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This is Evolved Gaming! Where the gamer’s give away a lot of stuff! and we discuss some things also!

So this was supposed to be a shorten “holiday” episode and Drew still managed to drag it out over a hour long.  This was supposed to be just Drew and myself, as Cory was busy with family and the holidays, but Drew had to bring a friend on.  So sorry its so long and sorry we had a guest, and not the one I said would be on first.

Hmm, I also told someone I would get Cory to talk more on the show and show wasn’t on at all.  I really screwed this episode up!  Well look forward to next week were we will have another guest on the show and I guarantee this guest will get Cory talking!

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Subscribe in iTunes – Leave an iTunes Review to enter! Winners will be picked on Christmas Day! First Place is you choice of, up to 3 games (depends on number of iTunes reviews submitted). Second Place is, any combination of point cards that total $40 (PSN, XBL or Wii). Third Place is, any one point card that total $20 (PSN, XBL, Wii).

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Well, the holidays are right around the corner. Maybe you’ve got a friend who has a PS3 and you wanna get them a little something, or maybe you’re looking for something for your own gaming baby. Well, in any case, I’m going to run down a small list of things to get this holiday for all the PS3 boys and girls.

#1 The official Sony Playstation 3 Bluetooth Headset.- $49.99

A Very comfortable, great sounding headset. No longer will you have to play silently during those Resistance 2 deathmatches. A little tip: If you pick up the SOCOM: US Navy Seals: Confrontation bundle, this headset comes with the game. All for $59.99! Just sayin’…

#2 The official Sony Playstation 3 wireless keypad- $49.99

Just recently released, the chat pad snaps onto the PS3 controller at the top. It has its own charging method and does not use the PS3 controller’s power at all. Now, replying to a message during gameplay just got a lot easier.

#3 Sony Playstation 3 wireless Dualshock 3 SIXAXIS controller- $54.99

For all you PS3 owners who picked up an early model of the PS3 you may feel nothing. Literally. That’s why Sony has released the Dualshock 3. It’s still got all the SIXAXIS motion controlled goodness only with a little more feeling in the grip…if you can’t guess it, it has rumble. A very good investment if you don’t have one yet.

#4 The official Sony Playstation 3 Blu-Ray Disc Remote Control- $24.99

Here, instead of you fumbling with the PS3 controller to do all your fast forwarding use the Bluetooth PS3 remote instead. It has substantial battery life and has every button you would find on a PS3 controller. Great for the couch potato of the family. Also, you can find these cheaper depending on where you look. Amazon.com has them at a discount as of this post.

#5 Playstation Network Point Cards- $20 and $50 increments

These are perfect for any PS3 owner. You can purchase PSN games, movies, themes, full games, or any other downloadable joy your heart desires. I know you can find them at Blockbuster. From what I understand, they are also at Wal-Mart and Target now. Look for them in the pre-paid card(cell phone minute cards) section.

#6 Dead Space Downfall Blu-Ray movie- $34.99

Your buddy enjoying Dead Space? How about yourself? Want to learn more about what happened to the crew aboard the Planet Cracker Ishimura? Well you now can with Dead Space Downfall. This animated movie tells the events leading up to the beginning of EA’s new survival horror game Dead Space. Not for the faint of heart. Once again, Amazon.com has this right now for $19.99.

#7 Fallout 3 Official Collector’s Strategy Guide- $34.99

Having trouble finding that special laser rifle in Fallout 3? Sick of seeing your friend miss all the cool quests and getting killed by all those super mutants? Well look no further than the Collector’s Strategy Guide. This hard cover walkthrough has everything you can imagine to give you the survival edge in the Capital Wastelands of Fallout 3.

And finally,

#8 160GB, 250GB, and 320GB replacment hard drives- $44.99-$84.87

Not posting any pictures up for this. This is for the hardcore PS3 guys and gals. If your little 60GB stock hard drive is just not cutting it you can always upgrade! One of the many perks of having a PS3 over a 360 is the fact that you can upgrade the hard drive and it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg! I looked up three different types of hard drives with three different capacities.

