Care To Try

If you’re one of the many gamers currently enjoying MTV Games and Harmonix’s Rock Band (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), you’ll get a kick out of their latest announcement. It’s been confirmed that the game’s online music store has been moved in-game.

This means that a better looking and more user friendly interface will be readily available to users on the fly. This applies to both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network users.

The in-game online music store in Rock Band will be available via a PSN and XBL download this week. Once in your system, it’ll be accessible via the main menu for your convenience.

Features like sorting tracks by artist, song title, and download pack will be available. In addition, players can view album art, listen to song previews, as well as check out detailed information about a song, such as difficulty for each instrument.

Buy: [Rock Band Special Edition (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Rock Band Special Edition (PS3)]

A new batch of video game rumors has recently surfaced once again, thanks to the efforts of popular insider Surfer Girl. Today’s rumors focus on some of the more mature-themed titles with mafia- and film noir-styled games taking the forefront.

It seems like Electronic Arts‘ upcoming video game adaptation of the Godfather series will have more things in common with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV than most people thought. The Godfather 2 will apparently sport the same in-depth online components that GTA 4 was supposed to have.

In other “news”, Microsoft Xbox 360 fan favorites Saints Row and The Outfit were both supposed to have ports for the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PlayStation Portable, respectively. However, sometime last year, the project was dropped by Mass Media, the developer working on both titles.

Surfer Girl also spilled some information regarding the much delayed L.A. Noire title. Here are a couple of the points raised by the rumor-telling savant:

• Team Bondi’s goal is to have every NPC in the city feature a distinct personality and different knowledge sets
• The game is not being funded by Sony, who dropped the title (Phil Harrison and Brendan McNamara can’t stand each other, McNamara & Company’s tendency to miss milestones did not help either, but had very little to do with Phil’s decision), there is nothing stopping a 360 release.
• The amount of music in the primarily jazz soundtrack is “comparable to GTA.”
• The detecting mechanics are described as “an analysisfest” to which reaction has been polarizing, one calling the detective elements “fatally boring” and another remarking that the mechanics are “absolutely innovative.” The former dubs the game “Assassin’s Creed: Noir Edition” and the latter went on about “investigating the social structure of 1947 Los Angeles.”

That was all Surfer Girl had to say for today’s list of predictions. As always, we should all take these tidbits with a grain of salt before making any violent reactions. Don’t worry, though. We’ll be on top of everything should we hear anything related about the games discussed so keep coming back to QJ.NET for more updates.

Filed under: Gaming

Given how clumsy some of Nyko’s other Wii accessories are, we didn’t exactly have high hopes when we heard that the company was shipping the first third-party Wii Guitar Hero controller — so imagine our surprise when we found out it’s in the shape of a Telecaster, our fave axe and one thus far criminally ignored in the Guitar Hero pantheon. Just like the official controller, the Wiimote slips into the chassis to do most of the heavy lifting, but you won’t have spend quite as much to get your multiplayer on — $50, about $10 cheaper than the Activision Les Paul. The white version includes black and pink pickguards, while the blonde edition comes with black and white — anyone have a spare IGNORE ALIEN ORDERS sticker handy?

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Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming

Well, it looks like we’re now one step closer to a full-fledged launch of Nokia’s N-Gage First Access service, with the company announcing today that the beta testing phase will end on March 27th. As was announced before, that means all your scores and other data will be reset and, while you won’t have to repurchase any games you’ve bought during the beta test, you will have to reinstall them when the final version launches. As a bonus for beta testers, however, Nokia is giving away a free copy of the upcoming Mile High Pinball game to anyone that completes a survey, along with 1,000 “community points.” There’s still no firm word on the rollout of the final version of the service, however, with Nokia only going so far as to say that it’s coming in the “next few weeks.”

[Via All About Symbian]

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Filed under: Gaming, HDTV

The Blu-ray 2.0 spec (or BD-Live) is just days from launch. Sony just announced that the next PlayStation3 firmware updated — v2.20 — will add the new interactive features to your PS3. As such, PS3 owners should expect downloadable video content, ringtones, interactive movie-based games, and the always intriguing “more” when the software is released in “late March.” In other words, in the next 11 days. The update will also allow you to copy photos and music playlists over USB from your PS3 to your PSP. The rest of the new features after the break.

