GamerNode: Latest Game and Console News

CrimeCraft going free-to-play by end of October

MMOFPS CrimeCraft has faced numerous issues since its launch. From financial issues to PR stumbles, the game can't seem to catch a break. Publisher Vogster Entertainment looks to change this by restructuring their subscription plans. According to a press release from the company, the game will have an unlimited free trial plan later this month, while still offering a $4.99/month and $9.99/month plans for players who want a few perks.

The differences between the free-to-play and paid plans are not detailed, but subcribers will gain "customization, skill slots, speed of experience gain and inventory capacity." If you choose to pick up the game at retail, you'll get access to "three months of online game time as well as access to 100 in-game gold bars and a number of exclusive in-game items." 

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Achievements for Modern Warfare 2 released

Developer Infinity Ward has obliged the Call of Duty community by releasing the achievements list for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

The list is comprised of the typical gamut of single-player and multiplayer achievements with a few creative gems hidden throughout; the "Unnecesary Roughness" achievement, for example, rewards 10 Gamer Points for bashing an enemy's skull in with the new riot shield. No word yet on whether this is accomplished through brute strength or by attaching some sort of glinting metal spike onto the shield, as giant hunks of metal are notoriously difficult to bludgeon your foe to death with.

For those who wish to partake in the metagaming madness of achievements, the list can be found here.

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Character creator releasing early for Dragon Age: ...

Looks like Bioware's newest PC RPG is taking the Spore route with its creation utilities. BioWare has announced that the Dragon Age: Origins character creator will release before the game on October 13, allowing players to fully create their characters and then upload them to the game when it drops on November 3.

The 320MB application will be free on the PC, and there has been no word whether or not the program will be offered to Xbox 360 owners as well.

[Shacknews]

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Valve hopes to lure you in with Left 4 Dead 2 pre-...

Valve really wants you to buy Left 4 Dead 2. They know you may feel like it's too soon for a sequel, but to make the deal sweeter, they are offering a nice pre-order bonus for players who nab the game through Steam. Early committers will receive early access to the demo (October 27th), an exclusive American baseball bat in-game item, and 10% off the game.

No word on whether this baseball bat is different from the bat seen in trailers or if it is just a reskin of the same weapon. Either way, if you're looking to grab L4D2 on the PC, get your pre-order in.

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Demo play option in New Super Mario Bros Wii expla...

When Nintendo revealed the Demo Play option that was going to be featured in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a lot of us were wondering how exactly this hint system would work. Would it take control from you to complete the level or just warp you ahead? Well Nintendo of Europe has updated their site with a description of how the feature will work. After activated, the game will show a demonstration of how to get past the obstacle or level, and the player can then intervene at any time when they wish to make the attempt.

While this feature won't be of much use to hardcore players, it could be a great way to help your mom or girlfriend out when you're not around to swoop in and defeat those Goombas for them.

[Joystiq]

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Bowie, Styx join Band Hero

The music genre craze has worn out its welcome for most gamers, but that isn't stoping Activision from releasing their family oriented Band Hero this holiday season. Activision has revealed more tracks that will be included in the game and adds that Taylor Swift will be a playable character. Joining Ms. Swift are David Bowie, Styx, and Fallout Boy, among others. Check out the full list below:

-The Airborne Toxic Event - "Gasoline"-Big Country - "In a Big Country"-The Bravery - "Believe"-Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Up To Dry"-Counting Crows - "Angels of the Silences"-Dashboard Confessional - "Hands Down"-David Bowie - "Let's Dance"-Devo - "Whip It"-Evanescence - "Bring Me To Life"-Fall Out Boy - "Sugar, We're Goin' Down"-The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"-Hilary Duff - "So Yesterday"-Jesse McC...

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Splinter Cell Conviction Collectors Edition reveal...

No triple-A title is safe from the special edition treatment these days, and Sam Fisher's latest outing is getting a swanky package as well. Austrailian retailer JB Hi-Fi posted a listing to the Splinter Cell Conviction Collector's Edition featuring:

- "Exclusive" code to unlock in game content

- 32 page comic book that establishes the link between Double Agent and Conviction

- "Making Of" DVD

- Code to download Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory from Xbox Live Arcade

- A Sam Fisher figurine

While this doesn't confirm this specific edition being released here, it seems more than likely considering Splinter Cell's popularity and the hype surrounding the game. Another thing to note is that it says Chaos Theory will be downloaded from XBLA, even though this could mean Xbox Originals.

