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Unreal Tourney 3 on the cheap
Looking to pick up a copy of Unreal Tournament III for the Xbox 360 but want to save a few dollars in the process? Amazon is offering the recently released shooter for the low price of $45, shipping included.Offered as today's deal of the day, Unreal Tournament III is the latest action packed title from Epic Games -- you might also know them as the guys behind Gears of War 2. Speaking of Gears 2, Unreal Tournament III includes an extra incentive as it features footage of the upcoming Xbox 360-exclusive shooter. We say the footage was the new hawtness, but we already featured it a while back.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Epic commits to dedicated servers for UT3
In a move we never thought we'd see coming from the studio who birthed our Gears of War, Epic Games has confirmed that they'll support the 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 with dedicated servers.According to UT3 forum admin WarTourist, Epic will be setting up a "similar number of official 360 dedicated servers to what we provided for the PC and PS3." And our inner skeptic says that Epic is only doing this to add a bullet point to UT3's multiplayer so it can differentiate itself among the 360's already hotly contended FPS genre. That said, who really cares the reason they're doing it, we fully support and embrace the dedicated server move. You hear that Epic? We fully support dedicated servers and wouldn't mind you doing the same thing for Gears of War 2. Sound good?[Via Gearheads of War, Thanks dongcopter]
Gears 2 video straight from the UT3 disc
Well folks, the Gears 2 content that was promised to be on the final release disc of Unreal Tournament 3 for 360 has hit our inbox (despite the fact that game itself hasn't yet hit stores). Consisting of a mash-up of interview segments with the dev team and clips of gameplay, the behind the scenes video touches on everything from new game modes to player count to weapons. Heck, why are still reading this? Just watch the video already! Still reading? Well all that's left to really say is just how much of a bomb UT3 is likely to be, especially if the only thing enticing about it is this vid.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Unreal Tournament 3 -- why is no one playing?
An editorial over at Strategy Informer by Marco Fiori attempts to answer a simple but important question: why is no one playing Unreal Tournament 3? At one point, we were all excited about this quasi-PS3-timed-exclusive (it was first released on PS3 and PC, with the 360 version to be released nine months later); being part of the legacy that is the Unreal franchise, it will prove the PS3 can handle the hardcore FPS genre. Epic recently leaked some screenshots to generate buzz for the 360 version, but the truth is, no one cares because no one is playing the versions that are already out. With almost 1000 servers, 12,000 player spaces, the game's player rate is about 500 a day. Patches were released to remedy various online problems, coupled with price drops, yet there is no improvement. Fiori lists possible culprits; has Call of Duty 4 replaced UT as the new poster child for FPS? Did Epic abandon the UT franchise for the more lucrative Gears of War? Is PC competitive gaming simply on a decline? Was it bad timing similar to what happened to UT2003?Though he doesn't arrive at one specific conclusion, Fiori asserts the failure of UT3 comes from the existence of the console versions in his concluding paragraph: "The solution is not the same as it was in the past. PC-centric development meant that patches or even complete rebuilds could be done within a year as in the 2003/2004 situation. The modern multiplatform development cycle makes it virtually impossible." What do you guys think? Is the PS3 and upcoming 360 version to blame for UT3's inability to repeat the success of its predecessors?
Huxley in-game footage reminds us of something
It's not a bad thing that Huxley gameplay looks a lot like Unreal Tournament III, but it is a bit disconcerting for anyone interested in the MMOFPS in regards towards its possible uniqueness. The fact that what we're seeing in this video amounts to a standard deathmatch is probably the biggest reason for the comparison. While we professed our enjoyment of Huxley's recently released cinematic trailer, neither that nor this look into the game have told us why Huxley is any different than the many other FPS and MMO games currently proliferating across the market.Don't get us wrong, though. We're always interested in different experiences here at Massively, so you can expect us to be playing Huxley whenever it manages to wash up on our shores. We're just hoping that the experience amounts to more than running around beautifully rendered worlds shooting things up, because that can be found elsewhere.[via Rock, Paper Shotgun]
UT3's Gears 2 video will be multiplayer focused
Further expanding upon the (mildly dissapointing) knowledge that Unreal Tournament 3's special Gears of War 2 content will be a video, we now know said video will be multiplayer focused.According to Midway's press release confirming UT3's release date, they make mention that the GoW2 video content "will include never-before-seen footage of the game's multiplayer modes featuring new maps, new modes, new weapons and new gameplay elements." Bonus, the video will be narrated by Epic's Rod Fergusson and Mr. Gears of War himself, Cliffy B Cliff Bleszinski! Cliffy Cliff narration FTW! We give it 28 minutes, no 23 minutes until this exclusive video content hits YouTube.
