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Boogie Heads to DS and PS2, Gets New Trailer
Posted by Steve Van Neil Categories: Casual, Electronic Arts, Music, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Portable/Mobile, Trailers,
Ignoring a collective shrug on the part of game reviewers, Electronic Arts has announced that the formerly Wii-exclusive rhythm game, Boogie, is headed to the DS and PS2. EA tells us that the PS2 version will incorporate a music video creator and allow players to record themselves singing along with their favorite pop songs. Meanwhile, the DS version jettisons the karaoke element entirely and revs up the minigame factor. In addition, Boogie DS boasts “the first 3D gameplay on the handheld system,” thanks to the snazzy (or not) 3D glasses that will come packed in with the game. Check out the DS trailer above, but only if you can stomach a whole lot of Brickhouse.
Read More 
| EA
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Burnout Paradise Gets Previewed
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Action, Driving, Electronic Arts, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,
Tom Bramwell has a preview for the upcoming Burnout Paradise that is surprisingly thoughtful and critically considered as far as previews go. He discusses the challenges faced by Criterion Games in re-inventing a popular series practically from the ground up and asks some pertinent questions where they ought to be asked. For example, when the topic of the Crash mode comes up and Criterion mentions that they have scrapped the original concept of the popular mode, Bramwell presses the point, getting Criterion rep Matt Webster to confess they don’t yet know exactly how it will all work out:
Asked whether they’re opting for a Burnout 3 approach of trying to manoeuvre the car in slow motion between power-ups and Crashbreakers, or a Burnout Revenge “golf swing” of perfect start and target cars, Webster admits it’s not all there yet. “We’re still throwing ideas around. I think we’ll be talking about it more in the coming weeks.”
The preview isn’t about sticking it to the Burnout devs, though, it reads more like a fan of the series seeing drastic changes and slowly coming to the realization that if executed properly, these could make for a remarkable game. Among the more exciting aspects of Criterion’s open-world approach to Burnout is the focus on seamless online play that works the way most gamers prefer, by putting the folks in your Friends list first.
Burnout Paradise is scheduled to hit shelves early next year for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Read More | Eurogamer
New Spore Videos From Leipzig
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Electronic Arts, PC, Simulation, Trailers,
New trailers showing some of the refinements made to Spore, the upcoming game from Sim City creator Will Wright, over the last year shows some excellent progress. As ambitious as Wright’s games tend to be, this one seems incredibly rich as you expand from a single-celled organism into a galaxy-spanning spacefarer. The developers ring up an interesting point that most games are about destroying things while this (and other Wright games) are more about building or creating. Of course you can fight with other tribes in Spore, once you get to that point, and take over other planets and the like, but perhaps it’s different to attack if it’s all in the name of progress. A second trailer is also available, showing more gameplay and the creature editing - check that one out by clicking through the jump.
Click to continue reading New Spore Videos From Leipzig
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EA’s Skate Demo Rescheduled
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Downloadable Content, Electronic Arts, Release Dates, Sports, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace,
After postponing the demo for their upcoming skateboarding game skate—originally scheduled for August 15—publisher EA has settled on Tuesday, August 21st as a new release date. One of the anticipated features of the game that was to be available on the demo is the video capture and upload capabilities. It was reportedly technical problems with this functionality that delayed the demo’s release in the first place, but EA believes they have hammered out the issues. This allows players to make video clips of their game play and upload them to share with other players online.
Skate is challenging the long-running and popular Tony Hawk skateboard series and is scheduled for release on September 12.
Read More | IGN
Madden 08 Lands in Stores With a Crunch
Posted by Max Dickey Categories: Electronic Arts, Hot Deals, PlayStation 3, Sports, Xbox 360,
Today Madden 08, the latest installment in the perennial bestselling series from EA Sports, hits stores around the country. It’s available for pretty much every system you can think of, although naturally the big contenders are the technically superior Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. A lot of press in the weeks leading up to this release has noted the framerate differential between the two: the Xbox 360 version runs at 60fps, whereas the PS3 version runs at 30fps. Some might argue that the human eye can only register up to 24fps, so this is a moot point, but many FPS fans swear by blistering framerates and therefore would say that the difference is huge. Whatever side you may take in that debate, word on the street says that the PS3 game does indeed look choppy at times, although it’s not a dealbreaker.
The new Madden showcases a big new feature that designates top players at all positions as “Weapons”. You might have a fast receiver, a big hitter, and a smart QB, all of whom can outperform their competition in certain areas and are capable of some awesome plays. These designations go a long way toward rendering each team unique, a far cry from old school games where you could only tell an Pro Bowler from a rookie by the number on his jersey. Aside from this new feature, classic Madden gameplay has been tweaked and tightened up based on praise and complaints about previous incarnations to give us more of what we want.
