Crackdown
Latest
China puts moratorium on new internet cafes
The Chinese government has announced its latest futile attempt to hold back the tidal wave of free digital information that is bound to flood the country sooner or later, placing a ban on the licensing of new internet cafes for 2007 while officials investigate supposed breaches of their restrictive rules. Specifically, the thought police want to find out how widespread the illegal renting of licenses and failure to register customers really are, as part of a larger crackdown on internet culture that began in April at the behest of President Hu Jintao. Let's just hope this moratorium is lifted before next summer, because with the lack of 3G availability by the time the Summer Games hit, it would seem that already-crowded cafes may get pushed to the breaking point as tourists fight one another in a rush to check their MySpaces and get their photos on Flickr.
Crackdown: just try and take our keys
The newly released Keys to the City mode in Crackdown is awesome, because it allows us to create the explosive fantasies we've always dreamt about. But what if there was a limit to the fun? What if our city keys were suddenly taken from us? Well, Ctrl+Alt+Del played out that very scenario in their latest comic and came away with a pretty good conclusion. Let's just say that anyone who tries to take our Keys to the City will feel the pain. The pain of flying hundreds of feet through the air attached to a vehicle on fire. Yup, that's how we roll.
Crackdown: Climbing high with ramp trucks
Today's Crackdown video of the day uses the new Keys to the City cheat mode and some knowledge learned in the previous skydiving video. RobHoliday66 decided to use a whole bunch of ramp trucks to create an artificial climbing surface and make his way from the an ocean view to high atop the Agency Tower. And after about five minutes, he was successful. The only way we can think of one-uping this video is to challenge someone to use a smaller vehicle or object and replicate the same climbing success. So, that's what we're doing. Pick an object, make a wager, and get to work agent.
Live Top Ten: It's the demos stupid
This week's Live Top Ten features the same big hitters that have been around for the past few months, but it is also sprinkled with a few demos that hit the Marketplace this past week. Both the Forza 2 and Area 51: Blacksite demos made it on the list at number two and four beating out games like Rainbow Six Vegas and Guitar Hero II. Also spurred into action was Crackdown which jumped to the number three spot probably due to its new content and the Halo 3 beta fanfare. Speaking of the Halo 3 beta, it didn't show up on the Live Top Ten list due to it being released later in the week, but you can nearly guarantee it'll be making an appearance next week. The complete top ten list is posted after the break for your viewing pleasure.
Video: go skydiving in Crackdown
Crackdown is the sort of game that's just as much fun to goof around with as it is to actually play. As proof of that, we present you with this skydiving tutorial video. If you'd like to get some serious height in Crackdown without all the fuss of actually climbing, all you need is to enable cheat mode and experiment with ramp trucks. Using these trucks, you can rocket your vehicle skyward and then jump out for some killer free fall. According to the creator of the video, some amazing heights can be reached, even higher than those shown in the video apparently. Have any of our readers figured out any other cool glitches using cheat mode?
It's fixed! Download Halo 3 beta via Crackdown
We got off to a rough start this morning, but everything smells of roses and fresh baked cookies now. Bungie sent word that the Halo 3 beta is finally available to download for those of you who are getting access through Crackdown. Simply pop in Crackdown, make your way to the main menu, select Downloads, and then Download Halo 3 beta. It's easy as pie! And yes, we know the public beta is going live a few hour later than promised, but can't we just forgive, forget, and get to fragging already? Or just take your anger out on the unsuspecting foes that you meet in the beta and unleash the fury! Have fun guys. PS: They've extended the beta a few days longer until June 10th. How nice ...
Halo 3 beta problems being fixed in 3-6 hours
Golly gee willikers, it looks like the Bungie team has finally posted an update on this whole Crackdown slash Halo 3 beta fiasco. According to SketchFactor, Microsoft has pinpointed the download problem, implemented a fix, and is doing some final testing as you read this blog. So, with any luck, the Halo 3 beta will be available for Crackdown downloaders in roughly 3-6 hours which is only like ... 15 or so hours later than expected. But don't worry, Bungie cares about your feelings and apologizes for the minor (some say major) inconvenience, because they really do feel bad. Keep your eyes peeled and your Crackdown disc at arm's length, we're in for one long night of extremely slow downloading. [Thanks, to everyone who sent this in] Check out all of the X3F Halo 3 beta coverage
Halo 3 beta absent, internet explodes
After months of waiting, Halo 3 fans are now being rewarded with ... more waiting. Those who got into the beta by purchasing Crackdown were supposed to be able to begin downloading at 8 a.m. today but, as of 9:40 am EST, still have not been able to start the download. Those accessing the beta through other methods are unaffected. Bungie's Frankie is already on the case, saying "We have alerted the appropriate Live authorities and they are taking care of the problem as we speak. More news as it comes in."Does that matter to the internet though? No. The internet, angered at having woken so early needlessly, is super pissed. One former fan on an official Bungie thread wrote "EVEYONE JUST PLAY GEARS..................FORGET BUNGIE" and that was when the demo was 1 hour and 8 minutes late. Man, that's cold. At this rate, in just a few short hours, they'll be screaming, "EVEYONE JUST PLAY BULLIT WHICH..................FORGET BUNGIE," and so on. They'll be lucky if anybody's left to play the thing when it finally appears.Update: A fix is on the way.
