Urinary Tract Infection

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on January 31, 2011
Sources: © 2011 WebMD

What Is a Urinary Tract Infection?
About half of women will get a urinary tract infection or UTI at some point in life. It happens when germs infect the system that carries urine out of your body -- the kidneys, bladder, and the tubes that connect them. Bladder infections are common and usually not serious if treated promptly. But if the infection spreads to the kidneys, it can cause more serious illness.

UTI Symptoms: Bladder Infection
Most UTIs are bladder infections. Symptoms include:
Pain or burning during urination
The urge to urinate often
Pain in the lower abdomen
Urine that is cloudy or foul-smelling
Some people may have no symptoms

UTI Symptoms: Kidney Infection
An untreated bladder infection can spread to the kidneys. Signs of this include:
Pain on either side of the lower back
Fever and chills
Nausea and vomiting

When to See Your Doctor
See your doctor right away if you have signs of a urinary tract infection. A bladder infection is generally not a medical emergency – but some people have a higher risk for complications. This includes pregnant women, the elderly, and men, as well as people with diabetes, kidney problems, or a weakened immune system.

UTI or Something Else?
Although burning during urination is a telltale sign of a UTI, it can  also be a symptom of certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs.) These  include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Simple lab tests are  available to distinguish a UTI from an STD.

Honeymoon Cystitis
Few things can ruin a honeymoon like a UTI. But this is so common, it has its own name – "honeymoon cystitis." The reason is that sexual activity can push bacteria into the urethra. Of course, the problem is not confined to honeymoons. Some women get a bladder infection almost every time they have sex. Women who use a diaphragm for birth control are especially vulnerable.

Stealth UTI
Occasionally, UTIs occur without the classic symptoms. A person may have no symptoms at all. Yet, a urine test shows the presence of bacteria. This is known as asymptomatic bacteriuria. In many cases, no treatment is needed. But pregnant women, some children, and recipients of kidney transplants should be treated to avoid a kidney infection.

UTI Complications
The main danger associated with untreated UTIs is that the infection may  spread from the bladder to one or both kidneys. When bacteria attack the  kidneys, they can cause damage that will permanently reduce kidney function. In  people who already have kidney problems, this can raise the risk of kidney  failure. There’s also a small chance that the infection may enter the  bloodstream and spread to other organs.

How Do UTIs Begin?
Many types of bacteria live in the intestines and the genital area, but this is not true of the urinary system. In fact, urine is sterile. So when errant bacteria, such as the E. coli shown here, is accidentally introduced into the urinary system, it can start a UTI. Typically, bacteria travel up the urethra to the bladder, where an infection can take hold. Women are more susceptible than men, probably because they have shorter urethras.

What Boosts Your Risk?

UTIs are most common in sexually active women. Other factors that may increase your risk include:
Not drinking enough fluids
Taking frequent baths
Holding your urine
Kidney stones

Urinary Tract Infections in Men
Men are much less likely than women to get UTIs. When it does happen, it's often related to another underlying medical condition, such as a kidney stone or an enlarged prostate.

Diagnosing UTIs
The first step in diagnosing a UTI is usually a simple urine test called a urinalysis. It looks for bacteria, as well as abnormal counts of white and red blood cells. The dipstick test provides quick results. Your doctor may also send your urine to a lab for culture to confirm the type of bacteria. At-home test kits can help detect a UTI, but are not 100% accurate. Be sure to go over the results and your symptoms with your doctor.

Treating UTIs
Prescription antibiotics will almost always cure a UTI. Your health care provider may recommend drinking lots of fluids and emptying your bladder frequently to help flush out the bacteria. Kidney infections can often be treated with oral antibiotics, too. But severe kidney infections may require hospital care, including a course of intravenous antibiotics.

Treating Recurrent UTIs
Some women are prone to getting UTIs over and over again. If you have three or more a year, talk to your doctor about how to prevent or minimize these infections. Your options may include:
Taking a low dose of antibiotics long-term
Taking a single antibiotic dose after sex
Taking antibiotics promptly as self-treatment when symptoms appear

UTIs and Diabetes

People with diabetes are more vulnerable to UTIs for several reasons. First, their immune systems tend to be weaker. Second, high blood sugar can spill into the urine and encourage the growth of bacteria. Also, nerve damage related to diabetes can prevent the bladder from fully emptying. People with diabetes should talk with their doctor at the first sign of a UTI.

UTIs and Pregnancy
During pregnancy, there are several factors that boost the risk of UTIs, especially a kidney infection. Hormones cause changes in the urinary tract, and the uterus may put pressure on the ureters or bladder or both -- making it more difficult for urine to pass from the kidneys to the bladder and out.  Untreated UTIs can contribute to preterm labor, so be sure to alert your doctor if you suspect you have an infection.

UTIs and Menopause
Estrogen has a protective effect in the urinary tract, but levels of this hormone drop off significantly during menopause. Low estrogen levels can make it easier for bacteria to thrive in the vagina or urethra. For this reason, women may be more susceptible to UTIs after menopause.

UTIs and Hospital Stays
A hospital stay can put you at risk for a UTI, particularly if you need to use a catheter. This is a thin tube that's inserted through the urethra to carry urine out of the body. Bacteria can enter through the catheter and reach the bladder. This is more often a problem for older adults who require prolonged hospital stays or who live in long-term care facilities.

UTIs in the Elderly
UTIs are among the most common infections in the elderly. But the symptoms may not follow the classic pattern. Agitation, delirium, or other behavioral changes may be the only sign of a UTI in elderly men and women. This age group is also more likely to develop serious complications as a result of UTIs.

