GamesRadar - Crackdown

No more Crackdown DLC, say Realtime Worlds (News)

Sep 3, 2008

OXM UK spotted a post on the Crackdown forums saying that Realtime Worlds definitely won't be doing new DLC because they're busy with APB - but "hope to reward" their loyal fans later. Unlockables for APB, perhaps?

Crackdown 2: "The door's not closed," says Realtime Worlds (News)

Aug 7, 2008

Speaking to VG247 at Develop, Realtime Worlds has offered a God-sent glimmer of hope that we may yet see a sequel to free-roaming future cop blockbuster Crackdown, one of the most-loved Xbox 360 games. That's the spirit.

The Most Gratuitous Headshots Video Ever (Video)

Jul 3, 2008

The Most Gratuitous Headshots Video Ever (Feature)

Jul 3, 2008

Two minutes. One video. Fifty-five perforated skulls. ...

2009 targeted for Crackdown dev's MMO APB (News)

Apr 17, 2008

Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds wants to launch its new game, APB, next year.

"We want to launch APB in 2009, which will be pretty much worldwide - including the Asian markets. This is our first big online game", Realtime CEO (and GTA creator) Dave Jones has told Scotsman.

APB, in a nutshell, drops GTA-style gameplay into an MMO world. It's in development for PC and Xbox 360.

"If we have a big success with APB on the ...

59 levels to play before you die: A - D (Feature)

Mar 21, 2008

As you rebuild civilization and restore your people's faith in this sim/action hybrid, you'll find yourself honestly caring about your subjects' helpless lives. Nowhere is their plight more touching than Kasandora, where you help a starving desert tribe grow into a bustling village, only to see an old man die in the dunes. His last wish is for rain, which you grant. ...

No sequel to Crackdown? (News)

Feb 27, 2008

Now this we don't like the sound of. According to the rumour column of US magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), a sequel to the awesome but short Crackdown will not be happening any time in the near future. Nor will it likely happen with the same developer, if it ever happens. EGM (via 1up) writes: "A Crackdown sequel looks like it won't happen any time soon. Sure, Microsoft has danced around the idea of making another addictive ...

EGM Rumors: Crackdown Sequel Squashed, EA Entering the Octagon (News)

Feb 26, 2008

The juiciest tidbit from the April issue of EGM is kind of a bummer: A Crackdown sequel looks like it won't happen any time soon. Sure, Microsoft has danced around the idea of making another addictive orb-hunting shooter, but Quartermann says even if Crackdown 2 does come to fruition, original developer Realtime Worlds probably won't be making it.

It also seems like Sony's unique PSP game Patapon will have some sort of spin-off; rumor is something Patapon-related will pop up on the PlayStation Network.

Microsoft Not Ruling Out a Crackdown Sequel (News)

Feb 8, 2008

Microsoft's Shane Kim says that "we still love Crackdown... [a sequel] is an option for us."

Major Nelson: Top Xbox Live Games of 2007 (News)

Jan 5, 2008

Here are the top games for 2007, based on Xbox Live connectivity. The following rankings are based on data collected from 1/1/07 ¿ 12/31/07. Unique Users is the number of Gamertags that have played a game. In the case of Arcade titles, the list is ranked by purchased games. The top 3 for each charts are listed below, see the source for the complete top 10 lists.

2007 Top Xbox 360 Titles (Unique Users)
1. Halo 3
2. Gears of War
3. Call of Duty 4

2007 Top Xbox LIVE Arcade Titles (Sales)
1. TMNT 1989 Arcade
2. Worms
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

2007 Top Original Xbox Titles (Unique Users)
1. Halo 2
2. Star Wars: Battlefront 2
3. Counter-Strike

TeamXbox Readers' Choice Awards 2007 (News)

Jan 3, 2008

TeamXbox Readers' Choice polls closed down on January 2, and all of the results have been tallied. Here are the results:

¿ Developer of the Year: BioWare
¿ Sports Game of the Year: skate
¿ Action Game of the Year: Assassin's Creed
¿ Best Sound of the Year: BioShock

¿ Role-Playing Game of the Year: Mass Effect
¿ Fighting Game of the Year: Virtual Fighter 5
¿ Hardware/Peripheral of the Year: Xbox 360 Elite
¿ Sleeper Hit of the Year: Crackdown

¿ Best Graphics of the Year: Call of Duty 4
¿ Xbox Live Arcade Game of the Year: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
¿ Best Visual Style of the Year: BioShock
¿ First-Person Shooter of the Year: Call of Duty 4

¿ Best Story of the Year: Mass Effect
¿ Music/Rhythm/Party Game of the Year: Rock Band
¿ Racing Game of the Year: Forza Motorsport 2
¿ Multiplayer Game of the Year: Halo 3

¿ Game of the Year: Call of Duty 4

View the full report for other nominees in each category.

Trusted Reviews: Top 20 Games of the Year: Part One (News)

Dec 22, 2007

Trusted Reviews: Games of the Year - Part One.

As our Andy noted back in November, it has been a fantastic year for games, In fact, it's arguably been the best year ever. However, all that bounty has left us in a dilemma. We originally planned a top ten list for the end of the year, but looking at the long list of titles we've been forced to expand that to twenty - and even then we've had to sacrifice a few of our darlings and lose a couple of still great franchise updates that we felt didn't quite do enough to justify inclusion: Sorry Unreal Tournament III and Sega Rally, apologies Guitar Hero III, Football Manager 2008 and Pro Evo.

TeamXbox Game of the Year Awards 2007 (News)

Dec 22, 2007

Some years it's hard to come up with a clear-cut winner, because there aren't games that stand out in a particular category. This year, for almost every award, it's been hard to pick just one to take the crown as the best in that group. The TXB staff fussed and debated, they yelled and slammed things down, they furiously IMed and e-mailed among themselves¿ and what follows are TXB's selections.

