GeekFortress.com is up and running!!!

I’ve spent hours and hours over the last couple nights trying to figure out what I’d done to screw up my server and finally it’s all good! I’m quite happy with it. Not all set up yet but it’s going to be the new location for all my posts so feel free to head over there.

Geekfortress.com

The Beatles are coming to Rock Band!!

10-30-08: AWESOME EDIT!!!! It is OFFICIAL!

**Announced today by MTV alongside Apple Corps, Harmonix will be developing a Beatles music title. It WILL NOT be a Rock Band title, and no word has been given yet on whether or not it will work alongside Rock Band. They are keeping the door pretty tightly closed on all the other details.**

The Wall Street Journal has reported today that The Beatles have licensed their music for use in MTV Network’s Rock Band rhythm video game as DLC or possibly a separate title. The details on which songs and how many has yet to be disclosed (I’m hoping it’s at least a whole album, if not more!) and the deal itself is really only a widely accepted rumor at this point. There is however going to be an announcement tomorrow by the CEO’s of MTV and Apple Corps, the company in charge of licensing The Beatles music. One can only assume it’s not a coincidence.

This is a huge deal for a few reasons, first the fact that The Beatles haven’t even licensed their songs for sale on iTunes at this point in time. Second is it marks the end of what I can only assume was a no holds barred bidding war between Activision and MTV for the rights. Too bad Activision wasted all their cash on the genre specific Metallica deal after having already spent a bundle on the rights to Aerosmith.

I must admit I am a bit surprised with the timing here given the proximity to the AC/DC Rock Band release. But I guess timing doesn’t really matter when it comes to The Beatles.

THQ says Baja 1000 box art is too similar

“Moooooooommy, Activision Blizzard stole my box art!”

That is the sound coming from the back seat of the race between THQ and Activision Blizzard for best (if either is really that great to begin with) Baja game out there. According to THQ the box art may, “confuse, cause mistake, or deceive the public into believing that the Activision Game originates with or is sponsored or approved by THQ, when in fact it is not.”

I think this is a funny story. I don’t know why box art matters. Other than some mom who doesn’t know one thing from another, I would assume most people learn a little about a game before buying it. Especially the NAME of the game….

My favorite line on this subject came from Joystiq.com:
“We certainly notice the strong similarities between the two covers, but we’re sure the legal rationale for the suit will go beyond saying: “These two cars are in practically the same position on the cover, with a red car in the foreground and a blue one airborne in the background.” At least, we hope the legal arguments go beyond that.”

Hoorah Joystiq. Hoorah

You can read a copy of THQ’s complaint provided by patentarcade.com

Nazi Zombies!!!!

Ever wondered what it would be like to be locked up in a house with three of your buddies, defending against packs of zombies? Prepare to find out!

Details on the newly announced game mode in the Treyarch’s upcoming shooter Call of Duty: World at War were given in yesterdays Gametrailers TV episode. The mode sounds absolutely amazing. There are multiple waves of zombies increasing in numbers. With each wave survived you earn money to purchase more objects to block doors and windows along with bigger better weapons.

There is potential here for a ridiculously addictive game mode. Ah ah ah, not so fast, you’ve gotta beat the campaign mode first. Then it’s bombs away! On zombies faces that is…

Why you need to buy Burnout Paradise if you haven’t already

My buddy Jake has been on me forever to pick this game up. Every time we talk on the phone he’s like “Hey man, you get burnout yet?”

“No man not yet.”

“Dude you’d totally like it, it’s no Call of Duty 4 but the multiplayer is great I swear.”

Well Jake, you are right. You’ve always been right, I just didn’t want to believe. I tried to convince myself saving my sixty dollars for a rainy day was a better plan. But as REO Speedwagon used to say, “I can’t fight this feeling anymore.”

There are so many reasons to pick this game up it’s ridiculous. The Burnout series has always brought the best arcade driving there is to the table, and with an expansive open world experience this is surely the best so far. Whether it’s single player or multiplayer that floats your boat, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

While able to roam anywhere your heart desires from the moment you put in the disc, you have to work to unlock all the events and vehicles. And with a Criterion QA record for 100% completion currently sitting at over 17 hours (trust me, it’ll take you twice as long) the game obviously has a ton of content. The disc has around 75 vehicles, add that to the older DLC and the new bikes expansion (They are FREE!!!) and you’ve got a garage full of gasoline burning heaven on a raceway stretching as far as the eye can see.