UTIs in Infants
Babies occasionally develop UTIs, but they can’t tell you what they feel. Here are some signs to watch for:
An unexplained fever
Strange-smelling urine
Poor appetite or vomiting
Fussy behavior
 It’s vital to treat a baby’s UTI quickly to prevent kidney damage. Promptly changing a dirty diaper can help prevent bladder infections. And of course, wipe from front to back whenever changing a baby's diaper.

UTIs in Children
About 1% of boys and 3% of girls develop UTIs by age 11. This includes some children who repeatedly delay a bathroom trip. Their muscles may not relax enough later to fully empty the bladder and flush away any bacteria. More regular bathroom trips and drinking plenty of liquids may help. A small number of children have a structural problem that obstructs urine flow or lets urine flow back from the bladder to the kidneys, triggering chronic kidney infections. This can lead to kidney damage.

UTI or Potty Training Problem?
Accidents are par for the course during toilet training. Even kids who have mastered the art of the potty may sometimes have a relapse. Other children may scream or cry when taken to the potty, as a way of rebelling against the process. These are generally not signs of a UTI.

Preventing UTIs
Here are several strategies to reduce your risk of UTIs:
Drink plenty of water.
Visit the toilet before and after sex.
Wipe from front to back.
Avoid feminine hygiene sprays.
Take showers instead of baths.

The Cranberry Connection
Maybe Mom told you that cranberry juice cures a UTI. She’s close. Some studies suggest it can prevent, but not treat an infection, and is more effective in young and middle-aged women. Cranberries contain a substance that prevents E. coli bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. If you don’t like the taste of cranberry juice, capsules or tablets may work, too. People with a history of kidney stones should check with a doctor, first.

Cervical Cancer

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on September 21, 2011
Sources: © 2011 WebMD

What Is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop and spread in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus. More than 12,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. A unique fact about cervical cancer is that most cases are triggered by a type of virus. When found early, cervical cancer is highly curable.

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer
When cervical cells first become abnormal, there are rarely any warning signs. As the cancer progresses, symptoms may include:
Unusual vaginal discharge
Vaginal bleeding between periods
Bleeding after menopause
Bleeding or pain during sex

Top Cause of Cervical Cancer: HPV
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a large group of viruses. About 40 types can infect the genital areas, and some have high risk for cervical cancer. Genital HPV infections usually clear up on their own. If one becomes chronic, it can cause changes in the cells of the cervix. And it's these changes that may lead to cancer. Worldwide, over 90% of cervical cancers are caused by an HPV infection.

Symptoms of HPV
HPV infections usually have no symptoms and go away on their own. Some types of the HPV virus may cause genital warts, but these are not the same strains linked to cervical cancer. It's important to note that genital warts will not turn into cancer, even if they are not treated. The dangerous types of HPV can stay in the body for years without causing any symptoms.

Who Is at Risk for HPV?
HPV is so common that most people who have ever had sex -- both women and men -- will get the virus at some point in life. Because HPV can linger quietly, it's possible to carry the infection even if it has been years since you had sex. Condoms can lower your risk of getting HPV, but they do not fully protect against the virus. HPV is also linked to cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and to anal and oral cancers in both sexes.

How HPV Causes Cervical Cancer
If one of the high-risk strains of HPV lingers in the body, it can cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix. These precancerous changes do not mean that you have cervical cancer.  But over time, the abnormal cells may give way to cancer cells. Once cancer appears, it tends to spread in the cervix and surrounding areas.

What Else Raises Your Risk?

Hispanic and African-American women have higher rates of cervical cancer than white women. The risk is also higher in infected women who:
Smoke
Have many children
Use birth control pills for a long time
Are HIV positive or have a weakened immune system

Early Detection: Pap Test
The Pap test is one of the great success stories in early detection. A painless swab of the cervix can reveal abnormalities, often before cancer appears. Women should start having Pap tests three years after becoming sexually active and no later than age 21. How often tests are done depends on the type of test, your personal risk factors, and your medical history.  Skipping Pap tests raises your risk for invasive cervical cancer.
Of note: You'll still need Pap tests after getting the HPV vaccine because it doesn't prevent all cervical cancers.

What If Your Pap Test Is Abnormal?
If test results show a minor abnormality, you may need a repeat Pap test. Your doctor may schedule a colposcopy -- an exam with a lighted magnifying device -- or biopsy to get a better look at any changes in the cervical tissue. If abnormal cells are precancerous, they can then be removed or destroyed. Treatments are highly successful in preventing precancerous cells from developing into cancer.

Early Detection: HPV DNA Test
In some cases, doctors may offer the option of the HPV DNA test in addition to a Pap test. This test checks for the presence of high-risk forms of HPV. It may be used in combination with a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer in women over 30. It may also be recommended for a woman of any age after an abnormal Pap test result.

Diagnosing Cervical Cancer: Biopsy
A biopsy involves the removal of cervical tissue for examination in a lab. A pathologist will check the tissue sample for abnormal changes, precancerous cells, and cancer cells. In most cases, a biopsy takes place in a doctor's office with local anesthesia. A cone biopsy allows the pathologist to check for abnormal cells beneath the surface of the cervix, but this test may require general anesthesia.

Stages of Cervical Cancer
Stage 0 describes cancer cells found only on the surface of the cervix.  More invasive cancers are separated into four stages. Stage I is when the cancer has not spread beyond the cervix. Stage II means the tumor has spread to the upper part of the vagina. A Stage III tumor extends to the lower part of the vagina and may block urine flow. In Stage IV, the tumor has reached the bladder or rectum, or cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body and formed new tumors.

