Apple release iPhone Firmware 2.2

Improved Safari performance, podcast support, and more.

November 21, 2008 - The highly anticipated 2.2 update for iPhone and iPod Touch launched late Thursday night, bringing a wealth of major additions and bug fixes to users. The update is a meaty 250 MB and contains the following new features and updates.

Safari
With the 2.2 update, Apple set out to improve the "stability and performance" of the Safari web browser. In addition, the interface itself has seen a quick redesign so that the URL and search boxes appear on the same line, clearing up some of the clutter. The http:// preface of the current URL has also been hidden.

Podcast
One of the most sought after addition users have been eagerly waiting to be included in a update, the ability to download podcasts directly to their iPhone with connecting to a computer that was running iTunes, was finally included with last night's package. Functionally similar to purchasing music, except of course that all podcasts are free, the new podcast support sends all downloaded content to your podcast list in the iPod app on the iPhone, finally creating a streamlined method for obtaining some of the best free content the web has to offer.

Maps
Overall, the Maps app appears to have received the largest upgrade, such as support for Goggle Street View, the cool Google function that enables you to see real photos of various locations that also contain map data. An orange icon alerts users if a Map search location has the Street View option. Simply tap the orange icon and you are immediately taken to panoramic views of the area. Keep in mind though that Street View only works in landscape orientation with your phone.

Additional features added that were previously only available on the Goggle's map website include additional transportation directions. When in Directions mode you'll now find three options at the top of the screen to choose from: driving directions, transit directions, and walking directions. Tap any of the buttons to see all your available methods of getting to where you need to go.

Other New Stuff
On top of software improvements, 2.2 also brings changes to the iPhone's telephone functionality. Apple claims that the update should bring a dramatic decrease in "call set-up failures", which are the times when you attempted to call someone and get a "Call Failed" message, which personally I've experience way more than I would like, so this is definitely a welcomed addition.

Time saving in app navigation has seen a small boost, as now the home button will return you to your first page of apps regardless of what page your on. It's a very minor addition, but again adds to overall iPhone efficiency. Perfect typists can also now choose to turn off the auto-correct function so that you can be in full control of your sentences.

Wrapping up 2.2 are some very small Easter eggs, including being asked to rate a app upon deletion, the ability to view multiple screen shots for apps in the App Store, and also the opportunity to view previews of screen shots in iPhoto, which originally appeared as just blank images until they were imported.

Haven't grabbed the 2.2 update yet? Just plug in your iPhone/Touch into your iTunes preferred computer and click the "Check for Updates" button, and enjoy the new features.

Source : www.ign.com

PSP-3000 Entertainment Pack Cancelled

October 27, 2008 - Way, way back in August, Sony announced plans to bring two PSP-3000 bundles to the United States. One was the Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Entertainment Pack that's on store shelves as you read this. The other was the 4GB Entertainment Pack that featured a voucher for Everyday Shooter, a Piano Black system, and -- you guessed it -- a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo.

This evening, Sony Computer Entertainment America Director of Hardware Marketing John Koller announced on the PlayStation Blog that the 4GB bundle is no more.

"Based on ongoing discussions with our retail partners and the feedback they have received from their customers, SCEA has seen significant interest in the Ratchet & Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack in North America, which includes the updated PSP-3000," Koller wrote. "As a result, we will be streamlining our PSP hardware lineup and will no longer be offering the previously announced 4GB Memory PSP Entertainment Pack."

If you want the bigger stick, you can pick it up on its own from any number of fine retailers, and if you're in the market for a Piano Black PSP-3000, Koller wrote that the standalone unit should be available in December.

source : www.ign.com

NBA 2K9 Announced for PC

NBA 2K9 is coming to the PC, publisher 2K Sports announced in an official statement. While NBA 2K9 is the tenth iteration in the series, it will mark the first NBA 2K installment for the PC.

"We are excited about the growing popularity of basketball and are eager to get NBA 2K9 in the hands of PC fans," said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of sports development at 2K. He added, "The PC version will please even the most dedicated basketball fans with the same level of quality simulation we've become known for in the console versions of the NBA 2K franchise."

The NBA 2K series is highly regarded for its realistic approach to basketball games. PC gamers can get their hands on NBA 2K9 when it release on October 21.

source : www.ign.com

Sony Brings New PS3 Bundles to Japan

One of Sony's big Tokyo Game Show announcements has leaked out early through Famitsu. Sony will be releasing the 80 gigabyte PS3 model to Japan, the magazine reveals in its latest issue. Bundled with a Dual Shock 3, the new high capacity model will sell for 39,800 yen, the current price of the 40 gigabyte model. Sony will offer the system in black, white, and silver color varieties.

The deal gets better, though, as for a limted time, Sony will be including Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III with the system, turning this into an effective 4,500 yen price drop for those who were interested in buying the racer anyway.

Spec III, which became available as an online update late last week for current Prologue owners, will also see its very own full release in Japan. GT5 Prologue Spec III will be released in Blu-ray disc and downloadable form on October 30, costing, respectively, 4,980 and 4,500 yen. These are the same prices as the current rev of Prologue.

In other PS3 bundle news, Sony will be bundling the 80 gigabyte model with two Dual Shocks and a copy of LittleBigPlanet as part of the "PlayStation 3 LittleBigPlanet Dream Box." This bundle, which comes in a special box featuring artwork of Sack Boy, will sell for 44,980 yen. Black, white, and silver models will also be on offer.

Sony is also planning on pushing LittleBigPlanet through a DualShock 3 bundle. A copy of the game will be bundled with a DualShock 3 at 7,980 yen, representing a savings of some 3,500 yen over buying the products separately. The controller bundles will also be available in black, white, and silver varieties.

Those who just want LittleBigPlanet on its own have a bonus item to look forward to as well. Sony will include a code with first print copies of the game that can be exchanged for a Piposaru costume for Sack Boy. Poposaru is the name of the brainwashed monkeys from the Ape Escape series.

All this bundle news applies only to Japan at the moment.

source : www.ign.com

Welcome Ronaldinho Gaucho

Ronaldinho in San Siro.

Ronaldinho agrees Milan deal

Ronaldinho has agreed initial terms with AC Milan and the Serie A club will now speak to Barcelona about a deal, Milan and the player's agent have said.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has had a difficult few months at the Camp Nou because of injury and loss of form and a move has long been mooted. The forward is out for the rest of the campaign with a leg injury and a transfer can not officially go through until the end of the season.

"In general Ronaldinho and Milan are in agreement," his agent and brother Roberto de Assis was quoted as saying on the Gazzetta dello Sport website on Saturday. The Gazzetta said a deal up to 2012 worth eight million euros ($12.6 million) a year was in the pipeline with a few clauses to be agreed.

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said: "There is a general agreement with the player. Now a deal has to be reached with Barcelona. Give us time."

Former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff, who remains an influential figure at the club, said Ronaldinho should leave at the end of the season.

"If things aren't working out and one person doesn't want to stay and the others don't want him then it is the best solution," the Dutchman told reporters on Saturday. 

Spanish and Italian media reports have speculated about a transfer fee of between 20 and 30 million euros while some newspapers have talked about Ronaldinho buying up the rest of his contract at Barca. Milan are fifth in Serie A and in danger of missing next year's UEFA Champions League after a poor season. They were dumped out of this year's Champions League as holders by Arsenal in the first knockout round.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have struggled to score and create goals with Brazilian Ronaldo playing just a handful of games before being ruled out long term with a knee injury. Fellow striker Alberto Gilardino has been lacklustre and world player of the year Kaka has been far from his best.

Despite Milan's troubles, Ancelotti has been assured of his job next term.

source : www.fifa.com

Spain Clinch Semi Final Spot

Spain reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008 after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over world champions Italy at the Ernst-Happel Stadium on Sunday.

Iker Casillas saved spot-kicks from Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale after a goalless 120 minutes before Cesc Fabregas slid the winning penalty past Gianluigi Buffon.

Casillas, who had kept his side on level terms with a fine save with his feet from Mauro Camoranesi, helped Spain end a string of three straight penalty shoot-out defeats on June 22 in major tournaments - in the 1986 World Cup, Euro 96 and the 2002 World Cup.

