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Xbox 360 Platinum Hits are numerous, cheap, rebranded
This one's just about as confusing as it gets, folks, but here goes nothing. Microsoft is repackaging eight of its titles under a new moniker: "Greatness is Earned." Though these titles still fall into the Platinum Hits category (and as such, are priced at $19.99 and up), a number of them are receiving the treatment for the first time. And this is where things get confusing: We've seen the "Greatness is Earned" logo before, nearly a month ago now, on the repackaged Gears of War (Platinum Hits edition, mind you) seen above. At the time, Microsoft wouldn't comment on the images.Considering Viva Piñata and EA Sports Fight Night Round 3 are among them, we're doubting (and hoping) they won't all get the dark and brooding look. We've listed all eight titles after the break in for your perusal. We'd also like to point out that, while snooping around the Microsoft press site for images of these games, we noticed Halo 3 "Classics" in the "Upcoming Games" category -- the same note found next to all other Platinum Hits games. Interesting, hmm?Update: We've replaced the image above with shots of the new "Greatness is Earned" pack shots of Gears of War, Forza 2 and Mass Effect. For giant shots, peep the gallery below!%Gallery-63475%
New Army of Two: The 40th Day trailer gets serious
The most official, new trailer for Army of Two: The 40th Day has at last been released. You'll get to see Shanghai being overrun by the so-called 40th Day Initiative, which is apparently laying waste to everything and everyone in sight. One thing we noticed very quickly is that the tone of the trailer is very serious. The buddy comedy vibe present in trailers for the original Army of Two is almost completely absent, save for a single modest one-liner at the end. Oh, and don't worry, there are plenty of explosions too. %Gallery-47821% Editors' Note: This post was first published at 5:30 p.m. on April 30. It has since been altered from its original form, which is viewable after the break.
Joystiq impressions: Army of Two: The 40th Day
click to bro-size Let's be honest: when we first heard EA was prepping a sequel to Army of Two, we didn't imagine it would be anything like what we saw in action last Friday in San Francisco's Chinatown district. (Well, 27 floors above it, to be accurate.) In our minds, we were expecting ... the first game, only set in Shanghai. Within 30 seconds of it loading up, we realized that EA Montreal's imagination is obviously a lot more vivid than ours. Executive Producer Reid Schneider was on hand to act as our tour guide, but much of what we saw really did speak for itself. Particularly about how this game is already anything but a minor improvement over the first. %Gallery-47821%
Lube your fists! EA confirms Army of Two: The 40th Day, for 360, PS3 ... and PSP?
Looks like our tipster was spot on – EA just confirmed that Salem and Rios are back in EA Montreal's bro-tastic sequel to Army of Two, titled (as expected) Army of Two: The 40th Day. Again, the focus is on co-op (in case it wasn't clear, they use the term six times in this morning's press release) with you and a loved one of your choosing in the roles of "the ultimate two-man private military team." The 40th Day changes the scenery from war-torn wherever to Shanghai, China and – like every buddy cop flick since the Carter administration – Rios and Salem are in "the wrong place" at "the wrong time." Really, it says that. Perhaps most notably, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are no longer their own army of two; the PSP has been added to the mix. There's not a lot of detail on what that particular version will include; however, with a limited number of buttons compared to its console counterparts, we're hoping the PSP release doesn't do away with the dedicated fist bump button. Without that, what's the point, right? You'll be able to crotch hoist your bros in Army of Two: The 40th Day "this winter." For more possible details on The 40th Day, check out the rest of the info our tipster dropped on us last week.
Rumor: Army of Two sequel called 'The 40th Day'
An anonymous tipster hooked us up with some alleged details regarding the rumored Army of Two sequel. Our source is confident that the sequel will be titled Army of Two: The 40th Day, but we won't know for sure until March 12. Still, there's plenty of solid evidence piling up. We've built our case after the break.
EA site hints at Army of Two sequel 'Army of Two: TFD'
Remember the game announcement we told you was coming from EA Montreal next week? We've got a sneaking suspicion it might be a sequel to Army of Two. PlayStation LifeStyle found this at the AoT homepage, just a big old red "Submit" banner. But digging through the source code it found: Game Name - "Army of Two: TFD" Description - "Army to Two. The definitive third person co-op shooter is back." [sic] Studio Name - "EAM" (Yeah, we're thinking EA Montreal) So, assuming this is all on the level, we've only got one question: What's "TFD" stand for? We're accepting your guesses right after the break.