Treatment: Surgery
If the cancer has not progressed past Stage II, surgery is usually recommended to remove any tissue that might contain cancer. Typically this involves a hysterectomy, the removal of the cervix and uterus as well as some of the surrounding tissue. The surgeon may also remove the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and lymph nodes near the tumor.

Treatment: Radiation
External radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells in a targeted area. It can also help destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery. Internal radiation, or brachytherapy, uses radioactive material that is inserted into the tumor. Women with cervical cancer are often treated with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. Side effects can include low blood cell counts, feeling tired, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and loose stools.

Treatment: Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to reach cancer wherever it is in the body. When cervical cancer has spread to distant organs, chemotherapy may be the main treatment option. Depending on the specific drugs and dosages, side effects may include fatigue, bruising easily, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Coping With Cancer Treatments
Cancer treatments may make you tired or uninterested in food. But it's important to take in enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. Check with a dietitian for tips on eating well during cancer treatment. Staying active is also important. Gentle exercise can increase your energy while reducing nausea and stress. Check with your doctor to find out which activities are appropriate for you.

Cervical Cancer and Fertility
Treatment for cervical cancer often involves removing the uterus and may also involve removing the ovaries, ruling out a future pregnancy. However, if the cancer is caught very early, you still may be able to have children after surgical treatment. A procedure called a radical trachelectomy can remove the cervix and part of the vagina while leaving the majority of the uterus intact.

Survival Rates for Cervical Cancer
The odds of surviving cervical cancer are tied to how early it's found. Depending on the stage, between 93% and 15% of women will survive for at least five years after diagnosis. Keep in mind that these numbers are based on women treated between 2000 and 2002. The treatments and outlook may be better for those diagnosed today. And statistics don't predict how well any one individual will respond to treatment.

Vaccine to Help Prevent Cervical Cancer
Vaccines are now available to ward off the two types of HPV most strongly linked to cervical cancer. Both Cervarix and Gardasil require three doses over a six-month period. Studies suggest the vaccines are effective at preventing chronic infections with the two types of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers.  Gardasil also protects against two types of HPV that cause genital warts.

Who Should Get the HPV Vaccine?
The vaccines are only used to prevent, not treat, HPV infection. They are most effective if administered before an individual becomes sexually active. The CDC recommends girls get an HPV vaccine series when they are 11 or 12.  It can also be given as a catch-up vaccine for girls and women from ages 13 to 26.

The Best and Worst Beverages for Weight Loss

Skinny Sipping: Drink Pounds Away
Many of us watch what we eat but not what we drink when on a diet. That’s a mistake. The average American gets a fifth of daily calories from beverages. Choosing the right drinks can tweak your metabolism, curb your appetite, and reduce your total calorie count. Which drinks are spoilers and which are helpers on the path to weight loss?

Spoiler: Soda
Every time you chug a bottle of soda, you’re consuming hundreds of empty calories. Switching to diet soft drinks is an obvious way to cut calories, but the research is mixed on whether this switch results in weight loss. Some studies show a short-term benefit. Others find diet soda drinkers gain weight. If your calorie intake exceeds what you burn off, just switching to diet soda may not do the trick.lpers on the path to weight loss?



Helper: Water

Replacing carbonated soft drinks with water will cut hundreds of calories per day, and the benefits don’t stop there. Drinking two glasses of water before a meal may encourage the stomach to feel full more quickly, so you don’t eat as much. In addition, new research suggests drinking plenty of water may have a positive effect on your metabolism.

Jury’s Out: Fruit Juice
Juice can have as many calories as soda, but it has far more to offer in the way of nutrients. This presents a dilemma -- you want the vitamins and antioxidants without all the extra sugar. The safest bet: Look for 100% fruit juice. Steer clear of juice drinks that have added sweeteners. Look for the percent of real juice, noted on the nutritional label. You can also slash calories by drinking water with a tiny bit of juice added.

Helper: Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juice is every bit as nutritious as fruit juice with about half the calories. One cup of tomato juice has 41 calories, compared to 122 calories for orange juice. Choosing juice with pulp provides some fiber, too, which can help control hunger.

Jury’s Out: Smoothies
Blend a banana, strawberries, and blueberries into a frothy smoothie, and you’ve got a delicious arsenal of disease-fighting vitamins and minerals. The homemade variety is best when you’re counting calories, because you can control the ingredients -- skim milk and fresh or frozen fruit are all you need. Restaurant smoothies may contain ice cream, honey, or other sweeteners that boost the calorie count sky-high.

Jury’s Out: Low-Fat Milk
Eating calcium-rich foods may do a body good, but calcium probably won't help you  lose weight, new research now reveals. Some earlier studies suggested calcium may prompt the body to burn more fat, but there’s little evidence to support these claims. To get the benefits of calcium without getting extra fat, stick to skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Spoiler: Energy Drinks
Sports and energy drinks are calorie bombs like soda. They may have more added nutrients, but you can find the same vitamins and minerals in low-calorie foods. People who are serious about losing weight should stay hydrated with water rather than sports drinks.

Helper: Black Coffee
When you need a shot of caffeine, coffee is a better choice than soda or energy drinks. Black coffee is calorie-free and rich in antioxidants. Studies have shown that consuming moderate amounts of coffee (about 3 to 4 cups a day) may improve mood and concentration, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer.

