This new feature is scheduled to be launched sometime this week.

Taking benefit of the new feature is fairly easy. Users will only need to utilize it through the XBOX LIVE feature, which is built into their XBOX 360 consoles.

If it’s true, it means that Facebook and Twitter users will no longer have to turn on their PC every time they need to update their Facebook or Twitter status messages. They could do it through their gaming consoles.

XBOX LIVE itself is a service provided by Microsoft for its XBOX 360 users, which has become a connecting platform between its users and the Internet. Through this feature, XBOX 360 users may also play their games in multiplayer mode online with other users/players from all over the world.

“We’ve seen tremendous response from users of this new feature”, said XBOX LIVE General Manager Marc Whitten, as quoted from the DetikINET, Tuesday (17/11/2009).

Microsoft seems to be working hard in creating this new feature. This is no doubt due to the competition in the gaming console industry, which seem to be getting hotter from time to time. As we all know, there is several players in the gaming console war, including Nintendo with its Nintendo Wii and Sony with its PlayStation consoles range.

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XBOX LIVE is one of the services that Microsoft provides to its XBOX 360 users. Some of the features that XBOX 360 gamers could get from joining XBOX LIVE includes multi-players online gaming, game patch downloads, and even streaming videos.

This membership-based online service that was commenced in 2002 has been growing rapidly and has members from all over the world. Unfortunately, this service had also been taken advantage of by some gamers who are using illegal game copies as well as modified XBOX 360 consoles.

“Gamers should have known that using pirated game copies and modifying their XBOX 360 consoles are considered as illegal behaviour. Therefore, we will be getting rid of all of their accounts from XBOX LIVE”, as mentioned by Microsoft’s spokesman, quoted from DetikINET on Thursday (12/11/2009).

There are about 600 thousand to 1 million registered users who are expected to be removed by Microsoft from the use of its XBOX LIVE service.

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Gran Turismo 5 (GT5) is a racing simulation game that is very promising. The game that is scheduled to be released in March 2010 is also increasingly becoming a hot topic among gamers.

To satisfy the desire of gamers, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and the polyphony digital are making it in such a way that it will be a breathtaking simulation game to play.

Kazunori Yamauchi, CEO of Digital polyphony and founder of the Gran Turismo series said: “The making of Gran Turismo 5 had spent $60 million. In addition to GT5, there are other games that had costed a larger budget, depending on the size and scale of the game. However, in my opinion, the amount of money spent is still small”.

GT5 will come with a much better graphics quality than its predecessors, “There are about 400,000 polygons on each vehicle, and that number is hundred times more than it is in GT4,” said Yamauchi, as quoted from DetikINET on Friday (6/11/2009).

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“In 2010, Activision publishing is expected to release a strong product line of innovative new titles”, said Thomas Tipple, Activision’s Chief of Finance, as quoted from IGN on Friday (6/11/2009).
Here are some game titles that are being prepared by Activision:

* Call of Duty
* Guitar Hero
* Tony Hawk
* Shrek
* Spiderman

As quoted by IGN, Tipple said “The diversified lineup will include, among others, titles based on the best-selling franchises in the company’s history, including Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk, Shrek, and Spiderman, and a select few new intellectual properties such as Blur and Singularity, and a strong catalog based on our top sellers of 2009.”

Extracted and translated from DetikINET.

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Final Defense 2 is one of the most popular shooting game online. Like other games, it is for free. It is a simple yet fun and addictive game. In the game, you have a base where you have to defend it against a swarm of wave of enemies. Other than it is a shooting game, it is also a strategic game. When you kill your enemies, you are rewarded with money for you to be able to repair and build more effective defenses as your enemies get harder.

Black Sheep Acres is another simple and fun online shooting game, which is free. In the game, you are farmer Pat who is attacked by almost all animals from the forest. The animals that attack you are gophers, deer, rabbits, and big sized red eyed nasty rabbits. Some people would not like this type of game since it involves shooting and killing animals. There is a wide variety of cool weapons and extras for you to be able to effectively protect your wall. You have a dog named Pj, a tractor, flamethrower, nailgun, and many more.

Boxhead is another free online simple shooting game. In the game, you are the man who has a gun and will try to kill the already dead zombies who are running about and killing everyone in their sight. Kill all the zombies you encounter. It is a simple and straight up game, but people have a hard time getting away from it.

War Rock is another free online shooting game. It’s a little more complicated than the other games above. It is better than a flash game. War Rock is one of the best exciting and thrilling shooting game, which has the graphics and gameplay. It is a big download and a multiplayer game. It is also considered as an MMOG. It can be put up with the best and is free. In the game, other than choosing to be an engineer, a medic, an assault, or a sniper, you can get in tanks, motorcycles, jeeps, and planes, and destroy the opposing enemy.

These are the best online shooting games right now, and they are free of charge. Even though these kinds of games promote violence, hey, its all for fun!