¿ Best Action Game of the Year -- Crackdown
¿ Best Shooter of the Year -- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
¿ Best Role-Playing Game of the Year -- Mass Effect
¿ Best Sports Game of the Year -- NHL 08
¿ Best Racing Game of the Year -- Forza Motorsport 2
¿ Best Fighting Game of the Year -- Virtua Fighter 5
¿ Best Music/Rhythm/Party Game of the Year -- Rock Band
¿ Best Multiplayer Game of the Year -- Halo 3
¿ Best Sleeper Hit of the Year -- Crackdown
¿ Best Xbox Live Arcade of the Year -- Switchball
¿ Best Graphics of the Year -- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
¿ Best Sound of the Year -- BioShock
¿ Best Visual Style of the Year -- BioShock
¿ Best Story of the Year -- Mass Effect
¿ Best Hardware/Peripheral of the Year -- Xbox 360 Elite System
¿ Developer of the Year -- Infinity Ward
¿ Game of the Year -- Mass Effect

TXB wants to hear what you have to say about their picks, and also get your selections for what you believe are the best games in each category. Be sure to offer the TXB staff your feedback in the forums, and also fill out the Readers' Choice form with your votes. They'll compile what the TeamXbox community has to say and report the results after the holidays.

Crackdown - Homebrew homicide 10-24-07 (Video)

Oct 24, 2007

Realtime Worlds Lead Europe with BAFTA Double Win (News)

Oct 24, 2007

Dundee-based Realtime Worlds won two BAFTA's for 'Action and Adventure'and 'Use of Audio' at the gaming industry BAFTAs in London on Tuesday 23rd October, making it the most successful European studio at the ceremony.

The company received no less than five nominations for the British Academy Video Games Awards, for its critically-acclaimed title Crackdown, which was released in February this year exclusively on Xbox 360.

The nominations were for:
Action and Adventure
Gameplay
Multiplayer
Technical Achievement
Use of Audio

Multilanguage Ads in Xbox 360 Games (News)

Oct 22, 2007

ConsoleAddicted published a screenshot from Crackdown that proves the fact that advertisement is possible through Xbox Live. The ads in Crackdown ( seen in the photo attached) are also in the local language of the Xbox Live User. This is maybe a reason why lately Microsoft have been filtering IP and due to this fact several problems with buying items from Marketplace appeared.

So, Xbox Live provides us with advertisement in our native language.

Crackdown devs called it 'Crackbrown' (News)

Sep 7, 2007

September 7, 2007 Crackdown's quality was so doubtful during its production cycle, some of the development team dubbed it 'Crackbrown'. At the Industry All Stars event held earlier this week, RealTime Worlds producer Phil Wilson explained how the game was initially announced too soon (early 2005, in fact) and that early confidence in the game was very low, even amongst its creators. Such adversity certainly helped the team strive for a better game and, according to Wilson, they did enjoy ...

Xbox 360's Crackdown wins award for innovation (News)

Jul 26, 2007

Celebrations all round at the home of fellow Dundonian coders Real Time Worlds today. Their first exclusive title for Xbox 360 yesterday won the top award for innovation at the Develop Conference currently being held in Brighton, UK.Designed by coding legend David Jones, creator of Lemmings, Blood Money and the original GTA - Crackdown arrived[...]

Today's saddest video: Breakin' up with Crackdown (News)

Jun 11, 2007

A video of a man breaking-up with his no-longer usefull copy of Crackdown.

Crackdown dev tops Industry Excellence Awards (News)

Jun 8, 2007

Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds has picked up a whopping seven nominations, the most ever for one studio in the event's five-year history.

Due to be held on July 25, the Develop Industry Excellence Awards aims to honour those at the forefront of the development community.

Crackdown has been nominated in the New Console/PC IP category, with the studio itself picking up a further six nominations in the Visual Arts, Audio Accomplishment, Best Use of Online, Innovation, New UK/European Studio and Independent Developer categories.

1Up: Halo 3 and Crackdown - What the Hell Happened? (News)

May 18, 2007

In November 2006, Bungie and Microsoft announced there would be a Halo 3 multiplayer beta launched in the spring. In February 2007, Microsoft released Crackdown and promised the hundreds of thousands who bought it they'd have first-day access to the beta. On April 10, the beta received an official launch date, May 16, and an end date, June 6. Gamers became anxious as press and select "Friends and Family" were allowed early access late last week, but 5:00 a.m. PST on May 16 wasn't far off.

5:00 a.m. on that appointed date came and went, though, and the beta didn't launch for Crackdown owners. It wasn't until some 14 hours later -- 7:00 p.m. PST -- that Microsoft issued a patch for Crackdown...yes, Crackdown. There wasn't an issue with the beta -- Halo 3 downloaded and played fine for press and those involved in the Friends and Family program -- so how did Microsoft's biggest promotion of 2007 blow up in its face after months of hype?

Read the full story to find out.

Last Chance at Halo 3 Beta Glory - Crackdown Deal (News)

May 16, 2007

Just in time for the kick off of the Halo 3 Beta!

Grab Crackdown today for only $46.99 (22% off) with Free Shipping! It is the Amazon Deal of the Day for Wednesday, May 16, 2007. Each copy contains access to the Halo 3 Beta starting today also!

Check it out:

The benefits of in-game ads (News)

May 15, 2007

"I really believe there's long-term potential to benefit developers, publishers and consumers alike," reckons Crackdown producer Phil Wilson of the recent trend for brand-imaging (shudder) in gaming. It's a controversial statement, and a controversial topic - primarily because it turns us from being gamers into being, as Wilson says, "consumers." To his credit, Phil does add "did I really just call you a consumer? I'll get my coat..." to the end of a column he's written for the latest issue of ...

