard – Official press release
- Activision Blizzard FAQ – Blizzard.com
PLAYSTATION 3 GUITAR HERO III BOSS BATTLE SONG PACK NOW AVAILABLE
If you've got the PlayStation 3 version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and have been waiting for the "Boss Battles" download pack that Xbox 360 users have been enjoying for the past week or so, your wait is over. The Guitar Hero III "Boss Battle" Song Pack is now available through the PlayStation Store as a free download. Approximate file size is 78mb.
Just don't hold your breath hoping for the Halo 3 Mjolnir Mix track to show up for the PS3, okay? Enjoy!
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – Official website
FREE HALO 3 THEME SONG FOR XBOX 360 GUITAR HERO III
Okay, so I'm really late on this one – I meant to post it over the Thanksgiving weekend, but obviously that didn't happen due to issues involving gluttony and tryptophan. What I'm talking about here is the long-rumored release of the Halo 3 theme for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
While some may gripe that it was first rumored to be a downloadable track for Guitar Hero II, the fact remains that it was never officially promised by Microsoft, Bungie or Activision, so it's not like GHII owners are missing out on something that they were told they'd be getting by anyone other than the internet water cooler.
While the news about the Halo 3 track is good, the second part of the announcement is even better… it's a free download. If you've got the 360 version of GHIII, you've got no excuse to head over to the Xbox Live Marketplace and add this one to your hard drive. Get to it!
- Guitar Hero III – Official website
- Guitar Hero III: Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix (Free) – Major Nelson
XBOX 360 GUITAR HERO III BOSS BATTLE SONG PACK NOW AVAILABLE
If you've been waiting to be able to play the tracks used in the boss battles of Guitar Hero III as regular songs on the Xbox 360, you're in luck. The Guitar Hero III Boss Battle Song Pack is now available via the Xbox Live Marketplace, and best of all, it's a free download. Approximate download size is 75mb. Enjoy!
- Guitar Hero III – Official website
XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – SCREWJUMPER! & SHREK-N-ROLL
You know, it's been awhile since I've been thrilled by an Xbox Live Arcade release and it looks like the string of yawners is going to continue for at least another week. Sure, last week's set had one passable, yet overpriced, game in the form of Switchball but I still find that, of late, there just hasn't been much to get excited about. I'm hoping that it's due to the end-year rush of A-List titles and no one wanting to get lost in the shuffle. Oh well, as they say, the show must go on… which leads us to Screwjumper! and Shrek-n-Roll.
We'll open up with Screwjumper! – a game that certainly qualifies for the "games that sound dirty, but really aren't" genre. I sometimes look at the flavor text the marketing folks at Xbox.com come up with for these games and wonder if they have as much of a hard time finding things to say that are interesting about the game as I do writing about Live Arcade games that I couldn't care less about. That little bit of random trivia aside, I decided that I'd give Screwjumper! a fair shake and load up the demo to see what it was all about. The game itself isn't horrible, it's just a little too basic. Fall down a shaft, avoid some obstacles while hitting others. Then do it in reverse. Try the demo and see for yourself – I think you'll agree that there are better Live Arcade titles for the money they're asking.
Title: Screwjumper!
Developer: Frozen Codebase
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – (Everyone 10+) – Mild Violence, Tobacco Reference
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Take the plunge in Screwjumper!™ Freefall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, and drive the aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment. Demolish structures in freefall as you increase your destructive power by increasing your velocity. Use dynamite to pick off hazards and high value targets. Destroy the mine core and jetpack out alive. Dead screwjumpers don't get paid!
- Multiple levels and characters: Descend and destroy 20 mines on four different planets with six different characters, including Skruii the foreman of the Screwjumpers Union, Filch the reckless thrill-seeker, Zyree the unpredictable, Xoona the aloof, Ula the mad, and Zomar the mysterious.
- Ultimate destruction: Chain your destruction by plunging through objects at ultra-terminal speeds. You're a screwjumper. Go for it!
- Single player modes: Risk your neck in four single-player modes including Destruction, Race, Time Trial, and Score.