The game has reached 1 million online users which shows what a multiplayer haven it’s become. Online competitive and cooperative racing modes add continued playability to a game that is already an ass to couch magnet. Add all of this to the four future downloadable packs recently announced by Criterion and you’ve got a game you may end up playing all the way up to your mid life crisis. If you’re lucky, it may even help you resist the urge to go out and buy a new sports car…

External Blu Ray player for Xbox 360 on the way?

According to an article by tech news site Xbit Labs, Microsoft has teamed up with Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corp. to produce an external add on Blu Ray reader for the Xbox 360. The target price range is 100 to 150 dollars, assumedly to compete with the PS3’s console/Blu Ray player price tag. The unit is apperently ready, however the release date is unclear. It will most likely be released this Christmas season to take away the PS3’s Blu Ray advantage, or early next year at the Consumer Electronics Show to steal the spotlight with its new add-on.

All this seems a bit like a dream. Especially with Toshiba having stated several times that they aren’t going to be making Blu Ray disc players and Microsoft having said publically that they don’t plan on it either. It would however be a dream come true for yours truly.

New Xbox Experience (NXE) Beta signups!

“I know that many of you are excited to get your hands on the New Xbox Experience, which will go live all Xbox LIVE regions wide on November 19th. Well, we’re just as excited to as you are so I am happy to announce that I’ve been working on a little project that I think may interested you.

Working with various teams across Xbox, we’ve developed a program to allow a select few of you early access to NXE. How do you get chosen? The first step is to head on over to Microsoft Connect, sign in with your Windows LIVE ID and join the “Xbox 360 Fall 2008 Preview Program” by clicking on this link, https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=2631&InvitationID=XBOX-G37M-QYWQ&SiteID=719.

Once you do that, you need to fill out the “Xbox 360 Fall Flash Preview Sign Up” survey in order to be considered for receiving the Preview System Update. We’re asking a few questions about where you live, your home network, ISP connection and a few other pieces of information. We are looking for a good cross-section of our members in order to get the best feedback we can.

The LIVE Service team will then review all of the applications and if you’re selected we’ll send you an email notifying you of your acceptance in the program.  A couple of points before you head off to register:

• We’re looking for a few thousand participants, so your chances of making it in are good

• This opportunity is open to all Xbox LIVE Members in regions where Xbox LIVE is available

• Just completing the survey does not automatically get you access to the NXE. We’ll be making final selections from from the completed surveys.

• Xbox LIVE Gold and Silver members can sign up.  Priority will be given to Gold members in the selection process.

If you are accepted, you’ll hear from us in about a week. Make sure your information on Connect is updated so we can email you.

Good luck!” – STRAIGHT from Major Nelson’s blog

So there you have it, coming soon to select consoles near you… The NXE. Hitting 360s nationwide November 19th.

Cosmetically modded Xbox controllers…

They say having a tool box is a must for guys. A way to ensure you can do all the things you need to do in life. The swing sets you construct, the oil changes you perform, even the one time you fix your lawn mower instead of getting a new one. There is however, a dark side to having tools.

Xbox Controller Sex

My T8 torx driver is a great example, perfectly designed for opening up an Xbox 360 wireless controller. Having a tool like this, that you really don’t need, can only be a bad thing. A lazy Thursday afternoon passes by unnoticed by most, but for me it is an opportunity to take something apart! What’s my excuse you ask? Modding my controller!!!!!

Now I am not a cheater, and I’ve got a fast finger anyways so I would never put a turbo button on any controller I plan on using, so I had to come up with something else. Something more honest, like switching parts? Wth…

In short, what I did here is take my blue controller apart along with one of my white ones and switch around a bunch of the parts. I must say, it satisfied my urge to use a tool for something. You can check out the pictures below to see the final products.

Xbox Controller Sex

Fake Guitars Gone Real

Logitech Premium Guitar

Logitech’s announcement today that they are bringing an “authentic” guitar controller for use with the PS2/PS3 versions of Guitar Hero: World Tour gives us two of these Wanna Be Real Guitarist fake guitars out there. Initially Mad Catz had announced a Fender Squire Stratocaster retrofitted with all the controlling mechanisms for use with Rock Band, alongside a replica bass controller. Of the two, only the replica bass is currently available. It can be found here.

