July 2008 – Page 2 – NuAngel.net

[Update 1] Does this have anything to do with Bungie? We doubt it.

Posted on July 8, 2008 by admin

With other sites jumping on the bandwagon, I highly doubt this piece of news has anything to do with Bungie, or Halo Wars.

Rumors are floating that the website 1019FoxFM is a count down to the latest Bungie project. Now, according to the Xbox360Fanboy, they have searched the internet and come up with a paper trail suggesting that the site is or once was a pirate radio station, including now defunct myspace accounts and streaming radio stations.

Now, I know, “rising from the ashes” seems like a bit of a “Phoenix” reference (the previously reported name of the UNSC ship you will be following throughout the story of Halo Wars). And it’s true that there are an awful lot of 7’s on the website for this “Fox FM.” But no matter how good viral advertising is, they aren’t usually that good at trying to take you off the right path.

Xbox 360 Fanboy claims to have done a WHOIS, and come up with a name and a City. Those details match information found in the source code of the page itself. It also describes the return of an Indie radio station. You can see it below.

meta name=”generator” content=”Yahoo! SiteBuilder/2.5/1.6.0_01″
meta name=”author” content=”James Lace Clark”
meta name=”description” content=”This is an Internet Rock Station that airs several shows and more. We are Uncensored, and play Metal, Rock, Alternative, Independant Station based out of Burlington, North Carolina.”
meta name=”keywords” content=”Rock, Lace, Midnight, Shows, Fox FM, 101.9, Independant Station, Burlington, NC,”

James Clark, Burlington, North Carolina, USA. Now I know these Viral Advertising things have gotten good, but really – Yahoo! Site Builder, and all of this clear attempt to pose as a radio station? I firmly believe that it IS a radio station, trying to work its way up the Google rankings, and get noticed. The use of the number 7 is pure coincidence (Bungie didn’t make the movie Se7en, either), and could even be intentionally playing on the popularity of Bungie Day.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I hope to be proven wrong, I just don’t see this turning into an E3 “gotcha!” moment.

Update 1: If this was supposed to be an E3 moment, it failed, as the counter on 1019FoxFM.net has reset to 24 days and change. Wonder if they’re having a hard time with their FCC license? 😉

Lionhead Studios Quells the Complainers

Posted on July 7, 2008 by admin

(if this image has not resized properly, please leave a comment letting me know that, and what web browser you’re using – some users are reporting issues with images – thank you!)

In a brilliant move, Fable II developer Lionhead Studios announced that the previously known “Pub Games” will be available free to those who preorder Fable II.

When the arcade games were announced back in March, gamers the world over condemned Lionhead of double dipping. Lionhead originally came back by insisting that the games would each stand well on their own as fun Xbox Live Arcade Experiences, only enhanced by the fact that you could be amassing an in-game fortune prior to Fable 2 launch day. But in a move to amass a fortune of their own prior to launch day, the company decided to switch tactics, include all three games in one “shell”, and, you read correctly, give them away free to those who preordered the game.

The Pub Games will be available shortly before the launch to all players, pre-order or not, but will cost others 800 Microsoft points (already turning your $59.99 purchase in to $69.99).

Pub Game preorder offer is not exclusive to the “Collector’s Edition” which was also announced today, at $79.99 – which I consider quite a kind move on the part of Lionhead. Pay sixty bucks or eighty bucks, they don’t care, if you preorder it, you get the $10 package of XBLA games for free. Commendable.

Better Know a Gamer: Issue #16: PimpMethod

Posted on July 5, 2008 by admin

It’s been too long since our last Better Know a Gamer. I chatted with this guy for about an hour last night – one thing’s for sure, video games are a passion of his, not just something to do to pass the time!

Nu: What’s your Gamertag, and what’s the story behind it?
It’s PimpMethod, The Pimp comes from a nick name I had during my senior year from high school which I was called Pimp Daddy. The Method comes from my favorite rapper Method Man from the Wu-Tang Clan.

Nu: Where are you from?
I’ve lived in Lyons, Georgia (USA) for about 14 years but I’m originally from Bronx N.Y.

