Browse the Xbox 360 Marketplace from your PC

Posted on October 10th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC, Xbox360.

The old Xbox Live Pipeline

The old Xbox Live Pipeline

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Microsoft created a site called the Xbox Live Pipeline which allowed players to browse the Xbox Live Marketplace from your Computer. It was mainly just a way to look at pretty pictures, and not much else. The site closed in the beginning of 2007, and started redirecting to xbox.com.

Purchasing via Xbox.com

Purchasing via Xbox.com

Today, Microsoft announced the ability to browse the Xbox 360 Marketplace from your PC that will be implemented around the time the new dashboard releases (November 19th).

Players will be able to browse the Marketplace and queue content to be downloaded automatically the next time the Xbox is turned on.

Additionally, players can purchase content from the site. However, there was no mention if the site will accept additional online methods of payment (like Paypal), besides a credit card or Microsoft Points.

This move is a pretty cool move for Microsoft, though it is somewhat redundant. Beats browsing via the Xbox 360 sitting right in front of you….right?

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SBCG4AP: Baddest of the Bands Leaked Gameplay Footage

Posted on October 7th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC, Wii.

We managed to get our hands on some gameplay footage for the next episode of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People, Baddest of the Bands. For your enjoyment, we’ve put it on the internet for all to see.

Enjoy:

Optionally, you can watch it here.

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SBCG4AP: Strongbadia the Free!

Posted on September 20th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC, Review, Wii.

“Onward to Strong Badia, Strong Badia the Free!”

Strongbadia Flag Shot

I'm Charming!

In Strongbadia the Free, the King of Town has imposed an email tax where all send and received emails cost one swisscake roll like snack item. Strongbad, being the email checker he is, calls for a rebellion against the King of Town.

He’s immediately placed under house arrest for calling for a rebellion…in an email. From there, he has to escape his house before he goes insane from his little whiny brother, Strong Sad.

Once you escape (with some help from the protesters outside your house), you move to Strongbadia, where you call a meeting with other fellow “countrymen.” When the countrymen do not want to go to war, they secede from Strongbadia into their own independent nations.

From here, it becomes your primary goal to rally all the nations to help you conquer the King of Town. Using logic, and a variety of silly ways you can reach your objective.

“Hey, that’s the name of this…” “SHUT UP!”

Protesting

No more King of Town!

One of the first things you’ll notice is the amount of changes in Strongbadia the Free. The game no longer has trophies that you have to unlock by doing certain things. You can collect flags of each country. The map has changed, mainly because the King of Town ate your old one (odd….). In following from the last game, Snake Boxer 5 is replaced by Math Kickers: Featuring the Algebros, which is a parody of those math games and Double Dragon.

And you can go into Strong Sad’s room now (not that you would even want to go in there anyway). Emails are less emphasized and you start out with all your email “hints” that are “supposed to guide you through the game” according to TellTale. It’s probably not the best idea to read them all until you get at least three or four countries. The story is a lot better than Homestar Ruiner, but that might be because it’s more linear. You have a tad more freedom to explore and use the metal detector in more places.

“We can never be truly free until we reject the fat-thority of the King of Town”

Ahhhhhhhhh...Im a running joke about jumpsuits

Ahhhhhhhhh...I'm a running joke about jumpsuits

As with every game, there are some problems that make this game far from perfect. But doesn’t mean that it sucks. It has it’s good points, and not-as-great points.

Pros:

  • It has a great story that is more linear than the first episode
  • The puzzles are a bit tougher than Homestar Ruiner
  • The graphics have improved
  • Featuring more characters!
  • Strongbadia the Free has better jokes
  • It doesn’t feel repetitive

Cons:

  • In some puzzles it can be hard to tell if they are making a reference to an sbemail or if they want you to do something completely different. The 2nd appearence of Strong Sad is like this.
  • You can’t take over Bub’s country, but it isn’t obvious enough. He does say he’s neutral, but when has that ever stopped anyone from invading?
  • It felt a tad short
  • It’s a really big file, you will have to delete several other games in order to play on the Wii. Or buy an SD card.

