May 2008 - Gaming Life

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Gaming Life - May 2008

Grand Theft Auto 4 Patch for PlayStation

May 30th 2008 14:33

If you're playing GTA 4 on PlayStation, you may be experience freezing issues and other multiplayer performance concerns, they you'll want to download the patch that RockStar released in the beginning of May.

The patch should automatically be prompted once you go to start the game.

The patch is meant to prevent the Gamespy servers from being overloaded, which will reduce any problems with stuttering and locking up in the game.

Rockstar says they will continue to monitor the game's performance, both online and offline, so that they can quickly correct any bugs that come about.

Although, it appears that the patch has not corrected all the freezing concerns, it has seemed to help some people.

Many people are still not able to get multiplayer gameplay to work, and others are still getting "the connection has been lost to one or more players" errors.

Will Rockstar come out with another patch to attempt to correct the freezing problems since this patch has not affect 100% of gamers?

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Patches, Action, PlayStation 3

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Grand Theft Auto 4 Achievements: Side Missions

May 29th 2008 15:20

Grand Theft Auto IV has hit a huge popularity base with its release. You can hunt for a few easter eggs and find tons of tips for GTA IV, but besides online play, you can attempt the fifty unique achievements that can be attained easily by following a few suggestions.

Manhunt (15 Gamerscore)
The "seek and destroy" Most Wanted missions are pretty straightforward, but here are a few suggestions.

* There are 30 Most Wanted missions, with each major island that feature 10 missions each.
* You can access these missions any time after completing the Crime and Punishment mission. Tap LB when the cop car is at a complete stop; then select Most Wanted from the menu.
* Find and steal a cop car risk-free by dialing 911 and asking for police assistance. When the cops arrive, usually at least one will get out of the car, giving you the chance to steal it without killing.

Cleaned the Mean Streets (20 Gamerscore)
This is another cop car achievement. Tap LB when the cop car is at a complete stop to access the police scanner and select the Current Crimes from the menu.

To make it easier on yourself, you can single out the criminal on foot crimes rather than "vehicle stolen" capers.

Remember that these missions Current Crime missions are timed, so you fail if you don't reach the criminal on the map in time. Don't trust the game's GPS system because it doesn't take into account paths that don't involve roads. Use the map instead.

Order Fulfilled (10 Gamerscore)
You need to steal cars for Brucie and deliver them to his garage. Basically just visit the internet cafe to read Brucie's email which will request specific cars. Reply to the email, and a GPS marker will appear on the map. Go to the marker, steal the car, and deliver it. You get paid based on the car's condition, so drive careful and visit the Pay n' Spray to repair the car if you beat it up along the way.

You Got the Message (20 Gamerscore)
Here you'll need to hunt down 30 cars for Stevie. You'll need a good plan of attack, but luckily you don't have to plan too hard, as the text that he'll send tends to give you enough clues. Try these tips:

* The in-game map is useful as it not only calls out hte names of each neighborhood, but every street is al is on the way to skip the so labeled, so keep this handy.
* Once you've got an idea where the car is, set a waypoint on the map and take a taxi ride to the point. Tap A once the taxi is one the way so that you can skip right to the point.
* Although the picture text of the car is helpful, the surrounding will be what gives you the most clues the location. Keep note of landmarks so that you can scan the horizon to track them down. If directions are included in the description, use the helicopter to scan the area.

Assassin's Greed (20 Gamerscore)
After completing the Truck Hustle mission, Niko's assassin-for-hire services become available, and once available, you can run through all 9 back-to-back.

* Remember that your employer will always leave you a bullet-proof vest and weapon when you start the mission. They're usually going to be on the other side of the fence next to the phone you used to trigger the mission.
* When possible, use the sniper rifle to kill your targets from a distance.
* Make sure to note whether your target has access to an escape car. If so, take out the vehicle first, as you can always chase the target on foot.

Courier Service (10 Gamerscore)
Keep the following in mind so that you don't have to repeat Jacob's delivery side mission.

* When you have to track down Little Jacob's broken down car, tou don't have to drive the it to the drop off point. You just need to get in the car for Niko to pick up the package; after that, you can hop into any car.
* If you get ambushed by a gang, don't stand and fight, but sprint past the nearest group and find cover.
* Don't fight with Little Jacob's customers if the cops show up. Just run for your car and hightail it out of there before you increase your Wanted Rating.

No More Strangers (5 Gamerscore)
You don't have to encounter every pedestrian and character in the game, just the specific "strangers" that are scattered across Liberty City. You need to talk to them and play through their missions.

You can track down the specific strangers bby spotting small, blue stick figure icons on the mini-map.

Source: Ryan Treit

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Achievements, Action, Xbox 360

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Grand Theft Auto 4 LIVE Play

May 28th 2008 15:16

The single-player campaign is loads of fun, but for the first time Rockstar has expanded online. The online option is probably the coolest improvement for Grand Theft Auto 4.

