Adverts, gamer pictures, themes, and videos to hit Microsoft's online service as part of a recruitment drive by the GCHQ.
British intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is set to target UK gamers via in-game Xbox Live advertisements. The British intelligence agency, which oversees both internal agency MI5 and external agency MI6, confirmed its plans for a six-week campaign on the platform in such games as Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Assassin…s Creed II.
A mock-up of the upcoming advertising campaign.
In a statement, the GCHQ said that many of its recruitment criteria are "reflected in gameplay experiences on Xbox, such as quick thinking, problem solving, and teamwork." It is looking to "fill around 250 predominantly IT and technical roles at graduate and professional level, many of which require specialist skills which are likely to resonate within the online community."
In addition, the agency is hoping the ads will raise awareness about the type of work that it undertakes on a daily basis to "protect the security and well being of the United Kingdom." As well as static and video ads, the campaign will feature downloadable themes and gamer pictures.
This is not the first time the GCHQ has targeted gamers in this way. A 2007 campaign on Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Vegas and Splinter Cell: Double Agent and Activision…s Enemy Territory: Quake Wars encouraged players to apply for jobs using static in-game adverts. That campaign resulted in a 500 percent increase in hits to the GCHQ recruitment Web site and raised global interest in GCHQ's work, according to the agency.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Xbox 360 | British intelligence spooking Xbox Live" was posted by Nick Akerman on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:52:45 -0800
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]]>British intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is set to target UK gamers via in-game Xbox Live advertisements. The British intelligence agency, which oversees both internal agency MI5 and external agency MI6, confirmed its plans for a six-week campaign on the platform in such games as Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Assassin…s Creed II.
A mock-up of the upcoming advertising campaign.In a statement, the GCHQ said that many of its recruitment criteria are "reflected in gameplay experiences on Xbox, such as quick thinking, problem solving, and teamwork." It is looking to "fill around 250 predominantly IT and technical roles at graduate and professional level, many of which require specialist skills which are likely to resonate within the online community."
In addition, the agency is hoping the ads will raise awareness about the type of work that it undertakes on a daily basis to "protect the security and well being of the United Kingdom." As well as static and video ads, the campaign will feature downloadable themes and gamer pictures.
This is not the first time the GCHQ has targeted gamers in this way. A 2007 campaign on Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Vegas and Splinter Cell: Double Agent and Activision…s Enemy Territory: Quake Wars encouraged players to apply for jobs using static in-game adverts. That campaign resulted in a 500 percent increase in hits to the GCHQ recruitment Web site and raised global interest in GCHQ's work, according to the agency.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Xbox 360 | British intelligence spooking Xbox Live" was posted by Nick Akerman on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:52:45 -0800
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Being a crystal bearer sure has its perks as we use our powers to explore the vast world of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
Other than the quick demo at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, we haven't had a chance to really spend any quality time with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers to see how the game actually plays. The Crystal Bearers takes place 1,000 years after the original FFCC, and this time, the gameplay focuses more on the single-player story-driven experience than on a multiplayer dungeon-crawling experience. We received a preview build and were able to start the game from scratch to get a better idea of what this Wii-exclusive action role-playing game will offer.
Instead of walking over to start a conversation, you can just bring people to you.
The story follows young Layle, a suave and cocky Clavat mercenary who has been hired by the Lilty Kingdom to escort a luxurious passenger airship. For those who aren't familiar with the FFCC world, there are four races: Lilty, Clavat, Selkie and Yuke. After the Great War, the Yuke tribe was apparently annihilated and the ruling tribe became the Lilty, who have a knack for science and technology. Another group emerged known as "crystal bearers" or beings that have been infused with rare magical powers and are feared by the public. Layle is one of them and can't seem to keep his powers in check. You'll come to rely heavily on his special skills to get around. During his escort mission at the beginning of the game, a hostile creature and minions attacked the ship, but even with Layle's talents, the enemy managed to get away. Layle was determined to find out the meaning behind the attack and get more information regarding the small green crystal he managed to snatch from his foe.
The Crystal Bearers is unlike any of the other FFCC games, except for the fact that it's set in the same world with references to the same races. The focus from what we've played seems to be on the story, which revolved around frequent cutscenes and constant interaction among the main characters. Everything felt bigger as well, with larger areas and a variety of environments to explore. Built specifically for the Wii, The Crystal Bearers is unique in terms of how it is played as an action RPG. Layle has incredible powers that can be controlled via the remote as you can point, hold the B button to lock on, wait for a lock-on gauge to fill, and then toss anyone or anything around. There are plenty of items and sheep to latch on to in your environment, and you can even shake the townsfolk around so that they drop some gil. Shaking a giant sheep around may cause it to lay a steaming patty, but there are also benefits to shaking such things as treasure chests.
