You may recall how a few days ago I mentioned that we were working on some new things for our readers (you)...well here's the first little tip of that iceberg. Gamer Bait has paired up with Damon and Klitts' Two Cents, which is a podcast running on an hour-long format, recorded weekly and available in either streaming or downloadable formats. What does this mean for you? In addition to enjoying Damon and Klitts' podcast (including a sizable roundtable of commentator/heckler-type folks), you'll be able to tune in and catch gaming news highlights from yours truly. While most gamers just know me by my nickname (Glock), I do in fact go by my real name (Matt) with most everyone else, which will include this podcast. Please check these guys out and give them a listen. Their page on ClickCaster.com has all of their recorded episodes, and Episode 28 is the first one with a gaming news segment. Bear in mind that this is one of many things that we are working on in the background for those of you that frequent our site.
Damon & Klitts' Two Cents at ClickCaster.com - main page; includes all episodes
Damon & Klitts' Two Cents on MySpace - includes latest episode and the occasional blog
P.S. - I do have to note that in the podcast I misspoke at one point; the Xbox 360 Elite is not out quite yet. While it is available for preorder, it will not be on most store shelves in the U.S. until April 29th.
- Glock
Friday, March 30, 2007
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Multimedia? What's that? |
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
[+/-] |
Extra Bait |
ATI Lasso: Because They Figured You'd Like to Be a Cowboy (or Cowgirl)
Regardless as to whether or not you enjoy westerns, this may be of interest to you. Every gamer knows that the one place that laptops really struggle is in the graphics department. ATI hopes to give you the ability to change all that with the Lasso, which will allow you to run standalone video cards outside of your laptop. Assuming you're in a locale in which you have room to set up another computer component, this will allow you to game to your heart's content and perform other tasks that may use your GPU's power as a supplement to your CPU. Not to mention the option to upgrade your laptop's video capabilities later on.
Nintendo Attempting to Block Wii Modders
In their newest console revision, Nintendo is trying to block consumers from using modchips to alter their Wiis by altering the circuit layout of the console. It makes me wonder why, because they have to know that modders will figure out a workaround within a couple of weeks. Ah, well. More practice for the hardware hackers.
Nvidia nForce 680i LT SLI Reference Motherboard
There's a new 680i reference mobo on the streets, and surprise---this one's under the $200 mark. Nvidia's stripped out a few features from the original 680i reference board, but nothing that will make you sit up and feel the urge to write them a nasty email about. It looks to be a great board for the money, especially when you consider that most 680i boards are still running at least $250 for retail, if not $300. From all reports it's a solid gaming platform with all the overclocking and benchmark-destruction oomph that enthusiasts have come to associate with the upper-end 680i boards.
IBM Double CPU Cooling Capabilities with Simple Manufacturing Change
IBM has figured out a way to manufacture CPU cores in such a way that the efficiency of heat transference from the core to the thermal paste and end cooling solution is greatly improved, all with just a relatively easy-to-implement change in how the cores are produced. The best part? It won't affect production costs much, so consumers will likely only see a difference in efficiency and performance, and not a difference in their wallets.
Intel Plans $2.5B Chip Factory in China
Intel's planning on cashing in on the booming Chinese tech market by building a new 1.6-million square foot chipset manufacturing plant in the city of Dalian (yes, just like the Dalian Plant map from BF2), and plans to have production in full swing by 2010. Keep an eye out for YouTube videos of Intel execs threading the needle of the nuclear cooling towers with F-22 fighter jets.
Doing a Wii Little Dance with Your Mac
Yann Seznec, a "Franco-American software developer hacker musician", put together a demo video of what could be (for musicians at least), be the most interesting Wii hack of them all. He's written software that allows him to manipulate loops and effects on his Mac using nothing but the Wiimote, making impressive use of the Wiimote's motion-sensing technology.
- Glock
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
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Extra Bait |
We're playing catchup at the moment, so bear with us. We're working on a number of new things for Gamer Bait which we hope you'll enjoy...the downside being that it leaves less time for us to write. Here's some of the latest news from the past week; stay tuned!