Every multiplayer match plays out completely different than the match before it as players and teams begin to take advantage of the endless creativity provided by Liberty City.

Executing Online
Before launching into Xbox LIVE, check out what accomplishments Rockstar has implemented in going LIVE with GTA 4.

* Same World, Same Everything: You'll find Liberty City laid out the same online as offline with the same graphics, enemies, lighting, etc. This can be easily taken for granted, but Rockstar spent many dedicated hours matching online and offline play.
* In-Game Access: You can access any of the game's multiplayer modes by using NIko's cell phone no matter where you are or what you're doing.
* Party Mode: Set up a dedicated group of buddies and join matches together against other pre-made parties.
* Option Time: You can find tons of options ranging from weather, traffic, weapons, and time of day, when creating a multiplayer matched tailored to your tastes.
* Ring, Ring: You can use your cell phone out of match and call a friend or enemy in complete privacy no matter where you are in the game.

Liberty City's Game Types
Grand Theft Auto 4 offers 10 adversarial game types and 3 cooperative missions. Although, most of the adversarial matches could be played across Liberty City, you can limit the scope of the map.

* Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch: Rockstar awards the person or team with the most money the victory instead of the person or team with the most kills. With each kill, though, you get instant cash since each victim drops his loot behind. These cash-drops create the difference between victory and defeat, and at the same time, causes chaos as all the players try to collect their due and enemies try to take advantage to attempt to claim the cash, as well.
* Mafiya Work and Team Mafiya Work: After dropping into the world, you'll be contacted and given a random objective via your cell. Once you've completed the task, you'll earn a bundle of cash and you receive another phone call
* Car Jack City and Team Car Jack City: You have to hijack all the cars that are marked on your map and deliver them to a predetermined locataion. You'll be awarded a cash reward upon each delibery of the car; you get the full reward no matter what the condition of the car is. Just watch out when in multiplayer mode or working in a team because the other players will be gunning for you or waiting for you at the delivery point so they can get the cash reward.
* Cops 'n Crooks: There is one team of criminals that are in a race to escot a randomly chosen "boss" out of the city. The whole time a team of cops will be trying to eliminate the boss before the criminals reach their destination. The trick is that the cops can only see the boss's location, but the criminals can only see the location of the drop off.
* Turf War: This one is similar to Cops n' Crooks, but requires each team to capture all of the 3 available bases, earning case for each bas. Watch out for armored car assaults, rooftop defense teams, snipers, and other creative offensive and defensive plays.
* Race and GTA Race: Pick any vehicle and track to race to the finish. You can choose "Race" for a purer test of racing and driving skills, or "GTA Race" which includes the use of weapons.

Co-Op Time
Although there can be up to 16 players in the adversarial modes, you can only play up to 4 in the Co-Op mode. The cooperative missions combine the mission-style of single player campaign with the team-based tactics of the multiplayer matches.

Source: Ryan Treit

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Cheats & Tips, Action, Xbox 360

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Grand Theft Auto 4 Achievements- Independent Action

May 26th 2008 13:56

Ideal Spot for Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction (20 Gamerscore)
Explode 10 cars in ten seconds may seem simple, but you have to take into account the following variables.

* You may not have car bombs, rocket launchers, or grenades early in the game, so don't try to attempt this achievement until you have the appropriate tools.
* It's hard to get enough vehicles in the same spot without the cops taking notice. Plus, after stealing your 4th or 5th vehicle, your wanted rating will go up whether the police are around or not.
* Don't dpend on exploding one car to set off another in succession.
* A road block on the bridge or an exit ramp it the best way to bring 10 cars together; turn a bus sideways to block 2 lanes or the bridge and the traffic should build up.
* Once you have the cars grouped, get in a safe place and start tossing explosives- first grenades then your rocket launcher to get the unaffected vehicles.

Rolled Over (30 Gamerscore)
Rolling your car 5 times in a single wreck can prove quite difficult, but with the right car and ramp you'll be able to score this sometimes frustrating achievement.

* Check out the ramp on Frankfort Ave. in Algonquin.
* The key is speed instead of height. Too much height on the jump and you won't have enough momentum to roll 5 times.
* Make sure the ramp you choose doesn't have too much of a drop off.
* Make sure that you have the right vehicle. Cars, such as taxis and police cars won't roll on impact. Choose a vehicle that's top heavy.
* Aim to the left when you hit a ramp because this will destablize the vehicle and help ensure you roll rather than land on all fours. Tilt the left thumbstick forward once you're in the air to point the hood towards the ground, which will propel the vehicle into an agressive roll.

Under the Radar (40 Gamerscore)
Flying under the bridges of Liberty City may sound simple, but it may not turn out so much.

