Source: videogamesblogger.com

John DiMaggio is one lucky guy. Voicing Marcus Fenix in Gears of War 2 he gave a radio interview in which he simply comes off as . . . one heck of a cool, laid-back, nice, fun, kick-ass dude. A dude who got to take part in one of the best video games of 2008.

In addition to voicing Marcus in Gears of War (oh and be sure to check out our Gears of War 2 cheats guide for help with the game), he also does the voice of Bender in Futurama! What’s insane is how he can make his voice so deep for the part of Fenix, and yet do Bender and other voices as well. He is definitely one heck of a talented guy.

And if you haven’t heard him before, be prepared to love him. In this interview he talks about guy stuff: from football to beer to video games to cartoons and everything in between. Very interesting!

John DiMaggio Marcus Fenix Radio Interview Part 1

John DiMaggio Marcus Fenix Radio Interview Part 2

Thanks to Mataleone for the artwork.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

In what comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, Gears of War 2 for Xbox 360 has sold over 2 million copies worldwide in it’s first week on store shelves. No surprise because, outside of perhaps Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 has been one of the most anticipated Xbox 360 games building up to it’s release, and the original Gears of War was a massive hit.

If you need help with the game, be sure to check out our Gears of War 2 codes, cheats, game help and achievements list.

About the game
The gears of war continue to turn as Marcus Fenix and his squad of Cogs go back into action in the sequel to Microsoft and developer Epic Games’ blockbuster action title. Gears of War 2 continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, locked in an increasingly desperate battle against the nightmarish Locust Horde for the survival of humanity. The game promises to be an epic saga of survival, loss, and retribution. Just as Gears of War set the standard for high-definition visuals, Gears of War 2 raises the bar even further with the amazing technological advances of Unreal Engine 3, delivering a bigger, badder, and more intense experience as the story continues.

Here are a few interesting numbers that Microsoft released:

* over 1.5 million players had their stats tracked by Xbox Live over the weekend as they played Gears of War 2
* Those 1.5 million played a combined 15 million hours worth of the game.
* Over 19 million worth of Gears of War 2 achievements have been unlocked!

Just for fun, here’s a very cool “Death Montage” video from Gears of War 2.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe (UK, France, Germany) this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the most popular now.

Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 2. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 3. Wii Play (Nintendo), 4. Wii Music (Nintendo), 5. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts).

Japan: 1. Shape Boxing: Wii Enjoy Diet! (Rocket Company), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 4. Wii Music (Nintendo), 5. Wii Sports (Nintendo).

Europe: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 2. Wii Play (Nintendo), 3. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 4. Carnival: Fun Fair Games (2K Games), 5. FIFA 09 All-Play (Electronic Arts).

Xbox 360
North America: 1. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft), 2. Gears of War 2 Limited Edition (Microsoft), 3. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 4. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 5 Fable II (Microsoft).

Japan: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Capcom), 2. Tales of Vesperia (Namco), 3. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation - Platinum Collection (Namco), 4. Assassin’s Creed - Platinum Collection (Ubisoft), 5. The Idolm@ster - Platinum Collection (Namco).

Europe: 1. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft), 2. FIFA 09 (Electronic Arts), 3. Fable II (Microsoft), 4. Gears Of War 2 Limited Collectors Edition (Microsoft), 5. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar).

PlayStation 3
North America: 1. Resistance 2 (Sony), 2. LittleBigPlanet (Sony), 3. Resistance: Fall Of Man (Sony), 4. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 5. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami).

Japan: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Capcom), 2. LittleBigPlanet (Sony), 3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Special Edition (Konami), 4. Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi - Limited Edition (Aqua Plus), 5. Valkyria Chronicles (Sega).

Europe: 1. FIFA 09 (Electronic Arts), 2. LittleBigPlanet (Sony), 3. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 4. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 5. James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace (Activision).

PlayStation 2
North America: 1. Jak 3 (Sony), 2. Lego Batman (Warner Bros.), 3. Rock Band Special Edition (MTV Games), 4. Madden NFL 09 (Electronic Arts), 5. Guitar Hero: World Tour (Activision).

Japan: 1. Devil Summoner: Raido Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon - Plus Edition (Atlus), 2. Tales of the Abyss - Best of Collection (Namco), 3. Wrestling Angels: Survivor 2 - Special Edition (First Try), 4. Devil Summoner: Raido Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (Atlus), 5. Hokuouki (Idea Factory).

Europe: 1. FIFA 09 (Electronic Arts), 2. Lego Batman: The Videogame (Warner Bros.), 3. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Konami), 4. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 (THQ), 5. SingStar Singalong with Disney (Sony).

PC
North America: 1. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 2. Spore (Electronic Arts), 3. Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa (NCsoft), 4. World of Warcraft Battlechest (Blizzard), 5. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Electronic Arts).

