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Gearbox's Borderlands to be published by 2K
Borderlands, the upcoming Mad Max-ish, Diablo-esque action game from Gearbox, has been picked up by publisher 2K Games (who are releasing a little game called BioShock next week, by the way). Known for their work on the Brothers In Arms series, Gearbox is crafting Borderlands as an action game with RPG elements and 4 player online co-op. In other words, it sounds like just the thing to cure what ails you (and a hell of a lot of fun to boot). President of 2K, Christoph Hartmann, notes that Borderlands will play host to "revolutionary new technology" that allows for the creation of "thousands of unique, randomly generated missions, weapons and situations." With such lofty promises in tow, Hartmann concludes that Borderlands "will raise the bar for next gen action games."We'll have to wait and see though, as the game isn't scheduled to release until the end of 2008. For more info on Borderlands, keep an eye out for the September Game Informer, of which the contents will no doubt be scoured for the benefit of X3F readers everywhere.[Via Joystiq]
BioShock gets Steamed, also heading Direct2Drive
If you need to play BioShock at the absolute earliest time possible and have exhausted your other options (e.g. Toys 'R' Us, Joystiq, X3F), both Valve's Steam and IGN's Direct2Drive service are offering pre-sales for downloading the anticipated title.Although Direct2Drive is offering a $5 coupon to be used on a later purchase, they also write that you will be able "download and play BioShock on approximately August 21." If the word "approximately" scares you, Steam lays out their plan more directly: "pre-load now, purchase when ready, play as soon as the game is available."European gamers can pre-order BioShock via Direct2Drive here, due out "approximately August 24."Pre-order from SteamPre-order from Direct2Drive%Gallery-3725%
Fanswag: Win a copy of BioShock, get it overnighted (Part 2) [We have a winner]
Update: Alright, folks. Comments are closed and we've picked a winner and shipped out their prize. Congratulations to Brandon!Here we are for Part 2 of our fabulous BioShock giveaway. Read the details below and enter for your chance to win, then check Part 1 for the background and another chance to win. It's free and easy, so what more do you want? Leave a comment below that tries to make us not excited about BioShock (spoiler alert: you can't!) You may only comment on this specific post once. If you leave more than one comment, you'll be automatically disqualified so be careful, ok? If you enter more than once, only activate one comment -- otherwise we'll send a Big Daddy after you You can also enter our Part 1 giveaway, and both of Joystiq's giveaways (Part 1 & Part 2), giving you a total of four chances to win. You can only win once though. Not bad, eh? This contest is open to readers in the US only Entries can be submitted until 12:04pm ET on Friday, August 17th. Official rules are here so check 'em if you've got any questions.
Fanswag: Win a copy of BioShock, get it overnighted (Part 1) [We have a winner]
[Update: A winner has been chosen. Congratulations to ZappaKitty!]So, perhaps you heard that certain Toys R' Us locations are selling BioShock early. While we haven't been lucky enough to find a copy at our local store, Joystiq has snatched up four (count 'em four) copies of the game and decided to share them with us! Yes, we'll be giving away two copies of BioShock right here on X3F. Even better, the games will be overnighted to the winners so that they can get their BioShock on before anyone else. Both Joystiq and X3F will be giving away two copies today, for a grand total of four. What do you have to do to win? Here's the skinny: Leave a comment below that tries to make us not excited about BioShock (spoiler alert: you can't!) You may only comment on this specific post once. If you leave more than one comment, you'll be automatically disqualified so be careful, ok? If you enter more than once, only activate one comment -- otherwise we'll send a Big Daddy after you You can also enter our Part 2 giveaway, and both of Joystiq's giveaways (Part 1 & Part 2), giving you a total of four chances to win. You can only win once though. Not bad, eh? This contest is open to readers in the US only Entries can be submitted until 11:59 am ET on Friday, August 17th. Official rules are here, so check 'em if you've got any questions.
