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Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard Debut Trailer

Posted: 07 Oct 08 | 70 views | 8 downloads | 69.9MB

If you've been waiting for a chance to try out Crysis Wars, the multiplayer only addition to Crysis Warhead, make sure you hit up the free trial they're having this weekend.

You need a CD-Key to play online, so you'll have to sign up at MyCrisis.com before the weekend to get one - if you don't care about playing online however downloading the files will allow you to play on LAN all you like.

You can grab the files from our file library now - the whole thing weighs in at about 4.5 GB, so BigPond members will definitely want to grab it from here.

Part One of Four

Part Two of Four

Part Three of Four

Part Four of Four

This is the full version of Crysis Wars - so all three modes and 21 maps are available to play. The weekend starts at 5:00am on Saturday the 11th for Sydney and Melbourne and ends at 5:59PM on Monday the 13th. GameArena has servers up for the game already - hopefully we'll see you in-game!

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We're going to be shooting your questions at the BioShock developers like so many bees from our arm any day now so we've decided to hit you up for even more questions.

Last week we asked you which questions you would ask and there are some quality inquiries - head through and have a look to see if any were missed.

If you have a great question you think needs asking, put it in below - just remember that it has to be relevant to BioShock - the team won't answer any BioShock 2 questions.

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Thai broadsheet The Nation has issued a call to arms about a menace to the country's youth. Is it the scourge of prostitution (something the paper spoke out on previously? Perhaps the fear of a rise in alcohol abuse? Hell no - it's going after the big guns - videogames.

From the editorial comes this revelation:

The [games] addiction can affect their personality as they become more prone to bursts of anger and violence. Without proper guidance, some are unable to distinguish between fantasy and the real world.

The Nation didn't reveal what research it based this on. At least the following passage has some data backing it up:

But why do children prefer to spend hours and hours playing these games? A survey conducted last year showed that 78.5 per cent of youngsters said they became addicted to computer games to relieve stress, 67.7 per cent said they were lonely, 20.9 per cent said that they wanted to improve the computer skills while 18.1 per cent said they wanted to meet new friends in cyberspace.

De-stressing, counteracting loneliness, self improvement and socialising. Great things for the kids.

Thailand was the country that pulled Grand Theft Auto IV off shelves after reports an 18 year old killed a taxi driver enacting out the game.

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Since relocating to sunny Los Angeles oh, three days ago, I've had a chance to start absorbing some of the idiosyncrasies of American life. One of them is the broker mentality. Got a minor (as in not requiring arrest) legal problem? Get an agent to turn up to the hearing for you. Looking for share accommodation? Get a rental broker to assist. Dog needs a walk? Get it walked for you!

Sounds ridiculous in theory, but there's times it could come in handy in Australia. For instance, some peeps at Atari should hire Electronic Arts' OFLC submissions person to act on their behalf. Unlike Silent Hill: Homecoming, their horror game got through just fine:

DEAD SPACE Game (Multi Platform)
Classification MA 15+ (Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian)
Consumer Advice Strong horror violence
Category Computer Games
Version REVISED
Duration variable
Date of Classification 29 August 2008
Author
Publisher ELECTRONIC ARTS
Production Company ELECTRONIC ARTS
Country of Origin USA
Applicant ELECTRONIC ARTS
File Number T08/1394
Classification Number 74540113

Old news true, but having the paperwork skills to convince that strategic dismemberment is cooler than survival horror - that's a skillset worth some serious cash. Presenting games for submission to the OFLC in Australia requires quite a diverse array of attributes: resourcefulness, intellect and imagination without question. Also handy: a good sense of humour.

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In this Weekly Update Andy gives us a brief look at Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, scopes out some Crysis Warhead for those who like their explosions to be really pretty and then we scope out BioShock's impending release on the PlayStation 3.

Don't forget, if you have a question for the BioShock developers make sure it gets asked. Andy wraps things up chatting with Josh Atkins, the Design Director on Fable II to find out more info on your Dog companion.

Watch the Weekly Update now to get all the details. Fable II is hitting the Xbox 360 later this month - do you think you'll pick it up? It definitely looks like it will be a very deep game.

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BigPond GameArena Weekly Update 03 Oct 2008

Posted: 01 Oct 08 | 454 views | 26 downloads | 108.1MB

If handhelds are your bag, Nintendo has news for you! They're bringing out a new DS - it will hit Japan in November and the rest of the world next year.

Nintendo's annual fall conference was full of announcements like Donkey Konga Jungle Beat's potential rerelease on the Wii and a storage solution on the Wii (SD cards will store games) next Autumn but the biggest news was the new DSi.

The new handheld will have almost all the same abilities as the previous one, plus a few extras. Gone is the GameBoy Advance Slot and 2.6 millimetres of thickness. Added - a .3MP camera, better speakers, bigger screens, an SD memory card slot and a special DSi Store (like the Wii Shopping Channel).

Nintendo released a comparative picture of the DS Lite and the DSi - check them out below.

The round circle is a camera!

We're interested to see how developers react to the new DSi - will we see innovative games utilising the camera in the near future, or will they treat it like any other DS? Speaking of innovative games, we've contacted Activision Blizzard to see if they have any comment on this new handheld - their Guitar Hero On Tour and the incoming Tony Hawks Motion need the GBA slot for the add-on peripherals they need.

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The age old debates are always good fodder. PC vs Mac. Cake vs Pie. Mexican or Mexican't. But really the only one we care for is FIFA vs Pro Evo.

Once again it's about that time: and after our look at EA's Euro 2008 game we thought it might time for a changing of the guard. We harboured hopes EA might be able to retain the winning parts of the formula for the inevitable FIFA title.

Has EA succeeded? Has Konami gone back to the drawing board and pushed the familiar yet outstanding Pro Evolution Soccer formula to new heights?

For our opinion - read our comparative review.

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The GameArena Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review is out now - we've been following the lead up to BiA for a while now with some apprehension... It's another World War II shooter, but damn if it doesn't look good.

Of course, you can't judge a book by its cover so we hit the trenches to see if BiA: HH makes it through unscathed,

The parallels between Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and the blockbuster Metal Gear Solid 4 are clear. Both games have amazing stories (well, in my opinion at least), both games have outstanding graphics and both MGS4 and the third title in the Brothers in Arms series share the same fatal flaw - the controls are really difficult to get used to.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is out right now - have you gotten your hands on this gory first person tactical shooter? Do you think you might pick it up at some point? Have you read the review?

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The Wipeout series' first entry in the High Definition market is appropriately called Wipeout HD, and we've got the scoop on whether it's a worthwhile buy or not.

The PS3 only title hit the PlayStation Store last Thursday, and the game has been putting us through our paces ever since,

It doesn't pull any punches either. Check out this Trophy from the game - it's a Silver Trophy, putting it in the second lowest tier of achievements.

Airbraker - Reach Zone 50 (Subsonic) in Zone Mode on any track using only airbrakes and sideshift.

Let me break this down for you. Zone mode in Wipeout HD puts you on a normal track and auto-accelerates your ship for you. The challenge in Zone Mode is that your ship will always accelerate - your goal simply becomes survival. The fastest speed class in the other modes in the game is "Phantom" - around Zone 30. To earn this Silver Trophy you need to navigate to Zone 50 without turning - you can only use the airbrakes to get you around corners.

It's definitely not an easy game to master - is it worth the effort? Find out in the GameArena Review! If you have any Wipeout HD photos show them off below.

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