Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:08:13 GMT24http://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/elazy01/Elazy-main-feedLazy Dan's favourite newsFwicki.Com - Fwicki Feed Generatoren-ushttp://www.fwicki.com/images/ui/feed-link.pnghttp://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/elazy01/Elazy-main-feedFwicki - RSS Management8890http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/8134123.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/8134123.stm171BT offers staff the chance of long holidays in return for a big pay cut in a bid to reduce costs during the economic downturn.BusinessSat, 04 Jul 2009 03:48:45 GMThttp://www.fwicki.com/http://www.fwicki.com/2<div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;"><b>Sponsored Links:</b></div> <table width="850" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="272"><a href="http://www.supplydiabetic.com/diabetic-recipes/diabetes-diet" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Diabetes Diet</div></a></td> <td width="219"><a href="http://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/New-York-City/NYC-Custom-Jewelry-and-Wedding-Rings" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Custom Wedding Bands</div></a></td> <td width="181"></td> <td width="178"><a href="http://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/Environmental-Green-Interior-Design-and-Decorating/Green-Interior-Design" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Green Interior Design</div></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/Toronto-Ontario-Executive-Recruiting-Firms/Toronto-Executive-Recruiter-Candidate-Placement-Consulting" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Executive Recruiter Consulting Toronto</div></a></td> <td width="219"><a href="http://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/Commercial-Residential-Cleaning-Services-Fredericksburg-Virginia/Janitorial-Cleaning-Services-Commercial-Residential-Fredericksburg-Virginia" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Janitorial Services Fredericksburg</div></a></td> <td width="181"><a href="http://www.fwicki.com/fwickis/ESD-Electrostatic-Discharge-Static-Electricity/ESD-Static-Electricity-Control" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Static Electricity Control</div></a></td> <td width="178"><div><a href="http://www.attorney-lawyer-directory.com" target="_blank"><div style="text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Arial; font-size: .70em; font-weight: bold;">Legal Information</div></a></div></td> </tr> </table><br /> <table width="800" border="0" cellpadding="2"> <tr> <td width="90"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Fwicki" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.fwicki.com/images/corporate/twitter-bird.png" alt="Follow Fwicki on Twitter" width="72" height="86" border="0" title="Follow Fwicki on Twitter"></a></td> <td width="301"><strong>** </strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Fwicki" target="_blank"><strong>Follow Fwicki on Twitter</strong></a> </td> <td width="389"><center><a href="http://www.idetonate.com/default.aspx?f=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.fwicki.com/images/ui/iphone_banner.jpg" alt="iDetonate - iPhone Antics Application - Available Now!" title="iDetonate - iPhone Antics Application - Available Now!" width="234" height="60" border="0"></a></center></td> </tr> </table> <br />TechnologySat, 04 Jul 2009 07:08:13 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8134115.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8134115.stm173North Korea reportedly tests three short-range missiles as concern mounts that a long-range test could be days away.Asia-PacificSat, 04 Jul 2009 03:31:19 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8134061.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8134061.stm174UN chief Ban Ki-moon begins a second day of talks with Burma's military leaders as he urges the release of political prisoners.Asia-PacificSat, 04 Jul 2009 03:27:28 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133981.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133981.stm175Honduras' high court rejects a demand by the Organisation of American States to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya.AmericasSat, 04 Jul 2009 03:10:12 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gaikai-cloud-computing-gameplay-that-works-blog-entryhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gaikai-cloud-computing-gameplay-that-works-blog-entry176 <p> <strong> Eurogamer versus gaming over IP: round two. </strong> </p> <p> Is this the most low-key debut for a new gaming system yet seen? On Wednesday, Gaikai's David Perry posted a video of the first in-game action of his company's "Cloud" computing gameplay system. No hype, no fanfare: just one man, his PC, a wireless headset and a copy of FRAPS. No claims of one millisecond hardware video encoders, no talk of seven years of "stealth development", just a transparent demo captured at Casa de Perry of a streaming gameplay system that seemingly just... works. Amongst other things, it showed World of Warcraft and Super Mario Kart running in a common or garden browser with no plug-ins required. I think it looks authentic, it looks like it might work. </p> <p> That might surprise a lot of people, bearing in mind that it was my Eurogamer article on how OnLive can't possibly work that juxtaposed the cold hard facts of technological reality with the quite extraordinary claims being made by the OnLive people about streaming gameplay video. But it's important to factor in the notion that the feature was equally explicit about the ways and means in which such a system could potentially stream gameplay over IP. It wouldn't be half as flashy or as awe-inspiring as the OnLive people would seemingly want it to be, but it would work and it could be very cool. The question is, what would you do with it? </p> <p> Looking at Perry's Gaikai video, it was somewhat reassuring to see that my take on the reality of such a system somewhat vindicated. Gaikai looks authentic because it isn't a state of the art replacement for our PS3s or Xbox 360s in the way that OnLive aspires to be. It's not about getting a mini-box into your living room that supplants console hardware now and forever. Curious to know more, I got in contact with Gaikai directly and fished about for an interview. But in the meantime, I took another look at David Perry's video debut for the Gaikai system, made some annotations and put together this new version of the original video, complete with technical analysis. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gaikai-cloud-computing-gameplay-that-works-blog-entry"> Read more... </a> </p> Article,Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/depth-charges-articlehttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/depth-charges-article177 <p> <strong> 3D displays promise an exciting future, but the present is more sobering. </strong> </p> Published as part of our sister-site GamesIndustry.biz' widely-read weekly newsletter, the GamesIndustry.biz Editorial is a weekly dissection of one of the issues weighing on the minds of the people at the top of the games business. It appears on Eurogamer after it goes out to GI.biz newsletter subscribers. <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/depth-charges-article"> Read more... </a> </p> Article,Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/8134088.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/8134088.stm178Kenya and the ICC agree a new deadline to set up a special tribunal to try the ringleaders of post-election violence. AfricaSat, 04 Jul 2009 00:32:31 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8133918.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8133918.stm179Does the Viking armoured vehicle have a future?UKSat, 04 Jul 2009 01:33:50 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-galleryhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-gallery180 <p> <strong> Look left for our latest hands-on. </strong> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-gallery"> Read more... </a> </p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/8/7/ss_L4D2_2.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/8/7/ss_L4D2_7.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/8/7/ss_L4D2_5.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-left-4-dead-2-screenshots-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/8/7/ss_L4D2_1.jpg.jpg"/> </a> Gallery,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:57:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-onhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-on181 <p> <strong> Axe to grind. </strong> </p> It might be all strawberries and cream and sunshine at Wimbledon, but the only summer sport we were interested in this week was a game of mixed zombie doubles in a dingy, dimly-lit tunnel beneath a railway bridge in London. Undead beats Fed every time. <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-on"> Read more... </a> </p> <br/> <br/> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-on"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/6/8/a_med_L4D2_8.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-on"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/6/8/a_med_L4D2_2.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-on"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/6/8/a_med_L4D2_1.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/left-4-dead-2-hands-on"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/7/6/8/a_med_L4D2_4.jpg.jpg"/> </a> Hands On,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:44:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/frozenbyte-trine-project-a-big-messhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/frozenbyte-trine-project-a-big-mess182 <p> <strong> Dev talks pricing, PSN date and XBLA. </strong> </p> <p> Frozenbyte has told Eurogamer that Trine as a project is "a big mess", and that the disparity between prices and the platforms the game is released for are issues the studio will be better prepared to handle next time around. </p> <p> Developer spokesperson Joel Kinnunen was reacting to fans who are frustrated that Trine will cost twice as much on PC (USD 40 / GBP 20) as on PS3, where the game will be around 20 dollars - Kinnunen didn't want to guess at a GBP or EUR price. </p> <p> "We are happy with this price point, and we don't think anyone will be disappointed by the PC version or its value for money," he said. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/frozenbyte-trine-project-a-big-mess"> Read more... </a> </p> News,PCFri, 03 Jul 2009 08:57:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/l4d2-pre-orders-twice-that-of-originalhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/l4d2-pre-orders-twice-that-of-original183 <p> <strong> Some fans evidently not cheesed off. </strong> </p> <p> Valve has told Eurogamer that pre-orders for Left 4 Dead 2 are twice what they were at this stage last time, despite the internet backlash and boycott threats. </p> <p> "Our pre-orders are currently double what they were for Left 4 Dead 1 at this point in time away from launch," said Valve marketeer Doug Lombardi. "We're like 20 weeks out or something like that." </p> <p> "We're seeing great enthusiasm from retailers," he added, "from EA, [and] the press called it multiplayer game of E3." </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/l4d2-pre-orders-twice-that-of-original"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:09:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fez-due-on-xbla-in-early-2010http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fez-due-on-xbla-in-early-2010184 <p> <strong> Another from the IGF class of 2008. </strong> </p> <p> Polytron has announced that Fez will be released on Xbox Live Arcade next year. </p> <p> "Fez is coming to Xbox Live Arcade early 2010" is the headline on the official site, which doesn't comment on the hold-up. </p> <p> Fez, which won an award at the Independent Games Festival last year, always cuts a fine form in videos. It's about a 2D man who discovers the world is 3D, with various perspective-skewing implications for its puzzle-platform gameplay. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fez-due-on-xbla-in-early-2010"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Xbox 360Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:59:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/8133615.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/8133615.stm185So what exactly does the cuckold sign mean?EuropeFri, 03 Jul 2009 19:55:56 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8132555.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8132555.stm186A man who was to be charged in connection with a break-in at Special Branch offices in 2002 will not be brought to trial.Northern IrelandFri, 03 Jul 2009 19:51:18 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/guilty-gear-2-overture-dated-for-europehttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/guilty-gear-2-overture-dated-for-europe187 <p> <strong> Out this September. </strong> </p> <p> 505 Games has announced that Guilty Gear 2: Overture will be released exclusively for Xbox 360 on 4th September in Europe. </p> <p> Somewhat amazingly, GG2O has actually been out in Japan since November 2007, and in the States since October 2008, but hey, at least we're getting some. </p> <p> It also means that we have a host of media to help get a flavour for it over on the gamepage, including a couple of videos and over 100 screenshots. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/guilty-gear-2-overture-dated-for-europe"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Xbox 360Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:51:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133760.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133760.stm188Tickets for a memorial service for Michael Jackson in Los Angeles will be made available via the internet, organisers reveal.AmericasFri, 03 Jul 2009 19:18:28 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-galleryhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-gallery189 <p> <strong> </strong> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-gallery"> Read more... </a> </p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/3/ss_ss0428_173519_all.bmp.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/3/ss_ss0428_191029_all.bmp.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/3/ss_ss0428_185203_all.bmp.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/3/ss_ss0428_131954_all.bmp.jpg"/> </a> Gallery,WiiFri, 03 Jul 2009 06:56:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-galleryhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-gallery190 <p> <strong> </strong> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-gallery"> Read more... </a> </p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/2/ss_ofdr_screenshot_e3_14.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/2/ss_OFDR_Screenshot_May_0003.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/2/ss_OFDR_Screenshot_May_0006.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/operation-flashpoint-dragon-rising-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/5/2/ss_ofdr_screenshot_e3_16.jpg.jpg"/> </a> Gallery,PCFri, 03 Jul 2009 06:55:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dj-is-tremendous-value-activisionhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dj-is-tremendous-value-activision191 <p> <strong> Out here 13th November. </strong> </p> <p> Activision has told Eurogamer that DJ Hero, which costs over 100 of the Queen's pounds, actually represents "tremendous value". </p> <p> "We don't comment on our product pricing strategies," said the publisher, ominously. "However, we believe that DJ Hero will provide tremendous value for our consumers by delivering an all-new interactive music experience with over 100 individual songs that are highlighted in over 80 unique mixes, a wide variety of music from some of the biggest artists including Jay-Z, Eminem, Benny Benassi, Gwen Stefani and Black Eyed Peas among others." </p> <p> Retailers outed the suggested GBP 107.99 retail price for DJ Hero earlier this week. It's a steep game-plus-instrument mark-up for the Hero series, which has traditionally asked for around GBP 70 for each Guitar Hero game and peripheral. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dj-is-tremendous-value-activision"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:51:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/trine-reviewhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/trine-review192 <p> <strong> Not an Australian railway simulator. </strong> </p> When it comes to promising new indie games, a dash of originality is usually what gets people's attention - some memorable feature or twist that helps the game break away from the herd - but in the case of Trine, from Finnish developer Frozenbyte, it's actually the warm feeling of familiarity. Certainly, anyone who's been gaming since the early nineties will find it delivers a tasty blend of beloved old flavours, served up in a tangy sauce of modern physics. <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/trine-review"> Read more... </a> </p> <br/> <br/> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/trine-review"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/3/9/a_med_1.