Game Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: Sony PS3
Rating: M
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Buy this at: Amazon for $59.99

I’m all into the first person shooters these days. While I’ll pretty much play any shooter, the better the story and gameplay is the better the shooter. That’s pretty much any game, though. I was looking forward to playing, “Far Cry 2″, which was released by Ubisoft in late October. It wasn’t because of the Far Cry name. In fact, “Far Cry 2″ bears very little resemblance to its predecessor. It’s pretty much a Far Cry title in name only. This isn’t a sequel to the original Far Cry. It’s another take on first shooter concepts, that just happens to have the name Far Cry attached to it.

I played for close to 30 hours. By that point, I felt I had explored enough of the game though there was still a chance for more game play. I wasn’t looking to rush through this game and truly, you can take it at your own pace. That’s part of what makes this an “open-ended” gameplaying experience. I didn’t venture too much into the online playing realm. I don’t always play well with others, but for those that do, the opportunity to play with as many as 16 other players is there. I could see the potential for online play in this game, considering you already have NPC allies that work with you, to help you through the game.

What really appeals to me the most about “Far Cry 2″ is the beautiful scenery and what seems like endless opportunities for gameplay and the ability to explore. You sort of dictate what you do and where you go, though your mission is guided by the various quests you go on. Of course, you’ll need to use your adept skills to navigate through a war torn nation in Africa, while building up relationships and playing the various factions against one another. While this concept has been done, I don’t believe it has ever been done quite like it has in “Far Cry 2″.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick is a twentysomething guy, who has been gaming since the days of Atari. Enthralled by his first NES before he even turned 10, he’s long been a gamer and a Nintendo enthusiast. Dominick is in a wheelchair, so he writes from the unique perspective of gaming with limited mobility. He loves playing his PS3, his Xbox 360 and even his Nintendo Wii and DS. His favorite games are action/adventure FP & MP shooter, and racing games. Amongst his favorite game series are Brother in Arms, Fallout, Armored Core, anything Mario and Legend of Zelda. When not gaming, Dominick is a human rights activist, sports enthusiast, political guru, aspiring filmmaker and homeschooling father. You can find him on twitter nearly every day so feel free to add: dominickevans.

MTV Games, Harmonix and Electronic Arts Ship Rock Band® Track Pack Volume 2 to Retail Stores Nationwide

Cambridge, MA – November 18, 2008 — Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, andMTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced Rock Band® Track Pack Volume 2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ home video game console from Nintendo has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Pricing for the game is $29.99 MSRP for all platform versions.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 features 20 amplifying tracks recorded by some of the most popular rock artists in history from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mötley Crüe to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Duran Duran. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 can be played as a standalone game for all console versions using Rock Band and Rock Band 2 peripherals. Fans who buy the track pack for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system can also export all 20 songs to their console for play with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 using a free offer from Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network or the PlayStation Network.[1]

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT ISSUES INDUSTRY-WIDE CALL TO ACTION TO EXPAND G.I.R.L. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Nov. 13, 2008 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in online gaming, invited all companies doing business in the video game industry to join SOE’s efforts to educate and recruit more women into the field of video game creation, design and production.

In a lunchtime keynote speech during the International Game Developers Association conference in San Francisco, Torrie Dorrell, senior vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for SOE, challenged companies in the video game industry to each make a $10,000 donation toward the G.I.R.L. – Gamers In Real Life – scholarship, with the goal of creating multiple scholarships and more opportunities for women.

“Today, I am challenging everyone to take action to help level the playing field for women pursuing a career in video games. By donating to the G.I.R.L. scholarship, we can encourage diversity in development and make a difference, hopefully creating more opportunities for women and ultimately making more video games women will want to play,” said Dorrell.

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.

GUILDFORD, ENGLAND, October 24th 2008 – Pinnacle Software and developer Doublesix are excited to announce the upcoming release of what will surely prove to be one of the most addictive and charismatic arcade shooters of 2009 - Burn Zombie Burn, available on PlayStation®Network early Q1.

You play Bruce – an average every-day Joe who was looking forward to some ‘quality time’ with his girlfriend Daisy. In true B-movie style their Saturday night is ruined by an invasion of zombies. Set across six classic American horror movie inspired levels, Burn Zombie Burn is a third-person shoot-em-up in the classic coin-op tradition featuring next-gen game play mechanics, and possessing that ‘one-more-go’ addictiveness which define all of the great shooters.

The aim of the game couldn’t be simpler; shoot, burn and blow up as many brain munching zombies as possible using a variety of classic zombie killing weapons before they overwhelm you. Use fire to build up your multiplier and then destroy zombies en masse with explosives to increase that oh-so-important leaderboard high score. But beware! A burning zombie is a faster zombie – burn too many and they will burn you!

Burn Zombie Burn is frantic, arcade gaming at its best, delivering humour and bloody zombie violence in copious amounts!.