Nu: One of my closest friends lives in the BX! How old are you, and what do you do (School, Job, Family, Hobbies)?
I am 26 years old and work in a lighting assemble company for four years. I’m looking for a new job on the side. Outside of gaming I read, listen to podcast, occasionally go to the club, and hang out with family and friends

Nu: How long have you been gaming in general?
Since the NES with the orange zapper in the late 80’s

Nu: Ah, the system that saved the video game industry! How long have you been a 360 owner?
Since April 1, 2006

Nu: If someone gave me a 360 on April 1st, I would be afraid they would try to take it back! I hope you bought it for yourself! What was one of your favorite Xbox / Xbox Live moments?
Being in my first LAN parry / tournament on Halo 2 and made it to the second round. That moment made me get Xbox live in 04

Nu: Which Xbox 360 Achievement are you most proud of?
The Gluttony achievement on Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom. Hey I want it all LOL

Nu: Are you currently working toward any achievements?
Get the real estate tycoon and Extreme Collector on Test Drive Unlimited, Team Battle (10) (30) (50) on Ace combat 6, Get a million dollars on Saints Row. Story quests of every character on Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom, Walk Free on GTA IV, Ghillies in the mist, Deep and Hard on Call of Duty 4.

Nu: What game(s) are you playing the most now?
Army of Two, Forza Motorsport 2, Call of Duty 4 RB6: Vegas 2 and GTA IV

Nu: What’s playing now (what music do you listen to when away from you Xbox or when listening to music ON your Xbox)?
I listen to rap. From Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, Jay-Z, M.O.P. Nas, The Notorious B.I.G. Outkast, Etc. Also I listen to Chopped and Screwed rap CD’s from U.G.K. Mike Jones, Bone Thugs and Harmony. Some Old school R&B because most rap music use interpolations or samples of these songs.

Nu: Very true. Always good to know your roots. Do you try to stick with one Gamerpic, or change it frequently?
I change once a mouth unless it’s a play n win gamer pics, then I change back

Nu: What is your current favorite Xbox related website to visit?

Well your site, Unscripted 360, Konsole Kingz, Platform Nation, 360 Voice, 360 Rant Rave, Game Politics and Lagtv

Nu: What game are you looking most forward to in 2008?
Saints Row2, Gears of War 2, Unreal Tournament 3, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars, Mercenaries 2, Too Human, Tom Clancy’s End War. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X., Street Fighter 4, and Kingdom Under Fire II.

Nu: Do you have an all time favorite game, for any console or the PC?
Killer Instinct from the SNES. It had the type of game play were it’s easy to play but tough to master. You can do quick styles combos to long and brutal combos. It give button massing a art form.

Nu: Classic. That game blew my mind when it came out! It’s still fun to play! Do you have any gaming buddies you frequently play with / want to make almost as famous as you?
Mostly I play with fourm members on Unscripted 360 and my clan members from the Deacon’s Deadly Blades. DT23LIVE and Johnny Whisperz from Konsole Kingz, Steve 519 from Platform Nation. One I want to make as famous as me is my friend Matt A.K.A. Shady357. He’s has a passion for video games and is very opinionated but can back it up with facts. He is the U.S. version of Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation.

Nu: Any parting words for the droves of readers?
Peace and more hair grease. LOL

Nu: lol, nice. Chalk up another one for Better Know a Gamer, folks. Thanks to PimpMethod for taking part. Let’s hope we can keep these things going!

Hey Gamers: We're still going mainstream!

Posted on July 4, 2008 by admin

click image to enlarge

See that picture? It’s a little resized, so let me tell you. It’s MSNBC.com‘s main page. And what you can navigate to through the “Tech & Science” menu? That’s right, Games! In a time when Video Games are the new Rock’n’Roll, and everyone else is condemning us for watching Lesbian Alien Porn (to quote DeaconBlade 360), MSNBC is finally embracing gamers and gaming.

CNN & FoxNews (the two other “24 hour news networks” here in the United States) aren’t featuring “Games” on either of their front pages – but we wouldn’t expect them to, as they spend their time bashing games. Perhaps it was more of a push from the “MS” half of the joint venture, but it feels good to know that someone out there is taking us more seriously, and looking for some postive stories, some good in it all.

It’s a multi billion dollar a year industry which is being studied more and more. Here’s to the concept of gamers not having to close the blinds and turn off the lights to indulge in a hobby!