Win! Halo 3 Beta access (News)

May 14, 2007

Monday 14 May 2007 Can't get hold of a Halo 3 Beta access? Want one? We've teamed up with Microsoft to offer ten lucky winners a copy of Crackdown on Xbox 360, which comes with free access to the Halo 3 Beta servers. As if you didn't know, Halo 3 is the second sequel to the awesome Xbox shooter and is right up alongside GTAIV as Xbox 360's most important game this year. Check out Halo developer Bungie's official site here. With the game nearing completion, Microsoft is allowing gamers to play ...

Crackdown DLC Deleting Save Files (News)

May 12, 2007

Kotaku.com recently got news that the new Crackdown downloadable content has given people problems with losing saved content.

Kotaku said this,

"The problem's arising from co-op games where the host has the Keys to the City cheat mode enabled, which is resetting some people's data. So long as you don't join a co-op game where the host has this mode enabled, you should be fine."

They were quick to note that its just happening to a "lucky few", as they put it.

Plus they mentioned a temporary way to avoid this problem.

For more info, click on the link.

Crackdown - Game types 05-11-07 (Video)

May 11, 2007

Crackdown DLC Now Available (News)

May 11, 2007

The awesome Crackdown downloadable content is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The Free-For-All pack weighs in at 88.70MB and costs nothing, the Getting' Busy Bonus pack is 88.70MB too and costs 800MSP ($10). For more details check out our (Xboxic.com) extensive coverage with trailers, screenshots and more.

Crackdown (Screenshots)

May 10, 2007

Crackdown Free and Premium Downloadable Content Released Today (News)

May 10, 2007

Microsoft has released the free and premium downloadable content for Crackdown for the Xbox 360. The premium version costs 800 points and will include three new vehicles, new weapons, co-op game types and an Agent cloaking device.

Crackdown downloadable content available (News)

May 10, 2007

Those crafty programmers at Realtime Worlds have finally revealed the downloadable content for their excellent free-roaming crime-stopper Crackdown - and is it just us or is this the best DLC line-up for any game, ever? Read on for the new content and check out some of the new screens below. The free DLC for Crackdown includes easier orb hunting and a new ground strike move that smashes your agent into the ground with a devestating shockwave. The premium paid-for content costs 800 MS Points ...

Superb deal on multi-region Crackdown (News)

May 1, 2007

Play Asia are currently running a superb deal on Crackdown. It is multi-region which means that the deal applies to gamers from any corner of the world...

Two Crackdown DLC packages...One Free, One Premium (News)

Apr 28, 2007

According to Crackdown Staff member "Agent G", there will be 2 DLC packages: "Regarding the downloadable content that is coming "soon", there has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not it is going to be free or paid downloadable content. I just wanted to let you know that we are going to be providing two substantial buckets of content. One free and one premium. There are also some other good surprises in store when the content launches. It's all good and you'll have it "soon". And by the way, there will be NO charge for that extra 100 gamerscore we owe you. Cheers."

Four player co-op in Crackdown? (News)

Apr 26, 2007

Just when we thought we were done with Crackdown's excellent but limited co-op gameplay, we stumble across this little doozy of an image in the developer's message boards. Labeled as a "sneak peek" at upcoming downloadable content, the screen shows what appear to be four gun-mounted dune buggies jockeying for position on one of Pacific City's rocky back roads. The mysterious poster claims that you can see "a new game type and a new type of vehicle" by studying the picture. Okay, well, the new ...

ELSPA Weekly Chart - Xbox 360 (News)

Apr 24, 2007

Is Guitar Hero II still top of the Xbox 360 charts or has Crackdown battled back...

ELSPA Weekly Chart - Xbox 360 (News)

Apr 11, 2007

Has Guitar Hero II rocked its way to the top of the charts? or are Crackdown and GRAW 2 the party poopers...

Gamestation offer good deal on 360 Premium bundle (News)

Apr 2, 2007

Gamers in the UK who are yet to pick up an Xbox 360 may be interested in a deal which Gamestation are running which will get you a Premium 360, Crackdown, WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007, Gears of War, PGR3, Live Arcade Unplugged and an Extra Wireless controller for £304.99 delivered.

New Crackdown update arrives (News)

Mar 30, 2007

Those popping in Realtime World's Crackdown for a quick thug smackdown this morning will have a new update stream down Xbox Live - don't get too excited though, it's just a tiny ...

Battle of the GTA clones (Feature)

Mar 27, 2007

The funny thing about inventing a genre of videogames is that, until it becomes completely played out, every game that emulates your formula is going to be attached to your name. Games that feature a wide-open, freely explorable world, for example, will have a hard time avoiding the label of "Grand Theft Auto clone," especially if their worlds are littered with vehicles to steal and drive. In the six years since Grand Theft Auto III, a slew of games have tried to become "the next GTA," but so ...

Crackdown updates include new multiplayer modes (News)

Mar 27, 2007

Several new competitive multiplayer modes have been added to Crackdown, with one being optionally cooperative. Apparently, one of the modes was inspired by a user-created video posted online (GASP, Game 3.0 on Xbox 360?!). Phil Wilson, Crackdown's producer, suggested that the creators would "eventually" be credited for the idea, adding that many of the videos popping up on YouTube (particularly this one) had impressed the development team. The new modes will likely be limited to two players, though Wilson teased that "the prospect of mass co-op is definitely an exciting one."

Wilson also confirmed that a free update will include a 'reset gangs' option, eliminating the frustrating need to delete the game data (or your Gamertag) from the hard drive in order to start over. Wilson apologized for the oversight and added, "while I'm spilling beans, there's also another great mode that I'm pretty sure is also kinda what you're asking for but a whole lot more -- so I hope that goes some way towards compensation."

Crackdown Content Could Include Airborne Vehicles (News)

Mar 27, 2007

You really don't need much transportation to get around in Crackdown. Swallow a few hundred agility orbs and leaping from one side of the map to the other is effortless. But, now that most gamers have started replaying the game simply due to lack of anything better to do until the Halo 3 beta goes online, the team at Real Time Worlds is prepping their downloadable content -- and it could include some surprises.

