Siren

Microsoft has announced that the Kinect's price has dropped from $149.99 to $109.99 almost reaching the below $100.00 mark. The price drop is permanent in North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific as of today with Australia and New Zealand seeing the cheaper Kinect on October 4th. Not included in the new lower pricing are Japan, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. via Major Nelson Click here to view the article

Those of you who do not to read spoilers about Halo 4 need to leave and not proceed. Halo Waypoint has released the full set of achievements that will be in the game and the folks behind Master Chief's newest adventure said that they "to live up to Halo tradition with weird ass names for some of them". Dawn: Complete Mission 1 on any difficulty 10 Points Requiem: Complete Mission 2 on any difficulty 10 Points Forerunner: Complete Mission 3 on any difficulty 10 Points Infinity: Complete Mission 4 on any difficulty 10 Points Reclaimer: Complete Mission 5 on any difficulty 10 Points Shutdown: Complete Mission 6 on any difficulty 10 Points Composer: Complete Mission 7 on any difficulty 10 Points Midnight: Complete Mission 8 on any difficulty 10 Points Wake up John: Complete the Campaign on Normal or harder 20 Points I Need a Hero: Complete the Campaign on Heroic or harder 40 Points The Legend of 117: Complete the Campaign on Legendary difficulty 70 Points Lone Wolf Legend: Complete the Campaign solo on Legendary difficulty 90 Points Skullduggery: Complete any Campaign mission with 3 or more Skulls on Heroic or harder 15 Points Bropocalypse: Complete any Campaign mission co-operatively on Heroic or harder 10 Points Bromageddon: Complete the Campaign co-operatively on Heroic or harder 40 Points Contact the Domain: Find a Terminal in the Campaign 10 Points Terminus: Find all of the Terminals in the Campaign 50 Points Digging up the Past: In Mission 1, find and access Chief's record 20 Points Midnight Launch: In Mission 2, get significant air in the Warthog at midnight 20 Points This is my Rifle, this is my Gun: In Mission 3, carry a UNSC weapon all the way through on Heroic or harder 20 Points Bros to the Close: Make it through Mission 4 without one preventable Marine death on Heroic or harder 20 Points Mortardom: In Mission 5, hijack a Wraith and use it to kill at least four enemy Wraiths on Heroic or harder 20 Points Explore the Floor: In Mission 6, trick or force a Hunter to fall to his demise 20 Points Give Him the Stick: In Mission 7 in solo Campaign, take out both Hunters using only the Sticky Detonator 20 Points Chief, Smash!: In Mission 8, kill 3 Crawlers in one hit with the Gravity Hammer 20 Points Not Some Recruit Anymore: Rank up your Spartan-IV to SR-5 15 Points Movin' on Up: Rank up your Spartan-IV to SR-20 30 Points I ♥ Red vs Blue: Win 5 War Games matchmaking matches 10 Points The Dongblainer: Win 20 War Games matchmaking matches 30 Points Operation Completion: Complete a Spartan Ops Mission on any difficulty 15 Points A Legendary Episode: Complete all chapters in Spartan Ops Episode 1 on Legendary difficulty 40 Points Dedicated to Crimson: Complete all chapters in the first 5 episodes of Spartan Ops on any difficulty 80 Points Crimson Alone: Complete a Spartan Ops chapter solo on Legendary 20 Points Roses vs Violets: Find one of the RvB Easter Eggs in Spartan Ops 20 Points Rescue Ranger: Save at least one Marine in Chapter 3 of Episode 2 of Spartan Ops on Heroic or harder 20 Points Knight in White Assassination: Assassinate a Knight in any Spartan Ops mission 20 Points What Power Outage?: Complete Chapter 4, Episode 5 of Spartan Ops without losing a generator on Heroic or harder 20 Points No Easy Way Out: In Ch 1, Ep 5 of Spartan Ops survive all enemy waves during the defense on Normal or harder 20 Points The Challenged: Complete a Challenge 10 Points The Challenger: Complete 25 Challenges 20 Points Armorer: Change your Spartan's armor in the Spartan Armor card 5 Points Badge: Change your Emblem in the Spartan ID card 5 Points PWND: Change your Service Tag in the Spartan ID card 5 Points What a Poser!: Change your Spartan's pose in the Spartan ID card 5 Points The Cartographer: Create and save a Custom Map in Forge 5 Points Game Changer: Create and save a Custom Game type in War Games 5 Points Snapshot!: Save a Screenshot from the Theater 5 Points The Director: Save a Film Clip from the Theater 5 Points Sharing is Caring: Upload a File to your File Share 5 Points Click here to view the article

