Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comJapanese hardware sales, April 28 - May 4: Mothers in gaming editionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/11/japanese-hardware-sales-april-28-may-4-mothers-in-gaming-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/11/japanese-hardware-sales-april-28-may-4-mothers-in-gaming-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/11/japanese-hardware-sales-april-28-may-4-mothers-in-gaming-edi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


As today is a nationally recognized day of matronly appreciation, I thought it appropriate to recognize some of the prevalent mama's in video gaming in this edition of the JHS. No, not the real-life mothers of game industry icons, though we certainly appreciate the progenial contributions that Mrs. Molyneux and Miyamoto-san have made to the planet -- we're talking about the digital mommies of our favorite video game characters.

So here's to you, Jenova. You may not have carried Sephiroth in your extraterrestrial womb (birthing that Masamune-wielding badass would have been truly uncomfortable), but here at Joystiq HQ, we count test-tube babies as actual human beings. Also, kudos to the minigun-toting Barret Wallace. Despite being of the male persuasion, Barret did have a daughter, and was, in fact, a baaaaaad mother (shut yo' mouth)! I'm only talking about Barret! (We can dig it.)

Then, of course, is the quintessential "Mom" from the Pokémon series. Provider of running shoes, setter of date and time, and in certain installments, banker -- Pokémom is certainly the most useful parent ever featured in any gaming franchise. However, there's something to be said of the biomechanical oversight provided by Metroid's Mother Brain. Many mothers have trouble managing one household -- this encapsulated vixen keeps tabs on an entire planet.

As you find yourself awash in the emerald glow of the following upward-pointers, why not take a moment to share your appreciation for your favorite digital maternal unit -- and then, of course, your own female progenitor. You know she worries.

- PSP: 100,870 8,459 (9.15%)
- Wii: 71,158 22,722 (46.57%)
- DS Lite: 52,542 10,107 (23.82%)
- PS3: 10,177 1,070 (11.75%)
- PS2: 8,802 1,694 (23.83%)
- Xbox 360: 1,725 442 (34.45%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The matronly archives
Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>japanese-hardware-sa...japanesehardwaresales2008-05-11T21:30:00+00:00Facebreaker trailers: Meet the pugilistshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/facebreaker-trailers-give-idea-of-gameplay/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/facebreaker-trailers-give-idea-of-gameplay/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/facebreaker-trailers-give-idea-of-gameplay/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Although the Facebreaker character trailers aren't half as amusing as the Team Fortress 2 portraits, we do have hope for the game itself. It would be nice if there was a now-gen "casual" boxing game that rekindled that fun we had while playing Punch-Out back in the '80s.

The latest Facebraker profile (above) is of Steve, your typical fat nerd cliché. We've also placed the video for Romeo after the break. With a September release as part of EA Sports' new Freestyle brand, we're looking forward to getting some hands-on time with Facebreaker at E3. Hopefully the gameplay will enhance the fun and diminish the creepiness we feel in these trailers.

Continue reading Facebreaker trailers: Meet the pugilists

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>ea-sportsea-sports-freestylefacebreakerfreestyle2008-05-10T17:00:00+00:00This Week in Review visits LittleBigPlanethttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/this-week-in-review-visits-littlebigplanet/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/this-week-in-review-visits-littlebigplanet/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/this-week-in-review-visits-littlebigplanet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sure, there was Europe's PlayStation Day event, but our favorite Sony news of the week was PS3 Fanboy's hands-on time with the most exciting, most adorable, most user-generated, most sackboy-prevalent game coming to the PS3. Now that's a lot of mosts. Check out all of our hands-on impressions and reviews from the Joystiq Network this week:

PlayStation 3

Gallery: LittleBigPlanet

Continue reading This Week in Review visits LittleBigPlanet

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>littlebigplanetthis-week-in-review2008-05-10T08:00:00+00:00Gears of War 2 gameplay footage debuthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/gears-of-war-2-gameplay-footage-debut/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/gears-of-war-2-gameplay-footage-debut/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/gears-of-war-2-gameplay-footage-debut/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Gears of War 2 gameplay footage is now out in the wild. Ready for some Locust-cutting action? We'll let the video speak for itself, embedded above. Update: Two more videos -- an 'Assault' gameplay and an analysis video -- can be found after the break.