If you’re looking to pick the new Madden up soon, take a look at Toys R Us, where you can get any other game in the store for 50% off if you get Madden on the same receipt.
Read More | Gamespot
Madden NFL 08 Side-By-Side PS3 And Xbox 360 Comparison
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Electronic Arts, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,
GameVideos compiled some footage of Madden NFL 08, which you all know by now has one distinct difference between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions – the PS3 version will run at 30 frames per second, while the 360 version will run at 60. The above allows you a pretty good look at seeing what the difference is.
Personally, I really notice the difference at 100%. That could be because I spend a ridiculous amount of time playing sports games and that sort of thing catches my eye, though. It becomes extraordinarily apparent, though, when they slow the video down to 50% and 25%. Now, you could argue that it doesn’t matter what the game looks like at those speeds, but it really illuminates the difference of what you’re actually looking at.
EA Shutting Down Servers For Madden 06, NBA Live 06, And More
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Action, Driving, Electronic Arts, PC, PlayStation 2, PSP, Sports, Xbox, Xbox 360,
People always ask, “Why buy the newest Madden game? They’re all the same.” Well, here’s one very cut-and-dry reason you can use to explain: because, eventually, these game’s servers get taken down. EA is planning to take down 42 games’ servers on September 1 (although many of these are the same game across multiple platforms), and an additional seven on November 1. This isn’t a new trend, as there’s a sizable list of servers for EA games that have gone offline over time.
Apparently there really is a reason to pick up that newest Madden.
September 1, 2007 Online Service Shutdown
- Arena Football for PlayStation 2
- Arena Football for Xbox
- FIFA Soccer 06 for Xbox 360
- FIFA Soccer 06 for PC
- FIFA06 for PC
- FIFA Soccer 06 for PlayStation 2
- FIFA Soccer 06 for PlayStation Portable
- FIFA Soccer 06 for Xbox
- FIFA World Cup 2006 for PC
- FIFA World Cup 2006 for PlayStation 2
- FIFA World Cup 2006 for PlayStation Portable
- FIFA World Cup 2006 for Xbox
- Fight Night Round 3 for PlayStation Portable
- Fight Night Round 3 for Xbox
Check out the full list of September and November shutdowns after the break.
Click to continue reading EA Shutting Down Servers For Madden 06, NBA Live 06, And More
Xbox Live Arcade 7/25: Re-Remember How Bad You Are At Contra
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Action, Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade,
As we reported yesterday, Xbox Live Arcade has given us two games again this week: Super Contra and Wing Commander Arena. Unfortunately, it’s the arcade port of Super Contra, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s, well, Super Contra. Definitely worth the 400 Microsoft Points if you’re a fan. If you’re a newbie to Contra and try out the game only to see you’re awful at the game, don’t worry – most people are.
Wing Commander Arena is a bit of a mixed bag. Because unlike Super Contra, which is the old game you remember, this is not Wing Commander. But, it does feature 16-player Xbox Live multiplayer, which is a first in an Arcade game. At 800 Microsoft Points it might be a bit of a stretch, but if you’re looking for a fun multiplayer 2D shooter, Arena just about fits the bill.
Click to continue reading Xbox Live Arcade 7/25: Re-Remember How Bad You Are At Contra
Final Guitar Hero III Guitars Revealed
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Accessories, Activision, Electronic Arts, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wireless, Xbox 360,
Frankly, I don’t really care what the guitar looks like when I jam out in Guitar Hero. On account of the fact that there are colored buttons near the end of it, the realism of the rest of it doesn’t strike me as particularly important. But for those interested, above you can see the Les Paul model, which will be what’s used on next-gen versions of the game. Below is the Kramer for PlayStation 2 owners. And for those wondering, you’ll need to drop your Wiimote into a slot in the back of the guitar to play – don’t ask me why they couldn’t just develop a wireless guitar.
Read More | Gaming Today
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday Serves Up Another Double Header
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Action, Electronic Arts, Release Dates, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade,
Two games will hit Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow, both of which are classics, in a way. The first is Super Contra, something I’ve been waiting a long time for, since the original Contra release was the coin-op arcade version, as opposed to the superior NES one. But Super Contra was arguable the pinnacle of the series, and with online co-op and achievements, you better pick it up.
The other title is a bit of mixed bag. Wing Commander Arena is the rebirth of the classic Wing Commander franchise, which was phenomenal back in the day (and remains such in the hearts of many). Arena is going in a different direction, and despite what you might expect after seeing screenshots from the game, it’s in fact not 3D – you can’t move up or down; only horizontally. So even though you’re in space you’re confined to a single plane. Lame. On the plus-side, Arena is the first Arcade game to feature 16-player Xbox Live multiplayer, so that might justify an 800 Microsoft Point purchase.
Click to continue reading Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday Serves Up Another Double Header
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