Seagate 160GB- $44.99

Seagate 250GB- $63.24

Toshiba 320GB- $84.87

(All prices were found at Amazon.com) Keep in mind, it must be a 2.5″ SATA hard drive in order for it to work in the PS3.

And that’s all I’ve got for now. Each of these gifts won’t run you over $100 and your PS3 owning friends and family members will not be disappointed when they open their gifts this holiday! Tell em’ Fury told ya to get it for em’!

This is Evolved Gaming!  Where the gamer’s give away a lot of stuff!  and we discuss some things also! Announcements from JDB: Thanksgiving giveaway going on right now at 360evolved.com for 1600 Microsoft points, ends Tuesday. 360Evolved will be holding Christmas giveaway for 1 year of Xbox LIVE gold, more details will be available after Thanksgiving. All of the EvolvedGaming sites will be having big Holiday coverage, Great Gaming gift ideas. More reviews are up. Give us iTunes reviews for an upcoming game giveaway. News:

• Valve hinting at new Team Fortress 2 class in Left 4 Dead.
• Wrath of the Lich King is now fastest selling PC game.
• Take Two thinking of doing subscription based GTA game.
• PSN update: LittleBigPlanet Sack in a Box, Bioshock challenge rooms, Dead Space packs, GH:WT DLC, American Idol Revolution DLC, Rock Band 2 DLC, Moto GP demo, videos, themes, trailers.
• Amazon’s $199 PS3 bundle.
• Black Friday ads.
• Sony says over there’s over 14 milllion active PSN users.
• Sony said LittleBigPlanet could have been a #1 if released at a different point of the year.
• LittleBigPlanet level creation prize for PS3 second birthday.
• Preorder GTA4 on Steam and get Vice City for free.
• Valve releasing Ultimate Value Pack for $99, Half Life for 98 cents.
• Home letting 100,000 more people in beta.
• Avatar clothing packs being released within the next six months will be free.
• Nickleback says “Put down Guitar Hero”. For LOLs: http://www.thewebshite.net/nickelback.htm
• Sony requiring PS3 games to have Trophies in the next year.
• GTA4 DLC named and dated.
• Halo Recon only has 4 - 6 hours of gameplay.

Shoutouts. Outro. Direct Download Here (right click, Save As…) Subscribe in iTunes - Leave an iTunes Review to enter!  Winners will be picked on Christmas Day!  First Place is you choice of, up to 3 games (depends on number of iTunes reviews submitted).  Second Place is, any combination of point cards that total $40 (PSN, XBL or Wii).  Third Place is, any one point card that total $20 (PSN, XBL, Wii).

If you have ever been told to “TURN DOWN THAT GAME/MOVIE/MUSIC”, whatever your vice is, then the Tritton AX Pros are the answer you have been looking for.  I know for me the only way my wife knows I stay up playing video games is because she can hear the game audio playing into the late night hours.  Well no longer will I be getting those weird “did you stay up till 3am playing a video game again?” questions.  Read on to find out how you can avoid those pesky questions to.

Basic Installation/Setup:

As the title implies the AX Pros have a very basic installation process.  As mentioned in the included foldout instructions sheet, the first four steps are the same no matter what you are connecting the headsets to.

1. Remove the plastic caps for the optical cable.  Yes I find it funny too, but why not start with a little humor.
2. Connect the power adapters to the controller jack and the headset.  Yes there are two plug-ins for these headsets.
3. Plug the two AC adapters to the wall.  I would recommend a power strip.
4. Connect the 9-pin plug into the front of the controller box.  There is a spot for two headsets per controller box.

After those initial steps it gets more the sheet gets more specific for installations with the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC w/optical, PC w/analog, DVD player and self powered 5.1 speakers.  In fact the AX Pros can be hooked up to any device with either a optical cable or other 5.1 output devices.  The controller box can also work as a 5.1 decoder when hooked up to 5.1 self powered speakers.  In short, the versatility of the AX Pros is very self evident.

