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Sony cans Connect, pumps up PlayStation
Literally dozens of loyal Sony Connect users were sent into mourning yesterday by a PaidContent.org story announcing the proprietary music and video download service will be shut down in the coming months. The staff of 80 behind the online store will be transferred over to the PlayStation side of the company, a rather convenient move considering Sony is preparing to launch a new PSP Store later this year.We know what you're thinking, but don't worry, the eBook division of the service will stay up for those of you who prefer reading books on an LCD screen.[Via PSPFanboy]
Take Two got $50M for GTAIV episodic content
A telling exchange during last week's Take Two earnings conference call may have revealed a sizable price tag for the Xbox 360's exclusive rights to Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content. During the call, Pacific Crest Securities Analyst Evan Wilson inquired about a $25 million "deferred revenue chunk associated with the episodic content on Xbox 360." Take Two CFO Lainie Goldstein responded that the money was for "the first episodic content package that's supposed to go out ... in March of '08" and that another $25 million was being deferred for the second content pack, to be released later in fiscal '08.Many news outlets are reporting that this revenue came from Microsoft to secure exclusive rights to these content packs, but this is not explicitly confirmed in the conference call or any other sources we could find. Take Two spokesperson Meg Maise would not comment on the matter, telling Joystiq the financial arrangements for the downloadable content were confidential.Still, it seems highly likely that the money came from Microsoft. Deferred revenue is often used to account for money paid before a product is delivered, and Take Two deferring Microsoft's payment for downloadable content would be a prototypical example of the practice. It's hard to imagine where else Take Two would derive such sizable revenue before the product was released.So was this a good move for Microsoft? Downloadable content is definitely a selling points for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but $50 million is a lot of money to pay just to get some additional content. If you're prepared to throw your money around, why not go all the way and secure the entire franchise as a system exclusive?[Via NeoGAF]
T2 report omits PS3 GTA IV episodic content, 360 listed
It seems that Grand Theft Auto IV's downloadable content is shrouded in as much mystery as its hush-hush storyline. While Rockstar North once said that the PS3 would be getting "exclusive episodes" of the game, they weren't listed among a recent Take 2 investors report, while a listing for Xbox 360 episodes of GTA IV is sitting smack dab in the middle of the 2008 fiscal year. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean a death knell for GTA IV PS3 content, perhaps it was unintentionally omitted or maybe the content wont come to Sony's box until late 2008. Either way, this is still pretty muddy. We hope things will clear up by the time gamers are asked to plunk down their cash.
New Small Arms DLC now available on Live Marketplace
Remember when some of us thought Small Arms was destined to be "Smash Bros. with guns?" Oh, we can all alternate between the "L" and "O" keys about that now, but to be fair, it did have guns. And after downloading today's new Xbox Live content, it'll have two additional (and surely wacky) characters and two more combat arenas. The add-on will set you back 250 MS Points, which converts to a very awkward $3 and 12 and a half cents. Those still playing Gastronaut Studios' frantic XBLA fighter will also receive a free update that sets right some of the game's weapon balancing, framerate hiccups and other issues that really shouldn't have taken six months to repair. And sadly enough, we're still getting better treatment here than we are with Assault Heroes and Sierra's shockingly overdue multiplayer patch.
Zelda II coming to Virtual Console Monday
Nintendo is marking the release of their 100th classic game on the Wii console with a biggie: The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The side-scrolling/top-down hybrid, thought by some to be the black sheep of the Zelda family, is set to drop in the U.S. on June 4.We don't mean to stir up a fight here, but we always thought that Zelda II got a bum rap. Sure, It's a departure, but a few classics from the CD-i library, especially Link: The Faces of Evil, guarantee that it can never be the worst Zelda. That being said, Adventure of Link did inspire the gameplay for Faces of Evil, so perhaps we pardon it too soon. We'll let you decide for yourself on Monday.
Dead Rising's Frank West gets change of clothes
Sure, Capcom can't fix the tiny-text or give us that delicious co-op rumor, but they sure can give us more outfits for Frank West in Dead Rising. Major Nelson tells us that Capcom released some free goodies and some micro-pain-ment things. The free stuff is a Pure White Suit, Stripe Suit and Accountant Suit. The stuff they'll charge you for is "to celebrate Dead Rising and Lost Planet reaching a million" units sold. There are four theme packs being sold for 150 MS points ($1.87) each. Yup, that's a way to show gratitude, celebrate people purchasing your game by charging them more. We're just going to ignore that slap in the face by saying we'll be happy when we get some information on Dead Rising 2.