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After doing our own independant research, joining some sites and reviewing the information, the truth is, there is a huge explosion in the need for game tester jobs.  As video game sales skyrocket year after year, game developers need more and more game testers to go through levels, try out new characters and just play the game.  Most games today have a multiplayer aspect to them and this requires extensive game testing to fine tune for release.  For this, game developers will pay good money per hour to have these projects tested and re-tested again.  The hard part is getting in with these groups to be a part of that labor force for the developers.

We discovered the game industry does these things in a certain way and they also have sources they go to for hords of game testers.  Being a member of one of these clubs or joining a group of game testers is how you get your foot in the door to start making money for testing video games.

After some initial research we were able to aquire the information on dozens of products and clubs that claim to help you get started as a game tester.  Only three made it to the review, the others were deemed to be scams and not worth any mention.  We will save you the heartache and frustration of being ripped off by following our recommendation to one of the valid services we discovered below.

The following sites offer the best possible opportunities for becoming a full or part time “Game Tester”.

We reviewed each one and the following is what we found:

Product 1 - Game Tester Guide

We were impressed by this program because the founder of this group is a game tester himself and has been making money doing this for some time now.  His expert guidance was very helpful.

Game Tester Guide is a little different because it offers a one time membership fee of $44.95 but, that gets you in for life.  This seems like a pretty good deal, then we dig further.

This program basically does it all for you!  From the initial setup of your gamer profile to getting you submitted for the video game testing jobs.  Then, you receive the games in the mail to play.  Once you play them, there is a survey that you have to fill out and return.  After you submit the review, they send you a check for your time!

We really liked Game Tester Guide because it had a lifetime membership, it was easy to get started and was realistic on the amount you will actually get paid to do this kind of job.

We gave them an 9 out of 10 score for their product.  If you would like to sign up and take advantage of the lifetime membership, see if you qualify by viewing our full review at our site below.

Product 2 - Gamer Testing Ground

Gamer Testing Ground is a another great program that provides all the information, support and hook ups to get started at game testing in a short period of time.  We liked the access to unreleased game titles and the broad selection of game assignments.  The game copies are a nice bonus to the game tester job.

This program provides a ton of inside resources that will help you become a game tester in short period of time.  The insider contacts and information here are invaluable to someone seeking a tester position.  This information is impossible to aquire by yourself and with the right contacts and resources this plan gets you the job!  We liked it and within a week, with a little effort, we were actually playing games for money!

This one also seemed to have access to some very popular game releases and the most unreleased game titles out of the three.  If your in it for game diversity, then this one is for you.

We gave them a 8 out of 10 for their product.  If you would like to sign up and take advantage of the special offer they are running, please follow the link at the end of this article.

Product 3 - Only For Gamers

The initial reaction was good.  We thought the webpage was good and we were excited to see what the difference was with this one.

Once signed up and looking for how this one compared, we were hit with a decent 3-step plan to get paid to play games.  We followed the steps and sure enough we started getting in on some unreleased games that needed game testers, we followed the plan and we were hired on to test a game that has a new version coming out next year.  After a week of testing, we got our first check!

Only 4 Gamers had a different approach than some of the others and is geared to the person wanting to start right now.  We found the information great and it did help us get some awsome gigs playing games.  We also made some nice cash doing it.

We gave them a 7 out of 10 score for their product.   If you would like to sign up with this one, and get started in this business right away, please click the link to our site below.

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Try Not To Buy From Off-Line Shops / Retailers

One of the most worst things you can do as a consumer is to buy games, especially if they are not new, from a local retail outlet. Most of the games within these stores are overpriced even after you factor in the discount that you will get from the advertised sale price or the savings through the store’s discount card. If you have too, then its best to buy a game from the pre-owned section. Pre-owned games are generally in good condition and cost 20 % less then their counterparts, just remember to inspect the game box for any missing game manuals and the game disc for scratches.

Find Gaming Deals Online

As a consumer your first choice should be eBay. Generally used games on eBay are much cheaper than the major retailer’s pre-owned selection and occasionally you do find good deals. Instead of bidding on a single title you should instead try to win a lot of 10 to 50 games. Keep the games that you need from the lot and auction off the rest. Lots are generally more cheaper, on a per game bases, and in my experience these sellers do not gouge buyers on shipping costs. Also when using eBay be sure to use Paypal as the payment option. Paypal issues, several times during the year, coupons which can be used when paying for eBay items, these coupons offer an additional saving of 5 – 10% and are usually found in eBay’s monthly newsletters. There are also online sites such as pricegrabber.com and dealrush.com that display weekly deals from all the major video game retailers. An advantage to using these sites is that they are updated daily meaning you can stop having to rely on the Sunday flyers to find deals. Apart from these sites you can also save money by purchasing used games from members on the various gaming forums (such as cheapassgamer.com) that you may participate in. Just be sure that the forum members that you trade with have a high iTrader rating.