Currently I plan to use these headsets with my 360, PS3 and the occasional movie that wife wife doesn’t watch to watch or hear.  Before getting the AX Pros I ran these devices with optical cables to my receiver.  The PS3/360 share a cable that I have to switch depending on which I am playing.  This, after the first four steps, made installation as simple as unplugging the optical cable to my receiver and plugging in the included optical cable which runs to the controller box.

For the 360 I connect the optical cable to the audio output cable.  For voice chat on the 360 these is an included cable that plugs into the 360 controller and the in-line volume controller.  There is a specific way to connect it:

The 90 degree end goes to the in-line volume control.

As you will also see mentioned on the above, included, addendum to be concerned about were #2 and the “update” and will be covered momentarily.

For the most part though the installation for the PlayStation 3 was the same.  Unplug the optical to my receiver, plug in the optical from the controller box and game audio is a good.  Possibly.

As noted in the addendum check the PS3’s audio output and it should be optical out and ONLY have Dolby 5.1 and PCM 44.1 check (I think you have no choice on the PCM one, but DO NOT HAVE DTS Checked!).  If DTS is checked and the game/DVD supports DTS the PlayStation 3 defaults to output in DTS.  As the AX Pros use a Dolby decoder you will get no audio at all from the headsets.  I found this out starting up Resistance 2.

The other difference in installation between 360 and PS3 is the way in-game chat is handled.  On the PS3 in-game chat is done by Blue Tooth or USB and as there is no headset plug-in on the PS3 controller; in-game chat is handled via an, supplied, A to B USB cable from the PS3 to the controller box.  No cable from the in-line volume control is needed!

When I need to watch a movie/TV it is just as simple as above.  A quick unplugging of an optical cable and plugging in of another and away I go!  As mentioned there is also numerous other ways to hook up devices to the controller box and the AX Pros.  While I may never use them it is nice to know they are available and the necessary cables for those connections are included in the box!

Now that we have the hardware installed there are a few more settings worth making sure are set correctly.  On the 360 you will want to make sure you in-game chat is set to “play through headset” is checked and that “play through headsets and speakers” is NOT checked; as this would defeat the purpose of the headsets.  This would also be the place to change your mic input volume.  If people are having trouble hearing you turn this up, and vice versa.

On the PS3 you will want to go to settings -> sound settings -> audio output settings and again make sure only 5.1 Dolby Digital and PCM 44.1 is checked.  For in-game chat go to settings -> accessory settings ->  audio device settings -> and select both the input and output to be “C-Media USB Headset”.  This makes the “update” to the above addendum null as you will be able to change the volume of the in-game chat once this change is made.  Like the 360, this is also the place to change your mic input volume.

Actual Use of the AX Pros:

My AX Pros came with cloth ear pads and head pad installed.  I used this for the first couple days, and while they were comfortable, there were leather pads included so I gave them a chance.  I found that I liked the feel of the leather pads and the fact that the leather pads kept the ear units just a little farther from from ears.  It has been mentioned I have big ears so this little more distance added to the comfort level ten fold.  The same was my experience with the head pad.  The leather pad kept the while unit a little more elevated off my head.  I didn’t get quite the feeling of all the weight of the AX Pros resting on the top of my head.

NOTE: In the instructions there is not mention of how to change the head pad.  This should help:

1. Push down, firmly, on the head pad.
2. Slide the head pad towards one of the earpieces.  (look at the “teeth” on the other ear pad for a visual reference).
3. Once “teeth” let go remove pad and replace with the other included.
4. Slide new pad into place.

Well that may have been more in the setup category but on to the games!

The first game I tried with the AX Pros was Resistance 2.  This is were I discovered the “DTS issue” from above.  At first R2 and the PS3 defaulted to DTS output so I had no sound.  After turning off DTS in the menus though, it was like a veil had been lifted from my ears!

