We have a policy here at ButtonBandits of not writing stories based on what analysts say. Atthe end of the day what exactly is a video games analyst? Anyone can claim to be one but who judges whether they are qualified enough to comment? We have made an exception today to prove the point that anyone really can be a video game market analyst. Yesterday retailer GAME announced record sales for the first half of the year up 52% based on the same period last year. A financial analyst stated that he believes sales have peaked when he said ”unless we see new hardware launches into the UK market over the next two years, which appears unlikely at present, then we believe profits will peak this year and fall consistently over the following three years,”. Despite the record sales, shares in GAME then plummeted by 14% following the comments.
Unreal Tournament 3 is released on Xbox 360 this week. Included on the disc is around 8 minutes of exclusive video showing Gears Of War 2 multiplayer footage and details. Check it out below or click through and select the high quality version for a better look.
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Sony Have taken down the all new PlayStation 3 firmware 2.4 release following a small number of reports online reporting that once the update is installed, users PS3’s will no longer boot up.
Sony’s official response on the issue is below as found on the US PlayStation blog:
“As has been reported on many gaming blogs and websites, we have temporarily taken Firmware v2.40 offline. We’ve received a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3. While our consumer services department has seen a low volume of calls on this topic, we are committed to providing the PS3 community with XMB access features delivered in the v2.40 update. We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up.”
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Xleague TV and Codemasters are running a free to enter GRID competition with a £300 prize pool going to winners. Two tournaments will be running with one and Xbox 360 and the other on the PlayStation 3 version. Races will take place as a one V one setup with a group stage beginning on 14 of July and running until the 30th of August. A final televised knockout stage will then run at a date yet to be decided where qualifiers will face off to win the prizes on offer.
Registration for the competition closes on the 07/07/08 so players need to act quick in order to secure a slot. A maximum of 128 players will be allowed to register for the PlayStation 3 event with 70 registered players at time of publication. 256 slots are available in the Xbox 360 competition with 163 players currently registered at this point in time. Qualifying races will take place on Bridgestone Challenge, Le Mans Series (GT1) and Philips World Championship over 3 laps. Default game options will be used which means catchup switched off, damage on and assists on. For more information and to sign up for the tournament head on over to Xleague TV’s site and get signed up. Qualifying finalists will need to be available for filming at Xleague TV studios in London so the competition is only really plausible for residents of the UK.
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What happened to episode 6 of the ButtonBandits.com podcast I here you cry? Well fear not, although it’s been a long time coming the latest episode is planned to be record this coming weekend! Otherwise known as The Sam and Dave show Episode one, this months times episode will have an E3 theme as we look at what games will be worth parting money with in the coming months. One of our expert industry insiders will be giving their thoughts on what to expect from the big three press conferences not forgetting the now regular three minute game review feature. We also take a look back at E3’s gone by and pick out some of the worst (and therefore best) moments from E3’s history. Keep a look out for it popping up on our podcast feed sometime next week!
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Many people may not be aware but the world famous Angry Video Game Nerd has been having a long running feud with some loser by the name of the Nostalgia Critic. Basically he reviews films in the same style as the Angry Nerd. They both bumped into each other at a recent event. Check out the consequences below!
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Like us you may be wondering where all the reviews are for Sega’s latest Olympics game Beijing 2008. Considering the game came out on the 27Th of June and so far not one major online site has reviewed it, initial perceptions due to this are that the game is sub par and being sent out to die on the shelf, falling into all good bargain bins very soon. Games of this type always have a habit of receiving poor review scores when in reality they usually offer a very good simple and fun multiplayer experience. While we haven’t had much time on the game so far but we wanted to put our initial impressions out early given the lack of coverage on any other site.
With this being the first proper Olympics game of this console generation all of us here at ButtonBandits HQ had high hopes for the online mode. As you will read below the implementation of this is disappointing but good enough to offer a decent enough competitive experience in the form of it’s many online leader-boards. 38 events are offer in the game ranging from all the standard track and field events to the more unusual kayaking and Judo. Some of the new game modes work well, others not so much. Basically Beijing 2008 is a fun classic button basher offering a good mix of both button bashing and skill games, with a few new elements thrown in to bring the game up to date for this generation.
If you enjoy games of this classic gameplay type then you will have fun with Beijing 2008 in single player modes thanks to the challenge of the online leader boards. It’s the multiplayer experience where as always the game shines and provides simple fun gameplay. For more detailed info on game modes and how the online is implemented read below.
Sony today announced a major upgrade to the PlayStation 3’s Cross Media bar. The update being released this Wednesday (July 2nd) allows the bar to be accessed in game to check if friends are online send messages and much more. The update also brings achievements trophies to the PlayStation 3 whereby certain in game accomplishments are rewarded with a trophy going against your online id. The new features are best explained in the two video walkthroughs below. By the way Frosty, I just beat your score in Pixel Junk Monsters Encore, what are you going to do about it?
Sony is to finally implemented the last gen feature of rumble into it’s European PlayStation 3 controllers. The DualShock 3 will be available to buy separately as of July 4Th (that’s this Friday) for £39.99. Sony Says:
“Making your gaming experience more immersive, more intuitive and more realistic, DUALSHOCK 3 is the only Bluetooth® controller combining vibration function and SIXAXIS features, and the first choice for anyone wanting to get the most out of their PS3 gaming experience.”
There’s no information given on the controller being bundled with a purchase of a PlayStation 3 console. Presumably then Sony are happy for people to have to buy the first choice controller separately while bundling the second choice one with console purchases until stocks have ran out.
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Apologies for the lack of updates over the last few days. We are experiencing a few technical problems. Normal service is planned to resume on Monday 30/06/08 at the latest all being well.
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We have a policy here at ButtonBandits of not writing stories based on what analysts say. At the end of the day what exactly is a video games analyst? Anyone can claim to be one but who judges whether they are qualified enough to comment? We have made an exception today to prove the point that anyone really can be a video game market analyst. Yesterday retailer GAME announced record sales for the first half of the year up 52% based on the same period last year. A financial analyst stated that he believes sales have peaked when he said ”unless we see new hardware launches into the UK market over the next two years, which appears unlikely at present, then we believe profits will peak this year and fall consistently over the following three years,”. Despite the record sales, shares in GAME then plummeted by 14% following the comments.
