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PSN Spring Fever franchise deals include Call of Duty, GTA
If the seven games debuting on PSN this month at discounted rates don't spice up Sony's Spring Fever sale enough for your liking, the sale will also include sales on four different franchises. Games and DLC in the Call of Duty, Need for Speed, BioShock and Grand Theft Auto series are on sale at varying points in March for all PSN users. The sale spans five games in the Need for Speed series, each down to $9.99 ($5 for PS Plus subscribers) tomorrow through March 10. Those games include Need for Speed: Most Wanted on both PS3 and Vita, Hot Pursuit on PS3, The Run on PS3 and Carbon on PSP and Vita. The Call of Duty series continues on March 11 through March 17 and features a variety of game and DLC bundles for Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops and Black Ops 2. Both Black Ops games can be purchased together for $69.99 ($62.99 on PS Plus) as well as all three Modern Warfare games for $64.99 ($58.49 for PS Plus members). Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series rolls in next on March 18 with sales lasting through March 24. The sale knocks GTA 5 down to $39.99, GTA 4 to $5.99 ($4.79 on PS Plus) as well as a handful of other PS3 and PSP games in the series ranging from $5.99 each ($4.79 for PS Plus) to $2.99 each ($2.39 on PS Plus). Lastly, the first two games in the BioShock series will also be $9.99 ($5 for PS Plus members) March 25 through March 31. Those games are joined by BioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea Episode 1 DLC for $10.40 ($7.34 on PS Plus) as well as Columbia's Finest Pack and Clash in the Clouds for $3.49 each ($2.44 on PS Plus). [Image: Rockstar Games]
Mass Effect 1 and 2, Modern Warfare 2 for PC cheap today on Amazon
Do you want to play Mass Effect 1 or 2, or Modern Warfare 2, but don't have them yet? Or -- a more likely scenario -- do you want to play them, but don't feel like getting them off the shelf and putting the discs into a console? Such effort. Such drudgery.Amazon has the PC download versions of these games on sale today for $5 each. The Deal of the Day also includes the Digital Deluxe Edition of Mass Effect 2 for $7.49, or Dungeon Defenders for $2.99. And you don't have to get up at all, unless you don't have your credit card handy.
PSN Tuesday: The Sly Collection, De Blob 2, Modern Warfare 2, Voltron
The Sly Collection arrives on PSN this week, available either in individual $9.99 downloads or as a three-game bundle for $29.99. Other full retail games available for download on PS3 this week include Modern Warfare 2 and De Blob 2. Tak 2: Staff of Dreams has been added to the PS2 Classics series, and Darkstalkers arrives as a PSOne Classic. In new-for-PSN content, you can indulge your movie fandom with Scene It? Movie Night, or your TV fandom with Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
Infinity Ward on MW2's convoluted story, and how plot is addressed in MW3
At a Modern Warfare 3 preview event this morning 50 floors above Central Park, Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling spoke with me about a variety of IW-related topics. Ranging from MW2's controversial "No Russian" level, to the importance of the Modern Warfare series' running plot threads in the eyes of both IW devs and gamers alike, Bowling took a proud and optimistic stance on the franchise's less-than-clear "Task Force 141" storyline. "For the single-player campaign, especially for Modern Warfare 3 more than ever -- this is the payoff for the investment that people have put in since Call of Duty 4," Bowling began. Though he explained that IW has been "learning new ways to tell stories and learning new ways to deliver experiences" across the development of all three games, it's his belief that MW3 "is the payoff to all those lessons learned." Speaking briefly to the flawed, often convoluted plot of Modern Warfare 2, Bowling admitted, "Every game we put out, we sit back and we look at 'What can we do better? What areas can we focus on to bump the experience up?' And story was one of those coming out of MW2." To him, as MW3 is the focal point for the series thus far -- especially in terms of plot -- the goal is to tell "one hell of a story." Specifically, "we want it to build up on the key themes that we started in MW2, but really polish that storytelling ability." For me, that aim played out immediately in the single-player hands-off demo I was given. Less than five minutes in, two separate keys were required to launch missiles from a hijacked Russian submarine -- and two separate individuals turned those keys, more or less directly mocking the massively unbelievable nuke launch moment with Captain Price from Modern Warfare 2.
