[ http://scrawlfx.com/2008/11/eidos-tries-to-slience-tomb-raider-underworld-reviews ]
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Eidos Tries to Slience Tomb Raider: Underworld Reviews
by Joey Guerrero on Nov 21, 2008 5:57 pm
Filed Under: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

What is Eidos up to now? Well, Barrington Harvey, PR firm from the UK working with Eidos, confirmed today that British sites are being asked to not post any Tomb Raider: Underworld reviews with scores lower than 80 percent, at least, not until Monday. According to videogaming247.com, a Barrington Harvey rep stated “That’s right. We’re trying to manage the review scores at the request of Eidos.”

Why would Eidos be doing this? “Just that we’re trying to get the Metacritic rating to be high, and the brand manager in the US that’s handling all of Tomb Raider has asked that we just manage the scores before the game is out, really, just to ensure that we don’t put people off buying the game, basically,” the rep added.

OXM UK (7.0) and British site Eurogamer (7/10) have gone live with their reviews.
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Oh dear.

BFN,

fp.

[ http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/headlines3527.html ]
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TOMB RAIDER UNDERWORLD DEMO OCT ‘08
Copyright 2008 Eidos plc Press Release

[ October 6th 2008 ]

Eidos Interactive, creator of some of the world’s leading video game properties, today announces an agreement with Microsoft to release two brand new downloadable chapters in the continuing Tomb Raider adventures of Lara Croft.

Containing up to six hours of new gameplay and content for Tomb Raider: Underworld, the chapters will be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. A demo for Tomb Raider: Underworld will also be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in October.

Offering entirely new content specifically designed to extend the Tomb Raider: Underworld experience, Tomb Raider: Underworld - Beneath the Ashes and Tomb Raider: Underworld - Lara’s Shadow will deliver two very different single player gameplay experiences.

Tomb Raider: Underworld - Beneath the Ashes takes place after the Underworld story has finished and will feature an incredible new environment to explore, additional secrets to unlock and different enemies to fight. Tomb Raider: Underworld - Lara’s Shadow will introduce players to a new kind of playable character and create a unique Tomb Raider experience.

The first new chapter, Tomb Raider: Underworld - Beneath the Ashes, will be available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace this Christmas. Tomb Raider: Underworld - Lara’s Shadow will follow in early 2009.

“We are constantly looking at ways to extend our franchises, whilst developing a deeper relationship with our players. The retail release of any videogame is just the start of the player experience, from there it all depends where you want to take the player in terms of ideas and innovation,” said Sean Vesce, General Manager for Crystal Dynamics. “With these additional chapters and the online reach of Xbox LIVE, we are able to deliver exclusive content to millions of gamers worldwide.”

“We’re thrilled that Xbox owners will be able to extend their Lara Croft adventures with exclusive Tomb Raider: Underworld episodes,” said George Peckham, General Manager of Global Third Party Publishing for Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. “We look forward to continue working closely with our great publishing partners to deliver the most robust gaming experiences, only on Xbox 360.”

Tomb Raider: Underworld will release on Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PC Games for Windows platforms. With development led by Crystal Dynamics, developers of the recent Tomb Raider blockbusters, Tomb Raider: Underworld represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay.

As the fearless adventurer Lara Croft, players explore, raid and solve the mysteries of exotic locations around the world, each designed in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates a truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is co-published by Eidos and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in North America and will be available in November.

Author: Staff
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BFN,

fp.

US-based retailer, GameStop are taking pre-orders on “Mirror’s Edge” [PS3]:

[ http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?sku=200479 ]
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Pre-order Mirror’s Edge and receive the GameStop Exclusive Mirror’s Edge Runner Bag. Available for online and store pre-orders. While supplies last.

GameStop Exclusive Mirror’s Edge Runner Bag
Identical in-game bag carried by Faith and other Runners to transport sensitive information in a world totally monitored by the government.
Fits your PS3, XBOX360, or laptop for gaming on the run. <- * Although carrying a PS3 & running is not advisable !! [fp.]
Seven individual compartments keep your information safe and secure at all times.
Adjustable shoulder strap and handles included.
Pre-order your bag today, while supplies last.
Final bag design may vary. All Customers: Runner Bag available with the game.
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The same page goes on to say…

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Reserve Mirror’s Edge and receive a code to gain exclusive access to the Mirror’s Edge Time Trial Mode.
Special Note: Mirrors Edge Demo will be available for download November 6. <- * Date for your virtual diaries [fp.]

Online and In-Store Pick-up Customers: Codes/instructions will be emailed 2 days prior to demo availability.

Store Customers: Will receive a rave card containing the code at time of reservation.
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BFN,

fp.

Sorry folks!...

