With only under a week in the market, Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Xbox 360 is beginning to show some major issues.  Basically a PlayStation 2 port with some added features, members of NeoGAF noticed a substantial number of people complaining about the game freezing and crashing.

In addition to the freezing and crashing, players have also reported audio problems and poor framerate.  For a game that worked fine in the lower spec hardware of the PlayStation 2, something is definitely wrong here.

Some review sites have also reported the game freezing.  According to 1up, “Perhaps worst of all, we had several instances where the game froze midmission, and since you can’t save at any moment it sometimes necessitated replaying a significant amount of the game.”

Rockstar’s Sam Houser commented on the situation at Kotaku.  He said:

We have just become aware of the issues people are having with Bully Scholarship Edition on Xbox 360. It appears that some older 360s are experiencing framerate issues, freezes and other problems. You have our word that we never experienced any of this in QA - in any of our offices or at Microsoft. I am horrified, and we are now working around the clock to rectify this situation. Thanks to Neo-Gaf for bringing this matter to our attention. We love our games and put a huge amount of energy and care into making them all that they can be. We would never shove anything out the door - we never have and never will. We apologise to everyone affected for the inconvenience. Respectfully, Sam Houser

It appears that Rockstar has acknowledged the existence of the problem.  Until they find a fix, it seems like buying this game will not be an option.

Lego seems to be going strong in the video game world.  You have the Star Wars franchise, and some unofficial Lego mods such as the new Unreal Tournament 3 map.  Now they are releasing a new one based on the Indiana Jones world. 

At first glance it looks like a re-skinned Lego Star Wars game.  A lot of the stuff that worked for Star Wars was added here.  Frankly, I don’t mind.  I have always loved Lego and to have another of my favorite movie icons turned into one is a definite treat for me.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar Lorebook has now introduced us to a member of Gimli’s family.  It’s none other than his dad, Glóin.

Glóin was one of the company of thirteen that went out to reclaim Thorin Oakenshield’s birthright.  Another notable member of this group was Bilbo Baggins.  After the battle, Glóin settled at the Lonely Mountain.

According to the LoTRO Lorebook:

After the rise of the Shadow in the East, Glóin and his son Gimli brought news to Rivendell of the Enemy’s movements and sought the wisdom of Elrond Half-elven. Both attended the great Council of Elrond, where Gimli was chosen to become one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring, whose task it is to bear the One Ring of Sauron to Mount Doom and cast it into the Chamber of Fire. Glóin, with his entourage, set about clearing the outcast Dourhands from the passes of the Misty Mountains, making safe the way from west to east.

You can find Glóin at his post in the Misty Mountains where he marshals defenses against the Dourhand Dwarves.  You can get many Epic quests from him.  If you want to find all the quests, you can find them at the Lorebook.

[Source: LoTRO Lorebook]

Gary Gygax, co-creator of the famous Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game has succumbed to health problems last Tuesday at his Lake Geneva residence.  Apart from his wife, Gygax is survived by his six children.  He was 69 years old.

Gygax has been a major influence in today’s video games.  His creations have been the basis of so many games around today.  He really leaves us a great legacy of  creativity and imagination and will continue to live on his works. 

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using a combination of medieval characters and mythical creatures.  The game became a hit and was later adapted into video games, books and movies.

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and play-out their fantasies in a world ruled by complicated rules.  It spawned so many copycat games with its popularity.  Until now, a whole genre of computer games based on D&D is still growing in popularity.

He maintained close ties to fans of the game.  His house in Lake Geneva has become a frequent stop for enthusiasts.  Even though his health was beginning to decline, he would still host games.  In fact, he has been doing this as recent as January according to his wife.

“It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them,” Gygax said. “He really enjoyed that.”

No arrangements regarding his funeral have been announced.

[Source: Associated Press]

Well sometimes it happens.  Yesterday, we presented to you news that Metal Gear Solid will be ported to the PS2 in the upcoming Essential Collection.  Apparently, that information was not accurate due to a mistake from Konami’s rep. 

According to GameAlmighty:

So it looks like there was a miscommunication about the format for the games. I received this note from Konami’s Michael Shelling - ‘…to be clear, MGS1 is not a port; it’s the original game on 2 CD’s not a DVD.’ The original Metal Gear Solid will be appearing on PS1 discs. What this means for saving the game, etc, I am not sure.

