Double XP and two new playlists!

Double-XP for The Big Game this weekend!In lieu of the festivities which will no-doubt keep most of you in front of your TV's all weekend, we've decided to initiate yet another weekend of Double-XP Jan 30 – Feb 1 to compliment The Big Game!

Not only will you be receiving Double-XP, but we're introducing two new playlists to the Xbox 360 and PS3 by popular request: Team Tactical (4v4) and Mercenary TDM (no parties allowed)! Team Tactical will pit two teams of four against each other in a random rotation of all the Team-Based gametypes.

It all starts tomorrow morning PST (Friday the 30th)

Resident Evil 5

Xbox 360 demo, which will feature online coop mode and dive you two levels of the game is coming January 26! The game is set to release March 13 2009!
Jun Takeuchi, the game's producer, said that Resident Evil 5 will feature similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4. The player will control Chris Redfield similarly to how the player controlled Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4. Much like its predecessor, this game will have the same over the shoulder view. The game's environment will also play a significant role. The game implements various lighting effects. If Redfield moves between bright and dark areas his eyes will have to adjust, causing the player to briefly lose some sight. The Mercenaries minigame, which was featured in both Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4, will make a return in Resident Evil 5.

The game will also feature new types of enemies. The extended E3 2007 trailer revealed several sequences involving Redfield attacking hordes of fleet-footed enemies, who possessed melee weapons. Takeuchi has also stated the game's enemies will also possess human-like intelligence and awareness. Furthermore, he stated they will be different from the previous ganados. Takeuchi said that they have "greatly increased the number of weapon variations" compared to the previous games in the series, while the requisite handguns and shotguns also return.

In an interview with XBOX360ISM, Keiji Inafune stated that the game will feature some online elements. Resident Evil 5's main story mode can be played with two players, in a co-operative online mode. The feature will allow players to enter or leave anytime during the game. Players will not always stick together, and can be separated at points during the gameplay.

Double XP, Zombies, Patches, Oh My!

Looks like Treyarch is throwing a party this weekend for WaW! Starting sometime Friday, double xp will kick in and continue through Sunday! Also, Zombie game play will be unlocked for all players, and a patch to fix more of the multilayer issues will be implemented! (I've been getting really pissed at the guys getting under the map.) See you guys on WaW this weekend! Look out 9th prestige, here I come!

Ohio teen convicted of killing mom over Halo 3

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) — Although a teenager's obsession with a violent video game may have warped his sense of reality, the boy is guilty of murdering his mother and wounding his father after they took "Halo 3" away from him, a judge ruled Monday.

"I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever," Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge said.

Nonetheless, Burge rejected the defense attorneys' argument that Petric, 17, was not guilty by reason of insanity.

The defense didn't contest that Petric shot his parents in October 2007 after they took the game away from him, but insisted that the teen's youth and addiction made him less responsible.

Petric may have been addicted, but the evidence also showed he planned the crime for weeks, said Burge, who found the teenager guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and other charges.

Tried as an adult, Petric faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison without parole. The judge didn't set a sentencing date.

The teen's mother, Susan Petric, 43, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Mark Petric, a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, also was shot in the head but survived.

After the verdict was announced, Petric turned to look at his father seated behind him in the courtroom. Mark Petric, who previously said he has forgiven his son, gave an encouraging nod.

Mark Petric and other relatives left the court without comment.

Prosecutors said Petric planned to kill his parents because he was angry that his father would not allow him to play the video game, in which players shoot alien monsters that have taken over the Earth.

On the night of the shooting, Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9 mm handgun and the game.

Mark Petric testified that his son came into the room and asked: "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you." He testified that he expected a pleasant surprise. Then his head went numb from the gunshot.

Deputy prosecuting attorney Anthony Cillo argued during the trial that the teenager had planned to make it appear to be a murder-suicide by putting the gun in his father's hand.

Defense Attorney James Kersey said that when the teenager fled the grisly scene, he only took one item with him: the "Halo 3" game.

Bungie LLC, once part of Microsoft, developed the Xbox 360-exclusive Halo 3, and Microsoft owns the game's intellectual property. Microsoft declined to comment beyond a statement: "We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."

Fake Email Beta Offer!

Just been told there's an e-mail going around from COD5BETA@infinityward.com, this is a fraud! Fourzerotwo of Infinity Ward has already denounced it and warned players not to open the email. No word yet as to what it may contain, but why take chances!

XBox Marketplace Leak?

Looks like some guys at Xbox might have jumped the gun! Just noticed that the category picture for Map Packs shows CoD: World at War, as if the map pack is already available! Just thought it was interesting; hopefully this means that the release is nigh! -NonStop

Gaming Industry Recession Proof?

