Moved!

We're in the forum now. All news updates goes there. Check it out. Point your browser to BruGamers.com or BruGamers.net. If you guys are still linked here, please update your links.

Thanks.

Come join us now and share all your gaming experience with us!

New games abound!

I walked into ETA games shop today at the Mall and lo and behold, new releases were abound~! First up is the Guitar Hero on Tour for the Nintendo DS ($105), Space Invaders Extreme for the PSP ($50) and Battlefield: Bad Company (PS3) are on sale as of today.

The reviews for the games can be found here, here and here respectively.

One thing to note though, ETA has two versions of Battlefield: Bad Company available in their stores, The gold edition ($108) and normal casing ($103).

However, with Sony shutting down their Playstation Network for the next hours or so, B:BC online gaming will have to wait for a bit.

Happy hunting!

update: the PS network is on!

Local Gaming News

Brunei gaming community, for all purpose and intent, have almost no outlet to be heard (outside from forums and beyond the comforts of our den of chaos). So, here are some of the articles which more or less tells a bit about our gaming situation.

Online gamers want more original copies of video games
Parents split on choice of violent computer games for children
Winners of cyber games announced
Heroes of Gunstar still fresh in modern wars
Writers strikes for great games
Educational games a smart industry niche

BruGamers.net Beta Forum

POST VIA [SHUTTERSPEECH.COM]

HEY GUYS, I'm not sure how many of you are gamers but I'm running a beta forum at BruGamers.net on ShutterSpeech.com's server to test my bandwidth in association with Bruneian Gamers Online (BruGamers.com) website.

We have my categories from the usual consoles (Playstations, Xboxes and Nintendos) to PC as well as Mobile and casual gaming. On topic discussions are also available for those who feel like discussing serious debates online as well as off topic where you can just start whatever you want without being bothered with which categories you want to be in.

So help us out by joining and registering at BruGamers.net. I'm sure there's a tiny gamer in you even if you aren't that big.

PS: Remember, BruGamers.net is the forum while BruGamers.com is the blog.

Viva Pinata on DS

Just saw this over at xbox360fanboy.com. They reported that Viva Pinata will be extending their franchise over to the DS as they did with their TV shows and PC version. Look out for this if you guys like this x360 colourful game.

BioShock 3

With its unsurprising PS3 announcement, BioShock is set to get two more sequels. Not only will there be a BioShock 2, a third one is in plans to make this series a trilogy.

This is not surprising seeing how successful this game is on the xbox360 and the achievements it has garnered since released. The movie is also in the works, hoping that it will release simultaneously with BioShock 2.

Anyone picking this up for the PS3 extra contents?

GHIII DragonForce 100%

I don't know if you guys have seen this but I was reading joystiq and saw a post on this guy who played Guitar Hero III's hardest song and completed it 100%. The song? It's rather obvious to GHIII's fans, DragonForce's Through The Fires and The Flames.

I have got to congratulate this guy. He obviously spends a lot of time on GH. Not a lot of people can do that. Maybe I should quit my day job and try to get 100% too.

See Afrika At Home

Remember Afrika? Yes, that "game" shown during the early years of the PS3. Well, turns out it's not dead. It has resurfaced, not only with news, but with a website and a release date.

With a 28th August, 2008 release date, the game seems to only be available for Japan. No word yet on whether it will come out in other places. The game looks like a simulation of the Sahara where you can take snapshots of animals and the surroundings. Not sure what else it could do. If you could read Japanese, you are free to check out their official website here. Also, a trailer follows. Yes, it's in-game gameplay.

I have to say though that this would be interesting for photography enthusiasts. I am.




PS: Just a short advert, I've finally managed to make use of my 150gig of space on my server. Check out shutterspeech.com for my portfolio.

God of War for GHIII

God of War for you Guitar Hero III - for free!

STREET FIGHTER IV

QORE

From Crackle: Qore preview

Just something I thought interesting. First issue comes in Thursday's update for the US PS-Store for USD2.99. For a year subscription (13 issues) you can pay USD24.99. I'm looking forward to checking out their first issue.

Conan O'Brien's GTA IV Parody

Poll: Do You Notice Advertisements?

