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Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes now rare collectible

The game Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes has always been a little on the expensive side, but it seems over the past few months the game has become a rare collectible. Most of last year used MGS Twin Snakes sold for about $20 -25, over the last six months that has increased massively. The game now sells from $50 used and $124.99 new.

Many gamers can’t believe at just how popular Twin Snakes has become, but the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 must have given the game a huge boost.

When Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes was first released it was not that popular, so many were not made. Now there is a shortage in the game, as demand has increased.

From January 2008 to now, the price for Twin Snakes has increased by 150%.

It does not look like that this increase in value is temporary, it seems as if gamers have made MGS Twin Snakes a rare collectible as they want to add it to their collections.

Source

Spectral Force 3: First Time on Xbox 360 in North America

This is Spectral Force 3: Innocent Rage and you play as one member in a group of mercenaries in war-torn Neverland. On July 29th, the Japanese strategy RPG game was released on the Xbox 360.

Spectral Force series has been a well-known series in Japan for a long time. Different versions of the game have been on games systems going back to the Playstation One. Although none of these Titles have ever been released in North America, until now.

Game Zone has given the Xbox 360 version of Spectral Force 3 a full review. The game’s storyline is convoluted for newcomers, and unimpressive for series vets.

The Weak voice acting, compressed sound effects, and bland music line out the sound presentation. The simple textures and bland environments look like they were pulled from an early PS2 game.

While the action-RPG influenced controls are easy enough to get into, the game’s old-school approach doesn’t do much to move the genre forward.

Overall, Spectral Force 3 is a throwback to older days from the genre, but feels a bit too antiquated and uninteresting to be recommendable.

Read the full review on Game Zone or see other Xbox 360 news.

Soul Calibur 4 Cheats: Bonus Characters and Achievements

Soul Calibur 4 is the fifth installment of the popular Soul series of fighting games, which is from game developer Namco. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 29. Japan, Europe, and Australia will see the game on July 31, with the UK seeing the game on August 1.

Even though Soul Calibur 4 has only been out for a day, this has not stopped people looking online for cheats. Most of the cheats available are for bonus characters and achievements.

I do not understand why people are already looking for cheats, especially bonus characters as there are so many players to choose from already. The most popular characters that people are interested in are Yoda and Darth Vader, which we covered in a previous post.

Before you even think about applying any cheats for Soul Calibur 4, just give the game a little longer maybe you will get better.

In order to earn the Bonus Characters you will have to successfully complete the indicated tasks to unlock the corresponding character.

To earn the achievements you will have to accomplish the indicated achievement so that you can get the corresponding number of Gamerscore points.

Get your Soul Calibur 4 cheats here

Call of Duty 4 improvements in Playstation 3 update 2.42

Following on from the post earlier about the new Sony PS3 firmware update 2.42. We now see a few improvements in gameplay on Call of Duty 4.

Many gamers have reported different problems to PR about COD4 and we have experienced some of these ourselves. The “Downloading Game Settings” screen has hanged for us a few times and we have also experienced the very annoying game disconnects thanks to players leaving.

One gamer had this to say on PR after updating to the new Playstation 3 2.42 firmware:

Hi, I have just downloaded it and I can’t see a difference expect in when I’m playing call of duty, it doesn’t say downloading game settings a lot only for a few seconds. I am also more connected and not getting games quit because I am disconnecting from the access point. This update has really helped me now I can finish matches without counting them as a loss with a few seconds to go

If you have updated to the new firmware, what improvements have you found in Call of Duty 4?

Read other COD 4 news here.

Life with PlayStation 3 not in Firmware update 2.42

We spoke this morning about the new Sony PlayStation 3 Firmware update 2.42; well many of you would have had the chance to check it out by now.

The first thing you will notice is that the update does not feature Life with PlayStation. Many had hoped that this news and weather information would have been included with the PS3 update 2.42.

It seems that this new firmware was more about fixing known security issues, instead of giving users what they really want.

There is a positive side to us not getting Life with PlayStation just yet; at least we know that they are spending more time solving issues which could arise with an early release.

