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After optimizations and restarts yesterday, we had been stable across all platforms. Unfortunately, we encountered another outage at approximately 9:30 AM PST today.

- X360 was severely impacted, and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely.
- PC had an outage, but the service is offline currently and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely. We will then start checking the quality of the customer experience to determine possible next steps.
- PS3 appeared to have a brief outage, but has quickly recovered and the services is functioning properly at this time.

All teams are actively engaged in diagnosis and remediation. We are adding additional services to alleviate load. Despite having a major infrastructure in place, the peak traffic this weekend has been huge, 400% higher than any other Battlefield’s peak simultaneous users. The teams will continue to monitor the services closely. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will provide further updates on the latest developments as they are relevant.

Source ~ Battlefield Blog

After last nights EA server outage on PS3 and PC, EA have found the issue and put a fix in place and brought the servers back online. This means that both PS3 and PC players can return back to playing Bad Company 2.

We are aware of a number of remaining disconnect issues on PC and we have released the “R5” server to hosts yesterday to address some of the disconnects. We are continuing to work on the remaining disconnect issues to have a solution as fast as possible as well as looking into reports of other issues raised on the forums for consoles: http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad-company-2-ng/ and PC: http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad- company-2-pc/

Battlefield Bad Company 2 has managed to prove so popular that yesterday the concurrent users in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 surpassed that in Battlefield 2 which has been going strong for almost 5 years.

The day is finally here, Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 has launched in North America on all platforms (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC) along with some impressive review scores such as GamePro magazine giving a 5/5, Game Informer magazine giving 9.5 out of 10, Eurogamer’s 9/10 and Team Xbox giving 9.5/10.

Don’t forget to claim your M1 Rifle for use in BFBC2 by registering your other Battlefield games at http://veteran.battlefield.com.

Battlefield Bad Company™ 2 brings the spectacular Battlefield gameplay to the forefront of next-gen consoles and PC, featuring best-in-class vehicular combat set across a wide range of huge sandbox maps each with a different tactical focus. New vehicles like the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and the UH-60 transport helicopter allow for all-new multiplayer tactics in the warzone. Extensive fine-tuning ensures that this will be the most realistic vehicle combat experience to date. Tactical destruction is taken to new heights with the updated DICE Frostbite engine. Players can now take down entire buildings or create their own vantage points by blasting holes through cover, thereby delivering a unique dynamic experience in every match.

It appears video game players are definitely looking forward to Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Publisher Electronic Arts says a demo of the first-person shooter is on pace to become their fastest downloaded demo on record, crossing the 2 million mark in five days.

The demo on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network showcases the game’s multiplayer mode, and requires players to work as a team to either defend or take over a base. The vehicle-friendly demo map, Port Valdez, features 12-on-12 matches.

EA also says a similar beta for the PC has “met great success,” according to a press release. The game is slated for release on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 2.

Source ~ USA Today

2K Games have released BioShock 2 worldwide for the Xbox 360 console, PlayStation 3 system and Games for Windows-LIVE. Building on the original game that sold over 3 million copies, BioShock 2 delivers an artistic and entertaining video game experience.

The single player mode’s storyline serves as a sequel to the original game. BioShock 2 gives users a magnificent visual design and provides them with the evolution of the genetically enhanced shooter gameplay. Taking place nearly a decade after a horrifying civil war consumed the once lustrous city of Rapture, evil is swarms through the halls and a impiety once thought to be destroyed returns to the Atlantic seaboard.

After a series of kidnappings from local communities by an unknown monster, Rapture is once again repopulated with Little Sisters. Players are put into the boots of one Rapture’s deadliest foes, Big Daddy, as they travel through the ruined utopia, fending off attacks from genetically altered Splicers, while in a search for escape and the key to survival.

Source ~ TransWorldNews

ebay says a flood of modified Xbox 360 video game consoles that have been banned from connecting to Xbox Live has hit the online auction site, and is warning users to be wary of what they buy.

“If you are looking to buy an Xbox 360 on eBay in the near future, ask the seller if it has been banned from Xbox Live and be sure to pay by PayPal in case they lie,” the company said on its website. “If you do get a banned console, start a PayPal claim.”

PayPal is eBay’s online payment system, which can reverse charges in the case of fraudulent sales.

The announcement comes after Microsoft this week banned up to one million consoles from accessing its Xbox Live service, where users can play online games with each other or purchase downloadable content such as movies and television shows.

The company enacted the ban on consoles that have been modified by users to play pirated copies of games.