EA Montreal to announce new game on March 12
EA has notified press that it intends to demonstrate a new game from its Montreal studio (along with other forthcoming projects) next Monday, March 9. The Canadian studio, currently hard (we hope) at work on one third of EA's new Need For Speed trio, namely the Wii-bound Need For Speed: Nitro, is expected to formally announce the project on March 12. Extending this post would only lead to rampant and inevitably spurious speculation, so we'll just let you take a guess at what this mystery title could be.%Poll-26968%
Army of Two chastised for 'homo-erotic content'
The Timothy Plan, one of our top 10 favorite conservative Christian, Florida-based investment firms, has just applied frowny-face stickers to "30 most offensive video games." (Offensive like killing hookers, not offensive like Haze or Imagine Fashion Horsez.) Our favorite entry on the list? Army of Two, scolded for "somewhat homo-erotic undertones between the two main characters." Though we fully support the Timothy Plan bringing to light AoT's non-existent allusions that two men could have feelings for each other, we can't help but wonder ... isn't that our job? Not to mention [crotch-hoisting joke here].
Army of Two set to hit the silver screen, no seriously
According to The CutScene blog from Variety the EA Montreal developed co-op third person shooter Army of Two has been optioned for a feature film by Universal. Currently attached to the picture is writer Scott Z. Burns (of The Bourne Ultimatum fame) and producer Scott Stuber (who was once attached to the failed Halo movie). EA is set to produce the film, a first for the publisher who has recently sold rights for a film based on The Sims and Mass Effect. "The ambiguity of these private military corporations lends weight to an intelligent thriller with relevance to what's going on in the world right now," Burns told Variety. "I told EA right off the bat I wasn't a gamer, and that appealed to them because they didn't want to simply replicate the game." Isn't a gamer? Well, Burns had better stay true to the fantastic lore that was outlined in the Army of Two game. You know, the blinging out of weapons and ... other things they did in that game. Seriously though, Uwe Boll must be spinning in his grave. Oh, he isn't ... never mind.
Army of Two crotch-hoisting its way to the big screen
What we would've given to be a fly on the wall in this pitch: EA: "Hey, so ... we have this game, right? Army of Two. The one with the fist-bumping meatheads with the death masks? We think it would make a great motion picture!" Hollywood: "... Are you totally high?" Despite having nothing going for it, EA somehow managed to convince Universal to bring the oh-so-forgettable, crotch-hoisting, buddy-cop antics of Army of Two's [generic character A] and [generic character B] to the silver screen. Writer slash director slash producer slash sucker Scott Z. Burns will bring the future Oscar contender to the screen using all the tricks he learned co-writing The Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant, and co-producing An Inconvenient Truth. Burns gushes, "I'm thrilled that EA and Universal see the potential to make a smart thriller that has real implications in the world we live in today." Wow, we were totally thinking the same thing!
EA: Dead Space, Army of Two, Bad Company sequels in the works
Variety writes that during an interview with EA Games president Frank Gibeau and EA Redwood Shores general manager Glenn Schofield, the duo spoke openly of plans for sequels to both Dead Space and Army of Two. According to the report, EA is also planning a direct follow-up to Battlefield: Bad Company.Given the (so far) generally sterling reviews of Dead Space, combined with internal enthusiasm about the IP, a sequel to the sci-fi shock-fest isn't exactly a surprise. Neither is Bad Company, which has both reviewed and sold rather well. Army of Two is the head-scratcher, though. The game released to decent reviews, but was by no means a runaway hit. Still, anyone who's played it can see the potential for fleshing out some of its co-op concepts into a (hopefully better) sequel. Army of Two ... 2?
360 Deals: 1600 MS points for $15 and more
It's the week Xbox Live Arcade purchasers have been looking forward to, because Target stores are selling 1600 Microsoft points cards for the oh so nice price of $15. But that's not all, they also have CoD4, Battlefield: Bad Company or Army of Two for $50 and are also giving away $40 gift cards with the purchase of any Xbox 360 console and Madden 09. Best Buy has a similar deal, where if you buy an Xbox 360 console and Madden 09 they'll throw in a free wireless controller. Other than that and Turok for $30, Best Buy's 360 deals are kind of lacking this week. Over at Circuit City, they're selling CoD4 for $40, Gears of War for $30, Juiced for $15, and giving away a free mini football with Madden 09 or a free $5 gift card if you purchase Madden 09 online. Finally, Circuit City is handing out free $30 gift card with the purchase of any Xbox 360 console.Happy shopping and be sure to stock up on those cheap Microsoft points, because as you're well aware, Castle Crashers is releasing soon!
Points>Life: Collect-a-thon!