Call of Duty 3 Bravo map pack hits Live
Call of Duty is saying a fond farewell to WWII (or "double-dub dos" as they say on the streets) with the new "Bravo" map pack. Well, semi-new is probably more accurate. The 800 point ($10) download includes three new maps for Call of Duty 3 plus two old ones culled from the PC's Call of Duty and Call of Duty: United Offensive. They include "Gare Centrale" and "Marseilles," which probably excites/upsets longtime fans who think those two are perfect/completely wrong to bring to CoD 3. The two other things we know are that it's hefty (950 MB) and not available in Japan. If this is your sort of thing (and you're probably already off downloading if so) you may want to act fast, before CoD gets all uppity and modern.
New Worms content wriggles out tomorrow
They say good things come to those who wait, and that may be more true for Worms fans than most. It took a long time and a massive heap of internet rage before Worms finally made it onto Xbox Live Arcade, but it was worth the wait for purists. Said purists may now rejoice a second time, as the new downloadable content (DLC to the kids) will be available tomorrow on Xbox Live. There will be 3 new landscapes available. The Space Landscape (pictured above) is free, while the Hell and Jungle Landscapes will set you back 150 points each. Perhaps the most exciting news, 22 new voice banks will be available for free. Finally, our Angry Scottish, Redneck (presents!), and Irish worms can rise again. Expect the new content to hit the ground running wriggling tomorrow.
New Worms content on Xbox Live tomorrow
Don't feel bad, it happens to everyone. You're blowing up annelids with a stick of dynamite or remote-controlled sheep, and you suddenly realize that you're just going through the motions. The visceral thrill is gone, it's just the same old ninja ropes attaching to the same old snow banks. Fear not, wormy warrior, a cure for your deja vu is coming tomorrow with three new landscapes for Worms on Xbox Live. The first, the "Space" landscape seen above, is a freebie, but you'll have to drop 150 points ($1.87) for each of the other two: "Hell" and "Jungle." If you need to recover from all the spending of points, there's one more bit of free content: Twenty-two new packs of worm voices have been added. And yes, they include "Russian" and "DoubleOhSeven" meaning you can finally pit James Bond against Teddy KGB in the Worms arena ... the way God intended. [Via Pro-G]
Harrison: Wii lifecycle may exceed five years
Chris Kohler of Game|Life interviewed Nintendo of America VP George Harrison about the future of the Wii system, and his responses were, well, generally unsurprising. We wouldn't expect Nintendo to suddenly change their strategy in the midst of such success.Harrison said that because of the high prices of the Wii's competitors, he expected the Wii to have a lifecycle longer than the traditional five years. (Would that mean more than 35 million installed units in the US?) And it'll continue to have a pack-in for some of that lifecycle, since Wii Sports is a "cultural phenomenon" that is helping to draw people in to the system.Harrison also mentioned that more Wii software targeted at Nintendo's new "expanded" audience would be revealed at E3, and that a game download channel is in development.There's more, including some weird comments about localizing Virtual Console games and a response to the continuing shortages. Go read the whole thing, if you are so inclined.
DLC has yet to find the sweet spot
Reuters writers (we rhymed!) have jumped head first into the whole downloadable content debate and discuss how it's changing not only the consumer's view, but how developers think. They bring up topics like how big the microsotransactions market is, how much Microsoft profits, and how developers are now approaching additional content. Most importantly, they touch on how companies have yet to find a perfect formula for pricing DLC that is universally accepted and even mention how angry the community was when the GoW map pack turned out to be $10. Full article after the jump.We've already crossed this bridge before and know that from a gamer's point of view overpriced content sucks big time. But do you think developers are making progress in finding a pricing "sweet spot" that you can live with? Or are you preparing yourself for DLC pricing to only get worse?[Thanks, un1qu3 n3wy0rk]
MotorStorm getting downloadable content pack in June
The first non-patch, downloadable content is set to rain down upon MotorStorm soon, though you'll have to pay for an umbrella in order to... err... look, we didn't really think this one through. The key information is that a new content pack for Sony's destructive dune derby will arrive on the PlayStation Network this June for an unknown price. And it's called "Coyote Weekend."Eurogamer says the"Coyote Weekend" pack will contain three new groups of races, comprised of an altered Coyote Rage map and different car configurations for all existing tracks. A new vehicle will join the fray, as will an "Eliminator" multiplayer mode. If said mode involves losers being yanked off their bikes by rabid coyotes, we'd consider it money well spent. Sony should announce Coyote Weekend's price soon, along with some "light" download packs, presumably for those unable to bear the weight of microtransactions.[Coyote word count: 5. A new Joystiq record!]
