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SingStar gets new features in holiday update, song-erasing bug fixed

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 2nd 2009 at 6:15PM }

The SingStar servers were recently brought down to allow a smooth transition for the game's next big update. Try not to get to frazzled by the downtime -- according to a recent post on Playstation.Blog, this update includes the long-awaited fix for the rhythm title's unfortunate knack for erasing the user's purchased tracks. A handful of other changes to the SingStore and the game's online community will also be introduced in the patch. The full list of these additions can be found after the jump.

The blog post also announced that the franchise recently hit a fairly brag-worthy milestone: SingStar games have sold over 20 million units worldwide. That's right -- at least 20 million shrill karaoke covers of "Careless Whisper" have pierced the night around the globe. That kind of noise pollution is just unthinkable.

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L4D2 Steam update fixes invincible, burning Witch

by Richard Mitchell { Dec 1st 2009 at 11:02PM }

Not that we've ever run across an invincible, burning Witch, but we'd say it's probably a great thing that Valve decided to fix that particular bug in Left 4 Dead 2. You see, apparently there's a glitch that allows Witches to become invincible if set on fire, the upshot of this being that the Witch is both invincible and on fire. Sound scary? You bet your ass it is. The patch also fixes a bug that prevented the launch of the game on certain machines. Yet another tweak fixes a bug where "bots would not shoot at Jockeys and Chargers while approaching to save a teammate." Yeah, that one seems kind of important too.

Valve addresses Left 4 Dead 2 server lag on Xbox 360

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 26th 2009 at 11:00AM }

What's the only thing worse than having two dead team members, an approaching wave of special infected, and a fresh sheen of Boomer puke on your person? Having to suffer all those things while also -- fighting -- server la -- tency issues. Fortunately, that experience has become less common, as Valve recently did a bit dusting around their network infrastructure, reducing lag during bouts of Left 4 Dead 2 on Xbox 360.

Of course, even without the lag, you're still going to die. But at least now you'll be able to see where it's coming from. (Hint: It's probably from those three oncoming tanks.)

Tekken 6 update launches Nov. 26, addresses online issues

by David Hinkle { Nov 25th 2009 at 11:30AM }

A free update, launching on November 26, hopes to end the woes Tekken 6 players have encountered in the online King of Iron Fists Tournament. The update should improve connectivity between players and will add selectable search priorities for ranked matches.

Namco also aims to improve the responsiveness of button input and will add a cancel option for the first few seconds of a match should you disapprove of your opponent's signal strength. Or, in our case, should you find they're using a super cheap character like Devil Jin. Stop it!

Section 8 update fixes matchmaking, Achievements, more

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 24th 2009 at 6:30PM }

Timegate has released a title update for Section 8, which should fix several bugs in the game and tweak a few things. The main fixes include improved matchmaking, a fix for faulty Achievements and improved tank controls. AI bots will now also follow and defend human players, and the update also fixes latency problems and lost stats. There's a host of other smaller tweaks and changes as well, which you can read about on the Section 8 forums.

Likely not fixed by the patch, a precipitous drop in players since November 10.

LucasArts whipping up online co-op patch for Lego Indy 2

by Randy Nelson { Nov 24th 2009 at 6:21PM }

Soon, friends who see that you're playing Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues on Xbox Live or PlayStation Network won't need to sit idol-y by -- they'll be able to join in. LucasArts has tweeted that it's working on a patch that will bring online co-op play to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the latest Lego game on the block.

What's more, the publisher has also confirmed that the patch will let players collaborate in the game's level editor, tweeting, "In LIJ2's new co-op, you'll be able to join others as they build and play their levels." As for timing, LucasArts says to "give it a few weeks" before the update is transported by submarine from Cairo to ~~a secret island base~~ Microsoft and Sony's servers.

Left 4 Dead 2 gets patched on PC

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 22nd 2009 at 6:30PM }

A few minor glitches which Left 4 Dead 2 players on Steam were experiencing have been squashed by a recent patch. The update includes fixes for an error which impeded matchmaking for players looking for higher difficulty games, for a bug which allowed special infected to team up on players who are being pummeled by a Charger, and for performance problems which cropped up when the game rendered too many decals, "notably when fighting Tanks with shotguns."

Well, thank goodness for that. If there's a better way to kill a Tank than with a few well-placed shotgun blasts, we've yet to find it. Check out the full list of changes after the jump!

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Comet Crash update brings new content and features

by Xav de Matos { Nov 11th 2009 at 4:45PM }

A new (and free) title update, now available for the PSN-exclusive Comet Crash, introduces new levels, maps, battle settings and an "expert" difficulty mode to the Tower Defense-style game. What sets Comet Crash apart from other titles in the genre is the game's offensive gameplay, allowing players to send waves of their own forces against an ongoing alien threat. Aliens as enemies in a video game? Creativity! According to the PlayStation Blog, the 1.03 update includes:

"Expert" difficulty setting for seasoned Comet Crash players.
4 new Resurgence levels -- one unlocked at the end of each comet during the Campaign.
4 new Battle maps.
Battle timer setting. After the timer runs out, all mobile units generate at 8x the normal rate.
Thorium setting to tweak available resources in Battle mode.

Valve adds 4 vs 4 competitive matchmaking to Left 4 Dead on Steam

by David Hinkle { Nov 10th 2009 at 4:00PM }

With the release of Left 4 Dead 2 just on the horizon, Valve is making good on its promise to keep up support for the first game ... on Steam, anyway. Valve has flipped the switch on a new update, which adds Team Versus 4 on 4 competitive matchmaking to the mix -- something Valve has been promising was in the works since April of this year.