Along with all the previously noted peripherals is one I just found recently. Peak has come out with a line of Starpex Premium Guitar Controllers for PS2 and PS3. No word yet but I’ll assume for now that they’ll come to the 360 as soon as they decide whether or not they’re going to spring for the wireless capabilities.

Peak Starpex Guitar

For a price tag anywhere from 60 to 200 dollars these guitars are not cheap. Cheap in price, or in quality. The precision bass has dual strum bars allowing for quicker upstrums using two fingers, along with a larger more lifelike size. The full sized replicas? Well, they’re big. They’re also super durable. At least thats the word on the street.

This is my question: Is it worth it?

I’m a proud owner of the ION Drum Rocker premium drum set. It has been a great way to get used to playing cymbals and pads during the course of a song. I have already started beginning my transition into the REAL drumming world with it. These guitars on the other hand, give you no bridge to the authentic playing world. They simply look real. So I decided to break it down using the Pro & Con list format.

Pros:

• Look SO GOOD
• Should last forever given the high quality of materials used
• Excellent way to make fellow gamers jealous
• In the case of the precision bass, lets you play quicker upstrums (which is the only way to play bass and keep it interesting)
• A star power button underneath the strummer on both the Peak and Logitech guitars for those who are frightened by the tilt

Cons:

• Quite expensive
• not real guitars, so you may catch some flak from real guitar playing friends and family

Looking at that list it seems like my initial reaction was about right. If you have the money, go for it. They are all attractive and you’ll be sure to impress everyone at your next Rock Band party. Unless you are a bass fanatic I’d wait until they come out with the wireless version of the precision bass, those should be out earlier next year.

For those arguing against my judgement, keep this in mind. The greatest thing about Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and all the other “wish we could do it that well” rythm games popping up is that they cultivate a better appreciation for music among people who might never have experienced some of the tunes in the game. I would bet more people have picked up a real instrument because of these games than you could imagine, and it is my opinion that anything that further promotes the playing of these games is a great thing for gaming and an even greater one for music!

FINALLY! Rock Band 2 free downloads announced!

Put to bed all the rumors about when they’ll be available and what songs are included. Harmonix has made it official. The date? November 4th. The songs? Right here:

• The 88 – “Sons and Daughters”
  
• Authority Zero – “No Regrets”
  
• Between the Buried and Me – “Prequel To The Sequel”
  
• The Cab – “Bounce”
  
• The Chevelles – “Get It On”
  
• The Cocktail Slippers – “Give It To Me”
• Dealership – “Database Corrupted”
  
• Endeverafter – “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• The Ghost Hounds – “Ashes To Fire”
• Hollywood Undead – “Young”
  
• Kutless – “The Feeling”
  
• The Len Price 3 “If I Ain’t Got You”
  
• Lesley Roy – “I’m Gone, I’m Going”
  
• Opiate for the Masses – “Burn You Down”
  
• Semi-Precious Weapons – “Magnetic Baby”
  
• Shaimus – “Like a Fool”
  
• Thenewno2 – “Crazy Tuesday”
  
• Tickle Me Pink – “The Time Is Wrong”
• Underoath – “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”
  
• X Japan – “I.V.”

Wha? Whe? If you happen to have somehow completely missed all the info all the downloads, here’s a quick rundown. Pull out the booklet included with your copy of Rock Band 2 and check the back page. Use the website and code listed to register yourself for the download. When it’s time, you’ll recieve an email with the marketplace code for the songs.

On a related note, it’s almost halloween which means it’s time for pumpkin carving. And a perfect opportunity to let your neighborhood know you’re a rock star. You can use this pattern I made. It’s pretty detailed so I’d recommend a larger pumpkin, maybe blow the picture up a bit on two pieces of paper. I’ll post a picture as soon as I finish the pumpkin myself.

First post. Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball review for XBLA

Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball
Xbox Live Arcade

Feel free to add dodgeball to the growing list of categories in which Pirates battle Ninjas for supremacy. However, I would let you know I don’t personally think you should pay to join the fight for either side unless you are extremely passionate about ninjas, pirates, or dodgeball.

I’ve read a lot of reviews that are just horrible for this title. I don’t think it’s that bad. There is something very satisfying about knocking over a bobble headed looking ninja (I’m always a pirate. ARGH!) with a small rubber ball. The sad part though is that the story mode really doesn’t do anything to carry the games playability very far, so you end up losing interest way before you forget you just spent ten dollars on the game.