Spoiler: Fancy Coffee
Once you add heavy cream, flavored syrups, and/or a snowcap of whipped cream, that innocent mug of black coffee becomes a minefield of fat and sugar. Specialty coffees can contain up to 570 calories per cup -- possibly more than an entire meal! If you don’t like your coffee black, add a little skim milk and artificial sweetener to keep the calorie count low.

Helper: Green Tea
Green tea is another excellent choice when you’re looking for a little caffeine. Not only is it calorie-free, some research suggests green tea extract may stimulate weight loss.  It's not clear exactly how it aids weight loss, though caffeine and micronutrients called catechins may each play a role. The benefit appears to last only a few hours, so it may help to drink green tea at least twice a day.


Spoiler: Coolers
Coolers may sound light and airy, but they are heavy on calories. A 12-ounce cooler containing wine can have 190 calories and 22 grams of carbs. The same size hard lemonade or bottled alcoholic "ice" can have as much as 315 calories. Regular wine is not exactly a diet drink, with 100 calories in a 5-ounce glass. A low-calorie alternative is a wine spritzer: mix a dash of wine with some sparkling water.

Spoiler: Cocktails
A shot of hard liquor has fewer calories than wine or wine coolers, but once you mix in soda or cream, watch out… An 8-ounce white Russian made with light cream has 715 calories. A less fattening option is to mix rum or vodka with diet soda.

Helper: Light Beer
OK, beer is not really going to help you lose weight. But if you’re out with friends and want to share a pitcher, light beer is the way to go. A 12 oz serving has about 100 calories, compared to 150 calories for regular beer.

Driver: San Francisco review

Shifting a near-dead franchise back to life - awesomely
Words: Richard Grisham

We’re careening at breakneck speed through downtown San Francisco, and things are getting a bit hairy. At the moment, we’re in the driver’s seat of a ZR1 Corvette, in hot pursuit of a criminal on the loose. Traffic is heavy and pedestrians are everywhere, which makes this high-speed chase pretty complicated. Despite our best efforts to weave through oncoming vehicles at 105 mph, we smash headfirst into a fire truck, sending glass and metal flying across the boulevard. Normally, our hopes would be dashed, and we’d simply hit the “reset” button and give it another go. Instead, though, we shift immediately into a Google Earth-style view of the entire Bay Area, spotting our prey moving on the map. The press of a button zips out of our mangled wreck and into an eighteen wheeler about 250 feet in front of our target. Quickly steering hard right, a massive barrier now blocks most of the street in front of our enemy. In another instant, we teleport out of the rig into a sweet Audi S5 Coupe trailing our baffled combatant, and crash into him a moment after he hits the truck head-on. Bad guy vanquished, mission accomplished.

Such wildly entertaining chains of events are common in Driver: San Francisco. It’s one thing to combine the best parts of games like Burnout, Need for Speed, and Grand Theft Auto; it’s another to invent a new way to play a game in the tired driving-action genre. Frankly, we thought it was impossible to come up with something new, but the ability to “Shift” – the term Driver uses for being able to instantly teleport from the vehicle you’re in to any other one anywhere in the city at any time – is the sexiest new game mechanic we’ve seen in forever. It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t sound great on paper but makes perfect sense once you actually try it. It’s also a bit disconcerting, because we’ve been trained for so many years that there’s only one way to play driving games. Once it stuck in our minds, though, we started to wonder if we’d ever want to play a similar game any other way. We’re still not sure.
Driver: San Francisco is like a great summer blockbuster movie (remember those?). It’s got tons of action, an over-the-top story that manages to keep your attention even as you roll your eyes, painfully cheeky banter between characters you learn to like and hate, and, oh yeah, tons of action. If you’re a longtime fan of the franchise, you already know our hero John Tanner and his arch-enemy Jericho; these two dudes were last seen battling it out in Driv3r several years back. If you’re new to the series, though, you can jump right in to the story without missing a beat. Characters are quickly introduced and the plot established, and from the word “go” it’s clear what’s happening.
The story, broken up into eight chapters, takes place in and around a gorgeously realized San Francisco. The city is alive, teeming with traffic and pedestrians, and full of all the landmarks people familiar with the town will recognize. Each chapter charges you with accomplishing several missions, in whichever order you choose, as well as a bevy of side jobs that help earn extra cars and power-ups. The main storyline take place as Tanner and his sidekick piece together a mystery about Jericho. Of course, that many of these moments take place while Tanner is deep in a coma explains how the whole “Shift” concept gets conveniently established. You get to inhabit the bodies of cops, vigilantes, street racers, and other assorted San Francisco characters as they go on dozens of mayhem-producing escapades across the Bay Area. A nice variety of goals and objectives keeps the action fresh, and thanks to Shifting, there are plenty of ways to solve the same problem.

As the story progresses, the real estate expands and the weirdness grows. We were never able to get too comfortable, as the tables got turned on us several times – another brilliant move that kept us guessing all the way to the end. There are a few incongruities, to be sure; Tanner is a good cop who’s bent on protecting the city, yet has no problem inhabiting the body of an innocent driver and ramming their vehicle into an enemy he’s chasing. That’s weird. Also, no matter how badly our Dodge Challenger got busted up, it was always bright, shiny, and in perfect working order at the start of every new mission. These are mere quibbles, though, with an otherwise dynamite single-player effort.
The multiplayer modes are no mere afterthought, either – in fact, they’re arguably the most entertaining online driving we’ve done in ages. There are a dozen or so to choose from, but you have to unlock modes and options by leveling up. Whether we were playing “Tag” (whichever driver that can remain “it” for a pre-determined time wins, and whoever smashes into “it” gets to be “it”) or  “trailblazer” (whichever driver can remain behind the pace car for the longest while driving at insanely high speeds in heavy traffic), we were shocked at how well the Shift mechanic worked in these races. Not only does it allow for an all-new level of strategy, it completely rewrites the rules of racing online – a wreck at an inopportune time no longer automatically relegates you to last place. Yes, there are a few regular racing modes too, but they feel tame compared to the Shift-powered ones. Even better, each mode (online and off) features over 100 real-world cars. While they don’t all exactly perform as they would in Gran Turismo, they’re different enough to get excited about.