Have Patience

Game prices fall dramatically within a span of four months. Therefore, you should consider waiting a couple of months before buying a new game. Apart from saving you money this approach also allows you to get a better idea of how good the game is and if its worth owning.

Rent the Games If You Have No Money

So why should you rent games? Because its cheap and it provides you the ability to test new games. Most of the latest games appear on the renting shelves within the first two weeks of the initial release date, and given that most major retailers charge only $4-$8 for a game rental, this is the perfect opportunity to test, review and hopefully finish the game. Renting works especially well if you just need to play the latest games without caring too much about owning a personal copy. Remember, you can always buy your favorite rented games later on in the year when they cost a fraction of the original price.

Sell Your Games After You Finish Them

As a broke gamer the worst thing you could is start a collection, especially with new releases. Most new games fall dramatically in price within the first few months, so its vital that you sell your new games as soon as possible. Remember, you can always rent games, either when company comes over or at times when you are bored. This method will not only provide you with additional revenue but will also insure that you are able to play the latest releases.

Tags:
Xbox360, Xbox 360, PS3, PS 3, PS2, PS 2, Wii

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Picture yourself sending your super web powers into the air to disarm one of Spidey’s extraordinary nemeses like Doc Ock, Mysterio, Shocker or Rhino, then with a quick flick of the wrist, wrapping them up rodeo style - all without breaking a sweat.

While you may never get to live out these fantasies in the real world, Activision’s video game allows you to experience the next best thing.

Based on Columbia Pictures’ motion picture release of “Spider-Man 2,” the Spider-Man 2 video game takes ordinary gaming to a whole new level. Spider-Man 2 is the first game that puts players in the role of Marvel’s legendary web slinger, Spider-Man, and drops them into the heart of a living, breathing cityscape teeming with common criminals, super-villains, pesky pedestrians, trains and even helicopters.

While players can recapture the movie experience by following the gaming plotline, they can also deter from the story to chase down a stolen purse for a helpless older woman or simply take in the sights of New York City by swinging from building to building.

The only free-roaming game of its kind, Spider-Man 2 offers some of the most realistic depictions of the Big Apple - featuring key landmarks such as Queensboro Bridge, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.

Aficionados of the film will immediately recognize the voices of its blockbuster stars: Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane), Bruce Campbell, (Snooty Usher), Alfred Molina (Doc Ock), and of course, everyone’s favorite photographer turned superhero - Tobey McGuire.

Key movie locations, storyline and hi-res, lifelike cinematic combined with unique swinging mechanics that allow players to soar through the air as Spider-Man, make this one gaming experience you can relive over and over again from the comfort - and safety - of your own home.

When you pop in this game, you truly go where no Spider-Man game has gone before, complete of course, with all of the necessary Spidey senses to guide you along.

Spider-Man 2 is available for the PlayStation 2, XBOX and Nintendo Game Cube.  - NU

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Computer gaming has come a long way in the last twenty years. From iconic Atari Pac-man who chomped through a screen of varying two-dimensional foes, gaming today is now barely recognizable as the same species of fun. Today an enormous variety of games include graphics that are startlingly life-life and storylines complex enough to sustain film versions of the same plot, creating a leisure activity so immediate and thrilling that it satisfies the urges of the most dedicated adrenaline junkie.

The Xbox 360 exemplifies all that is possible in today’s gaming world. With powerful graphic and audio capabilities, this console offers a gaming experience that is second to none. And as developments in the world of technology allow functional lines to be easily crossed, the Xbox 360 also offers much more than those old Atari games ever could.

With the release of the Xbox 360, Microsoft also revamped their Xbox live, the service that allows gamers to connect to the Internet and thereby to one another, creating their own personal profile and gaming history and buddy lists that allow communication between fellow gamers. As well as this high quality gaming experience, and the ability to share it with others, the Xbox 360 also acts as a larger media center, allowing users to download movies, music and pictures, on top of playing movies on DVD and music CDs.

With the release of the Xbox 360, many reviewers argue that Microsoft has set a new standard for gaming. And with a variety of functions and an enormous array of games to choose from, there is little doubt that this new standard will not disappoint.

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Online educational games provide game players brain training that can help them become even more intelligent. These games work by testing the cognitive functions of your brain, such as memory, reasoning, logical decision making, and so fort .Let’s visualize yourself working out at a local health club to get your body in shape, playing educational video games is just like taking your brain to the same gym to get mentally in shape.

Educational games are often viewed as boring, un-cool, and primitive, but the truth is that educational games could be as much fun as any other types of game. Often, those educational game player could have a lot more fun because they feel rewarded from the game. Think back to that game of trivia you played with friends a few years ago, do you remember how good you felt when getting the right answer? That’s a type of feeling the game player could get from education games. The more people play these games, the greater confidence they have and which could bring them a better chance of succeeding at whatever they set their mind to achieve.