Crackdown's temp game deletion prevention
As reported earlier, with the new Crackdown update being rolled out some players have been experiencing a total game reset, wiping out all game saves. Well, the dev team over at Realtime Worlds has acknowledged the problem and has a temporary workaround until they get things permanently fixed. And, in brief, this is their quick fix. When you pop in Crackdown download the auto update, start a single player campaign, once loaded choose the quit option, and either exit to the dash or restart your console. Now, you should have no weird progress deletion and can download the other free or paid content. See, not so hard. Realtime Worlds is looking into a fix and will notify everyone when they have a permanent solution to the update problem. Happy gaming. [Via Gamerscore Blog]
Crackdown DLC resetting progress?
If you've been playing Crackdown co-op lately, you may have run into a serious problem. Forum goers (and X3F reader, DualCORE1) have discovered a major issue with the new Crackdown downloadable content. It seems that under the right conditions, the DLC can cause your progress to be reset. In other words, remember all those agility orbs you've collected? Gone. Start over. The issue seems to occur when players join co-op games and then return to single-player. Agent G, a Real Time Worlds employee has made it clear that Real Time Worlds is aware of the issue and is working on it. In the meantime, you might want to stay away from co-op. [Via Joystiq]
Crackdown DLC resetting progress for some [update]
Add one feature to the extensive list of new additions in the recently-released Crackdown downloadable content: Making the game forget you ever existed. Reports started emerging on the game's official forum soon after the new content became available that players were logging on to Pacific City to find their progress (agility orbs collected, etc.) completely reset. Though reports vary somewhat, the problem appears to affect players who participate in the game's online co-op mode and then return to single player. "Agent G," a staffer for developer Realtime Worlds had this to say in the forum: "hey guys - just so you know, we are aware of the situation and working on it." Hopefully we'll hear something soon, but as there's no guarantee you'll be able to retrieve your old data, we're calling this a case of "downloader beware" at the moment. Stay tuned. Update: Realtime Worlds has detailed a method (posted after the break) for preventing the problem until the game receives its next update. If you've already been struck by save file calamity, however, there's not much you can do besides scold the Xbox Live certification process.
Crackdown packs on Marketplace now
The Crackdown "Free-For-All Pack" and "Getting Busy Bonus Pack" are both now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Complete with fresh Achievements, you can have a jolly ole time with the new equipment, game modes, and vehicles. So, honestly, if you've taken a look at our videos on the content, what are you still doing here? Apparently you feel the price is right, right?
Videos: New Crackdown content packs breakdown
In Major Nelson's post this morning about the new Crackdown content, he put up some Xbox.com videos about some of the new features. Later on in the day, he hosted them up on his fresh YouTube account, and we have them here for your viewing pleasure. The above video shows the "Keys to the City" mode, giving you full control over the chaos and carnage that you cause in Pacific City. After the break we've got videos showing the new Game Types, Street Racing mode and equipment. Enjoy.
New Crackdown enhancements coming today
There's a great new reason for you to hold on to your copy of Crackdown. What? No, silly, not that reason. This reason: The full scoop on all the free and not-so-free enhancements coming to the game this week today. We don't have room for everything here, but, suffice it to say: It's big. First up, there are some small changes via a title update like the gang reset option, new ground strike attack and easier-to-spot stunt rings. Then you've got the "Free-for-All" pack (yes, that's the free one). The key feature here is the "Keys to the City" mode, which could best be described as a cheat mode hopped up on goofballs. It lets you set whatever skill level you want, enable "super agility" or "super strength" or spawn a ramp truck just to name a few, all from a pop-up cheat menu that doesn't require pausing. Also, the Agency garage will allow you to store vehicles with an achievement if you "impound 'em all." Then there's the "Gettin' Busy Bonus Pack" which is premium content (read: it costs 800 points). That includes new vehicles like the buggy, a "ridiculously powerful mono-cockpit race car" and the Agency Armored Vehicle (which we're calling the Rocket Turretmobile). The premium pack also adds five new modes like street racing, rocket tag and footraces. There's also new equipment like a proximity charge, a cloaking device and the ... wait for it ... harpoon gun. What's more, you can actually sample the pack before you buy it by playing co-op with a well-off friend who's already purchased it. Also, there are 350 new Achievement points to be had between the two packs. This is a real bar-raiser for downloadable content and we can't wait to get our hands on it. We're not sure of an exact date yet, but if Realtime Worlds and Microsoft are wise, they'll get it here as long before May 16 as they possibly can. Update: Microsoft is now saying that the content drops today. The premium pack will be 800 points ($10). This new stuff is amazing, but there is still that other reason to own Crackdown on the horizon.%Gallery-3048%