Each week, X3F tips gamers to the tricks of the trade of Achievement hording in Points>Life. Every week a new achievement is unlocked to help you continue your unhealthy obsession with the Xbox 360 meta-game.Throughout the ages in the world of game design, the idea of collecting random items was developed to artificially extend the life of a game. Why only include a five-hour campaign when you can stuff that length with two hours worth of collecting junk, right? Until the advent of the Xbox 360 such collect-a-thons had no business in our games, but for those of us addicted to Achievement Points it has become a necessary evil in our war to 1000 points. This week in Points>Life we're taking a look at some recent offenders on the Xbox 360 and attempt to show you where all those knickknacks, trinkets and gems are hidden. Sit back, it's going to be a bumpy and boring ride to Collect-a-Thon city!
Free Army of Two DLC now available in Europe
European Army of Two owners who were turned bitter last week to learn that they weren't getting the free Veterans Pack DLC right away will be happy to know that the content is now downloadable in all European XBLM territories. The 100% free Veterans Pack features new co-op missions, new co-op fun and even an alternate ending to the game. So, go ahead and give it a download fellow European fanboys, it's free and it's sponsored by the kind folks over at Pontiac. Vroom!
Free Army of Two DLC delayed in Europe
If you live in North America and own a copy of Army of Two, then congratulations! Today you have the option to download the free Army of Two Veterans Pack from the XBLM. If you live in Europe and own Army of Two, then we apologize. You DO NOT get any free downloads today. So, um ... sorry? The reason for Europe seeing a delay in getting their free Army of Two DLC isn't clear, but EA has confirmed that delay shouldn't be too long and that Veterans Pack DLC will eventually roll out to European gamers. And now that we look at it, maybe the DLC's Pontiac sponsorship has something to do with its current limited availability. That said, on the PSN, the Veterans Pack's release is actually the opposite and is only being made available to European countries whereas North Americans are seeing the delay. And so the cloud of confusion settles in ...
Army of Two map pack delayed for Americans
Okay, stay with us for this one. Remember that Veteran Map Pack for Army of Two that's due out tomorrow? It's been delayed. At least, it has in America. In a strange twist of fate Europeans will see it arrive on the PSN Store tomorrow as planned while their cousins across the pond will have to wait a while before getting their hands on it. There's no word on when it will be available in America, but hopefully it should be up next week. Maybe. For more info on what the map pack contains, check out our post from earlier today.
Army of Two map pack hitting the PSN Store worldwide this week
Army of Two fans who have played the game to death have something to look forward to this week. A map pack will be made available on the US and EU PlayStation Stores this Thursday. The pack will contain two new co-op maps as well as an "enhanced" versus map. The best thing about it? It's completely free. As much as we appreciate that, we're still waiting for the patch which will finally allow us to play with our buddies across the pond. The Veteran Map Pack will allow players to venture into a subway station in Kiev as well as returning to SSC headquarters in Miami. Not only that, but it will include "destructible objects that were not available in the retail version." We've never turned down more stuff to blow up, that's for sure. [Via Press Release]
Army of Two co-opts three free maps
If you miss Army of Two's bumping of the fists or its hoisting of the crotches, Electronic Arts (probably sensing your impending depression) is offering up the free Veteran Map Pack this Thursday. It's ... well, it's a pack of maps including "two brand new co-op campaign maps" taking you to a subway station in Kiev and SSC headquarters in MIami, along with an "enhanced multiplayer map" so you can relive your salad days two-on-two on the China Canal Lock map. Oh, and if you're bristling at the thought of dropping your hard earned money on more maps, don't worry: Pontiac's picking up the tab. What do you say?
Free Army of Two Veterans DLC releases this week
After testing the paid DLC waters only to find it contaminated with harmful amoebas, EA will be releasing a new pack of Army of Two DLC to the XBLM this Thursday, May 29th. But this time it'll release for free! The Army of Two "Veterans Pack" will bring with it two new co-op campaign scenarios and an update to the China Canal Lock multiplayer map. The two co-op scenarios will include gang eradication in a Kiev subway station while the other scenario features a bunch of boss and ex-boss killing in Miami. Again, this DLC will be free, so if you are "lucky" enough to own the game, we advise giving it a download come Thursday.
Lost Odyssey and Army of Two DLC arrives
What're 200 points worth to you? Wait, don't answer yet, because a new DLC pack for Lost Odyssey released today may just change your whole perception of the value of a point. The "Triple Bonus Pack" adds "'Memory Lamp,' which allows you to watch the past event scenes all over again, 'Shattered Bond,' an antique that will bring back the memory of a forgotten dream, and a special ring, 'Killer Machine,'" all for 200 points ($2.50). Now, we don't know what any of those words meant, but they sounded awesome. Also, just as a reminder, the "SSC Challenge" pack for Army of Two also arrived today for 600 points on XBL or $7.50 on PSN. If you sample any of today's DLC, make sure you let us know if they're worth the digi-dollars in the comments.