So sad, BioShock sticks with original release date
For all those hoping that today's glorious mixup by Toys 'R' Us to let BioShock out early would spur 2K to open the street date flood gates – giving you immediate playtime with Mr. Bubbles over there – it's time to give up on those dreams and move on. 2K says they're sticking with their August 21st North American and August 24th European release dates. Hey, if you were an early bird this morning, you may have already gotten your BioShock worm. The official statement sent to Joystiq by 2K is quite cute, saying, "It recently came to 2K Games' attention that one of our retail partners prematurely sold some copies of BioShock prior to the game's official launch date ... Additionally, a TV advertisement for BioShock prematurely ran that incorrectly indicated that the game was available for purchase ... 2K Games is appreciative of the gamer excitement and critical acclaim leading up to the title's launch." Now if only we could find a way to give people a chance at still getting BioShock early, even if they didn't get over to Toys 'R' Us today. If only ...
Some Toys 'R' Us stores selling BioShock early (and you could win one!)
[Update 2: We managed to snag four copies, and we're giving them away and overnighting them so winners can play this weekend. Go here to enter!] Normally, we wouldn't condone leaving work early to play video games, so hear us out. You see, word on the street is that the street date for BioShock (yeah, the one with the awesome demo) has been broken by some US retailers (mostly ones with backwards Rs). If you look at the receipt above, this lucky shopper not only managed to find BioShock early, but he got it for a steal using the deals we posted yesterday. So, here's what to do. Call your local Toys 'R' Us and see if they've got 'em and if they're selling. If it's a go, let people know about it in the comments. And if you still haven't gotten your fill of interacting with BioShock-related posts, why not check out our rad faceplate giveaway?[Update: In case you weren't sure if they were out there, check the sudden onslaught of BioShock discs clogging up eBay's tubes. Oh, and thanks to everyone that tipped us off!]Read – The Big Early Release Mix-Up (2K Forums)Read – Street date has been broken pic (seen above)Read – BioShock Early Release "Confirmed" (quotes are ours)
Unlock hard mode in the BioShock demo
So, you've downloaded the BioShock demo. You've plumbed its glorious depths, defeated its grisly baddies, and you thought to yourself, "Self," you thought, "that was easy." Well fear not, avid BioShock fans, for we have one more way to stay your undying hunger for underwater dystopia. The fine fellows at DCEmu have uncovered how to play the BioShock demo in hard mode. When you start the BioShock demo, you'll notice that the hard mode option is there, but cannot be selected. The workaround for this is actually very simple. Before you start up the demo, open up your gamer profile and edit the default game settings. Under "general," simply set your default difficulty to hard. Now start up the BioShock demo and, voilà, hard difficulty will be highlighted. Just don't move it or you won't be able to reselect it without restarting the demo.Enjoy.
Video: the ecology of BioShock
BioShock is, without a doubt, one of the most highly anticipated Xbox 360 games this year. If, by chance, you've been wondering what all the fuss is about, you should probably check out this video. Of course, genuine BioSchock fans will find plenty to love in the video, too. Posted by GameTrailers, the video features the folks at Irrational Games discussing the ecology of Rapture, the underwater world of BioSchock. Put simply, it is this world that makes BioShock so intriguing. The world really is alive. The characters within it will go about their own business whether or not the player decides to interfere (of course, some of the characters' "business" is to attack the player). Honestly, this is the kind of thing we should be seeing in the current generation of gaming: worlds with real, believable characters capable of pulling gamers into another reality. Everything leads us to think that BioShock will do just that. Watch the video after the break (you can also watch it in HD).
EA wants to stop 2K All-Pro Football franchise
EA CEO John Riccitiello stated during a shareholder call, the same one where he said Godfather 2 was in production, that EA needs to make sure that 2K's All-Pro Football 2K8 is "not repeatable." Riccitiello specifically pointed out 2K Sports' re-emerged football franchise which has been missing since EA purchased exclusive rights to the NFL and current players in 2005.Riccitiello specifically says that Take-Two is a "competitor" and when they launch a football game "you want to make sure that [it] ends up being a blip and is not repeatable, because we like to defend our franchises aggressively." We're sure EA can dig deep into their coffers to stop 2K if they wanted to, especially considering they could afford to make Peter Moore the head of EA Sports. The only issue we have is: Wouldn't it be nice if EA actually focused on improving Madden and defeating 2K on the field of consumer satisfaction?