It seems as if PlayStation 3 firmware update 2.42 is yet another let down. Have you had a chance to download the update yet, if so what do you think?

Hasbro forces Scrabulous to cut online Scrabble service

Game players who love to play scrabble online might not be able to soon, as Scrabble owners Hasbro have told Scrabulous that they have to cut their service. This follows the lawsuit by game maker Hasbro Inc.

Many Scrabulous players will know that it is the online version of the popular board game; it was created by two brothers in India. Hasbro had filed the lawsuit against the brothers last Thursday.

According to Reuters, Scrabulous has now been disabled for users in the U.S. and Canada until further notice. Scrabulous told their online users this on Facebook.

The online version of Scrabble was introduced on Facebook and has been a bit of a phenomenon. Scrabulous has become one of the most popular games on Facebook; it attracts more than 500,000 daily players.

It was great idea, pitting online users to the game of scrabble, looks like they should have gotten permission first from Hasbro.

What’s new with Sony PS3 Update 2.42?

It seems as if Sony is releasing new updates thick and fast, the latest firmware update is 2.42. So what is new on this new software update?

Once you switch your PlayStation 3 on you will be meet with a message letting you know that there is a new download. We will be taking a look a little later just to see what Sony are giving us with the Firmware Update 2.42 update.

One thing that we do know is that the new software improves the quality of playback for some PS3 and Playstation format software. Until we have a closer look, we can’t really tell you much more.

Let us hope that this update fixes a few security issues, oh and those Call of Duty 4 issues that some gamers had complained about.

If you have had a chance to download the latest Sony PS3 Update 2.42, let us know what you think.

Source

60GB Xbox 360 Branded Go Pro: on sale at Target

The new 60GB Xbox 360 that’s branded with Go Pro is expected 4 August, but Penny College say they have seen this new 360 model already in store.

They say that it was seen last Sunday in their local New York City Target store (see the photo on this page). Target seems to always have the inside track on most new games and hardware. This is another example.

Microsoft announced the 60GB Xbox 360 officially at the start of July. The post on Penny College is short and just shows the image as proof, so remember this is just rumor and no official word has been released yet.

The box states that the Xbox 360 comes with Xbox Live Silver-level membership, a network cable, one component AV cable, a headset and one wireless controller.

There is no word yet if the UK will get this 60GB machine. Read more Xbox 360 news.

Logitech Driving Force Wireless Racing Wheel for PlayStation 3

No need to rearrange your living room – now you can add force feedback realism to your driving-game experience in seconds. Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI), a world leader in force feedback technology, today announced the one-piece Logitech® Driving Force Wireless™ force feedback racing wheel for PLAYSTATION®3. Quick to set up and easy to store, Logitech’s one-piece design includes an expandable lap rest so you don’t need to mount your wheel to a table. You can conveniently experience the exceptional realism of force feedback driving anywhere you want – on the couch, the arm chair or the floor. Read more

Nintendo DS Lite: New Logitech PlayGear Pocket Lite Case

Whether you’re gaming with your Nintendo DS Lite at home or on the go, the new Logitech PlayGear Pocket Lite hard case offers superior protection while you’re in transit and while you play.

With its polycarbonate construction, the PlayGear Pocket Lite case will protect your DS Lite with a shell of armor while the play-in-case design provides access to your DS Lite controls and connections. The case also allows you to carry and protect up to four DS Lite games.

Add your own personal style to the case by creating custom skins – simply use the included template to trace around your favorite artwork, and then cut and insert inside the translucent exterior case.

The Logitech PlayGear Pocket Lite hard case (MSRP $19.99 U.S.) is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in August.

Read about other Logitech products and news.

Are Gamers Ripped Off? Microsoft Xbox 360 hard drive prices

When we look at the cost of hard drives and the industry as a whole, they have continued to get better value for money each year. Then we look at the Xbox 360 and how much Microsoft is charging for the hard drive add-ons.

We could think that gamers are getting ripped off with Xbox 360 hard drive prices. While its around $180 for the 120GB drive and about $90 for the 20GB, the larger one gives you much better value for money.

When we compare these prices to regular hard drives, you wonder why Xbox 360 owners pay so much more money.

