General gaming

General gaming

Xbox Live 'Diamond' IPTV Service to Debut at E3 - Report

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:45 PM PDT

Microsoft Mediaroom guide

Rumors of an IPTV service for Xbox 360 have been around nearly as long as the system has. Back in 2007 there were hints about such functionality being brought to Xbox Live, and even more recently the notion hasn't gone away. A new report suggests a subscription TV service, to be called Xbox Live Diamond, will be announced on Monday at Microsoft's E3 media briefing (which you can watch right here at 1UP).

WinRumors claims a demo is being prepared to show next week but that not all of its features may end up being on display if certain deals aren't made in time. "Microsoft is currently in last minute negotiations to secure the necessary agreements in time," said the site's anonymous source.

Back in March, word surfaced once again of a 360 IPTV service, this one carrying the code name Orapa and said to be launching later this year. It was described at the time as "a combination of Xbox Live and Microsoft's Mediaroom IPTV" as well as social aspects of Live (including Avatars) and Kinect.

What to Expect From Combat in Crimson Alliance

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 04:54 PM PDT

Crimson Alliance

There's no shortage of new action-RPGs these days. Diablo is still king but D3 may not be out for a year or more, and console versions are not a sure thing. Age of Booty developer Certain Affinity announced Crimson Alliance earlier this week, an action-RPG that it said would have "fast-paced" action and co-op support for up to four players. Multiplayer alone sets it apart from a game like Torchlight, and as Certain Affinity President Max Hoberman told 1UP, the hope is that its combat will help to further set it apart from the competition as well.

"We wanted to really focus on fast-paced, dynamic attacks, so player skill is just as important as character stats," said Hoberman. "This starts with powerful, intuitive controls, clear and unobtrusive interface, and characters with a wide array of diverse abilities."

Enemies won't necessarily do the target lock routine and make a beeline for you or your co-op partners. Some will try to surround you while others restrict your movement, immunize other enemies to specific attacks, or make use of the environment to get the upper hand.

Here's What Call of Duty Elite Offers For Free

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 04:18 PM PDT


Since being announced earlier this week, there has continued to be some confusion (and outcry) over Call of Duty Elite. It's unclear what elements of the service you'll be paying for -- Activision isn't providing those details because much of it is tied into parts of Modern Warfare 3 it isn't ready to talk about -- but to help clear things up a bit, an FAQ has made its way onto the Web that explains how parts of it work, why it was announced now, and what will be free.

It's frequently reiterated in the FAQ that nothing you've come to expect from a Call of Duty title is being removed. That includes multiplayer: playing online is still free, and as the FAQ puts it (in bold, underlined text, no less), "Even haters can play for free."

Everyone, Elite subscriber or not, will be able to purchase downloadable content just as you've been able to in previous games. If you do opt to pay the as-of-yet unannounced monthly fee, you'll get all of the "playable game DLC" for Modern Warfare 3 free of charge. That includes any map packs, though it's unclear if the way that's phrased -- "playable game DLC" -- means there might be some sort of non-playable DLC that even Elite subscribers will have to pay for, or if it's simply a strangely-worded statement. (It could simply mean things like avatars and themes for PSN and Xbox Live.) Another feature already announced for subscribers is a Call of Duty-themed web series.

1UP's Most Anticipated Games of E3

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 04:16 PM PDT

Feature

Header

1UP's Most Anticipated Games of E3

Find out what 1UP's editorial staff is most excited about at this year's E3.

By: 1UP Staff June 3, 2011

E3 2011 is just around the corner, and the gaming industry is getting ready to descend on LA en masse for a week of news blowouts, sleepless nights, and chances to play the latest and greatest hardware.

It's hard to select a most anticipated game or event from next week's show; after all, our schedules are already overflowing with amazing opportunities. Still, each editor and writer at 1UP managed to narrow down E3's offerings to pick out a handful of events that they're most excited about.

  • Ryan Winterhalter - News & Features Contributor

Nintendo E3 Press Conference Live Stream/Blog

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:55 PM PDT

Click here for HD.

Sony E3 Press Conference Live Stream/Blog

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:54 PM PDT

Click here for HD.

Microsoft E3 Press Conference Live Stream/Blog

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:53 PM PDT

Click here for HD.

Black Ops Escalation DLC Makes it Way to PS3 June 10

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:52 PM PDT

Call of Duty Black Ops Escalation

Microsoft's exclusivity deal with Activision for Call of Duty downloadable content ended up being unnecessary for the Escalation map pack. With the PlayStation Store having just returned this week after more than a month of downtime, PS3 players wouldn't have been able to access it even if it had been released alongside the Xbox 360 version on May 3.

Sony is publishing content more frequently than it normally would in order to catch up on missed content (more stuff went up today, in fact), but it'll be another week before Black Ops players can get any new maps. With PlayStation Network operations fully restored, Activision has announced it will be releasing the DLC next Friday, June 10.

The $15 Escalation DLC includes four new competitive multiplayer maps (Hotel, Convoy, Zoo, and Stockpile) and a special Call of the Dead map for Zombies mode. Featured in Call of the Dead are the likenesses of a number of famous actors -- Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Danny Trejo (Machete), and Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) -- in addition to famed zombie movie director George Romero.

Michael J. Fox Lends His Voice in Back to the Future: The Game Finale

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 01:47 PM PDT


Telltale's episodic Back to the Future series features the voice of Christopher Lloyd, who reprised his role from the movies as Doc Brown. Michael J. Fox, on the other hand, has not been involved; the voice of Marty McFly was left up to AJ LoCascio, who does a terrific impression of Fox. For the fifth and final episode, releasing on June 23 for PC and Mac, Fox will be making a special appearance as the voice of one of the game's characters.

Seen briefly in the video above, Telltale won't give up the identity of the character. The only hint being given is that it's someone Marty met in the films. Any guesses?

The entire series is being offered for $19.99 from Telltale's online store for a limited time. You can also pick up the first episode for free on PC and Mac or on the iPad from now until July 31.

Watch Seven-Plus Minutes of Rage Gameplay

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 01:01 PM PDT


Rage is a pretty game -- that's clear from the screenshots. Bethesda is very confident you'll think it looks even better in motion, and as such, it's released another trailer today, this one with nearly eight minutes of gameplay footage.

It cuts around a bit, but it's all in-game and shows off the mission entitled The Well, where players visit the town of Wellspring to stop the water supply from being poisoned by a group of bandits. It's not the first gameplay trailer to be released, but this is quite possibly the best-looking of the bunch. Although there's no sign of multiplayer in this particular clip, it is featured in the game -- but it wasn't always planned to be. There's more about that in 1UP's interview with design director Matt Hooper.

Rage will be out on September 13 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
Posted by Shri Krishna

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