The best place to play free educational video games is on the internet. The internet could provide you a platform for educational learning which never happens before. Educational games have become an interesting and useful for the users. One of significant interests for many users is learning skills that can be applied in their workplace. One example of where this occurs is in the dental field. Many dental websites include online educational games that are both fun, informative, and catered towards user interests. Games could be, for example, Wordsearch, Matching Pair, and Crossword Puzzle. Each game will be fun and interactive for the user to learn real vocational terms that they can also use in their office.

The internet has transcended the traditional boundaries of online games by offering useful, and beneficial and educational contents for the user. After you play a few on line games, ask yourself if you’ve learned anything new and you will be probably surprised with the answer.

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If you need to be convinced here are a few reasons why you must buy the Xbox360.

1. There are games galore for the thirsty. Kameo elements of power, Project Gotam 3, Perfect dark Zero, and many more. All unique, with great effects and gaming wizardry.

2. The Xbox360 has wireless controllers as well as internet connectivity. The premium pack presents great delights offering freedom of movement and a superb range of over 30 feet. Ergonomically designed the controller has skip wires, tangles and boomerangs.

3. With an aim to please even the most discerning palate, the Xbox360 has an amazing variety of games. Some are exclusively designed for the box like Condemned, and Dead or Alive. Titles that have been widely acknowledge by expert gamers are: Call of Duty 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo, King Kong, and Condemned.

4. Amazing and most welcome is the fact that over 200 Xbox games will be backwardly compatible with the Xbox360.

5. Xbox 360 brings with it the arcade marketplace. Imagine free games, cheap games, and addictive non-stop games. The possibilities are endless and thrilling.

6. The Graphics are stupendous and bring to life the games in virtual reality. Xbox360 has three 3.2 GH processors that run with a 500MhzATI graphics processor. Whew—let’s bow to power.

7. Endless possibilities with the Xbox360. Games, CDs, movies and customized music. It even connects to the Microsoft media center for a complete media sensation. You can let your creativity and innovativeness take wing.

8. The Xbox 360 is more than an everyday console. It is interactive and you can buy many things like bonus levels, episodic content, gamer specials, and gamer tag images. You can download demos, and bonus packs from game developers. A live platform with no limits marketplace for developers and publishers.

9. The Xbox360 is a keeper of records. It creates history. The gamer card becomes your identity with name, image, scores, games you like, and your aims and mottos. This takes online fraternities a step closer to one another.

10. Fulfils many dreams and fantasies. The games are the best, interesting, mind stimulating, and exciting. The Xbox 360 takes the gaming world forwards and offers options like downloads, online plays, movies, as well as a touch button marketplace for games.

The Xbox360 is a must for serious gamers. It indicates your dedication as a gamer and reflects your tastes and reputation in the cyber gaming universe. Opens up endless possibilities and takes you to the next generation gaming delights.

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1. Its really easy and should be done right from the start of the game. Grab the 2 primary professions, mining and skinning. While you’re out leveling yourself you can easily skin the animals. You’re bound to eventually enter a mine which will have many minerals. Be sure to mine those ores. You can easily sell off the extra items to merchants or players.

2. Make sure you grab quests every chance you get. You can easily gain additional exp, gold, items and faction while you’re leveling. You may even complete some of your quests with out even knowing because they normally require you to kill off mobs or require you to travel/speak to other NPCs. The quests of World of Warcraft are more player friendly than other MMORPGs.

3. Don’t spend any money buying World of Warcraft items, equipments and other accessories early in the game. Low level characters from 1-40 are not gear dependent. Along with that fact, you’ll get a nice load of items from just completing quests.

4. While you’re out leveling, there are certain monsters that has better drops than others. An example would be humanoids. They tend to drop more gold and items than any other creatures in the World of Azeroth.

5. This is the advice I give to friends. When setting up your character, be sure first to read about the characters plus, and minuses; then set up for the strong and weak points. Take in consideration how the character supports himself and how the character can keep going and keep on track to level without losses.

6. Don’t spend money on items at the auction during the first 10 levels of your character. Almost everything you will need will drop to you from the quests. Keep your activities balance in the amount time of questing and making products. Then, as you gain money from making and questing you will see your pocket grow.

7. The usual, your character does by the skills he has, whether it is mining, leather, or tailoring. You make and sell your products. This is how you gain, the more you practice your trade, the more gold you have in your pocket, when you sell the items. The higher the level your character is the higher the prices in the prices of your products.

8. Resale, this happened during the holidays. I know of a character that went out and bought snowballs and after collecting many, was selling them at a higher price to others. Later, bragging about the profit. Take advantage of this.

9. Once you level some you can charge others to guide them through lower quests that you can whiz threw. There are many ways to make money, for example you can protect and kill for lower characters.

10. In the group playing, be sure to express your wants and needs, to keep the character going. Drink and food on hand before; so your character can keep going till the quest is completed.

Tags:
WoW Gold, World of Warcraft, Power Leveling, Accounts, Items

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The Good
Activities are varied and fun; The characters, especially Julien, are funny; Forgiving controls; Multiplayer mini golf is quite awesome; Good amount of replay value.

