Gamernode: Latest Game and Console News

Grand Theft Auto IV released today!

Yes, the magical day has come at last and Rockstar Game's Grand Theft Auto IV has been released to the masses.

While a few people may have gotten the game early thanks to the usual pre-order shipping mix-ups, the majority of gamers will be cracking open their game cases today, ready to experience the wonderful world that is Liberty City.

Well, what are you waiting for? Why are you still reading this? You should be playing GTA IV!

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A message to anti-gamers: We've won, get over it

The Guardian, a UK-based newspaper, available online, published an article yesterday in which author Richard Bartle sends a clear message to all the grey-haired, ancient-thinking, anti-gaming journalists and politicians in the world. That message is that gaming is here to stay, and pretty soon the resistance to the medium will be dead and gone.

The piece is entitled "We've won: get over it," and opens with the following lines:

"I'm talking to you, you self-righteous politicians and newspaper columnists, you relics who beat on computer games: you've already lost. Enjoy your carping while you can, because tomorrow you're gone."

Bartle goes on to cite the fact that the median age in the UK is now 39, and that the members of that demographic have grown up in the ubiquitous presence of computers ...

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Portal rejected by Microsoft for Xbox Live Arcade

Portal, the eccentric puzzle-brain buster game included with The Orange Box, was offered to Xbox Live Arcade but was shoved down the black hole of rejection by Microsoft. It turns out that Portal couldn't meet certain parameters in order to qualify for a spot on XBLA.

Doug Lombardi, marketing director at Valve said they were looking forward to Portal being on Microsoft's download service but was hitting some snags.

"We'd love to do that. Right now it's something we'd love to do. I'd love to sell Portal on Xbox live. [But] the platform holders aren't doing that right now. There's a size limit and all kinds of other things."

The present size limitation of Xbox Live games is 150MB.

"We've asked [Microsoft], we said we were open to it. So it's a decision for the platform holder and how they want...

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Miyamoto says we need to have balance in gaming

The man who built Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, had some wisdom for gamers as he discussed the role of video games in our lives. He said that video games were a vehicle to enrich us, but also stressed that gamers need balance as well.

He hoped that the game Wii Fit, a low impact exercise game, would bring family and friends together. "In Japanese households suddenly new conversations are springing up between fathers and mothers, fathers and daughters, talking about Wii Fit."

Miyamoto said that gaming needs to be offset with other activities. He drew from a personal example to illustrate his philosophy. "Spending too long, staying in and playing any video game is not good. I always tell my children to get out on a sunny day and I, myself, went jogging in Central Park yesterday. But I do my stre...

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Those on the Madden cover raise your hand

Does anyone really pay attention to the covers of videogames? You can't judge a game by its cover. I mean some covers have cool images or crazy looking characters, but does that make it a good game?

Does that even tell you much about the game? Even titles can be disconcerting. Grand Theft Auto, for example, is not a game where your main objective is to steal lots of cars.Why then has the mass media covered the Madden cover athlete in great detail? So much so that the dude on the cover gets a spot on Letterman. It's still a football game, and the only game officially licensed by the NFL. Hell, I could be on the cover and it would sell the same.This year's cover athlete is Brett Favre. A first for EA, but I'll let Peter More (head of EA Sports) talk about that.

"It is with great prid...

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Fans develop Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD Remix

Games like Bionic Commando and Super Street Fighter II are getting their own HD remakes. However one game that is more than worthy of the HD makeover isn't getting any attention.

Enter Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD Remix. Developed purely by the fans, this project is coming along quite nicely despite it being a week old (if that). There is already a capable staff working on the game and they have some absolutely beautiful sprite work done.

The goal of project is as follows:

"The purpose of the S2HD project is to remaster Sega's classic Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in high definition graphics, whilst at the same time precisely preserving the original gameplay. New features that were not present in the original will also be made available. The S2HD project is always searching for new talent to aid us in o...

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Prototype gameplay montage

While everyone is gearing up for Grand Theft Auto 4, news about other games is being overshadowed by that mega-release (which, of course, drops tonight at midnight).