A Plea for Folding@Home on Xbox 360
Now that PS3 owners can use their consoles for folding, a call has gone out for similar support from Microsoft on their console. For those of you who have no clue as to what I'm referring to, Folding@Home is a distributed computing project managed by Stanford University's chemistry department. It was launched six and a half years ago, it's aim being that of simulating protein folding (and misfolding) in order to better to understand many serious ailments such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases. Distributing the processing power amongst thousands of computers (and now, consoles) worldwide means that the project has been able to simulate the processes thousands of times further than without the project's help. With the latest PS3 firmware update, support for Folding@Home was included, greatly boosting the potential of the project's impact and progress. Now, good-willed 360 owners are clamoring for the same opportunity to advance medical science as their PS3-owning rivals. It's something that would ultimately benefit everyone while doing no worse evil than creating a little more friendly rivalry between the two console camps. I for one hope that Microsoft can get its nose out of the air where Sony is concerned for once and include support for folding sometime soon.
The Right to Baer Games - An Interview with Ralph Baer; the Father of Video Games
An interesting read from the man who actually has the documentation to prove that he started the home video game industry. Not to mention the National Medal of Technology awarded for the same reason. Baer is credited with inventing the first home video game console (the Brown Box), and the light gun. If nothing else, you can thank him for paving the way for Duck Hunter.
GRAW Blacklisted in Chihuahua, Mexico
The governor of the Mexican state named after a tiny dog which alternately is either found yapping incessantly or appearing in fast-food chain advertisements has seen fit to outlaw Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, and will be seizing any copies it can from here on out. Apparently, a game with Mexican rebels as the bad guys will turn the entire nation upside down. Or something. I'm sure the good citizens of Chihuahua are relieved that the government has stepped in to protect them from subversive media in the guise of a video game. I think I hear them rejoicing now...
Novell Launches Pro-Linux "Get a Mac" Spoofs
While I've begun to tire of the Mac vs. PC commercials, these two ads by Novell made me smirk nonetheless. The Mac fanboys are all a-twitter over the ads, which is of course, at least a partly intended goal.
Xbox 360 Elite to Ship with Data Cable
As an incentive for consumers to buy the latest SKU of the Xbox 360, Microsoft is apparently eliminating at least one of the arguments against purchasing it. The 360 Elite (formerly known as the Zephyr) will purportedly ship with a data transfer cable of some sort, so that you may copy all of your current data over to the new console. That should quiet any of the naysayers basing their opposition on any loss of data argument. The only question now for a lot of gamers is, "How much will my current 360 go for on eBay?".
- Glock
Saturday, March 24, 2007
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Gates burns the PS3 |
This is a pretty entertaining video, even though it's in French. Since the PS3 had it's big launch in Europe recently, Microsfoft desided they will make it even harder for Sony to go about their business. So what they did is plaster a huge Xbox 360 logo on a boat, and passed that boat in front of the people who were lined up for the PS3 release. Take a look.
Friday, March 23, 2007
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Review: KINYO KY-90 Pulsating Headphones |
These headphones are made up of plastic which unfortunately has some very rough edges. This makes the swivel of the individual earpieces less than stellar. The construction is average, although it could be definitely improved by hiding some of the little screws that hold them together. As for comfort I cant say much either, you always know that your wearing some big plastic thing on your head. They could have at least put some padding under the joining arc, so if you have long hair it can definitely get caught in the folding top part.
Lets move on to the sound quality, its average, about all I can say. I get a little better quality as the cheap headphones that came with my iPod. However they do a better job at blocking out external noise than the ones on my iPod, perhaps a good thing for when you want to mute your mom yelling at you to clean your room and do your homework, as I dont expect anyone past the age of 13 to even consider purchasing these headphones.
