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Aggregated News from the Web

Today's Morning Discussion is not brought to you by the letters BT--if it were, dear Alice wouldn't be on her fifth consecutive day of wonky Internet connectivity and I wouldn't be penning Morning D in some half-awake state. Cheers to you, British Telecom.

In other news, Scrap Metal is now available as an Xbox 360 download. It's a top-down combat racer--imagine a cross between R.C. Pro-Am and Twisted Metal--and I've really enjoyed what I've played thus far. The various missions--sometimes you're going after one specific target, sometimes you're just straight-up racing--mix things up enough so that things don't get too mundane, plus unlocking / upgrading / customizing all the different cars has an oddly addictive hook. My first car? Pink with a big donut on top.

Is it worth the 1200 Microsoft Points / $15? I'm not sure, I haven't put in enough time to say for sure, but if you're interested, that free demo is certainly worth checking out.

Alice's Note: The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. No, I live on as a couch-surfing techno-hobo relying on the kindness of strangers.

Released tonight at GDC 2010, the iPhone version of Street Fighter IV is extremely impressive.

The game features 8 fighters: Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Blanka, Dhalsim, Abel, and M. Bison. The fighters can be used for head-to-head multiplayer over Bluetooth or for solo play modes including Dojo mode, which challenges the player to complete increasingly difficult trials while teaching the basics of the port.

I was as skeptic as anyone else, but I'm happy to report that this is faithful port of the full-sized game, minus the characters and modes. Yes, complex combos and moves can be pulled off after a bit of practice. After about 15 minutes, I was able to execute Ryu's signature combo from Street Fighter IV: the shoryuken focus attack dash cancel into his ultra combo.

The game utilizes some shortcuts to assist with special moves. A dedicated on-screen button for specials helps you crank out quick hadoukens or Blanka balls. This is optional, however, if you really want to show your skills off by doing all of the inputs manually. Ultra and Super combos can be executed simply by tapping on the meter icon on screen.

Dojo mode is surprisingly fun and you'll receive letter grades for each challenge for each character offering some great pick up and play options. If you didn't like Street Fighter IV, you probably won't like this version. If you did, however, this port is definitely worth the $9.99 while you wait for Super Street Fighter IV.

We knew which characters would be available. We knew it would be released in March. We knew we were skeptical. Regardless of all of that, Street Fighter IV is now available on the iPhone and iPod Touch through the App Store.

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The iPhone version was officially released at the GDC 2010 Super Street Fighter IV Fight Club.

• Battlestar Galactica Web-game Revealed - The game itself is being developed by BigPoint which operates a lot of free-to-play browser based games. The company is opening up a US office in San Fransisco this year. Battlestar Galactica Online is expect to launch sometime in the fall of 2010 on the Syfy.com web site for a 30 day exclusive period. A teaser site for the game is already online. The final version will use the Unity engine and will allow players to pick between the human and Cylon races in a game that will combine space combat, missions and exploration.
• Jagged Alliance 3 due in 2011 from bitComposer - Though bitComposer has taken over development on the series, the announcement doesn't make it sound like the new studio plans to make drastic changes to the Jagged Alliance formula: "Jagged Alliance 3 will build on the strengths of its famous predecessors and, set against the backdrop of a gripping story, will again deliver the much-loved combo of turn-based strategy gameplay with roleplay elements."
• Bad Company 2 Server Update & Maintenance - Another update on the BF Blog has been posted informing people of another maintenance window happening tomorrow at midnight PST. R6 has also been rolled out to server provider
• R.U.S.E. open beta launches - The R.U.S.E open beta has finally got going. Those feeling like getting their bluff on, head over to the official website or download the beta on Steam now. Spread across three multiplayer modes, players will be able to take up arms as one of six major European factions, battling for control in any of the seven available maps. The beta will also include skirmish mode against AI commanders, just in case you need a practice run to get your head around R.U.S.E.’s deception heavy gameplay. All in all, sounds hella meaty for a beta. The full game is currently scheduled for a Jun. 3rd release, available for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Also, this page has a workaround for a screen resolution issue for participants in the VIP beta, saying a patch to fix this is on the way.
• New Mass Effect 2 Weapon on the Cerberus Network - The Mass Effect 2 Website announces the release of the Arc Projector, saying this heavy weapon is available through the Cerberus Network, which provides free DLC to those who bought BioWare's RPG sequel first-hand or those who have purchased the Cerberus Network separately.
• Futuremark says DRM should be 'hassle-free' - With all the hoopla over Ubisoft's digital rights management debacle and the attacks on their authentication servers, people in the industry have begun weighing in on the topic at hand. Unsurprisingly, PC industry veteran Futuremark has a very different idea of how DRM should work.
• Modern Warfare 2 hits 25 million unique players -Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling announced via his Twitter that Modern Warfare 2 has officially surpassed the 25 million unique players mark. While we don’t have exact numbers, Bowling says that the majority of the players are on Xbox 360 with the PS3 in a “close” second with the PC version in third.
• Codemasters announces Bodycount (PS3, Xbox 360) - Codemasters has officially announced that Bodycount will in fact be their newest IP and will be dropping sometime in 2011. The game will be an FPS and is described as all sorts of badass. The game will have players gunning down countless eneimes and blowing up pretty much everything in their path. And yes, it will be including some form of multiplayer. Bodycount should be available sometime in early 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
• Rock Band 3 Coming This Holiday - The third numbered entry in Harmonix's Rock Band line of peripheral-based music games is due out this holiday season, the developer has just confirmed.
• God of War III cost $44 million to make - Director of production development, John Hight has said that God of War III cost the studio $44 million to develop