I was reading the newspaper earlier this morning and while doing that, someone pointed out a huge ad on the same page that took a third of the page's space. I asked myself, "how in the world did I miss that?" Then I realised that I don't really notice nor do I care about ads, be it on the newspaper or blogs but then I put up adverts on my blogs. It made me think, how well do ads work? And how many really attract the eyes of readers? Don't get me wrong, some ads catch my eyes but only the good ones.

So I thought, for the sake of a simple research, I'd put up a universal poll on all my blogs and ask you guys to vote if you notice them at all. So where ever you are reading this post from, your vote will count on my other blogs. Thanks for voting!

Comments below as usual.

Do you read advertisements on newpapers and blogs?
	Yes
	No
	Sometimes
	What adverts?
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Calling All Gamers - Hiatus Coming

I just want to say this now before you guys end up wondering where the updates are. Most of the recent updates have been posted by me so I thought I'd let you know that, as far as my posts are concerned, I probably won't be updating much in the next few months. Updates might range from very rare to none at all due to a tight schedule with work and family responsibilities. I'm not sorry to say that those come first before this.

Other posters are busy with work themselves which is why we need volunteers to post game-related news here. So, to keep BruGamers.com alive, if you want to, how about some of you contribute to becoming regular posters instead of mailing me news and information?

Let me know if you are interested. Drop me an e-mail at sinadam@gmail.com with your details, including your real name, nickname, age, place of residence, contact and the e-mail you use for blogger. Yes, you'll need a blogger account. If you haven't got one, registration is free at blogger.com.

Hope to hear from you guys soon.

Nearing The End

It's gold. Get it?

Back On The Web

Wow, funny how you depend on the internet these days. Having the internet down is so uncool. Heck, a lot of people were complaining in the paper on how TelBru is not prepared on this matter. Could it be the fact that they have reduced their monthly fee that a lot of people have registered that was making us, the current users, feel the pain of no connection with the world? That's not good. There were a lot of news to read and post in the past few days to have lost the ability to see the world on our beautiful computer screen. One, ofcourse, being the new PS-Store look, fast and awesome. You should update your PS3 now and check it out.

On another note, GTAIV is coming very soon. I can't wait to get my hands on it. Looks like life will take on a major halt for the next few months. If you have an X360 and a PS3, which one will you get?

Anyway, I'll be back with news once I have the chance to write.

Kutaragi Inducted in CEA Hall of Fame

15 years ago saw the creation of the Sony Computer Entertainment Division and in 1994 the first glimpse of the original Playstation was seen. Heading all these was the father himself, Ken Kutaragi. The Playstation brand has since then sold millions of items, changing even millions of people's lives all over the world. This can be seen through the evolution of gaming from cartridges to CDs by the original Playstation and the DVD life we see today all because of the Playstation 2.

Known as the Father of the Playstation, Ken Kutaragi has been inducted into the Consumer Electronic Association's CE Hall of Fame joining the likes of the creator of the first mobile phone as well as the company known as The Father of The DVD. In a report by the GameDaily Biz, the CEA said that its Hall of Fame "honors leaders whose significant contributions make the consumer electronics industry a vibrant, dynamic and vital part of our nation and its economy."

Looks like Ken Kutaragi must be happy grilling away - if you get what i mean.

PSP Stress Test

It's been awhile since I've posted a torturous video on the survival of electronic devices - especially one of gaming such as this poor PSP. Check out Broken Review's stress test on the durability of the PSP. Broken Review claimed that the weak spots of the PSP are the screen and the UMD drive as the handheld could still be switched on with the menu and sound still working after their initial stress test. Here's a summay video of what they did. To view the rest of the videos go here.



www.brokenreview.com - PSP - Extreme testing from Broken Review on Vimeo.

Altair in MGS4?

The video above has been the talk of the gaming industry on April's Fool. I meant to post it then but there were just so many videos online then that I wasn't sure which I should post as legit. But turns out, Kojima himself made this amazing MGS video. Check it out if you haven't. More MGS4 revealed - plus the producer of Assassin's Creed opening the video. Altair in MGS4? Make sure you watch till the end to see someone making an appearance. Take this as entertainment. Just that.

The Playstation Faucet

I was sceptical at first, especially since such news was spread on April's Fool. Even the PlayStation Blog caught the news and reported that it was legit. It wasn't until Kotaku posted it was real that I started to believe it. Yes, the Playstation faucet is indeed far from a joke.