The Bad
Too simple for experienced players; Some of the voice actors sound out of place; A few side quests aren’t worth playing more than once; Durians are a disgusting fruit.

Alex has impeccable balance.

While licensed video games have a dubious history, those targeting the younger set have been particularly uninspired. It is a pleasant surprise, then, that Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa not only makes excellent use of its license, but presents a worthwhile game experience as well. Despite using different voice actors than the movie, the cutscenes capture the essence of the characters quite well, providing a continual string of well-constructed and downright funny moments. The simple gameplay may turn off experienced players, but the sheer variety of enjoyable activities will more than satisfy those looking for a fun romp through Africa.

The story in Madagascar 2 follows the path laid out by the movie it’s based on. Julien, king of not only his fellow lemurs but apparently every other species as well, thinks it is cruel to stay hidden away in Madagascar when the whole world should be lucky enough to make his acquaintance. The penguin-piloted plane carrying Julien and the rest of the animals crashes in Africa, though, far short of their New York City goal.

The story is consistently goofy and the frequent cutscenes are pretty amusing. Julien is the star here, spouting jokes fueled by his kingly ego, often at the expense of his meek servant Mort. The other characters play off their own quirks, from Melman’s lack of confidence to Claire’s search for love, with humorous results. Some of the voice acting, most notably Melman’s, feels jarring and out of place, but the new cast is generally quite good. This is a silly game, and the tone stays true throughout the adventure.

Though this is primarily a platformer, you’ll be doing a lot more than jumping from one precarious platform to another. Through most of the game, you’ll be quickly shuttled from activity to activity. The tasks you’ll be asked to perform aren’t particularly deep, but they’re fun in short bursts. For instance, as Alex, you’ll attempt to join a herd of wild lions. To prove you’re worthy of such a prestigious title, you’ll be asked to perform in a variety of seemingly random competitions. Within the span of a half hour, you’ll compete in a game of musical chairs, play a variation of Hot Potato that uses the dreaded durian (a type of fruit with gooey, smelly insides), climb walls, avoid vultures, play dodgeball with mangoes, and ride on zip lines. The pacing is fast and furious–just before you tire of tossing around a durian, you’ll be whisked off to another event. Because of this, the game is never boring, despite the simplicity of many of these actions.

The breakneck pacing continues throughout most of the game. As Melman, you can ride atop boulders and whack moles intent on stealing suitcases; Marty plays a mean game of soccer and tests his speed in a series of races; the penguins drive around in a truck and build a flying contraption for Julien to ride in; and, of course, there is the quest to cure a herd of giraffes from a nasty outbreak of belly fish. Despite the many twists this game takes, the controls are tight and responsive no matter which ridiculous activity you’re competing in. And the punishment for failure is little more than a slap on the wrist, so younger gamers who have never experienced stealth in a game can get through the spy photography mission without worrying about unforgiving failure.

As you progress later in the adventure, you’ll come across some longer, more varied quests as well. These are much closer to traditional platforming experiences, with the world opened up for free exploration and a few instances of combat thrown in for good measure. There are monkeys and coins hidden all over the land, and you’ll have to use each character’s specific abilities to navigate across every inch of the environment. As Gloria, you’ll have to get rid of a float of crocodiles by whipping mangoes at them. Once they’re banished, you’re free to explore the murky depths of the river for hidden chili peppers and fancy pearls. Alex is the most agile, able to double-jump to higher places and balance across narrow walkways. Melman can spin in the air, allowing him to float to faraway platforms. Once again, the variety keeps things interesting, constantly tossing new challenges at you.

A durian will rock these scorpions like a hurricane.

There is replay value when you finish the five- to seven-hour main quest. Though some of the events, like musical chairs, are fun only once, there are enough interesting activities to make going back a second time worth it. There are lots of hidden monkeys scattered about and optional side quests to check out. If you feel like decorating, you can buy furniture and other gear for your monkey friends, which provides a quick joke and funny animation. The multiplayer offers some surprising thrills. Most of the activities are plucked straight out of the single-player adventure, which means you can play soccer or hot durian with a few pals. The real draw here is the mini golf. The physics are a little wonky, but the courses are huge and varied, creating a vivid atmosphere for healthy competition. One fancy quirk is being able to put some arc on your shot; if you’re daring, you can soar clear over obstacles. When you get three of your friends involved, it makes the games chaotically satisfying.

Madagascar 2 is a surprisingly fun game. The gameplay may be simple, but the variety of your objectives keeps the game flowing at a brisk pace. The cutscenes are really well done, with the oddball idiosyncrasies of the characters providing a consistent stream of enjoyable humor. And when you’re done with the main quest, there is plenty of reason to escape to Africa for a few more hours of entertainment. It’s a shame all licensed games aren’t of this level of quality, but Madagascar 2 is certainly something younger gamers or those just looking for silly fun can enjoy.

