Busy Gamer News

A new patch updates Call of Duty to v1.02, enabling a new game type called Headquarters where players capture a randomly spawned radio and then protect it for points. Once destroyed, a new radio is spawned and the whole thing starts all over again. In addition, the patch fixes many multiplayer bugs and lets server administrators permanently ban players based on a unique game CD registration key and turn off killcams, spectator mode and dead player freelooks. If a player falls in a forest and no one gets to watch, well what fun is that...

There are more rumors swirling about the Xbox 2. According to details reportedly shared with third-party developers, the console sequel probably won't support Xbox 1 games (no big surprise) and it might not even sport a hard drive. That's right, Microsoft is apparently floating the idea that the drive is an unnecessary expense since so many game developers treat it like an oversized memory card. The other big rumor is that the high-powered system, expected to contain a record three 64-bit IBM processors and an HDTV-friendly graphics chip from ATI, will come out in fall 2005 -- about a year earlier than Sony's PlayStation 3...

Someone in Microsoft PR must be cracking the whip. First the news about Halo 2, now Lionhead Studios reveals that Fable will definitely ship in 2004 -- June or later. OK, so it's not a date, but it's understandable that the release for such a deep RPG might be hard to pin down. In case you've been living under a rock, the game promises complex branching storylines, quests with competition from non-player characters and rich character evolution (including physical development) determined by your actions...

If you're into multiplayer Rainbow Six 3, the next time you sign into Xbox Live you'll get a patch that fixes some stats bugs and offers the option to nix the sniper rifle, preventing the running and gunning exploit that leaves many players stone cold. Alas, the stats fix means all rankings have been iced so, for better or worse, you have a clean slate...

Despite some impressive games, Ubisoft has taken a bit of a beating lately. The latest blow is the cancellation of the massively multiplayer dimension for Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. What sounded like a great concept on paper just didn't find an audience; it seems most Myst fans just want to explore the Ages on their own. Good news there -- Ubi still plans to offer a free downloadable bonus Age soon and then package up planned online content as an expansion pack for release near year's end...

Microsoft has been quietly building MechAssault 2, a deeper sequel to its arcade-style vertical tank game for Xbox. Players will inhabit more than just a 'mech; they can move around outside their armored fighting machines and interact with non-player characters. With the aid of tank-less BattleArmor, players can fight infantry, scale structures and even jack 'Mechs and other vehicles. Xbox Live features include this new in-tank/out-of-tank play dynamic and an all-new clan system. The best news: The game is slated to ship in time for the holidays. Now, if they would only let you play with that giant Steel Battalion controller...

Reports suggest that a successor to the GameCube could be farther off than Nintendo has previously indicated. Analysts suspect Nintendo will launch its new handheld, dubbed the Nintendo DS, and continue to milk its current generation of console hardware for two or more years -- possibly with new add-on options such as a GameCube connection for the DS. There are advantages to holding off and Nintendo seems to believe the GameCube represents a peak for what's needed to provide a pure gaming experience. Time will tell if this strategy -- or even the rumor -- holds true...

Phantasy Star Online on Xbox Live now features new quests involving handmade chocolates, which can be made, bought or sold. It's not clear whether these virtual delectables add anything to the main game but they sure fit the Valentine's Day theme. Alas, they're only available until Feb. 14 so enjoy them while you can...

Already bored with Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna? Microsoft has a free bonus pack where you protect a village from a mutated cat race called the Hassat. Sound cool? Alas, the bonus mission is quite short (about an hour) and only works on Windows XP. Which is a shame, since the game plays on Windows 98 or better. XP users: Get the pack at Microsoft.com/games/dungeonsiegeloa/xpextra.asp. If you don't have XP, you can always find free mods and siegelets at Planetdungeonsiege.com...

In response to reports that it has all but abandoned the console race, Nintendo insists it's hard at work on a next generation successor to its GameCube console -- but that it won't be ready to show publicly for more than a year. In other words, there might be some truth to the rumors; this news at least places the system late enough that a launch slip might put the Big N's offering later than Xbox 2 and PS3. Then again, it's not entirely clear how much of their hands Microsoft or Sony will reveal at E3 this year -- so Nintendo might be right to play it by ear...

