It was a cool day in San Francisco when I arrived for the Battlefield: Bad Company Community Day event with EA and DICE last week. A day that featured a massive wave of college women and the first hand’s on time of the single campaign in Bad Company. Needless to say it was a perfect mix for me. Jamie Keen, Producer on Bad Company, was there from Sweden to walk everyone through some exclusive play on both a single campaign level and a new multiplayer map, Harvest Day.
The brief mission we were allowed to do was pretty intense. The Frostbite technology was in full swing as I left a path of destruction everywhere I went. It wasn’t mission critical but it was just so much damn fun that I went on a destruction spree. It may have been because all of the weapons and devices were unlocked for us to play with. And there were a lot of kick ass weapons from plastic explosives to rocket launchers to marking devices. The stage started off with the rookie (you) and the rest of the team including Sarge, Sweetwater and Haggard. I was the sacrificial lamb to charge into each mission over land and sea doing a variety of objectives. I drove tanks, boats and all kinds of vehicles just parked around. I’m really going to miss the unlimited health injections though.
Ok, so maybe I’m a little too excited about this weekend’s NFL Draft but so what! In honor of that, I figured I’d make an Xbox 360 Draft for a little bit of fun. I know you guys and girls love unique content here so here’s another cup of it. I’ll be the Commissioner naturally and I’ll be announcing the top picks in this year’s Xbox 360 Draft. Who will be the #1 overall pick this year? How will each team look to fill their needs? Where will Marcus Fenix out of COG Town College go? Will Niko Bellic out of Grand Theft University be the difference maker this year? This draft may reshape the foundation of gaming as we know it.
Welcome to the 2008 Xbox 360 Draft!
Commissioner - DeaconBlade 360
Teams (not in order of selection) - Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Sierra, SCEA (Expansion), Microsoft Game Studios, 2K Games / 2K Sports, Capcom, Nintendo and more.
View each selection on the following pages now.
The time to get gangsta is almost here and I know quite a few of you have already pre-ordered Grand Theft Auto IV. How many of you are getting the special edition? It comes with the game, an art book, a soundtrack CD “featuring new material from top artists, only available on this release,” a Rockstar keychain for the safety deposit box keys, and a limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.
It retails for $89.99 so it’ll set you back a pretty penny but it seems to be worth it. April 29th is less than a week away…hang tight all my thugs.
Let’s talk a little gaming shall we? Come hang out with the U360 crowd live this weekend to talk about the gaming world, my trip to EA with DICE and all kinds of things.
show time - 11AM PST / 1PM CST / 2PM EST / 7PM GMT
# to the show - (646) 478-5897
link to listen - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/u360tv
True to the original adventurous card game, “Lost Cities” transports players to exotic destinations where riveting adventures await. Before players embark on their trips they must choose how much to invest in the expedition in hopes of increasing their investment. Players then play their cards with the goal of amassing the most points and making prosperous expeditions through the various lost cities: the Himalayas, the Brazilian rain forest, the ever-shifting desert sands, ancient volcanoes and the mystifying depths of the oceans.
It looks pretty interesting especially with the Vision Camera support. We all know the 360 needs more games with Vision Camera support.
How much: 800 Microsoft Points
It’s time for another sprinkling of that magical TriXie Dust courtesy of my BFF over at Xbox.com, TriXie. While I was at the Bad Company community event, she dug into her bag of goodies and pulled out 10 Xbox Live Arcade redeem codes for Namco’s Mr. Driller Online. There’s nothing like saving 800 Microsoft Points eh? Of course I kept one for myself, so that means I have nine (9) to find for Mr. Driller Online. (my rhyme skills are awesome)
Which of you shall make up the nine I must find for some Xbox Live Arcade drilling online? (I’m on a roll with my rhyme skills) All you have to do is leave a comment as usual or send me a message via Xbox Live to be one of the nine. I’ll announce the winners this week on the show!
I figured I’d remind everyone that Xbox Live and Xbox.com’s message boards will be down until 2PM Central Standard Time (or roundabout). That’s 12PM Pacific and 3PM Eastern. The pain is almost over so just sit tight. You can check on the status of Xbox Live here. The maintenance is supposed to be nothing so don’t expect anything “new”. It’s perhaps getting things ready for the Spring Dashboard Update. My sympathy goes out to those of you stuck in DRM hell.
Things to do while you wait:
- Play the Condemned 2: Bloodshot demo (considering of course if you downloaded it)
- Post around with the cool peeps at U360 on the forums
- Join me in a WTF moment on the announced Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
Happy Monday everyone. The hunt begins today! I told you that I’d take care of my U360 peeps so here are some clues to help you at least get 5 of the Achievements unlocked. The degree of difficulty ranges. I have to play by the rules so don’t hate me if the clues are too hard. Judging from the stat screens I peeped this morning, you guys are way ahead of me and don’t even need these clues.
Clues to Unlock The Achievements on U360
- Look for more knowledge on the guy who started the event and you’ll find your Achievement.
- You always remember your first. Find mine and you’ll get what you came for.
- Sit beside me and enforce the 360 Laws.
- I check on you guys and girls because I care so I left this Achievement behind.
- I got ninety-nine problems and finding this Achievement ain’t one.
Here’s the icon to look for.
It’s been a pretty amazing event here at EA Studios hanging out with the folks from DICE. It hasn’t been all play so I’m bringing you some hot and exclusive news about how you can get your grubby little hands on the five unlockable weapons in Battlefield: Bad Company. I’m sure we all cheered a bit after DICE decided not to charge but now let’s prepare for a little leg (or finger) work. The programs that have been hinted at recently are going to be available via www.findallfive.com. This is ground zero and how you can start obtaining these weapons before the game’s June release.
The first weapon up for grabs is from the Recon arsenal. It’s a cool high-powered Sniper Rifle. I just so happen to have a code for this weapon that I might just giveaway when the game releases. Until then, just head on over to www.findallfive.com and pre-order to get the first of these 5 unlockable weapons. All of the other weapons will soon be available to unlock in the ways I’ve listed below. Stay tuned to U360 for when each opportunity will launch. (yes I’ll be the first to let you know when that is) Check out the programs and videos for each weapon below!
Five unique ways to unlock five new weapons in Battlefield: Bad Company
- Recon (Sniper Rifle) - Pre-order online or at a local participating retail store
- Assault (Assault Rifle) - Veterans, register your Battlefield soldier
- Demolition (Automatic Shotgun) - Check your Battlefield: Bad Company stats at launch
- Specialist (Submachine Gun) - Download and play the demo
- Support (Machine Gun) - Sign up for the Battlefield newsletter
Finally after a little delay and of course after the game has already been on store shelves, the Condemned 2: Bloodshot demo arrives in the Xbox Live Marketplace. So if you’re up for being frightened and back into the forensic role of Ethan Thomes, then head out and download it today!
