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Live top ten: Sin City descends
Last week, Crackdown came on strong with bronze position on the Live top ten. Now it's swapped spots with Rainbow Six: Vegas as Call of Duty 3 continues to be just shy of the podium. GRAW 2's mulitplayer demo makes a return to take the Crackdown demo's position, which moved to 7th. Madden refuses to budge at sixth while Lost Planet and Oblivion get nudged to eighth and ninth, respectively. GRAW rounds out the bottom of the list while last, and obviously not least, Gears of War retains its top spot over all of Xbox Live-dom. Do you feel slightly confused? If so, our simple, yet eloquent list awaits your review after the break, complete with last weeks standings in parentheses.
Crackdown: Climb the Agency Tower ... in a SUV?
Climbing the Agency Tower in Crackdown can be difficult, especially if you miss a jump and fall hundreds of feet to your sure death. But what if you could safely drive up the tower, you know, plop your four tires on the building's exterior and Spider Man your way up to the top. Well, it looks like it is possible as 007craft discovered a bug where he can climb the Agency Tower with his SUV. Check out his video above to see how he accomplished this amazing feat, but be sure to note that you'll need a four star driver rating to replicate it. If you've found a cool Crackdown exploit or bug and wish to share, feel free to send us a tip ... we have a soft spot for Crackdown bugs.
Pushed to the edge in Crackdown
TonyBowman got the urge, the urge to take one long swim in Crackdown. He wanted to see how far you could actually swim away from the island in the game before you were stopped by a mysterious invisi-wall. And after a 15 minute swim he found his answer. TonyBowman stated that after 15 minutes of swimming he didn't run into an actual invisi-wall, but instead his character got kicked back a few strokes giving the impression that he was still swimming without actually moving. So, he waited a full day's cycle and posted a few day and night screen grabs of the island from an ocean perspective. And it's nice to see that Crackdown's draw distance still keeps chugging along. Job well done agent and nice work on leveling up your character to full four star ranks.
Watch 300, win a copy of Crackdown
Warner Bros. upcoming movie 300 and Microsoft's Crackdown are teaming up for a contest. You have a chance at winning 1 of 300 copies of Crackdown, but to enter you must download and watch all five 300 clips. Each clip is roughly 50mbs and is exclusively downloadable from the XBLM. At the end of each clip will be a code, write down each code and enter the contest here. It's that easy and quite entertaining. Even if you don't care about the contest, you have to download and watch Clip #1 "No Prisoners! No Mercy!". The cinematography in that scene is amazing and should get you excited for this movie. And for the record, anytime we get to see a leg being hacked off in a violent manor we are instantly interested in seeing more. [Via Major Nelson]
Download Crackdown's agility orb sound clip [update 1]
If you've played Crackdown you know locating agility orbs in the game is not only an addiction, but can affect your daily habits. And for that reason Gemeni Ace was kind enough to cut the agility orb sound clip from Major Nelson's most recent blogcast. This short mp3 is extremely universal and can be used for a variety of things. Have it play on your cell phone when you receive a text message, put it on your mp3 player of choice whenever you spot an orb in the neighborhood, or simply loop it to annoy everyone around you. There are so many practical applications for this Crackdown agility orb sound, how are you going to use it? Update 1: Looks like Major Nelson posted the same clip, so choose your mp3 wisely.
Crackdown co-op achievements explained
It wasn't long ago that our lovable Dustin Burg encountered some problems gaining achievements while playing a co-op session of Crackdown. He was able to gain certain achievements, but achievements for removing gang leaders were not earned. Additionally, gang leaders he had killed during co-op reappeared during the single player campaign. We received an official comment from Microsoft regarding this issue. Basically, the company line goes like this: when players enter a co-op session, they are essentially entering the friend's version of Pacific City. Individual achievements can be gained during co-op, but gang related achievements cannot. This was done to prevent one player from doing all the work and essentially giving the achievements to the other player. So, there you have it fanboys. If you want gang achievements, you'll have to make sure you're hosting. While this will no doubt irk poor Dustin (you should hear him rail in the latest Fancast) at least it explains the issue.
Crackdown cracks Xbox Live Top 5 (twice)
According to last week's Xbox Live activity report the addicted and still-experimenting were both heavily preoccupied with a new substance, Crackdown. While unable to topple heavyweights Gears of War and Rainbow Six Vegas, Crackdown (full version) and its demo ranked #3 and #5 respectively on Xbox Live's popularity list (published by Major Nelson). Barring the arrival of radically altering downloadable content, Crackdown won't have much longevity in the hands of the average gamer. As interest in the demo wanes, watch to see if there's a spike in the full version's player base. If enough demo players are tempted to invest in the full game, then Crackdown has a shot -- however briefly -- at the top spot on Xbox Live during these seasonably slow (-to-deliver-games) months. Still, Crackdown is sure to tumble once Bungie opens up the beta.