The game includes the standard play mode, line through the middle of the field no one is allowed to cross. It’s accompanied by two other modes: Battle mode and enhanced dodgeball. Battle mode is open field. You can hit the other players to stun them, but can only do real damage with the dodgeball. Enhanced is more like traditional but you can cross the line for very short periods of time to grab a ball or get one good whack in on the opponents.

I’d say the one thing the developers really nailed is the sound the ball makes. It really takes me back to kindergarten playing dodgeball in the gym. Add that to the online multiplayer and co-op modes and I’d say this is worth picking up if you’ve got some spare change and some time to waste with friends. If you don’t, just get the demo. It’s almost as good, and ten dollars less.

ION Drum Rocker and Rock band 2 first impressions

So I’ll admit I’m way late on my Rock Band 2 thoughts. I’ve just been so busy playing the game that I’ve had no time to spend writing something like this.

If you enjoyed Rock Band then I can guarantee you will love the second release. They added some new venues and upgraded the band world tour in more than a few ways.

Most of the game is going to look and feel the same. There are a handful of new venues, which I don’t care too much about myself. I’m usually so busy looking at the notes on screen that I don’t really notice where I’m playing or what’s going on around me.

One of my favorite additions to the game is your ability to use one created character for any instrument at any time. Just back out to the band selection screen and you can change which character is playing which instrument. It goes a long way towards keeping your friends interested when they want to switch instruments but don’t care enough to make a new character.

Taking band world tour online and upgraded instruments are both a huge plus but the track list is obviously the big selling point for most people. Over 80 tracks on the disc with free downloads to come bringing it over 100. You can check out the track list over on wikipedia. And any Rock Band one DLC owners will be happy to know that all the downloaded content is perfectly compatible with Rock Band 2.

I have been playing this game non-stop since it’s release early this week…and I do not plan on slowing down any time soon. STRONGLY recommend you pick it up if you have your Rock Band one instruments. If not you’ll have to wait until next month when the bundle ships. Or you could just pick yourself up a bad ass ION Drum Rocker….

Mine arrived today at around 3pm. I spend the better part of an hour and a half taking it out of the box, admiring all the beautiful parts included and assembling everything. I took some pictures so those of you who do not yet have one and enjoy opening boxes of all sorts can enjoy the process. You can check them out on my myspace.

Having now spent an hour or so playing around with the set I have a few thoughts:

1. This set is seriously awesome. The rebound off the pads is amazing which makes drum rolls easier, the sound of the sticks is noticeable at worst, and the responsiveness is amazing. The cymbals however, leave a little bit to be desired. I had to give them a decent whack if I was hitting anything faster than quarter notes and they just feel a little clunky. [edit] After some play I seem to have gotten used to the way the cymbals play. I imagine the more I play the more at home I’ll feel with the new set.

2. Using these in freestyle mode is essentially a real drum set without a hi-hat pedal. The game recognizes the difference between cymbals and pads so you have enough options to come up with a decent beat if you have the skills required. That is awesome.

3. The kick pad is very light which makes it pretty easy to do faster kick patters. You can place it wherever you want which is great for comfort if you’re like me and have longer legs. As a matter of fact, the whole kit is adjustable. It’s near perfect.

If you loved drumming on Rock Band, pick this bad boy up because it’ll only enhance the experience. It’s well worth the 300 dollar price tag. The ION Drum Rocker makes playing much easier and above all else, it makes you feel like a real bad ass.

ION Drum Rocker setup and assembly tips

Having played quite a bit now on my new ION drum rocker, I decided to take the opportunity to share some tips I’ve found might work well for setting up yours. First step, read the instruction diagram. You can find it here. Now on to the tips.

• Play around with it. Set it up like all the pictures you’ve seen to start then move things around if you want. One of the great things about this kit is your ability to move any and every part of it. If you’re playing and something feels wrong, troubleshoot it and make it work for you.
• My set included a bundle of zip ties to fasten all the chords to the frame of this beast. I’d recommend against that until you are dead sure that you’ve got it set the way you want it. In the two days I’ve owned mine I’ve already moved things around a few times. It would have been a major pain in the A if I’d have had to cut ties every time. I just wrap mine around the poles to keep them from dangling loosely.
• I wrote in my last post that I’d been disappointed with the cymbals. I stumbled onto some various forum posts that discussed some ways to improve their performance so I thought I’d share my favorite with you. There is a groove on the mount that the cymbals slide into, make sure they’re lined up right. At that point you can spin the entire mount to line the rubber up with where you’ll be making contact with it. Second is the pressure you apply when you tighten the nut on top of the cymbal. If you’re having trouble getting your hits to register you should gradually loosen them until it’s fixed. If you’re getting double hits you should gradually tighten them.
• I found that the green and red pads were a little lower than i’d like. To bring them up I switched around the bar used to mount them to the rack. Check out the diagram. Setup A lets you bring the pad closer to you. Setup B lets you bring it up higher.