Unreal Tournament 3 gets a release, it's July 7th [update]
Update: Eurogamer just confirmed that Europe will be receiving UT3 a few days earlier on July 4th.Yesterday, not hours after we posted about the new Unreal Tournament 3 screenshots and joked about still not having an official release date, Joystiq forced Midway between a rock and a hard place and asked, no demanded an UT3 Xbox 360 release date. With fear in their eyes and ice cold blood pumping through their veins, Midway conceded and confirmed that July 7th is in fact UT3's North American release date. That Joystiq crew, they get things done, because they don't mess. Maybe we should get those threatening Joystiq bloggers to convince Midway or Epic to include a better Gears of War 2 surprise ... oh yeah, genius.
Unreal Tournament III on Xbox 360 begins fragging away July 7
click to enlarge We've just confirmed with Midway that Unreal Tournament III for Xbox 360 will hit the console on July 7. The Xbox 360 version will feature five "exclusive" maps, split-screen capabilities, two new characters and the all-new Warfare mode. Of course, the online fragfest will also feature all the benefits of Xbox Live, with none of that pesky mod support.%Gallery-20852%
We have 360 Unreal Tournament III screenshots
click to enlarge Actually ... we only have seven. But they are new shots from the upcoming Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III! We thought you might like to take a look at 'em before the game's summer release. In case you've forgotten, the Xbox 360 version of Epic's frantic fragfest features five "exclusive" maps, split-screen capabilities and two new characters. %Gallery-24938%
Seven new UT3 screens and still no release date
Fresh from the new screenshot Easy-Bake Oven are seven deliciously moist and gooey Unreal Tournament 3 screenshots that are so sinfully satisfying, just looking at them will add two pounds to your waistline. In these new screenshots (which we caringly added to the gallery below), you'll be able to experience Xbox 360 UT3 action which will make your mind wander, thinking of different variations of "pew, pew, pew!" captions for each one. In other news, still no UT3 release date for the 360 ... sigh.%Gallery-24939%
Unreal Tournament 3's GoW2 surprise is a video
The hipster cats over at NeoGAF spotted the official box art for Unreal Tournament 3 over a UK store GAME. Not such a big deal, right? No, WRONG! You see, Epic has previously stated that they'll be bundling some sort of exclusive Gears of War 2 surprise content with UT3 and this newly discovered box art tells us exactly what the exclusive content is. Look closely and you'll spot the GoW2 circle on the right mentioning the inclusion of exclusive "video content on disc". That's right, no exclusive Gears 2 demo, player skins or in-game Gears 2 goodness ... just video content. We guess we can live with that, but for anyone who specifically plopped down an UT3 pre-order solely for the exclusive Gears goods, we recommend you think about spending $60 on video.[Via NeoGAF]
Unreal Tournament III mod recreates Super Mario
Unreal Tournament III on PS3 is made even better thanks to an active mod community. UT2D-SuperMario_Beta1 revives the classic NES game, Super Mario Bros. through its use of nostalgic 2D decorations. This mod already works on the PS3, but according to the devs, "decent stock sounds" are upcoming for the game. Check it out here. [Thanks, JRod!]
Unreal Tournament III achievements revealed
The achievement hoarding gamers over at 360Sync have uncovered the entire list of achievements for Unreal Tournament III. We'd like to think that this signifies an imminent release for the game but, given its development history, we're not holding our breath. Anyway, on the achievements. There are plenty listed for completing campaign objectives and there are plenty more multiplayer objectives. There are even a few co-op achievements. There are 50 in all. Of course, the best achievement of all has to be "Don't taze me bro!" which is awarded for nabbing the Combo King award in ten matches.Hit the "Source" link for the full list.