Luis Aragones' men now take on surprise package Russia on Thursday in Vienna.

Aragones praised Spain's attitude after the match.

"I would like to congratulate first of all my players for their remarkable behaviour and maintaining their morale during the match," said the 69-year-old.

"It was very difficult because the Italians closed down all the spaces, which made it difficult to play our natural game."


Arsenal midfielder Fabregas was delighted after the game and admitted the players owed it to themselves and their fans after so often falling at the quarter-final stages.

"This is wonderful, it is impossible to find the words to express such an emotion," said Fabregas.

"We are just simply delighted. This is an important victory for this young side. We have been waiting for this for a long time."

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni was understandably disappointed after seeing his side crash out of the tournament.


"Clearly losing on penalties after working so hard doesn't leave us happy," said Donadoni.

"We all spent a lot of energy. You've got to recall those who didn't play tonight. They've got to be the most disappointed, and I'm sorry for them."

Donadoni denied suggestions his side played negatively throughout the game saying he was happy with the contribution of his forwards.

"The forwards did their jobs," Donadoni added. "Even though they didn't score goals, they did some positive things."

source : www.sportinglife.com

MGS4, PS3 Tops in Japan

A rare one-two punch for the PlayStation 3 in its home territory this week as Media Create reports that Metal Gear Solid 4 and the PlayStation 3 hardware topped their respective charts for the week covering June 9 to June 15.

According to the tracking firm, MGS4 sold 464,926 units in its first week. This figure mirrors numbers that were handed out earlier in the week by rival tracking firm Enterbrain.

Media Create also noted that MGS4 is now the number one selling PS3 title of all time in Japan. The previous record holder was Minna no Golf 5 (Hot Shots Golf) which has managed to sell 437,000 units over its lifetime.

Following MGS4, the software chart was a mix of old and new. Mario Kart Wii placed second this week with 38,430 units. Following it were Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii, 36,835 units), Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3 (Konami, PSP, 27,260) and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Konami, PSP, 26,280). A new title came in at sixth place as D3 Publisher's Evangelion-themed DS pachinko game, Evangelion Shito Futatabi, sold 21,899 units in its first week. The top ten closed off with Dragon Ball Z (PS3, Bandai Namco, 18,262), DS Bimoji Training (Nintendo, DS, 17,274), DS Misa Yamamura Suspense (Tecmo, DS, 17,191) and Fuurai no Shiren 3 (Sega, Wii, 13,553).

With MGS4 selling so many copies, it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that the PS3 hardware got quite the boost. PS3 was the number one selling system this week with 75,311 units, besting even the mighty PSP's 64,675.

The remaining hardware stayed in order: Wii at 45,564, DS Lite at 39,201, PS2 at 7,297, and Xbox 360 at 2,163.

source : www.ign.com

Alone in the Dark PC Requirements

Atari has stated its single-player adventure game Alone in the Dark will require an Internet connection for activation. Alone in the Dark will use SecuROM copy protection, making players download a one-time online component before they fully install the game. Afterwards, players will be able to play the game offline. An Internet connection isn't the only thing you will need to play the game; Atari has released minimum technical specifications for the PC version:

Operating System: Windows XP/Vista 32-bit & 64-bit
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz or Athlon X2 +3800 (Intel Pentium 4 3.4 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +4000 recommended)
Memory: 1 GB RAM (2GB recommended)
Hard Disk Space: 9.5 GB free
DVD-ROM Drive: 4X speed or faster
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or ATI Radeon X1950 or better (NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX or ATI Radeon X1950 XTX or better recommended)
Sound: DirectX version 9.0c-compatible sound card
DirectX: DirectX version 9.0c (included) or higher

source : www.ign.com

London Games Festival Announced

Following two successful previous outings the London Games Festival is back, with this year's event promising to be the biggest yet and scheduled to take place the week commencing October 25.

"Last year's London Games Festival was a huge success," said Chairman of the London Games Festival Keith Ramsdale. "We've got plenty in store for 2008 and a whole host of major partners lined up with full support from the industry. We're really looking forward to bringing the gaming industry to life in the capital again."

Expect the return of large-scale events in both Leicester and Trafalgar Square, as well as the return of the Careers Fair for those keen to find their way into the industry. We'll have the full details of this year's festivities as soon as they're announced, so check back for the full run-down on the capital's biggest gaming event.

source : www.ign.com

Guitar Hero 4 Drums Shown

The newest issue of Game Informer Magazine apparently has pictures of the drum kit destined to ship with the upcoming Guitar Hero IV. As previously rumored, the GH4 drums will add cymbal pads to the package to one-up (and make incompatible) the Rock Band drum kit.

From the looks of the scanned magazine page, the drums will in fact have just one more pad than the Rock Band drums, arrayed in three main drums and two cymbal pads in addition to a kick pedal. We'd call this something of a bummer, as we're not terribly keen on having two hard-to-store drum kits kicking around the house.

source : www.ign.com

Flamini Bids Farewell to Gunners

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must plan for life next season without Mathieu Flamini.

The 24-year-old midfielder completed his move to AC Milan on Monday, agreeing a four-year contract with the Italian club.

Flamini, out of contract at the Emirates Stadium in the summer, underwent a medical and has reached an agreement over personal terms.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani revealed the signing was imminent after his team's 2-1 triumph over Inter in Sunday's derby.

Wenger admitted on Sunday he was not "super-confident" Flamini would still be at Arsenal next season.

Despite the offer of a lucrative new five-year deal - understood to be worth around £55,000-a-week - from the north London club, his head was turned by Milan's interest.

Juventus were also reported to be tracking the France international, who formed a fine partnership with Cesc Fabregas at the heart of the Arsenal team this season having seemed to have been on his way out of the club at the end of the last campaign.

He put in a fine performance at the San Siro as Wenger's team knocked Milan out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage in March.

The former Marseille man will compete for a place in Milan's midfield alongside Brazil star Kaka and Italy trio Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini.

Milan climbed into the final qualifying place for the Champions League on Sunday, leapfrogging Fiorentina who lost 2-1 at Cagliari.

Flamini's last match as an Arsenal player will be Sunday's Barclays Premier League trip to Sunderland, before he officially joins the Milan ranks on July 1.

Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida said: "I have to say Flamini was a player that Ancelotti really wanted and Milan is like a family, where decisions are made jointly."

New Portal Map Pack Offers 40 Levels

Portal: The Flash Version, released shortly after The Orange Box, was a fun quirky side-scroller based on Valve's game of the same name. Much like the original iteration, the flash version allowed players to solve puzzles by shooting orange and blue portals to traverse across seemingly impossible areas. Portal fans might be happy to hear that all 40 flash levels will be playable in the 3D version via a new map pack.

This map pack, created by flash game designer Hen Mazolski, puts players into the role of a different test subject and prefaces the events of the original game.

All 40 levels can be downloaded here. For more information on Portal, check out our review of the game.

source : www.ign.com

Kimi Leads Home Ferrari One-Two

Kimi Raikkonen cruised to victory in a Spanish Grand Prix that was marred by an horrendous accident involving Heikki Kovalainen.

The McLaren driver miraculously suffered nothing more than concussion after ploughing into a tyre wall nose first at 150mph at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

The McLaren driver was eventually airlifted to a nearby hospital with his neck in a brace to undergo a series of precautionary checks.

Raikkonen, meanwhile, led from pole to flag, the eighth successive occasion that has occurred at this track to strengthen his lead at the top of the drivers' standings.

The main concern, though, surrounded Kovalainen who was heading the race on lap 21, although he had yet to pit compared to the leading trio at that stage.

Suddenly, Kovalainen flew off the track at turn nine before burying the front half of his car in a tyre wall.

On-board camera footage showed what appeared to be a part of the car breaking off, which instantly led to the front-left tyre deflating, and with Kovalainen unable to turn out of the smash.

Not only was the safety car immediately deployed, but also the medical car such was the severity of the impact.

When Kovalainen's car was eventually hauled out of the tyres by a tractor, there was nothing left of the front of the McLaren.

Kovalainen at least gave a thumbs-up sign as he was taken away on a stretcher to the track medical centre before being moved to the hospital.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren F1 CEO, remarked: "He banged his head and has concussion, so as a precaution will undergo tests.