Joystiq live at the Take Two E3 07 press conference
8:02AM PDT - Arrived! Doors closed (for an 8am conference). A small crowd is gathering. Stacks of names tags are still piled on the registration table.8:18AM PDT - More late arrivals. "Haven't they heard of LA traffic?" a disgruntled media attendee wonders. 8:19AM PDT - What's a press conference without press? That's what we're wondering. A late-arriving and confused PR woman has tried to let people enter, but is stopped by co-workers. "We can't let any media in?" (She and a few other PR personnel eventually creep in -- but no media.) 8:25AM PDT - "Sorry everyone, the press conference is full." So what did we RSVP for? Apparently not a seat ...8:29AM PDT - Thanks to the valiant and courageous efforts of 2K's Director of Public Relations, Marcelyn Ditter, we managed to quietly slide in (but we felt guilty for abandoning our patiently waiting colleagues). Sure enough, there aren't any seats, so we've grabbed some floor ... and we're off: All-Pro Football was developed to satisfy the demand of fans who thought 2K's football video games were the best games out there.
How do Baseball players relax after the Home Run Derby? With another Home Run Derby!
Following an elimination from the first round of the Home Run Derby on Monday, Twin's player Justin Morneau went on to win another Home Run Derby at San Francisco's Ruby Skye club. Competing against other players in 2K Sports' The Bigs, Justin took down other league notables such as Mets shortstop Jose Reyes. Of course, the gesture-based control system just about floored the players who took part in the gaming session. "You feel like it's a real game, because you have to swing like it's in the game, you know?" Reyes said. "It's great, man. I want one of those in my house."%Gallery-3430%
Fanboys fight for The Darkness winners revealed
We're proud to announce the winners of our Xbox 360/PS3 Fanboy The Darkness giveaway. Although Xbox 360 Fanboy dominated with a mountain of entries, we're still glad that the PS3 community stood by this excellent FPS. Here are the winners for Xbox 360 and PS3:Xbox 360Chris BrownDion HarrisJames ParnhamPS3Mike WhitfieldMatt TrujilloCongratulations to all the winners!
2K Games' (Bio)shocking E3 2007 lineup
Watch out for the 2K Games lineup for this week's E3 2007; it's mighty massive. Despite the appearance of an already-released title (The Darkness), Irrational's BioShock will more than make way with Big Brother demanding your full attention ... or else. The lineup, and attached release dates: BioShock (Xbox 360; August 21) Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360, PS3, and DS in Spring 2008; Wii in Fall 2008) The Darkness (Xbox 360, PS3) All-Pro Footbal 2K8 (Xbox 360, PS3; July 2007) NHL 2K8 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2; Fall 2007) Those holding out to see (or have us see, rather) Manhunt 2 need not worry, as this does not include 2K parent publisher Take Two's E3 lineup. %Gallery-3725%%Gallery-4355%
Classic stadiums added (for a price) to MLB 2K7
If you're looking for a good way to connect with your grandpa (and you're tired of him reading you the good parts from The Princess Bride) you may want to consider a new, 800-point ($10) pack of six classic stadiums recently released for MLB 2K7. With the "Historic Stadium Bundle" you'll be able to play at Sportsman's Park, Forbes Field, Griffith Stadium, Shibe Park, Polo Grounds and Crosley Field. If your baseball history skills leave something to be desired, you can find some more information on Major Nelson's blog. That way, you won't be completely unable to relate when gramp-gramp starts waxing nostalgic about Polo Grounds' "oddly-shaped outfield fence." If you only have time to learn the ins-and-outs of a couple of stadiums though, you can also purchase them in two-packs for 300 points ($3.75).