The inventor claimed that the buttons on the faucet are not just for display. Each button functions. The circle turns the tap on, X stops the water while the triangle buttons adjust the temperature. Square is sadly missing in action.

Now, how can I get one for my bathroom?

New PS-Store Soon

Looks like the PS-Store will be undergoing some facelift this April. SCEA and SCEE has announced that there will be no store updates in the next two weeks due to the store update. This includes April 3rd and April 10th. Regular updates will resume after the updates, adding that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be added to the US Store (UK PS-Store already has GT5 Prologue by the way).

According to the PlayStation blog, with the new interface users will be asked to update their firmware which will enable entry to the new store. The interface will allow users to "browse through eight primary categories, rather than four". The new buttons include games, demos, add-ons, videos, wallpapers/themes, featured items among others. This means more of the same items per category making it faster for us to browse through.

Also, if you look at the new interface, it bares a similar resemblance the SingStar's SingStore. The mirror reflection, the colour, the bottom border - all looks SingStar-ish. Maybe that's where Sony stole the idea?

Anyway, once the store up and ready, we'll see if it'll experience this better look ourselves.

Happy Tree Friends on XBLA

It's cartoon violence at its best. Happy Tree Friends has been around for so long and has become one flash cartoon that everybody has learned to love. Well, almost everyone.

We all know Happy Tree Friends. Don't lie. It's the flash cartoon that you guys keep watching. Hell, they even made a DVD for it. Every episode with its gory details and deaths. What man doesn't love that? No, wait. What gamer doesn't love that? And now, to your heart's content, you get to see the release of Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm this April on XBLA. Enjoy. They're just too lovable for us not to.

GTA IV's Final Trailer

It's finally coming. The month we've all been waiting for all our lives. The month that was supposed to be last year but never was. The month of jacking every car that you see. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, GTAIV's month is coming. April is the month that every gamer has been looking forward to (and frankly, if your not, you don't know the gaming industry well enough).

But before that, here's the final GTAIV trailer. Are you ready for Liberty City?

Smackdown! vs RAW 2009 Tag Team

One of Brunei's most watched sports is Wrestling. Or more specifically, WWE. Which is why I think that THQ's Smackdown! VS Raw series have sold so well here. But one of the problems with the series is how it gives and takes features as the each product gets released - though keeping most of what works in. This can be seen through its season mode, or 24/7 mode in 2007.

One feature that was once put in the story mode was the ability to go in as a tag team. Fans of this feature will finally be able to jump for joy as WWE SvsR 2009 will include a story mode for tag teams. 2009 will also see DLC put into place, most probably in terms of updating the roster. And speaking of online play, players will also be able to play tag team matches now.

Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Randy Orton, Mr Kennedy, Undertaker and John Cena have been revealed to join in 2009's roster. More will be announced soon as the final number has yet to be revealed.

Check out the following video for SvsR 2009's tag team promo.

Master Chief comes to PS3

Been dreaming for the Master Chief to be on your PS3? Well, that probably won't come true in a Halo kind of way but you get to see the Master Chief himself in an FPS via UTIII mod. That's right, it took only a matter of time until someone created the green suited guy and made it playable in your UTIII. You can view a video of it and download other characters like Cloud, Spawn and Gears of War characters for your UTIII here. Have fun!

Mini reviews of previews

Right, I haven't been writing anything at all for the past month or so, due to some new responsibilities elsewhere and poor Mr Syaf is handling all the writing stuff all by himself.

So anyway, here are some of the stuff we've been playing and will be playing in the near future.

God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) is out already, and yes, it's as awesome as the demo in all respects.

Patapon (PSP) has yet to surface in this country, but from the demo that I played (and finished), I could safely say its one of the main list of things I need to get once my paychecks comes in.

For those who don't know what Patapon is, its a rhythm based game mixed some tactical RPG element in it. Sounds weird but interesting? In-depth reviews of the full game can be found here.

On the Nintendo DS side, the predecessor for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, a sequel from the stellar adventure/text heavy Phoenix Wright trilogy is a welcome change from all the brainteasing insanity that is Professor Layton and The Curious Village, which is another game that is worth getting if you're the puzzle/adventure type.