Continue reading PS3 firmware 2.20 bringing BD-Live interactive Blu-ray this month

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Good news, DS owners! You too will soon be able to shred just like those kids with stay-at-home consoles — sort of, at least. According to a first look over at Video Games Zone, the summer-bound Guitar Hero on Tour title can be really enjoyed with the aptly-named Guitar Grip. As you can see above, it is limited to just four buttons, but nevertheless, it allows users to hold the DS upright and tap the buttons of the peripheral — which is suitably fitted into the GBA slot — and strum the touchscreen to take care of the pickin’. Sure, it’s a far cry from wielding a full-fledged axe, but it’s not too shabby for shredding on the run. Check out a smorgasbord of pictures and a promo video in the read link below.

[Via NeoGAF]

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

We know, it’s easy to get caught in all the magic that is Mario Kart Wii — “it’s like Smash Bros. but with karts and more banana throwing!” — but let’s not fool ourselves here: that Wii Wheel is potentially the least functional piece of plastic Nintendo has shipped since the Virtual Boy. It apparently took the fine folks at MTV two whole videos to figure this out under the patient tutelage of a Nintendo rep, but while the Wii Wheel can potentially serve as a helpful reminder to hold the Wiimote with the buttons facing you, it adds zero functionality to the equation, and it’s only therefore “necessary” for the first 30 seconds of play — after which it can be tossed to your dog or teething child as a chew toy. Some might appreciate the ratio of turning a full wheel instead of a Wiimote, but we all know the truly hardcore are going to be kicking your ass with their Wavebirds anyways, to the point really is moot. Video is after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Continue reading Nintendo and MTV film helpful reminder: the Wii Wheel does absolutely nothing

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Electronic Arts has expressed certainty that its anticipated RTS Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC) will be in store shelves this coming holiday season. They also revealed a juicy little detail about a familiar name in the series whom everyone should be more than happy to see.

Producer Chris Corry talked to Eurogamer about their project and confirmed that Red Alert 3 will indeed be ready by year’s end. He also put a lock on the notion that old friend Tanya Adams will come back to kick ass for the Allies.

Tanya will be up to her old tricks, blowing up buildings and sharp-shooting enemy infantry. In addition, she’ll also get a dandy little Time Belt which will enable her to warp back to a specific time point to restore her health and position.

Corry, however, did not reveal much about the new Japanese faction better known as the Empire of the Rising Sun. He did say, however, that the beta is only “the tip of the iceberg” compared to what’s in store when the full game hits.

PC gamers will have a nice sneak peek on the action when they buy Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath. The Beta disc for Red Alert 3 is included in the package. Console gamers, however, will have to wait a bit more to get their demos as EA has not commented on that subject just yet.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Quite frankly, we’re a bit shocked it took this long for the paint gun-wielding gurus over at Colorware to start fancying up Nintendo’s famed DS Lite, but just in case The Big N has yet to unveil a hue that floats your boat, look no further. As with most everything else it sells, you can send in your current unit in order to receive it back in a whole new outfit, but those who’ve yet to jump on board the bandwagon can acquire their very first DS Lite already modified. Best of all, Colorware lets you paint up the main frame, button pad, front port, bottom, L / R buttons and even the stylus separately (for a cost, of course), so those looking to relive the 70s can toss together some seriously groovy combinations. Go on, hit up the read link and exercise that artistic muscle.

[Via CNET]

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Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Not like we needed NVIDIA (of all companies) to tell us that the GeForce 9800 GX2 was more than a figment of our imagination, but nevertheless, one of the worst kept secrets in GPU history is finally “official.” Reportedly, this beast of a card is available today from a number of retailers for upwards of $600 (MSRP), and just in case you’re not absolutely sure such graphical prowess is really worth that kind of change, feel free to take a glance at early tests and the full review listed below before digging into that 401(k).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - NVIDIA’s official GeForce 9800 GX2 page
Read - GeForce 9800 GX2 gets reviewed
Read - GeForce 9800 GX2 gets reviewed (again)
Read - Quad SLI test
Read - GeForce 9800 GX2 gets taken apart on video

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