Live top ten: Agency Ascension
Last week, we had 4 demos on the Xbox Live Activity top ten. This week, we only have one on the list. Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas continue to hold their respective top two spots. Crackdown comes in strong taking third place, pushing Call of Duty 3 down a notch. The Crackdown demo holds its middle of the pack position, even after its retail counterpart has been released. Madden and Lost Planet continue to follow behind, while Oblivion moves up a spot. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 comes in ninth and Saints Row makes a return to the list at tenth. We've got a list ready for you after the break with the title's standings last week in brackets for those statistic hungry types.
Ctrl+Alt+Del Crackdown comics
Co-op Achievement woes got you down? Well, perhaps a couple of Ctrl Alt Del's Crackdown comics might be able to tickle your funny bone. The first of which look at the life of a citizen of Pacific City and how they cope with the Agency and its employees. The second more or less shows the uglier side to an obsession with agility orbs. Rather than go into any further detail and ruin the punchline, both are available for your viewing pleasure after the break. Clicking the images enlarges them to full resolution, and we'd recommend you take a good look at the fine print in the latter of the two.
Possible Crackdown co-op achievement problems
If you've been playing Crackdown co-op style, then we need your input. After playing co-op with a friend the last two nights we noticed a problem with the achievements in the game. The problem arose when I was invited to a co-op Crackdown session, which was easy enough. Hours went by, we were leveling up our characters, earning achievements for such deeds, and even picked up the "Double Trouble" achievement. It was bliss until we killed every gang member in Los Muertos. My friend (who was hosting the game) unlocked two achievements, both the "Los Muertos Intel Master" and "Los Muertos Cleanser". But there was a problem, I didn't receive any achievements. We then exited the game, I started a solo campaign by myself and noticed that all the progress I made in co-op with my friend was remembered except for how many gang members we found/killed. My agent's skill levels were retained, all agility orbs remembered, and even the supply points were marked as located. But it still showed that I haven't killed or found any of the 21 gang members and therefore haven't earned those corresponding achievements. So fanboys, do you have a similar story or is this a weird one-off incident? Have you been playing co-op and earning achievements pertaining to taking down the gangs and its members? I've sent out a query to the powers that be and hopefully we will get some answers, because playing co-op and not earning certain achievements is ridiculous. Again, any information from you guys would help to get this issue figured out.
Crackdown 2 already in consideration?
CVG interviewed Stephen Iannetta, the senior designer at Real Time Worlds, and Iannetta had some interesting thoughts on the future of the Crackdown franchise. This is intriguing, as the game has only been available in North America for two days, aside from breaches in the street date. He's very open to the idea of a sequel, and would want to keep the game as non-linear as possible. The thing he feels makes the game as entertaining as it is is Pacific City and how the player is able to interact with it as their environment. As such, he wants to build upon it and have future iterations come with a "more believable, functioning city". CVG will evidently have the full interview available later today, and we'll report on any other interesting tidbits found therein. Still, what would you like to see added upon in Crackdown's future? [Via QJ.net]
Crackdown co-op: HDD required [update 1]
Update: Commenter DjDATZ lets us know that it's still possible to score the co-op achievements by using the Time Trial option instead. So, Core owners may not be able to play full co-op, but they can at least have their achievements. Crackdown has had lots of hype going for it over the last few weeks. Of course, there's the Halo 3 beta attached to it, but the game itself has earned some considerable street cred itself. Imagine our surprise when we noticed this on the back of the box: "co-op 2/hard drive required" and "online co-op 2/hard drive required" We were wary of course, as it could easily have been a misprint. So, we fired up a co-op game with a fellow blogger who was using only a memory unit. Actually, we tried to fire up a co-op game. It wasn't long before he received a message that the hard drive is required for co-op play. Of course, most 360 users have a hard drive, but the fact that Crackdown's co-op requires it -- even over system link -- is important. Sure, it sucks that Core users can't play co-op, but there is something else at work here, too. See, without a hard drive, it's now impossible to achieve all 1000 gamerscore in Crackdown. Two of Crackdown's achievements require co-op play (one for completing a mission in co-op and another for completing all missions). That's 50 points that Core users without a hard drive will never get to see. All 360 games, with a few exceptions, are supposed to work without the hard drive. Yeah, technically Crackdown works, just not all of it. Granted, it's just bragging rights, but we're surprised this fact didn't come out earlier. Does this issue affect any 360 Fanboy readers out there?