In playing the single player it was like sitting in a movie theater, having tunnel vision on the screen, making it seem larger then life!  The best part?  Down about two feet on the cable from the headsets to the controller box is your personal in-line volume controller.  Having trouble hearing the gunfire from in front or you?  Turn the front speakers up.  Having trouble hearing the footsteps as your enemies sneak up from behind you?  Turn the rear speakers up.  Or just getting old, like me, and can’t hear the in-game conversations very well anymore?  Turn the center speakers up.  Or if your like my old man and just can’t hear at all any more you can turn all the speakers up at once!  There is also an individual volume control for the sub woofer.  All can be adjusted independently or all at once.

As I was playing a first person shooter I decided to turn the front and rear up a little higher then the other channels.  This proved to be highly advantages as I could hear were gun fire was coming from well before seeing it.  I could pin-point snipers quicker from the sound of their shots.  And if I had passed an enemy or not quite killed him completely I could hear them coming from behind me in time to do something about it.

It was then on to the multi player in Resistance 2.  I found it very easy to install the mic.  It attaches to the left ear piece and there is only one way to insert it.  I did find myself wishing for a more flexible mic or one that would extend a little more as not mouth is the same distance from their ear.  When I first received the AX Pros I was a little disappointed to see I wouldn’t be able to adjust in game chat and for the first night I couldn’t.  But I received an email from Tritton, made the adjustment listed above and it worked!  The mic mute and chat volume control are also on the in-line volume controller and very convenient to get to.

The “Stress” Test:

As we are all not alike and it is just me at my house that would ever be using these headsets, I decided to take them over to my best friend’s house and test on his kids.  He has four children; ranging from 4 to 11 in years.  Also, he and his wife were present and able to try the headsets out.  Everyone got to play one level of Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360.  The transportation and setup were, again, extremely easy.

Again, as COD4 is a FPS I setup the AX Pros with the front and rear channel up higher then the others.  I also tuned the sub woofer down a little as to not hurt their young ears.  As everyone took their respective turn it was easy to make slight adjustments to the height of the headset, as well as the volume for each person.  As we decrease in age we also decrease the volume.  Another nice thing is you don’t have to adjust each individual volume level each time.  Once the front and rear were set higher, and the sub set lower, it stays at those individual specific levels as you increase or decrease volume.

That sounded a little confusing.  An example:  I set the the individual front and rear volume, respectively, five clicks higher then the others.  I wait a couple seconds after setting those individually.  Once all the channels are lit up on the in-line volume controller I can adjust all volumes at once, but the front and rear volume will always stay five clicks higher then the others.

This made it a matter of adjusting the “master” volume for each person as we swapped from child to child.  Once the kids went to bed we just raised the “master” volume up to an “adult” level and were playing again within seconds.  Again with the 360 the in-game chat is handled by a cable that runs from the in-line controller to the 360 controller.  As both are at arms length at not time did this feel uncomfortable at all.

Conclusion:

While I was at PAX I made it a point, it was actually the first items I wanted to see over all the games, to go and try out all the gaming headsets that were there.  I had known about the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headsets from Steve (EIC of Platform Nation) and the Astro A40 Audio Systems from some Pro gaming people and in listening to some podcasts.  I even knew about the Tritton AX360s from Chiahippo of Platform Nation and I was prepared to make the AX 360s my headsets of choice.

I found the Plantronics to just not be comfortable to my head and I found the Astro’s to be a little “too much” headset for me, which made my head hurt.  Then once I got to the Tritton booth I saw the AX 360s and then the AX Pros sitting next to them.  I think it was love at first site but for $140 (PAX price) to $180 I had to make sure.