Continue reading Gears of War 2 gameplay footage debut

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>breakingnewsgears-of-wargears-of-war-2gow22008-05-10T01:11:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Roogoo (XBLA)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/joystiq-hands-on-roogoo-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/joystiq-hands-on-roogoo-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/joystiq-hands-on-roogoo-xbla/#commentsFiled under: ,


Heard of Roogoo? Don't worry if you haven't. It's fallen a little under the radar, but our recent hands-on with this XBLA title has us hankering for more. Describing the game's premise does it little justice, simply because it seems like something that would barely entertain a three year old. However, under the game's cute exterior and almost-mindlessly simple gameplay lies a lot of depth and fun.

Roogoo follows one of the cardinal rules of the puzzle genre: inexplicably, things are falling from the sky. Blocks of various shapes will descend from above, and players must rotate platforms to allow these shapes to continue their journey downward. We're certain you've played with preschool toys that are similar to this: star goes in star, triangle goes in triangle, box goes in box, etc. The shoulder buttons rotate the platforms, and the A button lets you accelerate the falling piece.

As we warned, this description does little to make the game sound very entertaining. Trust me, I had the same reservations as you're probably thinking when approaching this title. However, things get surprisingly (almost embarassingly) difficult later on. Enemies will spawn in holes, and can only be knocked off by accelerating blocks on their heads. Blocks won't only come down faster, but they'll come down more than one at a time, forcing players to look at multiple levels of play at the same time. Jumping to one of the later levels had us reach miserable failure in a matter of seconds, as we collapsed under the overwhelming weight of colorful children's blocks.
%Gallery-22526%

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Roogoo (XBLA)

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>hands-onroogooxbla2008-05-09T22:15:00+00:00EA purchases Napster creator's social networking sitehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/ea-purchases-napster-creators-social-networking-site/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/ea-purchases-napster-creators-social-networking-site/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/ea-purchases-napster-creators-social-networking-site/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Shawn Fanning has been doing more than simply riding high on the Napster phenomenon and appearing in Volkswagon commercials. In 2006, he created a new social networking site called Rupture, which shares game achievements from Halo 3, WoW, Madden 08 and other games with your friends. Now, EA is purchasing Rupture in a $30 million deal, making Fanning a happy, happy man (again).

Electronic Arts will be most likely utilizing the technology behind Rupture -- which never left its closed beta phase -- to improve its own online multiplayer experiences. As for Fanning, this is his first truly successful venture, following the bankruptcy of Napster, and the modest sub-5mil acquisition of SnoCap, the young entrepreneur's second company.

[Via Massively]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>eaelectronic-artsnapsterruptureshawn-fanning2008-05-09T21:00:00+00:00Highlights from Activision's FY08 earnings callhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/highlights-from-activisions-fy08-earnings-call/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/highlights-from-activisions-fy08-earnings-call/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/highlights-from-activisions-fy08-earnings-call/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Mega-publisher Activision held its Fiscal Year 2008 earnings call yesterday. While you can listen to it yourself, most of the gaming news came from an 8-minute section in over an hour-long conference call. Here are the highlights from the call:

Check out Activision's Family Album to learn more about the company's internal studios.
Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>activisionfy08fy092008-05-09T18:30:00+00:00First Gears of War 2 gameplay video on Xbox Live tonighthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/first-gears-of-war-2-gameplay-video-on-xbox-live-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/first-gears-of-war-2-gameplay-video-on-xbox-live-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/first-gears-of-war-2-gameplay-video-on-xbox-live-tonight/#commentsFiled under: ,


Update: The video is up.

Man, running through a post-apocalyptic city and sticking a chainsaw into anything that moves is just the perfect thing for a Friday night. That being said, we've decided to stay in this evening and watch the first Gears of War 2 gameplay footage instead. If you want to catch a glimpse of all the testosterone-driven, monster-shooting madness promised in Epic Games' sequel, all you need is an Xbox 360 and enough dexterity to find the trailer on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Well, we suppose you'll need an internet connection too. Also, electricity.