By Tom Mc Shea, GameSpot Posted Nov 15, 2008 11:52 am AEST

This article was taken from GameSpot Australia.

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Several top gaming sites as well as the Lionhead forums are reporting a game breaking glitch within Fable II. The glitch appears during the quest entitled “Monk’s Quest”, in which players are sent to speak to the Abbot of the Temple of the Light in Oakfield.

Once there, if players run into the temple and speak with the Abbot, but leave the region before the conversation is finished, players will be unable to resume the quest which prevents them from completing the main story of the game. Lionhead is aware of the problem and they’re currently working on the issue.

In the meantime, Lionhead advises all players to make sure you finish the conversation with the monk, as well as the cut scene before you leave the area. Currently, there is no fix for those who have already encountered the glicth. If you’re the type that doesn’t follow the story and just plays the game, then it serves you right to be stuck with this glitch! Lionhead should have a fix for it soon enough.

Another known glitch is one which all experience and gold will be wiped from a co-op character when playing with another character. Lionhead hopes to address both of these issues in a title update, but currently advises players to only play in co-op mode until after the childhood stage of the game has been completed.

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In the gaming world, the word exclusive just doesn’t mean the same thing it does everywhere else. Games which are said to be exclusive usually turn out to mean exclusive for a short period of time, before another version is released on a different console. That’s why when exclusive content for Tomb Raider: Underworld was announced for the Xbox 360, many people scoffed, turning their noses up. Most thought it would be simply codes which would unlock content which already exists on the disk.

Crystal Dynamics’ creative director, Eric Lindstrom has set the gaming world straight by stating that the downloadable content they’re making for Microsoft is especially tailed for the Xbox 360 console. The content will continue the story-line of the main game and will add around six hours via two downloads. The game is scheduled to be released on November 18th. Both pieces of downloadable content, entitled “Beneath the Ashes” and “Lara’s Shadow” will arrive before Christmas, so within a month of the game’s original release.

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It’s really no surprise that Gears of War 2 would be verboten in Deustchland, considering the original game shared the same fate. The game was deemed too violent for release in Germany, and it will not be seen on retail shelves anywhere. This verdict comes even with Microsoft’s Gears 2 family friendly mode. The most surprising part of this announcement is that the game has been banned in Japan, but no reason for the ban has been cited.

The first game wasn’t banned, but the second is. Microsoft has given no indication on why the game received a ban, and Japan isn’t coming forward either. Oh well. At least the rest of the world supports the COG army.

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For fans of all the Tom Clancy games to date, this is quite a bit of news. Ubisoft has announced that the various Tom Clancy universes will come together under one wing in EndWar, and apparently, EndWar is only the tip of the iceberg.

The upcoming RTS is said to act as a basis for future tie-ins, so any future Splinter Cell or Ghost Recon games released will probably have some sort of relationship to EndWar. Because of the merger of titles, EndWar is being called a Tom Clancy MegaGame.

The game will be completely standalone, but what happens in one game will definitely tie into the events of the next one, with developers hinting at missions generated in the next Ghost Recon affecting the world map in the next EndWar. Splinter Cell’s covert ops missions tie into the factor here as well, and the only problem we see with this development is that it’s going to be hard to keep the three games separate, yet equal, especially with EndWar absorbing story lines from the other two big hitters.

The whole thing sounds like a marketing strategy to garner favor from fans of either of the two largest Tom Clancy games, but at this point, it looks like Ubisoft is going to make it so fans will be required to complete all Tom Clancy games in the series in order to be filled in for various versions of EndWar. Sounds like a ton of money will be flooding Ubisoft’s way.

There’s currently no word on the Tom Clancy MMO that’s being planned.

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Major Nelson will be giving a few lucky people the chance to download the New Xbox Experience prior to its set release date of November 19th. He has a brief discussion regarding a listener receiving the NXE before anyone else. In response to a visitor enquiring as to whether or not it would be possible to receive the update from MajorNelson.com, Nelcon confirms the rumor, sending fans into a panic, scrambling to get their hands on the NXE before their friends.

If you’re interested in obtaining this update before the regular crowds, you can visit MajorNelson.com daily, where he’ll be handing out downloads for the NXE before the release date. This will allow you to get a head start on your avatar customization, as well as allow you to get used to the interface well before your friends. The give away is scheduled to begin next week, so winners of his contests will be receiving the NXE about two weeks before the masses. Not bad!

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The video above is a debut trailer for the newest hit from an indie developer, which is scheduled to make its way to Xbox LIVE sometime this holiday season, which generally means any time from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Weapon of Choice is a side-scroller similar to what we saw in Braid, but the action game pits the forces of earth against mutant aliens.

The story is pretty basic on the surface, with players taking the role of members from the Solus Contingent who are to dispatch the alien threat on Earth. The aliens are grotesque hideous beings as you’ve come to expect, and perhaps not as bright as they should be, as their messe dup entry strategy leaves the whole fleet crashed across a series of islands.