There are 14 bridges for this particular achievement. Any time a bridge comes into contact with any land mass, it's considered an entire bridge on its own.

Make things easier by using your map to ID which bridges you haven't flown under. You can check the City Map on the Start Menu to check which bridges you have left to win the trophy icon.

Make sure to attempt this achievement after you unloack all of the islands because otherwsies, you'll be marked with a 6 star wanted rating due to invading airspace of a locked island.

Not your best choices for Rolled Over.

One Man Army (40 Gamerscore)
You need to survive 5 minutes with a 6 star wanted rating without constant battle with the police.

Once you've unlocked Algonquin Island, you should have access to the heliport in the southeast corner. Jack a helicopter and fly over Alderney, which will automatically grant you a 6 star wanted rating and fly around for 5 minutes. Avoid shots from the ground and from choppers.

Walk Free (50 Gamerscore)
You need to outrun a 4 sar wanted rating; make sure that you have savvy driving skills to achieve this task.

* Drive onto the tarmac at Francis International Airport, where you'll unlock a 4 star rating as soon as you pass the restricted area.
* Once you've got the warning, high tail it out of there in an airport tug, so that you'll be able to drive through any obstacles. A normal car won't get you far.
* Once in the open road, outrun the cops to unlock the achievement. (You can't use Play n' Spray shop to lose the rating.) It'll be easy to ditch the cops if you have the beaten path, speeding through alleyways and parks, and using stunt jumps.

Wheelie Rider (30 Gamerscore)
In order to complete a 500 foot wheelie, you need a light and fast bike, as well as a nice straightaway path. Good bikes are the NRG 900 and the PCJ600; and a suitable straightaway is the Francis International Airport's runway.

To create a stable wheelie, start once you're flying at top speed versus right when you're picking up speed. If you think you're going to tip backwards, release the thumbstick to let the nose dip down and then pull it back again to pull the nose back up.

Source: Ryan Treit

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Achievements, Action, Xbox 360

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Mario Kart Wii

May 24th 2008 15:15

Mario Kart Wii was released in April 2008 to Japan, Europe, Australia, and the United States. The game brings back Mario and his friends and their racing machines back. Since the release cheats have been released to help you further yourself in the game; in a way it takes out the fun, but the cheats for Mario Kart Wii can be helpful.

This time there are 3 different control styles and steering with the Wii wheel, which is included with the video game.

The game is ranked 8.2 on Game Rankings, which is a decent score. It's passing!

You can play with 8 different classic characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Toad. Plus, you can customize characters and race with them behind the wheel.

Mario Kart Wii will include 16 new courses and 16 classic courses from previous Mario Kart games. For the first time ever, players have the option of racing with either karts or motorbikes. Players can also hit the road as their personalized Mii caricatures in addition to the handful of classic Nintendo characters found in the game. True to the series, the game features tons of racing, plenty of power-ups and oodles of objects for players to use to slow down other drivers.

Game Features:
• Wii Wheel: Wii Remote will act as a steering wheel to give you the natural, more fun and enjoyable, racing experience.

• Worldwide Racing: At one time you can have three of your friends playing locally or can challenge up to 11 friends worldwide with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on any track or mode.

• Mario Kart Channel: A new channel "Mario Kart Channel" will be available on the Wii Menu. You can check rankings, complete tournaments, see when your friends are plaing, and more.

• New Wheels and Courses: You get to choose between classic or new tracks and arenas. You can also race the kart or the new motorbikes, which feature tricks and cool techniques.

• Mii Characters: You can create one of the classic Nintendo characters or make your own Mii character to race. If you have multiple Mii characters, you can race one and have the rest in the stands, cheering you on.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Review, Driving, Nintendo Wii

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Wii Fit Released in The U.S.

May 22nd 2008 16:27

Although, Wii Fit was released in Nintendo Gaming Stores in New York, the game was not released into regular retail stores until yesterday, May 21st.

It's estimated that the game will bring in sales of over $3 million within the first few months of its release. I don't doubt that the game will easily surpass the estimates, especially since it quickly sold out in pre-sales on Amazon.com

[ Click here to read more ]

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Release Dates, Sports, Nintendo Wii

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Wii Fit Release, Review, and Cheats

May 20th 2008 15:07

So Nintendo will be releasing the Wii Fit tomorrow, May 21st. It's already been released in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and has already exceeded the 2 million mark in sales in Japan, with over a quarter of a million in the first week alone. It's expected that the sales in the U.S. will exceed those in Japan.

Nintendo has broken the mold with so many video games, already, the Wii Fit just continues the streak. It's a fun way to exercise by playing 40 different activity games, ranging from various yoga positions, muscle workouts, aerobic exercises, and balance games

[ Click here to read more ]

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Cheats & Tips, Review, Sports, Nintendo Wii

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December 2008

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November 2008

18 Posts

October 2008