Xbox Jedi

In the celebration of all things great and American, we're proud to present the characters of inFamous and Prototype cross-dressing. YAY! (See inFamous' Cole after the break.)

Okay, so you're probably wondering where these images came from. Yahtzee presented a challenge to the development teams of these two games after he couldn't decide which game was better in a recent episode of Zero Punctuation. So, he jokingly said the "winner" would be whichever team sends in an image of the other game's protagonist cross-dressing.

And now the world is a much better place.

Continue reading Happy 4th of July! Here's Alex Mercer with boobs, Cole McGrath in a bikini

Happy 4th of July! Here's Alex Mercer with boobs, Cole McGrath in a bikini originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Concept and execution are two totally different worlds. Although the concept and initial presentation of Lionhead Studios' Milo blew everyone away at E3 2009, what does fate have in store for the little digital boy's longterm execution? IGN attempts to answer that question in a little sketch they put together. We all know Milo will lose his innocence once he's in the hands of normal people, but just how bad will it become? Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading IGN shows us Milo's future

IGN shows us Milo's future originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's that, Chris Cashman, host of Xbox Live's 1 vs 100? Oh yeah, "skill-based prizes" start next week (July 10 specifically)? Great! Unfortunately though, what we heard from Mr. Cashman during tonight's game of 1 vs 100 wasn't all good news.

He continued, saying that while the prizes will start next week "for the mob," the game will be staying in beta. Guess that means this isn't part of the first "season" of prizes? We're not so sure, but we are sure of this -- given the whole fireworks thing going on this weekend, we're probably not going to hear more news on the subject until at least Monday.

1 vs 100 'skill-based' prizes start July 10 'for the mob,' stays in beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So this is kinda confusing, try to roll with us. Developer Reality Pump announced that it's working on Two Worlds II, due this winter. Only ... it had already announced a sequel to Oblivion-esque FPS RPG called Two Worlds: The Temptation. We're pretty sure the team just decided to go with the number instead of the subtitle, but we guess we'll never know. (Yeah, we've emailed them.)

Set two years after the original, TW II promises "completely overhauled AI and balancing standards, experienced authors, [an] active combat system and the brand-new engine." Here's hoping the changes can make the sequel not so ... you know ... wretched?

[Via Eurogamer]

Hey, someone's making Two Worlds II originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Three games to light up your 4th

Three games to light up your 4th originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Worried that those pesky digital shelves are going to put your local brick-and-mortar out of business in the next few weeks? Worry not, friends, as Valve's Doug Lombardi is here to put all your worries to bed. Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Lombardi claimed that "free weekend" sales on Steam (among others) actually help to bolster sales at physical retail locations as well as online.

"Recently we've seen data that shows Left 4 Dead free weekends increase the sales of Left 4 Dead on Steam, at retail and on the Xbox 360, which we would never have guessed could have happened, but it's just that word of mouth," says Lombardi. Furthermore, he waves off talk of bad blood between Valve and GameStop over the developer's Steam service, saying, "We spent more money at GameStop in the US promoting Left 4 Dead than we did at any other chain ... we sold more copies of Left 4 Dead at Gamestop than we did at any other chain ... for us, whichever cash register you want to pay at, that's fine." Not that it matters to GameStop anyway, given the lack of a threat posed for at least another five years, right?

Valve: Steam sales even boost retail games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Break out those tattered jeans and torn up flannel, because Guitar Hero: World Tour is getting a new DLC pack for the punk in all of us. Dubbed the Epitaph Punk-O-Rama Track Pack, the download features three tunes from three separate well-known Epitaph artists. It may be a bit more on the mainstream side of punk, but they're good tracks nonetheless.

Here's what you'll get (440 XBL / $5.49 PSN):

• "21st Century Digital Boy" by Bad Religion ($1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points)
  
• "Linoleum" by NOFX ($1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points)
• "Ruby Soho" by Rancid ($1.99 PSN / 200 Wii Points)

The track pack is available for download now in the US and Europe. Who's about to rock? We may or may not salute you.

Guitar Hero: World Tour gets punk rock DLC injection originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So first thing's first. Where's Half Life 2 Episode 3?

Laughs. Stay tuned! No news on that today.

Worth a try! What's the real deal with PS3 development? At the end of last year you seemed quite up on the idea and then nothing since then.

We're still up on the idea. The thing that we've come to the conclusion on is that we've got to get some PS3 developers at Valve. We always look at everything as if we were customers of our products -- what would we want and what would we expect? If you look at The Orange Box -- PC: 96 on Metacritic, 360: 96 on Metacritic, PS3 like... 84 or something. And then you look at Left 4 Dead, I think it was 89 or 90 on both platforms.