Whether we're in a recession or are heading for a recession, it's quite obvious that the video game industry has not been affected thus yet. Microsoft reveals that life-to-date unit sales of Xbox 360 systems climbed to 28 million consoles worldwide. With prices starting at $199, Xbox 360 now offers games, TV shows, and movies to consumers. According to Microsoft, the Xbox LIVE community also grew to over 17 million members. Since the launch of the Xbox 360 three years ago, more than $1 billion has been spent on Xbox LIVE, says Microsoft. Also, According to Microsoft, Xbox 360 is experiencing record-setting sales around the globe, particularly in Japan and Europe, nearly doubling market share in these territories. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Xbox 360 has now sold more than 8 million units. Although America is in an economic slump, the rest of the world is not.
Video games are a form of entertainment that generally fares well in slow economic times. True, the industry has never seen an economy this slow(as its just 30 years old, which is after the great depression) but in my opinion they will not be affected. Speaking of the great depression did you know the down-and-out took to the theaters in droves, willing to spend a quarter per person to forget about their troubles for a few hours. People still want to be entertained and to enjoy a diversion from their everyday concerns now more than ever. I will go out on a limb and say the industry will keep growing even faster. In my case, they are a way to get my money problems off of my mind for the few hours I play a night. If I didn't have video games as a young adult living paycheck to paycheck, I would definitely need therapy of some sort lol. What do you guys think?

CoD WaW Takes top Xbox spot near the end of December and still holding!

Thanks to everyone who participated in some holiday fragging, Call of Duty: World at War moved into the top-spot on the Xbox LIVE Activity charts for the week of December 22nd, and held onto the top-spot through the end of the year with this past week as well!

According to Major Nelson (Xbox LIVE Community Manager), Call of Duty: World at War still holds the #1 slot for Unique Users.

Now that 2009 is under way, let's keep that momentum up – tell your friends, we’re playing Call of Duty: World at War tonight!

"Unusual" or not, I can't wait! WaW Map Pack Coming Soon!

As announced last month, Treyarch is working towards releasing a map pack (the first of what may be two or three) sometime early this year. Executive Producer, Daniel Suarez, has done a wonderful job generating buzz over the pending release with his comments on the DLC such as, "unusual", "mysterious", and "nontraditional". Immediately our heads are filled with amazing possibilities, "What could all this mean? Could there be new guns, perks, or even vehicles???". As hard as it is, I'm trying to keep my childish dreams subdued for now, though personally I am in favor of some more Hardcore game types. Those of you who played the beta will remember that the in-game leaderboards showed promise of a bevy of hardcore games! Whatever it may be, I'm just glad to hear Treyarch is at least attempting to release two or three maps packs for it's latest entry of the Call of Duty franchise!

New Years!

I spent New Years at a friend's house this year, leaving my CoD WaW behind. Knowing that I would begin going through withdrawals, I grabbed a handful of firework mortars on my way out the door......something needs to be blowing up or it's not going to hold my attention, haha! The result is shown in part in the following video.....enjoy, I know you will. - NonStop

The Dreaded Red Ring of Death!

A whole year of problemless gaming on my Xbox 360 and the inevitable has finally happened...I got the dreaded "red ring of death!" Yes, all of those months hearing about how people left and right were becoming victims of this terrible hardware failure had me scared at first, but as the months rolled as did my Xbox I developed a false sense of security, as if I had God mode activated lol. I found myself relishing in the fact that I had the one Xbox out of a million that was not infected, and letting others know about it on forums when they complained that they got it. Now I'm the one complaining, and it just plain sucks.

In light of this unacceptable occurrence, I decided to do a little research and find out why exactly this happens and what to do(and what not to do) when it happens. First of all, every Xbox 360 has a ring of light around the power button with four quadrants. When all is well the light should be green, which means everything is working properly. When a quadrant or quadrants turn red, you're in for some major troubles! If the first quadrant is red(top left), it means you have a general hardware problem and should test your plug connections and restart. If the problem is indicated in the second quadrant, it is merely overheating, as too many all-nighters on Call of Duty will do that to a system. You should unplug the system from its power supply and let it sit to cool down. Also, it might be a good idea to search for a new spot to sit your system, like in a more open part of your entertainment center for better air circulation. If the problem is in the third quadrant it's just another hardware failure. If all four lights are flashing , this is probably the easiest problem to fix. This is an issue with the AV cable not being properly inserted into the back of the console. When three quadrants are flashing red, you're pretty much screwed lol. This is the "Red Ring of Death" and usually means a trip to the repair center or a new console.

The "Red Ring of Death" is a major hardware malfunction that is caused by overheating of the motherboard causing the solders that hold your GPU to melt away. The vibrations of your Xbox will then knock the GPU loose, and cause this malfunction. Why Xbox consoles easily burn out has a lot to do with their hardware design. The LSI heat sink was reduced to accommodate a DVD drive. This compromise in the cooling system has led to widespread pandemonium in the gaming community!

I have put together some indications of the "RROD" to help you know when this is about to happen. 1: You're screen freezes up, or gets choppy graphics (like the old Nintendos used to do when the game wasn't in all the way lol)

2: The sound freezes up

3: Console has no response when you power up

4: Message that says "Disc Unreadable" has also been reported right before getting the "RROD."

If this ever happens to you(happens to about 30% of all consoles sold!!) you should call 1-800-4my-XBOX. If you still have a warranty, it will be fixed for free, if not, be prepared to spend about 140 bucks for the repair and not to mention a rather lengthy 4 week wait for your troubles. Please DO NOT use the towel trick on Youtube, this has been reported to cause fires and permanent damage to the console. There are some fix tutorials out there if you want to risk opening up your console and handling the circuit board, but not recommended if you still have a warranty. Let's just hope Microsoft doesn't make the same mistake twice when it comes to the next system.

-skiLLz in kiLLz

ViP is here!

We have a passion for all things gaming! Check back soon, we'll be keeping you up to date on all things CoD!