Speaking to Eurogamer, producer Phil Whilson mused on how they had originally ruled out including airborne vehicles into Crackdown because of the focus on player agility and possible engine limitations. At the end of development, however, they realized the engine could certainly handle allowing players to rule the skies:

"Since nothing's announced for the forthcoming downloadable content I have to be careful what I say about it, but flying vehicles are something that we initially decided to steer well clear of. As it happens that latter concern was irrelevant because, as you can see in the finished game, the existing engine can handle immense draw distances and rapid streaming... so airborne antics is definitely not off the table going forward."

Play.com - Xbox 360 Bundle (News)

Mar 21, 2007

To coincide with the PS3 launch, Play.com are releasing a new Xbox 360 bundle.

the pack includes:

Xbox 360 Premium
Gears of War
Crackdown

all for £289

Rumour details new Crackdown content (News)

Mar 14, 2007

Reported on website msxbox-world.com, the rumour comes via its forum, where a poster says "An un-named source who I have no doubt in trusting has revealed to me that Crackdown is set for some new content."

The poster goes the content "is possibly going to be free" and will include "things like vehicle impounding (taking marked cars back to agency); street racing vs. AI controlled cars, extra equipment, new agent outfits and a number of new mini games."

Rumor details new Crackdown content (News)

Mar 14, 2007

Rumor claiming to have details on planned new content for Realtime Worlds' Xbox 360 game Crackdown has surfaced on the 'net. Reported on website msxbox-world.com, the rumor comes via its forum, where a poster says "An un-named source who I have no doubt in trusting has revealed to me that Crackdown is set for some new content." The poster says the content "is possibly going to be free" and will include "things like vehicle impounding (taking marked cars back to the Agency); street racing vs. ...

Top Played Games On Xbox Live (News)

Mar 5, 2007

MaxConsole.com has posted a list of the top played Xbox Live enabled titles. Gears of War and Crackdown rank it at spots 1 & 2 for original xbox360 titles.

Xbox 360 game Crackdown cracks top 30 in Japan (News)

Mar 3, 2007

Sales for Microsoft Corp.'s Crackdown cracked the top 30 software sales in Japan in the latest retail sales data for the region. Media Create Co. on Fri. reported that Crackdown debuted at a respectable No. 21 between Feb. 19 and Feb. 25. The open-world action title is the sole Xbox 360 software title in the top 30 game sales.

Crackdown generals guide - Los Muertos (Feature)

Mar 1, 2007

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, its a super-cop, genetically engineered to do just two things – kill and destroy. Whats more, hes you. Your mission? To rid the streets of three of the most vicious gangs ever. To do that, you need to take out the generals; all twenty-one of them. Our first day of coverage reveals the tricks to defeating the generals of Los Muertos. Tomorrow we'll expose the weaknesses of The Volk, and our third day will wrap things up with the ...

Crackdown generals guide - Shai-Gen (Feature)

Mar 1, 2007

The Shai-Gen are the most dangerous and difficult gang in the game. They should be tackled last, when your skills are very close to their peak. The Shai-Gen buildings are by far the toughest to break into and scale, with their lack of ledges and very few entrances. These entrances can very quickly turn into bottlenecks full of extremely well-armed Shai-Gen. So – as the disembodied voice tells you – speed and surprise should always figure heavily in your arsenal. Alongside a rocket ...

Crackdown generals guide - the Volk (Feature)

Feb 28, 2007

The Volk are extremely well armed, and youll come to notice this when you try to take over their supply keeps. Many Volk members will be waiting around for you with rocket launchers, but thats a good thing, because if you havent collected one and brought it back to a hideout by now, then this is the golden ticket. Once safely stored, this is when the real carnage can begin. Never has piling up cars and blowing them up been quite so much fun. The Volk also like heavy duty vehicles, but this is a ...

Crackdown the "antidote" to Zelda fallout (News)

Feb 28, 2007

Wednesday 28 February 2007 Microsoft's recently released Crackdown is the only way to recover from post-Zelda fatigue, reckons Introversion lead designer Chris Delay, who's found that after completing Twilight Princess' mammoth adventure, Okami gets boring and Final Fantasy XII demands too much. "Three fifty hour games to be savoured and explored," Delay laments on Introversion's official blog, "all [released] within six weeks of each other. This is surely somebody's idea of a cruel joke". ...

More reasons to play Crackdown (News)

Feb 27, 2007

By now, you know why Crackdown is so good - you've heard the reasons a thousand times. You're a superhero... you can enlist a sidekick over Xbox Live... the entire city is free to explore from the start. Plus, you can jump incredibly high and kick a pedestrian incredibly far. Those two are integral. But watch our custom video below and you may discover a few new, unexpected ways to have fun in the supercharged sandbox game. A few come from the developers themselves; attempting to obliterate ...

Gamefly Top 10 for Feb. 26, 2007 (News)

Feb 27, 2007

Eight out of the top ten spots are occupied by Xbox 360 game requests. Crackdown is still tops for the Xbox 360, Sonic for Nintendo Wii, and Virtua Fighter 5 tops the PS3 list.

Queue up the complete list:

Crackdown scores high review in Japan (News)

Feb 26, 2007

Riot act, as Crackdown is called in Japan, scored three nines and one eight. With that the game achived a total score of 35/40 points, which is very good.

Also Armored Core 4 and Call or Duty 3 received good scores from Famitsu, both scored 32/40 points. The total scores of the three games are as follows:

Riot act [ Crackdown ] (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 9/9/8/9 - (35/40)
Armored Core 4 (Xbox 360, From software): 8/8/8/8 - (32/40)
Call or Duty 3 (Xbox 360, Activision): 8/8/9/7 - (32/40)

Ctrl+Alt+Del Crackdown comics (News)

Feb 26, 2007

Co-op Achievement woes got you down? Well, perhaps a couple of Ctrl Alt Del's Crackdown comics might be able to tickle your funny bone.