Driver: San Francisco blows our minds; it’s 100% more fun than we expected and immediately re-establishes the franchise front and center in the marketplace. It’s not often that a single new mechanic can reinvigorate an entire genre, but this one does. Here’s hoping it doesn’t get lost in the wave of fall releases that’s already upon us – it deserves your attention. You won’t be sorry.

GameStop will begin selling Apple devices

Trade in iPhones, iPads, and iPods to get Plants vs. Zombies for consoles
Words: Paul Ryan


GameStop will soon be carrying Apple devices, including iPads, iPhones, and iPods. This week the retailer began accepting iOS devices as trade-ins for in-store credit, which is likely a method of phasing in used products before introducing new devices. GameStop made the announcement Apple's devices would be sold in its stores during a trade show in Las Vegas last week, reports 9to5mac.com.

The new product line hitting GameStop shelves may coincide with the new iPhone5 coming out in October, which could give both companies a push - not that Apple really needs one. The company sold 20.34 million iPhones during the June quarter of 2011. For GameStop this is the latest in a series of bold moves. It also began beta testing its game streaming service and experimenting with digital distribution, recently. So as brick and mortar stores continue to become less necessary, iOS devices may provide one more reason to keep GameStop around.

Resistance 3 Survival DLC announced for October 4

New launch trailer sets a new tone for the series with a sledgehammer and screaming
Words: Paul Ryan
Source: PlayStation Blog

Our favorite alternate version of 1957 has only been out for a handful of hours, but Resistance 3 has already announced it will be adding a new multiplayer mode on October 4. The addition is Invasion Mode, and it will be part of the Survival Pack DLC. The gametype requires two teams to hold separate control points from the Chimera assault (or invasion, if you will) while sharing a resource pool The mode doesn't appear in the launch trailer, but — oh yeah — there's a launch trailer.

Aside from being much darker than Resistance 2's often bright, over-saturated, and occasionally campy sci-fi atmosphere, the big bullet point to be taken from this video is the Cryogun. This gun is the 12th and final weapon. As you can tell, it freezes things — don't get too close to those icicles, or you'll poke an eye out.
On top of the new game mode, the Survival Pack will include four new multiplayer skins, modeled after survivors you may come across while playing solo and costs $3.99. It's set to release the same day a free patch will add two new maps, which will bring the map total to fourteen and give those of us without four bucks something to be happy about too.
Sep 6, 2011

Real-life Pip-Boy is functionally delightful and practically useless

Prepare for post-apocalyptic survivalism in style with custom Android mod

Words: Tom Goulter
Source: GameSetWatch

We all like to hope that none of the armed conflicts or escalating WMD stockpiles in the world of 2011 will actually trigger a nuclear apocalypse, but it's prudent to be prepared, just in case. One soul doing his homework for such an eventuality is YouTube's MyMagicPudding, who's put together a full-size (albeit non-wearable) Pip-Boy 3000 to rival any of the Portal fan-creations doing the rounds of late. You'll need a pretty high Science or Barter skill to get your hands on one (or, for that matter, to get one on your hands) though.

1

While this isn't the first corporeal Pip-Boy to surface, most modders content themselves with sticking a new screen in the clock that came with the Survival Edition of Fallout 3. Not so Mr. Pudding, who followed the lead of more adventurous prop-builders at The RPF to put together a sturdier creation, augmenting the tool with an Android app custom-built for the purpose. If you've ever wished you could track your stats IRL, this may be the best way to do it – provided your Speech skill is high enough to explain why you're carrying about a huge watch that doesn't even fit on your hand. The prop hasn't been made available for the general public yet, but MyMagicPudding calls this a “prototype,” so you may be lucky yet.

Deus Ex getting DLC augmentation in October

By Tom Magrino, GameSpot
Square Enix's cyberpunk action adventure picking up The Missing Link add-on next month; pricing, platforms TBA.

Following the row surrounding Deus Ex, GameStop, and OnLive, it seems likely Square Enix would be happy to shift the conversation back to positive developments for its cyberpunk action game. That chance came today, as the publisher announced Deus Ex will receive its first downloadable content release this October with The Missing Link.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

The Missing Link follows up on events that transpire during the full version of Deus Ex, in which Adam Jensen goes mysteriously AWOL for a three-day period. Square Enix describes this episode as a time when Jensen has lost his augmentation powers and must escape a freighter using only the abilities nature gave him.

The Missing Link introduces a handful of new characters and enemies that play into the game's storyline. Square Enix also played up the add-on's opportunity to rebuild Jensen's augmentations from scratch.

Star Trek Online setting phasers to freemium

By Tom Magrino, GameSpot
Cryptic Studios confirms sci-fi MMORPG will transition to microtransaction-based business model later this year.

