For the last week or so, the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer experience has been plagued by a number of issues, across all platforms. Those issues have been targeted by a new patch, which Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling states has gone live on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Among the issues addressed are those nasty infinity ammo and Public "private" match issues on the Xbox 360 version, the Prestige hack on PS3 and the texture hack on PC. Also, the 1887 has been balanced on all platforms -- now, you might actually stand a chance against an opponent wielding two of those.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

What do you give your copy of Call of Duty: World at War for Christmas? Activision has solved that tough shopping challenge by bundling all of the game's downloadable maps into one attractive package. The Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack Bundle features "the complete collection of nine multiplayer maps and three co-op Zombie maps from Call of Duty: World at War Map Packs 1-3," for $24.99 on PS3 or 2000 on Xbox 360, five dollars off the combined prices of all three packs.

It's available now in North America, but won't be home for Christmas in Europe, with a release date of January 7. But let's be realistic here: your game doesn't know when Christmas is, so you can be a bit late with gifts.

Interested in Resonance of Fate but afraid of being burned by another tri-Ace RPG? If you have access to a Japanese PlayStation Network account or (less likely) a Japanese Xbox 360, you can sample the game today. Sega released a demo of the gunplay RPG in Japan, with a tutorial that Siliconera reports is easy enough to follow along with even in Japanese. We were able to suss out the mechanics during TGS with little issue, but we doubt the downloadable demo includes a Sega rep, as our TGS demo did.

What won't be easy to follow along with is the story and dialogue -- but referring once again to Star Ocean 4, maybe that's not the worst thing.

Film blog Twitch has spotted the teaser poster for the upcoming Tekken movie on the official Warner Bros. Japan site for the film. We don't want to be overly cynical, but we've had our hearts broken so many times before that it's hard to get excited for any video game-based films -- no matter how spot-on Wushu martial artist Jon Foo looks as Tekken's Jin Kazama.

You know what else we're not fans of? The complete lack of Panda in the teaser poster (check it out after the break). We don't care if the character doesn't appear in the series until the third game, if we don't see an upright Panda punching someone in the face, there's no telling how upset we'll be.

[Via Kotaku]

Continued →

YouTube user ProfessorGigaton has a pair of videos showing off his latest diabolical creation: a life-size model of Fallout 3's Railway Rifle. If you're inclined to take on the project yourself, one of the videos features a full tutorial to help you create your very own non-working replica. Lazy, like us? The supposed professor -- we're waiting on his school transcripts -- is also selling the model featured in the videos on eBay. The starting bid is $45, and it's sure to look great with your Fallout 3-inspired cosplay ... and will definitely come in handy in the post-apocalyptic world of 2012.

Source -- YouTube Tutorial
Source -- eBay Listing

The previously announced Dragon Age comic series will begin next March. Penned by Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Empire), the story appears to revolve around rogue (the concept, not the class) mages within the Circle of Magi who "will defy the rules of the Templars and change the course of the world forever."

BioWare and TOR previously released the Dragon Age novel, The Stolen Throne, which if you're into the whole words without pictures thing, sets the stage and gives plenty of background for the epic RPG.

[Via Big Download]

To be fair, the above trailer isn't terribly creepy in and of itself. It's a fairly straightforward illustration of what gamers can expect from Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. That is to say, it's a kart racing game with a cast of colorful characters (and Ryo Hazuki, for some reason) and nifty power-ups. Frankly, we think most gamers can get behind the idea of transforming into Super Sonic in order to mow down the competition and win the race, so all of that is pretty acceptable.

The creepy part, you see, is the music behind the trailer. Specifically, it's a parody of the classic holiday tune, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." What's so creepy about that, you ask? We're not exactly sure. Maybe it's just how earnestly it's being sung. Watch for yourself and maybe you'll see what we mean.

We know, we know -- you've spent the better part of today searching the internet for all those Namco classics no longer playable on the futurebox of choice in your living room. Thankfully, Namco Bandai just this morning announced intentions to "increase its digital distribution presence," effectively eliminating your wasted time problem.

Aside from the news that two Katamari-based titles are headed to Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable (Beautiful Katamari in "Q1 2010" and Me & My Katamari on December 22, respectively), today's communication did little for news on what else we can expect from the Japanese publisher on the digital front. That being said, the company specifically pointed out future titles heading to not just Xbox 360, but also a bolstering of titles in the PSone and PSP catalogs on the PlayStation Network. It appears as though we won't be hearing about other titles just yet, though, as the company said, "More titles to be announced in the coming months." But hey, at least you can stop all that internet scouring now, right?

The final PSN update of 2009 is all about the sales, with PSN and Sega DLC getting price cuts. There will be no update next week due to the holiday. Also, for all you epic space-opera shooter fans, Wing Commander IV is available as a PSone Classic for $6 -- the thing weighs in at 2.25GB. Check out the full PSN update after the break.

Continued →

Shinobii Technologies has released the "Console Toolkit," which will kill your console's warranty faster than a failed liquid cooling mod, for a mere £20 ($32). The 19-piece toolkit comes with all one needs to take apart various generations of consoles, so that the humble consumer can "replace a defective drive, burnt out laser lens, scratched or cracked screen or any other defective part."

It's fairly safe to guess that most of us have about as much ability to diagnose and repair what's wrong with our defective console as we do in finding Oklahoma on a map (it's above Texas, totally true). With that said, unless you're well versed, it's probably easier and safer to just purchase a new console. For those who do decide to purchase this and go it alone, please remember to unplug the console first ... just sayin'.

It was hinted at again and again... and again, until it was finally confirmed. Dead Space 2 is officially a thing that exists, and the sequel will land on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC at some point. Until then, EA's Visceral Games is in full-blown tease mode. Today's tidbit of Dead Space 2 info comes in the form of a Game Informer-exclusive "3D" screenshot.

The image features the game's hero, Isaac Clark, fighting off a horrific childlike necromorph. Well, to be honest, we assume the pair are fighting. For all we know the two characters could be moments away from a beautiful holiday embrace. (Mistletoe may or may not be involved.) Check out Game Informer's dedicated Dead Space 2 site to see the shot in all its interactive glory.

We may still have a few more weeks before the hair-based weapon wielding Bayonetta arrives on US shores, but that doesn't mean that reviewers haven't gotten their hands on the region-free, fully translated PlayStation 3 Japanese release (and the lucky folks at Official Xbox Magazine seem to have secured an extra early Xbox 360 review copy). Regardless of the downright silly nature of the game's story and characters, Bayonetta has thus far received universal acclaim from the critics. Here's what some had to say.

• Edge (100/100): "A beautiful and graceful fighting game that lets imagination loose, and winks before slapping Dante, Kratos and every other hero back to the drawing board."
• Eurogamer (9/10): "It's in combat that Bayonetta's splendour is fully revealed ... a blast of creative brilliance, both technically accomplished, strategically deep and infused with rare imagination, Bayonetta represents the pinnacle of its chosen niche."
• Official Xbox Magazine (90/100): "Every one of these dazzling battles is thrilling without overstaying its welcome - and also challenges you without being cheap"
• Play.tm (95%): "Bayonetta could - and should - breathe fresh life into the ailing Japanese action genre ... an unrivalled showcase of imagination and creativity."

Source 1 - Metacritic PS3
Source 2 - Metacritic Xbox 360