Report: UK retailers say PS3 trade-ins doubling due to PSN outage
We're approaching the one-month anniversary of the PlayStation Network's deactivation due to that pesky security breach, and according to a report from Edge the downtime's starting to have an effect at UK games retailers. The report cites a number of anonymous game shop clerks, all of whom paint a fairly similar picture of the response to the outage: PlayStation 3 trade-ins have doubled in their respective stores in the past few weeks, with most shoppers exchanging their consoles for Xbox 360s or cash. That may sound like a fairly inflammatory report, but the reasoning is sound: Almost all the retailers say these shoppers are hardcore FPS players, and are acquiring Xbox 360s to get back in their Call of Duty: Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 routines. Furthermore, all of the retailers report an increased trade-in rate for the PS3 version of Black Ops. Trading in your gaming console sounds like a pretty drastic way to keep playing a game you love -- then again, we're no strangers to the siren call of the Killstreak.
Black Ops 'First Strike' DLC sold 1.4M units in first 24 hours
During an investors call today, Activision announced that 1.4 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops' "First Strike" map pack were sold "in the first 24 hours" of its February 1 debut on Xbox Live. At $15 a pop, that's $21 million in gross revenue in a single day -- on a single platform! Notably, Activision Publishing's Eric Hirshberg pointed out that those sales were a "20 percent increase over Modern Warfare 2's 'Stimulus Package DLC'" launch. He added that First Strike, which was also released on PSN and PC in March, "continues to outsell the Stimulus Pack by more than 20 percent." But hey, let's give our old friend the Stimulus Pack a break -- after all, the poor thing had to suffer the full rage of the internet when it became the very first Call of Duty DLC priced at $15! First Strike had it easy.
PS3 hackers make Modern Warfare 2 'unplayable,' Infinity Ward cannot patch a fix
"It's in total shambles and unplayable." That's how one Joystiq reader describes Modern Warfare 2 on PSN. With PS3 system security in disarray, hackers and cheaters have run rampant on Infinity Ward's Call of Duty games. Players unwittingly placed into a hacked server can meet the unfortunate consequence of losing all their stats and, unfortunately, it doesn't appear a fix is in sight. "Games rely on the security of the encryption on the platforms they're played on," Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling explained on the game's official forums. "Unless the security exploit itself is resolved on the platform ... updates to the game through patches will not resolve this problem," he admits, adding, "at this time, we do not have the ability to restore or adjust individual stats." Although Bowling adds that "we are looking at every option available to us to help any user affected," it appears the situation is quite dire, especially when one considers the workarounds Bowling suggests. You can submit a PSN grief report, play exclusively with friends via private matches, or play Black Ops, which does "not rely solely on platform security" -- something Infinity Ward promises to learn from in future games. [Thanks, Jordan!]
Toy Story 3 regains UK's top spot from StarCraft 2
StarCraft 2 took a slide down the charts this week to fourth, as Toy Story 3 regained the top spot on the UK All Formats chart. There also appears to have been some promotion (the demo, perhaps?) in the region last week for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 because it surged up the charts from eighth to second. According to Chart-Track, Activision-Blizzard's Modern Warfare sequel could potentially overtake Dr Kawashima (aka Brain Age) as the UK's "biggest unit seller" next week. Dance on Broadway, Ubisoft's pseudo-sequel to Just Dance (holding just fine at #6), knows that life is a cabaret and moves up another spot to third. The other chart-topping stalwart, Red Dead Redemption, drops to fifth -- its lowest position since launch. Check out the UK top ten after the break. %Gallery-93421%
Ask Engadget HD: Best HDTV for gaming, pwning?
Every HDTV purchase comes with its own set of considerations, and for our friend Philip, the main one is playing videogames. You can keep your THX certifications and internet connected widgets, we need to know what will contribute to the greatest kill/death ratio, period: "I just graduated and moved to a new city so I'm finally ready to buy my first HDTV. I watch TV and some football every now and then, but my main obsession is gaming, specifically Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Super Street Fighter IV. I've been scraping by playing with my Xbox 360 connected to a computer monitor for now, but when it comes to a nice 50- or 55-inch display, which one has the least amount of input lag so I can keep my k/d ratio up and count frames properly for combos and counters?" Everyone has their something, and we're sure more than a few of you are just as focused on your television's gaming performance as anything else, so why not help him out. Let us know what TVs you're using, and if necessary, what settings or gaming modes work the best so you're not a frame or two behind at crucial moments. Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
2010 halftime report on bestselling US console games
NPD has revealed the bestselling games for consoles from January through June of 2010. IGN notes that Nintendo dominates sales by individual platform, with six of the top ten titles created for its hardware; and five of them developed by the money-printing publisher itself. In combined platform sales, runaway hit Red Dead Redemption rides high. 2010 Top Five Combined Platform Sales from January–June: 1. Red Dead Redemption (PS3, Xbox 360) 2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) 3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3, Xbox 360) 4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3, Xbox 360) 5. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) Check out the top ten individual platform sales leaders after the break.
