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BioShock is on an impressive 100 streak
Coming off of a warm reception from those who played the demo, BioShock seems to have enough goods to be attracting excellent reviews and praise from the game review gods. Over on metacritic, two more BioShock reviews have been added from EuroGamer and Game Informer with both publications agreeing that BioShock deserves a perfect 100 score. These two, on top of OXM UK's perfect review, further push the BioShock hype-o-meter into overdrive and proves to doubters that the game has the goods and actually lives up to what was promised from day one.We'll keep an eye on these official reviews as they trickle in to see if this little masterpiece reaches the stratosphere of greatness. Or maybe you could win (win) BioShock from X3F, play it tomorrow, and then give us your official review of the entire game. Because we all know a fanboy's opinion is one of the most sought after.
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.
Today's good-to-the-last-drop video: Bioshock demo glitch
Have you finished the Bioshock demo? On hard mode? Take your experience to an even more surreal plane, and explore the outside of the game world though a glitch. Similar to Halo 3 beta shenanigans when Bungie introduced the Banshees, this video from SPJglitches shows how to slip through a wall, and hop along the outside of a building. To what ends, we're not sure. But wring out every last morsel of Bioshock before the shock of buying a $60 new game.Or you could win it.See the inside-out video after the break.[Thanks, Steve!]
BioShock started as a 'tropical island with Nazis'
CVG has released another morsel of information from their talks with BioShock senior designer Joe McDonagh. In addition to the game being turned down by countless publishers, McDonagh also talked about the game's origins, providing the interesting note that "BioShock for instance started out on a tropical island with Nazis."We're trying to imagine our surviving protagonist facing off against countless evil soldiers hell-bent on creating superhumans enemies. We envision something of an amalgam between Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Gilligan's Island. The Little Buddy collects life essence while Big Daddy Skipper keeps him protected with coconut-fueled weaponry.
Toys R Us puts BioShock on shelves already
All around the internets gamers are reporting and showing picture proof that BioShock's release date has been broken by a certain retailer and that they have the game in hand. Reports starting surfacing that some Toys R Us stores have "accidentally" placed BioShock on their shelves, with gamers posting pictures of their early release purchase on NeoGAF, Cheap Ass Gamer, The7Gamers, 2K Games forums and more. So, if you have an itch for Big Daddy fun, make a call to your local Toys R Us today to see if they have BioShock available. Lesson learned, you just can't keep a Big Daddy from being released early ... you just can't.
Free BioShock artbook ready for download
Way back when Irrational Games asked fans what they wanted in the BioShock Limited Edition, one of the choices was an informative BioShock artbook. And, as we all know, it wasn't voted to be a part of the Limited Edition, because everyone thought a Big Daddy figurine was so much cooler. But that didn't sit well with the Irrational team, so they got all their goods together, compiled some information and made the BioShock artbook available free for download off of the The Cult of Rapture website. The art book, titled BioShock: Breaking the Mold, features all kinds of art and information about the game as well as a few concept ideas they had early on like making the Little Sisters be chipmunks instead of girls, no lie! The free artbook is available in low res and high res flavors and is a good "fix" that should hold you over until next Tuesday. But be warned, if you are afraid of spoilers skip Kevin Levine's foreword. Don't say we didn't warn you.
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.
Plenty of publishers turned down Bioshock
While the unbearably long time it's taking to download the Bioshock demo (65% and counting, baby!) is pretty much excruciating to us who are hotly anticipating the game, one has to imagine there's at least one guy who's got a smile on his face: Designer Ken Levine. According to a new interview, he and his team have had quite the struggle to get the shooter to this point.Senior designer Joe McDonagh detailed the long journey for CVG, saying that Levine had taken the game to several publishers who decided that the cerebral FPS wasn't a fit for their company. McDonagh rails, "Something I realized very quickly was that as much as your boss won't ever know that you turned down a future game of the year, he will know that you signed up a turkey. You don't get fired for not taking risks." If the response to the demo is any indication of earning potential, there are a few execs out there who had better keep mum about meeting with Levine.
BioShock demo available for download NOW!
The highly anticipated sixty second BioShock launch trailer just debuted on Spike TV and if you missed it we're wondering, why? It's not like we didn't give you a heads up or anything, jeez guys, stay on the ball next time. Anyhoo, for those who did get a chance to see it we think we can all agree that the best way to summarize the new BioShock trailer is by using adjectives such as "awesome", "amazing" and "super-duper". It's truly that good. For those who haven't seen it yet, we've embedded it above for your convenience. Just promise us you'll be a little more punctual next time, okay?But we're sure everyone is a tad bit more excited to hear the uber-hyped surprise announcement, which we must say is a doosy. Right after the trailer concluded on Spike TV, Geoff Keighley popped up to announce that a 1.35GB BioShock demo is available right now (yes, this very second) on the XBLM! Hurry fanboys, your first chance to experience BioShock awaits you on the Marketplace!
BioShock goes gold, special surprise tonight
That's right kids, the highly anticipated underwater adventure that is BioShock has officially gone gold and is off to manufacturers to be pressed to disc. Elizabeth over at The Cult of Rapture announced BioShock's gold status with plenty of excitement and the occasional "WOO!". Also announced was that tonight, Sunday, August 12th at 9:00PM eastern, they'll be airing an exclusive 60 second BioShock trailer during Spike TV's "The Kill Point". And, from the sound of things, it'll be the debut of a never before seen, brand new BioShock trailer. But we can't be sure. Oh, Elizabeth also mentioned that Game Head's Geoff Keighley will be making a surprise announcement right after the trailer airs. What oh what could the news be? ...
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).