Xbox Live Activity for week of 2/19 (News)

Feb 25, 2007

Major Nelson has posted the xbox live activity for the week of the 19th. Check it out, Crackdown is in the top five... twice.

Realtime Worlds ponders Crackdown 2 (News)

Feb 22, 2007

Developer Real Time Worlds already has ideas for a sequel to its open-ended 360 title Crackdown. In an interview, senior designer Stephen Iannetta said that he would love to make a sequel to the crime-buster and take the concept forward. "We've learnt some lessons and if we did do Crackdown 2... I'd love to see it happen," he said. "I think again it comes to how you can really choose how you approach the missions, and I'd really like to turn the contrast up on that. I'd really like to look at ...

Real Time Worlds ponders Crackdown 2 (News)

Feb 22, 2007

The first game isn't out until tomorrow, but already developer Real Time Worlds has ideas for a sequel to its open-ended 360 title Crackdown.

In an interview with CVG, senior designer Stephen Iannetta said that he would love to make a sequel to the crime-buster and take the concept forward. "We've learnt some lessons and if we did do Crackdown 2... I'd love to see it happen," he said.

"I think again it comes to how you can really choose how you approach the missions, and I'd really like to turn the contrast up on that. I'd really like to look at giving the players so many options at how they can do it."

Screenshots of Crackdown's new agents (News)

Feb 20, 2007

Gamers who managed to get a first day copy of Microsoft's Crackdown have already got a gift waiting for them on Xbox Live - four new characters to bolster the game's roster of agents. As you can see from our exclusive screenshots, the new agents are a nice mix of balaclava-d goon, big-sideburn bloke, cyberpunk pirate and - our personal favorite - man with a robot mask. Mind you, this is what these guys look like when they've advanced into the highest skill levels. You'll have to work long and ...

Gamefly Top Ten Requests (News)

Feb 20, 2007

Seven out of the top ten spots are occupied by Xbox 360 game requests. Crackdown is still tops for the Xbox 360, Sonic for Nintendo Wii, and Virtua Fighter 5 tops the PS3 list. Anticipation for God of War II for the PS2 bubbles all the way to the 3rd position on the cross-platform list.

Queue up the complete list:

New Game Releases for the Week of Feb. 19, 2007 (News)

Feb 19, 2007

Releases are starting to finally pick up steam this week as all three next gen systems have new games.

Check out the latest list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of 2/19/2007 on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (USA)!

Free Halo faceplate with Crackdown purchase (News)

Feb 19, 2007

If you are going to be purchasing Crackdown this Tuesday, then you may want to head over to your local Circuit City. Since Crackdown comes with the Halo 3 beta invite, Circuit City is offering a free Halo faceplate (a $20 value) with the purchase of Crackdown.

Crackdown (Review)

Feb 17, 2007

Do you play games in God mode? Are the designers attempts at real world rules and physics mere annoyances to you? Would you rather be able to run as fast as you want, jump as high as you want, hit people as far as you want… in other words, do whatever the hell you want? Then Crackdown is for you. You dont even need cheat codes to play it, because your action hero - a vigilante cop protecting the futuristic metropolis of Pacific City - is super powered from the get-go. Want to rocket ...

Ken Lobb thinks Crackdown is the best game EVAR (News)

Feb 15, 2007

Of course, being involved with the game's development may have swayed his opinion just a tad. Speaking to Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, Microsoft design director, Ken Lobb, drunkenly divulged that his very own GoldenEye 007 had been surpassed by the fun presented in Crackdown. Since Ken previously considered James Bond's N64 outing to be among the best games ever, it follows that Crackdown is among the bester games ever.

Crackdown Update Coming (News)

Feb 13, 2007

When you first put Crackdown into your Xbox 360 early next week, you'll find that the game will immediately prompt you to download an update. Since the game went gold, Microsoft found a few small areas for improvement in the matchmaking and cooperative net code. Read the full story to see Microsoft's official word on this matter.

Gamefly Top 10 for Feb. 12, 2007 (News)

Feb 12, 2007

Eight out of the top ten spots are occupied by Xbox 360 game requests. Crackdown is tops for the Xbox 360, Sonic for Nintendo Wii, and Virtua Fighter 5 tops the PS3 list. Anticipation for God of War II for the PS2 bubbles all the way to the 8th position on the cross-platform list.

Read on for the complete list:

Crackdown Fans To Decide Achievements (News)

Feb 12, 2007

During to course of Major Nelson's interview with BIG VIP on his Podcast, it has being revealed that Real Time Worlds will be relying on fans of the game to help them make up the remaining 100 achievement points for Crackdown. Right now the game has only 900 points which can be unlocked by getting all the 43 Achievements available but new rules state that all retail games must contain 1000 points.

Crackdown - superhero breakdown (Feature)

Feb 9, 2007

Comic book superheroes are tailor-made for videogames. Their extraordinary abilities, like superhuman endurance and gravity-defying leaps, perfectly translate into the kind of otherworldly powers we like to see in our gaming avatars. It used to be a sad cliché that all comic book games were garbage, but as we told you last year, Spidey and pals are starting to get a fair shake when it comes to videogames. Then there's a game like Crackdown, where you can seemingly play as a huge chunk ...

Buy Crackdown for its great game, not the Halo 3 invite, says dev (News)

Feb 7, 2007

In a soon-to-be-published interview with CVG, Crackdown senior designer Stephen Iannetta says that after playing the demo he thinks gamers will "buy Crackdown on the basis of Crackdown" and not just for an invite to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta.

"Prior to the demo coming out there were a lot of people saying 'wait a minute, this is just a way to sell Crackdown'," he says, "and I think the more they played the demo the more they realised 'no wait, this is a great game'".

The multiplayer beta invites are due to ship with all initial copies of Crackdown, one of three methods to gain access when it launches this spring.

"I think it's really clever marketing by Microsoft", Iannetta continues. "I think the people that have played the demo and seen the game will actually realise it's a selling point for Crackdown and it's not used to get more copies out of it."

