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QuiCkz_Alex Blog

EA Closing More Servers

EA

Bad news: EA is closing more servers...

Before the comment section fills with vitriolic hate-spewing, let's hear exactly WHY EA shuts down online services:

The decisions to retire older EA games are never easy. The development teams and operational staff pour their hearts into these games almost as much as the customers playing them and it is hard to see one retired. But as games get replaced with newer titles, the number of players still enjoying the older games dwindles below a point -- fewer than 1% of all peak online players across all EA titles -- where it's feasible to continue the behind-the-scenes work involved with keeping these games up and running. We would rather our hard-working engineering and IT staff focus on keeping a positive experience for the other 99% of customers playing our more popular games. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of the games and we appreciate your ongoing patronage.

Here are the games that will cease online service on August 11th:

Army of Two
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
NASCAR 09
NCAA Basketball 10
NCAA Football 10
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Skate
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10


Additionally, on October 1st, the following games will cease online service:

Madden NFL 10
NHL 10


Source: EA Service Updates

Gears of War 2 20xp Event

Everyone's favorite viking, Epic Games' Rod Fergusson, tweeted last night that a 20XP event would launch today for Gears of War 2 in honor of this week's Comic-Con.

So, from 9AM Eastern this morning through July 25th, the Veteran Gear achievement will once again be significantly easier to earn than it normally is. It's been confirmed the achievement will somehow carry over into Gears of War 3, so you're going to want to hit level 100 sooner rather than later.

Don't forget to take advantage of already created gaming sessions to find others looking to reach their veteran rank. If none of those times work for you, then try setting up one of your own!

Bodycount Release Date Announced

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Codemasters has announced the release dates for arcade gunfighting title, Bodycount, today. The retail game is set to hit store shelves on August 30th and September 2nd, 2011 in North America and Europe respectively.

To coincide with the release date confirmation, Codemasters has also revealed the final packshot design.

Set to rip apart the First Person Shooter genre with an orgy of bullets and destruction, Bodycount blasts outrageous action and spectacular fire-fights from both barrels. In the game, players become ensnared in a clandestine global power struggle as a powerful combat asset with a green-light to eliminate enemies known only as "Targets" on behalf of the "Network". Equipped with a mouth-watering selection of contemporary weapons, players and opponents tear through destructible cover to execute explosive kills in a shreddable world where operatives are encouraged to leave no witnesses. Powered by the award-winning EGO Engine, all of this action is complimented by online multiplayer and co-operative game modes.

Forza Motorsport 4 Limited Collector's Edition

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The long wait is nearly over. Starting October 11, Forza Motorsport 4 will be unleashed, and the world of automotive entertainment will never be the same. Featuring unmatched graphics and innovative features designed to push the racing genre in brand new directions, Forza 4 will be the ultimate playground for car fans. Today we've got the details on the Limited Collector's Edition of Forza Motorsport 4, which is also arriving starting on October 11.

Bundled together in a polished Steelbook DVD Case, the Limited Collector's Edition content will include the following:

The VIP Car Pack:

  • 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
  • 2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge
  • 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
  • 2010 Noble M600
  • 2011 RUF Rt 12 R

The limited quantity "Ship Bonus" car pack available for fans who order Forza 4 early:

  • 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
  • 2011 Koenigsegg Agera
  • 1997 Lexus SC300
  • 2011 RUF RGT-8
  • 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport

The Limited Collector's Edition will also include a ten-car add-on pack featuring a selection of the best American muscle cars. In addition, there will be custom-designed BMW cars (also available for purchase at launch on Xbox LIVE Marketplace) selected as part of the "Forza Motorsport 4 BMW Design Challenge.", as well as"Cars of Forza Motorsport 4 Presented by Top Gear," a gorgeous 96-page volume written by the editors at Top Gear. It features 96-pages of fantastic imagery both from Forza 4 and from Top Gear's extensive photo library, as well as insightful commentary accompanying the in-game Autovista experience. Other goodies include: aset of vinyl stickers featuring the logos of "Forza Motorsport 4," "Top Gear" and "Turn 10;"VIP Membership status within the Forza community including special recognition in the Forza community, leaderboards, ForzaMotorsport.net and more; and an exclusiveBMW theme available for download via Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

In addition to all the sweet stuff above, one of best reasons to get the LCE version of Forza 4 is the 2012 BMW M5, unveiled for the first time as the newest addition to the Forza 4 lineup at this weekend's 24 Hour of Nürburgring race event in Germany. The new BMW M5 will be drivable first in Forza Motorsport 4 and will also be featured on the cover of the LCE version of the game. That means the stunning super-sedan will be automatically included in the LCE version of Forza 4, and all Xbox LIVE members will be able to download the car to drive. In addition, fans will be able to explore the meticulous design and impeccable execution of the BMW M5 via Autovista mode, where Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson will take fans on a virtual tour of the world's most sought-after cars.

