| EA to Release Free "Battlefield Heroes" Multiplayer FPS
Micro-transactions and advertising will fund titles in EA's "Play 4 Free" family Most gamers are used to the idea of downloadable content, as shown by the massively popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles. However, full-version downloadable games usually come with a "caveat emptor" byline -- be it monthly subscription fees for MMORPGs, in-game items that can only be purchased with real money, or the widely-disliked ad-supported flavor. EA is now trying out the latter business model with their variant dubbed "Play 4 Free" and is hoping that the Battlefield franchise will help them gain a foothold in the form of Battlefield Heroes. Battlefield Heroes is a cartoon-styled game from DICE, best known for being the team behind Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2.
Sony unit to delay Japan rollout of Internet phone service for ...
Sony's game unit in Japan will delay rolling out Internet phone service in Japan for its latest handheld game machine because microphones developed for it didn't meet specifications, the company said Wednesday. Sony Computer Entertainment Japan had planned to begin offering Skype features on its newest PlayStation Portable model in Japan Thursday and then rolling out the service worldwide. Skype is a popular, free, U.S.-based online voice-over-Internet service. The service claims 246 million users around the globe. Sony said the company is working on solving the microphone standards problem. PSP-2000 users will need a memory stick, a wireless Internet connection and Skype-compatible headset to use the service, parent company Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Impact of landfill referendum unclear as Election Day nears
But with an advisory referendum facing county residents in less than two weeks, officials with stakes in both sides of the question are campaigning for votes even though the outcome may have little effect on whether toxic chemicals will be permitted to be stored at the Clinton Landfill on the city's southwestern edge.Last fall, the DeWitt County Board approved an amendment to the host agreement with the Peoria Disposal Co., owners of the Clinton Landfill. That agreement set the amount paid to the county by PDC based on the waste volume deposited at the facility's landfill.“It is, potentially, the most lucrative (agreement) of its kind in the state of Illinois on a per-ton basis and may generate between $25 (million) and $36 million over the next 24 years even before applying built-in inflation adjustments and without raising taxes on DeWitt County residents," said board member Levi Sturgeon.In addition to approving the amendment, the board unanimously supported the plan for the landfill owners to move forward with a permit to store wastes with a concentration of greater than 50 parts per million of PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, which are a blend of chemical compounds used in a variety of industrial products.Following that vote, Clinton resident Matt Varble formed WATCH (We're Against Toxic Chemicals), a group to oppose the portion of the plan to store chemical wastes in DeWitt County.
College hockey: Tech grad Linder playing for himself and his father
Cloud Tech was always to play Division I somewhere, preferably in the WCHA. The only route, and one that perhaps seemed like a long-shot at times, was to play two years for a junior hockey team based on the Canadian prairie. It was his last chance after a couple of failed attempts to play in the USHL. So, late in the summer of 2002, Ron Linder drove his son to Portage, Manitoba. There were times when I was ready to give up, said R.J. Linder, a senior at Minnesota State-Mankato, who has played 112 games entering this weekends home-and-home series with St. Cloud State. When times were tough, he always picked me up. He coached me through the years in baseball and football, but hockey was always special. We used to go to North Stars games and I remember he got me my first skates for Christmas when I was about 4 or 5.
Tottenham end nine-year jinx in style to book a place at Wembley
There will be those who read the scoreline above and believe it is a misprint. After all, Tottenham Hotspur do not defeat Arsenal at all these days, let alone by a four-goal margin. This is no error at the printers, however. Nothing has been lost in translation, there will be no corrections, amplifications, clarifications or hasty adjustments in the stop press. Tottenham scored five goals and Arsenal one: fact. Tottenham were in a different class: irrefutably. The best team won, without a doubt. Go on, pinch yourself. This is no dream, we promise. True, it may only have been half an Arsenal team who lost at White Hart Lane, but it was also half an Arsenal team who contested the final of this tournament last season and came damn close to beating Chelsea at full strength.
Local golf: Cook, Sluman commit to ACE Group Classic
Cook said in a conference call last week that he would be coming to Naples' Champions Tour event, from Feb. 11-17 at Quail West Golf & Country Club. Sluman had indicated at last month's Merrill Lynch Shootout in Naples that he would be playing. Both are technically rookies on the tour, even though they both played a handful of tournaments last year. “It is exciting to see these seasoned veterans making the transition from the PGA Tour to the Champions Tour,'' tournament director Jason Camp said in a press release. “John has already won in his brief time as a 50-year-old, and Jeff is not far behind with several top-25 finishes. I know they want to make a big splash in 2008, and we are happy to have them in Naples for what we hope is the first of many memorable efforts.'' Cook won in his second start at the AT&T Classic in San Antonio in mid-October.
|
