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The US Can Now Play Manhunt 2!

Rockstar Games today announced it will release Manhunt 2 for the PlayStation 2, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and the Wii home video game system from Nintendo in North America on October 31, 2007. This announcement follows the submission of a modified version of Manhunt 2 to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), who has now rated the title “M” for Mature for ages 17 and older.

In June, Take-Two was compelled to suspend the release of the horror title when the ESRB issued an AO (Adults Only) rating.

“Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we’re glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience,” said Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games. “We love the horror genre. Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience. We think horror fans will love it.”

“Manhunt 2 is an extraordinary game, and we eagerly anticipate its release in North America,” added Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two.

 Manhunt 2 is the debut title from the newly formed Rockstar London studio, which is developing the game in conjunction with series creator Rockstar North. Early previews of Manhunt 2 have consistently praised the game’s original design and creative use of narrative, tone, and atmosphere to evoke an experience many consider unmatched in video games. The Wii version is being developed by Rockstar Toronto.

Video games rated Mature are for consumers ages 17 and older and are not intended for children. Along with the Mature rating, the ESRB also assigned the following content descriptors to Manhunt 2: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs.

xbox Live to Deliver Music and Movies And Do It Faster

In a shared announcement made Thursday, Microsoft said that Limelight’s knowledge in content delivery network services would boost the Microsoft’s online lineup by helping to deliver music, films and games by way of less congested Internet routes, reported Reuters.

While financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Limelight, which is already offering similar services to Dream Works, Facebook and MySpace, will also be able to make the most of unnamed Microsoft technologies.

Challenger content delivery company Akamai presently works with Sony and Nintendo to distribute media content across the gaming networks.

Smokin SteelSeries Ikari Laser And Optical Mice

SteelSeries, a leading manufacturer of innovative professional gaming gear, today announced the SteelSeries Ikari Optical and SteelSeries Ikari Laser professional gaming mice. The new, ergonomic right-handed multi-grip mice mark the company’s entry into the market for gaming mice. Adding the gaming mice line compliments an existing portfolio of professional gaming gear that consists of headsets, keyboards, surfaces, accessories and security software designed for competitive gamers.

The SteelSeries Ikari chassis is shaped to accommodate the three predominant methods of grip utilized by gamers today: Swipe, Claw, and Palm. The chassis features five buttons with high quality gaming grade contacts. The SteelSeries Ikari mice also have an anti-sweat and slip-resistant surface coating to improve mouse control during intense gaming sessions. The SteelSeries Ikari mice boast the largest SteelSeries Glide surface ever utilized on gaming mice (more than a 300% increase over traditional gaming mice) that is specifically designed to reduce friction between the pressure points on the mouse and the surface under the mouse.

Both models of the SteelSeries Ikari mice feature plug-and-play features that will allow gamers to play at LAN events and tournaments without the need to install specific mouse drivers. The SteelSeries Ikari mice operate at 500 Hz and feature “on-the-fly” DPI settings.

Special features of the two SteelSeries Ikari models:

SteelSeries Ikari Optical

• Specific design for FPS gamers
• Driverless, plug-and-play feature for LAN gamers
• Pressure points that reduce friction for optimized glide
• Ability to toggle between 2 DPI settings

The SteelSeries Ikari Optical was designed as a no-bullsh*t, top performer for FPS gamers. The research and development emphasized a “no nonsense, no crap” approach with proven optical technology that allows gamers consistent, fast movements without technical difficulties of any kind.

SteelSeries Ikari Laser

• Specific designed for RTS & MMO gamers
• Programmable macro buttons with driverless plug-and-play feature
• Pressure points that reduce friction for optimized glide
• Ability to toggle DPI range with LCD readout

The SteelSeries Ikari Laser mouse was specifically designed for RTS and MMO gamers in mind that features programmable macros and custom settings designed to increase the users Actions Per Minute (APM) count. The mouse can be programmed from home and will remember the settings for tournament use even without installing drivers.

The new gaming mice from SteelSeries will be released Q4 2007.

More on the BioShock PC Install Limitations

Word on the net is that gamers installing BioShock on the PC were limited to 2 installations per game disc. 2K has now issued their official response to the controversy.

first, let me say this. you DO NOT NEED TO USE THE INTERNET EVERY TIME YOU PLAY THIS GAME. it is only the first time.

second, you can uninstall and reinstall this game, and if, by chance, you have 2 computers you want to simultaneously play this game on, you also can do that.

if by some chance you are reinstalling this game without uninstalling it first, a lot, there is a chance you may have to call securom and get a key, or deactivate some older installations.

but if you upgrade your hardware next week, you’ll still be able to play the game. if you revamp your system and need to reinstall bioshock, just uninstall it before you go through the overhaul, and then do your reinstall.

calling it “hardware fingerprinting” is a bit alarmist. we do not transmit any of your data to any companies.

really, the only people who will be concerned about any of these security measures are those who are rapidly putting bioshock on many pcs… if you use the game as you normally do, you won’t notice this at all.

Medal Of Honor: Airborne PC Demo Download

Medal of Honor Airborne, the newest installment from EA’s critically-acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise. Medal of Honor Airborne is set to redefine the series by introducing players to an entirely new way of experiencing a WWII FPS – namely the fully interactive Airborne experience.

Medal Of Honor: Airborne Demo, at the small size of only 1.3gb.

More Problems For Microsoft The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel

Microsoft Corporation announced today the company is taking a precautionary measure and voluntarily providing customers with a free retrofit to the Xbox 360 Wireless Wheel.