Earn double XP in Modern Warfare 2 this Memorial Day weekend
Wait, you're telling us that you still haven't hit 10th Prestige? Is this some sort of joke? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been out for like, a hundred years. Whatever the reason for your pathetic, amateurish ranking, you can give yourself a boost by playing during this three-day Memorial Day weekend, when Infinity Ward will be offering double experience across all of the game's cornucopia of platforms. There, now you have no excuse. Unless you're having, like, a cookout or pool party during the extended weekend. Or if you're going to a baseball game. Or if you're going to the beach ... Those are all pretty great excuses, we suppose.
Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Map Pack detailed [Update: Now with screens!]
Click image to amuse yourself with some new screens Xbox Live's Major Nelson had Infinity Ward "creative strategist" Robert Bowling on his podcast recently to talk about the upcoming Resurgence Map Pack for Modern Warfare 2. Set to release on June 3 on Xbox Live, the pack will be priced at 1200 ($15) -- the same as its predecessor, the Stimulus Pack. Resurgence will feature maps old and new, including two Call of Duty 4 maps and three new locations: Vacant -- the wide open Russian office complex from CoD4 Strike -- the urban town surrounded by hotels from CoD4 Carnival -- an abandoned carnival area with a Ferris wheel, fun house and other attractions Trailer Park -- full of "super tight corridors" and featuring a pool ("Mobile Estates," Bowling calls it) Fuel -- a "sniper haven" based in and around an oil refinery Bowling says that the new maps will be tied to specific playlists, just like the Stimulus maps. With the Resurgence collection, however, it's possible that all of the maps will be available in every playlist, as long as "demand is high." And, as with the previous pack, the new maps will be exclusive to Xbox 360 for a short time before coming to PC and PS3. Update: We've got images of all five maps, which you can check out in the gallery below or by clicking the image in the post. Enjoy! %Gallery-93049%
Modern Warfare 2 'Resurgence Pack' adding five more maps on June 3
In what might be the briefest press release we've ever received from a major publisher announcing a new chunk of DLC for an über-successful game, Activision revealed that another set of five multiplayer maps for Modern Warfare 2 will drop on Xbox Live on June 3. We know two things about said maps so far: They're coming in a set called the "Resurgence Pack," and their release will be heralded by two double XP weekends on May 28 and June 4. Now, that's what we know. What we assume is that the pack will feature a mix of new maps and renovated versions of Call of Duty 4 maps -- perhaps a bit more of the latter, given the title of the bundle. What we also assume is that the "Resurgence Pack" will carry the $15 price tag of the "Stimulus Package" (it worked well enough before). We'll contact people in the know to see if we can squeeze out any firmer details.
FIFA World Cup maintains defense, holds top spot on UK charts
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa held its top spot on the UK all-formats chart for a second week in a row. Meanwhile, like a good showgirl, Wii-exclusive Just Dance worked its way back into second, pushing Super Street Fighter IV down the stairs -- all the way to sixth. Modern Warfare 2 got back into the fight this week and reached third place, thanks to "energetic promotions centered around the special edition versions," according to Chart-Track. The release of the "Stimulus Package" maps on other platforms probably didn't hurt, either. Wii Fit Plus and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 round out the top five. The complete UK top 10 can be found after the break. Source – FIFA World Cup Scores 2nd Week at No1 [GFK Chart-Track] Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
PSN Tuesday: MW2's Stimulus Package
Welcome to PSN Tuesday. It's time for the Modern Warfare 2 troopers on PlayStation 3 to get their hands on the multi-million selling Stimulus Package. It's available now. ... Wow, you're still here reading? Okay, um, cool! PSP owners can grab Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake or What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord! 2. Check out the full update after the break. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.) %Gallery-89046%
PSA: Modern Warfare 2 'Stimulus Package' DLC assaults PSN tomorrow
Looking to bolster your map count in Modern Warfare 2? Tomorrow, the Stimulus Package DLC deploys on PSN for $14.99, bringing with it five additional maps -- three brand-new; two return from Modern Warfare. For a quick rundown of the locales straight outta Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling's mouth, check out his post on the PlayStation Blog. If you haven't managed to scrounge up enough change from under the couch cushions, don't fret: Infinity Ward is also turning on double the XP this week. So, even if you can't afford a stimulus package of new maps, you can at least whet your appetite for delicious experience points. %Gallery-89046%
'Infinity Ward Employee Group' lawsuit documents: see them here
