We have been following this story since day one, when we broke the news to you guys. We reported that the content for Saints Row wouldn't show to other people online, and we wanted to find out why. Well today, a developer at Volition finally gave me an official statement:

"It will work when it needs to. I'll say it officially, in bold text: You probably shouldn't use the DLC until it's officially released.

It's not available everywhere, for one (for instance, you can't get it in Illinois) - and it's been released prematurely. We're not mad at people for having it- we just want them to understand that it won't function properly until it's officially released, and it's because it wasn't planned to be released at this time."

Thank you to Volition for finally clearing this issue up.

Over at the developer's forums, Saints Row developer "V-HarlequiN" made a revealing post about the upcoming patch and the DLC. many people want to know WHY the DLC is out before the path, and this guy has the perfect answer.

UPDATED: Added the contents of a second statement from the same dev, going further in depth.

"Some DLC can be created partly before the game even hits the shelves - it gives artists something to do while we wait for Microsoft to accept the game and for duplication to be done, neither of which happens overnight.

Patches on the other hand require the game to be out before they can be started, since until peope actually play it and say "Hey, I have a problem", we won't know what needs to be patched, if anything at all. Patching is also an enormously complex process, since while fixing problem A and B you might inadvertantly break something that was working perfectly well before. This is especially likely in a game the size of Saint's Row, so each step of the patch has to be made as carefully as possible.

Patching and DLC are also made by two seperate teams. DLC is predominantly artists, Patching is predominantly programmers. The creation of one does not appreciably delay the creation of the other.

I believe the patch also has to go through Microsoft for approval before release, and that would take an indeterminate amount of time.

So even we don't currently know exactly when the patch will be released, but I can assure you we're working very hard on it indeed (well, I'm not, but the programmers are), we want it out as soon as possible too."

The following is the most recent response from the same dev (from a different thread, also linked below):

"We've covered this ground before, but I'll cover it again (and probably add it to the FAQ).

The game was tested online, thoroughly before release. Not only by Volition's internal team, but also by THQ, other THQ studios, and Microsoft itself. None of the problems you guys have had were discovered during those tests or it would have been fixed before hitting the shelves.

So, how come all these problems were missed? It's all a question of numbers and probability and that sort of thing.

How many people tested it before it came out? Maybe 500 or so total - and it's doubtful more than 100 were testing it at any given time. That's a lot of testing by the way, more than most games probably get.

So how many people, so far, have checked out Saint's Row's multiplayer? Perhaps a few hundred thousand. Maybe a few tens of thousands at any one time (I don't have the accurate figures, given that it's Sunday night).

So the chances of a couple of hundred thousand people finding the exploit for Clothing is far greater than 500 people testing it. It only takes one of those thousands to find it, and it'll spread like wildfire. Likewise we had no way of knowing we would have such apparent lag until we had thousands of people playing all at once. It's just not something that can be tested "in the lab" as it were.

As for how hard the guys are working to get this fixed, well, you don't know what you're talking about. Nothing that is done in under two weeks could be considered even remotely stable and worthy of release, and that is how long these guys have had to work on the patch - since we didn't know it was needed until SR went live at the end of August. Even when it's finished being written it still needs to have additional testing to ensure it doesn't cause something far worse to occur, and that also takes time. Then it has to go through the channels for approval - if it has an issue at any step along that road then it's back to the beginning and you all have to wait even longer.

So be a little patient. When it's ready it will be released. If we rush it, it will actually mean an even longer delay for you guys."

There you have it. A logical answer to the question you have all wanted to ask.

Source: http://developer.saintsrow.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6157
Source: http://developer.saintsrow.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6383

For those of you 360 owners who haven't yet tried the awesome GOTY material Oblivion, Wal-Mart is running an in-store sale on the popular game. You can pik it up right now at your local Wal-Mart for a mere $49.00.

Great value for a great game. I can confirm this because I saw it with my own eyes as of yesterday, and was told that this is a nationwide sale. They did not know how long it would last, so make sure you pick one up right away!

NOTE: The sale is for the in-store locations ONLY. Their website still reflects the full retail price.

So how many of you out ther have had the situation where you are getting into PC Gaming, and you aren't too sure what games you can or can't play? Sometimes the minimum/recommended requirements can be a bit too vague...like can my graphics card support this? Do I have enough ram really? Well I have your solution. http://www.windowsgaming.com . Basically what this site does is check your system to see what exactly you have, then you can search for a particular game and it will let you know if your system meets the minimum or recommended requirements. It's been a godsend for me. I haven't wasted money wondering if my system can support it or not. So there you go have fun!
http://www.windowsgaming.com

There is an awesome new commercial circulating through movie theaters nationwide. I saw it myself last night during "Tony Jaa's The Protector". It is a Coke ad that parodies GTA. That is really all I can say about it. I think you should watch it, because only seeing it first hand can explain what I felt seeing it mixed in the trailers. Enjoy!

It seems our Saints Row DLC story has made it big. At about 58 minutes into the latest 1up.com podcast, they talk about Rated-M and the DLC stuff, pretty much outlining what THQ told them about the DLC.

So the DLC isn't gonna make it to Live on the 15th, but I have a strong feeling that the release date was pushed due to our leak of this info.

Anyways, check out the podcast for yourself, and tell the guys over at 1up.com that Rated-M.com sent ya!

P.S. Thanks to one of our viewers for the heads up!

Source: http://zdmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/Podcasts/090806.mp3

There are 5 new costume keys available right now for Dead Rising. below is a list, and how to access them:

Marketplace:
Cold Hearted Snake

In Store Kiosk:
Accountant
Burgandy Wine (larger file size than the MP version?)
Pure White Suit
Stripe

The keys from the Spetember kiosk disk DO NOT WORK as of yet, and Capcom has not responded my queries. The Snake one is available on Live as we speak, and is a neat snake skinned suit.

