The Rabies Blog

That got your attention, didn’t it!

I mentioned in my previous post that there really wasn’t a whole heck of a lot I could share right now about last week’s Summit, however there are a few things that occurred that I can talk about and this happens to be one of them.

On Tuesday of last week, our hosts surprised us with a special dinner trip for some fresh seafood. What they didn’t tell us was they had made arrangements for us to tour the Deadliest Catch’s fishing vessel the Northwestern (which was docked for some routine maintenance) as well as a chance to go hands on with the upcoming Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm video game.

We were treated to some of the best salmon and king crab legs that I’ve ever had as we sat along the pier with crew members and their families. Afterwards, Matt Bradley, deck hand on the Northwestern, took us aboard for a close-up look within the ship. During the entire time we were there, they had 3 Xbox 360 units for us to experience the game.

I was able to get a short amount of time in playing one of the included mini-games which challenges players to maneuver a much smaller water craft along the choppy ocean, hitting check points as you go. Although this was still an incomplete build of the game, I along with others in the group, were very impressed with the way it looked and played. The “campaign” mode of DC:AS will allow players to manage all facets of their ship as they tackle the icy waters in search of the ultimate haul and the big payday. The game is on track for release in mid-May and after having had the chance to test drive it last week, I can say that I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the final version.

Below are some photos that I took while aboard the Northwestern, more of which can be viewed on my Flickr page.

Although the majority of posts here on the blog are Xbox 360-related, there are occasions when something of interest comes along outside of that category that I think is worth mentioning. This happens to be one of those things…

Originally released for PS2 back in 2006, the critically acclaimed Okami will be coming to Wii later this month. In anticipation of the event, Capcom has launched a new website, http://www.okamiart.com, which features the unique artwork contained within the game (300+ images), downloadable wallpapers and fan-submitted art. The website also contains links to pre-order Okami for Wii and the “Okami Official Complete Works Art Book”.

For more information on the game, visit the official Okami website.

2K Sports will be hosting “Opening Day Xbox LIVE Weekend for Major League Baseball 2K8“, which will include a 72-hour Play & Win Sweepstakes, beginning April 4th.

Players who participate could win some nifty prizes such as exclusive 2K Sports t-shirts, hats, Microsoft points and more. Additionally, gamers will have a chance to play online against some of the game’s developers on Friday, April 4 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EDT. Here are the Gamertags to look out for:

MLB2K8Robert: Robert (Senior Producer)
MLB2K8Jon: Jon (Associate Producer)
MLB2K8Dan: Dan (Designer)
MLB2K8Joe: Joe (Production Assistant)

For more information and to register, go to www.xbox.com/openingday or, simply download the free “Major League Baseball 2K8 Play & Win Registration” gamer picture from Xbox LIVE Marketplace and get ready to swing for the fences.

Microsoft and Bungie have announced that a brand new set of multiplayer maps for Halo 3 will be hitting Marketplace on April 15.

The Legendary Map Pack (800 Microsoft Points) will contain a total of 3 new maps: Ghost Town, Avalanche and an as-of-yet unnamed slaughter ground. Here are a few details:

Avalanche is a tribute to Sidewinder, a Halo: Combat Evolved fan-favorite. This massive, vehicle-oriented objective map adds a twist to its classic predecessor with all new interiors, dramatically reshaped exteriors and brand new vehicle variants. Take a ride and admire the visual variety from the cockpit of the retuned Hornet.

Ghost Town is a battle-scarred maze of narrow passages and dangerous ruins outside the once-prosperous city of Voi. Collapsed ceilings and shell-battered buildings provide both valuable cover and deadly traps, as catwalks and stairways take the fight from claustrophobic ground combat to dizzying rooftop battles. Ghost Town is a mid-sized map ideal for Team Slayer games and smaller, objective types.

In regards to the third map, Bungie has only said “fans of smaller Slayer maps” should start getting excited! Check out www.xbox.com and www.bungie.net for more details.

For the third year in a row, 2K Sports will be taking their MLB franchise “on the road” with their Major League Baseball 2K8 Video Game Tour. This year’s event will feature six 2K Sports branded mobile entertainment trucks - each loaded with gaming stations - as the tour runs along both the East and West coasts simultaneously.

Tour goers will have a chance to play Major League Baseball 2K8 while jamming out to some great tunes. West Coast attendees will be joined by Sirius Satellite Radio DJ and emcee, Statik Selektah while the East Coast leg of the tour will feature Boston-based celebrity DJ, Eskillz as they deliver a variety of hot tracks and remixes from all of the best 2K Sports in-game soundtracks.

And that’s not all. Attendees can also participate in the “Major League Baseball 2K8 Home Run Derby” for a chance to win exclusive prizes from 2K Sports and Major League Baseball. Other giveaways include complimentary music cards and game demo discs plus, all participants will receive a $5.00 Best Buy discount coupon to purchase the game.