- Multiplayer: Compete with your friends via split screen and Xbox LIVE® multiplayer." – Xbox.com
Which brings us to the second release of the week, Shrek-n-Roll. Looking at this title, all I can say is "at least they didn't try to release it as a retail title for $59.99". It looks much like that kids game where you bounce a marble down a board with pegs in it to see what prizes you get. In other words, certainly not something worth playing as a videogame nor something worth 800 points. ($10) – Needless to say, unless someone comes along and says this is the greatest thing since ice-cream, I'm not even going to bother with the demo.
Title: Shrek-n-Roll
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Join Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in Shrek-N-Roll, an addictive and hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages!
Navigate through 16 challenging mazes across four unique evironments in Far Far Away's newest competitive tournament. Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode.
- Adventure through Shrek's world: Start rolling at Worcestershire Academy, venture forth onto the Pirate's ship, visit Shrek's Swamp and brave the Evil Queen's Castle. Mastering each of the 16 levels allows you to move on to more fun and challenging puzzles.
- Play the whole Shrek gang: Play with 24 twisted fairy tale characters, including Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and other unlockable heroes and villains.
- Enjoy signature Shrek humor: From fast-talking Donkey to sword-fighting Puss in Boots, the animation, dialogue and environments throughout the game bring the humor of Shrek alive!
- Experience multiple game modes: Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Arcade titles, like I mentioned earlier, Switchball was an enjoyable enough game that, while not having the same charm as Marble Madness, at least kept things varied enough to stay interesting throughout the demo. Unfortunately, while I would have rated it a buy at 400 points ($5), I don't quite feel the same about it at 800 ($10). As for Word Puzzle, I didn't even bother with the demo and I doubt I ever will. Don't encourage trash is my motto.
XBOX LIVE ARCADE WEDNESDAYS – SCREWJUMPER! & SHREK-N-ROLL
You know, it's been awhile since I've been thrilled by an Xbox Live Arcade release and it looks like the string of yawners is going to continue for at least another week. Sure, last week's set had one passable, yet overpriced, game in the form of Switchball but I still find that, of late, there just hasn't been much to get excited about. I'm hoping that it's due to the end-year rush of A-List titles and no one wanting to get lost in the shuffle. Oh well, as they say, the show must go on… which leads us to Screwjumper! and Shrek-n-Roll.
We'll open up with Screwjumper! – a game that certainly qualifies for the "games that sound dirty, but really aren't" genre. I sometimes look at the flavor text the marketing folks at Xbox.com come up with for these games and wonder if they have as much of a hard time finding things to say that are interesting about the game as I do writing about Live Arcade games that I couldn't care less about. That little bit of random trivia aside, I decided that I'd give Screwjumper! a fair shake and load up the demo to see what it was all about. The game itself isn't horrible, it's just a little too basic. Fall down a shaft, avoid some obstacles while hitting others. Then do it in reverse. Try the demo and see for yourself – I think you'll agree that there are better Live Arcade titles for the money they're asking.
Title: Screwjumper!
Developer: Frozen Codebase
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – (Everyone 10+) – Mild Violence, Tobacco Reference
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Take the plunge in Screwjumper!™ Freefall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, and drive the aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment. Demolish structures in freefall as you increase your destructive power by increasing your velocity. Use dynamite to pick off hazards and high value targets. Destroy the mine core and jetpack out alive. Dead screwjumpers don't get paid!
- Multiple levels and characters: Descend and destroy 20 mines on four different planets with six different characters, including Skruii the foreman of the Screwjumpers Union, Filch the reckless thrill-seeker, Zyree the unpredictable, Xoona the aloof, Ula the mad, and Zomar the mysterious.
- Ultimate destruction: Chain your destruction by plunging through objects at ultra-terminal speeds. You're a screwjumper. Go for it!
- Single player modes: Risk your neck in four single-player modes including Destruction, Race, Time Trial, and Score.
- Multiplayer: Compete with your friends via split screen and Xbox LIVE® multiplayer." – Xbox.com
Which brings us to the second release of the week, Shrek-n-Roll. Looking at this title, all I can say is "at least they didn't try to release it as a retail title for $59.99". It looks much like that kids game where you bounce a marble down a board with pegs in it to see what prizes you get. In other words, certainly not something worth playing as a videogame nor something worth 800 points. ($10) – Needless to say, unless someone comes along and says this is the greatest thing since ice-cream, I'm not even going to bother with the demo.
