Sony Working on Android Gaming Handset

It looks like gaming on Android is going to get an injection from none other than the Sony corporation. Engadget is reporting that Sony is currently in heavy development of an Android gaming phone, which is said to be a cross between a high powered Android handset and the Sony PSP Go. A quote from the Engadget article:

Here's what we can tell you about the hardware: if you're a gaming fan, this is exactly the kind of phone you've been waiting for. The device is described as cross between the Samsung Captivate and the PSP Go -- in other words, it's a landscape slider with game controls in place of the typical QWERTY keyboard. The D-pad is here, but instead of the small joystick, the device will have what was described as a "long touch pad" for analog controls, along with standard PSP buttons and shoulder buttons. The phone has a large display, described as being between 3.7 and 4.1 inches with WVGA or better resolution, a 5 megapixel camera that we're told might not be final, and it'll likely have a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU on board.

The unit said to be running Android 3.0 (Gingerbread), with some sort of skinning (not sure if that is a good thing). In addition, it is being said that there will be a new area of the Android Market specifically for the games for this device. Some of the titles that are being thrown around to be playable on the unit are God of War, Call of Duty: MW and LittleBigPlanet. (These are said to be the PSP versions of the titles).

If the person that is sourcing engadget is reliable, this is certainly something to get excited for! More info as we get it at AG.

Madden 11 Release Date

Madden 11 has been released today and the game is now being tested by the game critics. As yet no reviews have come out because obviously this is the first day of the game in the world, but one thing is for sure, Madden 11 is going to be a nuke when it comes to graphics, because the graphic engines and techniques have never been better and the physics engine is also kicking some serious ass judging from the trailers of the game.

Most fans of the game know that Madden 11 release date was the 10th of August and this date has been remembered for a very long time because the fan base of Madden is even greater than the NBA games from EA. The thing that makes Madden 11 so much of a serious obsession is the strategy that the player has to put in the game and the physics engine. These two properties make Madden one of the best sports games ever. Basketball games are also fun but there is not a lot of physics action in those. American Football is the perfect sport to allow action lovers get all the action they want in the game and that is the success point of Madden.

The new part of Madden has performance as well as interface tweaks that allow new players a very good learning opportunity. The point that is not known at the moment is that if Madden 11 is focused on new players then is there any compromise on the hard core aspect of the game that old fans crave?

Princeton Review Party Schools 2011 List

The Princeton Review of the top Party Schools for 2010 to 2011 are out. University of Georgia is on top of the list.

1. University of Georgia
2. Ohio University
3. Penn State
4. West Virginia University
5. University of Mississippi
6. University of Texas at Austin
7. University of Florida
8. University of California – Santa Barbara
9. University of Iowa
10. DePauw University
11. Florida State University
12. University of Wisconsin – Madison
13. University of Alabama
14. Sewanee – The University of the South
15. Indiana University – Bloomington
16. University of Colorado – Boulder
17. University of Missouri
18. University of Illinois
19. University of Maryland
20. Michigan State University

The Review, whose 2011 edition of “The Best 373 Colleges” is released Tuesday, combines student surveys with institutional data for assessments on dozens of categories, including most beautiful campus (Sewanee – The University of the South), best food (Bowdoin College) and best dorms (Bryn Mawr College). And for all us Terps fans, the University of Maryland, College Park was named for best athletic facilities.

More category winners below:

Best Classroom Experience – Mount Holyoke College
Most Conservative Students – Texas A&M University
Most Liberal Students – Hampshire College
Most Politically Active Students – American University
Most Accessible Profs – U.S. Air Force Academy
Least Religious Students – Sarah Lawrence College
Happiest Students – Brown University
Lots of Race/Class Interaction– University of Miami
LGBT-Friendly – Emerson College
Top Stone-Cold Sober Schools – Brigham Young University
Everyone Plays Intramural Sports – University of Notre Dame
Best Town-Gown Relations – Clemson University

It Is Play Time at Monster High

Most schools don’t start for weeks but Monster High, it’s already in session. What is Monster High you might ask? It’s a fictional school where the spawn of famous monsters attend like the daughters of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolfman.

This concept is by Mattel and they are making this a mass media project. It’s based on dolls that were just released in July and include… Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura and Cleo de Nile along with a slew of other daughters and sons of monsters. The dolls come in two versions, one made for the younger monster loving kid with the plush doll version of Draculaua & Count Fabulous as well as a cute rendition of Frankie Stein and Watzit ($14.99 each) . And for the older kid there are the skimpy dressed teenage plastic dolls complete with accessories, pouts and pets ($16.99 each).