My apology for the confusion.

With this new information at hand, we now know that the Essential Collection package will come with 4 discs.  You will probably need a PS1 memory card to play MGS 1 and you will need to swap discs while playing.  It’s a disappointment because it would have been great if they went the extra mile and published at least a PS2 version of it instead of shoving all those old discs into a single box.

Last month we confirmed the news that a sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man was on the works and now we found some great screen shots and concept art of the new game. 

The Chimera are still there, along with their advanced robotic technology.  So far it looks good.  Perhaps this game may live up to its predecessor.  You can see the images here.

ABC’s mega-hit television show Lost now has a video game.  Lost: Via Domus makes you play as an amnesiac survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 who is trying to get more information about his past. 

In the process of unlocking the mystery of your past, you get to interact with many of the show’s popular characters and get to visit some of the island’s iconic locations. 

This is basically an action-adventure game.  You will have to fight, run or hide your way and survive some of the many hazards found on the TV show from the weird black smoke thingy to the mysterious “others” that inhabit the island.  There are also numerous “easter eggs” that you can find throughout the game.

If you missed some shows or seasons and are afraid of spoilers, be warned that the game follows the first two seasons’ story.  If you’ve watched that much then there shouldn’t be any spoilers.  Some of the locations featured in the third season can be visited as well. 

I’m a fan of the show and the idea of being able to roam the island and explore it really sounds exciting.  I am curious on how they will pull this off.  The show has basically given more questions and almost no answers the past three seasons.  Will the game be like that as well?  I hope that it really is a good game.  Usually TV shows or movies turned into games don’t turn out well. 

The game is made by Ubisoft and Gameloft and is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC.  Chances are I’ll try out the PC version at least.

Steam has enjoyed a phenomenal success over the years.  With a user base exceeding 15 million users, Valve must be really happy with it.  So what’s the next step now?  Well the only logical move now is to expand and capitalize on their huge userbase.

In an interview at Tom’s Games, Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi hinted on what’s to come from Steam.  He hinted that among things, we might see music and videos really soon.

According to him:

And we’re also looking at other types of content like video and music. We’re definitely having those conversations and meetings, and we’re reaching out to folks with other types of digital entertainment. I think before the end of the year, you’ll probably see some pilot programs with other digital entertainment on Steam.

This is nice.  We might get to see the ultimate multimedia and entertainment online content distribution system.  Imagine a one-stop shop for all of your entertainment needs.  Sounds good but they have a long way to go. 

BioWare has just announced the release date for the Mass Effect PC version.  It’s on May 6 ladies and gentlemen! 

Some changes have also made its way into the PC version.  Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new:

• New squad control interface – Players can now issue commands to individual squad members, providing a new level of depth to the tactical combat.
• Hot-key functionality – Biotic powers and abilities can be mapped to individual keys, allowing a faster “run and gun” style of gameplay.
• Re-designed Mako controls – Players can explore alien planets and engage in vehicular combat with an intuitive and fully camera independent control system for the Mako, their all-terrain vehicle.
• Quick-save – New quick-save button and increased number of save slots.
• New decryption mini-game – A new decryption mini-game invites players to test their skills as they avoid obstacles and move their icon to the center of the digital mechanism.
• New inventory screen GUI and functionality – The enhanced inventory system makes it easier for players to equip and modify their weapons and armor.

Since the game will be released just a week before my birthday, this could make a very good gift for myself.  Hurray!

Yes you read that right!  One of the most anticipated games of this year is coming bundled with the PlayStation 3!  This is probably one of the best marketing moves Sony has made so far.  I’m sure there are a lot of people like me who is just waiting for this game to come out before purchasing a PS3. 

At $499 (MSRP), some of you may say that its a really expensive package.  But when you consider the fact that you get an 80GB PlayStation 3, a full copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller, its a bargain!  And because you get MGS4, you will also get the promised Metal Gear Online Starter Pack.

The game is scheduled to release sometime in the late 2nd quarter of this year.  If you can’t wait that long to try Metal Gear Online, you can also get a free beta account by pre-ordering MGS4.

[Source: PlayStation.Blog]