Now on to the main selling point, the "pulsating" feature. It really seems like instead of improving the sound quality they decided to make the headphones vibrate to add to the illusion of being "good" headphones. Does this feature work? Absolutely, it does exactly what its supposed to, it rumbles. There are instances when the rumble actually becomes rather annoying though; when listening to music which has a higher pitch, the headphones turn into a vibrator for your ear, and the same happens with some of the lower quality sound clips around the net. There is a regulator to turn this feature on and off, as well as the max/min wheel. It takes 1 AA battery, which will last for a few days of use on the max rumble setting. In the end your ears will thank you if you just save the battery and ignore this feature.
In the conclusion, well, ummmmmm.... I guess they did what they were advertised to do, yet I really don't see this "pulsating" thing catching on. I didn't go into what was included, nor its price as I hope you'll spend a few extra bucks and get yourself a decent pair of headphones.
Pros:
They really do pulsate!
Cons:
Too many to list.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
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Review: Targus Gerney Notebook Backpack |
Several days ago I got my hands on this backpack made by Targus. You can typically get this for about $39.99 in store, or perhaps a bit cheaper online. Targus products have always been high-quality merchandise, and this is no exception. All the materials used feel very durable to the touch and appear to be able to stand the test of time. First, let's take a look at its appearance. The black and orange colors of the material go very well together. Nothing is done in excess; even the shiny look in the front doesnt appear to be out of place. Its also not as mundane as its competitors which usually tend to go with black.
As for comfort, it's really hard to say that Targus put anything "extra" in here. The padding on the straps is pretty firm, and might cause some discomfort if carried for extended periods of time. The back of the pack is flat and is plain aside from some decorative stitching---there doesn't appear to be anything aiming for comfort. Also a good thing to note is that the backpack is rather tall and might be a bit uncomfortable for someone under ~5.5 feet.
Of course when it comes to space and pockets Targus fails to disappoint. There are plenty of compartments on the backpack, even some dedicated specifically for your writing utensils. In the picture below I put 2 books plus a notepad along with my Lenovo z60t and it was only half full. The compartment for your notebook is designed to accommodate any laptop with up to a 15.4-in. screen, thus I had no problems with the 14-in. widescreen. Its important to note that smaller laptops might have more wobble room in the pack, yet with all the padding around it I wouldn't worry. One thing I enjoyed is the extra head-room which Targus has above the notebook compartment, that space comes in very handy when you have something like an external PCMCIA card. There is also plenty of room up front for all the power cables and accessories that you travel with.
Overall I would recommend this to anyone who is not lugging their pack for periods longer than 1 hour as it might get a bit uncomfortable. The backpack is probably a bit taller than its competitors so I would encourage anyone to try it on first before buying it. The quality is superb and the pack will stand all the abuse you may throw at it, and as there is also a lifetime limited warranty you have little to worry about.
Pros:
Great quality
Extra space on top
Lifetime warranty
Fun colors
Cons:
Not very comfortable
Editors Pick 4.5/5
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Xbox Zephyr Renamed the 360 Elite |
According to the April issue of Game Informer magazine, the Xbox Zephyr isn't the Zephyr any more: it's the Xbox 360 Elite. Yeah, we know how that sounds, being April and all, but Matt Helgeson (senior editor at Game Informer) has told Kotaku that the story is, in fact, genuine. It is now slated for a late April release, as opposed to May 1st, as was previously predicted. The Elite will be a limited-edition unit, and once they sell out, a white version will begin replacing the Premium model on store shelves (possibly late summer or fall). It'll cost $479 and sport the 120GB hard drive, HDMI port, and a bundled HDMI cable. And be really sweet. That's a technical term we use in the gaming industry.
- Glock
Sources 1, 2, 3, and 4
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Extra Bait |
Enjoy!
Sony Releases Euro PS3 Backwards-Compatibility List
A lot of games have no problems, most at least kinda work, and a scant few have been left out in the cold.
Killer K1 Gaming NIC Review
The $180 version of the $280 big NIC brother hopes to score some cost-effectiveness points.
MMOs Top $1B
Gee, I wonder who's leading the pack on that one?
First HD-DVD/DVD Disc Hits the U.S. In June
It has lots of layers. Like an onion.