So, just to remind all of you, that Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox360/PS3) will be out on April 29, but give it a week or two before it arrives in Brunei. (read: BOOK NOW)

Also, keep a look out for Final FantasyVII: Crisis Core (PSP), the prequel before Cloud went nuts, which received good reviews from April's edition of Electronic Gaming Monthly.

On an unrelated note, yes, the Xbox360 does make loud noises when it access its disc and Its NORMAL, part of its flawed design unfortunately.

Fret not as there's solutions for every problem, but not in the way you imagined it. Check out the articles from here and here for more information on how to shut up your Xbox360.

Until the next reviews of previews!

10 Reasons for PS3

PS3 Fanboy has made a list of 10 reasons why the PS3 is relevant again. They mentioned how Blu-Ray won the format war and is one of the reasons why the PS3 is a good bargain for a Blu-ray player.

In this light, I think, and I've seen, a lot of people are purchasing the PS3 in Brunei, meaning that more and more people are willing to spend original content and games and moving away from piracy. Great job people!

And for those who haven't purchased it yet, then these 10 reasons might be just the help you need to make up your mind. Go over to the page here and have fun!

WWE Spartan

One of the most amazing things I love about the WWE Smackdown (and now Smackdown VS RAW) series from the beginning of its life on the PS2 is their character customization feature (or CAW for Create-A-Wrestler). It's so deep that you could spend an hour just creating your character - which also means that you are free to be extremely creative.

With WWE Smackdown! VS RAW 2008, I've seen so many characters being created from original characters such as Kurt Angle (who is now in TNA) to The Grinch. Heck, once I even saw Billy the puppet from the Saw movies. But one of my favourites has got to be the following video. If you've seen 300, then shout with me... SPPAAAARRRTAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!

X360 Games for Sale

Here's the other e-mail. Check out the last post for the other items on sale. For all things on sale, or history of stuff being sold, click here.

From Din:

Hey there 360 owners! Just to tell you that I'm selling some of my Xbox 360 games since they are no longer playable to me. So rather than leaving them rotten...I'm selling them with a reasonable price.

Original Games:
Crackdown ($45)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance ($45)
Tony Hawk's Project 8 ($50)

Get all of them (discount 20%) = $112

Non-original Games:
Dead Rising ($5)
Mass Effect ($5)
Assassin's Creed ($5)
GRAW 1 ($4)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent ($4)
F.E.A.R. ($4)
Gears of War ($4)
Forza Motorsport 2 ($4)
Condemned: Criminal Origins ($4)
Juiced 2 ($3)

Get all of them (discount 20%) = $33.60

Interested? Contact +6738626714, Cash Term only. All of the games are tested and work perfectly especially the non-original games.

p/s I'm also selling a PSP game - "Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (Japanese Ver.)" for $20.

All messages were written and sent to BruGamers Online by the owner. All items on sale are solely by the owner and has no connection or whatsoever with BruGamers.com except for this post. Please contact the phone number/e-mail given above for enquiries. BruGamers.com is not responsible for any transaction made between the buyer and the seller.

360 Casing for Sale

Just some e-mails I got of gamers who are selling their stuff. But just so you guys know, we have BruGamers.mulitply.com for these kinds of stuff. You can create a new post there and I'll link it here so that it's easy for you guys to use. Also, if any of you are interested, I'm looking for another BruGamers.com writer. If you are interested, leave a message here. I'll have the requirements up soon.

From hasher87

XCM Smoke Black CASE + All Black wireless control pad SHELL (BRAND NEW, NOT AVAILABLE HERE)

Package include:
-XCM Smoke Black Case (Transparent Black)
-XCM All Black Wireless Control Pad Shell (Smooth Edition), comes with LED that glowing on the button (Optional: require soldering)
-XCM Xbox 360 Unlock Kit
-Torx Screwdriver for Xbox 360 Controller

Items are in hand right now. All packaged in 1 original box, Im only selling the casing only, not the console/controller unit



Prices Option:
Complete Package Price (No Installation) = $120
Complete Package Price + Installation = $130
XCM Smoke Black Case with opening kit (XCM Xbox 360 Unlock Kit) = $100
XCM Smoke Black Case with opening kit (XCM Xbox 360 Unlock Kit) + Installation = $110
XCM All Black Wireless Control Pad Shell with opening kit (Torx Screwdriver for Xbox 360 Controller) = $40
XCM All Black Wireless Control Pad Shell with opening kit (Torx Screwdriver for Xbox 360 Controller) + Installation charge = $50

