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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare -- The Story So Far

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:17:00 -0800

For the first time ever, a Call of Duty game follows the same plot as its predecessor. Forgot what happened in COD4? Check out this quick X-Play refresher before jumping into Modern Warfare 2:

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Five Other Wars Call of Duty Should Explore

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:58:00 -0800

World War II was an awesome video game war: Moral clarity, an easily identifiable enemy, and a stunning victory for the forces of Freedom and Goodness make great fodder for a first-person shooter. That’s why game developers flocked to The Good War in such numbers, while largely ignoring Vietnam. But Dubya Dubya Two isn’t a bottomless pit of material. Even the makers of Call of Duty eventually tapped the mine and went on to other, imaginary, conflicts for their game series. But we want historical shooting back, so to help out Infinity Ward, TheFeed would like to present its list of five wars we think would make great Call of Duty games. (Contributions by Andrew Pfister, Stephen Johnson, and Sterling McGarvey.)

Number Five: The First Afghan War (1838-41)

In the first Afghan War, Britain, the undisputed world super-power at the time, was forced to retreat from an occupation of Afghanistan by poorly armed native inhabitants. It’s perfect for a game because nothing like that could ever happen again, ever. Plus no one really remembers it, so you could stick lasers in there or something.

Number Four: The 90s East Coast/West Coast Rap Feud (c. 1992-97)

While technically a "beef" and not a traditionally declared war (the Clinton administration's biggest failure), The Rap Wars had a low body count but a killer soundtrack. Getting the O.G.’s involved to collaborate might reignite the whole thing again, though. It would be worth it just to take Souljah Boy as a POW, and to see if either side would be willing to claim Kanye (Illinois being the equivalent of Switzerland, after all).

Number Three: The War on Drugs (In progress!)

It could be like Clear and Present Danger, only without those stupid words getting in the way of shooting people in the face. Cities besieged by violence, ineffective and corrupt police forces, politicians in the pockets of the cartels...this stuff is happening for real just across our southern border, and we know IW isn't afraid to push the topical (and controversial) buttons. And for the sake of authenticity, they could keep it going forever with expensive DLC. Not only that, forcing your stereotypical CoD player to eliminate drug dealers and burn up pot fields sends the irony factor through the roof.

Number Two: The "Star" Wars (A Long Time Ago)

Oh, wait, we already have a new next-gen Star Wars Battlefront. OH WAIT, NO WE DON'T. Oh wait, we already have an updated version of Dark Forces/Jedi Knight. OH WAIT, NO WE DO NOT. Oh, wait, we already have a recent X-Wing vs. TIE...now I'm just making myself cry. Just because George nuked the franchise with the prequels doesn't mean that the original trilogy still isn't worth exploring on the most powerful hardware available. Plus, the phrase "Wookie Perks" makes me giggle.

Number One: The War We're Going To Have With Chile, "Super Korea," and Canada (2028 - ?)

Did you happen to see the closing price of Random Length Lumber on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange last Thursday? The warning signs are there, people. Wake up.

Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed Is The Xbox Deal Of The Week

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:09:00 -0800

I debated whether to post the trailer below that announces that Saints Row 2 DLC, "Ultor Exposed" is the Xbox Live Deal of the Week this week. On the one hand, I like the Saints Row series. It's no Grand Theft Auto, but it's worthwhile for a couple hours, and "Ultor Exposed" is 30 percent off the regular price this week -- that's a pretty good deal. But on the other hand, the video is in terrible taste, and really appeals to the lowest desires in gamers and humans in general.

So I'll let you decide. You're an adult, right? If you are an adult, take a look at the video below, starring Tera Patrick, and tell me whether this kind of purely sex-driven advertising is a good or bad way to market games.

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Dragon Age: Origins Combat System Developer Diary

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:53:00 -0800

Many of you RPG lovers out there have no doubt been pouring in countless hours exploring the vastness of and slaughtering your way across the fantasy landscapes of BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins. But for those of you who are still debating about whether to commit or not, here’s a helpful developer diary focusing on the game’s brutal yet sophisticated combat system. You might want to wear some goggles or a poncho or something though. Things get kind of messy up ahead:

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Significant FIFA 10 Manager Mode Glitch Reported By Players, EA Currently Silent

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:20:00 -0800

Electronic Arts has already issued a post-launch patch for FIFA 10, but problems remain. Reader Justin Duke alerted me in the direction of a major glitch this morning that currently plagues the game's "manager mode," which allows FIFA 10 players to build a team from scratch. The problem? Once you've taken a team through a single season, an in-game economy glitch won't let you keep going.

"At the end of every season you can switch teams," explained Duke. "When looking at your option of teams it will tell you the team's budget for buying new players. In my case, the lowly team I was looking at had a budget of around $600,000. Once you pick your team and it does the scheduling, your team now has a budget of over $2 billion, and no matter what you do that number won't change. This essentially makes the mode impossible to play because you can't make any improvements to a team."