Iannetta also told CVG that he thinks that the two games are "complementary products" and that "people who enjoy playing Halo will enjoy playing Crackdown".

Crackdown team wanted 200 achievements (News)

Feb 6, 2007

Crackdown was originally set to feature 200 unlockable achievements, but Microsoft wouldn't allow it, according to an MTV report.

The website reports that the Real Time Worlds team planned for 200 and asked Microsoft to raise the cap.

"They were only allowing 50, and we were saying, 'Oh, that's going to cripple us,'" RTW's David Jones explained. "Eventually they announced they were going to a higher number." That number was 80, which Jones says is Microsoft's new maximum.

However, early reports suggest Crackdown will only offer 43 achievements, for a total of 900 gamerpoints - with the additional 100 that make up the boxed game's obligatory 1000 due to follow in free downloadable content.

Either way, the emphasis was on rewarding the player - with the developers even programming the clouds to do interesting things so that players who had scaled the half-mile-high agency building had something to enjoy

Crackdown Goes Gold (News)

Feb 6, 2007

Criminals on Alert as Crackdown Goes Gold

PacificCity -Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the highly anticipated action title Crackdown has gone gold. From developer Realtime Worlds and the mind of acclaimed creator Dave Jones, Crackdown is poised to raid retail throughout North America on February 20...

Gamerscores to be Standardized -- Expansion Packs can Earn an Additional 250 Points (News)

Feb 2, 2007

Thought you were done with Oblivion when you got 1000 gamerpoints? Think again, my friend...

Crackdown Achievements revealed (News)

Feb 1, 2007

Originally posted on February 1, 2007 Soon-to-be-unleashed crime fighter Crackdown does have some semblance of a story for you to follow. Read up on the sinister Shai-Gen Corporation for proof. But if you're at all like us, you'll spend most of your time in the game prowling around the city and looking for opportunities to break the game's physics. Luckily, such opportunities exist in abundance and, better yet, Crackdown rewards this type of misanthropic behavior with Achievement Points to ...

Crackdown - Exclusive Intro to the Shai-Gen Corporation (Feature)

Jan 31, 2007

Crackdown is a remarkably open game in which you can tackle the missions, areas and enemies in whatever order you please. But follow the world's natural progression of difficulty and you will encounter some challenges before others. You'll likely go to war with Los Muertos, a brute mob of Central Americans that specialize in stealing cars and selling drugs. And you'll attempt to quell the Volk uprising, led by Eastern European immigrants trained in explosives. So when you finally enter the ...

Crackdown Breaks Records (News)

Jan 31, 2007

Microsoft's recent Crackdown demo, a free download available only for Gold Tier members on Marketplace, this week made Microsoft history.

That's right, beating out top downloads like Lost Planet and Fight Night among others, Microsoft's Crackdown demo, released on January 23, kicked everyone else's asses. Microsoft told IGN that this week the Crackdown playable demo was the most downloaded demo for a 24-hour period and the most downloaded demo during a seven day (week-long) period.

Halo 3 Beta In Every Crackdown Copy (News)

Jan 25, 2007

Some were lead to believe that only pre-orders and specially marked boxes contained access to the beta holy land.

So to repeat, it appears that every Crackdown copy will contain a unique code to enter the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta.

It's Crackdownload time (News)

Jan 23, 2007

As promised, Xbox Live Gold members can this morning say hello to a playable demo of Real Time Worlds' Crackdown.
Advertisement

At 1.24GB it'll certainly take a healthy bite out of your 360 hard disk, but then it does feature co-operative online play in addition to a single-player trial.

And of course it's free, although if you're only an Xbox Live Silver member then you're out of luck - you'll have to wait another week to get your A buttons on it.

The full version of Crackdown, exclusive to 360, is due out on 23rd February in Europe. And, as has been much publicised, certain copies will be able to act as keys to get you onto the Halo 3 multiplayer beta this coming spring.

Crackdown Is The 'Key' To Getting In The Halo 3 Beta (News)

Jan 22, 2007

The Halo 3 site updated what the link between Crackdown and the Halo 3 beta will be. You see kids, the Crackdown disc will actually be a "key" to be able to download the Halo 3.

Crackdown demo re-loaded (News)

Jan 22, 2007

You read it right, the Crackdown demo is coming to an Xbox 360 near you, and it's coming tomorrow morning at 2AM Pacific Standard Time. Last week Microsoft had announced the demo, which was originally scheduled to release on Thursday the 18th, would be delayed. We can now confirm that it is going to be made available, via Xbox Live download, Tuesday morning the 23rd. The game's developer has also revealed some details about just what the demo will ...

Crackdown Demo Set To Come Out Jan. 23! (News)

Jan 20, 2007

*Breaking News* Agent G on the official Crackdown forums has notified the world that the Crackdown demo will be released on Tuesday, January 23 at 2 a.m. PST. It would have been nice to be able to download the demo yesterday to get to play it all weekend, but this is just a minor hiccup in getting the demo in our hands.

Crackdown Goes Gold (News)

Jan 19, 2007

Microsoft Game Studios and Realtime Worlds announced today that Crackdown has gone gold. Realtime Worlds' key staff has a tremendous history of creating some of the world's most innovative and best-selling video games. The development team was hand-picked by David Jones, founder of DMA Design Ltd. and the designer and creator of more than 15 hit titles including Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Below is the press release with the announcement:

Crackdown Dev Responds To Demo Delay (News)

Jan 17, 2007

Earlier Today we reported about the Delay Of The Crackdown Demo

Agent G A Developer For The game has posted the below message on the Crackdown Forums.

"Hey Guys - while I can't give you a specific date yet, we are planning to put the demo out very shortly. The delay will be VERY SHORT. I repeat VERY SHORT!!!

Also, you guys should know that this wasn't Microsoft's or any one person's fault. Basically we all just want the demo to ROCK and we determined it needed a wee bit more time to bake before it was ready for primetime.