Other than that, im selling 2 of my games as well:
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) = $70
still wrapped Halo 3 Chinese Voice with English Sub/Menu (Xbox 360) = $50

Installation manual will be given for those who want to install themselves

Contact me (Shah) through this number: 8836545


All messages were written and sent to BruGamers Online by the owner. All items on sale are solely by the owner and has no connection or whatsoever with BruGamers.com except for this post. Please contact the phone number/e-mail given above for enquiries. BruGamers.com is not responsible for any transaction made between the buyer and the seller.

GDC08: Warhawk Future

Support for Warhawk will continue for a very long time as long as there is a community out there. Well, at least that's what Dylan Jobe, game director of Warhawk, told 1up at an interview during last week's Game Developers Conference.

"Warhawk will continue to be supported through a number of booster packs and is likely not the last we'll see of the franchise," reported 1up.

In the interview, Operation Broken Mirror was also confirmed at the upcoming Booster Pack which will include one new vehicle, the rumoured APC. This APC will act as a portable spawn point and equipment producer. Operation Broken Mirror will also include a new battledfield.

Good news is that game modes will also be supported and will continue to be integrated into patches and updates for free, just like the upcoming 1.3 warhawk patch.

When asked about the long gone single-player, Jobe told 1up that they are not working on bringing the single-player experience and that if they do, it would be related to a new product.

So Warhawk fans, looks like the future of this franchise is really bright. So keep playing and you'll get more out of it.

Read

Phil Harrison Retires

Sony Computer Entertainment gave a surprising announcement in the form of the resignation of Phil Harrison, effective February 19th. The President of Sony Computer Entertainment World Wide Studios will be replaced by Kaz Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment International.

As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry," said Kazuo Hirai. "It is sad to see him departing from SCE, but I wish to express my gratitude for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavors."

"The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far," said Phil Harrison. "I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship. It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis. I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can."
-via joystiq

Phil Harrison has been a great asset and a great public speaker for Sony since the retirement of the father of all PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi. But the new appointment of Kaz Hirai will make 2008 an interesting year for the PlayStation brand.

Thank you Phil Harrison for your Game 3.0. Let's hope we get to see it come to light.

Toshiba Hearts Sony

In the industry news, Toshiba has moved on to back Sony's Cell and RSX chips. News of negotiations has been surfacing for the past few months but no solid deals have been finalised, until recently. With the dropping of HD DVD plans, Toshiba is buying microchip processing facilities in Japan for USD$835 million. This means that Toshiba is helping Sony produce the Cell and RSX chips.

Here's to a long lasting relationship!

Read the rest here.

GDC08: GT Wheels

At GDC, Logitech unveiled the official Gran Turismo 5 wheel for your PS3 which will cost $149.99 when released. Steep price at the moment but it will be worth it once GT5 comes out. Anyway, why would you play a close-to-real-life driving simulation with a SIXAXIS or Dualshock 3?

Back USB for PS3

This is for those who fancy usb ports at the back of their PS3. I have to say, having USB ports at the front can be quite messy - especially since I always have the PSeye and a USB charger plugged in all the time. Do the following at your own risk ... btw.

GDC08: PixelJunk Eden

Have you tried out PixelJunk Monsters yet? If you haven't, a demo of the game was just released Thursday (Friday local time) for your trial pleasure. I have to say, it's a must download for strategy game loving gamers.

PixelJunk is not stopping there though with their simple 2D yet deep games (game if you don't include PixelJunk racers). Their next release is called PixelJunk Eden. Check out the following video.



At GDC08, Q-Games claims that they will be releasing their latest game in the PixelJunk series before summer. I know I'll find myself following news on PixelJunk Eden - I'm curious enough now to how this game is really played.

GDC08: In-Shirt XMB

One of the most requested feature on the PS3 is in-game XMB. It's been so long and Sony has yet to deliver. At GDC, Sony had shirts with the words in-shirt XMB printed on it, a tease no less by Sony to tell us that in-game XMB is coming. Let's hope it's close. It's been awhile since the last firmware update.

