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Gamemonger - November 2007

Gamer Sues Microsoft

November 29th 2007 11:35
Only in America. A Halo 3 owner has sued Microsoft and Bungie because, according to him, his copy of the 360 game caused constant crashes and errors on his system. Now that's not to suggest other gamers haven't had that problem, but this is taking it to an interesting level.

And it isn't the first time either. Microsoft came under fire not too long ago after it was discovered the 360 caused scratching on game discs. And although they weren't sued over it, the amount of 'three red ring' incidents, causing thousands of systems to be returned and replaced, pushed Microsoft into extending warranty dates for all users



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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: Xbox 360
   


Christmas Gaming Ideas - Part II

November 28th 2007 11:30
Time for some more Christmas gaming ideas, what with December only a few days away. Can't leave it too late, can we...

Trade & Save - It may seem like an unusual idea, but it could save you a few hard earned dollars. Have a close look at your old games or, dare I say it, your kids old games, and ask the important questions. Do you still need them? Do you still play them? If the answer is no to both, then what better way to improve your chances of playing Call of Duty 4 or Need for Speed Pro Street this holiday season than trading in your old titles towards them


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PC Gaming, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, DS
   


Greenpeace Ranks Nintendo Last

November 28th 2007 10:25
Here's an interesting one. Greenpeace believes Nintendo, of all the world's electronics companies, is the worst when it comes to 'going green'.

You can find all your necessary details via the good folks at Aussie-Nintendo.com, but to put it short, Nintendo was rated the worst in eliminating PVC's and fire-preventing chemicals from their warehouses, among other things. In fact, Nintendo was rated a zero out of a possible ranking of 10, where as the likes of Dell, Sony and Samsung ranked the highest, at 7.5


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
   


Soldier of Fortune Approved by OFLC

November 26th 2007 10:07
It isn't often a banned title will go under the knife to fit the Australian ratings system, but you can now add Soldier of Fortune to that small list.

SoF: Payback, originally barred from classification by the OFLC, will now be released as an MA15 title, thanks to the nip and tuck by Activision and the games developer, Cauldron. For us young Aussies, we'll get less bloodshed and a reduced ragdoll physics system, while options for dismemberment (eww) have also been removed


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PC Gaming, PS3, Xbox 360
   


Wii Ready to Pounce

November 24th 2007 02:15
Many of the big pre-Christmas titles have hit the market world wide already, but few have been released upon Nintendo's hit console, the Wii ... until now.

As of this week, one of the biggest and most anticipated titles of all time will finally be unleashed, and the timing couldn't be better. I speak of none other than Super Mario Galaxy, a title which has already garnered a ton of critical praise for its unique use of the Wii control system, combined with the classic Mario presentation that has stood the test of time


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: Wii
   


Rock Band Instruments Suck?

November 24th 2007 02:02
By now regular readers of Gamemonger will know my fascination with Guitar Hero and Rock Band ... but the following is something I didn't expect to write.

The complaints have been constant and many from owners of the fairly expensive Xbox 360 title, since the US launch the other week, regarding the guitar and drum kits. Apparently many have complained about the quality and reliability of the instruments, which is surprising when you consider how sturdy the original Guitar Hero guitars were


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: Xbox 360
   


Master Chief Rocks Guitar Hero III

November 22nd 2007 11:18
Looks like my question has been answered, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock content exclusives are real, and it's no surprise that the Xbox 360 is the first console to receive them. As the title suggests, it's none other then the now classic Halo theme that's available over Xbox Live, and here's the good news ... it's free.

So what are you waiting for, lay the hammer down on this classic rock anthem, as composed by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. It's free, after all


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: Xbox 360
   


The Real Election - Mario vs Sonic

November 22nd 2007 10:58
Ok, so it isn't an election, but as of today, the fight to be crowned the greatest of all time begins ... kinda.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games officially launched today on Nintendo Wii, the first time both classic mascots have met face to face in an official title. It's all based around changing the face of those old Olympic based video games that no-one ever played, you know the ones? With all the sports that never translated well


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: Wii, DS
   


Guitar Hero vs Rock Band Round 3

November 21st 2007 11:54
Well here we go, folks. The first reviews for Rock Band are slowly making their way out, and the earliest cab off the ranks are those loveable critters over at IGN. The result? Rock band is good ... really good.

The 'exclusive' review (how exclusive, we'll never know) explains a number of key advantages and disadvantages over its main rival, one Guitar Hero III. The most obvious, of course, is the fact that Rock Band is a multiplayer experience, unlike Guitar Hero's generally single player design. There's a little more strategy involved too, with the Overdrive feature which works similarly to a general score multiplayer, but if stacked together, the scores fly up northward. And if someone struggles with a particular area, you can substitute an Overdrive to save them. Certainly a nice choice if the moment were to ever arise


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PS2, Xbox 360
   


PSP Store Hits Australia ... Finally

November 21st 2007 09:51
It's been many a month since the PSP store opened in the US, but up until just hours ago, Australian gamers haven't had much if anything at all to download to their systems. Thankfully that all changed today as Sony opened the PSP section of its Playstation store, no doubt on the back of its successful PS3 section.

