According to Kotaku.com, it has been officially announced that a third development team will be working on the franchise. This could be just another team to take the load off of Infinity Ward and Treyarch, who have been taking turns releasing a game every year. This gives them only two years to develop a whole new game, and while they have done good so far, it would not be unwise to give them an extra year in the cycle by adding a new developer to the mix.

But a new team could also be used to take the property in a new direction. It has also been reported that Activision is considering taking the franchise into the MMO setting as well. Could this new team be working on an online world? It is possible, especially if Activision thinks it will make a profit on it, which wouldn’t surprise me with the following they have gotten.

That being said, I don’t see the need for an MMO. The online features of Modern Warfare 2 seem adequate at the least, and excellent at the best. I don’t see a new online game with its own fees and everything being much more than the current system reworked a bit with a few new gimmicks. So here is to hoping that whatever they decide to do, they don’t try to milk us for money without giving us something brand new.

So you downloaded the newest update for your PSP and now you can see a new category on your XMB labeled Extras and underneath that it has a subcategory Digital Comics.  So what is this new service and what does it do?  The new Digital Comics will delivery comics straight to our PSP’s from the Digital Comic Store, but Sony will not start offering comics for sale until next month, but until then they have given out some free codes for people to checkout.  Here are the four free codes given out to American users and instructions on how to redeem the codes:

Instructions for redeeming Promotion Codes on your PSP® system

1. Open an account on PlayStation®Network (“PSN”), or use an existing account.
2. From the PlayStation®Network icon on the Xross Media Bar, select ‘Account Management’.
3. Select ‘Redeem Codes’.
4. Enter Promotion Code EC2N-9HBR-HJD6. Please note that the Promotion Code is case-sensitive and must be entered exactly as displayed.
5. Once you have entered the Promotion Code correctly, click ‘Continue.’ Once you affirm your acceptance of the PSN Terms of Service and User Agreement and any Terms pertaining to this promotion by hitting, “continue”, you will be taken to the download screen.

EC2N-9HBR-HJD6 – Transformers: All Hail Megatron #1
724K-A4BG-JLD7 – Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment #1 (by DC Fontana!)
63N8-R2BF-9E4D – Aleister Arcane #1
FF3N-H7B6-M2JF – Astro Boy: Movie Adaptation #1 (not by Osamu Tezuka, but I still liked the movie!)

I have downloaded the comics and was surprised by the use of the new feature.  The new feature will also allow you to play your music you have stored on your PSP while you are viewing your comics.  The Digital Comic feature is a must have for the comic fan on the go, what a better way to get your comic fix without worry about your favorite issue getting destroyed on the bus or the train.  So go check it out, it is free so you don’t have anything to lose.

*NOTE* This is not a picture of Nathan as we really don’t know what he looks like so we can only assume.

I am Nathan Hardisty and I still don’t know how I got this job. I’m an Englishman, not totally proud of that, and I’m probably the youngest at the site. I was born the 14th September 1994 and I’m only a measly 15 year old.

I’ve been playing games since I was 4 years old, and my first title was Crash Bandicoot back on the PlayStation. I was awful at it and did a baby whine every time I died but I was already hooked. I began flying through the huge catalogue of PS1 classics. From Metal Gear to Blasto – a game so bad that I thought it was good.

But there was one game that has grown up alongside me, a whole franchise that is now a pop culture icon in its own right. Grand Theft Auto. Yes I was eight years old at the time and you could call it bad parenting, but when that thing landed in my disc drive, I was in love. I’ve followed GTA ever since and although we’ve both had our ups and downs, it still holds a precious place in my heart.

The PS2/Xbox was just releasing and I decided to just get a PS2, seeing no point in trying to stretch my hands around the mammoth Xbox controller. My first PS2 game was that awful Crash Bandicoot title, it left quite and impression.

