Posts in the forum thread show that Blizzard is willing to discuss the unauthorized charges, but there haven't been any definite results from pursuing this course of action yet. Even stranger, though, is multiple posts stating that users have contacted their phone companies/broadband providers and are told that they have no chargebacks on their account. A quick Google search shows this isn't the first time that allegations of fraud and unexpected charges have been leveled against the company.
Another major frustration is that PaymentOne seems unwilling to help players reach a solution that doesn't involve simply paying these unathorized charges. Posts on the thread state that they've either been hung up on when they call the company or are transferred back to Blizzard. Two calls to PaymentOne seeking a comment resulted in being placed on permahold and then being disconnected.
Stop the presses! The walls of fiction are collapsing as characters run wild through the Great Library, and only Lex the Bookworm can save the world from certain doom! Build words and battle monsters to survive three storybooks with 10 chapters each. Trade barbs, banter and body blows with over 130 foes, and earn help from fighting friends along the way!
The better the word, the badder the damage — so power up with over 20 treasures, including all-new Rainbow Tiles. Work wordy wonders in all four game modes and flex your lexicon in six mini-games. It's a role-playing word game you can't set down!
Only characters at or above level 50 can make the underwater journey and accept the challenge of ‘Heart of the Ocean’. Numerous quests lead through the dungeon, which is ruled by powerful bosses. While a diminutive Naga Queen keeps player groups on the go with her extensive spells, a gigantic crab deals out its own variety of close combat. It is an arduous path right up until the end boss. Once he has been summoned, the end boss has some particularly nasty tricks in his repertoire – the petrified stone statues of past adventurers bear witness to those who have gone up against him unprepared. You can find more information at: www.runesofmagic.com.
It’s only been a month since the launch of Spore Galactic Adventures and already EA’s Maxis studio has hit a major milestone with more than 100,000 user-created adventures! Spore fans have taken creativity to new heights, creating imaginative, wacky and fun missions with the game’s easy-to-use Adventure Creator. Dive in today and play various imaginative and epic Adventures such as “The Silent Beacon,” “Valley of a Thousand Deaths” and “The Fog” by visiting the game’s Sporepedia at www.spore.com
The new expansion pack, Theatre of War 2 - Centaurois dedicated to the 131st Armored Division Centauro and the battles it took part in North Africa starting from December 1942 till mid-May 1943. The 131st Armored Division Centauro (in Italian: 131ª Divisione Corazzata "Centauro") was an armored division of the Italian Army during World War II. The pack features a new campaign and covers missions from rearguard actions near El Ageyla in Libya to the battles in Tunisia. New desert and mountain landscapes of North Africa will be available on ten new maps accurately reconstructed according to historical documents. There will also be ten new missions based on real battles in Tunisia allowing would-be Generals to command counterattacks, breakthroughs, flanking manuevers, hardened defenses and stealthy ambushes. Ten new military vehicles will also make their debut in this expansion including the Semovente M40 tank destroyer, the Carro Armato M13/40 medium tank, the Autoblinda AB 40 armored car, and many more. For more information please go the official website at www.battlefront.com/tow2.
Beginning September 3, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin fans will be able to download four all-new single-player levels in the exclusive F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn DLC campaign from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Studios, for a brand new gameplay experience on the PlayStation®Network for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows™ PC. F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn lets players experience four new single-player missions that coincide with the events in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and a simultaneous automatic title-update provides a free Slow-Mo Deathmatch multiplayer mode for use with F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin multiplayer content. A robust game demo of F.E.A.R. 2 Reborn will be released on August 27.
· Four All New Levels: Face the chaos of Alma’s aftermath from an entirely new point of view: that of Replica Soldier Foxtrot813. As gamers begin the mission as part of an orbital Powered Armor drop to reinforce their squad, the ruined city of Auburn emanates supernatural events and familiar voices, beckoning Foxtrot813 to go against orders from Replica command. Be careful, not everything is as it seems…
· Slow-Mo Deathmatch: Through a free title update, gamers obtain a slow-mo powerup to slow down enemies in multiplayer deathmatch, thus gaining a distinct short-term advantage. The longer players hold onto the slow-mo powerup, the more objective points are accumulated, contributing to the overall score. Watch out though, whoever has slow-mo ability becomes a bigger target to everyone else!