Continued after the break.

Continue reading Interview: Valve's Doug Lombardi

Interview: Valve's Doug Lombardi originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently EA is working on a sequel to Skate 2, if the Epicly Trife twitter is to be believed. Epicly Trife (NSFW) is a site dedicated to skating, and its twitter account said the following: "I just got told 'tonight we gotta celebrate,' one of the bro's got offered to be in SKATE 3." By no means a confirmation, we're still excited, as Skate 2 was not only a great sequel, but pretty much the best skating sim around. Plus, it's much easier to get up after falling down four flights of stairs in a video game, as gravity is a much more harsh mistress in real life.

We've put in word to EA for comment, but with almost everyone taking the day off today, don't hold your breath for a response. We sure aren't.

[Via Kotaku]

Rumor: Skate 3 in the works originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heads up, COG soldiers. Epic's Gears of War 2 has just received its highly-anticipated fourth Title Update. The new update not only adds experience to Horde mode, but also fixes a variety of bugs, according to the update notes on the Gears forums. Aside from fixing some issues with the new cringe-inducing smoke grenades, the new update also tweaks the Wingman match type, doing away with some of the issues involving weapon spawning and a particularly nasty exploit where players could get credit for two kills while only killing one opponent.

Hopefully, this will fix some of the persistent issues plaguing Gears of War 2's online component. So, grease up your Lancer and head out into battle. This weekend is chock full of XP, after all!

[Thanks, Paul!]

Gears of War 2's Title Update 4 now live originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For all the talk of petitions and boycotts over Left 4 Dead 2's sooner-than-expected release, the game doesn't seem to be suffering much. A Valve representative tells Eurogamer that pre-orders for the sequel are currently double that of the original's pre-order figures from the same time last year . Although that sounds impressive, it's possible to see some spin in there -- Left 4 Dead didn't really have its big coming-out party until E3 2008, which technically wouldn't occur for another two weeks from now. Couple that with general sequel buzz and you might have your inflated pre-order figure.

Nitpicks aside, Valve has already stated that it plans to continue supporting Left 4 Dead with more content. The company expects to announce more DLC near the end of summer and has expressed that people will understand the big L4D picture within a year. Assuming it hasn't announced Left 4 Dead 3 by then, of course.

Advocacy FAIL: L4D2 pre-order sales double of original, says Valve originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you want more Grand Theft Auto? Well, that's what Todd Mitchell, analyst for Kaufman Bros. Equity Research wants. Nay, expects! Speaking to GI.biz, Mitchell stated that he's anticipating two more downloadable GTA IV episodes to launch after The Ballad of Gay Tony. "It's been indicated to me that would be the case," he said. Additionally, with Microsoft's exclusivity deal covering only two episodes, these DLC add-ons may also appear on PS3.

In addition to new GTA IV episodes, the analyst believes GTA V will debut some time in the 2011 fiscal year. The only reason it wasn't announced or teased in any way during E3, he believes, is "Rockstar's track record with delivering on time."

The most curious of statements Mitchell made was regarding the possibility of a new Grand Theft Auto hitting the PlayStation 2 system. No, you read that right. He believes a PS2 port of the PSP port of the formerly DS-exclusive Chinatown Wars may hit the aging Sony system, although he admits he's not too "confident" about that prediction. Pachter, eat your heart out.

Analyst: 2 more GTA IV episodes on the way, GTA V by fiscal 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The retailer pricing of DJ Hero found recently -- $120 bucks! -- has some folks wondering why Activision may have upped the price for its usual game-plus-peripheral combo. The company has offered an explanation answer to Eurogamer, saying, "We believe that DJ Hero will provide tremendous value for our consumers by delivering an all-new interactive music experience with over 100 individual songs that are highlighted in over 80 unique mixes, a wide variety of ..."

...

Sorry, we nodded off there for a minute. Between the $250 for The Beatles: Rock Band and another $120 for Tony Hawk: Ride, we're up late a lot, worrying about affording all these plastic game controllers -- and a bigger house to put them all in.

Activision explains DJ Hero pricing, says game offers 'tremendous value' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developer Metanet has revealed that its excellent platformer, N+, will be XBLA's Deal of the Week for July 6-12. The developer states that the title will be sold at 50 percent off, making it 400 ($5) and a must buy.

Of course, as we've learned countless times, nothing is official until Microsoft says so on Monday. Check back next week for final confirmation -- and loads of sad emoticons if the company decides otherwise.

