Driver San Francisco Dev Diary #2 Shift

In this developer diary for Driver: San Francisco, we learn about the Shift system, which allows the player to take over control of other vehicles on the road of San Fran. Curious about how the mechanic works? Check it out:

Homefront's "The Rock" Map Pack has Nothing to do with Dwayne Johnson

Xbox Live's Major Nelson has outed "The Rock" map pack for commie-blasting shooter Homefront in his latest Xbox Live releases roadmap.

The pack will make its debut tomorrow, July 28, and can be yours in exchange for 400 of your hard-earned Microsoft points. The pack brings two new maps, Alcatraz and Bridge, along with Team Deathmatch versions of Waterway and Overpass. Alcatraz - America’s most infamous prison becomes the site of fierce close-quarters fighting. Bridge – A combined arms effort to secure the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding area, large-scale warfare at its best! Waterway – Wage war atop storefronts and in the streets of the Spillway, where every inch feels like a mile. Overpass – Battle in a fan-favorite Ground Control space for the first time in Team Deathmatch!

Battlefield 3 Console Changes Detailed

DICE president Patrick Back spoke with CVG today regarding the console version of Battlefield 3. He revealed that the number of players for online multiplayer will be capped at 24 players. This is in stark contrast to the Windows PC version which allows 64 players to play simultaneously.

He also shed some details on the game's engine. We already knew that Battlefield 3 uses the FIFA 12 animation system and Frostbite 3 engine on all platforms. The maps and textures featured in the Xbox 360 build will be scaled down from their PC counterparts. Rather than maps being cut in half or removing complex geometry DICE aims to make them more compact.

"If you want the same quality of game, I would say it's really, really hard. We tried to get more players in [to the console version] but then you need to scale down all the graphics, scale down all the destructibility, and sometimes you need to scale down all the map sizes." - Bach speaking to IGN Xbox 360.

For more quotes concerning the Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 3 head on over to IGN.com. What do you think of the changes DICE is making to Battlefield 3 in order to bring the experience in to our living rooms? Let us know in the comment.

Brand New Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Ultimate Videos

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Ultimate was only announced a few days ago and already a ton of media has flooded out from Comic Con ’11. IGN.com was on hand and captured quite a few awesome videos of the game in action. If you are a fighting fan you won’t want to miss out on these.

Players on the Comic Con floor must have loved Strider as he is featured in the majority of these videos. His special move mimics his special from Marvel Vs Capcom 2, allowing him to create multiple copies of himself. As expected Ghost Rider fights with his signature chains. Watch Hawkeyes special for the appearance of a certain size changing Marvel super hero.

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Ultimate is expected to be released this coming November.

Hawk Special
More Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Videos

Strider and Ghost Rider In Action
More Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Videos

Strider Finish
More Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Videos

Comic Con Saints Row the Third Story Trailer

THQ and Volition have released a brand new story trailer for Saints Row the Third. It seems that Comic Con has been great for gaming news; these big conventions aren’t just for movie and comic fans anymore. The action is ramped up and the stakes couldn’t be higher as this brand new trailer emphasizes.

The Saints seem to be in a bit of a pickle after a botched bank robbery. They are at the mercy of a large criminal organization known as The Syndicate. The new story trailer showcases some of the explosive action, off the wall weapons like dildos and unconventional methods of transportation we have come to expect from the Saints Row franchise.

Saints Row the Third is due out this November for the Xbox 360 and other next generation platforms. Check out the new trailer in the YouTube player below.

Gamer's Guide for H2 2011

It’s getting to that time of year again. In just a couple of months, the annual gaming silly season will begin, bringing with it a relentless torrent of triple-A releases that’ll continue until the end of the year. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when presented with such a dearth of high-quality gaming. But never fear, we’ve got the lowdown on a dozen titles that you absolutely should not miss as we proceed into the home stretch of 2011.

Click here to read the article

Xbox 360 Sales Continue To Excel

Microsoft has announced their fourth quarter and fiscal year financial results , and things are looking good for their Entertainment & Devices Division. And why is that? Because the Xbox 360 is part of that division.

According to the numbers, Microsoft shipped an impressive 1.7 million units of Xbox 360 consoles during their fourth quarter, which is a 200k increase from the amount sold during the last year. Thanks to the Kinect, higher Xbox Live sales, and increased Xbox Live royalties, revenue for the Xbox 360 platform grew by an impressive 29%, while Microsoft shipped 13.7 million consoles during their 2011 fiscal year. Compared with the 10.3 million they shipped during the previous fiscal year, it is pretty clear that the Xbox 360 is still going along strong.