“The idea for Burn Zombie Burn! was to make a game that captured what the studio is about: “just one more go” game-play, a raucous sense of humour and an accessible learning curve coupled with traditional hardcore depth. Working with Pinnacle gives us the freedom to make the game we wanted to make, retain the Burn Zombie Burn! IP and meant that we always had a say in how the game was handled and represented”, said Jim Mummery, Creative Director at doublesix.

Peter Sleeman, Managing Director at Pinnacle commented, “The press response we have already received to Burn Zombie Burn! demonstrates the calibre of this game and I have very high hopes for this unique title. This deal demonstrates how Pinnacle is pursuing its new business model, allowing developers to have creative control over its own IP and benefit from the hard work and inspiration they have put in.”

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick is a twentysomething guy, who has been gaming since the days of Atari. Enthralled by his first NES before he even turned 10, he’s long been a gamer and a Nintendo enthusiast. Dominick is in a wheelchair, so he writes from the unique perspective of gaming with limited mobility. He loves playing his PS3, his Xbox 360 and even his Nintendo Wii and DS. His favorite games are action/adventure FP & MP shooter, and racing games. Amongst his favorite game series are Brother in Arms, Fallout, Armored Core, anything Mario and Legend of Zelda. When not gaming, Dominick is a human rights activist, sports enthusiast, political guru, aspiring filmmaker and homeschooling father. You can find him on twitter nearly every day so feel free to add: dominickevans.

For Release from the developers of Monster Jam Urban Assault!

Monster Jam Urban Assault comes out next Tuesday, October 28, 2008. The game will be available for the Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP and pS2.

Here is some information on the various gameplay modes included in the game.

For reference, some of the trucks you’ll get to use in this game include King Krunch, Grave Digger, Backwards Bob and El Toro Loco.

The latest Monster Jam promise? UTTER CHAOS!!!

Championship Mode:

Level – Smasher

-Objective: Cause as much destruction as possible. The more expensive your demolition becomes the higher your score!
-Number of tracks: ten - three Air Strike, seven Devastator events
-Typical layout of tracks: Each track has a wide range of different destructible objects. Players can destroy statues, cars, construction equipment, and may more objects. The outdoor event centers have a set number of three attempts and are not timed. Players can choose from five different ramps, each with varying heights giving players the chance to rack up some serious airtime. The points earned during each of the three tries are added together and make up the total score for the course.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick is a twentysomething guy, who has been gaming since the days of Atari. Enthralled by his first NES before he even turned 10, he’s long been a gamer and a Nintendo enthusiast. Dominick is in a wheelchair, so he writes from the unique perspective of gaming with limited mobility. He loves playing his PS3, his Xbox 360 and even his Nintendo Wii and DS. His favorite games are action/adventure FP & MP shooter, and racing games. Amongst his favorite game series are Brother in Arms, Fallout, Armored Core, anything Mario and Legend of Zelda. When not gaming, Dominick is a human rights activist, sports enthusiast, political guru, aspiring filmmaker and homeschooling father. You can find him on twitter nearly every day so feel free to add: dominickevans.

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 20, 2008 - Today Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s EndWar™ will be released for the Nintendo DS™ system and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Developed by Funatics Software and optimized for the handheld platforms, Tom Clancy’s EndWar is rated T for “teen” and will ship to retailers on November 4, 2008.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar for handhelds allows players to command an elite military force on the ground, in the air and on the seas during World War III. Take control of the elite U.S. Joint Strike Force, European Enforcers Corps or Russian Spetsnaz Guards Brigade and lead your faction to victory in three separate yet interwoven single-player campaigns. Each campaign includes over 30 battle scenarios taking place on real-world battlefields including Paris and London, and features increasingly challenging missions and objectives. Fight against a friend in tense two-player battles in any of the 100 ready-to-play scenarios or in your own custom-created missions.

Key Features:

* Turn-based strategy with a twist: Simultaneous move and attack phases make the experience as intense and authentic as real-time strategy.
* Three campaigns, one for each faction, with increasingly challenging battle scenarios and objectives.
* Over 20 units and vehicles per faction including ground, air and naval units. Units gain experience in combat, dramatically improving their combat performance.
* Two-player versus multiplayer mode, including additional missions specifically designed for multiplayer battles.
* Easy-to-pick-up mission editor: Create and share your custom battlefields and battle scenarios to play solo or against another player.
* Full stylus control on Nintendo DS.

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.

Through Upcoming Firmware Updates, PS3 Gameplay Will Evolve with Advanced Voice Chat Features and In-game Screenshot Capture, While Downloading Games for PSP System Will Be Easier Than Ever with Direct Access to PlayStation®Store over Wi-Fi

FOSTER CITY, Calif., October 13, 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced details of the next PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) system software updates, adding new features to both platforms to benefit consumers. PS3 firmware update (v. 2.50) will include the implementation of advanced voice chat features for the PS3 Official Bluetooth® Headset, the ability to capture screenshots in-game with supporting titles in the future, and enhancements to make the PlayStation Trophy interface more intuitive. PSP firmware update (v. 5.00) will add direct access to PlayStation®Store on PSP, enabling consumers to browse the store and download games whenever they’re at a Wi-Fi hotspot. Both system software updates will be released this month.