Beyond the basic story, every operative in the team has their own weapon of choice which comes with a different type of gameplay and strategy, centered around the weapon. Each operative also has a dynamically branching path with results in multiple endings and perhaps the ultimate in replayability.

The Developer is Mommy’s Best Games and seems to be targeting prodigal gamers, by offering intense gameplay which can be completed in a short time. However, make no mistake. Just because the game doesn’t offer hours of endless gameplay (unless you count replayability), you’ll not be breezing through this one. You’ll need expertly honed skills to get through this bloody action game. The soundtrack for the game is amazing, and the game is fully hand drawn, much like we saw in Braid.

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The trailer is quite interesting and leaves a lot open to speculation, but most importantly… where can I get one of those Big Daddy plushies the woman is holding?
We’re assuming the woman is a grown up Little Sister, by the way.

Check out the video here!

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This week will certainly be an interesting week for XBLA gamers. Portal lovers will be able to join the Aperture Science Enrichment Center once again to experience its testing facility in Portal: Still Alive.

The game will feature the complete original, as well a the six advanced maps and 14 new challenge maps. It’s scheduled to hit the Marketplace next Wendesday, October 22. There has been no price revealed for the game, but we’re going to assume it’ll cost you more than a measly 800 Microsoft points, as the Portal game which is available on Steam is still priced at $19.99.

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Earlier this week, Ubisoft announced that it will be developing a 32 page storybook developed by Penny Arcade. The storybook will revolve around the storyline in the new Prince of Persia game. Currently, there are two pages which are viewable from the storybook. There will be new illustrations added in the coming weeks, all the way up to the games December 2nd release. You can check out the storybook by clicking the link below.

As an additional reminder, for those people who pre-order the new Prince of Persia game, you’ll receive a free upgrade to the limited edition version of the game. The Limited Edition includes a “making of” video which includes developer commentary, a mini-strategy guide for the first few parts of the game, a digital art book similar to what we’ve seen in other Prince of Persia games, and for the first time in America, the original soundtrack composed for the game by Inon Zur. That’s about $30 worth of free stuff, just for pre-ordering the game, so if you’ll definitely be getting it, you should pre-order with GameStop just for the upgrade.

Prince of Persia Storybook - Penny Arcade

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Here’s a bit of good news for Core and Arcade Xbox 360 owners. Previously it was announced that the New Xbox Experience which is set to go live on November 19 will  require at least 128MBs of memory in order to function properly. Core and Arcade owners were left out in the cold, or so it seems. Microsoft has announced that it will be offering a solution for those who either have no memory, or are running low on memory space.

If you’ve purchased a Core unit, you can visit Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Memory Upgrade page and enter the console serial number to be eligible for a free 512MB memory card, or a discounted 20GB hard drive which is priced at $20. If you’re the proud owner of the newer arcade model and you’re low on space, you can opt to get a 20GB hard drive and a three month Xbox Live Gold membership for $30. That’s not a bad deal at all. Unfortunately for your Premium and Elite owners, you’ll have to get your memory elsewhere, since those consoles came with adequate memory for the upgrade.

There’s been no word on when you’ll receive your memory upgrade, but hopefully Microsoft will have it out to those who need it by November 19, unless another DHL shipment fails again. It seems like Microsoft is redeeming itsself with this latest offering.

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As November 19th gets closer and closer, we are seeing more and more information released about the new dashboard, which has been dubbed the New Xbox Experience. Aside from a complete dashboard overhaul, changes will be coming to Xbox.com and the Xbox Live Marketplace, which is Microsoft’s digital content distribution platform.

Microsoft has released screenshots of the new Xbox.com and its enhanced XBLM features, which offers you the ability to browse all of the Marketplace content, using your computer’s browser. You can also review goodies and purchase them using your Microsoft points. Previously, you had to go onine to a third party site to see what each package contained and whether or not you wanted to download it. This is not the case anymore. You can also use the new site to queue up downloads which will begin downloading the next time you turn on your Xbox 360. The extremely useful Marketplace search and the ability to queue downloads makes this update even better.

Currently, there’s no word on what will happen to all the gamerpics and themes for sale on the current market, but it stands to reason these will no longer be offered. There is also no word on whether or not you’ll receive a refund for themes purchased for the old dashboard, but it’s highly unlikely.

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Valve games on the console have always been kind of iffy. That’s because Valve mostly works in FPSes, and PC will always reign supreme when it comes to the FPS platform. The Orange Box was okay on the Xbox, but it doesn’t come close to touching the PC version, especially Team Fortress 2. Perhaps because of this, Valve will be launching a massive advertisement campaign in order to get it’s upcoming zombie shooter known.

The $10 million dollar campaign hopes to bring focus to the co-op FPS zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead. The game will be released this November. Beginning November 9th through the 28th, a series of commercials with a mix between horror and humor will be shown on many popular television networks, including ABC, ESPN, Fox, MTV, Comedy Central, USA, and Spike TV.