Those of us lucky enough to possess computers (and internet and electricity) can also find the video on 1UP at 10:30PM PST -- that's a full 30 minutes before it gets to Xbox Live. When the embeddable Gamevideos clip becomes available at around the same time, we'll be sure to stick it up on Joystiq. We're staying in tonight, remember?
Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>EpicEpic-GamesGears-of-WarGears-of-War-2GoW2XBLMXbox-Live2008-05-09T17:00:00+00:00Rock Band Weekly: Sonic Youth, The Clash and Blondiehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/rock-band-weekly-sonic-youth-the-clash-and-blondie/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/rock-band-weekly-sonic-youth-the-clash-and-blondie/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/rock-band-weekly-sonic-youth-the-clash-and-blondie/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Bring out the haters for this week's Rock Band Weekly update post. The songs are perfectly fine, but considering the amount of hate there is in any given week for really good tracks, we can only imagine what it'll be like for these songs. Come on, "Random Song Lover Defense Force," where are you?

Individual songs
  • "Hanging on the Telephone" - Blondie (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Train in Vain" - The Clash (160 MS Points / $2)
  • "Kool Thing" - Sonic Youth (160 MS Points / $2)
Videos for next week's tracks are after the break for people to make informed decisions on whether they actually hate the songs.The DLC will be available next Tuesday and Thursday for Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Sonic Youth, The Clash and Blondie

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>blondierock-bandrock-band-weeklysonic-youththe-clash2008-05-09T16:00:00+00:00New Bond game Quantum of Solace runs on COD4 engine, launching with moviehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/new-bond-game-quantum-of-solace-runs-on-cod4-engine-launching-w/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/new-bond-game-quantum-of-solace-runs-on-cod4-engine-launching-w/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/new-bond-game-quantum-of-solace-runs-on-cod4-engine-launching-w/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The upcoming 007 game just got an ammo clip of good news.* Quantum of Solace, currently in development at Treyarch, is running on the Call of Duty 4 game engine and due out this Fall alongside the movie. "We look forward to launching Bond: Quantum of Solace in Q3 concurrent with movie. This game uses the Call of Duty 4 engine and technology to bring Bond games to a new level," said Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith in a conference call yesterday (36:20 mark).

Why does this excite us? Simply put: COD4 is one of the best multiplayer experiences currently available on consoles, and it gives us hope that this version will be able recapture the magic we felt when we first tried split-screen Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64. It also gives us an idea as to what platforms we can expect to see the game on -- likely Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and perhaps PC. Quantum of Solace, the film, is releasing October 31 in the UK, November 7 in North America.

* Note: Fear not, the writer of this joke has indeed been eliminated.

Continue reading New Bond game Quantum of Solace runs on COD4 engine, launching with movie

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>007activisionbondcall-of-duty-4cod4james-bondquantum-of-solacetreyarch2008-05-09T15:30:00+00:00Call of Duty 5 in 'new military theater', returns series to PS2 and Wiihttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/call-of-duty-5-in-new-military-theater-returns-series-to-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/call-of-duty-5-in-new-military-theater-returns-series-to-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/call-of-duty-5-in-new-military-theater-returns-series-to-ps2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Although we still don't know definitively who's developing Call of Duty 5 (rumors suggest Treyarch), Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said the next game will be changing settings again. In a conference call yesterday (35:00 mark), he said, "We'll bring the intensity of the recent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare title to a new military theater."

Also confirmed were plans to launch "on all four platforms we've participated on in fiscal 2008" -- that's Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows and DS -- as well as PS2 and Wii. We're hoping the "new military setting" isn't related to World War II as the recent Treyarch job listing suggested.

Continue reading Call of Duty 5 in 'new military theater', returns series to PS2 and Wii

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>activisioncall-of-dutycall-of-duty-5codcod5infinity-wardtreyarchworld-war-2wwii2008-05-09T14:40:00+00:00A 'significant leap' for Guitar Hero due this holiday for consoles and DShttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/a-significant-leap-for-guitar-hero-due-this-holiday-for-consol/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/a-significant-leap-for-guitar-hero-due-this-holiday-for-consol/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/a-significant-leap-for-guitar-hero-due-this-holiday-for-consol/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Activision is planning to innovate the Guitar Hero franchise. In a conference call yesterday, Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said, "For the holiday, we will provide a significant leap forward in innovation for Guitar Hero worldwide, on all platforms." That includes PlayStation 3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii and DS. Griffith also said that more information will be provided "in the coming weeks."

We wonder if this has anything to do with those recent rumors about Guitar Hero IV going multi-instrumental. Guess we'll find out soon.