The update also fixes a pair of bugs in the game, dealing with a nasty game-crashing glitch that would occur as a result of a certain 'Crash Course' achievement (there's a joke in there) being unlocked and an issue where bots and computer-controlled special infected were being reported in the 'View Game Info' screen.

[Via Big Download]

Team Fortress 2 Pumpkin Patch update now live

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 30th 2009 at 3:20PM }

In our hurry to tell you about yesterday's two-hour-long Team Fortress 2 fire sale, we didn't really give you all the in-depth info about the accompanying Pumpkin Patch update which you so richly deserve. We'll rectify that now, but not before saying that a few short hours after the announcement was posted yesterday afternoon, the update went live! You can play it right now -- on PC, of course. Oh, you thought it might come to the 360? That's adorable.

The update will temporarily introduce a King of the Hill map called "Harvest" into the mix, complete with Halloween-themed elements like collectible candy, exploding pumpkins, and the ghost of Zepheniah Mann, who temporarily freezes passersby in a gripping, powerful spell of fear. Five Achivements are available during the festivities, as well as a number of "Mildly Disturbing Halloween Hats," or paper bags with scary faces painted on them. If you're lucky, you might just get the one emblazoned with Joan Rivers' visage. Aaaaah!

Uncharted 2 getting title update, Halloween festivities

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 30th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Okay, so our initial observation that Uncharted 2 would soon receive skeletal Helghast was a bit far from the truth. Naughty Dog's Arne Meyer recently announced on Playstation.Blog that the half-tucked title would receive an update which addresses a number of multiplayer issues today. On top of that, anyone who plays the game online during this Halloween weekend will receive a treat infinitely more sweet than a fistful of Necco Wafers: Loads and loads of (in-game) cash money.

Yes, the next few days will be a "Double Cash Weekend" for Uncharted 2 multiplayer matches. As you can probably suss out from the title, you'll earn double the rank-progressing moolah you would normally gain for playing the various online playlists. In addition, a bunch of Naughty Dog staffers will be playing this weekend -- presumably appearing as the crimson-eyed, skinless abominations seen above. We appreciate the work these folks have done, but following our strict undead infestation protocols, they must be purged.

'Splosion Man Avatar awards unlocked; delicious steaks to be distributed

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 27th 2009 at 12:28PM }

We've got good news all around for fans of Twisted Pixel's 'Splosion Man, as well as advocates for tender red meat. The developer has announced that a title update has fixed laggy online multiplayer sessions and added those unlockable Avatar awards to the highly combustible Xbox Live Arcade platformer. To unlock all four shirts seen above (two for female Avatars and two for males), you must accomplish two feats: break a single pane of glass (easy!) and beat the entire co-op campaign (considerably less easy).

Oh, right, the meat thing. In one of the greatest nonsensical partnerships in the history of civilization, Omaha Steaks has teamed up with Twisted Pixel to give away "hundreds of top-quality steak filets" to 'sploders across the nation. To register for the giveaway, just download and equip a special 'Splosion Man gamerpic, and then play a few online multiplayer matches before November 22. If you win, you get steaks. If you're vegan, you give them to us.

Source – Title Update for Splosion Man [PDF]

Over 8,000 updates and bug fixes in latest MAG beta update

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 22nd 2009 at 11:45AM }

Looks like a certain beta testing community hasn't neglected its duties as a stalwart lookout for bugs, errors and other unsavory in-game snafus. This morning, Zipper Interactive launched a patch for the MAG beta client which includes over 8,000 updates and bug fixes. The patch will be automatically downloaded and installed next time you hop into the Shadow War.

A brief synopsis of the important changes can be found after the jump. We elected to not include the full list of 8,000 updates, as it would have delayed this post until mid-April, at which point it would have been fairly useless to you.

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Datel 'disappointed' by Xbox 360's unofficial memory unit lockout

by David Hinkle { Oct 21st 2009 at 1:30PM }

Outlawed off-white accessory news now, with CVG relaying manufacturer Datel's unenthusiastic response to the the forthcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update, which intends to kill support for unauthorized, third-party memory units. Datel has said that it's "disappointed" by Microsoft's decision, one that it feels will limit consumers in "exercising their freedom of choice." Specifically, their freedom of choosing a memory solution that doesn't come from Microsoft.

What to do if you're the owner of one of these bad boys? Unless you want to stay offline forever, you'll have to back up your data and transfer it to an official memory unit or hard drive. Failing that, you could just lift anchor in protest and set sail for Redmond, but we wouldn't suggest doing that unless you're English and living in 1983.

Xbox removes Nov. 17 release date for Twitter/Facebook from UK site

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 12th 2009 at 10:30AM }

There are few things we hate bearing more than bad news, but, well, it's kind of our job. So, here we go: Hey Champ. Remember how excited you got when you heard the UK Xbox site had listed a release date for the 360 Fall Dashboard Update, which will bring Facebook, Twitter and a whole slew of other services to the platform? Yeah, November 17 -- that's the one! Well, it looks like Microsoft has decided to strip the site of its specificity. Now, it simply reads "service launches Autumn 2009," just like all the other regional Xbox sites.

Aww, come on, Sport. Dry those tear-flooded eyes. The update may still come on Nov. 17, but now it'll be a big surprise. Don't you love surprises? Well, here's one: You're adopted. Makes that whole "disappearing release date" thing seem pretty trivial, doesn't it?

Oh, man, you're really crying now. Fine, we'll contact Microsoft to see what's going on. Just ... just don't tell your mother about the whole "adopted" thing.