Japan: 1. Chaos;Head (Nitro Plus), 2. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (Bandai Namco), 3. Clannad: Full Voice (Key), 4. Final Fantasy XI: The Vana’diel Collection (Square Enix), 5. Monster Hunter Frontier Online Season 3.0 Premium (E Frontier).

Europe: 1. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Electronic Arts), 2. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 3.Far Cry 2 (Ubisoft), 4. Spore (Electronic Arts), 5. The Sims 2: Apartment Life Expansion Pack (Electronic Arts).

Nintendo DS
North America: 1. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo), 2. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo), 3. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (Nintendo), 4. Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (Nintendo), 5. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! (Nintendo).

Japan: 1. Kirby Super Star Ultra (Nintendo), 2. Wagamama Fashion: Girls Mode (Nintendo), 3. Pokemon Platinum (Nintendo), 4. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Nintendo), 5. Avalon Code - includes original drama CD & materials set (Marvelous).

Europe: 1. Professor Layton and The Curious Village (Nintendo), 2. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo), 3. More Brain Training (Nintendo), 4. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo), 5. Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What To Eat? (Nintendo).

PlayStation Portable
North America: 1. Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow (Sony), 2. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockstar), 3. LEGO Batman (Warner Bros.), 4. Star Ocean: First Departure (Square Enix), 5. God of War: Chains of Olympus (Sony).

Japan: 1. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G - Best of Collection (Capcom), 2. Don’t Be So Bold Just Because You Are Heroes Part 2 (Sony), 3. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (Square Enix), 4. Mega Man Powered Up - Best Price! (Capcom), 5. Maplus Portable Navi 2 (Edia).

Europe: 1. FIFA 09 (Electronic Arts), 2. Lego Batman: The Videogame (Warner Bros.), 3. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Konami), 4. God of War: Chains of Olympus (Sony), 5. The Simpsons (Electronic Arts).

Where released, Gears of War 2 debuts #1 on the Xbox 360 charts. Resistance 2 also debuts on top of the PS3 chart. Fallout 3 stays on the number one spot on the PC chart. Wii Fit remains on the healthiest spot on the Wii chart. Jak 3 rears its head on the PS2 chart. Mario Kart DS returns on the DS chart. And lastly another return visitor with Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow on the PSP chart.

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” A listing of the top 5 sellers per region, for all systems combined.

North America: 1. Wii Fit (Wii), 2. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360), 3. Mario Kart Wii (Wii), 4. Gears of War 2 Limited Edition (Xbox 360), 5. Wii Play (Wii).

Japan: 1. Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS), 2. Wagamama Fashion: Girls Mode (DS), 3. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3), 4. Shape Boxing: Wii Enjoy Diet! (Wii), 5. Pokemon Platinum (DS).

Europe: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii), 2. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360), 3. Professor Layton and The Curious Village (DS), 4. Wii Play (Wii), 5. Wii Fit (Wii).

For the full lists go to Amazon’s US, JPN (PC) & UK sites.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

This Gears of War 2 guide will show you all available codes, cheats and help with unlocking modes, maps & skins, and get achievement points of the Xbox 360-exclusive third-person shooter game. Time to show those Locust who’s boss!

Let’s start with unlocking an additional difficulty setting for the main campaign: when you’ve finished the game once on any difficulty level, you unlock the Insane difficulty mode.

Did you know your copy of Gears of War 2 comes with a code for the free Flashback Map Pack? Yes, it does. Check on the inside, behind the Gears of War 2 manual on a separate piece of paper you’ll find a scratch card with a code that unlocks five maps. Those five favorite multiplayer maps from the original Gears of War have been updated and made available to download and play in Gears of War 2. To download the Flashback Map Pack you’ll first off obviously need an Xbox Live Silver or Gold membership, and be signed in to Xbox Live from the Xbox 360 Dashboard. From there you select Xbox Live Marketplace, then select Redeem Code when prompted, enter your code, and your download will be waiting for you. — On the same scratch card is a claim code that gives you 48 hours of Xbox Live Gold membership, so you can try out the online multiplayer modes in Gears of War 2 for free.

If you buy the Gears of War 2 Limited Edition, it comes with an exclusive Xbox Live code that you can use once to unlock a gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle for in-game online play. Enter the code the same way you did the (above mentioned) Flashback Map Pack code. After the download is complete, the Golden Lancer becomes available in all multiplayer modes including Horde and Training.