Here's the good news, not only can you download a handful of classic PSOne titles (Crash Bandicoot, Syphon Filter and the not to be missed Wipeout), you can also download a number of previously released PSP games, Go Sudoku for example. The classics will set you back $8.45, while the PSP titles go up to a maximum of $29.95


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PSP
   


How often do you game?

November 20th 2007 11:51
It's a question I thought should be asked, since this is a readership that, I'm sure, plays until dawn while sipping on Red Bull, eating peanut m&m's and pwning everyone in sight... I'm close, right? Right?

So how often do you game? Come on, be honest now. Are you the kind of person who buys a game, plays it non stop for a week and then moves on to the next thing? Do you take your time, playing whenever your busy schedule allows it? Or are you the kind of person who randomly plays if there's nothing else to do, grabbing a controller just to wind down an hour then never returning until the next faithful day when your favourite football team is losing so bad there's no point in watching the second half


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PC Gaming
   


Christmas Gaming Ideas

November 17th 2007 01:08
No matter where you turn, you know it's christmas at this time of the year. Whether it be the old decorations gracing the same spots they always have in your local shopping centre, or the dreaded S. Clause coming out of hibernation. Or, worse, the constant stream of bad music pumped out of those tiny mono speakers ... I shudder just thinking about that.

Anyway, the good news is, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing your fellow gamer (or yourself, go on, admit it) a present to spend the holiday season on. But there's a few bargains out there that shouldn't be overlooked, so over the next few weeks, I'll be hunting around and giving you all some ideal suggestions ... just in case you really are stuck for thought


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PC Gaming, Xbox 360, Wii, MMOGs
   


Answering the call: Ghostbusters Return

November 16th 2007 08:07
Well it's about time, that's all I can say. The Ghostbusters, an 80's classic that defined my very existence as a child, are returning ... to the game screen, no less.

The real sequel has been on again and off again so many times over the years, it's actually a little surprising that this has finally come about. Vivendi and Sony will publish the game across just about every major platform, with two teams working on two versions. Terminal Reality will work on the 360, PS3 and PC editions, while Red Fly Studio have been handed the task of bringing a more family oriented version to Wii, DS and PS2


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PC Gaming, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS
   


Guitar Hero vs Rock Band Round 2

November 10th 2007 23:59
Let's skip past the obvious 'Guitar Hero III is out now' news, and get down and dirty into the more important topics, as round 2 of this epic battle takes place...

Activision, from all accounts, have put together a worthy sequel in the franchise, and the good news is, there's even MORE room for improvement. While just about everything is as it was before, the addition of online play modes and 'boss battles' certainly adds some much needed spice to the franchise. And, of course, the wireless guitar works wonders


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
   


What's up, Traveller's Tales?

November 8th 2007 11:53
Warner Brothers are the new owners of TT Games, parent company to LEGO Star Wars creators, Traveller's Tales. The good news is this latest ownership news will not cease previous partnerships made by the company, namely the highly successful Star Wars series (The Complete Saga is on store shelves as of wednesday, as you know) and the upcoming LEGO Indiana Jones, another title co-developed with LucasArts.

So why the ownership? Clearly TT are onto a winning formula, and when you associate a mainly children's game developer with one of the biggest names in children's animation ... well you can see where I'm going. But in truth, why not? Everyone else is doing it


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS
   


Master Chief beaten by ... a Bandicoot?

November 8th 2007 11:38
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the games store, Crash Bandicoot has stormed to the top of the Australian All Format sales chart (week ending Nov 4), knocking the multimillion dollar Halo 3 to second place.

Think of this result as a double edged sword. On the one hand, this again goes to prove how many young players there are out there (and still own a PS2, wonders will never cease). On the other hand, Halo 3's sales are finally starting to slow down, and I doubt very much it will ever return to top spot any time soon


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PS2
   


Game of the Week: November 5 - 9

November 8th 2007 11:30
I know what you're thinking. How could Gamemonger possibly find one game out of the stack of big releases this week?

Or 'How can Guitar Hero III not win


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS
   


The biggest week on the video game calendar?

November 4th 2007 19:59
November has just begun and, taking a look at this weeks release, you'd be forgiven for thinking Christmas has come early this year ... come to think of it, Christmas came last month. I mean, who buys decorations in October?

So anyway, we've got Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, The Simpsons game on just about every format imaginable, Guitar Hero III (which I'll be taking a closer look at later this week), Big Brain Academy on Nintendo Wii, The Lego Star Wars is complete (another game I'll be looking into for sure), and Pro Evo returns for 2008. Hell, even Dirty Dancing is getting a release this week


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Posted By: Mark Isaacson - Category: PC Gaming, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, DS
   


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