The final straw that concreted the purchase in my mind my the one round of COD4 I played against X3R0_9 of XBLRadio.  I think I ended up going like 8-1 in a round on Crash.  The way the headsets were setup, even in the LOUD PAX hall, I could hear every step X3R0 was taking and knew where he was on the map at, almost, all times.  After this I was SOLD!  The fact that they are one of the only TRUE Dolby Digital 5.1 Headsets, and their price, is just an added bonus! I have heard that Tritton is currently out of stock on the AX Pros but I would highly recommend you get your order in NOW!  Get your name on that list for when they are in stock and you will not be disappointed when they arrive.

The Good - True Dolby Digital 5.1!  Individual Volume Adjustments for Front, Rear, Center and Sub!  Adjustable in-game chat on the 360 & PS3!  Versatility to hook up almost any 5.1 device!  All cables needed INCLUDED!

The Bad - With headphones on you don’t know how loud you are speaking!  You are wired to, technically, your console!

Overall - 9.7!  Until Tritton finds a way to get True Dolby Digital into a wireless headset these will have to do as the pinnacle of gaming headsets!

Please leave any comments/questions/issues here or email me at infected503@evolvedgaming.net.  I am trying to get a representative from Tritton on the Evolved Gaming Podcast and will be happy to ask any questions you have.  Heck Tritton may even be reading this so comments here are always welcome!

I also would like to add that I’ve had excellent support from Tritton.  They seemed to be very customer service oriented company and, by the comments on the unboxing, seem to respond timely to others concerns as well.  I send my thanks and that of everyone hear at PS3Evolved, and the exteneded Evolved Gaming family, to Chris @ Tritton for the many demonstrations at PAX (I think I went back two or three times) and to Megan! Thank You Both!

Yes, once again, I am late with the recap. I had to wait until my day off to write this. Well, we’re finally winding down from the flood of games. You still alive?

To tell the truth, I did almost the opposite this year from last year. Last year, I picked up any and everything that I planned to play: Halo 3, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4, Assassin’s Creed, Guitar Hero 3, Super Mario Galaxy. You can imagine how my wallet felt after Christmas. This year, however, I bought a total of 5 games over the span of the four big release months: Gears of War 2, Dead Space, Rock Band 2, Fallout 3, and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. That’s it. I’m thinking of picking up Prince of Persia in December. We’ll find out. One of the main reasons I didn’t purchase as much is becasue I finally decided to use Gamefly. I have to say, they’re not bad. Granted, you’re probably not going to get the newest of the new games that come out, but they’ll keep you fresh with games.

Now, on to the games. Not much new this week and a half. Like I said above, Fallout 3 and Gears 2 have taken most of my time. I did get Battlefield: Bad Company from Gamefly earlier in the week. I have to say, It’s not bad at all. I really wasn’t feeling the demo too much, but the final game is pretty good.

Fallout 3 is pretty much a rap for me. I’ve logged in about 40 hours of my life in it, and let me just say, I loved all of it. I haven’t got all the achievements out of it and I probably never will. I think it’s time to retire the game as of this week. I will go back to it…one day.<gazes out to the horizon.>

Gears of War 2 has been keeping me busy for a few days. To tell the truth, I can’t get into the multi-player too much. I’m so used to playing first person shooters that I can’t get used to the frantic battles in Gears. It’s a great game when it comes to Horde mode and co-op, though. I think I just need to play it more. Although, I did beat it through with a buddy on Hardcore. I guess I could do it again on Insane. That’ll take a few days, maybe during Thanksgiving.

Hey, the New Xbox Experience(NXE) is out!….do I really care? Actually, I do, mainly because I can’t find freakin’ anything I want on the damn thing. I want to find my friends I have to scroll through their own mini-profile to find them. To be honest, I just hit the guide button and use the mini-toolbar to find what I want. I don’t know. It’s going to be that way with Home as well. Good thing about home is that it’s not fully integrated into the actual “dashboard.” At least, I don’t think it will…

Finally, I have been playing Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on the DS. Not bad. Not bad at all, honestly. Unfortuanately, just like every other Castelvania, this game is difficult. I’d compare the boss fights to a lead pipe being bashed against your kneecap repeatedly. It will stop, but only if you play “Through the Fire and Flames” on expert perfectly and if you mess up, the pipe starts hitting you again. Yeah, that kind of hard.