"There are no other visible signs of injury, although he says he is aware he has hurt his elbow."

When asked as to what caused the accident, Whitmarsh added: "There was a sudden deflation of his tyre.

"Part of the rim was machined off, potentially by some debris or by something that got lodged inside the wheel.

"Until we get the data back then we don't really know at this stage."

Either side of Kovalainen's accident, it was a race of attrition such was the casualty rate as a spinning Adrian Sutil took the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel out of the race on lap one.

That led to the first introduction of the safety car as marshals cleared debris off the circuit.

The second Toro Rosso of Sebastien Bourdais was bundled off the track on lap six by the Renault of Nelson Piquet who had tried to dive down the inside at turn 10.

Piquet, who had dropped towards the rear of the field due to an earlier spin, retired immediately, and although Bourdais made it back to the pits, his race was also run.

Anthony Davidson then retired after a stone punctured the radiator of his Super Aguri, which was a sad way to exit in what may be his last race if the cash-strapped team are unable to saved from their financial crisis over the next few days.

Rubens Barrichello suffered a collision with the Force India of Giancarlo Fisichella as they exited the pit lane, dislodging the Honda's nose cone.

For an entire lap, and with the safety car on track in the wake of Kovalainen's smash, Barrichello was forced to trundle back to the pits again with the nose lodged under his front-right suspension.

Although the veteran Brazilian was given another new nose, it was clear his car had also suffered further damage as he too retired soon after.

The biggest disappointment for the majority of the 120,00 crowd was the sight of Fernando Alonso's Renault engine blowing on lap 35.

Alonso had started second on the grid, but off the line was unable to defend his position as Massa passed him.

Although he was also predictably running light on fuel, he was on course for a decent points finish as he was running in fifth when he pulled off the track, as did Nico Rosberg in his Williams that also sustained a blown engine.

At the head of affairs it at least proved a close run thing, but on a track where it is notoriously difficult to overtake there was never a chance for the top order to be reversed in any way.

Raikkonen now has a nine-point lead over Hamilton, with BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica a further point back in third after he came home fourth.

Red Bull's Mark Webber was fifth, with Jenson Button picking up Honda's first points of the season in sixth, while Kazuki Nakajima broke his duck for Williams in finishing seventh, followed by the Toyota of Jarno Trulli.

source : www.sportinglife.com

Guinness World Records Eyes Release of Grand Theft Auto IV as a Potential Record Breaking Giant

As part of its continued interest in chronicling the world of video game achievements and accomplishments, Guinness World Records will be closely watching the release of Grand Theft Auto IV as a potential record-breaking phenomenon. Easily one of the most anticipated games of the year and biggest releases in the entertainment industry, the GTA franchise is no stranger to the famed pages of Guinness World Records. Ever since the franchise released its first third-person game with Grand Theft Auto III, the series has been racking up record after record.

First Full "Sandbox" Action-Adventure- GTA III
Biggest Selling Game of 2001- GTA III
Biggest Selling Game of 2002- GTA: Vice City
Best-selling Playstation 2 game of all time- GTA: Vice City
Best-selling PSP game of all time- GTA: Liberty City Stories
Largest in-game soundtrack- GTA: San Andreas
Largest Voice Cast in a video game- GTA: San Andreas
Most Guest Stars In A Video Game Series- Grand Theft Auto Franchise

With fans counting down the hours to GTA IV's debut, it will only be a matter of time until a new record is added to that impressive list.

For more information on these and other exciting video game records, pick up the inaugural, Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008, in stores now.

source : www.ign.com

Aussie GTA IV Bundle Coming

The US and the UK just got their announcements - now it's Australia's turn. SCE Australia today annnounced that an official Grand Theft Auto IV bundle is on the way exclusively for the PS3. The bundle will be available on May 1, 2008 and will come with a 40GB PS3, a SIXAXIS wireless controller (where's the Dualshock, Sony?) and a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.

The package will retail for AU$749.95.

source : www.ign.com

World of Warcraft Patch Plans

Blizzard has revealed the latest 2.4.2 patch notes on its official WoW website. No word on when the patch will officially roll out, but here is what the patch sets out to accomplish:

Hunter
• Dire Ravens in Blade's Edge Mountains now tameable.
• Tamed Drywallow Snappers now will know Bite 5 (instead of Claw 5.)

Mages
• Talent: Improved Blink (Arcane) now reduces chance to be hit by 13/25% and the duration of Rank 1 has been increased to 4 seconds.
• Completing the quest "Arcane Refreshment" will now properly teach the spell Conjure Water (Rank 7).

PvP
• Arenas
- If a character's personal rating is more than 150 points below the team rating, they will earn points based on their personal rating instead of the team rating.
- If the average personal rating of the players queuing for a game is more than 150 points below the team's rating, the team will be queued against an opponent matching or similar to the average personal rating.

Professions
• All 23-hour profession cooldowns are now 20-hour cooldowns.
• All 4-day cooldowns are now 3 days, 20 hours.
• Enchanting
- Removed the cooldown from Void Shatter.
- Void Shatter recipe now correctly requires 375 enchanting.
• Engineering
- The Engineering supply item Delicate Copper Wire will now properly fit into engineering bags.
• Jewelcrafting
- Brilliant Glass no longer requires a forge.
- Brilliant Glass now has a small chance to make an epic gem.
- Quick Dawnstone, Reckless Noble Topaz, Forceful Talasite are now all available at the Quel'danas gem vendor.
• Leatherworking
- Completing the quest "The Journey Has Just Begun" will now properly teach how to make an Onyxia Scale Cloak.
- Greatly reduced the reagent cost for Glove Reinforcements. Also reduced the skill gain range slightly.

Quests
• The categories for the quests "Wanted: Sisters of Torment" and "Wanted: The Signet Ring of Prince Kael'thas" have been fixed to now properly read as Magister's Terrace.
• The Shadowy Disguise will no longer be applied to druids while they are in Moonkin or Tree of Life form for the quests "Who Are They?"
• Jailor Eston and Jailor Marlgen for the quest "The Rescue" should now respawn more frequently.

Dungeons and Raids
• Black Temple
- Illidan will no longer despawn if a raid group wipes during his death speech.
• Karazhan
- Nightbane's Charred Earth ability will now properly deal Fire damage.
• Magister's Terrace
- Vexallus is no longer immune to taunt on Normal difficulty.
- Kael'thas is no longer immune to taunt on Normal difficulty.
- Wretched Skulkers, Wretched Husks, and Wretched Bruisers will now reset properly.
- Sunblade Imps will now reset properly.
- The doors in Heroic Magister's Terrace will no longer respawn after a soft reset if a boss has already been killed.
• Sunwell Plateau
- Hellfire will no longer remove Dark Touched in the Eredar Twins encounter.
• Tempest Keep: The Eye
- Void Reaver's Arcane orbs now generate combat log entries.

Items
• Arcane Charges now deal arcane damage.
• Abilities and trinkets that trigger after killing an opponent that gives experience or honor will no longer activate after killing mobs during bombing quests.
• Battlecast's Garb should now properly grant pushback resistance in addition to interrupt resistance.
• Borderland Fortress Grips have had their stats updated.
• Botanist's Gloves of Growth have had their texture corrected.
• Bow of Searing Arrows and Red Whelp Gloves will no longer break crowd control effects.
• The Cloak of Swift Mending now has a level requirement (70).
• Goblin Jumper Cables are no longer a trinket item.
• Items that enchant other items no longer have tradeskill requirements (Mithril Spurs, Shield Spikes, Weapon Chains, etc.).
• The Helm of Fire has had its casting range reduced.
• The Magic Candle has had its casting range reduced.
• Many items sold by Consortium vendors are now bind on pick up: Formula: Enchant Weapon- Major Striking, Design: Delicate Blood Garnet, Design: Shifting Shadow Draenite, Design: Lustrous Azure Moonstone, Design: Thick Golden Draenite.
• Many items sold by Aldor reputation vendors are now bind on pick up: Design: Gleaming Golden Draenite, Design: Royal Shadow Draenite.
• Many items sold by the Shattered Sun quartermaster are now bind on pick up: Naaru Ration, Design: Ember Skyfire Diamond.
• The Lower City reputation item, Recipe: Flask of Chromatic Resistance, is now bind on pick up.
• Most Main-Hand weapons are now One-Hand weapons.
• Naturalist's Preserving Cinch have had their stats updated.
• Reins of the Black War Elekk spell and buff now correspond to the item name.
• Rocket Boots Xtreme and Rocket Boots Xtreme Lite now properly share the same cooldown.
• The Romantic Picnic Basket will now display the blanket properly.
• The socket bonus modifiers of some items will now properly display the bonus healing.
• The reduced cooldown of Shaman Nature's Swiftness provided by the 4 piece set bonus from the Seer's Ringmail Battlegear PvP armor will now apply properly.
• The Skyshatter Helmet's gem socket bonus will now properly reflect the plus damage in the tooltip.
• Shadowsong Panther will no longer prematurely despawn.
• Talasite Owl: This trinket will now properly restore full mana as described.
• Troll Male off-hand items are now the same size as the main hand item.
• Tauren weapons while sheathed have had their graphic readjusted to their pre-patch (2.4.0) state.
• The Winterfall Firewater buff is no longer dispellable.