In addition to the massive TV campaign, several Left 4 Dead billboards will be placed across a number of US Cities, from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. The game will officially be launched on November 17, so get ready for some zombie shooting action.

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This is a good bit of information, even for those who really seem to hate the new Xbox dashboard. According to a Microsoft  Representative, Microsoft is no longer considering de-listing unpopular titles.

The notion of de-listing the titles to begin with came from several developer complaints that releasing quality content for the Arcade was pointless, as the Arcade is crowded with “junk” titles like Toyota’s Yaris. While the Yaris game might possibly be the most hated Arcade game out there, I’d say probably half the gaming population which uses the arcade regularly has Yaris, or at least HAD Yaris.

I must admit, I am ashamed to say I have downloaded the horrible title, and still have it on my hard drive. Because of the way the New Xbox Experience (God, that’s getting old, and it’s not even here yet!) delivers content, Microsoft says users will be able to find content easier, so there’s no need to delist sub par titles.

While this might be a collective sigh of relief for some developers, it also has a double edged sword. Now that Microsoft is no longer threatening to de-list under performing titles, developers who don’t give a lick about their games (Toyota for one), aren’t going to be forced into making a quality product the public enjoys. Ah well. Yaris is so bad, it’s a joke. It would be sad to see it go.

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Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant was released today to a lukewarm reception. The game kicks off where Crash of the Titans left off, arming players with a ton of new features. Not only can Crash continue to ‘jack’ his enemies, once they are jacked, he can store them in his pocket for upgrading and taking them with him. If multiplayer is your type of entertainment, you can roam Wumpa Island in two player co-op mode, with the second player playing as Crash’s sister, Coco.

The storyline is pretty simple, as far as Crash games go. Neo Cortex is taking over the world again, and has devised a new device which text messages and controls both mutant and bandicoot minds! The free for all style of gameplay allows players to experience a Grand Theft Auto like freedom as they roam intersecting worlds, depending on which Mutant Crash has decided to stow away for later use. Once again, it’s up to Crash to free his friends, with the help of the Titans! We’re always surprised to see Playstation’s former mascot on other consoles, but this one is available on Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PS2, and PS3. It retails for $49.99.

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Mega Man fans are in for a real treat tomorrow. Capcom announced today that Mega Man 9 will receive it’s first round of downloadable content this week. The first item is Proto Man Mode, which will allow players to play through the game as Mega Man’s mysterious brother.  Proto has a charged shot ability, can also power side, and comes equipped with a shield that deflects incoming enemy bullets. Sounds even better than Mega Man, right?

Well, there’s a downside to using Proto Man, too. Proto Man takes double the damage Mega Man would take in the same situation and when he is hit, he bounces back twice as far as Mega Man. As you can tell, Proto Man is geared toward the defensive player and has more serious reprecussions when attacked than Mega Man. Nevertheless, playing though the game with that shield would be quite interesting.

Next up on the downloadable list is a new stage called Endless Attack. As the name of the stage implies, wave after wave of baddie will be thrown at you until you eventually succumb. This level is sure to test even the most die hard Mega Man fans.

These downloadables will be available to purchase on WiiWare and they’ll hit the Xbox LIVE arcade on October 7, with the Playstation Network the last to receive the update on October 9.

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If you were thinking about downloading the demo for War World, don’t waste your time. The demo is a 150MB download… for a whopping 30 seconds of game play. That’s right. When you download the game, you can only play for 30 seconds before the game tells you to pay. Aside from having the shortest demo in history, the game play is equally as short.

The maps aren’t overly small, but Death Match modes feel as if you’re in a small room with a dozen or so people. The action is quite frenzied, but it ultimately comes down to who has the most armor or who is the most accurate. This kind of game play leaves you scrambling for health packs so you’re not knocked out of the match.

I’m usually excited for the new releases on Wednesday, and I was at first excited to play War World. However, this is one title you can definitely skip and if you want to be the judge of that, just play the demo. The whole game is wrapped up in a 30 second nut shell.

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Perhaps the most anticipated title this year for Xbox 360 owners is Gears of War 2. The latest announcement concerning Gears has many players jumping for joy, and for good reason. Included with all Gears of War 2 boxes is a voucher which will be valid for downloading five multiplayer maps featured in the original Gears. This information was obtained from GamePro magazine, who did an interview with Epic design director Cliff Bleszinksi.

The map packs will include fan favorites such as Gridlock, Subway, Canals, Mansion, and Tyro station. Currently, there is no word on whether or not the maps will feature any upgrades in the graphics department, but it would seem Epic would want to polish the maps before shipping them with graphically superior Gears 2.

The voucher which comes with the game can only be used one time and will be included with all new copies of the title, whether you decide to pre-order the game or not. This means those who go for a used copy or a GameFly ‘Keep It’ purchase will be out of luck. No doubt there will be people hawking the codes on eBay, though.

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