To be honest, I haven’t had time to play too much recently. College, work, and life in general has punched me in the nose to told me to stop playing those blasted games so much. Only problem is, It’s been holding me back from writing on the site. Although, news around this time is few and far between.

Sorry, I didn’t grace you with pictures this week. Maybe next week I’ll post a few. Hopefully, I’ll have a day off. I doubt it though, I’m working all Thanksgiving day, but hey! time and a half pay sounds good! Have a great Thanksgiving everyone, even you Euros. Catch ya later!

Probably my most exciting game, product and/or person that I was privileged to meet and/or see at the Penny Arcade Expo 2008 was the people at Tritton Technologies; and their AXPro (GA611) True 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset.  This was my first experience with these and with the wife telling me to turn down my games, all the time, it was about time to get a pair of headsets.

I just received these today and will have a full review up later this week but wanted to give everyone some un-boxing pictures I took and some quick impressions!

The Tritton AXPro’s came in a very thick cardboard box.  On the back of the box has some general information about the AXPros; as well as some of the many highlights (in 5 different languages).

The front of the box opens up, book style.  This exposes the headsets and inline volume control unit.  Also on the inside left is a brief description of what the AX Pros do, how the voice communication works, and that the AX Pros are customizable with different ear cup padding and headrail padding.

The first piece of paper upon opening the box was not a good start to this unboxing.

So no carrying case, but more importantly is the mention at the bottom that “Adjust game audio seperate from Voice audio true, on for xbox live”.  More on this later.

All together, included in the box was:

• Tritton AX Pro Headset with in-line audio control module
• Removable Earcap Covers
• Replaceable Ear & Headband Pads
• Removable Microphone
• AX Pro Dolby Digital & Pro Logic Audio Controller
• Double Power Adapters
• XBox Live communication recoil cable
• Digital Fiber Optic Cable (Toslink)
• Communication USB Cable
• G9 Adapter

Also in the box was a instruction sheet that also doubles as a poster.  It lists basic setup for: Xbox 360, PS2, PC with optical, PC with analog, DVD Player and 5.1 speakers.  As I am only going to use this for my 360 and PS3 those are the only instructions I looked at.  I do see the G9 adapter is used when connecting to a PC with analog but that appears to be all.  If you have questions on other means of hooking this up please contact me.

Initial setup of the AX Pro was extremely easy.  I first hooked up the optical cable to my PS3 and then the Dolby Audio Controller.  I then connected the USB cable to my PS3 and then the Dolby Audio Controller.  If I was using the 360 I would use the XBL recoil cable.  This connects to the 360 controller and the in-line control module (see picture of in-line controller)

Optical Jack & USB hook up for PS3   /  XBL recoil cable plug in.

Plug in BOTH the power cords.  Yes you are reading that right.  There are 2 (two) power cords.  One plugs into the Audio Control Box and one plugs in to power the headset.  The last item is to plug in the headsets to the control box and fire up the PS3 to see how they work.

Again the full review will be up later this week.  I do have one issue to report, and its one I have had an issue with the PS3 from the start.  The first game I tried my headsets out with was Resistance 2.  As I have both Dolby Digital and DTS selected in the menus of the PS3, the PS3 defaults to outputting DTS, even if there is no DTS receiver on the other end.  Most devices will output DTS but if no receiver they will then goto Dolby Digital.  This does not happen with the PS3 and therefore the headsets were not working.  After a little digging on the internet I found that I needed to turn my DTS off in the PS3 menu.  This means that I will not be able to use DTS on any other media on my PS3.  As Dolby Digital is a better format maybe this is not so bad; just an inconvience to us audiophiles out there.

After fixing this issues and trying other games I have come to the conclusion that the Tritton AX Pros are “AMAZING”!  and that is your tease for the review.  More to come later this week.  Please send any comments or questions to infected503@evolvedgaming.net

With the release last week of Mirror’s Edge gamers were introduced to a new kind of FPS.  A FPS in which shooting is discourage and there are even acheivements and trophies for going the whole game without firing a shot.