And it doesn’t stop at just the dolls. There is an online environment that includes games, videos and printable activities. And when users go and play the games and watch videos they can unlock more goodies with special codes that they earn. Perfect for your monster lovin’ little one or goth in training.

Mattel is doing a big push on Monster High. Do you think it’ll get straight As? Check out more of the dolls below.

The plush Frankie Stein

The Teenage Frankie Stein

The teenage Lagoona Blue

Madden NFL 11 Demo: Xbox 360, PS3 Release Time

As most Madden fans will be aware, today is the day when the demo for Madden 11 finally gets it’s release. It will be hitting the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Store later on today – Are you ready for it?

As with other updates, the store isn’t usually updated at a specific time, although during the afternoon is probably a good bet on when to start refreshing the store or marketplace for updates.
You’ll be pleased to know that you can find out the exact moment when the demo goes live, by heading to this page here from Google. It will list all the relevant results on Twitter about the demo for Madden 11, so you’ll be able to download it the moment it goes live from EA.

For details on the demo itself, head to our previous report here. Are you planning to pick up the full game on August 10th?

Burn Xbox 360 Games Free

Gamers have their own way in making their game titles far more exciting and fun. They look for other methods exactly where they can appreciate several games with no spending a whole lot from their pocket. This is why the software package to burn Xbox 360 games cost-free was developed.

Xbox as one on the most common consoles you can purchase these days provides numerous games that each gamer will surely appreciate. Nonetheless, since the price from the original game is really pricey, there is now readily available computer software that makes it possible for gamers to melt off Xbox 360 game titles free of charge. Using this software program, you happen to be capable to burn Xbox 360 matches cost-free that you can use with your platform without having consuming a lot. There are even some software’s that permits you to burn off games not only from Xbox but also for other platforms for instance PS3, PS2, and Wii. If you are wondering where it is possible to locate the totally free application you can use to burn up Xbox 360 video games free it would need to be through the power of world wide web. We all know that we can get nearly all kinds of software on-line wherein some are becoming offer you for no cost although others could be bought. 1 with the well-liked software that’s getting downloaded today could be the computer software use in burning Xbox game titles. To burn up Xbox 360 video games totally free you will need to download initial the software, which is downloadable on the web. Unlike other computer software, you are able to download the software program for free but you will discover also some that offer’s it with monthly payment.

Obviously there’s usually a risk if you use the application to burn Xbox 360 games free and use it with your platform. There a possibility that it won’t function 100% or it’s going to damage your Xbox. Though at some point the melt off Xbox 360 games totally free would operate but when it comes to its excellent, there’s a large chance that time will come that it’s going to no longer function. In case you desire to try a melt away Xbox 360 game titles totally free, just follow the straightforward steps prior to you download the software program. Right after you’ve successfully downloaded the computer software use to melt away Xbox 360 game titles free you can now melt away different matches for you console.

Xbox 360 Games: New Innovations in Playing

Xbox 360 Games make people crazy with their exciting games features. The 3D technology also comes in these games. Xbox 360 Games are the introduction of the gaming console. This gadgets come with amazing games features. These games are filled with attracting graphics and animations. These features allow its users to play the innovative games and users find these games more interesting to play. There are lots of electronic companies, who manufacture games and offer high-end gaming gadget. The latest and new Xbox 360 Games have grabbed everyone’s attention and are making their presence felt in the market. This gaming widget is on top in the market, which is receiving lots of appreciation from the consumers.

This gaming device comes in sophisticated games features, which allow them to explore the new dimensions of electronic gaming. These gaming widgets generally measures in 7.7 lbs with 83 x 309 x 258 mm dimensions. This wireless mode assists the player to access the various gaming functions with at ease. It comes along with a rechargeable battery, which delivers 30 hours of playtime to the users. The hassle-free gadget has 60 GB hard drive, which allows you to store your most preferred music tracks or games. It is compatible with the handset, which allows you to talk with your friends, while watching movies or playing games. The screen offers an excellent and crystal clear pictures.

The most famous Xbox 360 games examples are Crash Bandicoot, NCAA Football 09, Rock Revolution, Top Spin 3 and Battlefield and Kung Fu Panda. All these new generation games rejuvenate your gaming passion. Users can also easily find the cheap Xbox 360 games on the online stores. You can download these games from the Internet without any hassles. They are available at cheap price and compatible with high end features.