For more information on the Major League Baseball 2K8 Video Game Tour, including dates and locations for tour stops, head over to www.2ksports.com.

I was planning on participating in a conference call with 2K Sports’ Ben Brinkman, producer of this year’s Major League Baseball 2K8, but unforseen circumstances prevented me from dialing in and subsequently writing up the interview.

However, fellow MVP WitchKing9 over at 2OpGaming.com has posted the entire audio from the conference call along with his own written coverage so I encourage you to head over to his site and check it out!

*UPDATE: 2K Sports announced today (2/2 that the game has officially gone gold and will hit retail shelves as scheduled on March 4th.*

Ok, I know I said I was no longer going to be posting gaming news here on the blog, but I thought this was interesting so I made an exception.

Activision has just announced that they will be releasing Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, a brand new full version of the game centered around rock icon Aerosmith, this June.

The game will let players rock alongside lead singer Steven Tyler and drummer Joey Kramer as they take on the role of guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford along with bassist Tom Hamilton to experience the band’s rise from relative unknowns to rock legends.

To help promote this new collaboration, Activision will be releasing Aerosmith’s “Dream On” as a free download for Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock from February 16-18 on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

I’ll get some more details on this, along with some media from the game, later today on XE.

My friends over at Vivendi contacted me today with a nice little surprise! Free tickets to give away for the New York City premier of Paramount Pictures The Spiderwick Chronicles!

In conjunction with their upcoming The Spiderwick Chronicles video game, Vivendi has provided me with a free movie pass, good for 2 admissions, to The Spiderwick Chronicles premier taking place at AMC/Loews Kips Bay 15, 570 Second Ave., New York, NY on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 pm.

If you’re in the New York City area (or plan to be on the night of the event) and you’d like a chance to win, send an email with the subject line of “Spiderwick” to therabiesblog@gmail.com (SEE UPDATE BELOW). Be sure to include your name, age (18 years and older only) and a valid email address. Entries must be received by this Monday, February 4 7:00 pm Eastern Time. One random winner will be drawn from all entries received and will be notified by email. *NOTE: The pass will be sent out via snailmail so a mailing address will be required IF you are notified that you have won.

Also be aware that:

• Every individual will need a pass to attend their advance screening
• No recording device, including camera-equipped call phones, will be allowed in the theater — don’t bring any to make your life easier!
• Even though theaters were under booked whenever possible, seating is NOT guaranteed so please arrive early.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

My sincere thanks to Vivendi for making this give-away possible!

*FINAL UPDATE: THE GOOGLE EMAIL ISSUE IS NOW CORRECTED. I WILL KEEP THE CONTEST EXTENSION IN PLACE SO PLEASE MAKE SURE TO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN BY 7:00PM EASTERN TIME MONDAY FEB 4TH*

Devil May Cry fans, your wait is nearly over! Capcom has officially announced that the long awaited demo for Devil May Cry 4 will hit Xbox LIVE Marketplace tomorrow, January 24th. Here’s the description of what the demo will contain:

The demo introduces gamers to the gothic-inspired supernatural world of Devil May Cry 4, new protagonist Nero and the awesome power of his Devil Bringer. The demo consists of a sampling of sections from the full game, chosen to showcase Devil May Cry 4’s varied locales, allowing gamers to familiarize themselves with Nero’s unique abilities. Players will receive instruction on the various new actions that the Devil Bringer bestows, such as the ability to slam creatures to the ground, cover great distances in a single bound or even grab enemies while on the ground or in the air and pull them towards Nero to continue an attack combo. The Exceed system allows Nero to “rev up” his sword as if it were a motorcycle throttle and unleash devastating attacks. Players will need to master all these techniques before the end-of-demo showdown with the mighty Berial.

Once a PS exclusive, DMC4 marks the debut of the franchise on Xbox 360…and we can’t wait!!

The first DBZ title for Xbox 360 is set to make its debut later this year. Entitled Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, the game will feature some knock-out graphics along with online multiplayer battles.

Atari has said that the game is still in development for now, but they did send along a few screenshots which I’ve posted over at Totally360.com.

More DBZ info can be found over at http://www.atari.com/dragonballz/.

Bethesda has just updated their official Fallout 3 website with a new development team diary entry.The update, from lead designer Emil Pagliarulo, reveals several details on the technology-driven Brotherhood of Steel as well as some great new concept art from the game.

Be sure to swing by http://fallout.bethsoft.com/eng/vault/diaries_diary3-1.09.08.html for all the details.

Marc Whitten, General Manager for Xbox LIVE has posted an open letter to address the recent connection issues suffered by LIVE members, pointing to a heavy influx of new members as the possible cause. Here is an excerpt:

“During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history…”

The letter goes on to say, “As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.”

The letter also mentions that LIVE members will be receiving a free Arcade title as a thank you for loyalty and patience with specific details promised in the coming weeks.

Read the full open letter here.