Additionally, launching on August 13 is a brand new F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin premium theme for 240 Microsoft Points and picture pack for 80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360®, as well as a new theme for PLAYSTATION®3 for $1.99. F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn is the third robust DLC pack available for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and will become available for Windows ™ PC at a later date. The “Toy Soldiers” map pack launched April 16, with the “Armored Front” map pack following soon after on May 21.
Bushnell:Battleswarm is really about me being able to play against my sons [laughs]. I've got five sons, age 16 through 30. They're all avid gamers and like first-person shooters. The problem is, as you get older, you lose some reaction time, and as a result, I'm getting slaughtered by them. A real-time strategy [RTS] game, however, is more my [preference], a good resource game is what I love. Battleswarm is both an RTS and a shooter, a mash-up between StarCraft and Starship Troopers, if you will. You can switch sides, too, if you feel like an RTS instead of a shooter, or vice-versa.
Required Hardware Specifications:
• OS: Win XP
• CPU: 2.0 GHz
• GPU: Direct X 9.1; Pixel Shader 3.0; 256 MB (GeForce 7900 - ATI 1800)
• RAM: 1 GB
• Hard disk: ~2.5 GB
Recommended System Specifications:
• OS Win XP or Vista
• CPU: 3.0 GHz Dual Core
• GPU: Direct X 9.1; Pixel Shader 3.0; 512 MB (GeForce 8800 - ATI Radeon HD 2900)
• RAM: 2 GB
• Hard disk: ~2.5 GB
The main difference is that in single-player, you're BJ, you're the hero--you get to do everything and use every power. In multiplayer, you're not BJ--you're a member of either the Resistance or the Axis, and you play as one of three roles: soldier, medic or engineer. We wanted to keep the three roles distinct, so we gave them their own unique veil powers that are specific to their responsibilities within the team. The medic's veil power helps him heal other players, for example.
The problem with mire--the power that BJ has, which slows down time--is that it's a relative effect; each player would experience it differently. For the player using mire, it appears as if the world is slowing down. From his victim's perspective, he'd appear to move at superhuman speed; impossible to hit and everywhere at once. Even ignoring the technical constraints, this would be no fun for 50 percent of the players involved, so we've tried to come up with veil powers that fit the multiplayer game and are fair to all the players.
All the veil powers are still game winners, however, and using your abilities at the right time can turn a game around. Fundamentally, the multiplayer in Wolfenstein needs to be about skill, and knowing when to use your veil powers is part of that skill.
Sessler's Soapbox - Delays Are A Good Thing.
Take the time to listen to Adam explain the many reasons why delays can be good on this week's Soapbox. From the level of polish a game may have, to the timing along side other major releases, to the contents of your wallet; there are multiple reasons why a delayed release date shouldn't make you angry.
Hot Links: | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez. |
Play: |
Jump Mario 2. Toxie Radd. AutoTanks. |
Links: |
The 11 Biggest Frauds in Gaming. #1 was discussed here just last
night. Apple Claims New iPhone Only Visible To Most Loyal Of Customers. 5 Things Movie Trailers Need to Stop Doing. |
Stories: |
Jerks actually reduce the risk of traffic jams. Thanks
Slashdot. Man Smashes Slot Machine With Sledgehammer. Felony Franks Causing a Red-Hot Controversy in Chicago. Thanks Kxmode. |
Science: |
Tanning beds definitely cause cancer. Organic review published. Thanks Slashdot. |
Images: | As a gamer, moving forward feels much like falling backwards. |
Media: |
Ghost Busters
(1954) Trailer. Thanks
Digg. Expialidocious. Thanks Kxmode. Tiffani Thiessen Responds To Jimmy Fallon. NSFW. Thanks Acleacius. |