A development screenshot of Kinect 2 showing a noticeable improvement regarding tracking has been leaked along with a photo of the developement kit for the next Xbox. The screenshot was leaked by someone going by a moniker of SuperDaE who late last week leaked the $10,000 development kit for the next Xbox being code named "Durango". The supposed development kit was met with alot of criticism including claims of being photoshopped. According to The Verge, one of their sources familar with the Kinect 2 and the next Xbox say that all of the photos are legit. Their source is not the only one repeating those words. Other developers who have spoken to Eurogamer's Digital Foundry who are confirming that the photos are all legit. Click here to view the article

Video game retailing giant has axed Sony's Playstation 2 from stores, however the company states that the move is purely demographical. "The PS2 is a unique one — we still generate a whole lot of profit off PS2 sales, but we're going to keep PS2 where PS2 does sell, and we won't put it in stores where we see really lapsed sales. It's somewhat demographic — it's somewhat regional, it is. The heartland of the U.S. tends to catch the wave a little bit later than the coasts to a degree. So we kinda bring it in, and we'll take it out of the stores where the shelves would be better served by next generation product, or they're just small stores where they can't fit it in." explained GameStop's senior vice president of store operations. "I think the PS2, as long as it serves a need for the consumer that we can fill, we'll have it in some store base until the consumer tells us, 'Take it out". GameStop added that they are preparing for the upcoming release of Nintendo's Wii U and are also looking forward to the announcement of Sony and Microsoft's next gen consoles stating that they have been hearing alot of rumors that began this past week about a 2013 holiday release for both Sony and Microsoft. via The Verge Click here to view the article

Borderlands 2 is just about here and to celebrate it's highly anticipated launch, Gearbox has released the launch trailer that shows some familiar faces. Enjoy! http://youtu.be/ERe3wZdIAtc Click here to view the article

Nintendo has made a disappointing announcement regarding their upcoming console, Wii U. The console will be region locked. Nintendo confirmed the news to Famitsu which was later translated by NeoGaf user Cheesmeister3k who translates gaming events in Japan on Twitter; "That can be played on the Wii U is restricted by a region-lock feature; software not sold in the same region cannot be played". This should really come as no surprise considering that the Wii and 3DS are also region locked. Click here to view the article

Yes, you read that correct. Cliff Bleszinkski has departed from Epic Games after 20 years with the company. Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed Bleszinkski's departure with a statement posted over at Epic. "In 20 wonderful years with Epic, Cliff Bleszinski has grown into a true design luminary, and his contributions to the ‘Unreal’ and ‘Gears’ series have helped shape the game industry into what it is today. Cliff leaves Epic with our gratitude for his many contributions, and our wishes for continued success in the next chapter of his life!” Bleszinksi has released his since released his own statement stating, "I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop. I literally grew up in this business, as Mike likes to say. And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break. I will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates, and most importantly, the people. Epic only hires the best of the best, and it has been a joy working with each and every one of you on a daily basis, whether you were hired weeks ago or decades ago. I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with a variety of disciplines, from code to art to marketing and PR – it’s been one big, rewarding learning experience. I’m confident that each project that is being built, whether at Epic, Chair, PCF, or Impossible will be top notch and will please gamers and critics alike." No word on what or if any effect this will have on the upcoming entry into the Gears of War series, GOW: Judgement. via Epic Click here to view the article