Metanet: N+ next week's Xbox Live deal originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To be clear, Frozenbyte spokesman Joel Kinnunen wasn't saying that the company's fantasy action platformer itself is a mess, but everything surrounding it -- like price point disparity between regions and territories -- has become quite the kerfuffle.

The problem, apparently, is that Trine started life as PC game before migrating to PSN and (maybe) XBLA. While that may be good for getting the game to as many people as possible, it's not ideal for a game launch.

"Trine as a project is a big mess," Kinnunen said, "as opposed to Trine as a game, which is pretty sweet. Ultimately it's the game part that really matters and helps us sleep at night, though."

Trine dev: Project is 'a big mess' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though you might think they'd welcome a break from shoot-'em-ups, members of the military are known to be a rich breeding ground for hardcore gamers. Now, just in time for Independence Day, they have their very own space in which to catch each other in the friendliest of fire: The Military Online Gaming program, a Global Gaming League-powered service that kicks off on the 4th with a Call of Duty: World at War tournament.

Though support will start with the 360, a rep from the group responsible, Pro vs. GI Joe, told Shacknews that our fighting men and women will soon be able to blast one another on PC and PS3 too.

Military gets its own gaming network, the MOG originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega of America has announced the release date for Obsidian's Alpha Protocol, whatever that is. Oh, it's "The Espionage RPG." How helpful! That game will be out on October 6.

In addition to the date announcement, Sega released the North American box art, which can be found in our gallery. We must warn you, however, before you rush into the gallery, full of hope for a more exciting, distinctive box art image: it's exactly the same as the UK box art seen yesterday, with the "PAL" label changed to "NTSC" and the PEGI rating box changed to an ESRB box. It's still the same Pseudo-Bourne standing up in front of geography class.

Alpha Protocol: The Espionage RPG: The Release Date originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=2/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. “Bennu” is an innovative physics-based exploratory action/puzzle game. The player controls a Bennu ball and chain and progresses through the levels by attaching chains to objects and swinging from place to place. Bennu placed in the top 20 in the 2008 DreamBuildPlay contest.

This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=0/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Hone your controller dexterity with the first installment of Game Training series. Play through 10 levels of excitement with custom music, fantastic backgrounds, and increasing difficulty.

This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=3/3, Sex=2/3, Mature Content=2/3. Karnn Age Lite is the 200 msPoints version of Karnn Age. It's a twin stick shooter featuring original and innovative ennemy patterns and bosses. Karnn Age Lite features everything in Karnn Age, except it has 3 songs instead of 9, to reach required file size for 200 points game.

This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=0/3, Sex=1/3, Mature Content=0/3. An addictive classic 3D puzzle. Assemble 6 sides to bring order and gain gems as awards from Fu Xing - the Chinese God of Happiness. The game comes with cool music, trackable best times, and 3 levels of difficulty.

Contains 8 of the best Grifball images officially approved by the American Grifball International League. Catch the disease! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

This package includes 4 additional colors for all 12 characters. (This is package A, B, C combined.) There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Includes 4 additional color palettes for Ragna, Jin, Noel, and Carl. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

(Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB.) Purchase this Premium Song to add "The Next Movement" as performed by The Roots to your Lips library. You’ll get the song’s track, chart, lyrics, and original video. A Lips game disc is required to play this downloadable content. Once your purchase is complete, go to Get Music in the game, and then add this song to your library. Visit lips.com to check out all the songs you can get, song credits, news, and join the Lips community. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

(EXPLICIT CONTENT. PARENTAL WARNING. Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB.) Purchase this Premium Song to add "Baby Got Back" as performed by Sir Mix-A-Lot to your Lips library. You’ll get the song’s track, chart, lyrics, and original video. A Lips game disc is required to play this downloadable content. Once your purchase is complete, go to Get Music in the game, and then add this song to your library. Visit lips.com to check out all the songs you can get, song credits, news, and join the Lips community. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

(Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB.) Purchase this Premium Song to add "Shut Up" as performed by The Black Eyed Peas to your Lips library. You’ll get the song’s track, chart, lyrics, and original video. A Lips game disc is required to play this downloadable content. Once your purchase is complete, go to Get Music in the game, and then add this song to your library. Visit lips.com to check out all the songs you can get, song credits, news, and join the Lips community. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Rise up and take back Mars from the evil clutches of the EDF. Break free with the official launch trailer of Red Faction®: Guerrilla™.

Prepare for the revolution and massive multiplayer destruction with the official multiplayer trailer of Red Faction®: Guerrilla™.

Includes 4 additional color palettes for Taokaka Bang, Hakumen and v-13. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.