From Lord of the Rings Online to Age of Conan, success stories abound for massively multiplayer online role-playing games that flip to a microtransaction-driven freemium business model. With Cryptic Studios' Champions Online going the freemium route in January, it should come as no surprise that the MMOG specialist has similar intentions for Star Trek Online.

 Freemium isn't exactly a space where no man has gone before.
Cryptic Studios confirmed this week that it intends to transition Star Trek Online to a freemium business model by the end of this year. The studio expects to have additional information on its pricing and execution strategy for Star Trek Online available next week.

News of the announcement first arrived during a Perfect World postearnings conference call last week. In that report, chief financial officer Kevin Lau confirmed that a freemium version of Star Trek Online will arrive in the US and China. Perfect World bought Cryptic from Atari in May 2011.

Star Trek Online received middling review scores when it first launched for the PC in February 2010. The game operates independently from any of the events established in the film or television series.

Players assume the role of a starship captain operating under the banner of either the United Federation of Planets (better known simply as "the Federation") or the Klingon, who are locked in an intergalactic struggle. The hive-minded Borg will also play a role in the MMOG.

Resistance 3 Day One Patch Is Big. And Early.

Bigger than the Chimeran invasion.

Resistance 3 is out pretty soon, and the promised ‘day one’ patch for the game, which will obviously await your time and attention if you’re picking up the game next week, is now out for anyone that has the game early – or, like us, is battling their way through it for review.
It’s a whopper, though – 656MB for the European version of the patch, which is currently crawling through my rather rural connection just now.



That’s in addition to the game’s install, which takes considerably longer than the introductory video sequence (which is lovely, mind) is supposed to mask.

Quite what a patch of that size is actually updating is anyone’s guess, if we get a changelog on boot we’ll update this post but it was previously just a rather vague ‘updates and tweaks’ and is presumably just fixes to the multiplayer based on beta feedback.

The game’s pretty good though, especially for fans of the series – our full review will follow next week, but in the meantime you can read our hands on with the game’s opening section here and our interview with the developers here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an update bar to watch.

Street Fighter x Tekken gets two more character teasers

By Tom Goulter

Here's two new character teasers for Street Fighter x Tekken, which continues to test your knowledge of the two rival franchises butting heads in the upcoming crossover. If you're unsure of who's being teased here, just scroll down to the comments section – right after the game's newly-revealed box-art – where you'll no doubt find the answers revealed by people who'll probably be beating you at the game come March next year.

Of course, inscrutable character puzzles aren't the only way Capcom's building awareness for Street Fighter x Tekken; the company's also keeping up a steady stream of public events aimed at reminding you that the development heads of Street Fighter and Tekken are both skilled brilliant game designers, skilled pretzel-tossers, and freaking crazy, like a damn fox. All things you want in a designer, right?

Mad Catz and HES step into games publishing with Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge

Rugby to be the next big thing from Street Fighter fightstick distributor

You may not have heard of Home Entertainment Suppliers. It’s the exclusive distributor for Mad Catz, a company best known for its line of hardware peripherals. Now, HES is trying its hand at games publishing of the sporting variety with Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge, a new entry to the short list of rugby games available on the PC and consoles.

The game features career, competition, and tournament modes - and up to four-player online or local multiplayer. Players choose from 93 of the world’s Rugby teams, like the New Zealand All Blacks, and 1500 players from around the globe.  According to developer Sidhe, the experience is completely customizable with 31 stadium locations with conditions and time of day options. It also includes a fully customizable player creator with options to change the player stats and features right down to the size of player’s ear lobes. For fans of team management, the game offers a 13 season career mode where player injuries, suspension, and other Rugby related mishaps will come into play.

Sony rebrands online services, PSN now part of Sony Entertainment Network

One network to rule them all with streaming video and services to be determined
Words: Paul Ryan
Source: IndustryGamers


Sony has decided to restructure its online streaming networks. Starting with the PlayStation Network and Sony's streaming music video service Qriocity, the company will be rebranding various networks and incorporating them into one umbrella service: the Sony Entertainment Network.

“Through Sony Entertainment Network we can provide everything that Sony customers value and want in a convenient, comprehensive manner that is uniquely Sony in its presentation and delivery,” said Kazuo Hirai, chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment at an IFA press conference in Berlin. This new network will rebrand the Qriocity music- and video-on-demand services as “Music Unlimited” and “Video Unlimited” - a change that went into effect last week.

Along with being able to offer more services in one place, Sony might be thinking it's a good idea to move away from PSN, since hacker attacks last April compromised millions of user profiles and interrupted the service for 23 days. Regardless of the motivation behind the change, PSN users may soon see “Sony Entertainment Network” when they log in.

Mass Effect 3 To Kill Of Shepherd?

Bioware has revealed that Mass Effect 3 will see the end of Shepherd's story. However, whether this means he will be killed off remains unclear.

"We have ambitious plans to continue this franchise going forward," the studio's boss told PC Gamer recently. "Mass Effect 3 is simultaneously a couple of different things; a thrilling and epic conclusion to the trilogy as we promised our fans we'd provide for Commander Shepard. But it's also a brand new beginning - it's an entry point for new fans and it's also a brand new beginning."

Mass Effect 3 is due out next year.

Red Orchestra 2, WWII shooter, beta is now live

Words: Paul Ryan

The beta for Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad has been opened for players who pre-purchased the deluxe edition of the game. It's available on Steam now, and if you get in you'll have almost two full weeks of practice before the game launches on September 13. The beta features only part of the game's content, with three playable maps in the game modes Countdown, Territory, and Firefight.