Continue reading A 'significant leap' for Guitar Hero due this holiday for consoles and DS

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>activisionbreakingnewsdrumsgh4ghivguitar-heroguitar-hero-4guitar-hero-ivrock-bandvocalvocals2008-05-09T14:20:00+00:00Guitar Hero hits 15 million song downloadshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guitar-hero-hits-15-million-song-downloads/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guitar-hero-hits-15-million-song-downloads/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guitar-hero-hits-15-million-song-downloads/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Just a reminder that while Rock Band is riding high, its older brother is still the dominant sibling. In a conference call yesterday (start at the 29-minute mark), Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith confirmed that the Guitar Hero franchise has passed the 15 million mark in individual song downloads. Last week, Harmonix owner Viacom revealed that Rock Band had surpassed the 10 million mark.

Continue reading Guitar Hero hits 15 million song downloads

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>activisiondlcguitar-herorock-band2008-05-09T13:30:00+00:00Rumor: GTA IV DLC going coast to coast, Niko books ticket to San Andreashttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/rumor-gta-iv-dlc-going-coast-to-coast-niko-books-ticket-to-san/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/rumor-gta-iv-dlc-going-coast-to-coast-niko-books-ticket-to-san/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/rumor-gta-iv-dlc-going-coast-to-coast-niko-books-ticket-to-san/#commentsFiled under:

gta iv san andreas
New cities? Pfft! How about an entire state?! While rummaging through the Rockstar Social Club, a GTAForums poster uncovered the plane ticket pictured above (full view). Looks like Niko is headed to the fine state of San Andreas, famous for its lowriders and piping hot coffee. Whether it's the stuff of fan fiction or a not-so-subtle hint of content to come, your guess is as good as ours, but the ticket does rekindle last month's rumor that the exclusive GTA IV DLC for Xbox 360 will feature "new downloadable cities." What's curious is that the flight isn't destined for one of San Andreas' specific airports, but rather the state itself. What could it mean? Well, for one, that you'd need a bigger hard drive.

Alternate theory: The "San Andreas" on this plane ticket could be a reference to the original San Andreas, a top-down city based on San Francisco, from the first Grand Theft Auto.

[Via X3F]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>dlcgrand-theft-auto-ivgtaivsan-andreas2008-05-09T12:29:00+00:00Ninja Gaiden II to get three costume packs in Julyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/ninja-gaiden-ii-to-get-three-costume-packs-in-july/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/ninja-gaiden-ii-to-get-three-costume-packs-in-july/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/ninja-gaiden-ii-to-get-three-costume-packs-in-july/#commentsFiled under: ,


Ninja Gaiden II hasn't even been released yet and we're already bored of Ryu Hayabusa's costumes. Why? Our attention spans are just that sho-- oh crap, look, it's a ladybug! ... What were we saying? Oh, right, ninjas. As we're already deep in the clutches of boredom you can imagine our relief to hear that three new costume packs for the game would be released this July for 200 points (that's $2.50) a piece. You can see a full-sized version one of the offerings right here.

The strangest part? You actually have to jump through some hoops to be able to buy the first one, seen above. According to the Gamerscore Blog, the armor "will be exclusively available in selected countries to 39,000 gamers on launch day as part of pre-sale or launch promotions," whatever that means. We'd love to sit here and be incensed about the whole thing, but we've got a ladybug to track down. Seriously, it was right here.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>dlcninja-gaidenninja-gaiden-2tecmoxbox-live2008-05-09T09:30:00+00:00Bizarre Creations finished with PGR4, hands DLC duties to Microsofthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/bizarre-creations-finished-with-pgr4-hands-dlc-duties-to-micros/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/bizarre-creations-finished-with-pgr4-hands-dlc-duties-to-micros/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/bizarre-creations-finished-with-pgr4-hands-dlc-duties-to-micros/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Downloadable content is a prized nugget we all not-so-secretly hope awaits us after taking any game home, but like the midday sun on a carton of fresh milk, it also has us spoiled. However, with Bizarre Creations now parking its ride in Activision's garage, the developer stated that it's closing the books on last year's Project Gotham Racing 4, adding that it will not be releasing any more new content for the stylish Xbox 360 racer.