The War is Over

Toshiba has finally called it quits and has stopped production for HD DVDs. Obviously, current HD DVDs will still be around but let's celebrate for the format war has somewhat ended! And seems like Sony has finally got its share of winning a format war, what with its history of losing streaks. But yay to Blu-Ray!

Personally, I'm glad Blu-Ray won since it has the better looking disc cover.

Next Week: GDC08

The Game Developers Conference is next week and I'm hoping to find some free time to read and update some news from GDC08. It'll be interesting to see what they've got, especially with rumours floating about saying that a lot of huge announcements will be unveiled in San Francisco. News on Home hopefully?

Games For Sale

Just thought I'd post this here so it stays up. Sympx is selling his x360 and PS3 games if you are looking for games cheaper than the shops. If I were you, I'd get them if I haven't already got them myself, especially Gears, COD4 and Uncharted. Pretty damn cheap.

XBOX 360 games for sale:
Bullet Witch - $40
Def Jam Icon - $40
Strangehold - $50
Rainbow Six - $40
Gears of War - $50
Splinter Cell - $50
COD4 - $65

Ps3 games for sale:
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (US ver) - $75
Folklore + Bradygames strategy guides - $85
GRAW1 - $40

Contact Sympx through 8915553.
Grab them before they are taken.

BruGamers Review: Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

Anyone who have ever got the chance to watch the episodes (or anything to do with the old old series) will undoubtedly know how cool Birdman is in a lot of way. Now, to play a game based on the character acting as an incompetent, bumbling and mild mannered lawyer, you can never go wrong.

But, as adventure games goes, its quite shallow on the investigation/interrogation side, for the most part, you can win the game in one session and still complete the game laughable (no pun intended) secrets. Yes, you heard me, this ain't Phoenix Wright.

Despite this, I did have an enjoyable time as I screw around with some of the absurd options that were given like why in the world would I want to call Avenger (Birdman's trusty bird sidekick) three times? For the comedy, of course.

So despite the shortness of the game and the lack of investigation, it is enjoyable to some extent, if you're just spectatoring while the other player just trudge on with the gameplay.

Okay, I think I must've been hard on the interrogation part, but it does have some "A-HA!" moments.

Definitely, for the obscure gamers out there who can't have enough of parody induced craziness. Go get it.

Suggestions: Competitve Gaming in Brunei

It seems for most of time during our gaming times, I realized that we need something to fill in the gap. The guys over at Championship Gaming Series is an amazing piece of insipiring work of insanity and should be taken as an example of some of the events we need to do here. Though, it is VERY UNLIKELY for such a big event to come down here to our country, but if there was someone out there, who has the guts and foresight to see this through, I'd say it would prove to be successful.

Think for a moment, with the amount of audience and participants who attended the recent Brunei Cyber Games, it was evidence enough of how such an event can be a success, then how come we don't see many of those as we like to? Often times, its fun to play with friends and online cohorts, but at the same time we also have that primal need to show how awesome we are at Tekken 5. Yes, because bragging rights are one of the main criterias of a gamer.

Another issue here is variety. How come stuff like Halo 3, Call of Duty or to an extent Virtua Fighters aren't within the pipelines? Gamers out who are skilled and keen at showing off their prowess are undermined because like most trends-slaves, we'll definitely follow the next best thing to come out.

All I am saying is that diversity counts when it comes to competitions. Include small stuffs like MotorStorm or DiRT into the forray, and fighting games and so forth, just so as not to alienate other gamers who just have no interest in Guitars or football.

The idea here to cultivate a sort of wider view on the things, it doesn't matter if its just a soft-opening of say, an UNREAL Tournament just to test things, but its always good to find out how many gamers out there are interested.

The future can be bright for competitive gaming. If only we can open our minds and think outside the box without shredding it to pieces.

Got a better idea? post it over the comment box!

1 billion in 26 months

Here's my two cents on Guitar Hero III. I love it. I love it more than I love Rock Band. And mind you, Rock Band is a good and fun game, but it just doesn't keep me there for far too long. I don't know. Maybe it's because how boring the guitar play is. Maybe it's the okay list of songs available, even despite it having lots of downloadable songs every week. But truth is, I love Guitar Hero III more despite the lack of songs you get to download. Well, turns out I'm not the only one who thinks so. The world seems to love Guitar Hero too.