User Interface
• Black Lotus will now show up under the Herb subcategory in the auction house.
• Primal Nethers will now show up under the Materials subcategory in the auction house.
• Mailboxes can now be tracked on the minimap.
• For additional notes on Lua and XML changes please visit the UI & Macros Forum.

World Environment
• Creature versions of the Polymorph spell no longer heal the affected target.
• The dragons in Blade's Edge Mountains will no longer instantly knock you off your mount.

Mac
• Fixed a bug causing ATI kernel panics; all spell effects should now be visible.
• Weather effects are again visible on systems with ATI 2x00 graphics such as aluminum iMac.
• Fixed a bug that precluded use of the FireWire iSight microphone with voice chat.
• Symlinks can be used again for Interface and WTF folders and subfolders.
• Cinematics playback is working again.

Bug Fixes
• Fixed an issue where secondary sound effects would not work with the Use Hardware option enabled in the Sound options of the User Interface.
• Fixed an issue where attempting to use some instant cast spells with Auto-Dismount in Flight checked in the interface would fail.
• Items that have multiple charges will now properly display the amount of charges.
• Fixed an issue where chain damage spells were chaining to critters.
• Female Draenei horns will now correctly protrude through certain plate helms.
• The Vengeful Gladiator's Rifle will now play the proper sound when used.
• The Cursed Vision of Sargeras now gives the buff, "Sense Demons" which can be canceled normally. Additionally hunters and druids are able to track two things at once while using the item.
• It is no longer possible for pets to get stuck in place after exiting the Spectral Realm in the Kalecgos encounter.
• Blood Elf Priest: Consume Magic will now require the buff to be active in order to work properly.
• Undead and Blood Elf Priest: Touch of Weakness will now properly reduce the melee damage of the attacker.
• Fixed an issue where some spells had extraneous Floating Combat Text messages when using the Auras option.
• Fixed an issue where sometimes debuff icons on a target did not scale properly to indicate the spells had been cast by you.
• The hunter pet ability Growl will no longer scale with pet Attack Power.
• Druid Talent- Primal Fury (Rank 2) will now be properly unlearned when it is untalented.
• Druid Talent (Restoration)- Natural Perfection will no longer proc by normal melee attacks.
• Mage Spell - Molten Armor will now do damage while a damage absorption shield is active.
• Mage Spell - Noxious Breath (Ysondre) will no longer cause Arcane Missiles to only damage on the first volley.
• Mage Spell- Fixed an issue that was causing a pink hue to appear when a mage would phase out via Invisibility.
• Paladin Talent: Crusader Strike (Retribution) will now properly receive a damage increase from Seal of The Crusader.
• Paladin healing spells used in castsequence macros are now properly completing the cast sequence when a rank is not specified.
• The Paladin talent Precision (Ranks 1-3) will no longer improperly display daggers and staves as a weapon class in the tooltip.
• Paladins that already have Apprentice Riding skill can now properly learn Summon Warhorse from the trainer.
• Priest Talent- Power Infusion will now consume the correct amount of mana when cast on yourself.
• The rogue talent Mutilate (Assassination) will no longer incorrectly appear multiple times in the combat log when used.
• Shaman Talent: Frostbrand (Enhancement) Rank 6 will now properly do more damage than Rank 5.
• Warlock Spell- Drain Soul will no longer continue to do damage to another player after they have died.
• Ritual of Souls (Warlock) and Ritual of Refreshment (Mage) will no longer be placed on cooldown without having completed the summon.
• Priest Spell: Power Word: Shield now has the correct sound associated with it and can no longer be heard from large distances.
• Priest Spell: Fear Ward will no longer be consumed while under the effects of cyclone.
• Looting a boss while a player is outside of the instance will no longer cause the corpse to despawn in 2 minutes if the player still has loot on the corpse.
• Whirlwind now has the correct sound associated with it.

source : www.ign.com

Soulcalibur IV Gets AU Release Date

Thanks to Ubisoft Australia, we now have a firm release date for the strangely non-canonical but highly anticipated brawler, Soulcalibur IV. According to the announcement, both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will be released simultaneously.

John Parkes, EMEA Marketing Director at Ubisoft, had this to say about the release:
"We are thrilled to be bringing Soulcalibur's successful heritage to PAL territories as it sets into motion a new echelon of dynamic gameplay and exceptional game graphics on next generation platforms.

"Offering players an ultimate fighting game experience, Soulcalibur IV will definitely be an owners 'must have' in building their game collection library."
The official date for Australian release is July 31, 2008. No local pricing has been announced at this stage.

source : www.ign.com

Resident Evil 0 Dated in Japan

Capcom Japan announced today a final Japanese release date for Biohazard 0, also known as the GameCube to Wii port of Resident Evil 0 that may or may not see international release.

In Japan, the game will hit retail on July 10. Capcom is pricing it at 4,190 yen, making it 1/3 less than most new Wii titles.

From what's been made public so far, it looks like this is a pretty bare-bones port, so the pricing may be appropriate.

source : www.ign.com

Inter join race for Ronaldinho

Internazionale are set to fight it out with city rivals AC Milan for the services of Barcelona's in-demand forward Ronaldinho after their president Massimo Moratti confirmed his side's interest.

Ronaldinho's brother and agent Roberto de Assis revealed on Saturday that talks with Milan are at an advanced stage, but that no deal has yet been reached between the player and the Serie A club.

And Moratti is not going to just sit back and watch one of the hottest talents in world football go to his arch rivals without a fight.

"If Ronaldinho goes to Milan, it will also depend on the willingness of Inter," he said to Italy's Sky television prior to Inter's 2-0 win over Fiorentina on Sunday night.

"We will evaluate our options next week.

"We have an exceptional relationship with Barcelona and Ronaldinho's management team so we will have to see.

"We will also have to see if we decide to pursue this to the end, but if the market is open to Milan it is open to us too."

Inter coach Roberto Mancini copied his Milan counterpart Carlo Ancelotti in singing Ronaldinho's praises after his side restored their four-point advantage at the top of Serie A on Sunday evening.

"He is a great player and a champion and I think such players are interesting to all clubs," he said.

"He is still relatively young and can still do a lot of good."

source : www.ign.com

GTA IV Multiplayer Modes

Recently, IGN played four of the more than a dozen multiplayer modes: GTA Race, Cops N Crooks, Team Deathmatch, and Hangman's NOOSE. On the official GTA IV website, Rockstar has unveiled four more modes. There will be five total team modes, all of which allow up to 16 players to go at it online. There are only two racing modes. The number of cooperative modes and competitive free-for-all modes are still a mystery.

Here are Rockstar's descriptions of the newly revealed modes:

Team Mafiya Work (2-8 teams)
You're a member of a crew doing contract work for the mafiya -- including such plum gigs as escorting wanted men, picking up MacGuffins and stealing cars. Work as a team to complete contracts before the time period ends and get the rewards. You'll probably want to do your best to scupper the other crew's work as well. Each contract you complete gives your team cash, and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

Team Car Jack City (2-8 teams)
Cars spawn parked around the map and the teams must steal them and take them to a drop off point. The cash teams get for dropping off stolen vehicles depends on their condition -- teams get less cash the more damaged they are. The exception to this are special bonus cars, stuffed with drugs, which give a set amount of cash on delivery no matter how damaged they are. Your crew has to get hold of whatever vehicles the boss wants. Whichever crew makes the most money wins. Simple.

