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Sgt. Pepper Headed to the Rock Band Music Store Tomorrow

GeekSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:50:21 -0800

September was a big month for The Beatles in the gaming world when The Beatles Rock Band hit the market. I went crazy over it during a sneak peek at E3, and was not disappointed when I got my own copy. Although The Beatles have not always been so chummy with tech, times are a-changing as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band makes its way to The Beatles: Rock Band music store tomorrow for your Xbox 360 and Wii systems, and will be available on your PS3 on Nov. 19!

Although I'd love to, I can't really throw down for their special edition digital collection, so I'm stoked at least to get to play along on one of my favorite games. To see how much each track from the album will set you back, just read more.

Individual singles from the record like "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Lovely Rita" can be purchased for $1.99 each (or 160 Microsoft Points on your Xbox), while the entire album can be downloaded for $13.50 (1080 Microsoft Points). Wii owners can rock out with The Beatles tomorrow as well, but you'll be paying $2 a pop or 200 Wii Points for the tracks.

Daily Tech: The HTC HD2 Is Coming to the US Early Next Year

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:18:52 -0800

The latest from HTC, the HD2, is expected to the US earlier next year - Gizmodo
Wal-Mart confirms that the Xbox 360 will go on sale for $199 this Saturday, and it even comes with a $100 gift card - Kotaku
Did you suffer from a T-Mobile service outage today? T-Mobile says everything should be restored now - Engadget
The iPhone App Store has just surpassed 100,000 apps - The Silicon Alley Insider
A court in South Korea has just ruled that cab drives can continue to have televisions on their dashboards - BBC News
It's giveaway time on GeekSugar! Log in for your chances to win one of these AT&T Smartphones - GeekSugar

GeekSugar's Gift Guide For Dads

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:05:22 -0800

I happen to think that my dad is pretty easy to shop for, but I know that a lot of you out there don't know where to begin when it comes to picking out gifts for your dads. If you fall into that category, fret not! From now until Christmas I'll be giving you the lowdown on all sorts of cool gadget gifts to stash under the tree this holiday. I got our moms covered yesterday, so let's see what I have on my short list of gifts for dads!

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Mini Ninjas DS vs Xbox 360 Smackdown: Which Is Better?

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:06:44 -0700

You already know about my addiction to Mini Ninjas, which I played on the Xbox 360 at this year's E3, but did you know that this game also came out on other platforms? I haven't tested out the Wii or PS3 editions, but I have been able to get my hands on both the Xbox 360 and DS versions to test and play.

As you may know, not all games are created equal on all platforms. Just take Tomb Raider Underworld for example - although the game is entertaining on both the DS and Wii consoles, when push came to shove, I much preferred the DS version of the game for its controls and fun factor. So where do these two versions of the same game stand? Find out when you read more.

Everything I love about the Xbox 360 version of Mini Ninjas - the painfully cute graphics, the music, and the easy and intuitive control system - is missing on the DS version. It's a given that the graphics on the DS will never match up to that of the Xbox, but honestly, this is a major part of what gives Mini Ninjas its charm. Even the music of the Xbox version (a nice and calming soundtrack) gets ramped up to a beat-driven tune in the DS version. I'm not sure why this particular change was made, but I'm not sure I like it.

Overall, the Xbox version of Mini Ninjas is superior in nearly every way (well you gotta give some credit to the DS here - at least you can take it with you on the road), but if I were investing and had a choice, I'd go for the Xbox version here.

Get Your Game On: October Releases

GeekSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:33:51 -0700

Gaming season is here, and after all the sneak peeks we got at this year's E3, I'm more excited than ever to start playing. October means we're well into game-release mania - so it's only fitting that I list for you my top ten picks for the month of October. Check 'em out!

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7 Games to Work Your Brain

GeekSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:05:01 -0700

In case you missed it, President Obama spoke directly to school children last week, asking them to stay in school and study up for the future. I thought the speech was inspiring, but he did kind of diss my beloved video games. Obama asked the youth of America to not "spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox." This could be sound advice, except for the fact that there are plenty of brain-challenging games out there to improve your coordination, smarts, and problem-solving skills. Everything in moderation, people! Check out a few of my favorites here.

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Are You Buying a Console Now That Prices Have Been Cut?

GeekSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:55:57 -0700

Hot damn! In the course of a couple weeks, we've seen both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 drop in price significantly, as well as the new, cheaper PS3 Slim option.

I have a ton of friends who previously couldn't stomach the high prices of either console, and either went for a cheaper system (hello, Wii), or decided to wait. And now? The wait is over it seems, as I've heard an echo of many saying that they're now taking the shot since the price cuts were announced.

What about you? Have the price drops convinced you of either the Xbox's or PS3's worthiness?

Daily Tech: The Xbox 360 to Drop in Price Tomorrow

GeekSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:04:52 -0700

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox 360 Elite will go on sale for $300 starting tomorrow - Kotaku
5 features and improvements Firefox could make to its browser - Lifehacker
Here's a round-up of some of the Snow Leopard reviews from across the net - Boing Boing
JeansWest has developed a fitting-room video camera that shows customer's a rear view shot of themselves - Gizmodiva
Switched recommends 12 gadgets that students should take with them back to school - Switched
Compatible for both Macs and PCs, the Dymo Labelwriter can print out addresses and postage - Unplggd

Eidos Pulls Out All the Stops For Batman Arkham Asylum

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:05:25 -0700

Although I haven't had a chance to dive into the full release version of Batman: Arkham Asylum since it landed in my mailbox on Monday, I did get a taste of the action while at E3. From the 15 minute demo that I witnessed, I can tell you that the game is kinda creepy, but totally awesome. . . especially when you're playing in combat mode.

But before I can divulge any details about the game, I have to give some props to publisher Eidos - Arkham Asylum came packaged with my very own emergency straitjacket kit! You know, just to make sure that if things get out of hand while I'm playing, someone can subdue me properly. Nice touch!

Batman: Arkham Asylum starts with you trapped in (what else?) Arkham Asylum, trying to track down The Joker who is plotting your demise with the help of a gang of fellow inmates. Combat is in a free flow style, which means if you combo moves and hits, you can max out your experience and kick major butt with power moves. The controls were nice and smooth, and were easy to get the hang of. But some of the best parts about the game are the stealth and detective modes. Learn more about these features and others when you read more.

In detective mode, you can see through walls with a special visor to detect heat signatures, fingerprints, and even smell cigarette smoke and alcohol on the breath of your enemies before they can see you. In Stealth, you can use your silent skills to take down The Jokers' posse without others seeing or hearing. Plus, using your batarang and working with the architecture of the building - like perching on ledges and hanging upside down on poles like a bat - helps you take down your enemies faster, while racking up the skill.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is available now online and in stores for your Xbox 360 and PS3.

Taylor Swift Joins the Band . . . Band Hero, That Is

GeekSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:05:39 -0700

If you just can't get enough music games in your life (what, like Rock Band, Guitar Hero and all those DJ games weren't enough?), then make room for Band Hero. Activision's answer to all those other hero games ups the ante by including a motion captured country superstar, complete with three hit songs (along with a few other pop favorites) to rock out to. Taylor Swift makes a cameo in the latest band-centric game to hit the market, and she wasn't just emulated in Band Hero, she was duplicated. Taylor spent hours in a motion capture stage to get her performance just right so you can play along as if you were on stage next to her.

Check out the labor intensive process of capturing Taylor's movements for the game, and look for Band Hero to hit the shelves just in time for the holiday shopping rush this November.