Duke isn't the only person to have this problem. It's all over the official FIFA 10 message boards and GameFAQs boards, a glitch players seem to have just regrettably accepted as reality.

"It's an MM [manager mode] bug," said one user on EA's boards. "One of many."

G4 writer Sterling McGarvey did not encounter this glitch while paying FIFA 10 for review.

Users have even come up with elaborate means of avoiding the glitch in lieu of a real fix.

"Keep your autosave on to have two save files," said another FIFA 10 player, also on EA's message boards. "Create one for the first season, then create a new one for the second season...switch back and forth between them every few games and you won't have to rewind a whole season."

There may be good reason for players to move on, too. EA hasn't acknowledged the problem. I contacted EA about the glitch this morning and have so far received no response from the publisher. If and when EA decides to release a statement about FIFA 10's manager mode issues, I'll pass it on.

In the meantime, if you've experienced this or other glitches, drop me an e-mail with details.

Have something to share? Have a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Spec-Ops: Evasion

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:03:00 -0800

Picture it: You and a buddy are creeping along the frozen ground as a sprinkling of snow falls down around you. You spot a flashlight flair up ahead, the silhouettes of two guards and their killer attack dogs loom out of the whiteness in the distance. You settle your sights on the first guard, while your friend targets the dogs. With a quick signal, you both fire, and take out the patrolling soldiers, clearing your path to the next set of evil jerks to murder. Yeah, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s Spec-Ops (Co-Op) mode is that kind of awesome. Video evidence submitted for your approval:

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Super Street Fighter IV Trailer Highlights Update's Slew Of New Features

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:06:00 -0800

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It's looking more and more like Super Street Fighter IV is becoming the game everyone wanted Street Fighter IV to be. Additionally, Capcom seems to be bringing back a bunch of unexpected classic Street Fighter hallmarks and overhauling systems that could have easily stayed the way they were.

Are you being convinced by Capcom's argument in favor of releasing Super Street Fighter IV next year?

The publisher just released this new trailer highlighting what's new.

Assassin's Creed II Home Sweet Home Developer Diary

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:04:00 -0800

For Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft Montreal has improved and expanded practically every single aspect of the previous installment in its acclaimed franchise. In this latest developer diary, the team discusses the two “homes” that players will be jumping between in the game: Renaissance Italy and a creepy lab in a creepy future. Both locations will offer distinct and meaningful gameplay challenges that will undoubtedly keep the game from ever feeling stale or predictable.

Next Tuesday needs to be here yesterday.

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What Do You Think Of Modern Warfare 2? Give Us Your Impressions!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:32:00 -0800

The wait is over. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is out. Let's get right to the point: we're going to be talking quite a bit about Modern Warfare 2 in the coming days and weeks, but today is the first day we're able to tip the tables. So, tell us, what do you think of Modern Warfare 2?

...or are you one of the unfortunate ones sitting at work, desperately waiting to pop the disc in?

Modern Warfare 2 Team Deathmatch Footage

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:20:00 -0800

Part two of our continuing series of videos to make you wish you were playing Modern Warfare 2 is a look at Team Deathmatch on the Estate map. Included in this video: the Chopper Gunner killstreak reward.

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(Seriously, why are you watching this instead of doing it???)

Square Enix Putting "Final Touches" On English Final Fantasy XIII

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:17:00 -0800

The evidence is adding up. In addition to Square Enix teasing a secret announcement related to Final Fantasy XIII, a new interview with Square Enix president Yoichi Wada at GamesIndustry.biz reveals the company has finished work on the Japanese version and the "final touches" are being applied to the North American and European versions of the game, currently slated for a vague "2010" release.

"The last stage of development has gone very smoothly this time," said Wada.

Wada's referring to the long-gestation and troubled development of Final Fantasy XII, which started in 2001 but suffered massive delays and did not see a release until 2006.

Now, just give us that release date!

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Midnight Launch Event -- London

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0800

In case you hadn’t heard, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 went on sale at midnight last night, and many a midnight launch event was held all around the world in celebration of Infinity Ward’s latest effort. One such event was held in Leicester Square in London, and from the looks of it, it was a crazy time. (I mean, it wasn’t as crazy as the launch event I attended here in Los Angeles, but I’m sure good times were had by all just the same.)

Several of the game’s top-notch voice actors including Craig Fairbrass (Ghost), Billy Murray (Sgt. Price) and Kevin McKidd (Sgt. Soap MacTavish) were on hand at the movie-style premier, as were plenty of Infinity Ward developers and tons of rabid fans eager to get their pint-loving hands on a copy of the game.