[ http://www.strategyinformer.com/news/2228/ea-mirrors-edge-demo-wont-be-released-today ]
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EA: Mirror’s Edge Demo won’t be released today
Posted: 25.09.2008 08:23 by Jamie Comments: 0
Digital Games reports that a demo for Mirror’s Edge will be released today on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network, although EA has told Strategy Informer that this story is a result of confusion from a press release that was sent out earlier this month.

“I am afraid this news story is result of confusion in the press release issued earlier this month. The Pre-orders will go live as of tomorrow but the demo will be going live at a later date.” said the EA Spokesperson.

Shame, we were hoping this was going to be true.
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BFN,

fp.

[ http://socom.us.playstation.com/post/2008/09/SOCOM-Confrontation-Public-Beta-140-Patch-Incoming.aspx ]
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SOCOM Confrontation Public Beta 1.40 Patch Incoming
Posted by Seth Luisi
We are happy to announce that the SOCOM Confrontation Public Beta 1.40 Patch will be released on Friday, September 26th, at 1200 GMT/UTC (8am EDT, 5am PDT, 1pm BST, 9pm JST).

The SOCOM Confrontation 1.40 patch addresses the following issues:

Fixed an issue which was causing an abnormally large number of simultaneous kills.
Optimized the Armory so that selecting weapons, attachments and general menu navigation are much faster.
Fixed another issue where you could get stuck in spectator cam when late joining a game.
Fixed an issue where occasionally late joiners would have very low framerate and crash when exiting a game.
Fixed an issue where occasionally late joiners would have no audio.
Statistics improvements. Statistics are now being tracked at the team level and not the player level. This will ensure stats are tracked for dropped and late joining players.
Further improved load times for late joiners.
Fixed several stability issues.
The following changes were made based on user feedback:

Added new burst firing accuracy tuning when moving. You are now more accurate for the initial burst while moving but accuracy deteriorates as you continue to fire more shots.
Scopes are now accurate.
The select screen scoreboard is now exited by pressing the select button.
Improved tiebreaker rules.
New HUD animation to indicate when you are reloading.
Crosshairs now turn grey when your magazine is empty.
We are actively looking into the following issues which are known to exist in the 1.40 patch. These issues will be fixed in a future update.

The select screen scoreboard, round complete and game complete screens appear blank.
Infrequently, some users loose controller functionality for a couple of seconds.
Please note, this patch also adds game logic to limit the number of people who can late join a game to 5 at a time. If more than 5 people attempt to late join the game you receive a “Game Full” error even though there are still slots in the game. This will be improved in a future update.

Also note, the network latency detection has been added back in. We believe that we have now worked out most of the issues with this. Please report in the SOCOM Confrontation PlayStation.com forums if you are seeing the “red X” disconnect icon under normal gameplay conditions.

Regards,
SOCOM Confrontation Online Team
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BFN,

fp.

I just saw this snippet via an RSS Feed, but a redirection to the URL provided results in a “Not Found” page…
[ http://www.sonyps3news.com/2008/09/mirrors-edge-demo-hitting-psnxbl-today/ ]
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I have just gotten word that the Mirror’s Edge demo will be hitting the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace a little later today so be sure to check it out!!!
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BFN,

fp.

WipEout HD full game ($19.99)
Burnout Paradise full game ($29.99)
Geon Emotions ($9.99)
Mega Man 9 full game ($9.99)
Mega Man 9 demo (free)
NBA 09 The Inside demo (free)
NBA Live 09 demo (free)
Untold Legends full PSP game ($14.99)
Puzzle Quest full PSP game ($14.99)
Buzz! Quiz TV “National Geographic: Safaris” quiz pack ($7.99)
Buzz! Quiz TV “Video Games” quiz pack ($5.99)
Buzz! Quiz TV “Sci Fi” quiz pack ($5.99)
Soul Calibur IV Customization pack 2 ($1.99)
Rock Band Downloadable Content
PAIN Amusement Park “New Characters” video
Resistance 2 “Shattered History” trailer
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway “Eyes On” trailer
Burnout Paradise “Bikes” trailer
Dead Space Animated Comic no. 5
Tomb Raider: Underworld trailer
88 Minutes Blu-ray trailer
Made of Honor Blu-ray trailer
2x Soul Calibur IV wallpapers
Buzz! theme
WipEout HD theme
(for UK PSN)

WipEout HD full game (£11.99)
Burnout Paradise full game (£24.99)
Mega Man 9 full game (£6.99)
Mercenaries 2 demo
Beijing 2008 demo
Mega Man 9 demo
Burnout Legends full PSP game (£14.99)
Burnout Dominator full PSP game (£17.99)
Buzz! Quiz TV “Video Games” quiz (£3.49)
Rock Band Downloadable Content
High Stakes Poker add-on 2 (free)
PES 2009 trailer
Valkyria Chronicles trailer
Ferrari Challenge trailer
Pure launch trailer
PAIN Amusement Park: Trauma trailer
PAIN Amusement Park: Call Da Shot trailer
Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer
Bioshock theme
Fallout 3 Brotherhood of Steel theme
(for JP PSN)

AngelLoveOnline PS3 game (free)
Min GOL X Mai Itsu Matsuri collaboration item #2
Minna no Golf 5 additional character “Kratos”
XEdge additional items
Soul Calibur 4 customize part #5
2x Soul Calibur 4 wallpapers
Aquanaut’s Holiday promotion video
SOCOM Confrontation promotion video
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BFN,

fp.