Gotham City Impostors Gets CGI Trailer

Warner Brothers has released a CGI trailer for Gotham City Impostors, the downloadable title set for a 2012 release that features an all-out war between Batman and Joker impostors in Gotham City:



The game was recently announced for a Winter 2012 release and will hit Xbox Live with a cost of 1200 MS Points.

Spiderman Edge of Time Gets New Trailer

The superhero news continues to come out of Comic Con with this trailer for the upcoming Spiderman: Edge of Time. In it, Spiderman takes a break from local neighborhood web-slinging as the Spiderman of the year 2099 must go back in time to prevent both his enemy from taking over the past and Peter Parker's death at the hands of Anti-Venom.

BioWare Unleashes FemShep, DefaultShep Statistics

One of the great things about Mass Effect is the ability to create an individual hero with a distinctive history, personality and look. Now, in the run up to the release of Mass Effect 3, BioWare has released an intriguing set of statistics showing precisely how gamers like their Shepard.

According to the newly-released stats reported by VG247, 18% went with a female Shepard, or "FemShep", voiced by Jennifer Hale. Meanwhile, 18% of players turned their nose up at character customization and chose not to change Shepard's look at all.

BioWare's Director of Marketing, David Silverman said -- "The beautiful thing about the Mass Effect series is the fact that the player gets to make choices that actually impact the game and make their entire game experience unique to them."

We're hoping there's the option to further disfigure our very own Commander Frakes Von Shepard in the upcoming Mass Effect 3, due out next March. It just wouldn't be a Mass Effect game without the ability to conjure up a genuinely horrifying protagonist.

Street Fighter III Third Strike Features Trailer

Get ready to rumble in the streets with the release of Street Fighter III Third Impact on Xbox Live Arcade on August 24th. Capcom unleashed the "features trailer" to promote the late summer release of this arcade classic. They have made tons of improvements, do you think that you can handle it?

The Xbox Live Arcade version of Street Fighter III Third Impact features a number of improvements over its last generation counterparts. Capcom has included 3 different graphic options - Classic (home consoles), Arcade and Widescreen 720P Support. They have also packed in an entire suite of online components - tournament brackets, spectator matches and the ability to upload clips right to youtube.

For fighting fans looking for something a little more retro Street Fighter III Third Impact could be just the thing they are looking for. No price was given but the game will be available on August 24th in North America.

Dead Island Producer Interview!

I recently had a chance to land an interview with one of Dead Island's producers, who was very forthcoming with many of the different aspects of the game and its development process. It is an insightful look into the world we will all be able to encounter come September 6th. Check the interview out here !

Check out the interview by clicking the image above!

And as a reminder - please do not post comments on this news story. Please have them all posted in the actual article comments . Thanks much!

First Look At Battlefield 3's Battlelog

Posted on the official German Battlefield site and captured by fan site Battlefieldo before removed, the images below show off EA's Battlelog service for Battlefield 3.

While the screenshots below are PC centric, it does show off what we can expect from the service, include Facebook-style social network, the usual stat tracking, career progression, and the ability to see who is playing what portion of the game:

See Prototype 2's Tendrils in Action

This video for the upcoming Prototype 2 gives a look at Alex Mercer's tendril abilities, which can be used for more than just grabbing things. Like stringing up your enemies in the air, tossing around debris, or chaining foes together.



Prototype 2 is due in 2012.

MW3 Vs BF3 The Technology of Warfare PT.1

The technology of warfare is ever evolving and just like the videogames that are inspired by it these weapons of destruction are constantly evolving as well. Two of the biggest shooters, Modern Warfare 3 & Battlefield 3, will clash this coming fall. These games may have different settings, stories and characters but their methods of annihilation feel oddly similar. Join us as we examine some of the in game armaments as well as their real world counter parts.

Read Our Feature

June NPD Numbers Show a 10% Drop In Game Sales

The June NPD sales numbers for the United States were recently released. As the LA Times points out overall sales volume for the month were down 10% from the same time last year. Across all platforms the games industry generated $1.15 billion in sales during June. Even if summer sales lagged behind last year's numbers one has to remember that the summer isn't usually a time for big releases. Often sales dip in the summer months and then accelerate at a fast pace during the fall months.

The top ten featured many multiplatform releases available on the Xbox 360 including L.A Noire, Duke Nukem Forever and Mortal Kombat. It is great to see L.A Noir capture the number one spot after two months on store shelves. Duke Nukem Forever in second place could also be considered an accomplishment given that the game has a metascore of less than 50% for the Xbox 360 version. Sadly no exclusive Xbox 360 titles made the charts this month.