Now from the extremely creative mind of Borne Games and Electronic Arts is a 2D flash version of Mirror’s Edge.  Developed by Brad Borne, creator of Fancy Pants, this flash version is currently in Beta but is set to be release soon, on selective websites (will update when sites are known); and it will have full leader boards for the competitive play we are all used to.

If you have not tried Mirror’s Edge as of yet I highly recommend to head over to Borne Games and give it a shot!  If you have already played/completed Mirror’s Edge then test the skills you learned on the flash version and maybe you could be on the top of the leader boards!

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I know, I know!  Only a hour and fourteen minutes.  We have no one to blame but Drew (FrustratedFury) as he did not provide all the mindless and boring news that we are a custom too.  Please email him at frustratedfury@ps3evolved.net with you best guilt trip and possible news stories for next weeks show (he needs you help)!  What we did talk about was:

Announcements from JDB: Reviews of Spyro, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, Quantum of Solace, Vigilante 8, and GH:WT are up. MK Vs. DC review will be up tomorrow. Thanksgiving giveaway: 1600 MS points.

News:

• Street Fighter 4 release date – February 17, 2009 US (February 20, 2009 were Drew lives)
• World of Warcraft breaks 12 million active users.
• PS3 Store update: Age of Booty. Pain Hasselhoff character. FIFA 09 free[?] commentary. GH:WT Hendrix and REM DLC. Rock Band Foo Fighters album DLC. Need for Speed: Undercover cars.
• Banjo 3 screenshot announces game sequels [http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee204/crankygamersuk/IMAGE_003.jpg]
• The Killers DLC that is coming out for GH:WT is also coming out for Rock Band.
• Rock Band DLC for this week.
• Major Nelson acknowledges XBL connectivity issues.
• Toy car DLC available for Burnout: Paradise.
• 360 to surpass original Xbox in units sold.
• NPD numbers: Wii and 360 up, Fable 2.
• Fable 2 DLC codes are coming out.
• Dead Space paid DLC.
• Street Fighter 4 arcade pretty much never coming to arcades.
• Rumor: LittleBigPlanet PSP in 2009?
• Wii Speak channel only available for people who buy new Wii Speak
• GTA: Chinatown Wars delayed until February – April, GTA4 DLC delayed until end of January.

Yikes that is a lot of stuff to talk about!  And its in our shortest show, in this current form.  Look below for the Christmas contest and be on the look out for 360Evolved’s Thanksgiving Contest, for 1600 MS Points, coming really soon!

Direct Download Here (right click, Save As…)

Subscribe in iTunes – Announced on this episode, but readers had the early jump (and only one took advantage of).  We are going to be having a Christmas Contest!  Leave an iTunes Review to enter!  Winners will be picked on Christmas Day!  First Place is you choice of, up to 3 games (depends on number of iTunes reviews submitted).  Second Place is, any combination of point cards that total $40 (PSN, XBL or Wii).  Third Place is, any one point card that total $20 (PSN, XBL, Wii).

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The first 30 days is the “golden” period for game DLC.  Keeps people playing and more people buying for the holidays.  The following all being premium DLC may make a little difference with all the games that are, and already have been released.

There is also DLC for the 360 version and that list can be found on 360Evolved.

PLAYSTATION®3 Exclusive Packs:

• Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack: Download the exclusive Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Includes weapon skins in jet-black PLAYSTATION 3 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.

• Obsidian Pack: Download the exclusive Obsidian Suit and Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the PLAYSTATION®3! Includes an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle, all in jet-black PLAYSTATION®3 colors.

