Most of you will already know since the info appeared on the Gamestop site a week or so ago but Microsoft’s Gamerscore blog just confirmed that the Xbox 360 version of Gears of War will be getting a price cut to $39.99 MSRB in the US & Canada on June 4th, the PC version will also drop to $29.99. They will also be releasing a 2 disc edition on June 24th with the maps that are already free over Live, some trailers and gamerpics + themes. The Gamerscore guys would also like to remind us the new version will not include the PC’s exclusive Brumak battle level.

I’ll just quickly point out there really is no benefit to getting the new edition (unless of course, you don’t own the game) since the maps still have to be stored on the hard drive and aren’t on the disc which is disappointing. Still if you don’t already own Gears of War, now you have a great chance to pick up one of Xbox 360’s finest games and save some money in the process (though you could probably get a used copy cheaper still!).

No word on whether us Europeans will be getting a similar deal but hopefully we will somewhere down the line. Want info on what exactly is on the bonus disc of the 2 disc edition? Hit the jump. Want to discuss this? Head on over to our forums, HERE.

- Walker

Source

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While Japan already has the demo on their marketplace, Major Nelson brings word that the demo will be available “for all other Xbox LIVE regions” by the end of next week. Can’t wait? Now if only there was a way to create a new Japanese account…. Oh wait! Still, you would have thought they could have released the demo at least a week or two before the game hit store shelves. Discuss HERE.
- Walker

Source

Title says it all. Tom Clancy’s EndWar will be having a private beta. A real one, with actual bug testing and a NDA, were as it says on their website: “Your participation in this Beta will be strictly confidential, and you will not be allowed to share your experiences playing EndWar anywhere outside of this website“. Sounds like that might be a bit hard to pull off. It may be a “private” beta but it seems any 360 user can sign up for it. The private beta will take place for 3 weeks in June and July. The beta will feature 3 maps both online only, in 1v1 and 2v2 matches. You will need to be an Xbox Live® Gold Member and have 3 GB of free space on your Xbox 360 Hard Drive. They remind you that this is for bug testing and there will be bugs. So, feel like testing Ubisoft’s voice controlled Strategy? Head over to endwarbeta.com to sign up and then hope your one of the select few they accept.

You can discuss this on our forums HERE.

- Walker

Penny Arcade: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1

Platform: Xbox 360, PC, Mac - Developer: Hothead Games
Genre: Adventure RPG - One Player

Reviewed by Chris Cesarano (a.k.a. Grohdinger)

Introduction:

The creators of online comic Penny Arcade Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, code-named Tycho and Gabe, are well known for their criticism and satire of the games industry. The pair have now themselves stepped into the realm of game development, and one must wonder if they are able to put their money where their mouth is.

After playing through the title, I can certainly say yes, they can.

 
Note: the screenshots in this review are all from pre-release, and mostly for the PC version of the game. While they provide an accurate idea as to how the game plays, they are not 100% true to the Xbox Live version.

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It seems this generation that developers are really trying hard to bring real time strategy’s (rts) to us console owners. C&C3 for the 360 was a pleasant surprise from being a long time PC rts’s player, as the controls did indeed work and weren’t complex to learn. So what was the problem? It was just damn slow when it comes to building bases or building units. Combine that with the fact your using the Xbox 360’s awful dpad for the build menu which really is the worst of its kind and you’ve got a build menu which you’ll be using the majority of the game feeling like a complete chore.

Kane’s Wrath the standalone expansion for 360 seems to fix this problem. With the “command stick”, or as i’ve come to call it: The wheel. Here we see a video of the command stick in action and it does seem to speed the whole process up a heck of a lot compared to the old build menu. It’s not clear if you use the analogue stick or the dpad for the “command stick” but hopefully its the analogue stick. Lets avoid using the dpad at all this time, shall we? I’m quite impressed by how EA continues to innovate the control scheme. Lets just hope it meets our expectations. Feel free to discuss this on our forums, HERE.

- Walker

Well, I must say, this has got to be one of the best updates I have seen in awhile.  The new Dr. Mario game will surely make some fans of the old school NES title very, very happy. Not only that, but the original Metal Slug is one of the best arcade titles ever, in my opinion. Take a peek at the full release list just below. This week’s games are:

Dr. Mario Online Rx - 1,000 WiiPoints - WiiWare

Family Table Tennis - 500 WiiPoints - WiiWare

City Connection - 500 WiiPoints - NES

and

Metal Slug - 900 WiiPoints - NeoGeo

Discuss

VC Games List

WiiWare Games List 

-Thomas 

Grand Theft Auto IV

Platform: Xbox 360/PS3

Developer: Rockstar North - Publisher: Rockstar Games
Genre: Action/Sandbox – Players: 1 Offline/2-16 Online

Reviewed by EarthViper

Introduction:
Grand Theft Auto IV, the biggest game of the year, has finally landed. Somewhere beneath the immense hype, the unprecedented sales and the glowing critical reception lays an actual game; go figure! The question is how does said game stand against the standards of the industry, the genre and even its own predecessors? So setting aside the hype machine for just a few minutes let’s look at how the game’s merits and flaws balance out.

Click for full review

-EarthViper

Penny Arcade Fans will be happy to hear that the game has released  today. Not only for The Xbox 360, but also for the PC, Mac, and Linux. The game has had some pretty good reviews so far, but the price may turn some fans off. At $19.95 on any system, it is a bit expensive. However, this game is supposedly a feature-length game whose distribution just happens to be digital. In any case, give this one a try.

DISCUSS

XBLA Games List

-Thomas 

For better or worse, XBLA has always had some sort of size limit (memory) for the games offered on its service. Mostly to allow owners without a hard drive to still be able to play and download them on memory cards. It started as 50mb, then a few games were given an exception to go higher and not to long after they bumped the limit to 150mb. Xbox Live Arcade’s David Edery told GamesIndustry.biz yesterday that they have upped the size limit to 350mb saying..

“We’ve been listening to our partners, listening to our customers to try and get a feel for what’s right.”

This is good news as hopefully it will mean games with a lot more depth will be hitting the service. Pick up and play games are great for the casual crowd, as well as change of pace for the rest of us but i’m sure a few of us would like something with a bit more substance. Still, i’m with the opinion that size does not = quality, no matter how many people use the argument that unlimited size will bring more quality games. It won’t, stop kidding yourself. Thanks to A Reaver for the tip.

Hit the forums to discuss this HERE.

- Tiberian

Source

Well, starting this week, I have twice the work to do when it comes to these release posts. Now I also have Wiiware games to add in. For all of the forum-goers reading this, expect the WiiWare thread to come out tomorrow with a complete list of the current available games.

This week’s games are:

Sky Kid - 500 WiiPoints - NES

Critter Round Up - 1,000 WiiPoints - WiiWare

and

Star Soldier R - 800 WiiPoints - WiiWare

A decent list!

DISCUSS

VC GAMES LIST

-Thomas