On September 11th, Sony launched a lawsuit against Bridgestone and Wildcat Creek Inc. Actor Jerry Lambert who plays Sony's fake executive Kevin Butler in television commercials is the president of the one of the companies featured in the lawsuit; Wildcat Creek Inc. Sony is claiming that Bridgestone and Wildcat Creek Inc. are both in breach of contract over the Kevin Butler character who Sony believes is being used in another form of advertisement for Bridgestone tires. Keep in mind that the tire brand is not using Lambert's actual Kevin Butler character, but rather just the actor in a series of promotional ads for Bridgestone. http://youtu.be/C_X3mVnuB10 Speaking to GamesBeat, Sony issued a statement regarding their lawsuit. "Sony Computer Entertainment America filed a lawsuit against Bridgestone and Wildcat Creek, Inc. on September 11. The claims are based on violations of the Lanham Act, misappropriation, breach of contract and tortious interference with a contractual relationship. We invested significant resources in bringing the Kevin Butler character to life and he’s become an iconic personality directly associated with PlayStation products over the years. Use of the Kevin Butler character to sell products other than those from PlayStation misappropriates Sony’s intellectual property, creates confusion in the market, and causes damage to Sony." What do you think Gamercide? Is Sony's lawsuit justified by the actor appearing in other ads for a tire company or has Sony lost their minds and need to find something better to do with their time? via GamesBeat Click here to view the article

A UK newspaper out of Norfolk, England has blamed the Resident Evil series for a vicious murder that transpired back in May. Their reasoning behind the comparison of the murder and the zombie franchise is because the three murders who the media has dubbed the "Resident Evil Killers" tortured a 44 year old man to death by using a pool cue, burned his body with boiling water, slashed his body up, and then carved the letter "J" on the victim's face. A claw hammer and boning knife were among the weapons found at the scene. The trio of killers also mentioned the series while on the stand. The judge sentenced Ricky Roys; age 20, Andrew Brown; age 42, and Helen Cooke; age 19 to only 23 years in jail and said that the "alcohol fueled crime" was "sadistic" in nature that the disturbed individuals clearly had intent on the killing the 44 year old victim who suffered more than 104 cuts and different injuries on his body. The trio who appeared in court compared the murder to the Resident Evil series as they attempted to defend themselves on the stand. Upon hearing of their defense, the British media took to the "comparison" like flies buzzing around the anus of a cow who is preparing to shat in an open field. Apparently, I must have missed the gameplay somewhere in the survival/horror series where you violate someone with a pool cue, boil them in water, and carve their face up like it was a jack-o-lantern. Can the British media please show me where those scenes take place? I didn't think so. via Crave Online Click here to view the article

Activision had to pull the multiplayer map Favela out of the map rotation after the finding of a painted portrait that appears in a bathroom in the map offended some in the Muslim community. The offending portrait features a painted tree and the words "Allah is beautiful" and "He loves beauty" inscribed around the frame of the portrait which happens to be situated above a toilet. Activision released a statement apologizing for the image and said that they are working on an update to remove the wording from the map. We apologise to anyone who found this image offensive. Please be assured we were unaware of this issue and that there was no intent to offend. We are working as quickly as possible to remove this image and any other similar ones we may find from our various game libraries. "We are urgently working to release a Title Update to remove the texture from Modern Warfare 3. We are also working to remove the texture from Modern Warfare 2 through a separate Title Update. Until the TU is ready, we have removed the Favela multiplayer map from online rotation. "Activision and our development studios are respectful of diverse cultures and religious beliefs, and sensitive to concerns raised by its loyal game players. We thank our fans for bringing this to our attention." via Eurogamer Click here to view the article

Consider yourself warned if you choose to let stupidity rule your life when it comes to playing pre-release copies of Halo 4; Microsoft has their eye on you and you will be perma-banned from their services. Microsoft issued a statement regarding the perma-bans after Halo 4 related content began showing up around the internet. For those of you choosing not to act like a bunch of jackasses, Halo 4 releases in a few weeks. November 6th to be exact. via Gaming Blend Click here to view the article

Yesterday, Mojang released the long awaited "Adventure" update for the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft. The features in the update include "Creative" mode which features an unlimited supply of blocks and allows the player to create the world that they want without the restraints of stop and go mining. New terrain, enemies, sprinting ability, villages and other inhabited areas, and also new in game items. A complete list of the new content and fixes can be found over at the Minecraft Xbox 360 wiki. Click here to view the article