The complete list of upgrade packs include:
• Astronaut Pack: Download the Astronaut Suit and Weapon Skin Pack, featuring an amazing Astronaut Suit and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper!
• 240 MS points

• Big Gun Pack: Download the Steam Punk Force Gun, the ultimate in Necromorph-killing destruction.
• 80 MS points

• Heavy Damage Pack: Download the Heavy Damage Weapon pack featuring a cool new look and massive firepower for the Plasma Cutter, Contact Beam, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper.
• 240 MS points

• Hot Rod Pack: Download the Hot Rod Weapon Skin Pack, featuring awesome flame graphics for the Flamethrower and Pulse Rifle.
• 80 MS points

• Military Pack: Download the Military Weapon Pack for a new look and enhanced power for all 7 Dead Space weapons.
• 320 MS points

• Pedestrian Pack: Download the Pedestrian Weapon Skin Pack, featuring a fresh new look for the Contact Beam, Plasma Cutter, and Ripper.
• 120 MS points

• Scorpion Pack: Download the Scorpion Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun, all decorated in an awesome red Scorpion Skin.
• 320 MS points

• Scorpion Weapon Pack: Download the Scorpion Weapon Pack featuring a faster death-dealing Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun in awesome red skins.
• 180 MS points

• Speed Kills Pack: Download the Speed Kills Weapon Pack! Includes faster-firing Force Gun, Line Gun, and Plasma Cutter.
• 180 MS points

• Tank Pack: Download the Tank Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Flamethrower, Force Gun, and Line Gun, all covered in Unitology script.
• 320 MS points

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (50.7MB)

No matter what we try we can’t find a fourth to join in with us.  We do have a message from JDB included in this weeks show and he tells us some exciting things that are coming soon!  Other then that it is a show like normal, except we hit the magic numero 21 and alcohol was hardly mentioned on it.  As usual the better news corespondent we have took notes during the show and we discussed:

• Blu-Ray Releases: Firefly, Harry Potter 1 – 5 being the main ones
• Game releases: COD: WAW, Red Alert 3, Mirror’s Edge, My Horse and Me 2, Shawn White Snowboarding, GH:OT, SingStar ABBA edition, Animal Crossing: City Folk, MK vs. DC, Banjo-Kazooie 3 and more…
• PSN Store update: (if we listed everything Drew mentions this post would be 10 pages long)
• LittleBigPlanet Wheel of Doom glitch
• LittleBigPlanet levels being deleted without warning/reason
• User made Zelda and Mario tracks being deleted from GH:WT
• Burnout Paradise gets Legendary Car Pack, includes hovering DeLorean
• THQ suing Activision Blizzard over similarities in box art
• Ghostbusters game gets picked up by Atari
• Ubisoft drops rights to Heroes game
• Nintendo DSi blocks R4 carts
• First Avatar XBLA game coming out on November 19, a Kingdom of Keflings
• Fallout 3 sells $300 million
• GTA4 is top seller in Japan
• Yaris is no longer available on XBLA
• Resistance 2 Easter egg pays homage to MGS4
• Deals of the week

** SPOILER WARNING ** Drew’s Discussion topic: Fallout3 and spoilers are discussed.

Outro/Shout Outs

and for those paying attention: Q2XDR-QQMRX-XTCWM-9VYFP-HCX6Q please email podcast@evolvedgaming.net if you are the lucky winner of this or ?? (hmm spoiler there).

Direct Download Here (right click, Save As…)

Subscribe in iTunes – Also: To be annouced on next episode, but readers will get the early jump.  We are going to be having a Christmas Contest!  Leave an Itunes Review to enter!  WinnerS will be chosed on Christmas Day!  First Place is you choice of, up to 3 games (depends on number of iTunes reviews submitted).  Second Place is, any combination of point cards that total $40 (PSN, XBL or Wii).  Third Place is, any one point card that total $20 (PSN, XBL, Wii).

For every ten reviews another game will be added to the grand prize, up to 3.  So if we get 20+ reviews the grand prize will be any 3 retail games of the winners choice.  Multiple entries are allowed, you have to figure out how to do it, reviews will also be read on an episode of The Evolved Gaming Podcast!

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