Turf War (2 teams)
A timed capture-the-base mode. There are a number of bases around the map that you have to take by standing on them for a short period of time. The more players that are on a base, the faster it can be captured. The more bases that your team owns, the faster your team's cash score increases. If the rival gang is on or near a base, you won't be able to take control of it -- so do what you can to try and... displace them. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

Race (no teams)
Race to the finish through each checkpoint in order. If you take a wrong turn or mess up in some way, you can respawn your vehicle on the last checkpoint you passed. There is a large section of races for cars, boats, and helicopters -- you can choose laps and vehicle class/type. This mode has two sub-modes: Free Race and Cannonball Run.

Free Race are point-to-point races. First one to reach the end point wins. Cannonball Run are races where you have to traverse several checkpoints any way you can.

source : www.ign.com

Raikkonen Ready to Move Up Gear

Kimi Raikkonen emerged from a weekend that was less than perfect with the lead in the world championship, and now he is ready to crank up the pressure.

Raikkonen was unable to match the pace of Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa throughout the three days of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

But the reigning world champion still came home second behind the Brazilian to open up a three-point cushion in the drivers' title race.

That was primarily due to Lewis Hamilton finishing a miserable 13th after the Briton committed two mistakes in the opening two minutes to wreck his race.

With the season heading towards Europe, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in three weeks' time, Raikkonen is looking to consolidate his lead at the top of the standings.

"It wasn't perfect all weekend," assessed Raikkonen.

"The problem was that one lap was good, but the next different and we never really found the perfect mid-way if you like.

"It's one of those things that we couldn't really get the car right.

"But out of a bad weekend I still finished second and I'm leading the championship, so I leave Bahrain reasonably satisfied.

"That is the main thing, and we know we have the speed once we get everything right, so although the race was difficult, I am happy with second.

"Out of the first three races it is really important to get as many points as possible.

"After that the season really starts, so heading into Europe I am very happy to be leading, and hopefully we can be really strong in the next races.

"If I continue to score second places I won't be too disappointed, although of course I would rather win than be second."

Raikkonen appreciates it was Hamilton's errors that enabled him to leapfrog to the top of the standings, while Ferrari are a point behind BMW Sauber in the constructors' championship.

The Finn, though, was always confident he would have the measure of Hamilton on the Sakhir circuit.

"Although he was leading the championship, we knew we should be able to beat him anyhow, and if he doesn't score points it's even better for us," mocked Raikkonen.

"I'm now leading and that's good for me, whilst we have caught up a lot in the constructors' championship.

"We are only one point behind now, which shows one race can make a big difference, so I think overall it's been a very good weekend for the team."

source : www.sportinglife.com

New Rockstar Studio Created

Take-Two Interactive Software label Rockstar Games has purchased the Massachusetts-based game company Mad Doc Software, which worked with the developer on Bully: Scholarship Edition.

Mad Doc founder and former Activision technical director Dr. Ian Lane Davis will lead the new division, dubbed Rockstar New England.

Mad Doc is currently working on the Xbox 360 title Star Trek: Legacy for Bethesda and had developed or worked on a handful of other titles since its founding in 1999, including Empire Earth II, Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna and Spellweaver (still in development).

"The team at Mad Doc Software is extremely talented," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "Bringing them within the Rockstar Games family will enhance our core technology and further support our commitment to creating progressive and innovative gaming experiences."

A guest professor at M.I.T. with a doctorate in A.I. and robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, Davis is considered an expert in artificial intelligence and is currently writing a textbook on the subject.

"To be a part of Rockstar Games is an amazing opportunity for everyone here," Davis said. "We're eager to bring our expertise to bear in the character-driven, open-world stories that make Rockstar Games titles so uniquely compelling."

It's unclear what will become of Mad Doc titles currently in the works, and Rockstar did not release information about which of its upcoming games the new division will be working on.

source : www.ign.com

Designer 3D Glasses Coming Soon

3D is supposed to be the next big revolution in movie theaters and consumer displays, though the fact that it has held that position for the past couple of decades without actually progressing hasn't done much to build anyone's confidence that a revolution is actually going to take place. Recently however, DreamWorks, Disney, and some high profile directors have all started hyping the medium again, and HDTV manufacturers like Samsung and Mitsubishi have released 3D-ready displays based on DLP technology.

3D technology these days relies upon more advanced glasses than the red and blue plastic lenses of yesteryear. Modern generations wirelessly sync with the display source and use LCDs to create a stereoscopic 3D effect. Most existing glasses, however, are large, clunky, uncomfortable, and certainly not stylish.

Variety reports that this may be about to change, however. Luxottica Group (owners of Ray-Ban) have recently partnered with technology company Kerner Optical to produce designer 3D eyewear that'll look quite stylish while owners watch programming in a darkened room. The first products of the joint undertaking are expected to hit the market late this year, mounted in Ray-Ban's signature Wayfarer frame, which is currently enjoying a renaissance in popularity in the indie scene.

Though many in the technology game have become jaded due to decades of 3D hype that has failed to really go anywhere, the medium's new groundswell of support in movies, PC applications, and video games give the backers of designer 3D glasses hope. Yuska Siuicki, a founder of Kerner Optical, enthuses: "You will be using these high-end Ray-Ban glasses at home, on your computer and TV, and then you'll stick them in your pocket and take them to the theater. They are much more comfortable than what is out there now, and the lenses will soon be available in prescription. This space is exploding."

source : www.ign.com

Gundam goes to Xbox360

The Xbox 360 version of Mobile Ops: The One Year War ceased to be vaporware today as Bandai Namco did the unthinkable: it announced a Japanese release date for the title! Japan will get the game on June 26, under the name Gundam Operation Troy.

First announced back in mid 2005, this Xbox 360 exclusive entry in the Gundam series has made it through two playable Tokyo Game Show appearances with no mention of a final release date. This caused some speculation that Bandai Namco and developer DIMPS were having development problems.

With less than three months to go before the Japanese release, it looks like importers will at last get to see what the waiting was all about. Now let's hope they don't make us wait a similar amount of time for the international versions.

source : www.ign.com

Lineage II 4th Anniversary Edition Info

NCsoft recently gave details of the Lineage II 4th Anniversary Edition, the popular fantasy MMORPG. The company revealed that a new area, Hellbound, will be included in the games' forthcoming update. Hellbound introduces Beleth, a fierce and brutal enemy that is said to have no equal.

This update increases the level cap from 80 to 85 and enhances the pet system with new wolves to ride. It also offers players the ability to upgrade pets and use them as companions. In addition, players will be able to conquer lands and be rewarded with special skills.

This updated edition gives owners 60 days of free access. Veteran players won't be left out as discounts to name changes, gender changes and more will be provided.

The 4th Anniversary Edition contains all of the expansions released to date. Look forward to the latest edition when it hits earthly shores later this month.

source : www.ign.com

Saints Row 2 Coming in August

To kickoff their Gamers' Day event being held in downtown San Francisco, THQ today announced the official release date, pre-order campaign plans, and the launch of the official website for Saints Row 2. The game will ship on August 26, 2008 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and gamers can pre-order their copy starting tonight (April 3) at 6 PM PST. THQ also announced the launch of the official website for Saints Row 2 along with the release of a new video from someone they're calling "Uncle Gary." Check it out below.

Also, be on the lookout for our hands-on impressions from Saints Row 2's co-op gameplay at 6 PM PST tonight.

source : www.ign.com

Gears of War Movie Set

UK, March 31, 2008 - Further details have emerged around the forthcoming Gears of War movie, with producer Wyck Godfrey recently stating that the film is on course for a summer 2010 release.

Speaking to ComingSoon.net, Godfrey said, "We've got our script on and a director we're about to attach. We'll hopefully make that early next year for the summer of 2010."