Stay tuned for more Forza Motorsport 4 news and announcements very soon!

Source: http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/LCE_ForzaMotorsport4/

Gears Of War 3 - Unlocks For Playing Past Gears Games - Detailed By Epic

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Epic has already said that players will be able to unlock certain pieces of content in "Gears of War 3" by completing objectives in the previous "Gears" games. They haven't, however, been very specific about what objectives people will need to complete and what the rewards will be. Rod Fergusson, the executive producer of "Gears of War 3," was recently in New York to show off the game, and was happy to reveal some of those unlocks for me.

"It's mostly around weapon skins in terms of tying into historical stuff. Two of the ones...I guess we haven't announced this but we have to announce it eventually, right? Two of the weapon skins are based on historical weapon skins, so if you want the gold lancer and the gold hammerburst in 'Gears 3,' you get them by owning the gold hammerburst and the gold lancer in 'Gears 2,' so those skins transfer over."

In addition to the gold skins, which were given to players through giveaways and in the special edition of "Gears of War 2," there will be a number of chrome skins rewarded for completing certain achievements in past "Gears" games. Said Fergusson, "If you did something in 'Gears' PC you get a chrome skin, if you did something in 'Gears 2' you get a chrome skin. The chrome set is sort of our thank you to people who played our games in the past."

We already saw one of the "Gears of War 3" historical unlocks in the beta, the chrome hammerburst, which required the Rookie Gear achievement (get to level 5 in "Gears of War 2" multiplayer).

Fergusson went on to explain that achievements are the easiest way to track and reward those who have played the previous games. "Generally whenever we do unlocks, we do it based on achievements. That's why I've been trying to tell people about the level 100 thing. No, it's not about getting level 100 [in 'Gears of War 2' multiplayer] , it's about Veteran Gear. Get that achievement and that'll get you something. I don't care if you're level 100, you have to have the Veteran Gear achievement." Veteran Gear requires that you hit level 100 and win a match on each of the 4 maps in the "Gears of War 2" Snowblind DLC pack.

It's important to remember that none of these historical unlocks will give you any edge over the competition when "Gears of War 3" launches. They're purely cosmetic. But if you want to ensure that you've got every customization option in the game, it's not a bad idea to put some time into the first two "Gears of War" games as you await the September release of the third. As a matter of fact, that's what Epic will be doing. "Some of us don't have all the 'Gears 1' achievements," said Fergusson. "The ranked achievements are so hard. So we have a night planned where 20 of us are going to sit in a room and play Ranked 'Gears 1' just to get our achievements." And you thought they'd give themselves special treatment!

Source: MTV Multiplayer

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition Will Support Kinect?

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Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Games Studios, recently confirmed Kinect support for the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary edition.

Just to let everybody know, the Kinect features we're exploring with Halo: Anniversary are optional and won't affect your core gameplay experience. Our mission, from day one, has been to deliver a faithful recreation of the original game, and we remain dedicated to seeing that through to completion.

There has been no announcement as to what the Kinect support will entail. Halo: CEA will launch on November 15 on the Xbox 360. It supports 2 player local co-op and 4 player online co-op.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Annihilation

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Activion and Treyarch have today confirmed the "Annihilation: Content Pack 3" for Call of Duty: Black Ops will be released on Xbox Live on June 28th. The pack will include four new multiplayer maps, and one new Zombie map.

Also announced is the inevitable Double XP weekend that will start Friday, July 1st. Unfortunately no start or end time have been revealed yet, but we will let you know as soon as it's announced.

Take the fight to "Hangar 18," located in the iconic military base Area 51, complete with experimental weapons labs, the SR-71 test hangar, and a disturbingly mysterious autopsy room. Pull up and get cozy with "Drive-In," a close quarters slugfest through a 60's American drive-in theater, arcade, and old school snack shack. Battle through the construction of a massive secret Soviet missile site in the multilevel "Silo," and then take off to a coastal golf course fit for a dictator in "Hazard," set on the cliffs of Cuba where stocked clubhouses and manicured fairways meet sand traps perfect for setting up ambushes.

Zombies return with vengeance in the mysterious land of "Shangri-La," a legendary shrine lost in an exotic jungle. Never before seen undead creatures lurk within a treacherous labyrinth of underground caverns. Step carefully through deadly traps and solve the dark secrets buried within the shifting walls of a long last land.

A trailer has also been released showcasing the four new multiplayer maps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyX5ulp5LYk&feature=player_embedded

No word on pricing or if the "Annihilation Content Pack" will include any achievements have been announced at this time.