Game Centre was announced by Steve Jobs back in April and next week it looks like it will finally be released as part of apple’s iOS 4.1 iPhone update. The service will launch on the iPad in November as part of apple’s iOS 4.2 OS update.
Game Centre seems kind of silly to me, third party developers have created systems that already offer every feature Game Centre does. Having one format that links all games together would be pretty useful though. However developers are going to have to go back and integrate this feature into already released games and that could take awhile.
It will ad a persistent screen name, enhanced multiplayer functionality “whatever that means,” score comparisons and most importantly it will allow you to see other games related to the one you are currently playing – that way you can purchase even more iPhone apps!
Or you could just Jailbreak your phone, use Installous and avoid shelling out any money but that would be highly illegal. I’m still waiting for Apple to fix the multitasking from their last update, I really don’t need every application I open running in the background of my phone destroying my battery life.
Looks like the rumors circulating earlier today are true, Microsoft is releasing an Xbox 360 controller with a redesigned D-pad. People have complaining about the original D-pads shoddy accuracy and cheap feel for years now. Controller redesigns aren’t anything new for Microsoft, remember the old school original Xbox fat controller and then the slimmed down more 360-like type-s controller? All though the rotating D-pad concept sounds like a good idea. I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to get this controller, I don’t really play a lot of fighting games so I rarely touch my D-pad anyways.
Check our Microsoft’s press release below:
This November, Xbox 360 owners will be able to alter their controller with the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller with Play & Charge Kit – with Transforming D-pad. The matte silver controller contains a transforming directional pad that provides ultimate accuracy and control for both directional as well as sweeping movements. The Xbox 360 Wireless Controller with Transforming D-pad comes complete with a Play and Charge kit for $64.99 (U.S. ERP) and will ship to retailers beginning Nov. 9.
Select the traditional plus for distinct cardinal direction movement in games like “Halo: Reach” to change weapons and perform complicated combinations and deadly finishing moves in “Street Fighter” games, or rotate the D-pad to the disc format for sweeping motions in games such as “Pro Evolution Soccer 2011.” Choose your favorite controller set-up and experience unrivaled precision for all Xbox 360 games.
The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller is taken to the next level with a unique and premium button design, a matte silver color with grey A, B, X, Y buttons and comfortable, concave analog sticks. The Play & Charge Kit includes a charging cable and rechargeable battery pack for uninterrupted gameplay and up to 25 hours of play per charge.
Here is a video of Major Nelson showing of the new controller and explaining its features. Come to think of it I might just end up getting this controller, my rabbit did eat one of my joysticks awhile ago.
Xbox live subscriptions are finally receiving a price hike. According to a post on Major Nelson’s blog Xbox Live will now cost $59.99 rather than the current price of $49.99. One month subscriptions will be $9.99, a jump up from the old price of $7.99 and three months will rise from $19.99 to $24.99.
The price of a subscription in the U.K will jump from 4.99 GPB to 5.99 GPB a month, Canadian subscriptions will now be $9.99 and Mexicans will now have to pay 599 Pesos instead of 499.
I guess a price hike is long over due, the price has been the same for 8 years now but that doesn’t mean I want to pay money for a service that should probably be free. Although I do get what I pay for, Xbox Live is great and has improved every year that I’ve subscribed to it.
At least my money is going to good use. Let us know what you think about this new price hike in the comments section.
The other day me and a few friends went to downtown Toronto hoping to play some Halo: Reach. We thought Microsoft was running a publicity event on the 26th but I got the dates wrong it was actually supposed to happen on the 4th. Apparently something did happen on the 26th, although I haven’t been able to find any information about what Halo related event actually occurred.
We did find this cool pedestal that looks very Halo 1 esque. I took a few shots of it with my iphone but lost them when I had to restore it – thanks for making me loose my connection again Telus, you will never defeat my Jailbreak. Anyways by the time we got to the location it was pouring rain and nothing was going on anymore. I heard through twitter that Microsoft PR reps we’re handing some sort of free item out earlier in the day though. The scary looking woman that does the new Canadian Xbox news broadcasts keeps mentioning new information about these launch events as well – she’s hideous though, Canadian gamers should avoid having to look at her at all costs.
Here is a picture of this strange object, apparently there is also one located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are both part of a Microsoft publicity campaign for Halo: Reach. Here is the official link to the event’s web page. If your in the greater Toronto area come down to 306 Queen St. West between 4 and 10 p.m. and apparently you can try out Reach a few days before it is officially released.
Although… people already seem to be playing Halo: Reach through illegal means.
I’ve never been one for Indie games, or arcade games for that matter but recently I’ve branched out slightly from the big releases that most gamers purchase and have begun to experience the indie world. So far it seems alright.
In smiley smasher you, guess what, smash some smileys. As simple as that sounds it actually proved to be a challenging game at times. You start as a small yellow ‘cool’ smiley (the one that wears sunglasses) and your goal is to explode and hit the other smileys that are flying around the level. Once exploded smaller smileys fly out in different directions in an attempt to hit other smileys; if done correctly a chain reaction will ensue until the target amount of smileys have been exploded. As the game progresses different smileys are intoduced, all of which explode in different ways. An example of this is the “Alien Smiley” that exploded in an outwards spiral or the “Emo Smiley” which made little attempt to do anything.
If you missed the news in the Weekly Update, (scroll down to the section with the orange block of game UI), players of classic Bungie games get a head start on making their Reach lobby appearance shiny by unlocking some special nameplate images.
Two of these need a few extra clicks on your part to become active, so we’re letting you get started now – Halo 1 for PC/Mac, and Marathon 2: Durandal for XBLA. To unlock these emblems:
Microsoft are now banning people who are hopping online to play their newly downloaded copy of Halo:Reach. If you are in possession of an illegal copy of Halo:Reach, please plug in your ethernet cables and go online so you can be rightly punished. Read the Full Article
Could this in-game hack ruin Halo: Reach’s online gameplay? A user on Game-Tuts.com has managed to give himself 2137504256 credits to purchase items in the armory.
Game Judgment is not condoning what these guys have done but we have been following this story rather closely since the whole fiasco began. Apparently hackers have managed to trick Microsoft’s servers into letting them download a copy of Halo: Reach, they’ve been periodically posting videos of game play ever since. They didn’t even have to pay the $1250 or scrounge together 99999 MS points to get the game.