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/trine-review"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/5/3/9/a_med_2.jpg.jpg"/> </a> Review,PCFri, 03 Jul 2009 06:50:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/infinite-space-heads-west-next-springhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/infinite-space-heads-west-next-spring193 <p> <strong> 2010 release for Platinum's DS space RPG. </strong> </p> <p> SEGA will release Infinite Space - the science-fiction RPG for DS from Platinum Games - in North America and Europe in spring 2010. </p> <p> The date appears at the end of a localised version of an animated trailer that has surfaced on YouTube. This is one of a series of short films originally used to promote the game in Japan. </p> <p> The spring 2010 release window is also confirmed at Sega's UK website. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/infinite-space-heads-west-next-spring"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Nintendo DSFri, 03 Jul 2009 05:22:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2k-steam-bundle-a-heap-of-cheaphttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2k-steam-bundle-a-heap-of-cheap194 <p> <strong> Save over a hundred quid! </strong> </p> <p> 2K Games has bundled 20 games together on Steam for the budget price of GBP 35.99. </p> <p> Among them are BioShock, Civilization IV (plus expansions), Civilization III, Prey, Freedom Force and Sid Meier's Pirates! </p> <p> We make the combined total of all 20 games sold separately GBP 141.71. Even buying Civilization IV plus expansions Warlords, Beyond the Sword and Colonization costs more than GBP 35.99. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2k-steam-bundle-a-heap-of-cheap"> Read more... </a> </p> News,PCFri, 03 Jul 2009 05:11:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-pal-releases-roundup-03-07-09http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-pal-releases-roundup-03-07-09195 <p> <strong> Juarez! Tiger! Er, spares! Desperation! </strong> </p> <p> Do we play hot and muggy games when it's hot and muggy? I have warm (stiflingly warm) recollections of playing Far Cry through a projector at the height of summer in 2005, sweat dripping accurately down my back as I crept through the jungle, before giving away my position with a telltale sneeze that knocked the keyboard over and ran me straight into a munitions dump. </p> <p> Well, if that sort of thing tickles you, and the prospect of rain that actually makes things worse this weekend has you scurrying for the couch under cover of desk fans, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood might be the answer. On the one hand it's a straightforward shooter. On the other, it's a very handy western, "set in a tangibly real Wild West, with proper, honest-to-goodness cowboys, Indians and bandits in it", as Oli put it before awarding it a handsome 7/10. Sweat. Sorry, sweet. </p> <p> Elsewhere this week, it's a little dry (sorry). There's the latest Tiger Woods to consider, or next week's potential number one, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (assuming the kids haven't moved on to glue-sniffing and rape by now), but despite the length of the list below the majority are quirky downloadables. And the rest of July doesn't look much more inspiring. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-pal-releases-roundup-03-07-09"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:03:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133305.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133305.stm196Legal wrangles may lie ahead over Jackson's childrenAmericasFri, 03 Jul 2009 17:02:12 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fallout-3-half-price-on-steamhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fallout-3-half-price-on-steam197 <p> <strong> Independence weekend special. </strong> </p> <p> Bethesda Softworks' brilliant post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout 3 will be half-price this weekend on Steam. </p> <p> The deal marks the annual Independence Day celebration across North America, where they still seem awfully pleased about shaking us off. Our teeth aren't that bad. </p> <p> Fallout 3 was one of the best games of 2008, and has continued to grow this year through the addition of downloadable content. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fallout-3-half-price-on-steam"> Read more... </a> </p> News,PCFri, 03 Jul 2009 04:56:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8132334.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8132334.stm557Chief medical officer answers your questionsHealthFri, 03 Jul 2009 16:47:19 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-zelda-wont-be-radically-differenthttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-zelda-wont-be-radically-different558 <p> <strong> Miyamoto doesn't think so, anyway. </strong> </p> <p> Judging by a snatched quote from Nintendo Power magazine, Shigeru Miyamoto has said the new Zelda will be a familiar experience, despite being the first instalment specifically built for Wii. </p> <p> "I don't think it's going to be that radically different," the veteran designer said (read by Aeropause, spotted by vg247). </p> <p> Amid the Mario E3 madness, Miyamoto managed to sneakily confirm development of a new Zelda game for Wii. Not wanting to announce the project empty-handed, the legendary Nintendo creator produced a picture, which he said proved he is "quite far into the development of the title". </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-zelda-wont-be-radically-different"> Read more... </a> </p> News,WiiFri, 03 Jul 2009 04:46:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/capcom-unveils-new-devil-kings-gamehttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/capcom-unveils-new-devil-kings-game559 <p> <strong> Sengoku Basara 3 for 2010 release. </strong> </p> <p> A Capcom teaser site has revealed that the company is making a third game in the Sengoku Basara series, known as Devil Kings in the west. </p> <p> Sengoku Basara 3 will be released in 2010, according to the site, but no platforms are mentioned. </p> <p> The series is Capcom's take on the hackandslash form epitomised by Koei's Dynasty Warriors, with a nominally historical setting and open battlefields awash with hundreds of enemies. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/capcom-unveils-new-devil-kings-game"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:42:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/numblast-punisher-topatoi-on-psnhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/numblast-punisher-topatoi-on-psn560 <p> <strong> Plus Red Baron, Monster Hunter, more. </strong> </p> <p> Sony has updated the PlayStation Store with several new downloadable games this week, including a pair of puzzle games and the latest take on The Punisher. </p> <p> Numblast (GBP 3.99 / EUR 4.99) is the first of the puzzlers, in which you have to arrange numbers on a grid to set off chain reactions. Group four 1s in a square, for example, and they will count up before exploding, deleting any adjacent lines of matching numbers between 1 and 4 as they go. Don't worry - it's much easier to figure out when you're playing it, which you can do on either PS3 or PSP. </p> <p> Next is topatoi: The Great Tree Story (GBP 7.99 / EUR 9.99), in which you control a "gyroscopic vehicle that looks like a whirligig" to overcome platform puzzles. There's also split-screen multiplayer and the promise of additional updates later. Check out the PlayStation blog for a few more details. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/numblast-punisher-topatoi-on-psn"> Read more... </a> </p> News,PlayStation 3Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:37:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-pspgo-always-part-of-the-planhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-pspgo-always-part-of-the-plan561 <p> <strong> UMD a stop-gap until tech was in place. </strong> </p> <p> Sony Computer Entertainment chief product planner Naoya Matsui has revealed that a UMD-less PSP was always part of the handheld plan. </p> <p> "We'd planned to release a PSP model without a UMD drive since the very beginning," Matsui told Develop, raising the question of why Sony developed the Universal Media Disc to begin with. </p> <p> "But if we'd simply released the hardware, there wouldn't have been much for everyone to enjoy. We needed to prepare the right environment for it first - things like the transferral of content with the PS3 and PSN, and PC software to manage content like music and movies such as 'Media Go'. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-pspgo-always-part-of-the-plan"> Read more... </a> </p> News,PlayStation PortableFri, 03 Jul 2009 04:35:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/8132414.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/8132414.stm562A man acquitted of killing his ex-girlfriend seven years ago is found guilty after a new trial under double jeopardy laws.LondonFri, 03 Jul 2009 16:33:17 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8133517.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8133517.stm563Up to 26 Pakistani soldiers are feared dead after an army transport helicopter crashes in a tribal region, officials say.South AsiaFri, 03 Jul 2009 16:26:59 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/champions-online-to-support-twitterhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/champions-online-to-support-twitter564 <p> <strong> In-game tweeting hits the beta. </strong> </p> <p> In Cryptic's latest roundup on the state of its superhero MMO, Champions Online, it mentions that it's adding an in-game Twitter system to the beta. </p> <p> The details of how it works are still under NDA, but we're guessing it will allow you to use Twitter without alt-tabbing out to your browser and leaving your persistent alter ego alone for a second. </p> <p> Funnily enough, we've also just stumbled across TweetCraft, a third-party Twitter add-on for World of Warcraft that does just the same. WOW.com has the details. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/champions-online-to-support-twitter"> Read more... </a> </p> News,MMOFri, 03 Jul 2009 04:20:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/8133190.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/8133190.stm565Schools Secretary Ed Balls has asked for an assessment of the problem of parents cheating to get school places.EducationFri, 03 Jul 2009 15:43:33 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/8132582.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/8132582.stm566Alan Duncan reacts angrily to Labour claims many Tory MPs are 'homophobic", as Harriet Harman wades into the row.PoliticsFri, 03 Jul 2009 14:32:35 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/8132949.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/8132949.stm567Only Fools and Horses wide boy Derek Trotter is returning to BBC One in a comedy drama about his teenage years.EntertainmentFri, 03 Jul 2009 14:25:04 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8132624.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8132624.stm568The hammer attack victim who helped get a killer jailedUKFri, 03 Jul 2009 14:20:07 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/8134053.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/8134053.stm569The cheapest place to buy a home by the sea is in the north of Scotland, according to the latest property figures.ScotlandFri, 03 Jul 2009 23:40:57 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133964.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8133964.stm570Republican ex-vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin is to quit as Alaska governor amid speculation about a possible presidential bid.AmericasFri, 03 Jul 2009 23:13:52 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8132857.