Alleged Loophole Lets Users Bypass Vista Activation
If anyone asks, we don't support any such operating system piracy, regardless of how many related stories we post on the subject now or in the future.
Intel Names "Bearlake" Gaming Chipset
Nothing says "gaming" like large furry predators and moderately-sized bodies of water.
Sony Shares Details On 1.6 Update
Because details are more fun when they're shared.
Guitar Hero II in the UK: April 6th
The only problem being that it's being released on April 6th (think about it).
Take-Two Considering Selling
Analysts Weigh in On Possible Sale
Because losing $185 million in '06 isn't fun.
Pirates of the Caribbean to be Multiplatform
A marriage of the platforms for Captain Jack Sparrow, so to speak. "A wedding? I love weddings! Drinks all around."
XeLL - Linux Bootloader for the Xbox 360
Requires a buggy kernel, but aside from that, the coolness is undeniable.
No Hard Drive for the Wii, But a DS Headset Is On the Way
Not exactly a fair trade, but that's the tech biz. Or so I hear.
- Glock
Monday, March 19, 2007
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Extra Bait |
First off, thanks a ton to nubulicious for handling the double load from Thursday through Sunday this past week(end), as I was out of town during that period of time. He did well...writing into the late hours of the night while I was out watching 300. Twice. But now onto the Bait. Here's what I missed out on while I was away:
On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One Trailer
Penny Arcade has released a preliminary trailer for their upcoming game. The 2D stuff looks great, but the 3D side still needs a bit of work. PA has acknowledged this and has stated that this isn't what the final product will look like...'tis a work in progress.
Halo 2 for PC on May 8th
'nuff said.
Zalman Launches 3D Monitors
The air cooling behemoth moves into the visual arena.
AMD Charges, Intel Falls
Intel's not out by any means, but AMD is gaining a bit of ground---not losing it, as Intel fanboys would have you believe.
Nvidia 8800 Ultra on the Way April 17th?
Or so the crystal ball tells us.
Use Your PS3 for Medical Research
Folding@Home isn't just for the PC any more.
Best Buy to Drop 20GB PS3
Because it's hard to sell the thing? Duh.
If you're a reader and have spotted an article on a topic that you find particularly interesting that we haven't covered, email us at gamerbait@gmail.com and we'll likely include it in our Extra Bait segment.
- Glock
Sunday, March 18, 2007
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to come on March 20th! |
A new release date was posted by THQ for the US release of STALKER, the set date was moved to March 20th. After years of delays, this is a pleasantly unexpected move by the publisher. Included are some final teaser screen's as well as a link for a probably last 90mb trailer.
NOTE: There will be no single player demo for this game as stated by THQ
New Video!
Source
Friday, March 16, 2007
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Say NO to education! |
"commercial businesses in the education sector"which stated
"that the success of the BBC Jam! site adversely affects the sector as a whole."It's important to keep in mind that BBC is largely funded by the public with the help of the annual license fee. The site will be suspended on March 20th.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
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Extra Bait |
It seems that every day I sit down to write an article for Gamer Bait, I find myself with a handful of solid stories to choose from. Unfortunately, due to Gamer Bait not being my full-time job, I usually only have time to write one article and then work on either another project or something behind the scenes here at GB. In the future, we may bring in more writers in order to provide our readers with more content. In the meantime, we've decided to add "Extra Bait" onto our usual postings whenever we feel there's something you'd like to read about but we didn't have the time or manpower to properly expound upon ourselves. So without further ado, I give you today's Extra Bait:
Peter Moore: New Xbox 360 in Five Years
Commodore Unveils Gaming PC Range
Sony Ups PlayStation 3's PS2-Compatibility Count by 200
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 to Support DX10 Technology
Nintendo Incorporates GameSpy into the Wii
Evolution of a Game Engine: From RTS to FPS
God of War 3 for PS3 Confirmed...with Vibration!
