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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]
Interview with David Jones
Xbox.com has a nice interview with Dave Jones of Real Time Worlds about Crackdown. The touch on some cool things like the Achievements in the game, potential downloadable content and how the leaderboard statistics are tracked. When going into detail about the leaderboards and how they worked, it helped shed some light on the way they intend on tracking player activity to decide on the Achievements for the last 100 points. Give it the once over by clicking the "Read" link to help cope with the wait for tomorrow's release. [Thanks, DjDATZ]
Live top ten: Revenge of the Demos
For two weeks in a row now, we've had demos creeping into the Xbox Live activity charts. This week is no different, bringing a forth into the fold, ironically taking the forth spot. Of course, we're talking about the Def Jam: Icon demo. Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas continue to dominate and hold onto their stranglehold for the top spots. COD3 moved into bronze position, pushing Crackdown to fifth behind the aforementioned new demo. Madden, Lost Planet, NBA Street and Oblivion stay put, and GRAW 2's demo replaces its predecessor in tenth place. Take a gander at our handy dandy list after the break.
Shipping this week: no more jokes edition
Ever since it was first announced that Crackdown would contain a golden ticket to the Halo 3 beta, the jokes have been flying. We admit it, we're as guilty as anyone else, even "designing" our own box art for the game. At this point, most of us have made up our minds about the game. The demo has sealed the deal for many who now eagerly await the retail release. Good news then, 360 Fanboy readers, that time is upon us. As such, we are now retiring the "Halo 3 beta with free copy of Crackdown" meme. Crackdown is a good game that deserves its own space. Sure, we know that many are mainly anticipating the beta, but they just happen to be getting it with a fun game. Without further ado, behold the 360 titles shipping this week: North America Crackdown NBA Street Homecourt Europe Blitz: The League Crackdown If your copy of Crackdown does have that golden ticket, don't forget to sign up for our Halo 3 beta leaderboard so the 360 Fanboy community can play together when the beta launches. In the meantime, we'll see you on Crackdown.
Free Halo faceplate with Crackdown purchase
If you are going to be purchasing Crackdown this Tuesday, then you may want to head over to your local Circuit City. Since Crackdown comes with the Halo 3 beta invite, Circuit City is offering a free Halo faceplate (a $20 value) with the purchase of Crackdown. Free stuff always makes us happy, especially free Halo merchandise. And speaking of which, shouldn't it be a mandate that every new Xbox 360 game release has to include a free faceplate? It's a great idea and something we'll be pitching to Microsoft and their lovely marketing team.
Ken Lobb thinks Crackdown is the best game EVAR
Of course, being involved with the game's development may have swayed his opinion just a tad. Speaking to Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, Microsoft design director, Ken Lobb, drunkenly divulged that his very own GoldenEye 007 had been surpassed by the fun presented in Crackdown. Since Ken previously considered James Bond's N64 outing to be among the best games ever, it follows that Crackdown is among the bester games ever. It's not an unreasonable opinion to have; certainly not with all those supercops leaping over buildings and kicking crooks in the head. Then again, Mr. Lobb once described Perfect Dark, which he also worked on, as "the best FPS ever, for any system, period." It's all very confusing, but if you want to extract a key piece of information here, it's that Ken Lobb is constantly working on the best game ever. Though we say that with tongue planted firmly in cheek, a positive mindset like that would probably be quite motivating in our rough games industry.
Remaining Crackdown Achievements determined by observation
Realtime Worlds will be watching next week as you hit Crackdown's Pacific City for the first time, and for the weeks following. Shipping with only 900 Gamerscore points, the developer will decide how to implement the remaining 100 points by observing how players are interacting with their virtual sandbox. It's not like Realtime has installed cameras into the game world; no, the developer will apparently gather most of its information by monitoring the most popular Achievements. If players are focused on unlocking the juggling Achievements, Realtime would likely up the ante with a new juggling-based challenge. But activities without existing Achievement tie-ins -- like building towers out of stacked objects -- might be harder for Realtime to observe (unless there's an internal stat-tracker we're not aware of...).