Fighting enemies does not utilize the old-fashioned hack-and-slash routine; instead, Layle picks up enemies with his powers and throws them around. Or he can pick up large objects and chuck them at his enemies. In areas where there are monsters milling about, a dark vortex--known as the miasma stream--needs to be sealed to prevent more monsters from appearing. After clearing the area, you can lock on and use your powers to shut it. A helpful radar appears at the bottom of the screen when hostile creatures are in the area to let you know where they are in relation to you. This is the only time some sort of guidance onscreen will appear because when traveling from one area to the next, you need to rely more on signposts and moogles for directions. There is a ticker at the bottom of the screen that acts like a news update, giving you random information about enemies or current events. Another nice feature is that the game will autosave as you go, so you're not always forced to try to track down a save crystal.
The cactuar won't even know what hit it.
As you progress through the story, playable events will appear that trigger on-rails shooter-type sequences, which we had a chance to see at E3. It's unique and different, which is a welcome change after watching cutscenes or wandering through dungeons. These sections are fast paced, and you're graded with a score at the end. Even though the game is primarily a single-player experience, a second player can join with a Wii Remote but only to lend a hand in select areas.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is a good-looking game, with expansive environments to explore and frequent cutscenes to keep you up to date. With all the motion controls in the game, it deviates away from the traditional hack-and-slash style and keeps you on your toes in terms of what kind of gameplay is coming up next. Look for our full review when the game is released on December 26.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Wii | Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Updated Hands-On" was posted by Sophia Tong on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:01:32 -0800
More...
]]>Other than the quick demo at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, we haven't had a chance to really spend any quality time with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers to see how the game actually plays. The Crystal Bearers takes place 1,000 years after the original FFCC, and this time, the gameplay focuses more on the single-player story-driven experience than on a multiplayer dungeon-crawling experience. We received a preview build and were able to start the game from scratch to get a better idea of what this Wii-exclusive action role-playing game will offer.
Instead of walking over to start a conversation, you can just bring people to you.The story follows young Layle, a suave and cocky Clavat mercenary who has been hired by the Lilty Kingdom to escort a luxurious passenger airship. For those who aren't familiar with the FFCC world, there are four races: Lilty, Clavat, Selkie and Yuke. After the Great War, the Yuke tribe was apparently annihilated and the ruling tribe became the Lilty, who have a knack for science and technology. Another group emerged known as "crystal bearers" or beings that have been infused with rare magical powers and are feared by the public. Layle is one of them and can't seem to keep his powers in check. You'll come to rely heavily on his special skills to get around. During his escort mission at the beginning of the game, a hostile creature and minions attacked the ship, but even with Layle's talents, the enemy managed to get away. Layle was determined to find out the meaning behind the attack and get more information regarding the small green crystal he managed to snatch from his foe.
The Crystal Bearers is unlike any of the other FFCC games, except for the fact that it's set in the same world with references to the same races. The focus from what we've played seems to be on the story, which revolved around frequent cutscenes and constant interaction among the main characters. Everything felt bigger as well, with larger areas and a variety of environments to explore. Built specifically for the Wii, The Crystal Bearers is unique in terms of how it is played as an action RPG. Layle has incredible powers that can be controlled via the remote as you can point, hold the B button to lock on, wait for a lock-on gauge to fill, and then toss anyone or anything around. There are plenty of items and sheep to latch on to in your environment, and you can even shake the townsfolk around so that they drop some gil. Shaking a giant sheep around may cause it to lay a steaming patty, but there are also benefits to shaking such things as treasure chests.
Fighting enemies does not utilize the old-fashioned hack-and-slash routine; instead, Layle picks up enemies with his powers and throws them around. Or he can pick up large objects and chuck them at his enemies. In areas where there are monsters milling about, a dark vortex--known as the miasma stream--needs to be sealed to prevent more monsters from appearing. After clearing the area, you can lock on and use your powers to shut it. A helpful radar appears at the bottom of the screen when hostile creatures are in the area to let you know where they are in relation to you. This is the only time some sort of guidance onscreen will appear because when traveling from one area to the next, you need to rely more on signposts and moogles for directions. There is a ticker at the bottom of the screen that acts like a news update, giving you random information about enemies or current events. Another nice feature is that the game will autosave as you go, so you're not always forced to try to track down a save crystal.
The cactuar won't even know what hit it.As you progress through the story, playable events will appear that trigger on-rails shooter-type sequences, which we had a chance to see at E3. It's unique and different, which is a welcome change after watching cutscenes or wandering through dungeons. These sections are fast paced, and you're graded with a score at the end. Even though the game is primarily a single-player experience, a second player can join with a Wii Remote but only to lend a hand in select areas.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is a good-looking game, with expansive environments to explore and frequent cutscenes to keep you up to date. With all the motion controls in the game, it deviates away from the traditional hack-and-slash style and keeps you on your toes in terms of what kind of gameplay is coming up next. Look for our full review when the game is released on December 26.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Wii | Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Updated Hands-On" was posted by Sophia Tong on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:01:32 -0800
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96 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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The early access is for a limited time! Get the full article at GameSpot
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PlayStation Store Update: PopCap's money-minting puzzler joins PSOne classics Resident Evil 2, Legacy of Kain; PSP gets Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines. Get the full article at GameSpot
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Law fim puts out call for gamers tossed from Microsoft's online service in pre-Modern Warfare 2 purges.
