Blu-ray coming to an Xbox 360 near you?
In a recent interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, done by GameSpot, the topic of HD video came up and of course, with the failure of HD DVD, Microsoft had some explaining to do regarding their next venture.
When asked if we will see an Xbox 360 with a built-in Blu-ray player, Ballmer responded, “Well, I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there. [But] you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.”
Will the 360 ever feature a built-in Blu-ray player? Possibly someday in the future, when a new console gets introduced we may see a built in Blu-ray but I wouldn’t get your hopes up anytime soon. As far as a release date there hasn’t been one listed for the external Blu-ray, nor an estimated price.
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New Left 4 Dead 2 Trailer leaked
Dunno how exactly this Left 4 Dead 2 video got leaked, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Valve themselves began its viral progression purely to entice us for the CGI carnage that’s sure to come.
It might not contain actual in-game footage but it’s worth it simply for the entertainment value… which basically translates to exploding zombie heads… enjoy.
via shacknews
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Left 4 Dead 2 left for dead by Australian Classification Board
Bad news for all Aussies in attendance… Left 4 Dead 2 has been denied, appealed, and then denied once more by the Australian Classification Board, meaning that the game will not marketed or sold in any way, shape or form, at least until it’s been toned down to a level considered “appropriate” for Australian youths. Since the country’s highest rating is MA 15+, that means all decapitations, dismemberment, “wound details” and piles of dead bodies lying scattered over the post-apocalyptic landscape will be removed… in other words, everything that makes the game deliciously gory and/or entertaining will be excised.
Come on, Australia. Are you going to let three ultra-conservative game czars determine what you do and do not have a right to play? If there’s ever a zombie outbreak, you guys are royally boned.
via kotaku
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The First Rule of Capcom’s Fight Club…
…Is don’t talk about fight club. But screw that noise. Tonight in NY, at the Capcom Fight Club, you’ll be able to see multitudes of battle-hardened gamers duking it out in a no-holds barred contest for electronic supremacy. Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, Marvel VS. Capcom 2, and Super Street Fighter IV will be among the games played, and if you’d prefer to watch from a safe distance, Capcom’s UStream channel will be broadcasting the event live until it ends.
Why, even as I type these words, over 800 people are currently watching a live stream from the… empty room. So, yeah. You could cut the anticipation with a knife, I guess.
via kotaku
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Minimum PC specs of Modern Warfare 2 leaked
Activision has yet to notify us of the minimum PC requirements for the highly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 but luckily GameStop has today come forth to fill the void.
Make note that these technically aren’t officially confirmed yet but considering they are taken from the back of the box featured on GameStop’s Modern Warfare 2 PC listing, it’s probably safe to take them with more than a grain of salt.
Anyways, here they are:
OS: Windows Vista/XP
Processor: AMD 64 3200+ or Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz or better
Memory: 16 GB free hard drive space / 512 MB RAM (XP) / 1GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card: Shader 3.0 or better 256 MB nVida Geforce 6600GT / ATI Radeon 1600XT or better
The minimum specs aren’t too bad considering the scope of the game and if you have recently updated your PC, you shouldn’t have a problem. However, those of you still running on a Pentium 3 with 256MB of RAM (or similar) will definitely need an upgrade and you’d better do it fast as November 10th is quickly approaching.
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Pizza Star Portable 2?
Product placement in video games… is something that I’ve always been opposed to. For evidence as to why this concept isn’t applicable to virtually any form of multi-media entertainment, just look to the James Bond franchise, which has become a walking, talking series of product endorsements for name-brand watches, vodka, and other shit no one cares about. But I’m willing to make concessions if the product in question is appropriate to the game or movie its going to appear in.
In Phantasy Star Portable 2, your character will be given the option of imbibing virtual refreshment in the form of Fanta beverages. Ok? Fanta is a stretch. But Pizza Hut?
Not only will there be actual Pizza Huts that you can interact with, but you can equip your character with a pizza box shield and sword, also. Emblazoned with the company’s logo, I might add.
How is any of this bullshit relevant? To me it’s just another example of commercialism taking precedence over artistic integrity, which is ultimately what I object to.
via joystiq
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Rock Band: Queen on its way?
Riding the coattails of the Beatles’s own Rock Band release, Queen guitarist Brian May revealed in a BBC interview that a separate expansion tailored to Queen’s own music may well follow in its wake. He referred to his inclusion in Lego Rock Band as “the ultimate accolade”, and when pressed for comment about the possibility of a Queen-dedicated Rock Band titled, May said, “yes, we’re into it, we think it may happen.”
Now, maybe I’m not the best candidate to pontificate on this notion, since I’ve never been a huge fan of Queen’s music myself. But it seems to me that with the addition of 10 Queen tracks to the Rock Band Music Store by the end of the month, their most well-known and culturally relevant songs will have already been mined. Unless you get excited at the prospect of jamming out to obscurities like “Radio Ga Ga” and “Teo Torriate”, I guess it would be hard to get all that hyped-up.
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