Well here's a look at another game set in New York City, or at least copy thereof. Although this video of Radical Entertainment's Prototype isn't as graphically impressive as one might expect, the title is certainly looking good, concept- and gameplay-wise. Check it out:

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April 28th Virtual Console releases

Nintendo must be hurtin' for new (old) content, because we are again seeing a one-game update to the Virtual Console library. I am willing to let this one slide, though (I dunno what I could really do about it anyway), because the game in question is the excellent Double Dragon for the NES.

This arcade-style beat-em-up is a great follow-up to last week's River City Ransom; it was made a couple of years earlier by the same development studio, and can be viewed as a sort of grandfather of the genre. If you've ever played a side-scrolling punch-and-kick-everyone-in-the-face-until-they-drop game, Double Dragon is among the reasons you were able to, and you should definitely check it out.

From the official mouths fingertips of Nintendo:

Double Dragon (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated Everyone 10+ - Mil...

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Pimp my ride: Great videogame "vehicles"

I recently made a move from my native land on the east coast of the United States to the Golden State of California - sunny San Diego, to be exact. While making the three-day, 3000-mile journey across the country in my trusty Toyota, I couldn't help but ponder just what makes an awesome 'ride' in the videogame world.

Being that next week marks the release of two very high-profile vehicle-based games in Grand Theft Auto 4 and Mario Kart Wii, I don't think I could choose a better time to talk about this subject...so I will.

Click on to see the list of some of my favorite rides from the virtual realm, and let us know your favorites, as well.

Pimp my ride

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Portal 2 may take a while

Valve's Doug Lombardi recently told the gaming press that gamers shouldn't be expecting more of the critically-acclaimed Portal in 2008.

"In typical Valve tradition, it won't be Portal with different colors. I think that when you hit something like that, you have two choices: you can quickly replicate it and stick it out there - do the opportunistic thing and cash in on it; or you can do the crazy thing like we did after Half-Life was so successful and go off and try and say, 'Okay, that was revolutionary, so its successor has to be equally as revolutionary.'

That's the spirit I think we're approaching it in. You won't see a new Portal at retail this Christmas because of that. That's the trade-off. People want more, but we don't want to give them more of the same right away because that wo...

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Lost Odyssey DLC available to all today

Japanese gamers have been hoarding their Lost Odyssey DLC for a long time now. However now us Americans and Europeans can download a piece of DLC today for 200 Microsoft Points.

The DLC contains a new dream sequence and a few new items. Namely, the Killer Machine ring and the Memory Lamp. The former allows for extra protection against weapons imbued with magic while the latter allows players to relive previous dreams.

[via X360 Fanboy]

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Codemasters save Sega Racing Studio from closure

Last year, Sega's attempt to revive one of its many beloved racing franchises, Sega Rally, wasn't the commercially successful title it wanted it to be. Last week, the company announced that Sega Racing Studio would be shutting its doors.

Though the reason for the studio's closure wasn't specified, many were led to believe that the lackluster sales of its first game influenced Sega's decision to close down the Birmingham based developer.

Even though Sega has a history of dropping promising development studios (probably more so than any other company in the industry) to avoid financial risk taking, not many of them catch the eye of another publisher with a little more than a few coins in its pocket.

Codemasters (responsible for racing simulators such as Colin McRae's DiRT and the upcoming GR...

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EA furthers its monopoly with...Monopoly

Irony was called to the frontlines in the hot battle between EA and smaller game developers when EA announced that it would be adapting Hasbro's Monopoly game for the 360, PS2, Wii, and handheld devices. This is proof that art imitates life.

The deal originated from July of last year when EA, reacting to Atari selling Hasbro's rights back, resorted to its instinct to absorb and devour, and bought the rights from Hasbro to market games based on their products.

In February, in addition to announcing handheld and console game versions of Littlest Pet Shop and Nerf N-Strike, EA also announced they'd be working on games like Scrabble and Monopoly. Today, EA announced that Monopoly would be released this fall, based on Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, the latest board game version.

The i...

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Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer

There are a few certainties in life. One of those is the fact that whenever a Metal Gear Solid trailer is released, I will take the time out of my busy, busy schedule to increase my burning desire to play the final game. Occasionally, I'll share said video with you, the GN faithful - especially when it features an OCD-friendly, fast-paced montage of in-game action sequences for everyone else to get excited about along with me. Well, that's exactly what the following clip has to offer (minus the English language), so enjoy:

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Pro Tip: Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Last week I promised you my favorite pro tip from my favorite game of all time. Well, for those of you who didn't read the title of this piece, it is Zombies Ate My Neighbors from the Super Nintendo. It was also out on the Sega Genesis, but that means nothing to me.