Regular 750GB hard drives at Best Buy cost around $200 and a 250GB portable 2.5-inch drive costs $79.60 on Amazon. I am sure some people could even find these drives much cheaper than this.

So why are the Xbox 360 hard drives so much money and do you feel that 360 owners are getting ripped off?

Read other Xbox 360 news here.

Character news for Soul Calibur 4 on Sony PS3 and Xbox 360

For fans of Star Wars you will be getting exited with the upcoming release of Soul Calibur 4, as Darth Vader and Yoda will be coming to the game.

Back in April we showed you some footage from the game, but there was a downside to this. We first learned that Yoda will only be available for the Xbox 360 and Darth Vader will be on the Sony PS3.

We might have a bit of exiting news for game fans, as it looks as though both characters will be available for both consoles. So the prospect of pitting the Jedi Master against the Sith Lord on Soul Calibur IV might be possible after all.

According to GamersReports, they have managed to get hold of some scans of the game as well as a video. When they viewed the video, they were able to depict Vader and Yoda on the same consol, sadly there is no proof of this as they have been taken down.

GamersReports do claim that they have been told that both Vader and Yoda will be available on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, as an add-on download for Soul Calibur IV. As yet Namco have not officially announced this.

Leaked video of New Xbox 360 Dashboard

We have all seen what the new Xbox 360 Dashboard is going to look like, but they were shiny images and you can never take any notice of those.

It is so nice to see the first leaked video of the new dashboard, while looking blurry thanks to some dodgy camera work.

We have learned that there are a few places online where you are able to install this new Xbox 360 Dashboard, but I am finding it a bit hard trying to find the download.

If you were able to find this update online, just remember that it will only work on a modded console with an Infectus 2 Chip in the system.

Check out the video below and get to see what the new dashboard looks like.

Star Trek Online: On Sony PS3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii?

The Star trek Universe has many fans and they embrace every new TV Show, movie or game that’s created for this world. Today we hear that the worst kept secret massively multiplayer online role-playing game has been saved.

This MMORPG game is based on Star Trek and will be developed with Cryptic Studios since Perpetual closed down last year. We have been told that “Star Trek Online” will be made for PC and console formats.

Now just what games consoles do they mean: Sony PS3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii?

It could be all the formats. But would gamers want another Star Trek game? We remember the last Star Trek game on the Xbox 360 the graphics were a joke.

The new Star Trek Online will let gamers take the role as a starship captain for The Klingons or the Federation. The fun starts when you can train a crew, recruit new members and customize your ship before entering space battles.

As a Star Trek fan, this game will be hard to resist. It will be set in a time after all existing Star Trek TV shows and movies.

There will be a fight over publishing Star Trek Online because publishers know this is a guaranteed earner of a game.

If you want to see a gameplay video then you can by visiting Las Vegas on August 10 for the annual Star Trek convention.

Source: PS3 Daily

Nintendo Wii Hard Drive: More space for Virtual Console & WiiWare

The Nintendo Wii may not have the online features that the Sony PS3 and Xbox 360 had from the start but it does offer excellent interactivity that the other next-generation games systems do not.

The PS3 had a bigger hard drive than the Xbox 360 at launch, but the Nintendo Wii’s internal space and SD card options are laughable. Although to be fair, hard drive space was never a factor with the Wii.

Now days, Wii gaming is very different and a hard drive is needed. Wii Gamers need more space for Virtual Console and WiiWare. Nintendo know this and has said it’s “working to find a solution”.

Virtual Console has over 200 games in Europe and WiiWare games are getting larger. The 512MB of internal space and supported 2GB SD cards will not do.

There is a sense of urgency to solve the Nintendo Wii storage problem. Are you affected by a lack of hard drive space on the Nintendo Wii and what solution would you like to see?

Read more Nintendo Wii news here.

COD4 and Civilization No Sony PS3 trophies: How do you feel?

Sony PS3 gamers should be prepared for disappointment when it comes to PS3 Trophies and some of their favorite games. COD4 and Civilization will not get trophy support thanks to 2K stating they will not be adding trophy support to their existing games.