Songs I hope end up as Rock Band 2 DLC

Okay don’t get me wrong, the setlist on Rock Band was amazing. The setlist for Rock Band 2 is arguably even better. But there are some songs I think should really be available for download.

Derek and the Dominos – Layla

The Animals – House of the Rising Sun

The Beatles – Come Together (I realize this one, and all other beatles tracks is just a money issue)

Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have you ever seen the rain?

The Eagles – Hotel California

Some Neil Young or Crosby Stills Nash and Young

Rod Stewart – Maggie May

Tom Petty – Runnin’ Down a Dream

These are just the ones I’d pay double for. Feel free to tack on any you think I should check out.

Why equipping martyrdom in hardcore COD4 matches is ridiculous

I love hardcore search and destroy and hardcore team deathmatch in Call of Duty 4. The only thing that could possibly be better would be hardcore team tactical, but that will probably never happen. However, the one thing I hate (other than RPG team killers) is teammates who keep martyrdom activated as their third perk in hardcore matches.

Three reasons why martydom is a ridiculous perk to equip in hardcore matches:

1. Martyrdom is really only useful on smaller maps, of which there aren’t many.
2. It is so hit and miss that you end up getting as many team kills off of it as you do enemy deaths. Especially on larger maps where you are near your teammates.
3. While I will admit it’s nice to get the occasional redemption, that is all wiped away by all those who will call you a dumb ass for team killing.

• Here’s me crossing my fingers that they get the no team kill hardcore game modes up soon…

ION Drum Rocker Review

I have been holding off on writing my review of the product because I wanted to base my opinions on as much playing experience as possible. Having played for almost a week now I feel like I can adequately describe the experience for all of you.

I’m going to break each component down by durability, ease of use, and performance. I’m assuming you already have yours pre-ordered or aren’t getting one due to a lack of funding, if so just try to find something entertaining in here for yourself. Maybe take a moment to check out my game collection. For those of you still on the fence, do let me tell you now why you should get off it and pick one of these bad boys up.

First up is the pads, easily the most used part of the set and arguably the most important. As soon as you open the box containing the drum pads you’ll notice the quality. Holding one in my hands made me realize I may have wasted my money on that three year warranty from Amazon.com. They are constructed of a high quality plastic and the hit surface is some sort of silicon rubber substance. I don’t imagine these pads will break down any time soon. The pads are all attached to brackets and are easily moveable, a large wing nut holds each in place. Any Andre the Giants out there beware, it wouldn’t surprise me if they broke due to over tightening. The responsiveness of the pads is absolutely amazing. I have had no problems at all with missed notes and drum rolls are much easier due to the new surface’s increased rebound action. The only noticeable flaw is how much dust they attract. Luckily you can’t really tell, unless of course you have your camera’s flash on.

The most important thing for me was the new pedal. I had a lot of issues with the original and really wanted to find something better. When I first pulled the pedal out of it’s box I, like with the pads, noticed a great attention to quality. It’s completely constructed out of metal. I had no idea how anyone could ever break this through normal use. If you do, you have problems… The pressure required to depress the pedal is much lower than on the original Rock Band pedal. For me this was important because I usually keep the pedal held down between notes and it’s much easier on this one. There is a bit of a clank noise when I really get going on those fast songs. It only seems to happen when my foot isn’t square on the pedal though so I usually just move the pedal to a position where it isn’t as noticeable. One other perk is the retractable spikes, you can use them to keep the pedal from slipping around on the carpet.

The rack isn’t anything special. It does it’s job and not much more. Constructed of aluminum tubes held together by plastic braces, I doubt if this will ever break for anyone. Having not much else say I’ll move on the what is probably the least important part of the kit as far as function goes, but most important to most in terms of form.