Red Orchestra 2 is a brutally realistic, tactical, multiplayer WWII shooter for PC. The game focuses on team-based online matches and gives deluxe pre-orderers a day one unfair advantage by unlocking several elite assault weapons and semi-automatic sniper rifles. We're confident players without the resources necessary to go around downloading deluxe versions willy-nilly will be able to band together and overthrow the economically elite beta community, despite its advantage in equipment and play time.

Vita Almost As Fast As PS3

The PlayStation Vita will be fast. Very fast. So much so in fact, that developers are already saying that making games for the two devices is an almost identical process.

The PlayStation Vita will be fast. Very fast. So much so in fact, that developers are already saying that making games for the two devices is an almost identical process.

"We're a PlayStation 3 company," Nihilistic, who are developing Resistance for the Vita, said recently. "That's our engine, that's out technology. And really, [Sony] were looking for PS3 developers to milk the power out of the Vita, and I think that's definitely the right way to go because it's got a lot of power. It's got all the shaders, it's got a lot of CPU, so it's really not that big of a change for us to work on the Vita compared to the PS3."

Many developers have loudly wondered whether the Vita will be able to lure gamers, who are increasingly moving to smart phones for their gaming needs, to the Vita.

343 Industries' O'Connor Speaks Out On Halo: Anniversary's New Visuals

by Tom Curtis



While the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary bills itself as a faithful recreation of the Xbox classic, franchise overseer 343 Industries took some liberties with the game's enhanced visuals to differentiate the title from its 2001 predecessor.


Speaking to Gamasutra at last weekend's PAX Prime, 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor explained how updated tech inspired several tweaks in the game's overall art direction.


"For example, [the level] '343 Guilty Spark' had a lot of fog, and people associate that fog with broodiness, mood, terror as the Flood came out," he said, "But one of the realities is that yes, the fog was there for all those reasons, but it was also in there as a performance saver, as fog used to be."


The new version of the game abandons the fog altogether, and O'Connor notes that the team had to find "other things we could do to give it mood and give it a somberness." 


"We also said at some point, 'If we're doing something with the graphics, we should really do something with it, not just ape exactly what was there," he said.


In addition, Microsoft Game Studios internal division 343 Industries, which worked with Saber Interactive (Timeshift) on the remake, also chose to revamp some of the game's visuals to improve the usability of some of the game's more confusing segments. 


"'The Library' is another good example," O'Connor said. "It had this big pillar in the center which was put in, again, to occlude objects so you don't have to draw every enemy in the game. We took this opportunity to re-light the level, so stuff with the textures, and some of the effects to make it much more navigable."


Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was first announced at E3 last June and is due to launch on November 15 on Xbox 360.

A Look at Canadian Game Developers

Written by: theinkandpen • Edited by: Bill Fulks

In the early days of video games, the industry only really thrived in Japan and the U.S. because that was where the majority of games where developed. As times change, the whole world has a part to play in game development. Here we look at famous games from Canada.

Canada and Games

Canada not only has a legitimate place in the video games industry but is also gradually growing to be one of the leading countries which produce games. In total there are 150 game studios situated all over the country, which are made up of big names like EA, Ubisoft and Eidos. This growth creates new jobs and opportunities (Ubisoft-Montreal boasts 1,800 employees) and Canadian gamers spent about 1 billion dollars, as the turn of the century approached, on game-purchases.

Canadian game studios are strictly focused toward the development of games, not publishing, with numerous independent developers throughout Montreal, Vancouver and Ontario. Some of the games developed you will already have played, though perhaps unaware that they come from Canadian subsidiaries owned by some of the major game studios.

Following on we look at some video games developed in Canada, which you might have played thinking they were developed in the U.S. Read on if you are curious, as it might all lead to your surprise.

Bioware Games

Though Bioware is currently owned by EA, it was founded in Edmonton in 1995 by two physicians, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, and now has an office in Montreal as well as various locations throughout the U.S. The company is most notable for RPG titles, continuing their tradition of role playing games since the successful reception of Baldur’s Gate.

Bioware developed the Infinity engine, which allowed the creation of isometric-view games like Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2. Though originally it was an engine destined for an RTS project named Battleground Infinity, the project was turned into the first BG game and proved hugely successful. Bioware went on to create many other successful games like Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age: Origins.

Prior to the buy-out by EA, Bioware merged with Pandemic studios, originally based in Brisbane and Los Angeles. This lead to EA eventually buying the company out, since Pandemic became part of EA, though Bioware retained its own brand name. All the games were developed in Canada, with some games developed in collaboration with U.S. studios; this was the case for Mass Effect, which used level-scripting, a spawning system and mechanics that were fine-tuned by Demiurge Studios.

Ubisoft Montreal

This huge game company, third largest in Europe and fourth largest in the U.S., was originally founded in France by the Guillemot brothers and eventually expanded to include offices all over the world. The earliest branching-out took place with offices in Düsseldorf, Tokyo and Montreal, which is where many successful game franchises have been developed. A large part of video games developed in Canada come from Ubisoft Montreal.

Ubi’s catalogue is huge, featuring anything from point-and-click adventures to first-person shooters. Last year the company founded their own film-studio, Ubisoft Motion Pictures in Paris, which has plans on bringing adaptations of games to Film and TV. Jean Julien Baronet admits it is an ambitious project, though one that could prove successful for the company.

The early days of releases by Ubi, for platforms like the C64 and the Commodore Amiga, are not really remembered for memorable titles. With the creation of Ubisoft Montreal games like Far Cry 2/3, Splinter Cell, Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia with extra eye-candy paved the way for future success.