Original DLC to have own service on Wii?
When it comes to original titles, don't look to the Virtual Console -- System 3's CEO Mark Cale recently let slip that Nintendo will be utilizing a different service for new downloadable games. When discussing the forthcoming release of Impossible Mission with PALGN, Cale said, "I wouldn't say Virtual Console, because they're not actually calling it the Virtual Console ...." In a way, this makes sense, but it opens the doors of speculation as to just what this other download service will be like. We would have assumed it would simply be another feature of the Shopping channel, but Cale indicated the service might resemble Xbox Live Arcade. If Cale is to be believed, we don't have long to wait when it comes to finding out just how things will be handled -- he expects Nintendo will start making announcements within the next two months.
New content goes Live for Bullet Witch, Test Drive Unlimited
Has your copy of Bullet Witch just been sitting around gathering dust? Well, there's nothing you can do about that; you traded it to EB Games fair and square. No, we don't blame you, we just wanted to let you know that the new content for the game on Marketplace isn't going to do you much good. For those of you who are still hanging with the B-Witch, you'll be able to spend a quarter on a remixed level or the new secretary's costume. ("Eyes like gun barrels hidden behind glasses." They should officially be charging for descriptions.) Also today, Test Drive Unlimited fans are even more unlimited in their choice of car with the new free Saturn Curve download and a 350-point pack that includes the Ferrari Challenge Stradale, Cadillac Cien, RUF RK Spyder, Dino 246 GT, Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster, TVR T440R. If a majority of that sentence wasn't moon man talk to you, it should be $4.37 well spent. Read -- Test Drive Unlimited DLC (Free and Premium) Read -- Bullet Witch In Game Content
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.
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%
GRAW 2 Throwback Pack up for download
Today, you'll get to try out the new and improved Marketplace by downloading a new map pack for GRAW 2 called the Throwback Pack. This map pack costs 800 Microsoft points and includes seven remakes of multiplayer maps from not only GRAW, but Ghost Recon 2 and Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike. Maps included are Bonfires, Desert Gulch, Fishing Village, Jungle Mines, Mountain Base, Mountain Falls, and Peninsula. And if you need a little more information about the new maps before you commit to a purchase, head over to IGN as they have a nice preview of each map. If you've already downloaded the new maps, what do you think about the value you get for your 800 Microsoft points? [Thanks, Raymond Dubisky]
GRAW 2 gets 'Throwback Pack' for $10
We imagine it's not uncommon for soldiers to long for the battlefields of their youth, the place where they grew up and became part of a tightly-knit fighting force. Despite the adage, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 players feeling those pangs can actually go home again, thanks to the 800-point ($10) "Throwback Pack" which whisks them from their modern battleground of Mexico on a nostalgic trip to Kazakhstan, the Korean Peninsula and ... well, other parts of Mexico. There are seven "remastered" Ghost Recon maps in the pack, which is available now. That's all the information we get from the blade description but IGN says that they're drawn from Ghost Recon 2, GR 2: Summit Strike and GRAW 1. So, how about it GRAW fans? Is a trip down Memory Lane and a fresh hit of tactical action worth a ten spot?
Wipeout Pulse interview reveals ambitious upgrades
Wipeout Pure is one of the best, if not the best, entries in the series. The PSP launch title featured brilliant graphics (which hold up to this day), the best handling of a Wipeout title, and a seemingly never-ending amount of content, thanks to brilliantly executed downloadable extensions released months after the game's launch. Eurogamer was able to talk to Clark Davies from Studio Liverpool about their upcoming PSP sequel, Pulse. Some highlights include: Improved controls. "The handling is smoother, the ships are more evenly balanced. We're confident that the control is the best and most accessible the series has seen to date." Grid creator for players to create their own challenges. The ability to absorb weapons remains. However, the Disruptor weapon is gone. In its stead are a few new weapons, some of which will affect your ability to play: "things like smoking engines, fire damage, HUD interference, etc." The adrenaline-pumping Zone mode is back, but this time there are no levels designed specifically for the mode. All levels will be playable in Zone, and all of them will get a visual makeover when playing in Zone. Downloadable content returns. When questioned why content is available at launch (why not put it on disc?), Davies reminded readers that "a game is finished about two months before it hits the shelf ... So it's the case that we've scheduled our time well enough so we can carry on working on extra content once the rest of the game is ready." We have to say this interview got us even more excited for this futuristic racing sequel. Even if the game didn't have improvements (if it were simply Pure with more tracks), we're confident it would still be fantastic. Let's hope to see more footage of the game soon.