The action is being taken after Microsoft was informed of a very small number of incidents of a malfunction in the Xbox 360 Wireless Wheel, where a component in the Wheel chassis may in rare cases overheat and release smoke when the AC-DC power supply is used to energize the Wheel. There have been no reported incidences of fire, personal injury or property damage due to the component failure in the Wheel.

Owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel should stop using the AC-DC power supply until they have obtained their retrofit. Owners may continue to operate the Wheel using battery power.

Owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel should visit www.xbox.com/support or call Microsoft at 0800 587 1102 to register for the free retrofit and protect against the potential hazard described above. Instructions, if necessary, will be provided with the retrofit. We are notifying and will be coordinating our response activities with the relevant regulatory agencies such as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. This may impact delivery dates.

Crysis Maker Crytek Considering Leaving Germany

The largest German game developer and makers of the much-anticipated upcoming title Crysis, Crytek, are considering leaving the country in anticipation of a new restrictive law.

The Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK) of the countries had unanimously decided on a production and distribution ban for violent computer games for the first time in the end of May. The responsible Federal Ministry of Family Affairs is presently working on a less drastic draft of a law for the protection of children and youth. Instead of only the previous ‘violence glorifying’ games, also the ‘violence dominated’ games should be indexed by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM) in the future. These may then no longer be advertised and sold to youths.

Top Spin Tennis for The Wii From 2K Sports

2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive, announced today it will be releasing Top Spin Tennis for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo. As part of 2K’s critically acclaimed Top Spin franchise, Top Spin Tennis features fun, flawless tennis action and the most real life tennis experience to date for the Wii. Developed by 2K’s Paris studio PAM Development in conjunction with 2K Shanghai, Top Spin Tennis will be available exclusively on the Wii in spring 2008. The intuitive pick-up-and-play action in Top Spin Tennis allows gamers to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in a way that matches the movements players would make on a real court. The Nunchuk controls the player and aim, while the vibration-enabled Wii Remote hits the ball like a tennis racquet and determines the style of shot ranging from a top spin move to a slice. The Wii Remote also allows players to control the power and the quality of the shot and to serve in many different ways.

The gameplay in Top Spin Tennis will feature an array of modes including singles, doubles, mixed and non-mixed matches, exhibition, tournament and more, with four levels of difficulty and ten international venues. It will also feature more than a dozen licensed tennis stars as well as ten original characters. Up to four players can play Top Spin Tennis using as many as four sets of controllers. To add to the group fun, there are a collection of party games included.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Release Date Announced

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will begin deployment to retailers worldwide on November 5. Armed with more than 40 awards and honors from this year’s annual E3 Business and Media Summit including “Best Action Game” from the Game Critics Awards. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. A Nintendo DS version will also deliver the signature Call of Duty chaos of battle to handheld gamers.

Eye of Judgment Simply Rocks, A Hands on Review

Eye of Judgment is a unique card game that works exclusively on the Sony Playstation 3 with the Playstation Eye camera. I got the chance to put my hands on the game at this years GenCon Indy and I must say I was impressed.

Eye of Judgment is played by setting the included Eye and stand, and playing field (3′ x 3′) on a flat surface, calibrating the device to the appropriate lighting, and simply playing cards. All board actions are mirrored on-screen. To summon a creature to the field or cast a magic card, which all costs mana, simply place the card on the desired zone facing the direction of your choice. Each creature has specific attack patterns and range, making facing important.

My question was: “What is stopping players from just looking their decks and picking the best cards to draw?” Well, before playing online, you must register your deck with the game, and during play it has randomly shuffled your cards and instructs you which card to you can play. So while nothing is stopping you looking at all the cards you have, the game knows what you actually have in your hand and keeps you from simply grabbing all the good ones immediately.

You can use the controller for non-summoning, non-casting actions, but it ends up being easier simply to use the cards. The game calculates all stats and figures, indicates when to draw cards, and informs players when they are attempting to perform an illegal move or do not have sufficient mana, all of which is extremely helpful given how many things are being tracked at one time by the game.

Fundamentally Eye of Judgment is about deck-building and strategy. Though the playing field is small and the goal (control five squares out of nine total) is seemingly simple, it can get a tad more involved with all sorts of secondary actions, possessing enemy creatures, dealing with alignment related effects (switching a zone’s alignment to mess with a creature) and so on.

The game offers two different playing modes. The first is the actual battle mode where monsters are summoned into engagement with each other. The second mode is the view mode where you are able to see the various monsters and examine their attributes. You can even conduct mock fight trials to see how they will perform in impending battles.

There will be three ways to play:

• As a single gamer playing against your PS3
• Two players playing against each other in the same room
• Two players playing against each other online

At release, the game will come with the gear needed to play along with a regular 30-card starter set and an eight-card booster pack. Sony, in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, plans to market the game as a full-scale collectible card game. When the game launches October 07, the total set will be comprised of 110 cards. Four months later, a 100-card expansion will be released, adding new rules in addition to the new cards.

Over all I think this is the best implementation of the playstation camera system ever. (I can’t wait to see what comes next for this technology) The card game has to be overall fun game to play or the great graphics and wow factor of the technology gets lost, and it was lots of fun to play. I was more than impressed with the game. Eye of Judgment provides an splendid visual experience that adds another dimension to traditional trading card games. I can’t wait for the release and it WILL be on my list for Christmas this year.