It's already been confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean scribe Stuart Beattie will be behind the script, working with the game's lead designer Cliff Bleszinski on the adaptation of the bestselling Xbox 360 title that is to receive a sequel later this year

source : www.ign.com

New GT5 Prologue Details

At a recent PSN event, we were able to talk to the producers of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue about their upcoming title and get a few more details on the anticipated racer. While we've known for a while that the Blu-ray version of the game would exclusively have the Beyond the Apex feature, we were told that the disc version of the game would also have a lot more cinematics included, such as video course guides of the real-life tracks, as well as the opening and ending movie. Many of these elements won't be included within the initial download of the game from the PSN, although we were told that some of these items would eventually find their way onto Gran Turismo TV, the racing specific channel that will be included within the game.

Much more than a simple news feed updating players on races that are online, GT TV will host lots of licensed television footage, such as episodes of Top Gear and Best Motoring (a popular Japanese drift series). It may also be a showcase for car manufacturers to highlight their upcoming product lines, highlighting a specific vehicle from its R&D phase to its release. GT TV could even potentially become a place for car fans to upload video of their own tuned and modified cars, highlighting their vehicles for other racing fans to see. Since much of it is still up for discussion, much of the online space for the game is still being decided by Polyphony Digital.

In fact, we were told that GT5 Prologue will initially launch with a rather basic online service that will allow up to 16 players to get on and play, but not much more than that. As time goes on, however, players will receive updates that could include new features, racetracks and even gameplay modes. While there is no specific schedule planned for the updates, Polyphony Digital is planning on making sure that all regions will receive practically all of the same content at the same time. There will be some minor elements that will be regionally exclusive (such as music tracks), but for the most part, Europe and Japan will receive an update to match the most recent version of the game that will be released in North America on April 15th.

We were also told that Polyphony is still looking at GT5 Prologue as an experimental testbed for features that will eventually make their way into Gran Turismo 5, which we were told would probably be released in Summer 2009. While they don't know exactly how they plan on using the game to experiment in this manner, they are definitely planning on transferring a player's progress and hard work in Prologue to GT5 when it's eventually released. However, at this time, they're not sure if it will be a save file, credit or car transfer to the final title. We'll have more on Gran Turismo 5 and GT5 Prologue as soon as it becomes available.

source : www.ign.com

PlayStation Networked Hacked

On the official PlayStation site, Sony has warned PS3 owners with PlayStation Network accounts that there has been "a possibility of unauthorized access to personal information on the PLAYSTATION Store through PCs, a content download service of the PLAYSTATION Network." In other words, some folks hacked the PC PlayStation Store and may have had access to users' account information.

It's said that while they may have been able to use gamers' accounts to download software or change their password, they should not have ever had access to credit card information.

Sony claims to have taken immediate measures and patched the security hole as soon as it was discovered. If you can still sign into your PlayStation Network account, you appear to be in the clear.

source : www.ign.com

Xbox Live Downtime ?

This morning at 8 AM the overlords of Xbox Live sent out a message to all members saying that the service will undergo a scheduled upgrade on Tuesday, April 1. The process will begin at 2 AM PST and will take approximately 3 hours to complete. Could this be a nasty April Fools' Day joke or is it the real thing? Our money's on the latter.

source : www.ign.com

STALKER Clear Sky

Publishers Koch Media and GSC Game World have announced that FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be releasing worldwide August 29, 2008.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the prequel to last years S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, which put players into the brooding future of yet another Chernobyl disaster. Clear Sky will be set in 2011, and players will be placed into the events prior to the third campaign of Strelok.

For more information on the game, visit our S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky page, here.

source : www.ign.com

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009

It's been about four months since we had any substantial grappling news from THQ, but the Los Angeles County-based publisher put an end to that today: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is coming.

Although it won't be formally announced until tomorrow, THQ has confirmed with IGN that the latest installment in the storied wrestling franchise will be making its way to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, PlayStation 2 and mobile devices this fall while boasting a bevy of bells and whistles.

On the Xbox 360, PS3, PSP and PS2, the biggest change in the action will come with a strong focus on tag teams. For the first time ever, players will be able to team up for co-op storylines in the Road to WrestleMania mode and take advantage of an overhauled tag structure to earn attributes on their way to the top. Tag teams -- both in and out of Road to WrestleMania -- will utilize the same momentum meter, break opponents with double team finishers and make "hot tags" for the win. Also making its debut will be Create-A-Finisher, which allows fans to choose from more than 500 animations in their quest to build the ultimate move. Specifically on the 360 and PS3, fans can look for the debut of SVR downloadable content, although THQ is mum about what it might be.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 marks the franchise's second title on the Wii, and THQ looks to be building on the motion controls and interactivity of the first outing. The game promises more match types, more weapons and the debut of online gameplay, which will feature matches and rankings. Although the title will pack Road to WrestleMania like the aforementioned versions, the Wii copy of SVR '09 will be the only place to find interactive entrances and victory celebrations that range from posing on the ramp to slapping the taste out of a beaten opponent. Successfully get the crowd hyped on your way to the ring and you'll get an in-match bonus.

Seasoned players who pick up SVR '09 on the Nintendo DS will probably be in for more than a few surprises. Gone are the stylus-heavy controls of last year and in their place is a more traditional d-pad/grapple system gamers that have grown up with, although the stylus will still play some part in the action. Being developed by Tose, the folks behind Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, the DS version of SVR '09 will pack a season mode with an RPG approach. Players will interact with Superstars, upgrade their abilities and complete missions to become the champion. Create-A-Superstar will make its Nintendo handheld debut, there will be a larger roster of Superstars, and the title will pack a wealth of new match types.

"The ambitious cross-platform launch of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 last year yielded tremendous growth for the franchise, as we delivered multiple gameplay experiences across seven platforms and greatly expanded our audience of WWE videogame fans," said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. "With dynamic new features and the extension of our gameplay experience through downloadable content, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 will bring more console, handheld and wireless gamers together to enjoy the virtual world of WWE."

source : www.ign.com

The Valve Store's New Gear

Commemorating an enthusiasm for videogames or a particular franchise by collecting related memorabilia is a temptation few of us can resist. Back in the day we were pretty stoked to find anything game related, and were totally proud to rock rather overt t-shirts with nothing but company logos or pictures of recognizable game characters. Taste and sensibilities mature with age, and ours now favor the subtle side of gaming reverence.

Fortunately for us, the industry is beginning to cater to a broader and in some cases, older demographic. Valve Software has a number of rather beloved franchises in its stable, including the well established Half Life series and the new cult hit Portal. The studio's online store have recently been restocked and packed with some new products, some of which are really quite cool.

For many, the store's big draw is a new supply of plush Weighted Companion Cubes. The iconic inanimate companion from Portal was an interesting story device, and the plush cube is a cool mechanism for fostering some physical attachment of your own. The $29.95 plush is cool enough to get people's attention even if they don't know what it's from, but not so overtly campy as to look inappropriate on a desk or in the living room. We'd take care of it.

Another subtle Portal reference that caught our eye in the Valve store is the Aperture Laboratories Parking Permit. It's sold with a pair of bumper stickers that we aren't really big fans of for $9.95, which makes it kind of a rip. On the other hand, we'd give serious credit to anyone we saw rocking the parking permit on their windshield, and are kinda tempted to do so ourselves.

Valve is also pimping a variety of t-shirts, most of which we're not really crazy about. We do kinda dig The Cake long-sleeved shirt. Portal players know well that the cake is a lie, and the shirt plays on the lore pretty well. It's $24.95, and we're disappointed to see that the pictures in the store are just a drawing of the design, which makes it hard to decide if the shirt is really cool or not. This one might be worth the risk.

source : www.ign.com

Unlock Niko's Box Contest

GameStop today announced that they'll be running a text-to-win contest from now until April 15 that will give participants the chance to be flown to Liberty City (aka New York City) on April 28 to participate in the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV the following day. National winners will meet regional winners at the launch event and will have the chance to compete for $30,000 in prizes. RockStar has posed the question, "Where did Niko Bellic hide his lock box?" and you'll need to text one of five answers in order to have a chance at winning.