To unlock new skins for in multiplayer, you must complete the following tasks…
* Anthony Carmine: Successfully complete Act 1 in the original Gears Of War (have any Act 1 achievement unlocked from that game).
* Dizzy Wallin: Successfully complete Act 1 in Single Player mode.
* Flame Grenadier: Successfully complete Act 4 in Single Player mode.
* Kantus: Successfully complete Act 2 in Single Player mode.
* Lt. Minh Young Kim: Find 10 COG tags in the original Gears Of War (have the “Time To Remember” achievement unlocked from that game).
* RAAM: Defeat RAAM in the original Gears Of War (have the “A Dish Best Served Cold” achievement unlocked from that game).
* Skorge: Successfully complete Act 5 in Single Player mode.
* Tai Kaliso: Successfully complete Act 3 in Single Player mode.

You can unlock 50 Achievements in the game to get a total of 1,000 Gamerscore points. Here’s the full list of them all…

Achievement (Gamerscore points) — How to unlock it.
1. Green as Grass (10) — Train the rook (any difficulty).
2. It’s a Trap! (10) — Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 2.
3. Escort Service (10) — Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 4.
4. Girl About Town (10) — Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 6.
5. That Sinking Feeling (10) — Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 4.
6. Free Baird! (10) — Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 5.
7. Heartbroken (10) — Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 6.
8. Longitude and Attitude (10) — Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 3.
9. Tanks for the Memories (10) — Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 4.
10. Water Sports (10) — Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 6.
11. There’s a Time for Us (10) — Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 2.
12. Better Wrapped in Beacon (10) — Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 3.
13. Have Fun Storming the Castle (10) — Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 6.
14. And the Horse You Rode in On (10) — Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 1.
15. You Are the Support, Son (10) — Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 2.
16. Brumak Rodeo (10) — Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 4.
17. Does This Look Infected to You? (10) — Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 5.
18. Tourist of Duty (25) — Complete all campaign acts on Casual Difficulty.
19. Guerilla Tactician (50) — Complete all campaign acts on Normal Difficulty.
20. Artist of War (75) — Complete all campaign acts on Hardcore Difficulty.
21. Suicide Missionary (150) — Complete all campaign acts on Insane Difficulty.
22. Collector (5) — Recover 5 collectibles (any difficulty).
23. Pack Rat (15) — Recover 20 collectibles (any difficulty).
24. Completionist (30) — Recover all 41 collectibles (any difficulty).
25. One-Night Stand (10) — Complete 1 chapter in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom).
26. Open Relationship (30) — Complete 10 chapters in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom).
27. Friends with Benefits (50) — Complete all acts in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom).
28. Once More, With Feeling (10) — Perform 30 perfect active reloads (any mode).
29. Takes a Licking (30) — Melee 30 Tickers (any mode).
30. Organ Grinder (10) — Kill 30 enemies with a cover mounted Mulcher (any mode).
31. Shock and Awe (10) — Kill 30 enemies with the heavy Mortar (any mode).
32. Said the Spider to the Fly (10) — Kill 10 enemies with a planted grenade (any mode).
33. Crowd Control (10) — Melee 10 enemies down with the Boomshield equipped (any mode).
34. Smells Like Victory (10) — Kill 30 enemies with the Scorcher Flamethrower (any mode).
35. Variety Is the Spice of Death (30) — Kill an enemy with every weapon in the game (any mode).
36. Seriously 2.0 (50) — Kill 100,000 enemies (any mode).
37. Standing Here, Beside Myself (10) — Win 3 matches of Wingman (public).
38. Beat the Meatflag (10) — Capture 10 meatflags in Submission (public).
39. It’s Good to be the King (10) — Win 10 rounds of Guardian as the leader (public).
40. You Go Ahead, I’ll Be Fine (10) — Win three matches of King of the Hill (public).
41. Back to Basic (10) — Successfully complete the 5 lessons of multiplayer Training Grounds.
42. Party Like It’s 1999 (30) — Play 1999 rounds of multiplayer (any mode).
43. Around the World, Again (30) — Win a multiplayer match on each map (any mode).
44. Dirty, Dirty Horde (20) — Survive the first 10 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map).
45. Hoard the Horde (30) — Survive all 50 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map).
46. Crossed Swords (10) — Win 10 chainsaw duels (any mode).
47. A Parting Gift (20) — Kill 10 enemies with a grenade while down but not out (any mode).
48. Pound of Flesh (10) — Use a meatshield to save your life 10 times (any mode).
49. Photojournalist (10) — Submit a spectator photo.
50. Kick ‘Em When They’re Down (10) — Perform all 11 unique executions on a downed enemy.

Big thanks to Mike and the folks at Mycheats & Cheatcc.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

The past month we’ve given you the chance to win in our Gears of War 2 VS. Resistance 2 competition. The task was a matter of mentioning which one of two your favorite game was and why. We heartily thank all gamers who participated. After tallying the 255 votes on Gears of War 2 VS. Resistance 2, it came down to 154 VS. 101 fans, respectively. With Gears of War 2 having more votes, a winner was picked from that camp.