Crackdown gets a facelift with new DLC [update 1]
The guys over at TeamXbox received an exclusive preview of the new downloadable content that will be available for Crackdown later this week. And overall we're impressed. Yup, the new Crackdown content dramatically changes up gameplay and will have you putting the game back in your weekly gaming rotation. But let's look at the specifics. First off, there will be an auto update for the game which will address various game issues from louder orb notification sounds to a new gang reset option. They even made the fire hydrants less evil. Second up is a free piece of DLC called the Free-For-All Pack which will add exciting features like a new Keys to the City mode and an Impounding Vehicles option. Again, all for free. Thirdly is the Getting Busy Bonus Pack which will cost an unknown amount of Microsoft Points and will include new vehicles, weapons, and various other game modes. Stay with us now. Finally, Realtime Worlds is adding a total of seven new achievements that spread across the free and paid content. Two achievements (totaling 140 Gamerscore) are attainable with the Free-For-All Pack while five other achievements (totaling 210 Gamerscore) are in the Getting Busy Bonus Pack. Also interesting to note is that the premium Getting Busy Bonus Pack can be played in co-op with a friend who doesn't have the content and, as such, a few achievements exclusive to the pack can be obtained by both players. Full writeup and videos after the jump. Update 1: Xbox.com states that the Getting Busy Bonus Pack will cost 800 Microsoft points. [Thanks, MuJaHiDeEn 420]
Screenshot gives glimpse into Crackdown's future
Yeah, you like that? You like that image? You know what that is? ... No, we don't either. Well, we know it's from upcoming Crackdown-loadable content. But we were actually hoping you could shed some more light on it. "Agent G," a staffer for developer Realtime Worlds, let the image slip on the official forums for the game, saying it was a look at a new game type and a new sort of vehicle that would be available "soon." The mysterious image depicts what appears to be four dune buggies jockeying for position. We've previously learned that Realtime has created competitive modes and racing would seem to be a good fit. It's not exactly the aircraft the developer has hinted at (unless that aerial buggy is some sort of oddly-designed helicopter) but we'll take it. Anyway, those are our thoughts. Do you Crackheads have any theories?[via Gamespot]
Crackdown DLC Screenshot
One of the developers at Real Time Worlds released a screenshot of some downloadable content for Crackdown. The image showcases four buggies being driven down a dirt track. The models on the vehicle look nice, though the red color scheme would suggest that they are unfortunately not Agency vehicles, and won't morph based on your character's Driving skill level. Still, it looks like taking one for a spin would be a lot of fun. The fact there is four on screen could be interpreted as adding 2 more players to co-op. Or perhaps it will be a separate mode, like Time Trials, and you'll select courses with the ability to have 4 players. We'll have to wait and see, but our interest is piqued, what about you? [Thanks, DjDATZ]
It's a homemade Crackdown tank
As if you haven't already had your share of Crackdown video fun, we've stumbled upon another interesting thing to try in Pacific City. The video above (set to that familiar A-Team theme) was created by christdonnelly and features a homemade tank of destruction. Actually, making a tank is pretty simple. Grab a car, put dumpster on said car, and put a friend on top of said dumpster with a rocket launcher. Tada! You've got yourself Crackdown's version of a tank. As always, feel free to send us your Crackdown videos if you deem them worthy or if you just need constant approval from your peers. [Via bits bytes pixels & sprites]
Crackdown update adds more gang drivers, multiplayer fixes
Those of you giving Crackdown the first spin in a few days will notice an automatic update for the game, if, of course, you're connected to Xbox Live. Here's what it is not: 1.The magical switch to activate the Halo 3 beta.2. The remaining 100 Achievement Points.3. The new multiplayer modes, 'gang reset' option or planes.Here -- according to Xbox Live Director of Programming Major Nelson -- is what the update does do:1. Makes some small technical fixes to "ensure a smoother online gameplay experience."2. Increases the number of gang-controlled vehicles. ("Repo Man" Achievement hunters rejoice!)Sure, you could view this as a disappointment if you were hoping for some of the above Crackdown updates. But we eternal optimists choose to look at is as just more things we still have to look forward to! Huzzah!
Update brings more Crackdown vehicular goodness
If you've been playing Crackdown lately, you may have noticed an auto update has been released for the title. And before you ask, no it's not the Halo 3 beta activation. Major Nelson got word that the Crackdown auto update helps fix minor technical junk to make the game more silky smooth and increases the number of gang vehicles cruising Pacific City. But we still haven't heard from Realtime Worlds about the new achievements or downloadable content. So, we must exercise that "patience" thing we always hear about ... patience, patience, patience. Has anyone noticed a smoother experience or more vehicle goodness after you downloaded the update?