Once again another brilliant live action trailer was released in the Halo series. This time Microsoft and 343 Industries have decided to showcase John's journey to becoming Halo's flagship character, Master Chief complete with nasty looking scars and a fiery torture scene that is carried out by Halo's new enemies. http://youtu.be/GO376G4tbGM Halo 4 releases to eager hands on November 6th. Click here to view the article

Gamercide's 2012 Election Results are in after a very close race that ended in a tie between Master Chief/Clayton Carmine and Gordon Freeman/John Marston. This tie caused a second poll to figure out who Gamercide's official picks for President and Vice President were. Results of the Original Poll Master Chief and Clayton Carmine - 33.33%Gordon Freeman and John Marston - 33.33%Commander Shepard and Maya the Siren - 8.33%Alyx Vance and Lara Croft - 8.33%Ezio Auditore and Prince of Persia - 8.33%Ryu Hayabusa and Dante - 0%The second poll ended in a landslide with Gordon Freeman and his running mate John Marston taking 77.78% of the vote, while Master Chief and his running mate Clayton Carmine only received 22.22% of the votes. Here is what Gamercide members said about the election: PaNfOoT - Come on people, would THE "Free Man" steer us in the wrong direction? Kevnvek - ....science and traditional western values would make an interesting mix. Dateranoth - Both Freeman and Marston have not only dealt with politics. They have both dealt with doomsday scenarios. Then again so have the other two. But Master Chief would be useless without Cortana. sedington86 - An man with old west values as vp...and a scientist for president. Good good. Oh, and he never speaks. Perfect. PeeKnuckle - I voted Freeman and Marston. Science applied to traditional Western values compelled me to. Click here to view the article

Rockstar's Dan Houser released a major spoiler regarding their upcoming spring 2013 release of GTA V. Out of the three main stories that you play through, one of them is the antagonist. Houser made the statement during an interview with The New York Times when asked about the three character story line. Houser also said that Americans do not understand British culture from the 70's and 80's and that the GTA series has always been a British take on Americana. via NYT. Click here to view the article

Xbox Live turns 10 today and to celebrate the folks over at the Xbox 360 division of Microsoft are giving out deals on all things games! Wreckateer - FREE! Castle Crashers - 50% off Battlefield 1943 - 50% off Fruit Ninja Kinect - 50% off Geometry Wars Retro Evolved - 50% off Bastion - 50% off Peggle - 50% off Full House Poker - 50% off Joining in on the celebration is Major Nelson who will be giving away 10 free One Year Gold subscriptions to Xbox Live every hour beginning at 11 am est. Make sure you are following @MajorNelson on Twitter. Send him your favorite XBL memory or game experience with #XboxLiveis10. Also being given away are limited edition Tenth Anniversary consoles. To enter, download the Xbox Live is 10 Gamerpic. via Major Nelson Click here to view the article

In your Thursday edition of "I could give two shits about something containing Call of Duty in it", I present to you the latest rumor regarding 2013's release of the next installment in a series that others call unique and innovative, however I refer to it as a once great thing turned into a huge steaming cow patty. Siliconera is reporting that Activision is already recording voice overs for the 2013 release of the next Call of Duty which will continue the Modern Warfare story if you want to call it that after Modern Warfare 3. Supposedly there is also a flashback with the now dead "Soap" MacTavish. Anybody remember his death scene? Most un-climatic piece of story telling I have ever seen for someone that is considering a main character. If you care at all and are still reading this, then you should also know that some of the lines for the codename character "Ben Burke" have also been released; "Goliath, this is Sentinel Zero One! We have enemy armor at the gate, hundred meters north of our position! Requesting close-air grid mark three-one-six!" Sounds thrilling doesn't it? Of course Activision has not confirmed anything, so this will remain a rumor until otherwise told. Click here to view the article