Title: Shrek-n-Roll
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Join Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in Shrek-N-Roll, an addictive and hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages!
Navigate through 16 challenging mazes across four unique evironments in Far Far Away's newest competitive tournament. Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode.
- Adventure through Shrek's world: Start rolling at Worcestershire Academy, venture forth onto the Pirate's ship, visit Shrek's Swamp and brave the Evil Queen's Castle. Mastering each of the 16 levels allows you to move on to more fun and challenging puzzles.
- Play the whole Shrek gang: Play with 24 twisted fairy tale characters, including Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and other unlockable heroes and villains.
- Enjoy signature Shrek humor: From fast-talking Donkey to sword-fighting Puss in Boots, the animation, dialogue and environments throughout the game bring the humor of Shrek alive!
- Experience multiple game modes: Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Arcade titles, like I mentioned earlier, Switchball was an enjoyable enough game that, while not having the same charm as Marble Madness, at least kept things varied enough to stay interesting throughout the demo. Unfortunately, while I would have rated it a buy at 400 points ($5), I don't quite feel the same about it at 800 ($10). As for Word Puzzle, I didn't even bother with the demo and I
doubt I ever will. Don't encourage trash is my motto.
XBOX 360 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK DEMO NOW AVAILABLE
A demo of Activision’s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 544.82MB.
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – Official website
PC CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE DEMO NOW AVAILABLE
A Windows PC demo of Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is now available for download from most of your favorite PC file download sites. The demo contains one mission from the single player campaign and weighs in at approximately 1.37GB.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
XBOX 360 BEE MOVIE GAME DEMO NOW AVAILABLE
An Xbox 360 demo of Activision’s Bee Movie Game is now available for download in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 444.90MB.
- Bee Movie Game – Official website
ACTIVISION ACQUIRES BIZARRE CREATIONS
In a surprise announcement, Activision announced late wednesday that they have acquired UK based Bizarre Creations, the development house behind Microsoft’s Project Gotham Racing franchise. While the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition does not include the rights to the PGR series, as Microsoft is the holder for that particular intellectual property. Geometry Wars on the other hand, as you may have guessed from the upcoming Nintendo DS release of Geometry Wars: Galaxies, is another story. I’d expect to see some form of Geometry Wars finding it’s way to the PlayStation 3 some time in the near future.
"SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sep 26, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that it has acquired U.K.-based video game developer Bizarre Creations, one of the world’s premier video game developers and a leader in the racing category, a $1.4 billion market that is the fourth most popular video game genre and represents more than 10% of the total video game market worldwide.
This acquisition represents the latest step in Activision’s ongoing strategy to enter new genres. Last year, Activision entered the music rhythm genre through its acquisition of RedOctane’s Guitar Hero franchise, which is one of the fastest growing franchises in the video game industry." – Activision press release
Obviously, Bizarre will be moved into making multiplatform games, which would virtually ensure the end of their participation in the development of the PGR franchise, though the early rumor is that Bizarre will simply move back to producing the Metropolis Street Racer series, meaning that while the name changes, little else will. One thing that many seem concerned about, is whether or not Activision will show the same kind of quality control that Microsoft has shown with Bizarre’s titles. As usual, only time will tell.
- Activision – Company website
- Bizarre Creations – Company website
- Activision Acquires U.K. Game Developer Bizarre Creations – Press release
PLAYSTATION 3 TONY HAWK’S PROVING GROUND DEMO NOW AVAILABLE
A demo of Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 1.47GB.
- Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground – Official website
XBOX 360 SPIDER-MAN: FRIEND OR FOE DEMO NOW AVAILABLE
An Xbox 360 demo of Activision’s Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is now available for download in all regions except Asia via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 431.29MB.
- Spider-Man: Friend or Foe – Official website
XBOX 360 TONY HAWK’S PROVING GROUND DEMO NOW AVAILABLE
An Xbox 360 demo of Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is now available for download in all regions except Asia via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.04GB.
- Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground – Official website
MORE XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA TOKENS AVAILABLE TODAY
Those of you who missed out on the first run of invite tokens for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will get a second chance at glory starting today. Gamespot will be distributing a limited number of tokens via their website to those that sign up starting today at noon EST.