“Playing a fake drum set would be much more entertaining if I could whack on some cymbals.” That was me a year ago. Knowing I was not alone in my wish, I assumed all along it would include cymbals this time around but that didn’t make me any less excited to try playing with them. Let me tell you, these were EASILY the hardest to get set up right. After about an hour of play I realized I simply hated where I had put them so I tore down my whole set to move them around. Then I was having all sorts of trouble with double hits and hits not registering. Luckily I found some help on the forums, you can hit up my assembly tips to read about how to fix that…it’s easy. Once I got through all of that funny business I ended up right where I knew I would all along. Drumming heaven.

This drum set is amazing. Yea, I said it…DRUM SET. It’s hard to tell from the pictures and video’s, but this is a genuine drum set. You can head in to freestyle in Rock Band 2 and you’ve got an electronic drum set sitting right in front of you. I have a hard time believing this thing will ever break down on me, I am in love. The responsiveness is great. The sense of realism I get is unbeatable. And on top of all that, my friends all think I look like a real badass when I play. Thank the lord for cymbals!

What I Know About the Call of Duty World at War BETA

During this monday’s Xbox Live update I found myself longing for my online community. It’s weird when you realize how much you enjoy having it there when you need some quick social entertainment. I had really hoped that when the network came back up I’d be getting an invitation to the COD WaW BETA. When I didn’t my patience was all but gone. I have spent the last day or so finding out what I could about the beta…this is what I know.

1. The easiest way to get into the beta is pre-ordering the game at Gamestop. Gamestop means Gamestop, not gamecrazy, best buy, or any other site that is not GAMESTOP. I found a bunch of dipshit posts asking if any other sites were giving out tokens. They are not, except for this one random website that is handing out 12 random tokens. Good luck getting one of those. The other way to get in is to sign up at callofduty.com and cross your fingers.
2. The second thing I know is that Gamestop has no idea what’s going on. Read this forum post and you’ll become aware of that fact. Anything your local Gamestop rep tells you may or may not be total BS.
3. The beta is coming sooner rather than later, they already have the token entering site for the PC downloads up.

A few other random useless and unconfirmed info items on World at War.

The Perks (rumored)

Perk 1

• Special Grenades x3
• Satchel Charge x2 (like C4 I assume)
• M9A1 Bazooka x2
• Bomb Squad
• Bouncing Betty x2 (similar to claymores)
• Bandolier
• Primary Grenades x2
• M2 Flamethrower

Perk 2

• Stopping Power
• Fireworks (explosives cause more damage)
• Flak Jacket (decreases damage taken by explosives)
• Gas Mask
• Juggernaut
• Camouflage
• Sleight of Hand
• Shades (decreases intensity of signal flares)
• Double Tap
• Overkill

Perk 3

• Deep Impact
• Extreme Conditioning
• Steady Aim
• Toss Back (resets fuse on tossing back enemy grenade)
• Second chance (ability to revive allies)
• Martyrdom
• Fireproof
• Dead Silence
• Iron Lungs
• Reconnaissance (shows artillery and tanks on map, also *RUMOR* serves as UAV Jammer)

Vehicle Perk (due to a complete lack of explanation on these I am extremely skeptical)

• Water Cooler
• Greased Bearings
• Ordnance Training
• Leadfoot
• Coaxial Machine Gun

The RUMORED kill streak rewards are as follows

Recon Plane (3 Kills):

Kill three enemies without dying and you are given the ability to call in a recon plane to mark enemies temporarily on your radar map. The only enemies that won’t appear are ones using the Reconnaissance perk.

Artillery Strike (5 Kills):

Kill five enemies without dying and you are given the ability to call in an artillery strike. This is very similar to the Airstrike command in COD4, however, instead of a line of bombs going off, the area in which you select for the drop is completely obliterated in a long series of cannon fire.

Unleash the dogs (7 Kills):

Kill seven enemies without dying and you enable the ability to call in attack dogs, which will sniff out any enemies on the map. Unlike COD4, attack dogs will find you regardless of where you hide, making it exceedingly difficult to avoid them. Furthermore, killing the attack dogs will only save you temporarily as the hounds will respawn if killed until their time limit/ kill limit has expired.

All around, this game is looking like it’s shaping up to be pretty awesome. That is of course, assuming half these rumors are true.