Advance details on the next entry in the Resident Evil series suggests a distinct lack of zombie enemies. Making a brave break from tradition, Capcom's Resident Evil 4, due late in 2004, pits the player protagonist against South American villagers, providing human foes with a bit more smarts (though perhaps fewer frights) than your typical RE nemeses. The game does promise a level staged almost entirely in the dark and support for widescreen HDTVs at 480p, a rare treat for the GameCube...

Shooter fans, start yer downloads. The demo of Unreal Tournament 2004 is rich with multiplayer modes including all the classics and a brand new one: the vehicle-based Onslaught. The demo only offers five maps, but the final release due in March will have about 100. New weapons include a grenade launcher, an anti-vehicle rocket launcher, a mine layer and the newly redesigned sniper rifle. If you're shy, don't worry - the game lets you play against online humans or computer-controlled bots, your choice. Get the demo for PC, Mac or Linux at Unrealtournament.com...

The promised unlockable in Ninja Gaiden is not the original '80s arcade version (as many hoped) but rather the full three vintage games released on the NES. Tecmo also promises a unique Xbox Live implementation, which some believe reconfigures levels on the fly with new enemies and weapons in addition to providing more conventional tournaments, stats and downloadable levels. For those who really want to get their ninja on, a custom controller is in the works. Alas, this last news seems deliberately vague and will probably prove more conventional than the droolworthy motion-sensing katana controller announced for Onimusha 3...

Recent patches and updates to popular PC games include Age of Mythology (v1.09) and its Titans expansion pack (v1.02), Battlefield 1942 (v1.6) with two new maps and Punkbuster support, Halo (v1.04), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (v1.02), Need for Speed: Underground (v4) and Rainbow Six: Raven Shield (v1.53). Some games will auto-update; for others, find the fixes on sites such as Fileshack.com...

Sony is delaying Gran Turismo 4, originally expected to ship in early summer, to sometime beyond August. However, it could be well worth the wait with the promise of online racing and a yet-unknown feature that takes advantage of the hard drive sold with Final Fantasy XI. Then again, how many massively multiplayer role playing fans enjoy ultra-realistic racing games...

Sony's is readying a fall sequel to its ill-fated Grand Theft Auto knockoff. The Getaway 2 hopes to correct some of the flaws of the original while introducing a more fractured, Pulp Fiction-style narrative and salvaging the three years spent on a painstaking digital replica of London. The map will be upgraded to include recent changes to the cityscape as well as the complete Underground subway system. You can expect the same lack of head's up display and on-screen indicators, but improvements to story and gameplay could prove fair compensation...

You know how during TV's sweeps the star of one show appears on another to boost its ratings? Well, that cross-over craze is making the leap to videogames. In the ultimate corporate appropriation of game mascots, Spyro the dragon and Crash the bandicoot are making cameos in the other's game: Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage and Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy. Both are due out for GameBoy Advance later this year...

Maybe you find the gigantic controller for Steel Battalion (reissued this week) just isn't immersive enough or simply too awkward for the coffee table. There's hope: Two Japanese hardware makers are offering cockpits where you can mount the controller and sit comfortably. Masaya's Steel Armor, which looks like a weight bench with a large orange chair, will cost about $350. Meanwhile, Prototype's Type-00 looks like an arcade cabinet complete with helmet to hold your Xbox Live headset for the online-enabled sequel. Hold that drool: You're looking at $2,800 for the full cockpit setup. No U.S. release is planned, but the truly hardcore (and loaded) will import these to play the ultimate vertical tank sim in style and comfort...

Sony revealed that, despite its earlier announcement, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) won't ship to U.S. retailers until 2005. The reason? Not enough launch titles to justify the hefty pricetag. This gives Nintendo a window of opportunity to gain ground for its new dual-screen portable -- unless that slips too...

New rumors pay off earlier reports that Xbox 2 won't be backward compatible with today's Xbox games. Now we're hearing that the controllers for Xbox 2 will likely lack two buttons from the current generation. You guessed it: the hard-to-reach Black and White ones. Regardless, it's a safe bet that Microsoft's usability research will lead it to offer only one controller design, something close in size to the Controller S. So if you prefer the original oversized "Duke" controllers, you might want to start acclimating now...

After several pathetic installments, the Mortal Kombat series found new life with Deadly Alliance. Now Midway is promising a sequel, Mortal Kombat: Deception, complete with online fighting for PS2 and Xbox. Not much else is known except the game, due in the fall, will have multi-tiered environments and some new game modes. And, naturally, new death animations...