A total of four (4) national winners will be selected at random from all correct mobile and online entries, and will each be awarded:

• Roundtrip airfare and ground transportation to "Liberty City" for themselves and a guest
• One hotel room for two nights
• Two gift bags courtesy of GameStop and Grand Theft Auto IV
• Two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) in spending money
• One key to open a lock box at the April 28th launch event

On April 28 the lucky national and regional winners will get the chance to find out if their key is the one that will open Niko's lock box which contains 38 envelopes valued from $100 to $10,000. The event will take place at GameStop's flagship store at 1282 Broadway. Head on over to the official contest website for more details.

We'll have more coverage of the GTA IV launch as April 29 ever so slowly approaches.

source : www.ign.com

Hellgate London 1.2 Patch

Yesterday we reported that Flagship Studios was intent on fixing bugs while making Hellgate: London a better overall game; today's released patch is evident of that. Taken from the official Hellgate: London website:

"This patch [1.2] has some major skill changes, a few vital balance tweaks, some pesky bug fixes, and a highly-requested new feature.

First and foremost is the introduction of our in-game mail system. This is something that we know is of vital interest to our community, and is the foundation for our consignment / auction house system. Players can not only send and receive messages with anyone in the game, but they can also attach Palladium and items to their mail. This makes getting items from one character to another – even your own – much simpler and more convenient. And while you need to be in a Station to attach or receive items and Palladium, you can read your messages anywhere, anytime.

We're also rolling out the second of our major character class balance passes. In this patch, we've done a comprehensive balance pass on the Marksman. We focused on addressing a number of issues that have made the class vastly over-powered in comparison to the rest of the classes and the desired difficulty of the game. There are also numerous areas where we have increased the effectiveness of, or altered skills to give Marksman players a wider variety of builds and tactics.

Chief amongst these changes is addressing the notorious skill/weapon combinations involving Ricochet, Reflecting Shot, Multishot, Rapid Fire, Heightened Senses, Beacon, Dead Eye, and Hollow Points, while using a high rate of fire weapon, such as an Arclight Rifle. While we realize that making choices on skill, item, and mod combinations which complement each other is a fundamental design element most emphasized with the Marksman in particular, there should never be one combination of skills which completely outshines the rest.

We didn't want to entirely remove the most overpowered Marksman skill combinations altogether, however, and we also didn't want to leave other Marksman skill issues unaddressed. This would have been largely unfair to the Marksman players. As a result, you'll see a large number of changes to the skills - such as synergies to the Ballistics, Grenade, and Precision Strike skill groups - that should promote an increased variety of specialized builds and create a more diversified play experience overall. We've been doing a lot of balance and tweaking over the past few weeks in Test Center with these changes, and we're excited to roll them out to all of our players. Big thanks to everyone for all the great feedback!

We're also introducing our first "pets with abilities" in this patch. These pets can be found out in the Wild and offer more for brave adventurers than mere companionship. Keep an eye out for those Mysterious Eggs!

Finally, there are a MASSIVE amount of other fixes and additions in this patch, including adjusting the difficulty of the Nightmare end-game, making the big Moloch battle more interesting and challenging, adding a slew of new Unique items and challenges in the Wild, and much, MUCH more."

The patch is now released to live servers, so we'll see you in Hell.

source : www.ign.com

Condemned 2 : Bloodshot

SEGA of America, Inc. has announced that a playable demo for Condemned 2: Bloodshot, the next chapter in the terrifying series, is now available for download on the PlayStation Network.

The demo is taken from mid-way through the first level and gives players an opportunity to get to grips with Ethan Thomas, the former Serial Crimes Unit investigator, in his crusade to discover just what is going on in the sinister world around him.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot follows Ethan Thomas, and his inner demons, in a string of gruesome murders where players must use their deductive skills and brute force to track down sadistic serial killers. The game features all-new fighting mechanics and high-tech forensics tools, giving players the resources they need to unravel the mysteries and cope with every disturbing event. Developed by the renowned Monolith Productions, creators of the original Condemned game, Condemned 2: Bloodshot also introduces a variety of thrilling online multiplayer modes, delivering the most brutal hand-to-hand combat experience the first-person genre has ever seen.

Now available on Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Condemned 2: Bloodshot carries a suggested retail price of $59.95 and is rated "M" for "Mature." For more information, please visit: www.condemnedgame.com.

source : www.ign.com

Flatout Comes To PSP (Demo Available)

Gear up with today's release of the official PSP demo for FlatOut: Head On, published by Empire Interactive and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Based on the best-selling FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage, the official PSP demo of FlatOut: Head On (developed by Six by Nine) features three distinct game modes: 'Carnage Race,' 'Deathmatch Derby' and one of the classic Ragdoll stunts.

In 'Carnage Race' players fight against the clock to score points within the given time period by causing as much damage as possible to their environment and opponents. 'Deathmatch Derby' is an arena-based derby with one simple objective – destroy or be destroyed. And finally, Ragdoll stunts take center stage in 'High Jump,' where players must drive their car down the ramp as fast as possible to launch the driver through the windscreen high into the sky to slam into the metal net.

The FlatOut: Head On PSP demo is now available for download at the PlayStation Store from http://store.playstation.com/store/index.vm

FlatOut: Head On is now available and features some of the most destructive hi-octane motorized anarchy handheld racing has ever seen.

source : www.ign.com

Japanese MGS4 Package

Following up on our report on the Japanese Metal Gear Solid 4 packaging from earlier in the week, we now have images of the game's three packages, along with a first look at the "steel" PlayStation 3 system that will come bundled with the game's premium package.

As reported earlier, MGS4 will be released in Japan in three packages: a standard edition that includes a Metal Gear Online starter disc, a special edition that adds a bonus Blu-ray video disc, and a premium pack that includes all the goodies from the other versions, but adds a PlayStation 3 unit. These versions will be priced at, respectively, 8,800, 9,800, and 51,800 yen.

Since our original story, we've managed to get confirmation that the system included in the Japanese premium package is a 40 gigabyte model. Different from other Japanese 40 gigabyte packages, though, the Metal Gear Solid bundle will include a Dual Shock 3 controller rather than a standard SIXAXIS.

MGS4 hits Japan on 6/12, simultaneously with the rest of the world.

source : www.ign.com

Alonso optimistic for season

Fernando Alonso believes Renault have the potential to once again fight for victories this season, but admitted it will be difficult to replicate his fourth-place finish in Melbourne at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Spaniard rejoined his former team in December last year after an ill-fated spell with McLaren ended in acrimonious circumstances.

But whereas Alonso left Renault as a double world champion having led them to the constructors' title in both 2005 and 2006, the French outfit are now languishing amongst the midfield runners after only picking up 51 points last term.

The 26-year-old did secure an unexpected five points in the opening race of the season at Albert Park but that owed more to the fact only seven cars finished the 58-lap contest rather than a true measure of his car's pace.

But while conceding there is still some way to go for Renault before they can even think about challenging McLaren, Ferrari and even BMW Sauber, Alonso was cautiously upbeat they will become more competitive as the season wears on.

"Melbourne was good but obviously we were lucky with that situation," he said.

"I would like to have wheel-to-wheel racing with McLaren or Ferrari in a normal race so that's the target for the season and in Australia, we didn't have that. We were too far behind.

"But I'm optimistic, it's only the first race of a championship so at the start of the year you are always optimistic, there are a lot of races to come, a lot of time.

"I really think we will close that gap and improve the car quite a lot. In Formula One, nothing is 100% certain. We will improve but other people will improve as well. It's up to us to do a better job."

The situation in which Alonso now finds himself is similar to his first two seasons at Renault, where his unquestionable talent helped lay the foundations for subsequent success.

And the Spaniard insisted he is relishing the challenge of once again restoring the team to the pinnacle of Formula One.

"It is the same as in 2003 and 2004 - we need to fight and close the gap," he added.

"The races are a little bit more interesting for me because you are racing in the middle of the group and there are a lot of things to do, to fight for from lap one, and many things that are going on.

"For me, I guess the whole season will be like this. I'm enjoying this new challenge and feel good.

"Of course there is a lot of work to do as soon as possible, the team, me, we all need to improve and close the gap and I'm part of that team.