Yesterday's news that a third lawsuit had originated from the ongoing Infinity Ward / Activision breakup wasn't exactly a shocker, and a handful of revealing tidbits have surfaced from the depths of the legalese. We retrieved a copy of the latest lawsuit's full complaint document (found below in the gallery) and spent the evening scouring it for details on yesterday's allegations. For instance, approximately 21 of the 38 members of the "Infinity Ward Employee Group" have already left IW, with the remaining 17 still employed at the studio (or being "held hostage," as their complaint document puts it). All 38 group members are seeking anywhere from 10.8% ($98 million) to 13.6% ($123 million) of the $900 million in profit the suit claims Activision has earned on Modern Warfare 2 sales since it debuted last November -- a percentage claimed to have been worked out previously between said IW employees and Activision, under the "Bonus Pool Agreement" (the "BPA" is said to be "based on incomes earned from MW2," though nothing more specific is spelled out). Furthermore, the group is seeking "bonus/royalty/profit participation" from MW2's "sister games," which includes not just Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Reflex, but also Modern Warfare 3, "if MW3 is ultimately delivered and marketed." Additionally, the suit alleges that, on March 26 of this year, Activision "made a partial payment of Infinity Ward's Fourth Quarter of 2009 Bonus Payment" (an undisclosed amount). When asked by employees "how much payments would have been had Activision not fired West and Zampella," representatives said they "would have received approximately 2.5 times the amount they were paid." This stands in stark contrast to claims made recently that IW employees who stay with the studio would receive larger bonuses. %Gallery-91967%
'Infinity Ward Employee Group' sues Activision for $150 to $625 million
Rather than the usual news of Infinity Ward staffers leaving the company, occasionally jumping on board ex-IW founders Vince Zampella and Jason West's new development team at Respawn Entertainment, today we have word that a group of current and former IW employees are suing Activision for breach of contract. G4 got its hands on a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court by 38 plaintiffs -- a band of folks named the "Infinity Ward Employee Group" -- seeking "to recover between $75 million and $125 million, if not more, in compensatory damages." The group is also asking for another $75 to $500 million in "punitive damages." Allegedly, the employees of IW have received $28 million in bonuses, and are claiming to be owed another $54 million from just 2009. The rest of the treasure chest is sought for a gaggle of other reasons, ranging from "lost value on restricted stock units that Activision promised would vest" to MW2's "sister games," which seems to include the still-unannounced Modern Warfare 3. In fact, the group's lawyer Bruce Isaacs contends that, in holding the remaining employees based on claims of larger royalties, Activision has breached those employees' contracts. "Activision has withheld most of the money to force many of my people to stay, some against their will, so that they would finish the delivery of Modern Warfare 3. That is not what they wanted to do, many of them. My clients are entitled to their money. Activision has no right to withhold their money -- our money." The suit's legalese also claims as much, even going as far as to accuse the publisher of holding "[IW] employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3." Yikes! Update: Activision has responded to the lawsuit with this statement: "Activision believes the action is without merit. Activision retains the discretion to determine the amount and the schedule of bonus payments for MW2 and has acted consistent with its rights and the law at all times. We look forward to getting judicial confirmation that our position is right."
Modern Warfare 2's Stimulus Package hitting Steam May 4
We know PC gamers probably got their hackles up when Modern Warfare 2's first batch of new content, the "Stimulus Package," was given a release date on the PS3, but not their platform of choice. Don't fret, folks -- the game's Steam listing has been updated, and now includes a May 4 release date for the new content. As a reward for your patience, Steam will even knock $1.50 off the price of the maps for pre-orderers. See? Good things do come to those who wait. [Thanks Daniel!]
Pachter: EA, DICE and Respawn will impact future Call of Duty sales
Do you imagine that every morning, when Michael Pachter wakes up, he dons a black robe, a pointy hat, drops a bunch of stuff into a bubbling cauldron and just predicts? Yeah, we do too. What a life, right? His latest portent involves Respawn Entertainment, the new shop of former Infinity Ward-ers Jason West and Vince Zampella, and it goes a little something like this: the Call of Duty franchise will see lowered sales, thanks to more competition in what we like to call 'the near-superhuman military dudes blowing junk up' market. "I think that it is likely that future games will sell fewer units in the past, primarily due to increased competition from Respawn, DICE and EA games that will likely be in the same or similar genres," Pachter said. He also anticipates that many gamers will recognize that West and Zampella are off the franchise, but that "the majority of consumers will either not know or will not care enough to shun future games." The lack of Infinity Ward's branding certainly didn't stop World at War from moving a bajillion units.
