If the total playtime of Halo: Reach's mammoth multiplayer community could be harnessed into a useable energy source, it would power the world's cities for thousands of years. That is, until everyone unlocks that tricky golden visor.
News Blips:
Bungie releases a large batch of Halo: Reach statistics. Gamers played just over 1.3 billion games (or a whopping 24 thousand years' worth of time) for a combined total of 33 billion kills in Firefight, campaign, and multiplayer modes. Players also racked up over 700 million multiplayer multikill awards, with only 200,000 achieving the impressive "Killionaire" feat of 10 kills in a flash. There are loads of other stats to goggle over, so click the image on the right for the full report. Keep those fragging numbers climbing, Halo fans!
California State Senator Leland Yee says that parents should be able to control what kids watch. "Exposure to media violence was significantly associated with increased aggression or violence. The harmful effects on minors from playing violent video games are documented and not seriously contested," Senator Yee wrote in an editorial, going on to proclaim that society has "a direct, rational and compelling reason" in restricting a minor's access to violent video games. Senator Yee authored the 2005 California law that bans the sale of violent games to minors, currently under contention in the Supreme Court. Perhaps Senator Yee should brush up on his sniping skills instead of indirectly venting his frustrations on the gaming community? (Because everyone's a gamer inside. Right?)
DC Universe Online gets a January 11, 2011 release date for the PC and PlayStation 3. Sony Online Entertainment pushed back the game's planned November release until 2011, but it apparently wasn't pushed very far, as the beta is currently filled to the brim with players creating their own heroes and villains under the mentorship of franchise prominents such as Batman and Lex Luthor. IGN reports that the game will keep its pricing of $49.99 on the PC and $59.99 on the PS3, with both games running a monthly $15 subscription rate. My villain will be a dual-wielding ninja named "The Dark Shade." He'll also have a snotty, prepubescent sidekick, speak in a gravelly voice, and…never mind.
Epic Games Design DIrector Cliff Bleszinski teases of unlockable content in Gears of War 3. Constrained by the pernicious word limit, Bleszinki's tweet calls for players to "look for special unlocks in Gears of War 3 for those of you who have played other Epic games such as Shadow Complex, Unreal Tournament 3, Gears of War, and Bulletstorm." Gears of War 3 was originally planned for a Spring 2011 release, but it was delayed until 2011's holiday season. Perhaps one of these unlocks will help the Gears soldiers with their steroid problems?
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