There isn't too much I can say about Zombies Ate My Neighbors without having you all play it. It's a near perfect game. The levels get increasingly harder, adding more baddies. Aside from your normal assortment of werewolves, zombies, and mummies there are giant babies, football players, and cheerleader-obsessed Martians. Also everything from water guns to tomatoes to dinner plates to bazookas are weapons in game, and that was long before Dead Rising did all that.

It's just amazing, so let's leave it there. My Pro Tip is one...

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Ninja Gaiden 2 dated for June 3

Today, Microsoft announced that Ninja Gaiden 2, exclusive to the Xbox 360, will be on store shelves June 3rd of this year.

They also revealed that Europe will be seeing the game a mere three days later on June 6th. The game will go on sale for the expected $59.99 here and €44.49 in Europe.

Microsoft said:Ryu Hayabusa returns in this action-packed sequel to ‘Ninja Gaiden', on a mission to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. Universal themes of vengeance and honour are played out from Tokyo to New York and to the netherworld as a series of dramatic events create a truly compelling story.

Players must become the ninja, utilising a revolutionary combat system that demands skill and mastery of a massive arsenal of weapons. "Ninja Gaiden II" features unique ac...

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How to get off work and get your copy of GTA IV

It certainly will be an interesting day next Tuesday, April 29, for some gamers as they think of ways to either get out of school or work to pick up a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Of course if you had the foresight to pre-order your copy you probably have nothing to worry about, but for all others it may be a day of scheming to get out of obligations.

One such gamer, going by the screen name of Paroxym, thought up an ingenious way to get out of work--he told the truth...sort of. He decided to fill out his vacation slip and tell his employer that he was, "...spending a couple days in Liberty City with my cousin Niko Belic."

We now pause for the laughter to subside.

We don't know whether or not the gamer believed a ruse like this would work but the good news came back that his boss granted him ...

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Top Metroid Prime staff leave Retro Studios myster...

Three of the top staff at Retro Studios, the developer for the Metroid Prime franchise, have left Retro.

The technology engineer, Jack Mathews, art director Todd Keller and design director Mark Pacini were all escorted off the Retro Studios premises last Friday.

While no word has come from the game developer as to why the three have left, speculation has it that the former employees may be moving on to start their own game studio.

Retro Studios started in 1998 and was purchased by Nintendo in 2001. The studio was responsible for the hit Metroid Prime games and ended the trilogy with a Wii title for Nintendo.

Retro Studios has indicated that it was planning to move away from the Metroid franchise but with the departure of the primary movers of the Metroid series, this seems to be a moot poi...

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A GTA MMO is "very doable"

Would it be that big of a surprise if GTA was turned into an MMO? I don't think so. Besides the money signs that would glow in the eyes of the developer, and the hearts glowing in the eyes of the fans, a GTA MMO would work. Heck, with the size and grandeur that GTAIV is supposed to have, it's not that far of a stretch.

With downloadable content promised for the Xbox360, the next logical step would be to expand this franchise into a full on multiplayer experience. Sam Houser of Rockstar Games told EGM/1UP that "a subscription-based Grand Theft Auto-type game...is very, very doable and is a very, very compelling proposition."

Houser continues saying, "the combination of what we're doing with multiplayer and what we're doing with the [downloadable XB360] episodes is the start of us putting our ...

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Self-erasing discs coming our way?

Scary new trends are taking hold in Scandinavia, France, Italy, and Germany. DVD movies are being placed on a new format, called DVD-D. What's so special about this format? Well, it destroys the information on it after an allotted time slot has been used.

To be exact, for DVD-Ds with movies on them, the allotted time slot is 8 hours from the time the disk is inserted into a DVD player. Discs with software have a 48 hour time slot before erasing themselves. These discs cost less than regular DVDs and are sold at gas stations and kiosks.

This new format seems to be growing in popularity. Already, blank DVD-Ds are being made so that users can make their own self-erasing discs. The user can than specify when the information will be destroyed.

It is probable that this format will spread to...

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