Reminding everyone that April 1 will bring a downloadable co-op mission for its buddy-shooter Army of Two: The 40th Day, publisher EA has passed along a new trailer:

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Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

Dubbed "Chapters of Deceit," the add-on grants two new campaign maps to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 players, provided they're willing to pony up 800 Microsoft Points / $10.

My first session at GDC 2010 was "Bringing Unreal Engine 3 to iPhone" and I was excited to hear all about Epic Games' plans for the iPhone, iPod touch and the like. What I got, however, was a programming-heavy talk about the challenges with bringing the technology, made in C++, to the iPhone, which uses Objective-C and Xcode.

Polish developer City Interactive is cutting to the chase. There are three things people like in videogames: snipers, ghosts, and warriors. Imagine the cataclysmic combination of all three in a single piece of interactive entertainment! Enter Sniper: Ghost Warrior!

Everyone knows that to have real fun with explosives, you've got to do it at night. Fortunately, developer Black Rock isn't overlooking that with Split/Second.

Another round of Need for Speed SHIFT downloadable content is on its way to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the form of the "Exotic Racing Series Pack" due March 18.

Priced at 800 Microsoft Points / $10, the add-on brings seven new cars to Slightly Mad's racer, along with a new Riveria track, new events, plus new achievements and trophies.

The seven new cars? The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, BMW M1 Procar, GUMPERT apollo, Honda NSX, McLaren MP4-12C, Maserati GranTurismo S, and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss. They're pretty. Check 'em out in the trailer below:

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Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

The first batch of downloadable multiplayer maps for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will hit the Xbox 360 on March 30, 2010.

Developer Infinity Ward revealed the date today with a satirical self-help site, noting that the Xbox Live download should help ease the symptoms of Mapathy: "a state of indifference to the same old maps on has been playing for the last several months."

Details on the exact maps and pricing, as well as when the maps will hit other platforms, remain unknown. As previously reported, the first two multiplayer map packs for Modern Warfare 2 will debut on Xbox 360 before making their way to PC and PlayStation 3.

I've arrived in San Francisco and am on the scene for GDC. I only had one session today, which ended up being a little bit of a bust. This can happen at the Game Developers Conference for members of the press as the show is, primarily, for developers looking to learn.

Garnett took all the cool appointments. Well, I get to see Civilization V later in the week so I'm pretty excited about that. The show will hit its stride tomorrow as we run from session to keynote to demo.

Wish I was playing some BF:BC2...