Overall, it’s a pretty good game. I’ve never been of point and click games, but this game is an exception. I do wish it was a bit longer though. If you are not a Strongbad fan, play the demo. Otherwise, get the game. I rate this game: 4/5

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Strongbad’s Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1 comes out next week

Posted on August 5th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC, Wii.

TellTale Games announced that SCG4AP episode one will release on August 11th for both the PC and the Wii (via the WiiWare store). The episode costs 1000 Wii Points (or $8.95 for PC).

If you are buying PC, you can preorder it now, and get it when it comes out.

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Games for Windows Live is now Gold for free

Posted on July 23rd, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC.

Microsoft announced yesterday that Games for Windows that are a part of Games for Windows Live (used to be called Vista Live) will work like they had the gold version of that subscription.

Originally, if you had Xbox Live Gold, you would have Games for Windows Live Gold as well, and you could use the same gamertag, and your gamerscore and achievements would be combined on your PC and your Xbox 360.

Now, you don’t have to pay for a Games for Windows Live Gold Subscription, you can play with all the features of Gold for free.

If you don’t have an Xbox, and play a Games for Windows Live enabled game, you can play with gamers on the Xbox version of the game, and can play in Matchmaking games that use TruSkill (which still has flaws).

This doesn’t mean that Xbox Live Gold Subscriptions are now free. This only applies to PC games.

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Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness gone Gold!

Posted on May 5th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, Mac OSX, PC, Xbox360.

A few days ago, Hothead Games announced that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness has gone gold on the PC, Mac and Linux versions. According to Hothead, the Xbox Live Arcade game is under review (a process where Microsoft reviews a game/game content and then prices it for the Marketplace). The computer versions are priced at $20 dollars and rumor has it that the Xbox Live Arcade version will be 1600 points.

What does this mean? It basically means that the game is coming out real soon.

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Mass Effect’s Bring Down the Sky to be free on PC

Posted on April 18th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC.

According to BioWare, Bring Down the Sky will be free for Mass Effect when it becomes available for the PC on May 28th. Oddly, there’s a clause to this. You have to be a registered community member (sign up on their forums?). And thanks to EA, that’s as vague as it gets.

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Strong Bad game launching on WiiWare

Posted on April 10th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC, Wii.

strongbad This was somewhat suggested when Strongbad GameWays was featured on Youtube. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People is going to be episodic and will release monthly. So far, 5 games in the series have been announced. The first one is scheduled to release in June, in the WiiWare section of your Wii Shop Channel (if you have installed the recent Wii System Update).

Now, what game company is pro at making episodic games that it’s annoying? You guessed it, TellTale Games. You might remember them from Sam & Max.

As with all of TellTale’s other games, SBCG4AP will be also available on the PC, but it’s primarily focused on the Wii.

You can check out the product page for SBCG4AP here and the advertisement announcement here.

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New Call of Duty 4 Maps LIVE

Posted on April 4th, 2008 by Wailord.
Categories: Gaming, PC, Xbox360.

Fire up Call of Duty 4, and you’ll see an update ready for you. Download it and go to Multiplayer, Download Maps, and buy it (on the 360) for 800 Microsoft Points. There are four new maps: Creek, Broadcast, Killhouse, and Chinatown, the last of which is a remake of Carentan from Call of Duty 2.

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Edios allows alternative purchasing for Tomb Raider Anniversary

Posted on February 18th, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC.

If you have been spying on Tomb Raider Anniversary but don’t actually want to buy the game, you are in luck. Edios, makers of the Tomb Raider video game series, have teamed up with Trialpay to allow you to have Tomb Raider Anniversary for free-ish. The catch? It’s like freeipods.com, you have to sign up for a trial or buy an offer with a third party, and then you will get the game for free. Of course, you should always read the fine print on deals like this in order to avoid unexpected surprises.

For more on the offer click here.

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CSI Fans: TellTale Games releases a demo

Posted on January 21st, 2008 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC.

TellTale games, the makers of CSI: Hard Evidence and Sam & Max Episodes, have released a CSI: Hard Evidence demo for the PC on their website. Heads up though: the game is rated M for Mature, but you should already be used to the violence if you have watched CSI before. The game only allows you to play through the first case though, but it should be enough to convince you to buy or not buy the game.

You can download the demo here.

If you are not a CSI fan, you probably won’t find this game very fun. Sorry.

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