OJ gotta give All-Pro Football 2K8 money to Goldmans
Thanks to GameTrailers.com's self-made video of OJ Simpson playing on a team called The Assassins in 2K Sport's All-Pro Football 2K8, Reuters linked the two together in the first paragraph of a story on how the relatives of murder victim Ron Goldman won a court order today to seize all money Simpson makes off the game. Simpson was aquitted of Goldman's murder in a trial many moons ago, but lost the wrongful death suit where he was ordered to pay $33.5 million.For those just catching up, we explained this Assassins connection away weeks ago when the controvery first broke. Simpson can be placed on any team, GameTrailers (either for yucks or accidentally) made a video of Simpson on a team called The Assassins. At the time 2K Sports clearly stated that they had nothing to do with the video and it was not created by their marketing or publicity department. Some people still got all uppity about it. Simpson has been ordered by the court to turn over copies of his Take-Two contract and any related documents.[Thanks Fyreblazer]
Unlock the real NFL teams in All-Pro 2K8 [update 1]
2K Sports' latest venture into the football game market All-Pro Football 2K8 has been met with a mediocre response from both reviewers and fans alike. Yes, it could be because the game has gameplay issues or because it lacks many common features, but we like to think that subconsciously people have been hard on the game because it doesn't include NFL teams. We're thinking the lack of recognizable NFL team names is causing everyone to hate on All-Pro 2K8, but friends we have a solution. Phil tipped us off on a simple way to get your favorite NFL team imported into the game, simply by entering a code. Just find your team's code on his website, enter it into All-Pro Football 2K8 and soon you'll be playing as your favorite NFL team. Yup, it's that easy. Now you can go back to enjoying your time with All-Pro 2K8 that is unless the game is fundamentally flawed, then we've just helped you put on a new coat of paint to hide its dents and dings.Update 1: It looks like these "unlocks" are simply codes to download fan made uniforms that mirror that of the NFL teams. They are still nifty, but not quite official. Sorry for the confusion.
APF 2K8 and Nascar demos hit Marketplace
If you've been on the fence about purchasing either All Pro Football 2K8 or Nascar 08 -- we wouldn't blame you if you were -- you'll be happy to know that there are now demos for both available on Xbox Live Marketplace. You might want to clear a little space on the the ol' hard drive if you want both of 'em. Nascar 08 will set you back about 600MB and All Pro Football 2K8 will take up nearly 700MB. Unless, of course, you're rocking the 120GB HDD, in which case you can download these demos with impunity.
APF 2K8 reel editor now on XBLM, why?
An interesting item has popped up on Xbox Live Marketplace for All Pro Football 2K8. The item is a called the "reel editor." This item, as its name implies, allows players to create and edit replays in order to create personal highlight reels. Sounds pretty cool, right? We actually think it's a great idea. We have one question, though: why is this on Xbox Live Marketplace? Shouldn't this be an included feature in the game? Considering the game has only been out for a few days, we find it hard to believe this reel editor couldn't have made it into the retail disc. What's more, we're expected to pay 400 points for it? Sounds like unnecessary roughness to us.
OJ Simpson + All-Pro Football 2K8 mascot = Drama
This is one of those instances when all the right pieces get put together and make for sensational news. It turns out that in the recently released All-Pro Football 2K8 from 2K Sports, part of publicity magnet Take-Two Interactive, features OJ Simpson. Well, that might be an issue for some people who consider the man a murderer, but it gets better. There's also a team called The Assassins in the game. Now, when you combine those two elements you get the video above: OJ Simpson making a touchdown and the Assassin mascot making a stabbing motion. 2K says it's pure coincidence, but boy is it dramatic enough to get people's panties in a twist.We contacted 2K Sports and they said there were discussions about keeping OJ Simpson out of the game, but it eventually ended up that being a football legend, the man deserved to be in there. As for the whole Assassin thing, they didn't have an NFL license and consequently made up team names, one of them being the Assassins. They say you go through the character selection screen and you can make the team any way you want, it just happened that the two elements put together make for an incredibly awkward moment. Now, here is the key element to all of this: We asked, "Did 2K make the video for GameTrailers, therefore it being possible for [2K] to be implicated as having some hand in creating controversy?"The 2K Sports spokesperson said, "No, to the best of my knowledge, we didn't make that video." A second call from 2K Sports confirms that they did not make the video.So, if the drama does escalate from this point, it'll either be due to 2K having actually made the video, or people riding the wave of outrage over OJ Simpson's appearance in the game.[Via GamePolitics]Update: 2K Sports states clearly they did not make the video.
The Darkness' laggy multiplayer to be patched
We have good news for everyone who already purchased The Darkness (or will be after trying the demo) and have tried to enjoy the game's laggy online multiplayer. Over on The Darkness' official MySpace page, Lord Sonatine has confirmed that they'll be releasing a multiplayer patch sometime in August to fix the lag issues that so many players are experiencing. Lord Sonatine explains that the problem stems from poor host upstream speeds which weren't caught while developing the game due to the studio's uber fast internet hookup. For now, they recommend hosting a match with less players which will help alleviate the bandwidth strain on the host.On behalf of the hundreds of people we've heard complain about laggy The Darkness multiplayer we send a well deserved thank you to Starbreeze Studios for the patch. That is, if the patch will actually fix the lag problem. Stay tuned ...[Via Xbox 360 Rally]
The Darkness demo slithers onto the XBLM (finally)
We were promised it in June, it was then delayed a few times, but it is finally here. Up on the XBLM this morning is a 1.27GB single player The Darkness demo featuring three campaign levels of death, darkness and more death. And if you don't already know, The Darkness has received generally favorable reviews for its campaign although most everyone agrees that its multiplayer is rather lackluster. But the demo is all about the campaign, so if you have yet to get your hands on The Darkness we advise giving the demo a download and experiencing first hand what black eels with teeth protruding from your body actually feels like.
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%