EA Canada
Electronic Arts’ history is rich and goes back all the way to the late 80’s, a company originally founded by Trip Hawkins who went on to form 3DO and Digital Chocolate. EA has offices all over the world with EA Canada being part of the EA sports brand and EA Montreal mainly famous for Boogie and Army of 2.
EA Canada was originally Distinctive Software, a company which worked closely with the renowned Accolade to publish mainly racing titles and 4d Sports titles. DSI ported many games for home consoles, the most famous perhaps being successful ports of Altered Beast under Unlimited Software, a division of the company. Eventually EA bought the company out, which became the current head-quarters for EA Canada.

The list of games developed by EA Canada includes all the later FIFA titles – since the FIFA 06 franchise is exclusively developed in Canada for publishing by EA Sports – the NBA Live and NHL titles, some of the SSX series for various consoles and the Need for Speed series of games.

Other Notable Companies
Though the ones above pretty much represent the big boys in terms of catalog, there are many other developers which offer no less in terms of quality. Relic, based in Vancouver, brought us Company of Heroes which is a popular RTS, while Digital Extremes, based in London, gave us the Ultima series while taking on some work for Bioshock and Bioshock 2.

Rockstar Vancouver, previously Barking Dog Studios, is perhaps most notable for Bully and its sequel, though the original company also contributed to Valve’s release of the Half-life mod Counterstrike. Of course they play some part in the current and future GTA design aspects. Currently RS Vancouver is planning Max Payne 3.

It is worth mentioning Beenox, who are owned by Activision and have various subsidiaries in Canada (Radical Entertainment, DemonWare) though they are mostly known for their ports essentially having begun as a porting-house. Beenox is on the rise, with releases like Guitar Hero Smash Hits becoming quite popular and their latest Spider Man release enjoying good success. Please comment below If you feel some important video games developed in Canada have been omitted.

Twisted Metal launching February 14

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Eat Sleep Play vehicular combat revival gets a new release date; demented driver Dollface featured in new trailer.

It's shaping up to be a pretty grim Valentine's Day for gamers. Sega has already set February 14 as the launch date for Binary Domain, a third-person shooter about humanity's subjugation by its own robotic creations. Now Sony has pinned the same date down for Twisted Metal, the latest entry in its sinister vehicular combat series featuring a cast of crazed characters with a serious bloodlust.

Twisted Metal may make for a memorable Valentine's Day.

Eat Sleep Play cofounder David Jaffe revealed the new date in a video message on the PlayStation Blog. Originally set for an October 4 debut,Twisted Metal was delayed earlier this month, with Jaffe saying at the time that the game wasn't ready, but the postponement would allow the team to "polish our demented baby until it shines."

The first installment in the series since 2008's Twisted Metal: Head-On - Extra Twisted Edition for the PlayStation 2, Twisted Metal is being developed by many of the series' original designers at Eat Sleep Play. Besides a campaign mode, the game will sport two-player split-screen action, as well as online battles.

Super Monday Night Combat

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Uber Entertainment's freemium follow-up to class-based third-person shooter revealed; new classes, maps, modes among the planned changes.


It has been barely a year since Monday Night Combat burst onto the scene as an Xbox 360 Summer of Arcade game, but the developers at Uber Entertainment are already ready for round two. As reported by Kotaku, Uber Entertainment is readying Super Monday Night Combat for an initial PC release on Steam late this year or early next.

The debut platform isn't the only thing new for Super Monday Night Combat; Uber Entertainment is changing the game to a freemium business model, so players will be able to play for free, with some content locked away for purchase. Anticipating skepticism over the business model, the developer has said that players will also be able to earn "the vast majority" of the purchasable items by playing the game instead of spending money.


 As for what's new for Super Monday Night Combat, Uber is adding new character classes, uniforms, gear, maps, game modes, and more. The developers are hoping to place a greater emphasis on strategic team play, with generally less lethal weapons and skills. The game will also tweak some of the basic rules, as teams will now have five players each instead of six.


Uber has not ruled out an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 launch for Super Monday Night Combat, but the type of freemium business model it is built on has yet to be embraced on either system. An open beta is set to kick off soon after this weekend's Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington.

Black Rock Shooter aims for Western release

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
NIS America licenses Image Epoch's Japanese PSP role-playing game for North America and Europe; release window to be determined.

NIS America is primarily known for its localized Japanese role-playing games, but the publisher's latest announced title is Black Rock Shooter: The Game, which happens to be a Japanese role-playing game.

Be sure to keep an eye out for Black Rock role-playing game, which would presumably be a shooter.

NIS America has acquired the license to publish Image Epoch's PSP RPG Black Rock Shooter: The Game in North America and Europe. Black Rock Shooter is based on the anime of the same name, but it is actually set in a different universe. The game boasts character designs by Huke and cutscenes by animation studio Ufotable, which has also worked on God Eater Burst and the upcoming Tales of Xillia RPG.

Set roughly 20 years in the future, Black Rock Shooter imagines an Earth that has been at war with aliens for decades, with humanity literally on its last legs. With just a dozen humans left on the planet, a battle android named BRS is activated in a final attempt to save the species.

Image Epoch is perhaps best known for its Luminous Arc series of DS role-playing games. However, Western gamers may also know the portable specialist from the DS RPG Sands of Destruction, or its lone console effort, last year's Arc Rise Fantasia for the Wii.

There is no release window for Black Rock Shooter in Western markets as of yet, but NIS America has said that will be announced in the near future.