“Michael Marasco” wins and gets a free copy of the Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War 2! Congratulations to the winner! You’ll be contacted via email shortly.

If you didn’t win: Please suggest games you want to win in our next competition by commenting…

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Call of Duty: World at War will “beat” Gears of War 2, Resistance 2 and Far Cry 2 as this Christmas’ most sought after shooting game, says developer Treyarch and publisher Activision.

And while that is quite the arrogant statement, they really have gained the clout to say so, due to the fact that their last game, Call of Duty 4, is considered by many to be the best shooter of last year. And they certainly have the high sales figures to back up that statement, not to mention the critical acclaim (that game is scored in the low 90’s out of 100 percent across the three main platforms; Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, on gamerankings with 94% for the Xbox 360 version). Call of Duty 4 is also still the most played game on Xbox Live.

Activision’s senior producer Noah Heller, insists that fans of that game will not be disappointed with the follow-up. “There’s a lot of competition this year, but I feel very strongly we have the best shooter this Christmas. There is a lot of people new to the Call of Duty franchise following COD4, and they won’t be disappointed with Call of Duty: World at War. I’m looking forward to Gears of War, Far Cry and Resistance 2, and I’m sure they will be great games, but I am confident the consumer will come back to Call of Duty.”

However, Heller admits that following Modern Warfare has been a massive challenge for the firm.

“Along with the ‘why are you returning to World War II?’ questions, we’ve been asked ‘how are you possibly going to follow up COD4?’ And the answer to that question was not to focus on the previous game, but to make our own game on our own merits and our own strengths, and show people what we can do.”

Call of Duty: World at War will be released on Wii, PlayStation 2, PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Nintendo DS on November 14th.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

There’s a magnificent new Gears of War 2 “Last Day” TV commercial that’s making the rounds to get the word out about the mix of the original’s trademark tactical third-person shooter action gameplay with a new epic story of survival, loss, and retribution.

So whatever assumptions you’ve made, forget ‘em. Whatever your expectations are, raise ‘em, because Gears of War 2 is coming to Xbox 360. November 7th, 2008, is right around the corner, and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Epic Games are doing this in a similar way as they did with Gears of War’s “Mad World” TV spot, although I prefer Gears of War 2’s “Rendezvous” CGI video myself, what about you? — Watch the boys of Delta Squad go underground for war in the sequel.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Microsoft has released “Delta Blues”, the third instalment in a series of video documentaries that showcase the development of Gears of War 2 before its worldwide launch on November 7th, 2008.

“Delta Blues” provides an inside look at the members of Delta Squad from those who know them best. In this vidoc, find out what it means to never fight alone as Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, senior producer Rod Fergusson and president Mike Capps discuss the iconic characters who comprise Delta Squad, as well as the new characters introduced in Gears of War 2.

Watch the third Gears of War 2 video documentary.

Watch the latest Gears of War 2 video documentary too. In “Enter the Horde” Epic gives a closer look at brutal new foes.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Welcome to our “Gears of War 2 or Resistance 2″ competition where you have the chance to win either of the two biggest exclusive upcoming FPS games this year, the Xbox 360-exclusive Gears of War 2 or the PlayStation 3-exclusive Resistance 2!

What do you need to do to win? Answer this question: “Which game are you most looking forward to and why?”

What are the rules? Winners must be located on planet Earth. All you have to do is leave a comment on this page with your answer before November 4th date is over. The winner will be announced the next day. Fill out your real email so we can contact you if you win (your email will be invisible to other readers, only the site staff can see it). By entering you are confirming that you are of legal age as indicated by the ESRB rating for either Mature game. Good luck!

Gears of War 2 epic teaser:

Resistance 2 hype trailer:

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Gears of War 2 is one of the most anticipated games to be released this year, and is currently scheduled to hit store shelves on November 7th.

As such, the developers at Epic Games (with famed Gears designer Cliff Bleszinski aka Cliffy B.) have seen fit to walk gamers through the sights and sounds of their latest epic.

In their first developer diary, dubbed “A Touch of Sound”, Cliff along with Audio Director Mike Larson, Senior Producer Rod Fergusson and Composer Steve Jablonsky tell you why “audio is everything” and explore how and why Gears of War 2 will sound . . . crunchier. You also get a brief look at the voice recording process as well as the symphony orchestra and composer who did the game’s music. Which was created by the same guy who did Transformers the movie and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Fitting indeed I’ll say.

The second Developer Diary is dubbed Every Gun Has A Story and is pretty self-explanatory. Cliff and Rod, along with Art Director Chris Perna, first give you an overview of the new weapons in the game, then they also explore the Executions, Chainsaw Duels and the new “imtimate violence” gore effects, that allow chunks of enemies to come off realistically! HELL YEAH!