The NPD Group no longer provides a lifetime sales number for each game. Instead they combine the total sales from all platform releases and then generate a single top ten list. We've included the most recent estimates for Xbox 360 games that appear on the chart.

Did you buy any of the games that appear in the top 10 last month? If so let us know in the comment section. We would love to know what you thought about L.A Noire, Duke Nukem Forever or Mortal Kombat.

1. L.A. Noire – 419,000 units
2. Duke Nukem Forever – 376,000 units
3. Infamous 2
4. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: the Video Game
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops
7. NBA 2K11
8. Mortal Kombat 2011- 850,000 units (total sold)
9. Cars 2
10. Just Dance 2

"They Bleed Pixels" Coming to XBLIG!

This. This looks... awesome. Check out the debut trailer for They Bleed Pixels, which is going to come out this summer on Xbox Live Indie Games. It's part Super Meat Boy, part N+, and about 13 parts gooey pixelated blood.



So, in the wake of some reports that XBLIG developers are disappointed with their sales figures , do you think this is a game that can be a true success for the developer?

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Development Lurches Forward

If you were wondering what happened to the increasingly elusive Final Fantasy Versus XIII, then 1UP has an interesting post detailing the latest chapter in the game's protracted development cycle. The long and short of it is that work is still underway, but Square Enix expects to have Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy Type-0 out of the door before Versus XIII is anywhere near release.

There are also a few interesting morsels of information on what we can expect from Versus XIII's cut scenes, which will apparently be partly interactive. "In FF Versus XIII, we've gotten rid of [in-game] cutscenes that the player can't control," he stated. "There will either be pre-rendered movies or realtime event scenes that the player can control. These scenes are part of a new gameplay feature which, as far as I know, hasn't been done anywhere else. It's something that allows for very natural changes in the game experience, a form of expression you don't really see in games. It's not something you can explain quickly since the experience can change with each situation, but you could say it leads to the sort of storytelling you see more in FPSes than in console RPGs." Right now there's no date for when we'll get any more screenshots of the game, let alone a retail release. Right now we're probably looking at months, not years before it's out.

July 19th You Can Make it Rain in Mortal Kombat!

Yet another downloadable character is making his way to Mortal Kombat next week. Make way for Rain, the violent violet-clothed ninja. Using attacks that include, get this, water and lightning (go figure!), he makes short work of foes. Watch out for the water-bubble attack that keeps you hovering helplessly in mid-air!

There is no pricing information in the video but it should be a safe assumption, given the price point of the previously released characters, to hit the 400 MSP point.

Saint's Row The Third's "Hyper Ordinary" PreOrder Bonus Version!

THQ have announced the "Hyper Ordinary" pre-order bonus for Saint's Row: The Third. In it, you receive a bunch of in-game bonuses, including but not limited to:
Man-A-Pult Car - suck unaware passers-by into the front of the car and then fire at will! Go for great distance! Octopuss Gun - shoot small octopi with great discretion. Genki Suit - a rubber stunt suit, complete with a huge Professor Genki head! Many people were expecting a purple-dildo-bat as a real-life pre-order bonus, but that looks to have just been wishful thinking on their part. Check out the "Hyper Ordinary" trailer below!



And for what it's worth, "Genki" is Japanese for vigor, health, etc. If you ask your Japanese friends "Genki desuka?" (げんき　ですか？） you are basically asking how they're doing. And this concludes your beginner Japanese language course. So are the pre-order bonuses enough to get to you to plunk down a deposit on the game now?

Source: Joystiq

Infinity Ward Brings in Glitchers for Modern Warfare 3

Players always find glitches in games after they're released, and it can be a particular problem in games with competitive multiplayer. So how is Infinity Ward planning on addressing this in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? According to Kotaku , they're bringing in glitchers to find glitches.

Glitcher group MapMonkey have posted a thread over on their forums announcing that they are down at Infinity Ward finding glitches for their upcoming game. While they previously did the same for Modern Warfare 2 and World at War, they only did so for a few times -- this time they're there for a week. It looks like Infinity Ward is pretty serious about catching any glitches before the game ships.