Cinemassively: Rage & Rapture
If it didn't contain color filters, it wouldn't be a Baron Soosdon film. Rage & Rapture is no exception, as he blends World of Warcraft and Unreal Tournament 3 to create a surreal party atmosphere. It is the story of an undead shadowpriestess that launches an attack on the Alliance, stalking them from location to location. However, it's hard to imagine that violence could look so good, as you find yourself immersed in a world that doesn't even resemble WoW!If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
Unreal Tournament meets Super Mario
If any of you own either the PC or PS3 versions of Unreal Tournament 3, you might enjoy downloading this Mario-inspired map made by FrontAXL. The blocky platforms will look familar to players of the original Super Mario Bros., as well as many of the background elements. It's not an exact replica (nor is it meant to be), but the similarities are impossible to deny. Also, the PC version of the map includes music and sounds from the beloved classic. Check out the awesome in-game video of the stage in action after the break, along with some other screens. You can also download the stage here at the UT3 forums.
Don't expect a split-screen patch for UT3 on PS3
According to Videogamer, Epic's Mark Rein says PS3 owners shouldn't expect Unreal Tournament III's split-screen option for Xbox 360 to be patched into their version of the game. To compensate, he says they "should be happy" that they have user-generated mod support.Rein explains it would be a "big job" to go back and retrofit the PS3 version and doesn't believe Epic has the resources to devote to such a project. He says more mod support will be added to the PS3 version of the game, but wouldn't go into specifics. The Xbox 360 version of UT3 is expected "this summer."
Video: Unreal Tournament 3 does split screen
One of the additions to the upcoming Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 is local split screen. A very useful feature to have when entertaining a buddy or relative who too would like to join in on the carnage. So, today we thought it to be the opportune time to show you a video of split screen UT3 in action. And that's exactly what we embedded above. Everything looks lovely, fast paced and it even sports a solid frame rate to boot, but from what we can tell, a bit more of the players' character gets chopped off to accommodate for the FOV. No matter, it's still a sexy UT3 frag fest.
UT3 360 will have mods in some form
Well, well, well, what do we have here? Mark Rein dropping more details of Unreal Tournament 3? First was the Gears 2 content tease, now the assumption that the 360 version wouldn't see mods whatsoever seems to be a thing of the past. In the same interview with OXM UK, Mark Rein said "We know some of these great mods are going to play a role on Xbox 360, even if we have to get some people and bring them over ourselves." "We'll figure it out."Now while this is good news in that any form of mod on 360 now is good news, but it's nothing to get too excited about just yet. See, Mark Rein notes that the game will probably not ship with any sort of ability to exchange user created mods, but that Epic would have a solution at some point in the game's future. From the sound of things, and taking into account Microsoft's digital distribution system, UT3 360 will probably have some free (we would hope) DLC at some point in it's life that adds the best of the community-created content.
Split-screen unlikely to come to PS3 Unreal Tournament
The tardy Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III comes with a few features missing from the PS3 original. The most notable new feature is split-screen multiplayer. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this will come as a downloadable patch any time soon. Epic's Mark Rein told videogamer.com "I don't think so, because this is what's in this (the Xbox 360 version) game. I think it would be a big job to go back and retrofit that game for split-screen. I just don't think we have the resources to do that unfortunately.""We heard from the PS3 guys they really wanted split-screen. Maybe if we'd spent eight more months on the game like we have here," he added. Of course, the PS3 version of UT3 will still sport a key feature the Xbox 360 version will never see: unrestricted access to fan-created mods.
UT3 will have "Gears 2 related surprise on the disc"
When we got word of the contents of the 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 we weren't exactly knocked off our feet. Without confirmed mod support, and with so many other shooters to choose from, could UT3 hang with only 5 extra maps? While that question still remains to be answered, the nature of it has shifted a little. In an interview with OXM UK, Mark Rein revealed that "you know, there might be a little Gears Of War 2 related surprise on the disc of Unreal Tournament 3. That's all I'm saying about that." With news like this it almost makes the UT3 sales guaranteed to jump, even if we don't yet know what the "surprise" will be. Really, it could be anything. A trailer, theme, or stupid picture pack seems likeliest, but if Epic REALLY wants to spike the sales of UT3 we might see something more along the lines of of a playable demo. Hell, why not just take the Crackdown route! Hey everyone listen up! Buy your Gears 2 beta and receive a free copy of UT3! We wouldn't put it past them.