“All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live,” Microsoft said in a statement.

Affected gamers can still get online by signing in from an unmodified machine, but the “modded” consoles are permanently banned from Xbox Live, Microsoft said.

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G4 - Last night, Infinity Ward and Activision invited members of the press out to a sound stage in Hollywood to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer for the first time. The developers are adding so much to the game that it’s initially staggering, but after a few rounds, you realize that this is a totally different theater of war than Call of Duty 4 and it’s time to figure out the differences.

There are some major game changers in effect for MW2 and Infinity Ward seems to have taken player feedback to heart. Secondary weapons now include pistols, machine pistols, shotguns, and launchers. No longer will players have to give up their precious primary weapon slot to field a shotgun or lose a perk to grab a rocket launcher. The change also gives a lot of versatility to snipers giving them the option of grabbing a fully-automatic pistol or shotgun for close range conflict.

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GoGamer is my favorite online websites to purchase games as they’ve always been dependable, timely, and have great prices. Black Friday + GoGamer = win as you will see below:

GoGamer Black Friday Deals

PC Games
Ultima Online 9th Anniversary Collection $42.90
Sacred 2 Collector’s Edition $42.90
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 $33.90
Left 4 Dead $34.90
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning $32.90
Spore $34.90
Fallout 3 $30.00
FarCry 2 (I) $29.90
X3: Terran Conflict (I) $29.90
Guild Wars Trilogy $29.90
X-Plane 9 $27.90
FIFA Soccer 2009 $24.90
Crysis Warhead $21.90
Stalker: Clear Sky $19.90
World of Warcraft Battlechest $19.90 (Limit 10 per customer) (Friday and Saturday Only)
Mercenaries 2 $17.90
Spiderman Web of Shadows $14.90
Unreal Tournament 3 $9.90
Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess $9.90
Lineage 2: 4th Anniversary Edition $9.90
Alone in the Dark $5.90
F.E.A.R. Director’s Edition $5.00
Empire Earth III $4.90
The Sims: Pet Story $3.90
Soldier of Fortune Payback $3.90
Prey $3.90
Lord of the Rings Online Limited Edition $2.90
SpiderMan: Friend or Foe $2.90
Just Cause $2.90
Stanglehold $2.90
Battlestations: Midway $2.90
BlackSite Area 51 $1.90
Thrillville $1.00

PC Accessories
Zboard MERC Stealth Gaming Keyboard $44.90
Microsoft SideWinder Precision Racing Wheel $41.90
TekNmotion PulseWave/Pulsar PC Gaming Headphones $34.90
Razer Piranha Gaming Headset $34.90
Razer Diamondback 3G Gaming Mouse Flaming Red $29.90
Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard $29.90
Saitek Aviator Joystick $29.90
Microsoft Wireless Keyboard Optical Desktop Pro $22.90
TekNmotion 4 Piece CD/DVD Storage Case Combo $19.90
Saitek Eclipse Keyboard Red $19.90
Razer Mantis Speed Gaming Mouse Mat $12.90
Microsoft Digital l-Media Pro Keyboard $9.90
TekNmotion Yapster Headphones Black $7.90
Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000 $7.90
Saitek PP26 Cyborg Rumble Pad $7.90
TekNmotion 48 CD/DVD Wallet Black On Black $1.00

Mac
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare $33.90
The Sims 2 $29.90
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 $29.90
World of Warcraft Battlechest $19.90 (Limit 10 per customer) (Friday and Saturday Only)

Xbox 360
Fallout 3 $49.90
Gears of War 2 $49.90
Call of Duty: World at War (I) $45.90
GTA IV Special Edition $44.90
Guitar Hero: World Tour (I) $42.90
FarCry 2 $37.90
GTA IV $34.90
Legendary $24.90
Fracture (I) $14.90
Frontlines Fuel of War $9.90
Blazing Angels for Xbox 360 $9.90

PS3
Frag FX Controller $44.90
Fallout 3 $42.90

Wii
Nintendo Wii Super Bundle $499.95 (Limit 1 per Household, Quantities Limited)
Guitar Hero: World Tour for Wii $35.90
Alvin & The Chipmunks for Wii $9.90 (Limit 1 per customer)

DS
Guitar Hero: On Tour $34.90

PS2
Eye ToyKinetic w/Camera $19.90
Tomb Raider Anniversary $12.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith $14.90
Alone in the Dark $6.90

Gamecube
Nintendo GameCube Bundle $79.95