Through, the online stores you can also win the exciting gifts and prizes with the games. One of the best example of Xbox 360 games is ‘The Elder Scrolls: IV Oblivion’. This is the sequel of ‘The Elder Scrolls: III Morrowind’ and highly popular among teenagers. Its third games series won multiple awards and fourth version is as good third one. The another famous Xbox 360 game is ‘Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter’. This games is based on the soldiers fight, where you have to use the new weapons to avoid the traps from soldiers. Xbox live makes this game possible for sixteen players to play together.

Review: Believe the hype on 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'

The mission seemed daunting: Survive the astronomical media hype and create one of the year's best games.

Fortunately for video game fans, developer Infinity Ward proved to be up to the challenge with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, an exhiliarating military adventure.

Modern Warfare 2 is the follow-up to 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which represents Infinity Ward's shift from the battlefields of World War II to modern combat.

The sequel reacquaints players with Soap MacTavish as he and his special forces squad attempt to hunt down terrorist Vladimir Makarov. Players will assume two roles during the single-player campaign, fighting as a soldier in Soap's squad and as a member of the Army Rangers. Much like Call of Duty 4, the campaign in Modern Warfare 2 is short and tight, wrapping up in about six hours. However, it is also packed with the same exciting, unpredictable action as the first.

With the Modern Warfare franchise, Infinity Ward hasn't been shy about portraying some potentially uncomfortable moments. The Middle East battlefields in COD4 conjured up images of the Iraq war. Modern Warfare 2 not only leaves players on edge with the heavily reported terror attack inside a Russian airport, but by bringing the war on U.S. soil.

It felt almost surreal watching soliders move through residential neighborhoods, clearing homes of foreign soldiers and finding shelter in a fast food restaurant as enemies pinned them down. The unease heightens as players venture inside a Washington D.C. consumed by fire.

Some of these unsettling feelings stem from just how incredibly realistic the game looks. The visuals are astounding, and each environment - from snowy mountains in eastern Europe to the favelas of Brazil and a wartorn Washington D.C. - is captured with intricate detail.

Players familiar with the first Modern Warfare should jump into the sequel pretty easily. The game kicks off with a training exercise and obstacle course to learn the controls. Once completed, the game determines the best difficulty settings and players move on to their first mission.


CAPTIONActivision/Infinity Ward
Infinity Ward expertly captures combat environments filled with intensity and chaos. Bullets whizz by players' heads as they search for a safe position and weave through obstacles dodging exploding grenades. The game always keeps you on edge.

A new Modern Warfare also means a few new weapons to tinker with. While the campaign passes on the AC-130 gunship experience (which appears in Spec Ops mode), players have use of the very cool Predator missile. To activate it during combat, a soldier whips out a laptop with an overhead view of the battle. With a pull of the trigger, the missile is launched, and guided using the left thumbstick. Players will also find new weapon attachments to alter their combat strategy, such as a thermal scope that spots enemies based on body temperature.

While the campaign is only a solo adventure, Modern Warfare 2 does introduce a simpler, cooperative mode called Spec-Ops, a solid complement to the main story. The feature consists of a series of separate missions involving an array of objective types. For example, one mission requires you to withstand waves of enemies using a sniper rifle, claymore mines and a Predator missile. In another mission, players must escort forces from inside a Black Hawk helicopter.

But the biggest draw of this franchise has been the multiplayer features. The infrastructure remains the same, but with a few tweaks. For those new to the experience, players earn experience points during each match, allowing them to unlock new weapons, create their own soldier classes or use special combat perks. Players can also notch rewards such as attachments for using weapons effectively.

New to Modern Warfare 2 are custom killstreaks and deathstreaks. For example, if a player kills four enemies in a row, they earn a supply drop. Custom killstreaks allow players to determine what incentives they earn based on the number of consecutive enemies killed. Players can access everything from a UAV for spotting enemies to the Predator missile and AC-130 gunship.

Deathstreaks aid newer players by providing incentives if they die too often. If a player gets killed three times before vanquishing a foe, they can copy an opponent's abilities. The feature comes in handy for novices, but doesn't seem to cheapen the experience for veteran players. Players can also earn badges, similar to Halo 3, for certain achievements such as breaking a player's killstreak or executing a long-distance shot.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 shows once again how impressive Infinity Ward is at creating a first-person shooter. Players won't see anything revolutionary, but they will experience a perfectly crafted video game.

