New feature to MGH online! Nintendo Friend Codes
On the navigation bar at the top of the page, a new page has been added! MGH is posting their Nintendo Friend Codes to any of you out there who want to play something on the Wii or DS! Like it says in the page, we all live in the Eastern time zone of the United States, so if any of you want to play, just leave us a comment, or an email, and we’ll try to get on it!
P.S. Not everyone on the blog has posted their friend codes, and it’s basically like building a library, so give us some time and we’ll get all the numbers out. Thanks!
-Ndroo
The End of PC Piracy?
Apparently so according to this gentleman. Nolan Bushnell is sure of a new chip that will absolutely stop piracy of PC gameplay. It’s going into a lot computers right this very second and works as a stealth encryptor with an absolutely verifiable private key, which is uncrackable. I’m not to sure about this though because it sounds just like all that stuff they do now that was put in place to stop pirates. Nolan Bushnell also founded Atari and later Chuck E. Cheese, making him a hero in my eyes.
Your Game Guru,
Jay Torres
Guitar Hero: On Tour for DS… HOW TO RAWK OUT
This video is pure comedy gold, and it sorta tells you how to play the game! This video… is greatness.
“SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T YELL!”
-Ndroo
Education and Video Games
Today I bring you something that combines two of my favorite hobbies. I am a Junior in college who is a biology major and who also LOVES playing video games. 
Last July, Kaplan was contacted by Aspyr Media, the Texas-based developer that specializes in cross-developing PC games to the Mac. The two organizations worked together to come up with a new type of game, one that improves players’ skill at taking that universally dreaded college entrance requirement, the SAT test. This test SUCKS hard core those of you who’ve taken it know what I mean and those of you who haven’t will see soon enough. Excuse me for a minute while I revel in maniacal laughter: Mmmmmmuuuuaaaaaahhhhhhaaaaahhhaaaaahhhaaaahhaaa. Okay, sorry about that I’m okay now, its just that SAT’s make me have flashbacks. Scheduled to be released on the PC, Mac OSX and DS, Kaplan and Aspyr’s SAT game will resemble other edutainment software already available, like Brain Age and Ubisoft’s My Coach series. “We saw a lot of success with games like Brain Age and realized that there is this huge, huge audience and there are voids throughout that audience,” Aspyr VP for Publishing Ted Staloch said. But just because the game is about tests doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. The team at Aspyr says they’re focusing on making the game a piece of entertainment. “The game is going to be an amazingly fun game so the audience can be as big as Brain Age,” Staloch said. “It’s that science or that art of knowing what is the timing and the pace and what is acceptable for us to consider it to be fun or enjoyable or satisfying. We’re really trying to grab that first and bring in the expertise after,” Staloch said. SAT prep is just the tip of the iceberg for Aspyr and Kaplan; both companies are looking to use their new relationship to further develop software for helping people get more fun out of studying for their test-taking.
Your Game Guru,
Jay Torres
Guitar Hero World Tour Prices
Insider sources have given us the pricing with regards to the bundles Activision will be offering for their game Guitar Hero World Tour.
GH:WT Super Bundle
- Xbox 360 – $189.99
- Playstation 3 – $189.99
- Wii – $189.99
- Playstation 2 – $179.99
GH:WT Guitar Bundle
- Xbox 360 – $99.99
- Playstation 3 – $99.99
- Wii – $99.99
- Playstation 2 – $89.99
GH:WT Software SKU
- Xbox 360 – $59.99
- Playstation 3 – $59.99
- Wii – $49.99
- Playstation 2 – $49.99
The prices look accurate when comparing to Rock Band’s similar pricing. The inclusion of a “super” bundle and a “guitar” bundle is a smart move if these details are true. I’m assuming the super bundle is the whole deal (guitar, drum, and mic) and the guitar bundle is obviously just the guitar and game. It’s just a rumor at this point and there is no official word yet. What’s interesting, however, is that the Wii game costs $49.99, but the bundles cost the same as the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Update: Gamestop confirmed these prices (it’s still not official, but has some backing). Gamestop also put the release date for the game at 10/27/08. Again, these aren’t official and the release date is just Gamestop setting a date so they can start doing preorders, but expect the game to ship in Fall 2008.
Enjoy your memorial day.
Ubisoft 2009 Line Up
Today I bring you all Ubisoft’s line up for the next fiscal year. From the looks of it Ubisoft has had a pretty good year, despite a few disappointments. We now know that next year, Ubisoft plans to publish Far Cry 2, Brothers in 
Arms, Splinter Cell, Anno, Prince of Persia, Haze, HAWX, End War, Shaun White, and three unannounced titles. More than a few high profile titles in that group, but the question is will they translate into sales? You decide your guess is as good as ours. Until next time.
Your Game Guru,
Jay Torres
Resident Evil 5 Shaping Up To Be AWESOME
Xbox 360 World UK magazine had an excellent preview of the newest sequel to the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil 5. Chris Redfield, who’s the game’s main character, will be joined by an unnamed female who will be controlled by the AI by default. This character can be controlled by a second player off-line or on-line at any time. Online co-op is a highly sought after feature and not too many games deliver this. Capcom hopes to capitalize on this feature along with a few other nifty gameplay controls that will make the game even more fun. A new cover system (like Gears of War/Uncharted) and a duck and dodge scheme (like God of War).
The game, of course, takes place in an unnamed country in East Africa. Several characters from previous Resident Evils return in this game, like Albert Wesker and Sherry Berkin.
Too bad you won’t be able to shoot African zombies until 2009.
Devo Coming To Rock Band
Today I bring you some upcoming DLC for Rock Band. Rock ‘n roll legend and Devo founder Mark Mothersbaugh recently dropped the word that three Devo tracks are coming to Rock Band, including anti-anthem “Through Being Cool!” No word yet on what other Devo tracks are coming or when they will be available, but as soon as I find out, you’ll be the first to know. Enjoy the video below:
Your Game Guru,
Jay Torres
Haze Not So Great?
It looks like I was right to doubt Free Radical’s newest blockbuster game, Haze. Reviews have been pouring in from all over the internet and magazines have been bashing the long-awaiting FPS. Starting with IGN’s hurtful 4.5 out of 10 review, Haze has been garnering worse and worse reviews. Many writers are calling the game a disappointment. A rushed game despite all its delays. Multiplayer, where the game is supposed to shine, is not up to par with the company’s reputation. Resolution complaints dampened the games visuals. It looks like EGM was right in its June 2006 preview, giving the game a “terrible” rating. Gamerankings.com has an average score of 57% for the game.
Frank Caron from ArsTech put it best. “It’s a mess at its core: a mixture of too many different ideas and too many different personalities. It doesn’t know what it wants to be: fast and arcadey, slow and realistic, thoughtful and provoking, or satirical and over-the-top. As a fan, this is a slap in the face.”
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether or not this game lived up to its hype, but overall reactions to it seem grim at best.
XBLA File Size Cap Increased
Microsoft announced that it will be improving its online marketplace for Xbox. Microsoft has started by increasing the file size limit on its downloadable games to 350 MB from 150 MB. However, unlike last time they increased the file size limit for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, this time they did not do it for a specific game.
In addition to increasing the size limit, they also want to clean up some of the clutter they have on their marketplace. They will be removing a number of games from their catalogue. Any title that has received a Metacritic score lower then 65 percent (currently 45 games) and has less then a 6 percent trial conversion rate will be removed from XBLA, with a three month grace period. Hopefully, this will open up the doors to more diverse and bigger games while cleaning up some of the badly rated games.
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