I am pleased to announce that because everyone who helps here is a total noob I have decided to start a new project as an extension of this one called metatta! Quite simply a blog for the interesting stuff around the web, you will love it! I will post a link at the bottom along with a screen shot. Cheers!

Link: Metatta!

Yep, you have read the title correctly Crysis, one of the most anticipated games has been fully cracked and distributed to your favourite torrent lines.

M$ had quite recently noted that the PC version of Gears of War has a "tiny" little problem, as with every other Microsoft update, it comes Microsoft levy. A tax on simplicity.

As boot up your PC and launch Gears of War for the first time, you are instantly bombarded with a BRAND NEW automatic update from M$, something to do with "Windows LIVE games". Of course as any sane person would do, you would simply update hoping to bring heightened reliability and stability for your games. However, despite reaping the benefits of this update of this update, you reap the "little problem" it carries too. After the update is downloaded, you are sent back to the main menu without a clue to what just happened; to those who understand M$'s "make everything as hard as possible" philosophy, you will simply understand that you must shut down the game in order to let the update complete. There are variations of stupidity and solutions listed bellow, thanks to megagames.com.

"Here's a step by step walkthrough of what happens if you choose the first option:
1 - Start "Gears of War" for Windows (from Start Menu)
2 - Once the game starts, press the "Home" key to open the Game for Windows -- LIVE Guide
3 - Sign-in using an existing Xbox LIVE account, or create a new Games for Windows -- LIVE account (this will redirect you to a browser window, if you choose to create an account)
4 - Once signed into LIVE, the user will be prompted to update the Games for Windows -- LIVE version on their machine. Select the "Yes, Update Now" option
5 - Wait for the opening cinematic with the Epic Logo and the Microsoft Games Studio splash screen to play
6 - Once on the main Title Screen, press "Enter" to go to the Main Menu
7 - On the Main Menu, quit out of the game
8 - Once you quit out of the game, the Games for Windows -- LIVE System Update will kick off. Wait for that install to complete.
9 - Once that is complete, start the game again. You will have to re-login to Games for Windows - LIVE again "

Microsoft Game Studios is working on a title update to be released in the near future that will allow users to avoid manually exiting "Gears of War" to apply the update. The good news is that once you go through the above process, you won't have to do it again!"

Quote from megagames.com

Remember that hack for ManHunt 2 that reveals AO content? Well the lawsuit has been solved. As laughingly stated by players, (PARENTAL ADVISORY: If you modify this game, it becomes DIFFERENT)

ESRB president Patricia Vance
"Earlier this week we learned about a hack into the code of the PSP and PS2 versions of the game that removes special effects filters that were put in place to obscure certain violent depictions. We have investigated the matter and concluded that unauthorized versions of the game have been released on the Internet along with instructions on how to modify the code to remove the special effects. "

"Once numerous changes to the game's code have been made and other unauthorized software programs have been downloaded to the hardware device which circumvent security controls that prevent unauthorized games from being played on that hardware, a player can view unobscured versions of certain violent acts in the game. Contrary to some reports, however, we do not believe these modifications fully restore the product to the version that originally received an AO rating, nor is this a matter of unlocking content."

"Our investigation indicates that the game's publisher disclosed to the ESRB all pertinent content in the authorized Mature-rated version of Manhunt 2 now available in stores, and complied with our guidelines on full disclosure of content."

"What parents, and indeed all consumers, need to be aware of is that computer software and hardware devices are susceptible to unauthorized modification. Parents should be cognizant of whether or not their children are engaging in unauthorized modification of their games, consoles or handhelds, as those modifications can change game content in ways that may be inconsistent with the assigned ESRB rating. That being said, the vast majority of consumers have not made the unauthorized modifications to their hardware necessary to view the content at issue."

"Manhunt 2's rating makes it unmistakable that the game is intended for an older audience. The unauthorized hacking into the code of this game doesn't change that basic fact."

"Parents need to be vigilant about monitoring what their children are downloading on the Internet and ensure that they are not making unauthorized and oftentimes illegal modifications to software and hardware that remove the controls the industry has so diligently put in place for their own protection."

Q. How is this situation different from the "Hot Coffee" incident?
A. "The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" situation involved a scene that was a) fully rendered in an unmodified form on the disc (the Hot Coffee mod did not alter the content that was there, it merely unlocked it), b) not previously disclosed to the ESRB during the rating process, and c) easily accessible to all owners of the PC version of the game. Conversely, in the case of Manhunt 2, a) content that was programmed to be part of the game (i.e., visual blurring effects of certain violent depictions) is being modified, b) the content was previously disclosed to the ESRB, and c) unauthorized versions of software and/or hardware are required to play the modified content. "

EA has a lot coming at them, both good and bad, what with its multi million dollar deals and the acquisition of Bioware and Pandmic, who knows what the heck is going to happen. Remember that new game Mass Effect? Yea? Well, as you may have guessed Bioware and their coveted developers are in fact the ones making this game. Now, I don't really know what to think, except that we may see a change very soon, who can possibly know what can happen to EA, perhaps this is for the better. Honestly I'm tired of those "..oh my god it's Harry Potter! (English Accent)" games. I would much rather play Bible adventures on the Super Nintendo (That game really is messed up by the way).

Either way, perhaps EA will stop taking the "..Microsoft Approach.." by making the games way to "..cheater friendly...", yes, I can understand that all of the EA fanboys must now be going "HEY!, DON'T MAKE FUN OF Harry Potter, Madden, etc.." well I'm not making fun of them, just pointing out that EA better straighten out and stop releasing a copy of the same game every year with a differnt number on it. Yes you know what I mean.

Hopefully this is for the better in the long run..

Looking forward to playing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots soon?, well sorry more delays are on the way. The game was first pushed back from "late 2007" to "this winter" (early 2008), now the company states that MGS4 will not likely see release until sometime during the second quarter of next year. (Late 2008)

"we decided to 'delay' the title's release in order to make further improvements to the quality of the game and provide even greater enjoyment for more customers worldwide."

Now, although as always such a delay is disappointing, gamers can console themselves with the fact that Kojima Productions will use the extra time to make the game the best it can possibly be before the final release.