"So that's the first thing we have to do. We need to improve the car, we need to work better and we will be closer to the top three."

source : www.sportinglife.com

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a tirade against rival players who insinuate Cristiano Ronaldo is a diver.

Ferguson claims the winger is one of the most fouled players in the top-flight - and that is backed up by official Premier League statistics - but that the 23-year-old will not allow himself to be kicked out of the game.

The United manager said: "(Arsenal manager) Arsene Wenger recently complained that his team are on the receiving end of more fouls than any other.

"I'm not sure about that but what I do know is that Cristiano Ronaldo must be one of the most fouled players in the league.

"The fouls are frustrating, especially for Ronaldo, and I have nothing but admiration for the way he picks himself up and keeps running at people.

"Time after time he is tackled unfairly and often opponents try to indicate that he has dived.

"Of course, when Ronaldo is running at full speed sometimes it doesn't take much to knock him over but the truth is that too many opponents don't know how to tackle properly. And to disguise their shortcomings they accuse him of falling deliberately.

"I am pleased for him with the punishment he has taken lately. I have been making the point about his courage and the fact he is clearly determined that he is not to be kicked out of the game."

According to the Premier League's statistics, the Portuguese winger is in the top five most-fouled players with 61 offences against him so far this season.

But he has not won as many free-kicks as Everton's Mikel Arteta (78), Ashley Young of Aston Villa (77) or Blackburn's David Bentley (72).

Ferguson added: "I will continue to hammer away at the need for protection for football's most skilful players."

Ronaldo was once again United's match-winner with two goals against Bolton to take him to 33 goals for the season, 24 of them coming in the league.

Assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has described the win as "crucial" going into Sunday's match against Liverpool.

Queiroz said: "It was crucial to win and be in this position with eight games left.

"It gives us the right confidence and motivation. It is very positive that from now to the end our it is in our hands."

Ferguson rates Rio Ferdinand as doubtful for Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford with a back problem, but the central defender has been included in Fabio Capello's provisional England squad named today to face France next week.

source : www.sportinglife.com

Hamilton Braced for Ferrari Backlash

Lewis Hamilton insists he fully expects Ferrari to bounce back at this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix after their disastrous start to the 2008 Formula One season in Melbourne.

Both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa retired from the Australian Grand Prix with engine failures, though the former did at least have the consolation of a world championship point after Rubens Barrichello's Honda was disqualified.

While the Italian team were left to reflect on their misfortune, Hamilton was cruising to victory at Albert Park to strike the first blow in this season's championship race.

But with Ferrari confident they have got to the root of their mechanical woes - a broken valve in the engine was apparently to blame - Hamilton is under no illusions he will be in for a much harder time in Sepang from the team expected to once again prove McLaren's main rivals as the season unfolds.

"I expect them to be as strong as they were last weekend but perhaps without the problems that they had," he said.

"They can't really have a much worse weekend than they did last weekend. I'm sure they'll recover and do a better job than last weekend but they were quite strong here last year as well, especially during the race.

"So we'll have to look out for them."

Hamilton finished second behind team-mate Fernando Alonso last year in only the Briton's second Formula One race, enticing pole-sitter Massa into a mistake along the way that effectively ruined the Brazilian's race.

It was the second of what turned out to be nine consecutive podium appearances for the 23-year-old as his debut season ended with him missing out on becoming the first rookie champion in the sport's history by a single point to Raikkonen.

But Hamilton believes last year's tumultuous campaign - that featured as much action off the track as on it - helped him mature as a driver regardless of the outcome.

"I think after a long season, it takes some time to come down and also then to rebuild," he said. "To start building on the foundations you've made, and there were a few of them last season.

"I had a very good season last year, perhaps with not the best ending, but I learnt so much that going into this season I start at a much higher point than I did last year.

"Confidence and training has been much better going into the first race than it was last year just because of the experience.

"We know what to do, so I think overall I'm in much better shape."

That claim was borne out by the manner of last Sunday's victory, when Hamilton insisted he was driving within himself even though he had to negotiate three safety car periods.

"Being in front you're able to pace yourself and to just stay on top of things," he added.

"I'm not going to say by how much I could have gone faster, you don't really know, but I was still pushing. It wasn't the case that I was short-shifting everywhere.

"There were a lot of variants last year. I came in, everything was new to me, so I was on the limit everywhere. I was on the limit on the pit lane, I was on the limit on the exit of the pits.

"I was on the limit from the first lap to the end of the race and perhaps I consumed more energy mentally and physically than I needed to.

"This year, I have it a lot more under control, I can control it a lot better."

Hamilton also reiterated he would not be joining the Grand Prix Drivers' Association despite being urged to sign up to the body that liaises with the FIA on safety issues.

"I'm quite comfortable with the way I am. I shouldn't be pressured into doing anything, at any time," he said.

source : www.sportinglife.com

Super Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton believes his Australian Grand Prix triumph is the best of his five Formula One wins so far.

The McLaren driver cruised to victory at Albert Park on Sunday, claiming the opening race of the season by 5.4 seconds from BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld - with Nico Rosberg securing a maiden podium by finishing third in his Williams.

A frenetic season-opening contest saw only seven cars eventually cross the line after 58 laps of racing during another scorching Melbourne afternoon.

But Hamilton was coolness personified as he led from the front for the vast majority of the race, despite twice seeing his advantage reduced to nothing by the deployment of the safety car.

His performance was in stark contrast to that of 'Iceman' Kimi Raikkonen, who had begun the day aiming for points after a fuel pump problem had relegated the Finn to 15th on the grid.

That he managed to claim even one was the only piece of good fortune the current world champion experienced all weekend, after sixth-placed driver Rubens Barrichello was disqualified for exiting the pit lane with the red light on.

That came after his Ferrari had once again come to a halt in the pit lane, this time because of engine failure four laps from the end of the race, to bring an unhappy conclusion to an erratic afternoon.

The 28-year-old made up seven places at the start, was even running as high as third at one point but found himself at the back of the field when he ended up in the gravel, over-shooting on a bend passing Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren after the second safety car re-start.

A subsequent spin compounded Raikkonen's misery, but at least he was promoted from ninth to eight after Barrichello's blunder.

There were no such problems for Hamilton, the 23-year-old effortlessly easing away from the field three times after safety car periods - producing a faultless display, driving within himself.

After his maiden victory in Montreal last year, also highlighted by numerous interruptions, Hamilton went on to taste success three more times.

But he rates his Australian triumph even higher than the stunning victory in near-monsoon conditions at the Fuji Speedway in Japan last year.

"It's probably the best race I've had so far - in terms of managing tyres, controlling my pace and confidence, and being comfortable in the car." he said.

"It's quite different to my first win in Montreal, just because it was not really expected.

"Coming into your second season, this is a sort of target I set myself - and so I guess I've put more pressure on myself this year.

"This perhaps feels better than any, because I feel I've improved in so many areas. But I wouldn't say it's the perfect win. I would say there are a lot of areas I can improve."

With Heikki Kovalainen finishing fifth on his McLaren debut, it was a pleasing start for the Woking-based team as they opened up a 13-point gap over their Italian rivals - Felipe Massa also failing to finish because of engine failure, having already put David Coulthard out of the race.

After the trials and tribulations of last season, Hamilton was delighted to start the 2008 campaign on a positive note.

"I wouldn't say it draws a line under it [last season]," he added.

"But for sure, coming into a new season, turning over a new leaf, we really wanted to get off on the right foot.

"Ron's [Dennis] been through a lot - so have the team - but we pulled through, and it really shows in the results.

"I'm glad he's happy. It's an emotional feeling to win the first grand prix of the season - especially with all the winter testing, the whole build-up, not really knowing whether you had the pace of everyone else, whether you would be able to win, whether the cars could be reliable.

"But when you come out on top it's a real relief and great satisfaction."

Despite Ferrari's disastrous start, Hamilton is far too shrewd to start writing off the Italian marque just yet.

"I think a lot of hype was put on them," he said.

"They've obviously had a tough weekend. But we can't forget that they are a great team and they have a very good car and two great drivers as well.

"One bad weekend - I'm sure everyone could have a bad weekend at some point during the season. There are still 17 races to go."

source : www.sportinglife.com