[VG247]

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NIS America games half priced on PSN Store

Just pick up your swanky new PSP Go? Are you overwhelmed by all the Minis and PSP games that populate the PSN Store, not knowing that you get first? Well Nis America has quite a deal for new PSPGo owners. For one week, they are slashing the prices of all their PSP games on the store to half price. The games being offered are Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, Dragoneer's Aria, Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman!, Mana Khemia: Student Alliance, and Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? are steals at half off, and Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! is a great, quirky game for strategy fans. Be quick though, it only lasts a week. After that, the games go back to normal price.

[Joystiq]

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The Incredible Machine chugs back to life

Those gamers who pine for the halcyon days of simplistic and intellectual gaming, take heed: one of the most influential games ever made for the PC has made a return in all of its hair-tearing glory. That's right; The Incredible Machine is back.

Considered to be the forerunner of physics-based puzzle games, The Incredible Machine was released by designer/coder Kevin Ryan and producer Jeff Tunnell during the early 1990s for the (then) fledgling PC gamer community. The game was an instant smash hit with its mind-boggling puzzles and intricate gadgets; who knew that causing a basketball to sail into a hoop via bowling balls, treadmills and mouse wheels could be so fun?

Unfortunately, the property for The Incredible Machine was bounced around in abandonware limbo after publisher Dynamix was clos...

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Sony claims newest PS3 issues not firmware-related...

Sony is holding their ground in the midst of new issues being reported by PlayStation 3 owners based on the newest Firmware 3.01 update affecting their consoles. Sony claims these recent problems are "not an issue with the firmware."

The issues that have taken up several pages on the US PS Blog have stated that Blu-ray movies and games have frozen after the firmware update was installed and could not continue. The majority, if not entirety, of these claims say that there had been no previous issues with the consoles prior to the update. These are all coming on the heels of complaints and issues reported after the Firmware 3.0 update a few weeks back.

Sony has told customers suffering from these issues that they will have to send in their PS3s for repair, which will cost them $150 if the one...

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Latest Wii update killing consoles

The latest update for the Nintendo Wii, update 4.2, is causing terrible problems for owners of the console both modded and non-modded. The Nintendo support forums are flooded with reports of these problems from customers.

Most reports claim that the update freezes halfway through and the update giving system errors informing customers that their console has been modified and then fails to start. There are also reports of random disk read errors after the update is installed. The reports can be attributed to modified systems, but customers are reporting issues with consoles that are fresh out of the box.

Nintendo tech Jane posted a message in the forums, letting customers of un-modded Wii consoles know that they can send their units in for repair.

Here is the message:

"Some of you have reported...

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Dead Space 2 starting production in "next few mont...

LinkedIn has provided a look into the future of the Dead Space series, as a recent job posting on the networking site is looking for a Lead Combat and Controls Designer for the franchise. The posting was created by EA senior recruiter Jeff Ballard.

"The previous installment in the Dead Space franchise received numerous awards for gameplay, visuals, and sound design, and the same core team is in place to create an even better follow up," said the posting. "The game is in the later stages of pre-production, ready for production in the next few months, with many of the navigational and combat mechanics in place."

It appears that EA and Visceral Games are already set working on the true sequel to the original Dead Space with the spin-off, Dead Space: Extraction, being released on the Nintendo Wi...

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Ubisoft developer confirms sex in Assassin's Creed...

It would appear that controversy loves company, as BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins won't be the only game releasing this year to have sex scenes. Assassin's Creed II director Benoit Lambert confirmed that the upcoming sequel will have Desmond Miles' latest ancestor doing the nasty in the pasty.

"Ezio is a womaniser," said the developer. "There's a bit of sex. I can't say more."

This will likely send a shockwave into the mainstream news, as sex in videogames always send up alarms. Just how graphic these scenes will be will most likely determine how loud the alarms will sound.

[VG247]

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Uncharted 2 multiplayer demo now available

If you didn't get into the Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta a few months back, now is your chance to run, gun, and pillage with the rest of the lucky players. Playstation Blog has updated that Naughty Dog has released the multiplayer demo to the PSN Store for download.

The demo is a beefy offering with four different maps, four modes, and two cooperative modes. You can also access the Cinema, a Halo 3 Theatre type offering that allows you save multiplayer replay data and a special Stage Map that allows you to mess around in. 

