[Multiplatform] General MINOR gaming related news, rumours and things of not-thread-worthy nature

I would have posted this in the Call of Duty 4 thread, but really that thing is long dead and so I'll stick it here.

Now I like Infinity Ward as a dev, and I love me some Call of Duty 4 since it is a fantastic game and the online MP was some of the best going until the number of cheaters and glitches became too many for it to be any fun anymore. In the world of "Where was this a fucking year ago?!" news, IW are finally attempting to patch the game to stop cheaters.

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According to @fourzerotwo, Infinity Ward is in the final stages of crafting a patch that will take aim at cheaters on the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4. The patch is in the certification process right now and should hit the battlefield soon, so if you've found yourself on the receiving end of a nasty cheat (with 15 million players, odds are you have), know that reinforcements are on the way.

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I mean really, seriously, where the fuck was this a year ago?! This is very much a case of too little, waaaaaay too late. Right now I'd rather they spend their time make sure people can't glitch and cheat the fuck out of Modern Warfare 2.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Luxray

Most of us are cheap asses these days. Such as myself.

First of all, don't say 'most' when you're speaking on your own behalf alone. There may be other 'cheap asses' here who think like you, but unless you're the head of some union you're representing own opinion, nothing more.

Also I wasn't mocking the fact that you choose to pirate games, more the fact that your default move to running out of games was 'well you need to pirate some'. You may not be able to afford to buy brand new games, and that sucks for you, but that doesn't make that attitude OK.

Regardless, all this is discussion for another thread, it certainly doesn't belong in the news thread, so if you want to continue this please feel free to start a thread on it or PM me.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I saw some news today that had Ubisoft saying that they're starting to prepare for the next generation of games consoles. Fuck that. Perhaps it's just me, but I don't even feel like we're even at the mid-point of this generation's life yet, let alone near ready to be thinking about another one.

I'm amused by Splinter Cell being mentioned again, since I'd assumed that had slipped off the face of the planet. Will be interesting to see what sort of shape it appears in once they start showing something.

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Originally Posted by Pangalin

Yeah, looking at the article again the Atari rep does call out Europe specifically. I guess I deserve to be deceived if I trust a news website with a .biz extension.

How is the site deceiving you if there is mention to the fact that it's Europe specifically? Also, perhaps worth noting is that it's a UK-based site (which would explain the point of view from which it is written).

I was speaking idiomatically.

Seems MadCatz might be doing some more TE sticks, though not tied into SFIV this time:

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The FightSticks released by Mad Catz alongside Street Fighter IV were surprising, to say the least, for Mad Catz products: despite some early technical issues, the Tournament Edition FightStick for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 is by far the highest-quality arcade stick available in North America. The only problem, of course, is that they aren't always available. The sticks were produced in extremely limited numbers and initial shipments sold out quickly.

We're very happy, then, to see new Tournament Edition FightSticks for PS3 and Xbox available for pre-order on import retailer Play-Asia. These sticks don't have any Street Fighter IV artwork, but otherwise they look identical -- and adding your own artwork isn't that complicated. According to Play-Asia, the sticks will be available Q4 for $149.90.

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What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Some good news and some bad news floating about today, though the good news also includes a bit of a WTF? moment.

Good news (if your name is Skills):

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R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate - yes, really - will be released for PSP in Japan on October 29th. There are no known plans for a US or European release yet. Rising Star Games brought the first game to Europe.

Following the original's controversial departure from side-scrolling shooting to turn-based strategy, Operation Bitter Chocolate makes another change: rather than portraying humanity's struggle against the Bydo aliens, as all previous R-Type games have done, it will depict a war between two human factions.

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R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate?! Erm, sure.

Bad news (especially if your name is Qwarky):

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The third instalment in the Yakuza series isn't going to make it outside of Japan, by the looks of things.

A SEGA spokesperson told Eurogamer there are "currently no plans" to release the game in Europe.

Meanwhile, the Examiner reports that a US release has been ruled out by SEGA. Only 40,000 copies of the second game were sold over there, and the first one didn't do much better.

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Boo.

FELIPE NO

An interesting bit of news from Konami regarding the PS2:

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Konami has confirmed to Eurogamer that it is reissuing old PS2 games to shops, as EG reader Richard Garrard suspected.

"They are proper reissues," a spokesperson told us. "Konami has put them out at budget price because of demand. They are re-manufactured. They are ours."

Those PS2 games are Suikoden Tactics, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. And they will soon be joined by Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4.

"We've manufactured certain amounts depending on the title," the spokesperson added, "and they're being bought by wholesalers so will likely pop up in independent rather than chain stores."

The games will be priced between £10 and £20, we're told.

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What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Wow, Microsoft just kicked Australia in the balls big time:

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As the new Xbox Live update rolls out, prices for the new Games on Demand service have been found to vary much more than the 1600 to 2400 Microsoft Points originally revealed in the US.

Kotaku has learned that each Xbox territory is responsible for setting its own prices, and some seem to feel that the US isn't asking enough.

A NeoGAF forum thread has collated the prices known so far, and Australia and New Zealand seem to be the worst offenders, asking as much as 6000 MSP - $99.99 in Australian money, or some £45 - for Mass Effect, and 3000-4400 points for some other titles.

The UK and most European countries seem to be sticking to the 2400 MSP (£19.99 / €29.99) upper price point, but applying it across the board - even on titles, like Sonic the Hedgehog, that are being offered for 1600 MSP in the US.

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Whoever's idea it was to allow each territory to price individually in such a haphazard way needs a good slapping, along with the arsehole who decided 6000 MSP was reasonable for a download only version of a game. Fuck that sideways.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Microsoft manage to demonstrate their 'excellent' understanding of how to price stuff once again:

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Retailers have told Eurogamer that Microsoft will increase the price of the Arcade Xbox 360 bundle to £159.99 (from £129.99) starting 1st September. The five XBLA games will no longer be included in the bundle, either.

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So they're removing stuff and upping the price. Yep, that's going to stimulate sales for sure.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

This is very much just a rumour, but good god I hope it ends up being true:

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Sony and SEGA have discussed releasing Dreamcast games exclusively on PlayStation Network for a "long period", according to a marketing document uploaded to a PR FTP folder.

The deal, which sounds more like a suggestion thrown around a marketing meeting than a specific plan, could involve "a long period of exclusivity" in exchange for "more marketing support" from SCEA.

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Holy crap yes please.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

In a move that will surprise precisely no one with more than two brain cells to rub together, EA are revamping the Medal of Honor (sic) series and setting it in modern warfare.

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EA's newly announced Medal of Honor reboot will thrust players into a modern milieu: Afghanistan. Set for release in 2010 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the new first-person shooter follows the Tier 1 Operator, described as "a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle"

You can bear witness to the game's full unveiling during Spike TV's 2009 Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12 at 8:00PM PT. You can witness beard in the gallery below.

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Gee, I wonder what could have prompted that move.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Shin

If anybody is stupid enough to actually pay for this then they deserve to get ripped off I guess

That sums it up really. Though one thing to note about that is, as a few places have pointed out, Microsoft set out guidelines that said people aren't allowed to charge for anything that uses their API for that stuff. Surprised no action has been taken over it yet actually.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Tritoch

For this to be a true simulator of Skills' life it needs a third, somewhat nonsensical option which results in physical harm.

For it to truly be an accurate simulator of Skills's life it actually needs a scenario where the girl is flirting outrageously and there's a third option: (x) Completely fail to realise what's going on and drive away.

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