According to a recent post on Bizarre Creation's official forums by a dev calling himself "Ben," the studio has washed its hands of the game. "Bizarre Creations won't be adding anything more to PGR4 in the future," he wrote. "We've completed the hand-over to Microsoft, so any further add-ons will come from them and not us I'm afraid." The news probably wouldn't sting so much had the last update not been so incredibly cool, leaving us now waiting to see what else the British studio has up its racing sleeves.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>activisionbizarre-creationsbizarrecreationsdlcdownloadable-contentdownloadablecontentmicrosoftpgr4project-gotham-racin...project-gotham-racingprojectgothamracingprojectgothamracing42008-05-09T02:00:00+00:00GameFly opens distribution center in Austin, Texashttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/gamefly-opens-distribution-center-in-austin-texas/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/gamefly-opens-distribution-center-in-austin-texas/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/gamefly-opens-distribution-center-in-austin-texas/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


GameFly has opened a new distribution center in Austin, Texas, and will begin sending out its first shipments tomorrow. Over the coming months, the new location will ramp up support for Texas and surrounding states slowly (just like other centers) while GameFly works out the kinks.

We first got word of the Austin site last summer, and a couple of months later we also got tipped off to the Tampa distribution center, which has since opened. With any luck, the opening of this fourth distribution center will cut down on the wait times for customers around the country.
Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>gamefly2008-05-08T22:00:00+00:00X3F Week in Review: May 2, 2008 - May 8, 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/x3f-week-in-review-may-2-2008-may-8-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/x3f-week-in-review-may-2-2008-may-8-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/x3f-week-in-review-may-2-2008-may-8-2008/#commentsFiled under: ,


It seems like Xbox 360 Fanboy is right on the cusp of the oncoming storm of great entertainment. Sure, GTAIV is great, but with E3 right around the corner, news of the next wave of 360 titles is slowly trickling in. Below you will find links to the latest on Gears of War 2, Fable 2, and Ninja Gaiden II. We also take the Bourne Conspiracy demo for a spin in a video hands-on feature that you should definitely watch. Now, if someone would just release the Ninja Gaiden II demo we've been waiting for, we could do a video feature on that too.

Community Stuff
News
Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>week-in-reviewweekly-recap2008-05-08T19:27:00+00:00Rockstar releases GTA IV multiplayer guidehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/rockstar-releases-gta-iv-multiplayer-guide/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/rockstar-releases-gta-iv-multiplayer-guide/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/rockstar-releases-gta-iv-multiplayer-guide/#commentsFiled under: , ,

gta iv
If you're not the type of noob to simply dial up your new pal "Multiplayer" and leap blindly into a hail of bullets and screaming 12-year-olds (er, "18, right?"), then you may find Rockstar's just published -- and carefully reproduced after the break! -- Grand Theft Auto IV multiplayer guide just the sort of literature you've been pining for. Want to know how to get the "Party" started? Unlock new threads? Flip someone the bird? It's all in the details that follow.
%Gallery-3442%

Continue reading Rockstar releases GTA IV multiplayer guide

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>grand-theft-auto-ivgtaivmultiplayerpsnrockstarxbox-live2008-05-08T18:59:00+00:00Rumor: Realtime Worlds hopes APB becomes GTA Onlinehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/rumor-realtime-worlds-hopes-apb-becomes-gta-online/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/rumor-realtime-worlds-hopes-apb-becomes-gta-online/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/rumor-realtime-worlds-hopes-apb-becomes-gta-online/#commentsFiled under: ,


As far as rumors go, this one isn't much of a surprise. A mysterious masked man told Eurogamer that developer Realtime Worlds recently bought the distribution rights to its forthcoming MMO All Points Bulletin (APB to you kids) with one specific goal in mind: "so that it could try and sell it to Rockstar as GTA Online."

Now, Realtime's motivation for the purchase can really only be parsed two ways: either it's going to go it alone or it'll partner with "someone else who may well be interested and have the infrastructure [to support it]." Though the founders of Realtime Worlds used to call Rockstar Games "home" - not to mention the instant similarities between APB and the money-printing franchise - the developer is opting to downplay the GTA Online link, only saying that it re-secured the license to give itself "some options."

Gallery: GDC08: All Points Bulletin

[Via X3F]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>All-Points-BulletinAPBGTA-OnlineRealtime-WorldsRockstarRumor2008-05-08T17:29:00+00:00