Things were a little confusing when we saw PS3 Trophies appear on our Playstation 3’s. First we were told every game would eventually feature Trophies, until Sony revised that remark.

Now it’s clear that all NEW games will get trophy support in the future.

Some older games will get support for the new achievement system. But with many game developers having no plans for previous games to get PS3 Trophies, how do you feel?

2K Games and Infinity Ward both released statements confirming they have no plans to add Trophies to Civilization Revolution or Call of Duty 4. This is not good news for fans of those games.

We love playing COD4 and with the next game set in WWII, many gamers will still play COD 4 for months to come. Sadly with no support for PS3 Trophies.

Read more PlayStation 3 news here.

Comcast and Tiscali share BitTorrent and gaming problem

Comcast Corp the Cable TV giant’s and Internet service provider are doing wrong to customers; they have been accused of wrongly slowing down some of its customers Internet traffic.

Looking at the latest news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will rule that Comcast has violated federal policy by deliberately preventing some customers from file-sharing. For example, sharing videos online via file-sharing services like BitTorrent, the company has acknowledged it slowed some traffic. But they said it was necessary so they could prevent a few heavy users from overburdening its network.

The ruling is expected Friday, the FCC decision will no doubt be challenged in court. Comcast being accused of blocking is a pretty bad thing or at least throttling traffic from subscribers trying to share files through the highly popular BitTorrent peer-to-peer network.

I know many customers in the UK are having the same problems with Internet providers “Tiscali” including myself. I have just cancelled my contract with Tiscali because when I want to play the Playstation 3 online it is nearly impossible to plays multiplayer online games with friends or family on the contacts list.

Basically what these companies are doing is traffic shaping, switching off certain ports. All companies not just Comcast should be looked into and Tiscali should be on top of the list, they may be in breach of contract for exercising port and service blocking. We are all getting blocked from a number of websites and of course my major problem is P2P (peer-to-peer) gaming.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo coming in August for PS3

If are a Star Wars fan like me then you will be waiting for the launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Sony PS3. We have some great news for you, as the game demo will be coming to the PlayStation Network in August.

The demo has been confirmed by LucasArts Marketing Manager, Matt Shell.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo will feature a special version of the Tie Fighter Construction Facility level, which is one part of the game that I have been looking forward too.

PS3 Daily has said that the demo features include the special powers and special ending; this will only be featured in the demo and not in the full game.

To learn more about the demo of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PS3, check out the video below.

Prisoner Ban: No violent PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games

There will be a prisoner ban for those who wish to play on their PlayStation 3’s and Xbox 360’s. Prisoners who wish to play on a games console will have to earn top privileges, but then they will still not be able to play violent games with an 18 rating.

This new directive means that taxpayer’s money is no longer being used to purchase games or consoles for inmates.

PS3 Daily reports that the government has admitted to spending over £10,000 on 80 PS3 consoles and 15 Xbox 360’s, for a young offender institutions. The Government said that they had purchased these consoles, as they would stop prisoners getting depressed as they spend so long in their cells.

Correct me if I am wrong, I thought that that was the whole idea of going to prison. The people in prison are there for doing a crime, so why should they get privileges. There are thousands of people who work hard, and they can’t even afford to purchase a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360.

This decision has come after a public outage, after pictures were shown of Soham killer Ian Huntley, playing on a PlayStation.

Xbox 360 Limited Edition Red Wireless Controller

The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller now comes in red, with newly designed black accents. Experience wireless gaming from up to 30 feet and enjoy nonstop play with the included Play and Charge cable and red rechargeable battery.

The LE Wireless Controller features: a red finish with newly designed black accents, new left and right shoulder buttons are designed for ease of use, adjustable vibration feedback for longer battery life and an integrated headset port for Xbox Live play.

Other features include: use up to four controllers simultaneously on one console, 2.4GHz wireless technology with 30-foot range, bundled with a Play & Charge Cable and matching red rechargeable battery pack. You can use the Xbox 360 Guide button to keep track of your friends, access your games and media, or power on and off your Xbox 360 console.

Microsoft is releasing the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Red Wireless Controller on 9/30/2008 for around $64.99.