Dragon Age: Origins DLC available at launch

BioWare revealed that the first batch of downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins will be released on the same day the game ships to retail in North America. The first bit of content, the Warden’s Keep, will add supernatural themed quest that unfolds deep in a dungeon and will give players six new abilities, new items, and a headquarters where players can conduct commerce with merchants.

The Warden’s Keep will be available for 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Marketplace and $7 on the PC. The content will be released November 3. A release is planned for later in November on PlayStation Network.

Source: Blue’s News

The DSi Revolution Begins

No doubt our readers are savvy enough to know that the DSi is in stores today, giving North American gamers access to the device that makes the young girls cry in Japan. Now geeky American men and women can begin their journey on that trail of tears with a down-payment of right around $170 USD.

I’m not going to knock the DSi, but do the extra features really bring enough to the table to warrant a purchase if I already own a DS Lite? Some will say yes because its feature set is pretty nifty, but when I fooled around with it at GDC I wasn’t all that impressed. I don’t feel like manipulating pictures of people on my hand-held when I can do that stuff in Photoshop, and the selection of bite sized aps and games aren’t all that exciting. But it’s way too early to make a judgment: as Nintendo fills up its DSiWare store and adds new features to the device via software we’ll know if its worth it or not. If you don’t currently own a DS Lite, then there’s no reason not to buy one of course.

So what’s the difference between the DSi and DS, for those thinking of running out and buying one? The unit has improved speakers and its two screens are larger - measuring at around 3.25 inches. The DSi is 74.9 mm high x 137 mm wide x 18.9 mm thick, when closed which makes it slightly thinner than the DS light. Other features and changes? The power switch has been changed into a button, two VGA 0.3 megapixel digital cameras (one on the internal hinge and another the outer shell), no Game Boy Advance, an ARM processor clocked at 133 MHz, 16 MB of RAM, 256 MB of internal Flash memory, wifi support, and a new store that uses a points system just like the Wii Shop Channel.

Nintendo invites public to DSi launch

Come one, come all to a Nintendo DSi launch party. That’s right, Nintendo wants the public there, but only in Los Angeles.

Nintendo is hosting a launch event on Saturday (April 4) in Universal City at the GameStop at Universal CityWalk from 9 p.m. to midnight (PST). They want “gamers of all ages” to get their hands on the DSi at numerous gaming stations to be set up at the event. The unit won’t go on sale ($169.99) until midnight at the GameStop, but Nintendo is hoping that the free event will get people excited before hand. They have also promised music from VJ Fader, parkour street running stunts and giveaways from the videogame art group I Am 8-Bit. There has also been a hint at a “surprise” later in the evening. 

For those of you in other parts of the country, you are out of luck, as this is the only launch event planned for the United States, according to spokesperson for Nintendo. But you’ll still be able to get your DSi units when they become available Sunday, April 5.

Personally, I’m pretty happy with my DS. I’m not into the music and digicam aspects of it, but I’m sure some people will be. It’s just that $170 in this economy may make the unit a must-have for only the most die-hard gamers that want to cut down on other accessories like music players and camera phones. It will be interesting to see the sales figures after a few months.

PS3 Owners Slide Into Home Tomorrow

After all the hype, the hoopla, and the building anticipation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. finally announced that its PlayStation Home Beta service will be available to all PS3 users around the world this week. Starting tomorrow, PS3 owners will be able to download the 3D service, creating and customizing their own unique avatars while exploring Sony’s virtual community in real time and chatting things up with friends and strangers through text or voice chat.

Users will also be able to play mini-games, watch videos, and attend special events hosted by Sony or any of its partners. Home will also let users create their own communities by using the “Club” feature to create clubs with other Home users who share the same interests.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fallout 3 Moves 4.7 Million Units

Okay … try to act surprised at this bit of news: Fallout 3 is a hit. How big of a hit? According to Bethesda, approximately 4.7 million units of the were shipped worldwide last week for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, representing retail sales in excess of $300 million.

Fallout 3 was released in North America just last at midnight store openings in over 2,000 retail outlets nationwide . And in the UK, where it wasn’t released until last Friday, sales of Fallout 3 led the game being ranked number one among all video games, as well as being the number one game on each of its three platforms.

So, does the game live up to the hype? Apparently our own Tom Chick thinks so. Check out his review of the game here.

Warhammer Online Launches

Today Mythic Entertainment officially launched Warhammer Online, the company’s MMO based on the popular Warhammer universe created by Games Workshop.

The game went live today in North America, Europe and the Oceanic territories. With the game’s servers now officially live, all players are invited to enter WAR’s dark fantasy world, swear allegiance to the armies of Order or Destruction, and give Realm vs. Realm combat a try. Mythic also announced subscription pricing plans, which come in one, three and six month increments.

Warhammer Online costs $14.99 USD a month, $41.97 ($13.99 per month) USD for three months and $77.94 ($12.99 per month) USD for six months. You will still need to pick up a retail boxed copy of the game to get started. Check out Crispy Gamer’s feature, Bringing Down the Warhammer on World of Warcraft, to get some early impressions of the game.