All the Call of Duty World at War you can handle

I have become obsessed with this game and it’s not even out yet. I scour the forums and check COD fan websites (one in particular) for more information too many times a day, probably more than a dozen. All I want to know is when I am going to get to play that beta. I’ve watched the video’s, two or three times each. I’ve read about the perks and new (or old i guess) weapon attachments. All there is left to do is play. There are posts all over linking to different gamertags that are playing either the game or the beta. I believe in the World at War beta…. Do you?

Of course you do

The world is waiting Treyarch, let me in damnit.

And here is where you can watch all the new world at war beta videos

Updated Bolt Action Rifle Stats for Cod WaW BETA

If you are a player of the call of Duty World at War BETA on Xbox 360 you are probably well aware right now that something is very wrong with the bolt action rifles. It had been previously rumored that it wasn’t a problem and that instead the point was to give you better guns later on. With the raising of the level cap to 24 yesterday we were given access to one more bolt action. The Mosin-Nagant. It’s power, accuracy, and range stats trump most of the other guns. I was sure to get my first one shot upper torso kill!

Excited, I immediately created a class for the rifle upon unlocking it. Jumped into a quick team deathmatch game while my girlfriend was yelling at me to quit so we could start Iron Man (Starring Robert Downey Jr.) and quickly realized all hope was lost. Ten to fifteen digital feet away from my foe. I get off a good shot to his chest, no go. After dropping him with the second shot I moved on to find another enemy. Same deal. Two shots. Back to the M1 Garand…. way to ruin bolt actions Treyarch.

I took it upon myself to update the gun specs page. To make sure no one in their right mind chooses a gun that’s useful only as a holder for a bayonet. Here they are:

As you can see, the guns are still accurate. The range is still great, I can hit a guy from anywhere between 1 foot and 300 yards distance…But it will NEVER kill him if it’s not between the eyes. GAME OVER

Call of Duty WaW BETA Approval Polls

Are you happy with the game so far? What are your gripes? We see the forum posts for and against everything…how about some numbers. The more votes the more accurate an idea we get for who exactly is the majority on all the issues. I can add more polls on request (these are just what i could come up with on the spot), just email me at Wehrheim73@hotmail.com to let me know of any good ideas.

Read ‘em and weep. The people have spoken (or will have spoken once they all vote)

This COD4 jackolantern will keep away the evil spirits

Call of Duty 4 jackolantern, just made it tonight. Pretty badass

LATE ADDITION: If you want to carve a pumpkin of your own I’ve decided to add the pattern here, just print it out whatever size you’d like tape it to the pumpkin and poke holes through the black, remove paper, cut out, and enjoy! PS, if anyone ever tries to make any money off this or whatever i’ll seriously kick your ass

click here for template

hahaha, AWESOME UPDATE!!! my pumpkin has started turning up all over different cod4 fan sites. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who’s throwing it around, even ended up on infinitywards front page. check it out

Kinda funny, kinda sad… Oh 2K Sports

Okay so I’m going to start off with a little story here before I get to the beef.

Once upon a time I bought a copy of Age of Mythology at target, it was great. I played and played, got my ass kicked and kicked again. So much so in fact that I stopped playing. I never got over the fact that I sucked because I loved the game so much. Weeeelllll, along came my girlfriend. She saw me playing my once a year get my ass handed to me online match and said it looked like fun.

Now this was recently, so the support for this game is all but gone. No more patches, no more community support. Etc etc. But when we went down to purchase a couple copies for her and her sister, we found they both had identical product keys. WTF Right?! They just printed an install code in the booklet. So I can’t play online because thousands of others have MY code…TWO DAYS on the phone with customer service….long story, too long….for this blog at least.

ANYWAYS, I thought that was freaking ridiculous when it happened. But 2K sports managed to top that story. And big time. Check this out, just saw it up on joystiq.com

“Turns out there are greater hurdles to face than having to stare down a charging Yao Ming — like manifesting a CD key out of thin air.” – Ross Miller right there, wish I’d been clever enough to come up with that image.

Apparently they shipped the game without any product keys. Yea, I know right? WTF?!?!?! Kind of a big thing to miss. THE KEY. I am like every other avid gamer out there, when I get a new game I am EXCITED. I don’t care if it’s Fable II or Geometry Wars, I am psyched. And if for whatever reason it doesn’t play…shit is hitting the fan. Anyways….

According to a shacknews article it’s been fixed now. Or you could just pick it up for xbox 360 and get yourself some EASY achievement points, lol.