A couple of new developer-centric tools facilitating the integration of the bluntly-named "Ultra-Precise Motion Controller" were released today via Steam, Valve Software's digital distribution service. Created by PC gaming peripheral-maker Razer and technology developer Sixense, the tools mark the latest endeavor born from the multi-year partnership between the three companies, which was announced back in January.

Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.

• Samsung reveals just how expensive 3D in the home is going to be.
• Microsoft reportedly moves up Windows 7 SP1 release date.
• Are OLED TVs the Future or a Failure?
• GIGABYTE closing in on ASUS.
• Would You Pay $133 For Sony's 3D Glasses?

• Why Windows Phone 7 Had to be a Fresh Start.
• Foto Showdown Now Available For Nintendo DSi.

• Rock Band 3 out this holiday, will “revolutionize” genre.
• Mapathy. Modern Warfare 2 DLC for Xbox 360 Announced. Thanks Joker961.
• Rock Band DLC Week of 3/9 - White Stripes, Shaimus, Neil Pert [sic] and more.
• Lady Gaga hits Rock Band w/a 4 Pack plus a South Park cover.
• Accidental shooting kills Wilson County child. Thanks The Consumerist. Kid thought loaded gun was a Wiimote, parent thought coffee table was a safe place for a loaded gun.
• Hudson Entertainment Summons Horror Fans to Wii with Calling.
• Sony signs all six major movie studios for PSN HD films.
• Wii Belongs In Toy Market, says Will Wright.
• Xbox LIVE Marketplace release schedule.

• Digital Eel GDC Mystery Tour 2010.

• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on Computer and Video Games.

Steam News will put different titles from SQUARE ENIX and Eidos Interactive on sale every day this week.

• Battlestations Collection on Steam. Save 60%.
• Battlestations: Midway on Steam. Save 50%.
• Battlestations: Pacific on Steam. Save 50%.
• Battlestations and Order of War Bundle on Steam. Save 66%.
• Order of War on Steam. Save 50%.
  
  Still on sale (previously reported)
   
• 48 Hour Madness on GoGamer.
• Alganon on Impulse. Save 50%.
• Best of Indie Bundle Vol. 3 on Direct2Drive. Save 78%.
• Condemned: Criminal Origins on Direct2Drive. Save 75%.
• Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening on EA Store. Preorder and save 40% on Dragon Age: Origins.
• Football Manager 2010 on Direct2Drive. Save 50%.
• Indie Strategy Games Bundle. Gratuitous Space Battles + TheTribe, Solium Infernum, and AI War + The Zenith Remnant.
• Mac Games on Direct2Drive. Save 50%.
• Metro 2033 on Steam. Pre-purchase and get Red Faction Guerrilla for free.
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat on Steam. Save 33% if you own another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game on Steam. Thanks Jim.
• Toki Tori on Steam. Save 50%.
• Tropico 3 on Direct2Drive. Save 50%.
• World War 2 - Time of Wrath on Impulse. Save 33%.
• X-Com Complete Pack on GamersGate. Save 50%.

The Team Fortress 2 Website has answers to potential questions about plans for a Mac edition of Team Fortress 2. They explain now owners of the PC edition of Valve's teamplay shooter will not have to pay again for a Mac edition, that this will not be "some crappy emulated version of TF2," and that Mac and PC users will be playing together on the same servers. The Q&A is accompanied by a new Saxton Hale comic cover.

A new patch is now automatically available for Stargate Resistance the next time owners of the third-person shooter launch Steam. The new version includes newness and bug fixes, as outlined in this post and below.

Newness:

• Latent abilities known as emotes have surfaced and are now available to all players who own the advanced combat packs. To utilize these new emotes, select a class that you own the advanced combat pack for and press the b key in game to taunt your enemies into submission! Taunt-on! (There is currently no option in the key bindings for emotes, for now all emotes are on the b key)
• Due to popular demand, the options screen can now be accessed from in game, feel free to stand still playing with settings while we steal your crystals, capture your command posts and just flat out kill you!
• Players can now view their current rank in game, which just so happens to be placed right above their weapon selection on the user interface.

Bug Fixes:
Piramess:

• Taking flags in to the newer spawn room areas will no longer be allowed.
• Entering the newer spawn room areas as an enemy will also no longer be allowed.

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