A series called Hitman came along and changed my perspective on video-games as a whole, and as I started to discuss games in the classroom, the little blogger inside me took to it. I was starting to formulate debates and arguments on why games were bad or good, I even started reading some of the gaming magazines around. It was too tame for my liking and I needed something meaty.

Nothing changed after that, except that my “best game of all time” came along (Shadow of the Colossus) and when I hit the age of twelve I decided to start writing down my ideas about video-games. I put them all into a blog called The Purple View, and didn’t really move from my safe spot of thirty readers until around a year later. I moved around various sites, PS3 forums and even invested some of my time into crafting fiction and even getting hooked on the world of politics.

Platform Nation posted an ad on the PlayStation Blog Twitter page and I just went for it, nothing else to lose, the fansites and such I had been on had all collapsed and so I put all my heart and effort into getting in. When I did get in, I was running around like a headless chicken, I started writing about everything and anything and eventually settled on something.

Games that nobody plays anymore.

It was easy and fun to do, to go back and play the games from years back. Some of my opinions were widely despised but I didn’t care, they’re my thoughts and they’re on the internet. I official abandoned The Purple View when I joined the site, but I have no regrets.

So yeah, that’s me.

Thanks Nathan for the bio!

Here’s Nathans Twitter link and his Xbox 360 gamertag.

Modern Warfare 2.

This week, following the release of what may be the fastest selling game of all time we take a deeper look into Modern Warfare 2.

You all know what it is, so we focus on the details and the sparking controversy surrounding its release, but also the mechanics of the game and its strengths as well as its flaws. This is a candid and unflinching look at a title that follows a tried and tested formula and despite the slick delivery, there are definitely some sore points worth talking about.

The last section is a clearly flagged spoiler zone filled with plot details so make sure you’ve completed the main campaign before you finish listening.

In this episode, we talk about Modern Warfare 2, the October NPD Numbers, Activision’s Plans for Future Hero Games, Dead Space 2 Multiplayer, We Answer Your Listener Mail and More!

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Format:
91:36, 63.0 MB, MP3

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Heading back to Rapture is coming to us pretty fast as BioShock 2 is set to release February 9th 2010.

With all big release nowadays it seems we have our share of Collectors Edition to chose from and BioShock 2 will not be left out as the BioShock 2 Collectors Edition has been revealed and may include somethings the younglings may not what they are or what they do.  First find below what will be included in the Collectors Edition:

• BioShock 2
• Vinyl 180g LP featuring the orchestral score from the original BioShock
• CD containing the BioShock 2 orchestral score
• A 164 page 8″x11″ hardbound artbook chock full of developer commentary
• Three posters featuring vintage ads from Rapture (rolled)

Not that great of a Collectors Edition if you ask me.  The prices for the Collectors Edition do vary.  The PC version will set you back $89.99 and the PS3 and the Xbox 360 edition will set you back $99.99.  Now for the explanation I promised.  You may see the second item and say to yourself what is a vinyl 180g LP?  Well a long long time ago that is what music was recorded on and required the use of a phonograph or more commonly called a record player to play said recorded music.

All kidding aside unless you are a hardcore fan of BioShock I really don’t see the sense of this Collectors Edition.  For the extra $40 I would like to see something a little more than a book and some posters thrown in for good measure.  Sure it has the CD for the orchestral score, but you will probably be able to download that from your favorite music download site for next to nothing, if you where even interested in such a thing.

DOIN’ LINKS AND SHIT

Uncharted 2

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Borderlands

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Mafia Wars

EA closing down Pandemic studios

“Error” on Blizzard’s website had Panda pet listed as sold out one week after store opened

Modern Warfare 2 sold 4.7 million copies day 1 between US and UK; previous record was 3.6 million for GTAIV

MW2 earned 550 million in its first 5 days

PS3 3.10 patch adding Facebook integration

October NPDs

Man kidnapped and made to buy abductors a PS3, then let go

Bioshock 2 special edition announced, $99

Modern Warfare 2 “No Russian” level removed in Russia

Atlus publishing 3d Dot Heroes 5/11 in NA

2 million users simultaneously on Live the night of MW2’s release

FINAL FANTASY XIII RELEASING 3/9/10 IN US!!!!!!

www.catsforgold.com

Listener mail only makes the hive mind stronger…. but at least it gives us something to do during the awkward silences.  podcast@someothercastle.com!