In the error message displayed by as many as 1 million Xbox 360s reportedly banned from Xbox Live earlier this month, Microsoft told gamers that there was "no recourse" for violating the system's terms of use agreement. The intellectual property law firm Abington IP apparently disagrees, as it is looking for banned Xbox Live members interested in a possible class action lawsuit against Microsoft.
There is no recourse for Terms of Service violations…except maybe legal recourse.
The firm claims that Microsoft waited until the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to ban systems in order to maximize sales. The firm believes that sales of Modern Warfare 2, the recently released Halo 3: ODST, and overall Xbox Live subscriptions would all have suffered had the ban been instituted earlier.
While Abington IP acknowledged that the bans were a method to combat the legitimate concern of piracy, the firm claims Microsoft could have and should have tailored its punishment more narrowly. Besides saying that "many" affected people were not involved with piracy at all, the firm criticized Microsoft for removing functionality not associated to piracy, like Netflix video streaming.
Abington IP is asking banned Live users interested in joining a class action suit to fill out an information form on its Web site. The firm has not as yet filed a complaint in the matter.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Xbox 360 | Xbox Live ban class-action suit being mulled" was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:18:23 -0800
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]]>In the error message displayed by as many as 1 million Xbox 360s reportedly banned from Xbox Live earlier this month, Microsoft told gamers that there was "no recourse" for violating the system's terms of use agreement. The intellectual property law firm Abington IP apparently disagrees, as it is looking for banned Xbox Live members interested in a possible class action lawsuit against Microsoft.
There is no recourse for Terms of Service violations…except maybe legal recourse.The firm claims that Microsoft waited until the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to ban systems in order to maximize sales. The firm believes that sales of Modern Warfare 2, the recently released Halo 3: ODST, and overall Xbox Live subscriptions would all have suffered had the ban been instituted earlier.
While Abington IP acknowledged that the bans were a method to combat the legitimate concern of piracy, the firm claims Microsoft could have and should have tailored its punishment more narrowly. Besides saying that "many" affected people were not involved with piracy at all, the firm criticized Microsoft for removing functionality not associated to piracy, like Netflix video streaming.
Abington IP is asking banned Live users interested in joining a class action suit to fill out an information form on its Web site. The firm has not as yet filed a complaint in the matter.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Xbox 360 | Xbox Live ban class-action suit being mulled" was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:18:23 -0800
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1 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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Cryptic Studios latest MMORPG will enter large-scale testing period January 12-26; keys offered as first come, first served.
Champions Online may be only a few months on the market, but Cryptic isn't wasting any time before deploying its next massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Earlier this month, the Atari-owned studio locked in a February 2 release date for Star Trek Online, having picked up the rights to make the game in July 2008. Now, Cryptic has taken one more step toward getting Star Trek Online out the door, announcing the game's open beta test will run January 12-26.
Dibs on the Enterprise.
Star Trek Online entered a closed beta-testing phase in late October, and Cryptic Studios is still accepting applicants through its official Web site. Open beta keys will be doled out on a first come, first served basis, the company said, and they will also be offered through Cryptic's site. The studio did not indicate how many open-beta keys would be made available, nor when gamers would be notified of their acceptance into the testing period.
Star Trek Online operates independently from any of the events established in the film or television series. Players assume the role of a starship captain operating under the banner of either the United Federation of Planets (better known simply as "the Federation") or the Klingon, who are locked in an intergalactic struggle. The hive-minded cyborg race the Borg will also play a role in the MMOG.
For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Star Trek Online.
[ Watch Video ]
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"PC | Star Trek Online open beta warps to January" was posted by Tom Magrino on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:57:10 -0800
More...
]]>Champions Online may be only a few months on the market, but Cryptic isn't wasting any time before deploying its next massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Earlier this month, the Atari-owned studio locked in a February 2 release date for Star Trek Online, having picked up the rights to make the game in July 2008. Now, Cryptic has taken one more step toward getting Star Trek Online out the door, announcing the game's open beta test will run January 12-26.
Dibs on the Enterprise.Star Trek Online entered a closed beta-testing phase in late October, and Cryptic Studios is still accepting applicants through its official Web site. Open beta keys will be doled out on a first come, first served basis, the company said, and they will also be offered through Cryptic's site. The studio did not indicate how many open-beta keys would be made available, nor when gamers would be notified of their acceptance into the testing period.
Star Trek Online operates independently from any of the events established in the film or television series. Players assume the role of a starship captain operating under the banner of either the United Federation of Planets (better known simply as "the Federation") or the Klingon, who are locked in an intergalactic struggle. The hive-minded cyborg race the Borg will also play a role in the MMOG.
For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Star Trek Online.
[ Watch Video ]
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"PC | Star Trek Online open beta warps to January" was posted by Tom Magrino on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:57:10 -0800
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We attempt to tear round the track in this gameplay video. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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We attempt to tear round the track in this gameplay video. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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We attempt to tear round the track in this gameplay video. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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Get your chops around this new fast food trailer! Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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We attempt to tear round the track in this gameplay video. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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