Unreal Tournament 3 is scheduled to launch this summer for the Xbox 360. The 360 version will sport some exclusive offerings:

• two new characters
• five new expansive maps
• split screen capability

The biggest disappointment however is that Midway and Epic are saying that the Xbox 360 release won’t come with an editor for user-created content, which means you won’t be able to build custom maps, and also won’t be able to play any of the user created maps by PS3 and PC owners. That’s what I was looking forward to the most. Being able to build and play my own map on a console would be so sweet! Looks like I’m getting the PS3 version.

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Hey, it’s the day of the Map Packs. At least this ones free! Midway and Epic Games announced 3 free maps for Unreal Tournament 3, now available for PlayStation® 3 and PC. The downloadable content consists of 3 arenas: Morbias, Facing Worlds and Searchlight. PC users can find the new content at www.unrealtournament3.com, while PS3 users can download it directly from the PlayStation® Network.

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Epic Game’s Unreal Tournament 3 has been plagued by numerous issues in the game, one of the most noteable is the broken VOIP feature that so many people are complaining about, amongst many, many other things.

There are two versions of the patch, the US version and the EU version. The US version will have more fixes, because some of the features of the US patch were included on the retail EU Blu-Ray disk plus the new fixes too. Turns out delays can be useful, after all.

Here are the fixes in both the US and the EU version of the patch:

- Mods now on root of memory device, can download easier from PS3 web browser
- Fixed VOIP quality issues
- Fixed some headset connection issues
- Added support for full character mods (heads/premade whole characters)
- No longer need to reboot after importing a character mod to see it in menus
- DLC no longer acts like a user mod (being listed in MyContent and causing disable mod crash dialog)
- Fix for bootup and import slowdown with many mods installed
- Add a VOIP icon when VOIP is active (button held down)
- Fixes for corrupted the auto-mod-download cache
- Fix for flickering auto-download text
- Fix for getting stuck in multiplayer menu if you get in before gamespy connects
- Fixed a mod problem with switching between mod and shipping maps with clients teleporting randomly
- Fixed a mod problem with multiple gametype mods installed, only first one imported would work
- Fixed Leviathan deploy icon
- Bots now respect players feigning death (depending on bot skill level)
- Bots now respect sandstorm “blindness”
- Fix for bots picking linkgun mode

For the full list of issues (including the additional issues fixed in the US patch) go to the UTForums.

Source: TheSixthAxis

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[QUOTE]
* Are you any closer to resolving the problem of getting user-gen content into the Xbox 360 version?
* Not yet but we’re hopeful. Microsoft hasn’t said “no” yet, but then they haven’t said “yes” either. We need them to say “yes,” and we need them to do it soon.

* So it’s technically possible?
* Sure. I mean, you can go onto the console and copy your songs on to it and play movies off a memory card - the machine’s capable of allowing you to transfer your content around, and even letting you play your music while playing many games.

* So why wouldn’t Microsoft say yes? Is there a fear of losing control of Xbox Live?
* Well, yeah and we don’t fault them for that. They’ve got a closed system where everything’s checked, users know the quality of everything they download, and you know it won’t crash your machine. User generated content - well, it can be dangerous, you could theoretically download a mod that uses too much memory and crashes your machine.

I think Sony are real pioneers in this - I think they deserve a lot of credit for letting us do this. They’re really doing something different, and it hints at what they want to do with the PlayStation Network in the future. They’re definitely on the right track!

If it doesn’t work out with Xbox 360, depending on sales of the game on that platform, I imagine we’ll find a few of the best mods and get them on Xbox Live Marketplace. I don’t think 360 users are going to suffer drastically - they’re just going to miss out on a lot of crazy, cool fun stuff and the ability to exchange it among themselves. They may also end up paying for content that is free on other systems because Microsoft now has to host it and certify it. But I’m confident Microsoft will look at what’s happened with UT3 on the PS3 so far and think, ‘Well, we’ll take that baby step with you,’ because what we’ve done so far really is just a baby step if you think about it. You’ve got to go online, you gotta download the mod, and you’re responsible for putting it on your machine yourself. There are some exceptions - there are mutators, which modify how gameplay works, that are pretty small - and we let those auto download, but most of the other stuff you’ve got to go and say ‘I’m going to install this on my machine.’ We hope to change that in the future.

So it really is the user knowing what he’s doing. He’s not accidentally going to a server which has this really horrific mod on it… and if you do find a horrific mod we have a way to make sure that people can’t serve that mod for other users. I think we’re going to do much more with the PS3 version - maybe have an easier way to download mods, a way to auto download some that have been approved, ideas like that. We’re looking at ways of taking the mod scene and making it better and broader.

The game is up and running on Xbox 360 - it has been for a long time, and its running wonderfully - it just doesn’t have any Xbox Live written into it yet so that’s the work that remains.
[/QUOTE]

Source: guardian.co.uk

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Epic just released information regarding the mod support in the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament 3. They have omitted this feature in the initial release for various “legal/release issues”.

“The PS3 mod tools aren’t quite ready yet”, stated Josh Adams, programmer for Epic Games. “We are working through some final legal/release issues.”

“When it’s ready, you will need to download the latest PC patch and another PS3 Mod Tools ‘patch’ that adds the full PS3 mod support to the PC version”, he said.

“PC mods will then need to be processed for PS3 use. You will have to cook your mods for the PS3 specifically. You will also need removable media (memory card, USB drive, etc) to transfer the mod from your PC to your PS3.”

“We will have the tools ready ASAP!!”

“We’re aware that some of our customers wanted splitscreen for the PS3 version of UT3. We hear you and will evaluate the feature for possible future updates to UT3.”

Source: Epic Forums

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Epic’s outspoken vice president Mark Rein was recently asked why the console version of Unreal Tournament 3 significantly slower than the PC version. Here’s what he had to say:

“When you play Halo on PC, you notice the difference too, yeah? This is also the reason why we don’t have cross-platform play, between PC and PS3, because you have got to make some compromises for each platform. But you play Halo on console and you find that it’s slower too, right…they have to be slower, because your fingers are just not as precise as your whole arm, right? To me the movement and speed as a console gamer is just right.”

So, if you notice a speed difference between console and PC, it’s intentional.

Source: SPOnG

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Mark Rein, producer of Unreal Tournament III, has just confirmed on the Epic Games boards that the sci-fi FPS for PS3 has gone gold.

It was confirmed that UTIII has been approved by Sony Computer Entertainment America and has been released to North American manufacturing.

Two months ago, Unreal Tournament III for the PlayStation 3 was delayed till late 2007, with the possibility of an early 2008 release. Because of all the hard work Epic put into the game, UTIII will in fact make it into your hands on December 11, but only in North America.

Rein stated on the Epic boards that he expects the title to show up in Europe between January and February next year.

Check out his post right here.

UTIII is currently a PS3 exclusive (bar the PC). It is expected to be released on Xbox 360 some time in 2008.

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