There’s no word on how they plan on handling the distribution of the tokens, so don’t be surprised if this turns into another server outage fiasco. Still, those of you who desperately want to get into the beta should give it a shot.
"A hundred thousand may seem like a lot of keys. But we expect them to go fast. After all, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year.
So if you’re a registered GameSpot user who is also a Xbox Live Gold Member in North America over the age of 17, then come back on Monday, Sept 10th at 9:00 am PT to enter the beta test.
How it works is quite simple: Our big stockpile of tokens will be broken up into five stashes. Each day we will release one of those stashes. If you get a beta token, great. If you don’t, try again the next day. Once you sign up, you’ll get a token code and a confirmation email. You’ll use your Token Code to download the Beta from Xbox Live Marketplace." – Gamespot
Having played the beta for the better part of two weeks now, let me tell you that if you have a 360 and meet the above listed criteria, you really should try to get a hold of a token. The game is that good. Expect demand for these tokens to be extremely heavy.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Gamespot beta invite page – Gamespot
CALL OF DUTY 4 XBOX 360 MULTIPLAYER BETA UPDATE
Many of you may be feeling a “small” amount of frustration with the way the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare beta registration was handled yesterday. If you’re like me, all you got when you tried to register the site was problem after problem. You would think by now that companies would know it’s impossible to really survive any kind of a “first come, first serve” web registration system. Basically, the thing was doomed from the start…
Now before you think I’m going to go off on a rant, I’m not. You see, I was all ready to write an article about poor planning, the frustration and the ill will that problems like this cause, when Infinity Ward stepped up to the plate and decided to fix things. It all started with a post at Infinity Ward employee FourZeroTwo’s blog… (Please note: FourZeroTwo’s post is potentially NSFW due to language)
In a post that explained just how bothered the folks at Infinity Ward were about how the situation turned out – and more importantly, how they planned to remedy the situation, FourZeroTwo announced that the Call of Duty 4 website would be taken down for maintenance and that when it came back online, the company would take beta test applications for the next 24 hours before randomly selecting those lucky gamers who would get into the beta test.
Well, the Call of Duty 4 website is back online and, as promised, beta applications are being accepted once more. According to Infinity Ward, they will continue accepting applications until 10pm EST today, at which time they’ll begin the process of randomly selecting who gets into the beta and setting up a schedule of when those people will be getting their invites.
Let me say to any companies that may be reading this, this is how you handle customer service. Admit the problem, assure your customers you’re going to fix the issue, make sure that your customers are treated fairly and then keep them informed on the status of the problem. Initially, the whole experience left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. While I was still going to buy Call of Duty 4, I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste my time filling out surveys or looking into other contests if this was going to be what I could expect. With one simple fix, Infinity Ward took that negative experience and boosted their reputation with many gamers.
Well done Infinity Ward, well done.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Public Beta Headquarters – CharlieOscarDelta.com
- Infinity Ward – Company website
- Madness? This is BETA!!! – I am FourZeroTwo (Possibly NSFW)
CALL OF DUTY 4 XBOX 360 MULTIPLAYER BETA REGISTRATION OPENS TODAY
This is going to be your last reminder on the subject, so pay attention! Registration for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will be opening this afternoon. There’s still some confusion regarding the exact time applications will start to be accepted as the countdown timer indicates that registration will open at 12pm EST, while the text on the site states registration will be opening at 3pm EST (12pm PST).
According to the beta site, you will now if your application was processed successfully immediately, but an actual invite to the beta may take a few weeks. Keep that in mind before shooting off a million e-mails, ok?
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Public Beta Headquarters – CharlieOscarDelta.com
XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY
Okay gang, it’s almost time for Activision to start taking applicants for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta test. Registration is scheduled to open on Monday, August 27th at approximately 12:00pm EST via the game’s website at http://www.charlieoscardelta.com. I’m not sure how accurate the countdown timer at the site is, so be sure to check the site often so you don’t wind up missing out.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
LAZY DAY TRAILERS: CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE
Activision has released the latest trailer for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and what we find in this new video is that what we may have viewed as a smaller, regional conflict based on the previous trailer is actually just a small part of a far larger global crisis. While specific details as to the game’s plot still haven’t been made available, I think you’ll agree that with this second trailer, things are really starting to heat up.