Sony UK Boss Confirms PSP Redesign
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Cross-platform Gaming on May 8th |
One huge gap is even closer to being bridged by Microsoft; the platform separation that we are all used to might no longer exist several years down the road. Microsoft has already announced that it will make multiplayer gaming possible from the PC and the Xbox. This means that people who use PC as a primary gaming machine can soon show off their skills to their console counterparts. However it's not all that simple---you will need to get a Gold subscription to Microsoft Live in order to enjoy such features. Note: Microsft also has a map service called "Live", perhaps they should pick some original names from now on.
The PC version of Live will debut on May 8 with the launch of the Windows VistaFor those of us who never got into Halo, or just flat out suck at it, there will also be another game coming.
version of "Halo 2," Microsoft's popular alien shooter game.
In June, Microsoft Game Studios will release "Shadowrun," theAlso to come will be cross-platform UNO. Whether or not this will actually go anywhere is still undetermined. Will people want to pay $50 a year for the Gold level subscription in order to enjoy the cross-platform play?
first game where Live will support competition between players on the Xbox 360
and PCs.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
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IBM: 65nm Cell Processor Production is Underway at New York Plant |
Back in late January, Sony announced that it would be producing a better Cell processor. Instead of the established 90nm process, a 65nm process would be used. 65nm technology is inherently cheaper to mass-produce than its 90nm counterparts, a fact that was not lost on consumers or analysts in light of the steep price for Sony's Cell-based PS3 console. Yesterday, IBM announced that it's $2.5billion (USD) plant in East Fishkill, NY is the first plant to produce the new chip. How long until we see the chips in PS3s available for sale? Not soon enough, is all that can be said. The first-generation PS3 has been doing its best to drain Sony's wallet like a fratboy doing a kegstand, with Sony losing money on every unit it sells. A second-gen PS3 could do wonders to turn that all around, if Sony plays its cards right. The aforementioned Cell processor architecture change will be a big help (the current 90nm chips cost Sony $90 apiece at last report), of course. Then there's Sony's plans to replace most, if not all, of the chips responsible for backwards-compatibility with software in European and Australian models (read more here ) in an effort to cut costs (although this should be the case already with those units set for the European release on March 23). Both should help Sony to try and actually make money on what they sell, although they've stated that price cuts won't be happening any time soon (most likely early '08; summer at the latest). So could there be a second-gen PS3 on the horizon? A new Cell processor based on the 65nm process would be a good place to start, obviously. Sony and Immersion have finished their legal squabbling and there have been strong hints towards a new Sixaxis controller---now with rumble technology. Fewer chips and smaller chips in the PS3 means less to fit in the case, and less heat, so rumors of a smaller form factor PS3 have understandably been popping up like fertilized weeds in online forums and blogs worldwide. So if you were to speculate on a PS3.5, I probably wouldn't laugh. But as with all hopes in the technology industry: don't hold your breath.
- Glock
Monday, March 12, 2007
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Intel to Slash Prices On Core 2 Processors |
[EDIT: In writing this article, I initially stated incorrectly that Barcelona was being launched for desktops and servers in Q3 and Q2, respectively. Currently, AMD is aiming for a Q4 and Q3 launch (also respectively).]
