Features// SPOnG's Review of the Year 2011: April

"We are already there. If Microsoft or Sony were to release a new console tomorrow, the engine would scale onto that platform, because we have been looking at not only the PC technology today but also speculating what will happen tomorrow when it comes to these things."

Meanwhile, on the hack front, Microsoft was ‘getting into the act’ by issuing warnings to its Xbox Live users regarding dastardly behaviour.

“Users may receive potential fishing attempts via title specific messaging while playingModern Warfare 2.”

Yes, you read that right: “Fishing attempts.”

This, of course, lead to a brief fanboy war elsewhere on the Internet, we moved swiftly on having first making readers aware that:

PlayStation Network: Credit Card Details with Hackers

Yup, the rumour that Sony had deliberately taken PSN down looked like good news compared with rumours on “various underground 'credit card' trading forums, and on the new #psnhack twitter list that a large section of the PSN database containing complete personal details along with over 2.2million working credit card numbers with the much-needed CVV2 code are being offer up for sale to the highest-bidder, after the 'hackers' tried to sell the DB back to Sony for a price, but they of course didn't answer!"

That looked like a huge number of credit card details. Surely it couldn’t be true? Surely Sony would issue a statement? More of that in May.

For now, let’s leave April with what looked like an interesting snippet of information regarding Sony’s phone partner (at the time), Sony Ericsson.

We reported that “Sony Ericsson Posts Android Bootloader Unlock Code”. It also noted that, “you may void the warranty of your phone if you unlock the boot loader.”

So, why would Sony’s partner do this, what with a Sony PlayStation game-phone absolutely on the cards? More on that later in the year.

However, before we leave April and the ongoing PSN debacle, let’s remind ourselves of how gamers can actually do something positive.

In April, the independent video game consumers group, Gamers' Voice issued a formal complaint to Channel 5 and Princess Productions, which create The Wright Stuff morning magazine programme.

The complaint concerned the show that was aired on 14th April 2011, that featured a lengthy debate on the relationship between violent crimes and violent video games.

The complaint itself “raised as a concern on the above programme. During the debate, footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was shown, without warning to the viewer. It was of the now infamous level 'No Russian', and showed the player shooting unarmed civilians in an airport. This footage was broadcast at 10:30am, well before the 9pm watershed and was therefore in breach of the Broadcasting Code as defined by Ofcom.”

This was a nifty piece of thinking, given that the program itself basically revolved around insulting gamers and creating a mainstream panic about video games the like of which had not been seen since the “Video Nasty” scares of the1980s.

Finally, here’s something to look forward to for later in 2011 (if you can get your head around looking ‘forward’ to the past, but this is a review of the year!):

Duke Nukem Forever Trailer: Pixelated Boobs

Oh yes, if you follow that link, you’ll be able to see the trailers being put out to herald the return of the Duke. It looked good didn’t it? You wait until you read the review.

See you in May!