Crackdown for $53.99 or less
360-Deals has posted a list of the best current deals on the recently released Crackdown. Right now the best deal is $53.99 at Buy.com (with free shipping no less). $53.99 still to steep for you? If you're a new Buy.com customer, you could always knock off another $5 with this coupon. If Crackdown for the low, low price of 48.99 still isn't cheap enough for you, you can save $10 with your first use of Google Checkout. There you have it, Crackdown for $43.99, so long as the right circumstances apply to you. Even if they don't, $53.99 isn't too bad. [Thanks, fargo]
The real Achievement limit is 60
Back on Thursday, we reported how in an MTV interview, David Jones of Real Time Worlds said that they had a part in changing the total Achievements limit to 80 from 50. Then, of Friday we told you about Aaron Greenberg talking about more Achievement rules on Major Nelson's podcast for that week. Well, it turns out that he also touches on the Achievement limit and it doesn't coincide with what David Jones stated in the interview. According to Greenberg, the new Achievement limit is 60, not 80, which is what Oblivion will have after the release of the Shivering Isles expansion. So either Jones was embelishing the increase, or Aaron didn't get the memo at the time of recording. None the less, we here at Fanboy Towers wanted to set the record straight and give you all the facts on this new policy.
Metareview - Crackdown
Crackdown draws a dividing line between gamers, offering a virtual world in which to play freely (by the developer's rules), while scrapping efforts to provide an engrossing narrative driven by forced gameplay scenarios -- not that there couldn't have been room for both. Realtime Worlds has clearly demonstrated which side of the line it stands on. It's difficult to know how interested we'd be in Crackdown if Halo 3 Beta had never been tethered to the game disc; 'Crackdown' is a name that's been floating around a list of AAA-exclusives, but the beta brought its presence to the forefront of early '07 anticipation. Perhaps this game is too niche to make non-360 owners jealous, but there's no denying that it adds an important element to the Xbox 360 library. That's not to say Crackdown necessarily defines greatness. They don't get more subjective than this...
Fanpoll: why did you buy Crackdown?
Update: This poll is now closed. See the results after the break. With no new Arcade releases in sight, Crackdown is pretty much the biggest news this week. We've expressed our feelings about the game before. In short, we dig it. In fact, we've spent the last hour or so leaping from rooftop to rooftop in search of just one more agility orb. Oh, it is like the succulent sting of a needle and it dulls the pain. Obvious drug references aside, we'd like to know what you think of Crackdown. We know there are some who desired the game on its own merits, but there are certainly others who only care about the Halo 3 beta invite. We're also sure there are some who couldn't care less about either. So, cast your vote and tell us what you think. We'll share the results during the next Fancast.
Video: Crackdown's massive iron ball (just one)
In celebration of Crackdown's release, we bring you this video of its "zany" action in motion. The giant ball you see in the video is actually the observatory globe, which is tied to an achievement in the game. From the looks of it though, the guys at GameVideos weren't really aiming for achievement, deciding instead to just screw around. We won't spoil it, but make sure you watch the video to the end. It has a payoff, we promise. So, who's got themselves some Crackdown already? Don't forget to sign up for our Halo 3 beta leaderboard if you've got your golden ticket (and don't forget your free Crackdown downloads, either). [Via Joystiq]
Surprise! Download four new agents for Crackdown
Major Nelson just posted that with today's release of Crackdown you'll be able to download four new agents for free via the XBLM. Yes, downloadable content for a game before it officially can be purchased at retail! You can check out a preview of the new agents above (full-size pictures on IGN's forums) and to us they look like a ghetto Chuck Norris, a ninja, a Killzone dude, and a cyborg. Be sure to note that this is a perfect example of why some developers outshine others, because they actually care about the consumer and support their games. Thumbs up to you Realtime Worlds, we hope our little Crackdown honeymoon lasts forever.
Target mixes up Crackdown and N3
Crackdown and Ninety-Nine Nights, while sharing a few fundamental mechanics -- i.e. leveling and combat -- are practically opposites. N3 is a linear action game set in a fantasy world. Crackdown is an open sandbox game set in a futuristic urban landscape. Ninety-Nine Nights received loads of hype, ranging from its epic Kurosawa inspired story, to its association with Lumines creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Upon its release, the game fell flat. Crackdown didn't receive much hype until late in its development cycle, although it too has a well known creator behind it (Dave Jones, creator of GTA). Crackdown's early reviews, so far, have been great. To sum up, Crackdown and Ninety-Nine Nights are, in fact, different games. It looks like someone forgot to inform Target, as their product page for Crackdown proudly displays the box art for Ninety-Nine Nights. Oops. We know it was an honest mistake, but this is actually the kind of thing that might make someone wary of pre-ordering from Target. Who knows, maybe they'll stick the box art for Grand Theft Auto IV on the product page for Halo 3. [Thanks, DjDATZ]
Xbox Live Maintenance Tomorrow
Major Nelson gave us word that there will be a server maintenance on Xbox Live and Xbox.com tomorrow morning from 2:00 AM PST to 5:00 AM PST. It's only three hours and will be transparent to pretty much everyone in North America, but it's nice to get the heads up. This is strictly a maintenance and will not have any new features added to xbox.com, Xbox Live or your Xbox 360 Dashboard. Thankfully it doesn't last too long, nor does it take place at an inopportune time that will impede on some Crackdown co-op goodness. [Thanks, Frank]