This week Streaming Colour Studios announced a fun and creative contest to promote the impending release of their next Apple iPhone & iTouch game, Monkeys in Space: Escape to Banana Base Alpha. To build excitement for the game, Streaming Colours has launched a Moneys in Space Diorama Contest.

Winners will receive various prizes including Monkeys in Space: Escape to Banana Base Alpha t-shirts, iTunes gift cards, and downloads of the game.   Entries will posted on the Contest Entries Page.   The rules are fairly simple, but act now because the contest ends on November 29, 2009:

• Create a Monkeys in Space: Escape to Banana Base Alpha-themed diorama
• Use anything you want to make it: cardboard, markers, popsicle sticks, stuffed monkeys, yarn, pencils, paper, glue, pennies, anything at all! (BUT: it must be real…that is, not digital)
• Include the text “Monkeys in Space: Escape to Banana Base Alpha” somewhere in the diorama
• Take a photo of the diorama when it’s done (max size: 1024 x 768, JPG format)
• Email it to: contest@streamingcolour.com along with your full name
• Entries will be added to the Contest Entries Page until the contest closes (11:59pm EST, Sunday, November 29, 2009)
• A panel of judges will select their favorites and award the prizes!

For more information about the contest head to Streaming Colour Studios’ contest page.

Full Disclosure: The Married Gamers received Dapple, another Streaming Colour Studio game for the purposes of review and evaluation. Also, my wife and podcast host, Kelly Brown, has an unnatural love for monkeys and will force me to purchase this game when it releases.

For the dedicated gamers who know their stuff this article is not necessarily for you,though you may still enjoy it. Rather I suggest you print this article out and place it in a well lit area where your mom, grandma, or great aunt frequent to be sure that you get exactly what you want or need this holiday season.

 Everything you need to know when purchasing a Nintendo Wii

Rule #1:  The system doesn’t require anything hot pink to run.  I know this may seem odd considering that when you venture down the aisle you are visually assaulted by accessories in every shape or color but unless the person you are shopping for is under the age of ten, steer clear.

Rule #2: Black Friday is one of the only exceptions of a time when you can get well known games for under 15$.  If you are shopping on any other day besides November 27^th and see a bargain title there is an 89% chance that the game is 100% awful.

Rule #3: The Nintendo Wii may seem like the system for everyone but you must keep in mind who you are purchasing for.  If your grandson has been talking about wanting a video game console but would rather scream from the couch for chocolate milk then get up and go to the fridge himself then this is not the system for him.  You may think, oh sure, Johnny could really use the exercise, which may be true, but I promise you, your $200 investment will quickly become an overpriced dusty paperweight faster than you can say “childhood obesity”.

The ins and outs of PlayStation purchases

Fact #1:  There are many choices when it comes to Sony products but if you are at all concerned about your reputation in the eyes of the gift recipient you have to make sure you are staying up to date.  For every PlayStation 3  there are hundreds of PlayStation 2’s.  They are so readily available because they are outdated.  If you can’t resist the low low prices and decide to wrap one up just be prepared for loads of fake smiles and/or passive aggressive thank you cards.

Fact #2:  If you are shopping for strictly games it is important to remember that age old rule of not judging a game by its cover.   That is how that saying goes right?  There is a long history of awesomely bad cover art for sometimes decent games as can be seen here.  The same can be said for beautiful cover art, an amazing flop may be lurking inside.  If you find yourself in the position where you need to choose between two titles, don’t be afraid to ask the guy perusing the shelves next to you, he may know more than his long dreadlocks may lead you to believe.

