Need for Speed SHIFT becomes a team sport

Electronic Arts revealed an all-new Team Racing pack for Need for Speed SHIFT to be released via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. The content pack features a new race mode and five racing cars - all for free. The Team Racing pack is the first downloadable content for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available worldwide on December 1st on the Xbox 360 and on the PlayStation 3 on December 3rd in Europe and on December 10th in North America.

The Team Racing mode allows two teams of up to six racers race against each other for online supremacy. As part of the new content, players will also get access to some legendary racers including the 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427, 1967 Shelby GT-500, 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T, and the 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV.

Look for it on your favorite console system in early December.

Pre-order customers get Brütal Legend demo early

Are they rewarding pre-order customers or punishing the rest of us for not opting in early? Electronic Arts and those crazy cats at Double Fine Productions are giving pre-order customers a treat - early access to the Brütal Legend demo four weeks before the game’s “Rocktober 13th” release in North America. That’s odd because I thought it was being released in Rockvember 32nd. Players can enjoy Tim Schafer’s heavy metal action adventure game long before the unwashed masses can (that’s me - guilty as charged!). Starting today pre-order customers from GameStop can download the demo on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network. For anyone that has not pre-ordered the game, the demo will be available on both platforms in the coming weeks.

The Brütal Legend demo includes the game’s entire opening chapter, setting the stage for roadie Eddie Riggs journey into a Heavy Metal-inspired universe on the brink of decimation. After a stage accident renders Eddie unconscious, he awakens to find himself in a fantasy world where mountains are made of amplifiers, killer spiders spin guitar strings and heavy metal legends including Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne roam the world’s picturesque landscapes. Sounds like an acid trip I had once. A series of tutorials shows players that Eddie is uniquely qualified to lead the revolution to save humanity – his muscles big enough to swing “The Separator” axe, slashing his way through demons and druids, his strumming skills vast enough to handle “Clementine”, an electrifying guitar that can shock and set fire to any threat. These weapons, along with a variety of deadly combos, double-team attacks with allies and Eddie’s self-made hot-rod, the Deuce, will all be needed in order to defeat the vicious boss at the end of the demo.

Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao promises real 3D

Namco Bandai Games America’s latest downloadable title, Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao, will include true digital stereoscopic 3D technology - a first according to the company. Developed by Blitz Games, Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao will let players battle across a 70’s kung-fu inspired ancient China as they search for the stolen Star of Destiny. Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao is set to release August 26 on Xbox LIVE Arcade and and August 27 on PlayStation Network.

Digital stereoscopic 3D technology provides crisp and clear 3D depth of field without sacrificing color or clarity through most high-end 3D Ready TVs. Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao also includes anaglyph 3D which is compatible with any television set and a pair of standard red and cyan anaglyph glasses.

You can learn more about the game and how it uses this technology by visiting http://www.namcobandaigames.com.

HAWX DLC tomorrow for PS3, Xbox 360

Today Ubisoft announced that the Russian Falcons downloadable content pack for Tom Clancy’s HAWX for the Xbox 360 and the PS3 will be available on May 21 (tomorrow). The price for the Russian Falcons DLC is 400 Microsoft Points or $4.99 for the PS3. Players can unleash the power of Russian aircraft, including the advanced Mig Multifunctional Frontline Fighter, the variable geometry-featured Flogger or the close air support Su-39. Players can also attempt to master extreme maneuvers with an experimental version of the F-18 Hornet, modified to incorporate thrust vectoring technology. Also included is the Mig-31 Foxhound.

For more information on Tom Clancy’s HAWX, visit the game’s official site at www.hawxgame.com.

The Rundown: Jan. 23, 2009

So long New York! Today’s Rundown was written mostly on a train headed for upstate New York. The lady next to me got train sick and proceeded to cup her mouth for most of the trip. Not exatly the best way to end what was overall a wonderful trip to the Crispy offices, but hey we roll with the punches. On to the news after the break.

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Microsoft Comments On Recent XBL Bans

It seems like a lot of 360 owners got a rude awakening this week, as various forums were lit up with reports of sweeping bans from Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service. While most of the posters seemed stunned by the action, a common thread from many of these posters involved them having played “backup copies” or “early copies” of games like Gears of War 2, and using modified 360s to do so.

Well, if these guys had any doubts as to why they were banned, Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, decided to clear things up over at his official blog:

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