More Details After The Jump

GAME Customers Hungry To Crackdown On Halo 3 (News)

Jan 17, 2007

Eager customers excited about the impending release of Halo 3, for the Xbox 360, are being offered a fantastic opportunity to participate in the testing and refinement of the game! By purchasing the new, action game Crackdown, this will include an invitation to participate in the pre-release version of the game, dubbed Halo 3 beta.

Data from GAME, Europe's leading specialist video games retailer, has revealed that 85% of all their Halo 3 pre-orders have been made using a GAME Reward Card by 'early adopters' keen to reserve their copy before a release date has even been confirmed.

Research also shows that over a third of customers who have pre-ordered Halo 3, have previously bought Halo or Halo 2, and are predominantly male, aged 20-30, demonstrating that customers have grown up with the franchise and are extremely loyal to it.

Crackdown Achievements Revealed (News)

Jan 13, 2007

Xbox360Achievements has revealed the Achievements for the upcoming game Crackdown. Crackdown is shaping up to be one heck of a title and with the Halo 3 beta it's sure to sell plenty of copies.

The Game has 43 Achievements:

Agency Explosives Expert - 20 points
Bomb your way to a 4-star Explosives rating

Agency Athlete - 20 points
Run & jump your way to a 4-star Agility rating

Agency Wheelman - 20 points
Accelerate and slide your way to a 4-star Driving rating

Agency Brawler - 20 points
Punch, jab, kick, and throw your way to a 4-star Strength rating

Agency Marksman - 20 points
Hit your target every time to achieve a 4-star Firearms rating

Master Agent - 40 points
Earn 4-star ratings in all five skill areas and then max out your Skills Status meters

Roadkill King - 15 points
Mow down and massacre 175 gang members while driving

High Flyer - 10 points
Make your way to the top of the Agency Tower

Firing Squad - 15 points
Fire away - shoot and kill 500 gang members using firearms

Bare-Knuckle Brawler - 15 points
Kill 150 gang members with your bare hands (or thrown objects)

Mad Bomber - 15 points
Show your explosive personality - kill 500 gang members using explosives

Untouchable Agent - 15 points
Kill 200 gang members without dying yourself

Body Juggler - 20 points
Use explosives to keep a body up in the air for 10 seconds

Car Juggler - 20 points
Use explosives to keep a car up in the air for seven seconds

Hazardous Hangtime - 10 points
Execute a 6-second jump in a vehicle

Full list after the jump

Identifying the copies of Crackdown that include Halo 3 beta codes (News)

Jan 9, 2007

If you have any interest in Halo 3, you're probably aware that one way of bagging yourself a beta code to participate in the game's testing this spring is to buy a specifically marked copy of Crackdown, but, and here's the thing, what mark are you looking for exactly?

Well, usefully, Microsoft has released a packshot that features the more-than-a-little-obvious beta mark so you now know exactly what you're aiming for.

The winning packshot, which can be seen below, features an obvious marker on the bottom right that clearly states "Includes invitation to Halo 3 multiplayer beta", so if you're buying Crackdown specifically for Halo 3, do not buy a copy lacking this symbol.

Halo 3 Beta Via Crackdown Not For Core Owners (News)

Jan 8, 2007

Sorry, Core Pack Xbox 360 owners, but you really should have known better. Those of you sporting an Xbox 360 sans hard drive are going to be, unsurprisingly, shut out of the Halo 3 beta if you purchase your copy of Crackdown hoping to secure a spot.

Crackdown Demo Release Date And Game Release Date (News)

Jan 8, 2007

So on January 18th the demo Crackdown is going to beat its way on XBox LIVE Marketplace, and then gun its way into store shelves February 20th. So the premise of the game is that Pacific City has gotten so bad that the Police are no longer able to control the situation the call on an organization call "Agency". With a battery of high-tech weapons, transformable vehicles, and gravity-defying super skills you will clean up Pacific City.

No Crackdown in Germany (News)

Jan 4, 2007

Some bad news today for the people in Germany. Real Time World's Crackdown probably won't be coming to Germany. The official rating company in Germany, USK, hasn't given a rating to Crackdown, plus some online German gameshops like Amazon have deleted Crackdown from their assortiment.

This is not the first time that an Xbox 360 game has been banned from Germany. Gears of War and Dead Rising haven't seen light in Germany either. Microsoft hasn't responded to this news, yet.

The game will be released in US and other European countries on February 23. Plus there will be a demo available on January 18th.

Buy Crackdown, play Halo 3 (News)

Jan 4, 2007

Thursday 4 January 2007 European gamers will be able to take part in the Halo 3 online beta test - simply by buying a copy of upcoming Xbox 360 shooter, Crackdown. Until now, the opportunity has only been available to US gamers (via an online registration form) who will find out this month if their applications have been successful. The so-called 'beta test' will be a limited multiplayer version of the game, used by the developer to hone and refine the online experience through feedback from ...

Halo 3 surprise coming with Crackdown? (News)

Dec 27, 2006

According to new rumours there might be a little Halo 3 surprise inside the box when you purchase Crackdown in februari. The rumour is coming from a source close to Microsoft but it hasn't been confirmed yet.

Same rumours say it might involve a new video. We will know on februari 23th, when Crackdown will be in stores for Xbox 360.

Crackdown - updated hands-on (Preview)

Dec 22, 2006

When we last previewed Crackdown, we were larger than life. We vaulted and raced through the fictional Pacific City, leaving behind cracked concrete from our super feet and broken criminal bodies from our super fists, guns, car hoods and... again, feet. Yeah, we could kick a man a mile if we wanted to and it felt awesome. But, thanks to helpful codes provided by the game's very generous developers, we were playing the GTA-meets-Superman action title at its highest levels. When the game ships ...