Fact#3: One of Playstation 3’s greatest claims to fame would be the built in Blu-ray player.  If this is the console you end up choosing make sure to throw in a Blu-ray movie or two because due to the high prices there is a pretty good chance that they will be the only ones they ever own.  That is until The Star Wars Trilogies finally become available.

The layman’s guide to buying an Xbox 360

Option #1: There are many different versions of the popular Xbox console and I have made it my job to help you wade through the sea of choices.  Your first and cheapest option would be the Xbox Arcade at $199.   It is indeed a great deal but despite the word arcade in the title this option comes with only the bare minimum unless otherwise advertised.  Originally xbox.com stated that this version came with 5 arcade titles right out of the box but the site has been changed to say “family settings”, because we all know what kids are asking for this year, restrictions.

Option #2: If you really want to ensure Christmas cards and birthday visits well throughout your silver years you can splurge and purchase an Xbox limited edition console  that comes with two wireless controllers and the most popular game of all time, Modern Warfare 2 or an Xbox Elite  which is the slightly less cool option but also $100 cheaper. A small price to pay to avoid years of loneliness.

Option #3:  Buying a used or refurbished Xbox is also an option but buyer beware, recently Microsoft banned a rumored one million systems for the use of pirated software.  What this means is, even if you are savvy enough to seek out great deals on the worlds largest garage sale, also known as Craigslist, the swarms of overly cheap consoles are not the deal they appear.  Any system advertised as modded should warrant an immediate red flag as these systems will never be able to connect the user to Xbox live, one of the console’s biggest selling points.  Be sure to buy used consoles only from trusted sources such as credited retailers or family members.  If you get swindled by shifty neighbor kid well then that’s your own fault.

So get out there and beat those frantic crowds this season!   It may mean you have to pull an all nighter for door buster deals but all those adolescent kids waiting in line around you will look at you in astonishment as they call up their grandmas and ask them why the heck they aren’t that cool.  When the doors finally open be sure to keep those arms swinging and keep your eyes on the prize.

Happy Shopping!

Name: Michael Hudec

Age: 23

About Me: Born in California but raised in Minnesota, Mike is a bit of a mystery. As a student of Bemidji State University, he is attempting to obtain a degree in Design Technology (that’s basically a glorified graphic design artist, if you didn’t know).

When he isn’t swamped by his various projects, Mike works for the DNR, writes for the awesome website that is Platform Nation (shameless plug), relaxes with his beautiful girlfriend, Tara (we’re engaged to be engaged), and partakes in various forms of entertainment–including gaming (obviously), watching movies (Fight Club, The Lord of the Rings, zombie flicks, etc.), and reading (fantasy, horror, and thrillers). Oh yeah, and he also enjoys referring to himself in the third person.

Games I Enjoy: I’m kind of all over the map. Back in ‘98–I was 12, mind you–I sold my NES and SNES to pay for my PlayStation. With that I purchased Resident Evil 2. That turned me into a Survival-Horror lover. Because of that, you’ll see me playing the Resident Evil series, the Silent Hill games, Dead Space, etc. On top of that, I’m a FPS fan, playing games like Halo and Call of Duty; an action gamer with games like God of War, Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, and Grand Theft Auto; and an RPG enthusiast who dabbles in the Final Fantasy franchise. And even with all of these categories/games, don’t think that’s everything; the list goes on. If it intrigues me, I’ll play it.

Bringing It Home: All in all, I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m a huge geek. I’m passionate about the things I enjoy, and I love sharing my passions with others. I love meeting new people and, although life has been hectic as of late, I’m always trying to squeeze in a little game time. Feel free to look me up on any of the following:

My XBL GT and PSN ID are both dolenraug, my Facebook is www.facebook.com/michaelhudec, and my Twitter is www.twitter.com/asinyne.

Nice Bio Mike and sorry you had to sell your NES and SNES to pay for your PlayStation.  I still like to plug in my SNES and get a little old school gaming on. Thanks again!