According to Activision, the Guitar Hero series have managed to garner over US$1 billion within 26 months while selling 14 million units. That's impressive, considering that the franchise was first developed by Harmonix (the creator of Rock Band). In a 1up article, they mentioned that Activision also claimed that Guitar Hero III has set an industry record (again) as the best selling title in a calendar year.

It was also mentioned that, despite their lack of downloadable songs, Guitar Hero III has surpassed 5 million song downloads as opposed to Rock Band's 2.5 million. And I must say, I've downloaded all Guitar Hero III songs but only a few of Rock Band's (mostly Bowie, Metallica, Blink 182 and All American Rejects).

This just shows how consumers do not look at developers but really concentrate on the title of the game seeing how the creators of the original Guitar Hero has moved on to Rock Band and still Guitar Hero stands above the multiplayer rhythmic game.

April 29 Marked

It is time to celebrate as our beloved Gran Theft Auto IV has been given a released date! That magical number is April 29th! Yes, this year! So rumours of it being released at the end of this year or next is false. Aren't you just glad? Let us all celebrate this special occasion by getting ourselves some hot coffee (if y'know what I mean).

Twisted Metal Extra Twisted

The PS2 still proves to be so popular in this country, especially since support for the system is still high. Thus, I think owners of PS2 would be happy to know that Twisted Metal Head On Extra Twisted Edition will be out February 5th (my birthday btw) for some never before seen levels as well as old school arenas to blast your opponents in. Here's a gameplay video from Jaffe himself.

From Crackle: Twisted Metal Head On Extra Twisted Edition

PS: Seems like a lot of games are coming out February 5th.

Prototype Gameplay

This is a few days old but I'm sure some of you have yet to see the first Prototype gameplay video. Check it out!

So Little Time

Just wanna leave a message that we're currently busy with work and we're trying to find ways of updating regularly. If you guys are interested, we'll be opening some slots soon for volunteer writers for this blog since two of our authors have gone awol. Catch you later!

Adult BruGamers

Well, turns out that most gamers in Brunei, and particularly gamers who tend to surf around the internet and our dear readers, are above the age of 22. This just shows how there are more adult gamers today than there used to be making this industry serious and mature. That, or we're just a bunch of old kids.

Anyway, a new poll is up if you haven't seen the left side of this site and this time we're asking if you still play your PlayStation 2. I mean, with the amount of games still being sold at store shelves in Brunei (if you know what I mean), who wouldn't right? Let us know and please, drop a message or two here to tell us what games you play, if you still know of the PS2.

NASA to Develop Educational MMORPG

There is almost little to say in this matter except the fact that it might sound like you're playing a game of Mass Effect in mute minus the fun.

But NASA believes that with this Learning Technology, explained on their official website;

Virtual worlds with scientifically accurate simulations could permit learners to tinker with chemical reactions in living cells, practice operating, and repairing expensive equipment, and experience microgravity, making it easier to grasp complex concepts and transfer this understanding quickly to practical problems.

Come to think of it, it does sound very promising. Maybe, once I finish that game I could apply for a job at NASA.

More insanely complete information here

BioShock, 12 nominations

BioShock is a game that I have to say is nothing like any other FPS games I've ever played. And in fact, it seems like I'm not the only one who thinks so. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has nominated BioShock in 12 interactive achievement awards and apparently that's more than any other games that have been nominated in the past.

So if you haven't had a piece of BioShock, you should try it now.

God of War PSP

Ready yourself with another God of War? March is coming and we will see the release of Chains of Olympus on the PSP but for those of you who are just too eager to know more about the game, Sony has released a video trailer on their blog. As usual, you don't have to go that far to watch it, we'll embed it for you right below. Enjoy!

From Crackle: God of War Chains of Olympus January trailer

Closing Best of 2007

Hey guys, it's been a busy week but I'm here to remind you guys that our best of 2007 polls are coming to a close. So if you haven't voted, you still have until the end of the day to do so before we close th vote for this week! Click here, or click on the tiny banner on the left, to show all the polls and vote for your favourites!

Beware the Man with the Blender.

