After announcing most Zenimax games will be exclusive to PC and Xbox, now the rumors are swirling that Microsoft will buy Discord, the mammoth VOIP that is rivaling Twitch and Facebook for active users.
The news includes:
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This November console gamers will be able to purchase a new Track Pack for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. While Activision’s Guitar Hero: Aerosmith sells over 1-million copies, MTV and Harmonix look to prove they too can push big numbers on exclusive artist packs.
Unlike Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are the core game engine and the track packs extend out the game with a bunch of new songs, in this case, AC/DC. Gamers who opt not to purchase the latest Rock Band 2 game still have access to AC/DC’s new tracks if they go to the store and buy them.
The trick? This is a Wal-Mart (and Sams Club) exclusive deal; you won’t find this track pack at another retailer.
“If you want to be a physical band, you better make an alliance with a strong physical retailer,” Columbia Records chairman Steve Barnett told the Times. “It’s a great way to sell the new album, the catalog, the game, merchandise and DVDs.”(gamespot)
This Track Pack contains 99 minutes of songs, the tracks include:
Will AC/DC do as well as Aerosmith? I’ve never been a big AC/DC fan, but then again, I didn’t buy into the Aerosmith product either, however, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith doesn’t include drumming…
(Thanks, GameSpot)
Bad economic times mingled with company acquisition spells disaster for many game titles but the story ends well, we hope, for Ghostbusters. The game was slated for a Holloween release, last year, but was given the boot by Vivendi when they merged Activision and Blizzard. There is only so much room for projects and management when two companies combine, Ghostbusters was given boot.
Atari picked up the franchise once it was slammed to the cutting room floor and the team has since been given a second chance. Not only did Atari give them access to a channel for publishing, they asked the developers for a wish-list of things they could have done different. They then granted all the changes, in effect, giving the developers a second chance to update the title and make the story telling and game better than it would have been if they hit their original date.
Being picked up by a developer and being given the chance to update the game in ways you really only had dreamed means we, as gamers, will be getting the real title. The biggest factor for a crappy game is the time and money to get the job done. Unfortunately time and money are in constant battle with money usually arriving as victor.
Now, developers are being given the time to do it right at the expense of a little more money in the investment. A once in a lifetime change that could put a “would be” dead franchise in the top spots.
(Thanks, BlendGames)
This podcast has been delayed a little thanks to New York Comic Con, but that’s a discussion for next week’s podcast. While there’s no Gaming Flashback or Gaming History, there’s a lot to discuss.
This week’s news:
There are three Questions of the Week this week, so listen in and figure out which one(s) you want to answer!