PowerPlayDirect £23.49
DVD{dot}co{dot}uk - £24.97
Amazon (UK) £24.98
Play{dot}com £24.99
zavvi (nee Virgin Megastores) £25.00
Sendit £25.69
The HUT/Asda Entertainment £25.73
Currys/Dixons (online) £25.73
LoveFilm £25.73

I bet your can get the PSP versions for much less too (I’ll research the prices if anybody asks).

BFN,

fp.

PS. US ‘Store Update

[ http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/09/25/playstation-store-update-53/ ]
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PlayStation Store Update
+ Posted by Grace Chen // Senior Manager, PLAYSTATION Store

Hey, everyone. It’s time again for the PLAYSTATION Store weekly update.

-> Downloadable Games

WipEout HD ($19.99) / File size: 997 MB
Burnout Paradise PSN ($29.99) / File size: 3.24 GB
GEON Emotions ($9.99) / File size: 54.2 MB
Mega Man 9 (free demo, $9.99 to buy) / File size: 62.9 MB

-> Add-on Game Content

BUZZ! QuizTV Question Pack, National Geographic: Safari ($7.99) / File size: 135 MB
BUZZ! QuizTV Question Pack, Videogames ($5.99) / File size: 118 MB
BUZZ! QuizTV Question Pack, Sci-Fi ($5.99) / File size: 194 MB

Soul Calibur IV Customization Equipment 2 ($1.99) / File size: 3.09 MB

-> Rock Band

“Limelight (Original Version)” - Rush ($1.99)
“Tom Sawyer (Original Version)” - Rush ($1.99)
“Red Barchetta” - Rush ($1.99)
“The Camera Eye” - Rush ($1.99)
“Vital Signs” - Rush ($1.99)
“Witch Hunt” - Rush ($1.99)
“YYZ” - Rush ($1.99)
“Moving Pictures (Album)” - Rush ($10.99) This pack includes “Tom Sawyer (Original Version),” “Red Barchetta,” “YYZ,” “Limelight (Original Version),” “The Camera Eye,” “Witch Hunt,” and “Vital Signs” by Rush.
“Bandage” - Hot Hot Heat ($1.99)
“Love Spreads” - Stone Roses ($1.99)
“She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult ($1.99)
“Shoot the Runner - Kasabian ($1.99)
“Sorrow” - Bad Religion ($1.99)
“You’re No Rock n’ Roll Fun” - Sleater Kinney ($1.99)
File sizes: 3 MB - 50 MB (singles), 205 MB (track packs)

-> Game Demos (free)

NBA 09 The Inside Demo / File size: 964 MB
NBA Live 09 Demo / File size: 766 MB ! That’s Odd… I downloaded this from the US ‘Store last week !
Mega Man 9 Trial / File size: 62.9 MB

-> Game Videos (free)

PAIN Amusement Park-New Characters Video / File size: 58 MB (HD)
Resistance 2 Shattered History Trailer / File sizes: 97 MB (HD), 160 MB (1080)
Brothers in Arms: Hell’ Highway Eyes Only Network Trailer / File sizes: 214 MB (HD), 291 MB (1080)
Burnout Paradise Bikes Network Trailer / File size: 56 MB (HD)
Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #5 Network Trailer / File size: 195 MB (HD)
Tomb Raider: Underworld Gameplay Network Trailer / File sizes: 96 MB (HD), 129 MB (1080)

88 Minutes Blu-ray Trailer / File sizes: 107 MB (HD), 144 MB (1080)
Made of Honor Blu-ray Trailer / File sizes: 81 MB (HD), 103 MB (1080)

-> PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Soul Calibur IV #5 Tira Witch / File size: 262 KB - 999 KB
Soul Calibur IV #6 Voldo Jack-O-Lantern / File sizes: 296 KB - 1.06 MB

-> PS3 Themes (free)

Buzz! Quiz TV / File size: 5.43 MB
Wipeout HD Theme - All Teams #1 / File size: 7.67 MB

* PLAYSTATION Store for PC

-> PSP Games

Untold Legends Brotherhood of the Blade ($14.99) / File size: 157 MB
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords ($14.99) / File size: 65 MB

-> Game Demos (Free)

Pipe Mania Demo for PSP / File size: 39 MB ! I’m fairly sure this was available last week too… does anybody use the ‘Store for the PC !

-> PSP Themes (Free)

Buzz! Master Quiz (also available from PS3 Store) / File sizes: 458 KB
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BFN,

fp.