It was quite a scene, so be sure to check out the full video below to see how your night stacked up against this far cooler one.

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Modern Warfare 2 Direct Feed Video: The Pit

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:08:00 -0800

If you're stuck at work today, waiting to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you're not alone. But, to help ease your pain and end your frustration, please check out the below video of The Pit, the game's tutorial, and learn how to run the level fast enough to earn 3 stars in Spec-Ops mode, alone or with a friend.

Non-plot related spoilers ahead.

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Just Cause 2 Grapple Mechanic Developer Diary

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:50:00 -0800

Half-Life has the crowbar, Doom has the BFG, and Just Cause 2 has the grappling hook. I know that doesn't sound nearly as impressive, but I assure you this isn't your momma's grappling hook. The team behind Just Cause 2 give you a sneak peak into the abundance of ways you can attack enemies with this unexpected weapon. They've found some uses you might not have thought of, such as using the hook to jump onto a moving helicopter then dangling a car as a wrecking ball. You can tether enemies to light posts, moving cars, or even explosive oil drums. Does watching this video give you any ideas on new ways to use the grappling hook?

Look for Just Cause 2 in 2010 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

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Grand Theft Auto IV Tests My Patience Because The Dialogue Is Too Good

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:53:00 -0800

Unlike the rest of the world (seemingly), I haven't started playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 yet. A copy is waiting for me this evening and I'm anxious to join the conversation. In the meantime, I've returned to Liberty City for one final jaunt through Rockstar's faux New York City on account of the brilliant, if brilliantly flawed, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony. The adventure's reminded me of something that's constantly nagged me in Grand Theft Auto IV, albeit a happy annoyance.

I like the dialogue too much. Rockstar's character writers are the industry's best, perfectly capturing the rhythms of the crazed men and women they drop in their ridiculous storylines. Some of my favorite Grand Theft Auto IV moments take place outside of the cut-scenes, as characters banter back and forth on the way to a mission checkpoint. I'm no fan of Grand Theft Auto IV's vehicle handling, which constantly slams me into trees and electrical posts, but I always end up at the intended destination before the character rapport actually wraps up. There's always a few more lines to listen in on.

So, I wait. And wait. I watch the traffic roll by until the dialogue finishes and, then, tap the gas every-so-slightly, finally pushing me into the floating arrow to start the next cut-scene. Of course, I constantly jump the gun and mistake a pause in the dialogue for the end of the dialogue, causing me to audibly sigh as another slice of character interaction kicks off...as the screen races to fade to black.

It's a testament to Rockstar's talents, a reminder of how the gameplay doesn't always pay respect to that work. Hopefully, the solution for the next game isn't to cut the writing short. That'd be a shame.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Midnight Launch Event -- Tanks, Ghillie Suits, And Energy Drinks

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:05:00 -0800

The midnight launch event for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the Best Buy just south of Westwood here in Los Angeles last night was mighty impressive. It all started with a tank (replica) setting up shop next to a giant green dome that beamed in the parking lot like a corporate sponsored UFO pod of some kind.

Inside the gleaming dome were dozens of Xbox 360 kiosks where attendees of the midnight launch could get their hands on the game before and after they picked up copies of their own.

About halfway through the night, a massive armored assault vehicle rolled into the parking lot and parked in front of the store. When the back door opened, a team of Infinity Ward developers emerged, carrying a batch of games that would be sold to those devoted fans who braved the low-60s temperatures to wait in line to get the game.

Once the dozens of developers, and Infinity Ward CEO Vince Zampella were assembled, it was off to the green dome again where the developers sat down and signed hundreds of game box inserts, and posters. Some women had them sign a giant purse; one dude who I believe works for IW found himself pinned down while all the other IW guys signed his arms. It was a hit with the fans for sure. Best of all, along with every signature came a, “Thanks for coming out” or “Thanks for the support" from every single IW dev.

As far as the actually handing out of games went, it was all pretty smooth and well organized. That is of course unless you were one of the people who showed up to the event before midnight. See, Best Buy let all the people who were waiting in line from around 9:30 PM on purchase the game, but they were only given a receipt, since the game didn’t officially go on sale until midnight. Those receipts were then good for a free signed game box insert from the dev team. Once you had that, you were then free to go back to the front of the store and get in the “I already paid. Now give me my damn game” line.

So by around 11:45 PM, the pre-paid line was wrapped around the building, while the line for people who had just gotten there was about 35 people long. When the doors opened, they started letting in pre-paid people in groups of 10 or so. At the same time, people who just arrived were able to go inside and purchase the game, and instantly receive a copy of the game. Meanwhile, all those people who arrived early and paid in advanced were forced to stand in line for even longer, and watch people, who just strolled up, walk out of the store with copy after copy.