With the amount of love that Guitar Hero III is receiving as well as the predicted megaton success of Rockband in the coming weeks, there are people out there twisted enough to hate it. A little too much. Check out the video.

And if that didn’t put you into a raging frenzy, this guy also did the unbelievable with Halo 3.



Beware the man with the Blender.

Preview: Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck

I believe someone out there has checked out Daffy Duck’s foray into the DS, a little known game called Duck Amuck. If you ever seen an old episode of the same title you know for a fact this is a good idea in the making.

Who wouldn’t want to use their stylus and start poking Daffy to the brink of temper tantrum madness? The game consists of several mini-games in which you beat Daffy into getting pissed off. Now it might sound like a WarioWare rip-off, which I don’t blame you, but upon unlocking some of the mini-games by using the stylus itself, you’re bound to find something worth playing.

For instance, at one point in the game it tells you to shut the DS covers and start whacking something by just following what Daffy says. Honestly, I’ve yet to find something as cool as that!

Now, with little amount of innovative games out there for the DS, this is something to look into because, how else are you gonna shut that duck up?

Speaking of episodes, I took the liberty to post the said episode for your entertainment!

Resistance 2, 60 players

Word has been out and around that Game Informer has world exclusive info on Resistance 2, the first ever news on the upcoming sequel to the PS3's launch title. A lot of information has been spreading around on the Internet and if you have any, please leave a comment and share with us. I haven't seen the magazine myself. But I'll share what I've found out so far.

Resistance 2 aims to have a lot of online support. It has two story modes, the usual single player and a co-op mode which will support two player offline and eight online campaign. Outside the campaign modes, online multiplayer will support up to 60 players per server (and no, that's no typo), beating Warhawk as the most player per server. In terms of the story mode, it's not clear whether they will have two separate stories for single player and co-op modes but hopefully, they will.

Resistance 2 is aiming for an Autumn 2008 release date.

CES08: LittleBigPlanet Mexicana

Here's a LittleBigPlanet video I got off Sony's blog. This game just can't be here soon enough. Definitely one of the top games we should look forward to this year.

From Crackle: LittleBigPlanet CES 2008

CES08: Play Games in Your Head

Sometimes, there are just so many people around you when you are playing a game. Or sometimes, people are asleep around you and playing games would mean waking them up. Yes, using heaphones would be the ultimate choice for most people but how would you like to have the privacy of not only listening to the sound but watching your own screen?

The image below shows a model wearing a pair of sunglasses called myvu personal media viewer, a device that plugs in any a/v cables for your personal viewing - which includes your game consoles. Now how about that?

CES08: GHIII Air Guitar

I know you guys are craving for GHIII news, especially know how popular GHIII is here in this country. So here's something I found - a Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker. Wanna get one?

The Force in Motion

Just to add to the news on the lightsaber being in Soul Calibur IV, I just bumped into a video of Darth Vader and Yoda in action in Soul Calibur. Check it out.

CES08: That Extra Guitar

I've been needing an extra guitar for Rock Band and the fact that GHIII's guitar doesn't work is annoying the hell out of me. Why Activision and Harmonix aren't co-operating is a world's mystery at the moment. And with no standalone guitar being sold out there is not helping at all.

Come Nyko with their uber cool guitar called the "Front man" unveiled at CES. This guitar is compatible on both Rock Band and GHIII by flicking a switch on its USB dongle. The dongle looks ugly though - might even be bigger than Rock Band's. GHIII's dongle is still my favourite.

Anyway, the guitar is based on the GHIII design with added effects switch for Rock Band play. Everything else is there as you are used to.


Photos taken from 1up.com.

CES08: PSP in 2008

1up interviewed Sony's PSP senior product manager, John Koller, on the future of PSP in 2008. They discussed a lot of interesting subjects on the future of the PSP and it seems like PSP owners will be getting mega content this year on both software and hardware. You can go to the page directly to read the interview but we're nice people here so we've summarised the most important things below.

• Skype for PSP will probably come end of January via a firmware update
• Sony wants to expand the PSP's social communication area
• PSP 2000 will get lots of hardware support in terms of accessories
  
• Remote play will play a huge role in 2008
• PC Store will see a huge support for PSP contents
• PSP will get more casual games
• Sony is bringing UMD to a cheaper, more affordable prices

So, how's that PSP of yours doing?