Crackdown Demo Coming January 18th, and Will Hit Stores February 20th (News)

Dec 21, 2006

Justice Is Served: "Crackdown" on Crime This February

The highly anticipated Xbox 360 title "Crackdown" explodes onto Xbox Live Marketplace with an exciting single-player and online cooperative demo Jan.18, followed by its arrival on store shelves Feb. 20.

Pacific City is overridden; crime controls the streets. Three powerful gangs have taken the once-great metropolis hostage, and the police have proven powerless in their efforts to regain control. Only the Agency - with genetically enhanced agents of justice - can provide citizens with some sense of hope.

Brace yourself. Justice is coming to Pacific City.
On Jan. 18, gamers will get the chance to battle their way through the roads and rooftops of "Crackdown" as the Xbox 360 title's explosive demo lands on Xbox Live ® Marketplace. And for the ultimate payback, they will combine forces in online co-op play for twice the thrills and double the retribution.*

Gamers will arm themselves with high-tech weapons, transformable vehicles and incredible, gravity-defying superskills in preparation to take back Pacific City when "Crackdown" storms North American store shelves Feb. 20.

From Realtime Worlds, "Crackdown" pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with the first-ever truly 3-D playground. Gamers will level up their Agent's strength, agility, firearms, explosives and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world of "Crackdown."

This M-rated game incorporates revolutionary co-op gameplay throughout the entire free-form campaign. Creating a volatile cocktail of judicial oppression, players will clean up the streets of a truly interactive world when "Crackdown" hits store shelves at an estimated retail price of $59.99.

Crackdown hits Live on January 18 (News)

Dec 21, 2006

Pizza delivery side missions, having sex with hookers and servings of hot coffee will be distant memories when Realtime Worlds unleashes the demo of futuristic, crime fighting sim Crackdown on Xbox Live Marketplace this January 18th, 2007. And this aint just any demo, my friends. Get ready to experience the single-player and co-op modes a month before the game hits retail on February 20th. Think the futuristic setting of Demolition Man, mixed with the open-world design of Grand Theft Auto, ...

Crackdown In-Depth: Firearms (News)

Dec 21, 2006

Part III of IGN's Crackdown coverage brought directly to us from Real Time Worlds. Each day they'll go in-depth with one of the abilities in Crackdown with new screens and movies to illustrate their points.

Crackdown In-Depth: Agility (News)

Dec 20, 2006

Part II of IGN's Crackdown coverage brought directly from Real Time Worlds. Each day they'll go in-depth with one of the abilities in Crackdown with new screens and movies to illustrate their points. Ever want to leap over tall buildings in a single bound? Then you'll need to read up on today's skill.

EXCLUSIVE glimpse at Crackdown co-op mayhem (News)

Dec 8, 2006

Ever dreamed of being a superhero? Who are we kidding - of course you have. But when you picture yourself in that exalted role, you probably also see yourself soaring gracefully through the clouds, effortlessly stopping runaway trains in their tracks or even gently plucking helpless kittens out of trees. Stop dreaming. Honestly, if any of us suddenly developed extraordinary powers, the world would be in some serious trouble. Whether we abused our abilities or just clumsily misused them, you ...

January OXM Rumors (News)

Dec 8, 2006

The latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine features some rumors regarding the upcoming year of gaming for the Xbox 360.

* Crackdown is being delayed until February 2007.
* We probably will not be hearing any news about Unreal Tournament 2007 until after the PlayStation 3 version is released.
* An official Microsoft arcade controller is on the way.
* There is a new Oblivion expansion pack in the works after Knights of the Nine.

Crackdown: Choose your look (News)

Nov 24, 2006

Thursday 23 November 2006 Crackdown, the Xbox 360-bound GTA-a-like action-fest, puts you in the powersuit of a futuristic crime fighter in a beautifully realised cel-shaded world, while letting you play co-operatively with a friend. And, to help the two of you stand apart, you can create your own customised special agent - just take a look at these screens to see some wild examples of the styles you can achieve. And in case you'd forgotten how exciting Crackdown is looking, we've got a brand ...

Meet the men of Crackdown (Feature)

Nov 22, 2006

The developers of Crackdown, a free-roaming, car-throwing, super-powered future-cop simulator in the vein of Grand Theft Auto, seem unusually keen on bucking videogame tradition in every way possible. Their character designs are no exception; rather that going with a typical good-looking hero, they've unveiled a diverse cast of eight beefy misfits from an unusual range of ethnic backgrounds. Their designers have taken pains to give these superheroes as much weird, unconventional personality ...

Crackdown - multiplayer hands-on (Preview)

Nov 13, 2006

The creators of Crackdown want you to know one thing - this is no GTA clone. Inspired by? Sure... though seeing as how one of the designers founded the company that originally created Grand Theft Auto, the reverse could almost be said. In the same open-world, open-structure vein as? Definitely. The action game puts an entire sprawling metropolis at your trigger-happy fingertips and gives you a giddying amount of freedom to play with it as you please. Crackdown, however, isn't afraid to make ...

Crackdown not so Cracking (News)

Sep 28, 2006

A new Crackdown fact sheet was released today and it revealed that the upcoming 360 title has been delayed until Q1 2007.

X06: Crackdown Hands-On (News)

Sep 27, 2006

The gaming industry has been forever changed since the release of Grand Theft Auto and even though we are sick of using it as a comparison point, the fact remains that there have been loads of imitators hoping to capitalize on the franchise's overwhelming success and notoriety. While a majority of these knock-offs have come and gone without nearly as much fanfare, there is one title on the way that demands attention and it's not just because it's being developed by the designer of the GTA series. David Jones and his hand-picked crew at Real Time Worlds is currently working on their latest open-ended action/driver Crackdown, and they are hoping that their efforts will once again set a new standard for the genre. Prior to this week's X06 event in Barcelona, we managed to get a sneak peek of Crackdown while visiting Microsoft's Redmond campus. We sat down with the game's product manager Craig Evans to bring you our updated hands-on impressions of this highly ambitious Xbox 360 exclusive.