Go download it and get a taste of Uncharted 2 before its October 13th release date

[Playstation Blog]

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Square Enix wants more blockbuster IPs

Not content with ruiling the RPG genre with their Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises, Square Enix has set its eyes on more popular IPs. In an interview with Reuters,  Square Enix president Yoichi Wada said that he hopes the company can amass at least eight new IPs and that they will sell at least two million copies each. Square Enix considers the Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts franchises to be the "three pillars of software," and they want to add more.

Square already has two to three potential blockbusters that are scheduled for a 2010 or 2011 release, and should be cooking up more. The recent acquisition of Eidos may also prove fruitful and expand them out of RPGs and into other genres more successfully than their past efforts. We're looking at you Driving Emotion ...

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Star Wars: The Old Republic opens testing signups

LucasArts and developer BioWare have opened up signups for pre-launch testing of their highly anticipated MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. But not everyone will be able to get in.

Anyone hoping for a chance to get in will need to register at the game's website, select the pre-release testing option from their account page, then fill in the necessary details and "submit a system scan."

However, LucasArts states that the testing itself will not be as open as the signups. "Testing will be an ongoing process, and spots are limited, so people need to sign up early to give them the best possible chance of getting selected," said the publisher.

At press time the official site was so overloaded with signups that it has undergone maintainence and informs visitors to check back in a few hours.

The ...

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LOTRO gets Mirkwood expansion date, lifetime membe...

The latest expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online will arrive for Tolkien fans before Christmas. Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood will be available for digital purchase starting December 1.

The new expansion will raise the game's level cap to 65, add a new skirmish system for randomized instances, feature an improved mount system, and of course introduce the forests of Mirkwood to the game world.

The release date is not the only news for LOTRO fans, as several pre-launch offers have also been announced that are available starting today. The biggest of all is the new lifetime membership offer for $199.

Other offers include the expansion for free to any current or former subscribers who sign up for a multi-month subscription, special items and character slots for subscribers who...

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Super Street Fighter IV confirmed, not a full pric...

Just like its retro brethren Street Fighter II, Street Fighter IV is receiving the expansion pack treatment. Super Street Fighter IV was recently revealed by Capcom, and is an expansion to revived fighter released earlier in the year. The game will rebalance the current roster, while adding 8 new characters to the fray. T-Hawk, Dee Jay, and newcomer Juri have been confirmed, but the other 5 still remain a mystery.

According to Capcom, the update was planned as a DLC option, but the changes are too drastic to add to the existing code of Street Fighter IV, and was changed to a disc release which will not carry the standard $60 dollar price tag. The game will also not support cross game matches with SFIV. Super Street Fighter IV is due out in spring 2010 on Xbox 360 and PS3.

[Gamespot]

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New video of Frank West covering the war in Tatsu...

By now you know photo journalist extraordinaire Frank West is going to make an appearance in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars, but did you know about all his crazy, zombie-infested moves? Capcom's Seth Killian demonstrated Frank's insane and surprisingly useful move set at the Tokyo Game Show.

In the video we see Frank summoning zombies to grab an opponent or knock them over, striking with an assortment of weapons such as a baseball bat and golf club, and capping it all off with a super move that involves a Servbot head and a bad day with more zombies. All in all, Frank West looks like an interesting addition to the crazed fighter.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars is a crossover fighting game that pits the Capcom roster of charaters against anime production house Tatsunoko. P...

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This week's releases: 9/27 - 10/3

As Sony looks for a successful launch of its PSP Go on Thursday, the big software releases this week will focus on sci-fi horror, ninja hack-'n'-slash action, and portable racing. Dead Space Extraction will be terrifying the Nintendo Wii as Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will cut up the PlayStation 3 and Gran Turismo will be speeding its way onto the PSP. SquareEnix fans will also have Kingdom Heats 358/2 days hitting the Nintendo DS. Here's the full list of software releases set to hit up game stores this week.

DS:

Battle of GiantsDream DancerFabulous FindsFamily FeudHidden Mysteries: TitanicImagine Salon StylistJust in Time TranslationKingdom Hearts 358/2 DaysMySims AgentSideswipedSmart Boys Game Room 2Smart Girls Playhouse 2Smart Kids: Mega Game MixThe Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick RoadDrea...

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