“These firmware updates keep both PS3 and PSP in lockstep with consumer expectations for gaming and entertainment, particularly the ability to download PSP games on-the-go, which is a functionality we know consumers can’t wait to get their hands on,” said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing and PlayStation®Network, SCEA. “As we approach our second anniversary with PLAYSTATION 3, it’s remarkable to look back at how much the system has evolved and improved, including its critical link to PSP that effectively extends these entertainment capabilities beyond the home.”

PLAYSTATION 3 Firmware 2.50 Update

Building upon the foundation set by previous firmware upgrades, the 2.50 system software update will refine existing features while also adding new functionality. The update will deliver exclusive options to support SCEA’s Official Bluetooth Headset, as previously announced, such as an on-screen indicator that shows volume, battery charge, and mute functions, as well as a High Quality (HQ) mode, which utilizes advanced wireless technologies and the Headset’s dual-microphone design to enable clear and wide-band wireless voice communication with PS3 system. HQ mode greatly improves the voice chat experience in multiplayer titles such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, which will be bundled with the Headset when it launches at retail this week.

To further strengthen the gameplay experience on PS3 system, the firmware update will add an in-game screenshot capture tool, laying the groundwork for developers to add capture and sharing options to their games and allowing players to immortalize their favorite gaming moments and share them with friends. Titles that support the feature are expected to be announced in the future.

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, BOMBERMAN TO DEBUT ON THE PLAYSTATION NETWORK WITH BOMBERMAN ULTRA

Hudson Entertainment’s Award-Winning Series Returns With 8-Person Online Multiplayer Battles For PLAYSTATION®3 Computer Entertainment System Gamers this Winter

REDWOOD CITY, CA - October 1, 2008 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for Hudson Soft, today announced that they are releasing Bomberman Ultra, an all-new Bomberman for digital download on the PLAYSTATION Network this winter. Retaining classic gameplay elements combined with 8-person online multiplayer, full character customization and gorgeous high-definition graphics, Bomberman Ultra is slated to launch worldwide this winter.

“The Bomberman series is one of the most popular brands in the history of Hudson Entertainment,” said Sabine Duvall, Vice President of Product Development at Hudson Entertainment. “Bringing Bomberman Ultra to the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system is a natural progression for the series and signifies our faith that the brand is beloved by gamers across all platforms.”

Fans of the popular series will be able to compete with the best Bomberman players worldwide, as Bomberman Ultra delivers frantic 8-player multiplayer battles online in 14 exotic arenas, as well as 4-player local multiplayer. Players can customize their own Bomberman characters with more than 50 character costumes, resulting in more than 150,000 possible combinations!

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.

NCAA football fans will want to keep their eye on the EA Sports NCAA Football Challenge. The Challenge will be touring 16 college towns (listed below) and the winners from the campus tournaments will be meeting at the EA Sports equivalent of a championship football game. The finals will be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2009.

If you aren’t going to be able to check out the challenge, but love NCAA football you might want to check out EA Sports NCAA Football 09. It’s in stores now and available on all major gaming platforms including (but not limited to) PS 2 and 3, Nintendo Wii, DS, and XBox 360.

The NCAA Football Challenge will touch down at 16 college towns around the nation with the winners from each of the campus tournaments advancing to EA SPORTS own version of the college football championship game - the NCAA Football Challenge finals on January 1, 2009. The finals will be held at the historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Dates and locations for challenge venues are:

9/1/08 UCLA - Los Angeles, CA
9/5/08 Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ
9/9/08 University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ
9/12/08 USC - Los Angeles, CA
9/17/08 Oklahoma State University - Stillwater, OK
9/19/08 University of Texas - Austin, TX
9/24/08 Texas A&M University - College Station, TX
9/25/08 Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA
10/1/08 University of Kansas - Lawrence, KS
10/3/08 Wisconsin - Madison, WI
10/8/08 University of Kentucky - Lexington, KY
10/10/08 Georgia Tech - Atlanta, GA
10/15/08 North Carolina State - Raleigh, NC
10/17/08 University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN
10/22/08 Boston College - Chestnut Hill, MA
10/24/08 University of Connecticut - Storrs, CT

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.

September 15, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced an online contest inviting fans to submit designs of their very own custom snowboard to be included in the upcoming release of Shaun White Snowboarding. Fans will be able to vote on their favorite board design, and every two weeks the top two designs with the most votes will be made into playable boards in the Shaun White Snowboarding video game.

Along with the prestige of having their board design immortalized in video game history, first-place winners will receive coveted prizes including Ubisoft games or a Wii(TM) system. In addition, all first-place winners will have their board designs put to a final vote, and one will be created into an actual, real-life snowboard!

The contest is now open, and all entries are due by October 12.

To participate, and for more details, visit:
www.artoftheride.com

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Written by Janey the Admin - Visit Website
Janey serves as the admin for both gamerrazzi.com and li-kids.com. She loves helping run these interesting websites. Janey loves games. She can often be found playing all of the various Halo incarnations on her Xbox 360.