Sony Game: Landit Bandit Review

Landit Bandit is good at times, but it's also overly difficult and frustrating.

The Good
Surreal, cartoonish setting and characters Some good level design.

The Bad
Finicky helicopter controls Too tough on the default difficulty setting Some aspects of the level design are unnecessarily hard.



Landit Bandit is a lot tougher than it looks. Although this PlayStation Network exclusive appears to be a kid-friendly old-school flyer where you pilot a Stone Age helicopter taxi service around islands, the game is actually a maddeningly hard test of your twitch skills. While there are some fine moments here, first-time developer The Bearded Ladies Consulting has mostly wasted its good ideas because of the touchy controls, exacting level design, and punishing difficulty.


One moment you're hanging out with tropical islanders in the sun; the next you're slip-sliding-away on the ice with penguins.
You play Marley in the 20-mission solo campaign, a laid-back Caribbean dude with Grateful Dead hair living peacefully on the kind of tropical islands you might have seen once or twice in Saturday morning cartoons. Comic-book cutscenes tell the story of a plane crash that leaves a fat businessman named Lander stranded in this goofy paradise with a suitcase stuffed with valuable art. Marley offers to help this obnoxious jerk get back to his big-city home for reasons unknown, so he examines some of the art and concocts a rickety pedal-powered helicopter based on Da Vinci sketches. So the Helivinci is born.



From there, you work at getting Lander back to the big smoke by flying this bamboo contraption from one island to the next, typically ferrying the locals to different hot spots while trying to beat a clock, like some kind of aerial Crazy Taxi. A typical level sees you doing something like schlepping six villagers to their destinations in a couple of minutes. If you succeed, you keep going; if you miss out by a couple of seconds, it's back to the starting line. Various gimmicks are introduced along the way to keep things interesting. Levels soon sport hooks you can swing on, hot babes who can lure riders to jump onboard the moving chopper, icy slides where you whip the helicopter around like an antediluvian bobsled, and even a 2D cave system. You even have to balance delivering riders to a bar with keeping it stocked with barrels of booze at one point because if you don't keep the patrons well oiled, they wander off and force you to collect more passengers.

Unfortunately, adding these extras turns a reasonably hard game into an annoying one. Both the controls and the helicopter often aren't up to the demands put upon them. Movement is clunky and unresponsive when things get tough. This is likely intentional, given that the contraption you're flying looks as aerodynamic as Snoopy's doghouse, though the frustration remains. Levels have also been dressed up with little touches that enhance the overall difficulty. The helicopter is ridiculously fragile, exploding into chunks of wood if you hit terra firma too quickly. You have to be really careful when coming in for landings, which isn't easy given the timers and how hard it is to move the camera into a good spot with the right stick to tell how far you are off the ground. There are gear power-ups that repair your ship on the fly, though never enough that you can't go boom with a single rough landing. Passengers are also way too easy to kill. It's tough enough just landing without blowing apart; having to also worry about scraping up against the guy waiting for his cab and killing him is an unnecessary extra bother.


Local co-op and competitive multiplayer add a little to the replay value, although not being able to take the game online limits your options.
With all that said, Landit Bandit has some good points. While there are a lot of rough edges here, the game is enjoyable at times, particularly after you get over the initial learning curve and come to grips with the aerial rock that is your helicopter. Figuring out the trickier parts of the levels and gradually accepting how gently you need to touch down to avoid blowing your ride to bits also comes with time. After you get through all of that, you can get hooked here, although it's a shame that the rigorous controls and difficulty make the game so off-putting in the early stages. The look and sound of the game are also appealing, blending intentionally crude, cartoon 3D graphics with wacky sound effects, such as how the characters speak in a grunting form of Simlish. The story is absolutely impenetrable, with the dialogue subtitles making as much sense as the spoken Simlish. Either the developers were going for a really surreal vibe, or somebody out there is desperately in need of a good translator. Local co-op and competitive multiplayer are also offered via split-screen, adding replay value. The co-op is particularly pleasing, as a second player can drop into a game at any time and the objectives ramp up to reflect the presence of two flying taxis. There are no online options, though.

Since it costs only $10, you can overlook some of the bumps in Landit Bandit's ride. Still, a lot of these issues should have been ironed out before the game was offered up for sale at any price. There is a pretty good arcade trifle buried under all of the flaws here, but in its present state, you have to look the other way too often to try to enjoy what the game has to offer.