1UP: 360 football games to run faster than PS3
Football is a game of split second decisions, and simulating the sport on the Xbox 360 will soon let you split those seconds more finely. 1UP is reporting that this summer's major pigskin simulators -- EA's Madden NFL 08 and NCAA Football 2008 and 2K Sports' All-Pro Football 2K8 -- will run at 60 frames per second on the Xbox 360 and 30 frames per second on the PS3. The move represents a jump from previous Madden games, which ran at 30 frames per second on all platforms, including the Xbox 360 and PS3. While the additional frames mean smoother, more fluid animation in the 360 versions, it's still unclear how the jump will impact graphical fidelity or resolution. A comparison between both versions of last year's Madden 07 conducted by Gamespot showed the 360 version had "sharper textures on the character models in the close-up shots shown between plays." In comparing this year's games, 1UP simply stated that "All-Pro Football 2K8 definitely runs better on Xbox 360." The reasons behind this frame rate difference are hard to pin down. Todd Sitrin, EA Vice President of Marketing Sports Branding, told 1UP that there are trade offs in designing football simulations and that "every company making a football game this year made a decision that the best experience for the Xbox 360 included 60fps whereas the best experience for the PS3 was 30fps." Extra time and familiarity with the Xbox 360 hardware could have influenced the development, as could the purported difficulty in programming for the PS3's multi-processor architecture. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Video: the legends of All-Pro Football 2K8
A new trailer for All-Pro Football 2K8 has surfaced (the debut trailer is now available on Marketplace as well). This latest trailer introduces gamers to some of the legendary players that will be available in the upcoming game. The video shows off Joe Montana, Dick Butkus, Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry. According to the video, the final game will boast over 240 legendary players, which we're assuming means there will be less than 250. We have to admit, at this point, we're really digging the presentation of All-Pro quite a bit.
Video: Civilization Revolution debut trailer
Announced just this morning, the first trailer for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution has appeared online. The trailer relies solely on cinematics, so don't get your hopes up for any gameplay. Still, we do get a peek at some of the various groups and technologies you'll be controlling. More or less, think of this as a video version of the press release. It is there merely to whet the appetites of strategy-hungry gamers everywhere. Mission accomplished fellas. Now let's see some gameplay.%Gallery-4369%
Civilization Revolution to revolutionize 360
2K has announced plans to bring a brand new Civilization title to new-gen consoles, including our beloved Xbox 360. Title Civilization Revolution, the game is reportedly the game that Sid Meier has always wanted to make. We're inclined to agree with him, since he's already made it four times. Joking aside, Civilization Revolution looks to bring a console level of "action-packed" goodness to the series, which has traditionally been a relatively slow affair on PCs. The new console iteration promises to streamline the experience, giving console gamers the instant gratification to which they've become accustomed. Civilization Revolution will also include multiplayer with integrated video and voice chat. Of course, the big question on everyone's mind is whether or not the game can appeal to both console gamers and a loyal PC following. We'll find out when the game releases in Spring 2008. [Via Joystiq]
Final reminder: win The Darkness from X3F
Alright folks, this is it. Today is your last day to enter our Fanboys Fight for The Darkness giveaway. Not to be cocky, but we currently have just over twice as many entries as PS3 Fanboy. If you don't already know, whichever site gets more entries gets an extra copy of The Darkness to give away. So far, it's looking pretty good for us to have that third copy. If you'd like your shot at The Darkness, head over to the official contest page and enter. If you don't, then the Darkness will possess you and give you cool superpowers. Wait ... no ... if you don't, then the Darkness won't possess you and give you cool superpowers*, so hurry up and enter already.*Regardless of whether or not you enter this contest, you more than likely will not be possessed by anything other than jealousy of the winners, or elation, should you turn out to be one those winners.
Confirmed: BioShock is dope
This is confirmation that BioShock does, indeed, not suck. (Okay, we admit, we failed to glean new megatons from tight-lipped creative director Ken Levine who oversaw our hands-on, so we're just gonna wax poetic.) If there is one nagging concern, we suppose it would be that BioShock seems derivative of Half-Life 2. One man against a dystopia. But to suggest that BioShock is just Half-Life 2, the pinnacle of "narrative" shooters, draped in Fritz Lang's Metropolis, pulled tight, and dunked into the depths of the ocean is a gross misrepresentation. This game is not simply an imitator (though developer Irrational Games admits to borrowing from the best of sources, including Pokémon Snap, and puts to use the forgotten skill many of us acquired through wasted hours of Pipe Dream). It's no errant medley of game genres either. BioShock is still a first-person shooter and at its very base presents a well-laid "meathead-safe" romp.
