now-playing
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Now Playing: March 15-21, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:Last updated: Friday, 10:45 am (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) It may not pack the big-screen value of its immediate predecessor (GTA IV was just like a grownups' movie, after all), but the latest Grand Theft Auto, Chinatown Wars, is portable and destined to be the talk of the streets playground. Resistance: Retribution, though, is a strong challenger for the majority mindshare in a week that is dominated by M-rated handheld releases. And, with the warming weather, we may actually venture outside -- as long as our batteries are charged.
Now Playing: March 8-14, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:Last updated: Friday, 1:30 pm (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) Will we survive a second straight month of Friday the 13th? Something Evil is bound to be unleashed ... so stock up on green herb. In the meantime, we're faced with one of the most difficult decisions of the New Year, as two amputation-themed titles are released this week. Which will win over our steady hands: MadWorld or the long awaited game adaptation of Grey's Anatomy?
Now Playing: March 1-7, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:Last updated: Friday, 3:00 pm (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) Play war or "play ball" -- this week's releases are highlighted by Halo Wars and the start of (virtual) spring training. (Alas, with the East Coast blanketed in snow, real baseball seems a long way off.)Also this week: HAWX (PS3/X360), Empire: Total War (PC), Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii), Peggle (DS), and the resurgence of multiple -- yes, multiple -- PSP releases.
Now Playing: February 22-28, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:Last updated: Saturday, 12:30 pm (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) The first rule of Killzone is: you kill the guys with red eyes. The second rule of Killzone is: you KILL the guys with red eyes! The premise is low maintenance, but Killzone 2 packs a lot of baggage. From its conspicuous debut to subsequent years of shrouded development to a confident early review strategy, it's been a long journey for the shooter-that-should, which finally arrives at its retail destination on Friday. In the meantime, you might enjoy Tuesday's releases, including Dead Rising: Wag Till You Gag, 50 Cent: I'll Stop Those Terrorists ... Or Die Tryin' and Shellshock 2: The Bargain-Priced Sequel. So then ... see you Friday?
Now Playing: February 15-21, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:Last updated: Friday, 12:30 pm (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) What's the sound of one bajillion simultaneous downloads? "Ca-ching," maybe? This week, the most expensive -- what'd exclusivity cost ya, Microsoft? -- and, dare we add, most hyped downloadable console game expansion of all time (a relatively short time), GTA IV: The Lost and Damned, hits Xbox Live Marketplace -- and retail, in the form of token cards.Additionally, the "fourth" Street Fighter game makes its console debut, alongside High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Decisions, decisions ...
Now Playing: February 8-14, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:Last updated: Fri., 5:00 pm (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) This week, retail is celebrating Friday the 13th with lots of scares. We've got the Fear 2 girl, plus giant, hairy, creepy, crawling Deadly Creatures, and, of course, House of the Dead's ... dead, who are joined by Onechanbara's take on zombies -- and bikini samurai (scary enough, in their own right). There's also NASCAR Kart Racing, which is frightening on a completely different level.Valentine's lovers fear not. You haven't been forgotten. Flower buds on PSN this week, as well.
Now Playing: February 1-7, 2009
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: Last updated: Friday, 9:00 am (Note: All platform release lists are posted after the break; use "Continued" button below.) RIP: "New games this week" -- and welcome to Now Playing! This is our brand new weekly releases post featuring not just retail releases, but ALL playable content released this week. Downloadable games? Check! Demos? Uh-huh. DLC releases? You betcha! Blu-ray movies? We got those. We'll continue to feature these on our PlayStation arm with a link in this post. HD-DVD? Um ... So! We've divided the release list by platform (don't worry, you can still view the list in its entirety), and each platform has its own, relevant content sections. You can easily jump to individual platform lists by using the table of contents above -- or, you can scroll through the entire list. We'll be updating the sections all week long as new content is released, so check back at any time for updates by following the "Now Playing!" link in the right rail: Note: Currently, the release list formatting is bare bones, but we'll be updating with a snazzier look in the coming days (at the least, next week!). Please feel free to drop your thoughts about and suggestions for the new weekly releases format in the comments section -- we'll be reading!Update: Check out the new, snazzy look! We've organized the entries with these categories: [game title] [region] [price] [release day] Additionally, the latest updates will be marked with a blinking "NEW" along the right-hand edge, so you can locate them quickly. And yes, we'll be adding "PAL" and "JPN" releases as soon as possible!
Poll: What's the most annoying form of advertising?
We spotted something this week that really got our heads spinning: a fairly fail proof method to keep ad skipping (at least partially) at bay. During a re-run of Family Guy on TBS, Bill Engvall casually walked onto the bottom of the screen, paused Family Guy and proceeded to pimp his own show for a solid 15 seconds. Yeah, TBS is known for self-promotion, but this just feels downright slimy. It prompted us to fire up this poll, however, which beckons you readers to cast your vote for the most annoying form of advertisement. Feel free to chime in below with specific experiences if you feel led, and make sure to use the heck out of that DVR while you still can -- clearly, these guys are all too ready to institute workarounds to hinder ad skipping. The Bill Engvall violation video is waiting after the break. %Poll-15224%
Now Playing plugin for iTunes
This Now Playing plugin for iTunes looks like it has great potential. It does a couple of things, and promises to do more once it is no longer in beta.What does it do, you ask? It creates an XML file of the song you are currently listening to in iTunes and stores it on your hard drive or you can set it to ftp it to a remote server. This allows you to set up on of those 'currently listening' things on your blog (using some programming kungfu to make the XML into some more presentable).At the moment that is all it does, but this is a very early beta release. Looking for Amazon and iTunes Music Store ties in to come soon.