I didn’t notice anyone get visibly upset about this whole deal, but I didn’t stay to see the final copies get sold, so who knows what happened after I left. Maybe there was a huge night-vision-powered brawl in the parking lot. Speaking of dressing up, there were two standouts in the cosplay department. One guy came in full ghillie suit attire, so naturally I tried to get as many pictures of him as I could without seeming too creepy. The other dude came dressed in a rather frightening outfit that I couldn't tell was supposed to be a terrorist or a special ops soldier. Either way, it looked quite convincing.

Overall, it was a very smooth and painless event. Having so many IW devs on hand to interact with the fans and celebrate their accomplishment was truly a sight, and it seemed like everyone was having a blast, and rightfully so. They definitely earned it.

I took a ton of photos from the event, and you can find them all over at our midnight launch photo gallery. And again, if you have any wacky/funny/bizarre launch night stories, feel free to email me at Jake@g4tv.com.

The following photos are kind of random, but I just dig it them too much not to include them. I call the first one "Contact."

And the second one has no title, but is basically just here to illustrate how popular MW2 really is. I mean, look! The MW2-flavored (?) Monster energy drink is waiting in line for the game! Come on! It's also a testament to just how much sugar that drink contains, because I didn't put that can there. I put it down after I was done with it, and a second later, it had walked over and gotten in line on its own. Crazy, huh?

Dante's Inferno Demo Hits In December

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:50:00 -0800

The demo version of action game Dante's Inferno is coming out this December, people. In it, you will literally walk through the gates of Hell -- it includes the entire opening level and aims to "gives gamers a taste of Visceral Games’ blockbuster adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy" through fast-paced hack-n-slash combat, where players fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate opponent: Death itself.

“Our main goal from the start of this project has been to create a journey that will make gamers truly feel like they are going through hell,” executive producer Jonathan Knight said in a statement. Hey, Jonathan, I actually bought the last Leisure Suit Larry game, so I've been there, man.

“The demo will give everyone some insight into how we are treating the story and a taste of the gameplay," Knight said. "With nine more circles of hell to explore once the game comes out in February, we are literally just scratching the surface.”

The full game comes out on February 9th for the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP. Interested? Or, are you more like: "Looks like a God of War rip-off to me?"

Dragon Age: Origins' PC Difficulty Patch Already Built Into Console Versions

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

BioWare issued a quick patch to the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins late last week, which addressed a handful of bugs that snuck into the final game and, more significantly, addressed complaints from users about imbalances present in the easy and normal difficulty settings. According to users, the easy mode wasn't so easy sometimes and the normal mode experienced unexpected difficulty strikes every so often. The patch was supposed to help balance the different difficulties.

That got me thinking. Does that mean the console versions are in for a patch, too? Should console players of Dragon Age: Origins be aware of the difficulty quirks while the patch goes through the certification process at Microsoft and Sony? Fortunately, that's not necessary.

"Those fixes are actually already in the 360 and PS3 out of the box," a BioWare spokesperson told me.

Hurrah! Patch avoided.

Morning Hangover -- Your Favorite Video Game Midnight Launch Story

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Welcome to Morning Hangover -- an excellent way to start your day with the crew at TheFeed...no matter what you're recovering from. Every morning you'll hear musings from our editors and have the chance to share your thoughts on what's going on in the gaming world.

There aren't many games that can get people to drag themselves into the middle of the night, but if the frenzy over broken street dates for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is any indication, Infinity Ward's shooter is going to bring people out in droves. I don't have to speak in the future tense, though, since it already happened. What's been your craziest launch experience? I've stayed overnight for my fair share of consoles (an experience I'm not looking forward to repeating anytime soon), but nothing too exciting happened. You sat. You were cold. You were tired. You got a ticket. You bought a console.

Tell us your crazy stories from the front lines of the biggest launches over the years.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:02:00 -0800

Ladies and Gentlemen...the wait is finally over. For months, we've been anxiously awaiting the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and the day is finally here. Will this game fulfill its destiny of being one of the greatest games of 2009 and beyond? X-Play's Matt Keil has the review:

"Nobody does war like Infinity Ward. Its Call of Duty titles have evolved from excellent examples of the first-person shooter genre to a redefinition of what gamers expect from a war title. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward takes the already solid foundation laid in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and polishes it to a jaw-dropping shine.

There are three distinct components to Modern Warfare 2: The single player campaign continues the story that began in COD4, Spec Ops offers co-op versions of most of the action setpieces from the single player campaign plus some extras, and multiplayer is a highly refined version of what so many of us have already poured hundreds of hours into. The most impressive thing about all three modes is that Infinity Ward has not been content to rest on its laurels and simply churn out a clone of its already successful game. The stakes have been raised in almost every aspect of Modern Warfare 2."

Click here to read the rest of the written review, see the game's score and watch the X-Play video review!