I'll have more info on the kiosk keys and why they don't work at a later date.

UPDATE: I can confirm that the Dead Rising Kiosk Keys are ONLY available at EBGames/GameStop kiosks. Wal-Mart and other retailers will have a kiosk disk sans content!

We should call Nintendo "the great mind changer". They have told us that Super Paper Mario is now coming to the Wii as opposed to coming to the Gamecube. So in the essence, what Nintendo is telling us is that the Gamecube is dead and gone, and the Wii is going to take over. More on this story as it develops.

Yeah, you read that title right. The BBC is reporting tha there will be no PS3 for you guys across the pond until March of 07. But hey, don't feel bad. The guys here in the states won't be getting them until then. It is no secret that the PS3 is gonna be in a terribly short supply this holiday season. March is the predicted time period when PS3 will actually BE on the shelves to just walk in and buy.

Add to this isse the fact that Sony cuts PS3 production by 75%, and you can kind of see the PS3 turning from viable console to walking dead. GameStop/EB still tells us that the may not even do pre-orders on the PS3 due to the shortage. According to Their corporate offices, Sony is hinting at as few as 5 systems per store. Then a further 5 systems every two weeks through Christmas.

So you guys in the UK, fear not. Us guys here stateside are getting fudged in the rump by Sony too.

Thanks to my good friend Allen Hudson for the heads up on this!

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5319190.stm

According to G4TV's Attack of the Show earlier today, the PS3 will sport unusually long load times. During their "The Feed" segment, they mentioned that this is one of the major complaints developers are talking about. They also expressed their own dissapointment with this. So is extra space on Blu-Ray worth the extra load times? Hell no, especially when Blu-Ray doesn't equal better graphics.

Chalk this up as another nail in the PS3's coffin...

According to the October 2006 issue of EGM (Electroncs Gaming Monthly issue 208), both gears of War and Crackdown get confirmation of their release dates.

Gears of War will launch on 11/12/06. Microsoft took out a two page ad to showcase the final date of "Emergence Day".

Crackdown will definately keep it's 10/16/06 date, despite some sites that show Q1 07 as the date. On page 76, EGM lists Crackdown as one of the "Games of October". In fact, it got more page space than any other game in the same month, overshadowing Mortal Kombat, Killzone: Liberation and Godhand.

These dates have been public for sme time, and have also been in the EB/GameStop computers as well. However, it is nice to see this confirmation in print.

This issue of EGM arrived today for most subscribers, and should hit newstands shortly after.

So you all know by now that the DLC for Saints Row will hit in-store kiosks this month. In fact, many stores have the disk in the kiosks ALREADY! I have had confirmation from about 15 different states that the disk is out.

However, the great site 1up.com has dug deeper into the story and discovered that the same content will not hit Live on September 15th. The insert in the game says 9/15, but perhaps that only meant the kiosk. Below is the insert in question.



So when exactly WILL it hit Live? Will it even hit Live at all? Time will tell. As for the content itself, it is out in most states on the kiosks, and you'll need an MU to get the content. Beware though, the content WILL NOT show up to other people on Live until the patch hits, according to developers.

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3153401

Rated-M breaks yet another story, this time concerning the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PS3. According to GameStop/EB Inc., the two systems will have in store kiosks at the end of October. That would place the PS3 on display a few weeks before launch. We also believe that Nintendo will now choose a November launch, so that would put Wii out there for play testing early as well.

There is still no word as to what game or demo will be running on either system, but in marketing materials, the Wii was running Wii Sports. The PS3 looked to be running a generic mock-up.

You can be sure that as soon as we dig deeper into this, we will bring you the skinny. As always, stay tuned to rated-M for the hottest news!

Volition is finally responding to the issues in Saints Row. The game is great, but has some online issues that need serious attention. The game has been overcome by glitchers and cheaters. Then there is the insufferable laaaaag. Well Volition has responded to these issues by announcing a patch. The patch will fix the lag and the glitches/cheating. However, one extra step has been taken. Those who cheated to get free clothes online will have them deleted when the patch hits.

That's right...if you cheated to get your pimp suit, you are gonna lose it all. A source tells me this patch will hit this week, as early as today. We'll see if the patch TRULY helps.

http://developer.saintsrow.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4375

CNN reports this morning that Steve irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, has died from a fatal Stingray barb that went through his chest. We here at Rated-M express our condolences to his friends and family. He will be missed by the world.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/04/australia.irwin/index.html

It's been reported that an MP3 Player designed specifically for the NDS is being released soon to Euro markets. It's suppose to be 29.99Euros and be released in Oct. In case you were wondering if it would be put out in 2/4/6 gb packages, it will just be one price however you have to supply an SD card. Apparently it will support up to 2GB cards. Not too bad considering you can get a gb card for 20 bucks at some online retailers....so for 70 bucks or so you can have a 1GB MP3 player. No word if this will come to the States, however that's why they invented Importing. =D

UPDATE: 9/17/07 YouTube has pulled down the videos. I had no back-ups, nor any warnings from YouTube. The videos will no longer be available.

It seems my credibility has been challenged, which doesn't happen often. Some skeptics think my photos were the crafty work of photoshop. Well screw you guys. Just kidding.

Anyways, for the skeptics out there, I present these two videos of the DLC in action. One shows each piece of clothing in the online store, then me wearing them in an online match. BTW, I played that match on my DV cam, which has a tiny 2 inch screen, and I still came out 2nd place. Yeah, I'm shit talkin! Anyways, enjoy. I realized after the videos were made that I forgot the bunny slippers, but oh well. this should be proof enough.