Driver San Francisco Car List Revealed

Ubisoft has revealed the car list for their upcoming Driver: San Francisco with both a trailer and, well, a list. How many licensed cars does the game have? The answer is a lot:



Abarth 500 (2008)
Abarth Fiat 695 ss Assetto Corse (1970)
Alfa Romeo 159 Ti (2009)
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (2007)
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 (1965)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta (2010)
Alfa Romeo Mito (2009)
Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto (1966)
AMC Pacer (1980)
Aston Martin Cygnet (2011)
Aston Martin DB5 (1963)
Aston Martin DB9 Volante (2010)
Aston Martin Rapide (2010)
Aston Martin V12 Vantage (2010)
Audi A4 2.0 TFSI (2010)
Audi Q7 4.2 FSI quattro (2010)
Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro (2010)
Audi RS 6 Avant (2008)
Audi S5 Coupe (2010)
Audi Sport quattro S1 – Rally (1985)
Audi TT RS Coupe (2010)
Bentley Arnage T (2005)
Bentley Continental Supersports (2010)
Cadillac CTS-V (2010)
Cadillac DTS (2010)
Cadillac Eldorado (1959)
Cadillac Escalade (2007)
Cadillac Escalade – Cop (2007)
Cadillac XLR-V (2009)
Chevrolet Bel Air (1957)
Chevrolet Blazer (2001)
Chevrolet C10 (1965)
Chevrolet C10 – Tow-Truck (1965)
Chevrolet Camaro SS (1968)
Chevrolet Camaro SS – Jones’ car (2010)
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (1986)
Chevrolet Chevelle SS (1970)
Chevrolet Corvette (1960)
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – Drift (2009)
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (2010)
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 – Cop (2010)
Chevrolet El Camino (1973)
Chevrolet Impala (2006)
Chevrolet Impala – Taxi (2006)
Chevrolet Volt (2011)
DeLorean DMC-12 (1983)
Dodge Challenger R/T – Tanner’s car (1970)
Dodge Challenger SRT8 (2009)
Dodge Charger R/T (1969)
Dodge Charger SRT8 (2009)
Dodge Charger SRT8 – Cop (2009)
Dodge Grand Caravan (2009)
Dodge Grand Caravan – Taxi (2009)
Dodge Monaco (1974)
Dodge Monaco – Cop (1974)
Dodge Neon (2002)
Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie (2010)
Dodge Ram SRT10 – Jericho’s car (2006)
Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR (2009)
Ford Crown Victoria (1999)
Ford Crown Victoria – Cop (1999)
Ford Crown Victoria – Taxi (1999)
Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew (2010)
Ford F-350 Super Duty (2008)
Ford Gran Torino (1974)
Ford GT (2006)
Ford Mustang Convertible (2008)
Ford Mustang GT Fastback (1968)
Ford Mustang Mach 1 (1973)
Ford RS200 – Rally (1985)
Ford Shelby GT500 (2010)
Ford Taurus SHO (2010)
GMC C5500 (2008)
GMC C5500 – Ambulance (2008)
GMC Savana – News Van (2005)
GMC Sierra (1998)
GMC Sierra – Monster Truck (1998)
GMC Vandura (1983)
Hudson Hornet (1951)
Hummer H3X (2009)
Jaguar E-Type (1966)
Jaguar XFR (2010)
Jaguar XKR (2010)
Jeep Wrangler (1988)
Lamborghini Countach LP400S (1978)
Lamborghini Diablo VT (1994)
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (2009)
Lamborghini Jalpa (1986)
Lamborghini Miura (1972)
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (2007)
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV (2009)
Lancia Stratos – Rally (1974)
Lincoln Town Car (2010)
Maserati GranTurismo S (2008)
McLaren F1 (1997)
McLaren MP4-12C (2011)
McLaren SLR (2008)
Nissan 370Z (2009)
Nissan 370Z – Drift (2009)
Nissan GT-R (2010)
Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) – Drift (1998)
Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 (1970)
Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser (1972)
Pagani Zonda Cinque (2009)
Pontiac GTO The Judge (1970)
Pontiac Lemans (1971)
Pontiac Solstice GXP (2009)
Pontiac Solstice GXP – Drift (2009)
Pontiac Trans Am (1975)
Pontiac Trans Am (1977)
Pontiac Trans Am (1980)
Range Rover Sport Supercharged (2010)
Ruf CTR 3 (2010)
Ruf CTR Yellow Bird (1987)
Ruf RK Coupe (2010)
Ruf RK Spyder (2009)
Ruf Rt 12 (2010)
Shelby Cobra 427 (1966)
Shelby GT500 (1967)
Volkswagen Camper (1965)
Volkswagen Scirocco R (2009)
Volkswagen Scirocco R – Rally (2009)
Volkswagen Baja Buggy (1963)
Volkswagen Beetle (1963)
Volkswagen Beetle Convertible (2009)