Amazon is running a Black Friday Deals Week on all things video games beginning today! The deals ranging from video games to accessories for all platforms are only good on each day leading up to the holy grail of all shopping days, Black Friday. Amazon also announced their lightening deals for this week. Thanksgiving Day's Lightening Day deals are looking to be your best option if you are interested in saving money on purchasing console bundles for the gamer in your life this holiday season. The Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect Holiday Bundle that includes the family friendly Kinect Adventures and Kinect Disneyland will be cut down to $199.99 compared to $299.99. Not to be sold short, the Playstation 3 will be featuring a PS3 250 GB Black Friday Bundle 2012 for $199.99 which includes The Infamous Collection and the Uncharted Dual Pack. Keep in mind that these Lightening Day deals will only last during a certain time frame on each day. via Amazon Black Friday Deals Week and Amazon Lightening Deals Click here to view the article

Taking a cue from MTV's horrible show Punk'd which is aimed at "punking" celebrities that most of the world could give two shakes of a leprechaun's rear end about, Sony's Playstation is currently giving out free games, however you cannot play them. The glitch which seems to be centering around gamers that try to take advantage of the Playstation Plus extended free trial membership is allowing users to download trial versions of games, however it is recognizing you as purchasing the full game. Imagine your excitement as you are playing your new "free" game for about an hour and a notification pops up stating that you need to purchase the full game. There are also reported issues of users downloading the trail versions of games and wanting to purchase the full version, however the Playstation store does not allow it. What is Sony saying about the matter? So far, nothing. via Gamer Podunk Click here to view the article

Ubisoft has confirmed that Far Cry 3 multiplayer will not have dedicated servers. A user on the Ubisoft Uplay forum posted a thread asking if Far Cry 3 will be having dedicated servers and Community Manager MSV-Vextor responded with a big firm no. Far Cry 3 is set to launch across the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on November 29th and the 30th overseas and on December 4th here in North America. via Ubisoft Forum Thread Click here to view the article

Walmart is joining in on the Pre-Black Friday deals. This week you can pickup the Playstation 3 Ultimate Bundle beginning at $259.99. This bundle comes with your choice of PS3 model, one PS3 Dual Shock Controller, and one game; all of your choosing! On the Xbox 360 side of the platforms, Walmart is offering the Xbox 360 Ultimate Bundle with the same idea as the Playstation 3 Ultimate Bundle, however it is a bit cheaper. Prices start at $229.99 and you get to choose your console that comes with a controller, one additional controller, and one game. For the younger gamer on your list, Walmart is also running a Nintendo 3DS Starter Bundle with your choice of Nintendo 3DS in different colors, one 3DS case, and one 3DS game. The price for that bundle starts at $179.99. Click here to view the article

Sony has announced their Black Friday plans for the Playstation 3 and PS Vita. PS Vita Assassin's Creed III: Liberation Bundle with a limited edition crystal white Wi-Fi PS Vita, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, and 4 GB memory card - $199.99 Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassied Bundle with a crystal black Wi-Fi PS Vita, Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified, and a 4 GB memory card- $199.99 Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Bundle with a crystal black Wi-Fi PS Vita and Lego Batman2: DC Super Heroes - $199.99 Playstation 3 Ultimate PS3 Bundle that includes a 250 GB model, 30 Day Playstation Plus trial, Uncharted Dual Pack, and the Infamous Collection - $199.99 Sony announced that there will also be prices cuts on the Dual Shock 3 wireless controllers. via Playstation Blog Click here to view the article

Nintendo will unleashing a Flame Red 3DS bundle onto the Black Friday horde. The 3DS bundle comes with a Flame Red 3DS and a copy of Super Mario Bros 3D Land. The bundle will be available at gaming retailers on Black Friday for $169.99. Keep in mind that this 3DS Bundle is limited edition, so happy hunting! via Engadget Click here to view the article

I wonder what this means?! Click here to view the article

The director of analyst services for Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, Jesse Divnich seems to think that gamers will get a glimpse of Grand Theft Auto 5 at 2010's E3. Speaking to Game Informer, Divnich says, "....I think there won't be any playable stuff. I think they'll give you some type of teaser, because we do think that a year from then in 2011 we're going to see another Grand Theft Auto." Sounds like if Grand Theft Auto 5 makes an appearance at E3 2010 it will be a battle of gangsta proportions. Saint's Row 3 is supposedly going to make an appearance as well according to the wiki for the game. Nothing has been confirmed from GTA's camp, so for now mark this as a rumor. CVG Click here to view the article