I hate it when people say that they're going to wait until "such and such" happens, comes out, or becomes established before they build a new computer. There will always be a better technology around the corner or a slight price drop a little way down the road, and to postpone a PC build on the next iteration of the cycle of progress is foolish at best. So I feel a little guilty writing this article, because I know what kind of effect the news is likely to have on a lot of people shopping for a new computer. But that's where it ends. When the Barcelona (AMD's upcoming quad-core Opteron CPU) is launched for desktops in Q3 of this year (it launches for servers in Q2), Intel is going to be waiting with new processors and new prices. Prices that happen to be around one third of what the same speed would cost today. For those of you who haven't been following the CPU wars closely, I'm referring to Intel upgrading a number of the Core 2 Duo chips in the form of three new Conroe CPUs. The E6850, E6750, and E6550 are Intel's new kids on the block. The E6850 clocks in at 3GHz versus the E6800's 2.93GHz, while the E6750 retains the E6700's 2.66GHz clock speed. The new E6550 (there was no E6500) trumps the E6400 with a 2.33GHz clock speed over the E6400's 2.13GHz, and has double the L2 cache---4MB (the same as its big brothers). It will likely be comparable to the current "best-value" Core 2 Duo on the market; the E6600. All three new processors sport a 1333MHz FSB instead of the old Core 2 Duo's flagging 1066MHz FSB standard. This information may or may not be news to you; all this has been announced before. The main attraction here is the massive price drop that Intel has in store for consumers. Some of you may remember when the Conroe CPUs debuted; AMD reluctantly dropped prices on all of its processors in order to compete with Intel's new tech, making the cost-effectiveness playing field arguably level. This is fairly standard practice in any market, be it the tech sector or elsewhere. Intel, it seems, refuses to be content with a level playing field, and is attempting to turn up the heat with a more aggressive change to their pricing whenever AMD launches Barcelona. The current top-of-the-line E6800 runs around $950-1000US in a retail box from online vendors. Intel's new E6850, however, will be priced at $266US per thousand, which by my guesstimate will probably equate to somewhere around $300US for consumers. That's a faster processor for literally less than a third of the price its equivalent costs today. The E6750 and E6550 will enter the market at $183US and $163US per thousand, respectively. I'm not saying you should wait on that shiny new computer you're building, but if you're not in urgent need of an upgrade, you could save several hundred dollars if you were to hold off for about 6 months. Your call.
- Glock
Saturday, March 10, 2007
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Kontrol Freek - Are you kidding me? |
For those of you that tend to lose control of your thumbs while playing Gears of War and Halo, have I got a product for you! The brilliant minds at Kontrol Freek have decided that this problem has reached epidemic levels and have (thankfully!) engineered a solution to the problem. For the low, low price of $9.95 per pair, you can buy little green plastic...things to keep your thumbs from flying off the control sticks during your next gaming session. Now, I'm not much of a console gamer, cleaving to my PC as much as I can. I admit it. But I do play (poorly) on the 360 and the Wii whenever I'm not parked in front of a keyboard and mouse. Even with my meager abilities though, I have somehow mastered keeping my thumbs on the sticks in the midst of close-quarters shotgun combat without that much effort. I know, I know; it's insane. Pssst, Kontrol Freek. You want me to buy something that will help me control a console better? Start selling a $10 hookup cable for a keyboard and mouse so I can use my Logitech G5 when I'm playing Gears. Thumbs down, say I.
- Glock
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
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PS3 will socialize! |
The Playstation Home seems to be a mix of the Sims and the Mii community (think Second Life), although its doubtful that it will be a "true" online community such a MySpace. Still, it should give Sony a title that thinks outside the box, plus---it's free.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
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Stalker gone GOLD, plus some new HD videos |
Finally STALKER has gone gold with a set release date of March 23rd, so mark your calendars and get ready for some exciting game play. There are several new videos out; here is a nice new in-game clip.
There is also an HD video of multiplayer in STALKER which you can find here.
Friday, March 2, 2007
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Scarface for the Wii |
IMG DIR:http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~tsussman/images/scarface-tropical.jpg
The title that doesn't seem to fade away with time, a movie from the 70s that still has a huge fan base 3 decades later, Scarface---is well on its way. Perhaps this will demonstrate a better adaptation of the Wiimote's capabilities than in Red Steel. The release is scheduled for summer of this year. Could it possibly resemble the Godfather mixed in with some GTA? Check out some of the gameplay from the Godfather on the Wii.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
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New BioShock HD trailer, GTA IV in October |
The developers for the long talked about game for the 360, BioShock, have released a new video.
There is even an HD version here.
And in other news, what will probably be one of the most successful titles out there---GTA IV---will be coming in October as announced here. Rockstar has also set up a site for the game which you can check out at http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/.
[+/-] |
Link exchange |
We are starting a link exchange program here at GB; if you run a legitimate site, blog, or publish in some other medium, feel free to email us at gamerbait@gmail.com and we will get back to you in the next 2-3 days. This is a great way to promote both sites or publications as well as increasing traffic and readerbase for everyone involved.