One thing to note is that according to Activision, everything seen in this trailer is from actual gameplay footage.
Those of you who want to watch the above video in high-definition, download it to your computer or check out other Call of Duty 4 videos should head on over to GameTrailers.com. Call of Duty 4 is currently scheduled to release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC in late 2007 or early 2008.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Video page at GameTrailers.com
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Exclusive E3 2007 Trailer – GameTrailers.com
IS THE XBOX 360 GUITAR HERO II X-PLORER GUITAR DEFECTIVE?
There have been numerous complaints across the internet regarding the X-plorer guitar included with the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II, and yesterday word began to circulate that RedOctane’s customer service had notified someone that there were two (2) models of guitar that were in fact defective.
The reported problem with the guitars, aside from having the worst back button in the history of the franchise, is that the whammy bar is partially or totally unresponsive, the yellow fret button sticks, the “tilt” function for Star Power works, but only sporadically and that some form of issue with the strummer exists, be it that it’s too loose, too tight, doesn’t work, etc. (For those wondering about my comment regarding the back button, that’s the button used to activate Star Power if you don’t feel like tilting the guitar – and it’s miniscule and recessed on the X-plorer)
According to Kotaku, one of their readers got the following response to his queries regarding some of the issues he was having with his controller;
“We have isolated this issue to two model numbers that can be found on the guitar’s packaging. The numbers are 95065 and 95055. We are asking that customers who puchased their items from a retailer perform an exchange with that respective store (for a model number other than the defective two listed above). Customer’s who purchased through our online story can complete an rma request for their defective item and we will exchange it for a fully function guitar controller. We do apologize for the inconvenience and will [resolve] these matters.” – Quote from RedOctane customer support as per the Kotaku article
Since my guitar is a 95055 and it most certainly has lag issues with the whammy-bar, I started to look to see if there was any official word regarding that comment. In searching through RedOctane’s site and the official Guitar Hero forums, I couldn’t find anything other than links back to the Kotaku article or other sites that had picked up on that quote. There was no official comment from RedOctane to be found.
Here is what I did find in my search for answers;
- It appears that there are only two models of guitar – the 95055 and 95065. The few sites that stated the box they had said “95067” advised that the guitar inside was labeled as a 95065.
- I Called my local Gamestop (where I bought the game) and they advised they haven’t heard anything about the issues with the guitars or any kind of a recall / return request.
Given the horror stories about some of the guitars and the fact that mine, while off, isn’t badly off, I’m really inclined to hold onto it for a few more days until someone knows something concrete as I’d hate to bring it back and get one that’s even worse. (Especially since the only guitars out there are apparently the problematic 95055 and 95065 models)
So, is RedOctane really asking people to return their guitars? I don’t know. I know I’ll be holding onto mine at least until next week in hopes that someone makes an official, on the record, statement about this whole mess.
- Red Octane Responds To Defective 360 Guitars– Kotaku
- Red Octane says two Xbox guitar models “defective” – Joystiq
- Official Guitar Hero forums – Guitarherogame.com
XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 2 INVASION PACK NOW AVAILABLE
As we reported on Tuesday, Activision has released a new multiplayer map pack for use with the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 2. The pack, dubbed the “Invasion Pack”, contains 5 new multiplayer maps and is available via the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 points ($10).
CALL OF DUTY 2 INVASION PACK COMING THURSDAY
Team Xbox is reporting that sources inside Activision have advised them that the next map pack for the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 2 will be made available in the Xbox Live Marketplace this thursday at a cost of 800 points ($10) and will include 5 new multiplayer maps.
Check out the Team Xbox scoop here and ask yourself if five maps is really worth ten dollars.
NEXT CALL OF DUTY WILL BE CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE
Gamespot is reporting that Activision announced today that based on sales, the next Call of Duty game will not be appearing on PC, but will instead be a next-generation console exclusive. An item of some small consolation to PC gamers is that the next title in the series is runored to be a spin-off game and not a true sequel. Check out the Gamespot article here for more details.