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8132857.stm571Bridget Jones is not alone in turning to self-help mantras to boost her spirits, but a study warns they may have the opposite effect.HealthFri, 03 Jul 2009 23:06:55 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8134064.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8134064.stm572An Obama administration official says Russia has agreed to let US troops bound for Afghanistan fly through its airspace.South AsiaFri, 03 Jul 2009 22:47:46 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/personality-crisis-articlehttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/personality-crisis-article573 <p> <strong> Conversations with MMO role-players. </strong> </p> <p> Everybody needs somebody to hate. It's one of life's cuddliest comforts: everyone, no matter how oppressed, downtrodden, and marginalised, has someone upon whom they can look down. Cats can take refuge in the fact that they're not dogs; disgraced investment bankers regularly praise Quetzalcoatl for not making them videogames journalists; and MMO players, still considered by a vast majority to be daylight-averse, socially crippled man-children, can direct their pathos at a very easy, very near target: role-players. </p> <p> A subculture of a subculture - recently described in a University of Minnesota study as "psychologically much worse off than the average [MMO player]" - role-players (or "RPers", as they're often known) engage in many, if not all, of the same activities as the average MMO aficionado. But they do so with an interesting twist: they do it "in character". </p> <p> This practice can entail anything from injecting a few "thees" and "thous" into orthodox raid-speak, to creating elaborate storylines with other players that can take years to complete. It's a kind of shared fantasy that, in a positive light, brings to mind a sort of emergent, collaborative virtual theatre. On the other hand, it could be (and often is) considered a kind of participatory self-delusion; a dysfunctional consensus reality where potato-faced database programmers can invest their fragile psyches into playing at being dashing, raven-haired, florid romantic heroes and pouting, porcelain-skinned maidens (often simultaneously). </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/personality-crisis-article"> Read more... </a> </p> Article,MMOFri, 03 Jul 2009 10:45:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8132893.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8132893.stm574From surly teen to feted hero, the Scot has a huge talentUKFri, 03 Jul 2009 22:44:40 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/hanabi-festival-stuffs-wii-dsiware-vchttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/hanabi-festival-stuffs-wii-dsiware-vc575 <p> <strong> Mario Calculator! Mario Clock! </strong> </p> <p> There are several offerings spread across DSiWare, WiiWare and Virtual Console today - all in celebration of another Hanabi festival. This typically fills Nintendo's online cupboards with old games previously restricted to Japan, and bumps the price up a bit in the process. </p> <p> Those oldies are action platform Mega Drive game Pulseman, and SNES strategy game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen. Both cost 900 Nintendo Points (GBP 6.30 / EUR 9 approx - online-bought points and shop-bought points differ in price). </p> <p> Today also marks the release of Konami's first WiiWare game Gradius Rebirth, which will be followed by top-down racer Driift Mania later this month and Contra Rebirth in August. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/hanabi-festival-stuffs-wii-dsiware-vc"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:43:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/8133925.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/8133925.stm576The African Union halts co-operation with the International Criminal Court over its war-crimes charges against Sudan's leader.AfricaFri, 03 Jul 2009 22:28:18 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-sequel-this-winterhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-sequel-this-winter577 <p> <strong> "A breathtaking RPG experience." </strong> </p> <p> TopWare (now owned by Zuxxez) has announced a sequel to Oblivion-alike RPG Two Worlds. </p> <p> Memorably dubbed Two Worlds II, the game will appear on Mac, "next-gen consoles" and PC this winter. </p> <p> The sequel has been in development for two years and makes "quantum leaps" in all areas, boasts the press release. AI has been overhauled, authors ditched and a brand-new combat engine employed. Not in place of the authors, obviously. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-sequel-this-winter"> Read more... </a> </p> News,Xbox 360Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:15:00 GMThttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-ii-screenshot-galleryhttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-ii-screenshot-gallery578 <p> <strong> </strong> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-ii-screenshot-gallery"> Read more... </a> </p> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-ii-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/8/0/8/ss_Shot_TW2_03.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-ii-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/8/0/8/ss_Shot_TW2_02.jpg.jpg"/> </a> <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/two-worlds-ii-screenshot-gallery"> <img src="http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/6/4/4/8/0/8/ss_Shot_TW2_01.jpg.jpg"/> </a> Gallery,PCFri, 03 Jul 2009 10:10:00 GMThttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/8133871.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/8133871.stm579Three children and three adults die after a blaze swept through a tower block in London.LondonFri, 03 Jul 2009 22:04:23 GMT