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Thecus M3800
Review by: John Yan
Thecus makes some good NAS options but how do they fair with their first entry into a NAS with multimedia capabilities READ FULL REVIEW...
PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad
Review by: Jennifer Yan
Sony has their own peripheral to help chat or type with the controller. John though thinks it needs a lot of work. READ FULL REVIEW...
Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3
Review by: John Yan
John can finally control his PS3 with his Harmony One remote. See what he thinks of the Harmony Adapter for the PlayStation 3 READ FULL REVIEW...

News Roundup - 05/20/2013

by: Jeremy - - Add a Comment

Microsoft's plans for the Xbox reveal

by: John - - Add a Comment
Today's the day everyone will get to see the hardware that is the next XBOX. At 1:00PM EST, you'll be able to watch it along with those who are in attendance. But the show isn't going to reveal everything.  

Major Nelson has posted on his blog that the information's going to be split up into two sessions.. Today's event will be focused on the hardware side of things. In a few weeks at E3, it will all be about the games.

Which seems to be a little bit opposite of what Sony did when they announced the PlayStation 4. Their event was more software based talking about the development environment and showing off some games that are coming out while keeping the console itself out of sight. 

Either way, it should be a fun day today and few days at E3 for the next Xbox.

Sony teases the PlayStation 4 a day ahead of the next Xbox reveal

by: John - - Add a Comment
Leave it to Sony to try and steal a little thunder from Microsoft. They posted a teaser video showing off little bits of the PlayStation 4 console, but the full reveal will be at E3. Tomorrow's is Microsoft's day, but Sony got a little buzz today with this one. I'm at least happy there's something to look forward to at E3. It's been a while since something like this debuted at the trade show in Los Angeles. For now, check out some close ups of the console before it's fully unveiled in a few weeks
 

Kevin Conroy WON'T be voicing Batman in Arkham Origins

by: John - - Add a Comment
Over the weekend, I wrote about Kevin Conroy at the Dallas Comic Con talking about Batman: Arkham Origins. Now, I mistakenly assumed that meant he was back voicing the Dark Knight himself. Looks like I was wrong.

Kevin is working on the game, but the capacity is unknown as Roger Craig Smith is going to provide the voice for Batman, as reported by Superhero Hype. At least Kevin's working on the game in some capacity. but we are getting a new voice for young Bruce Wayne.

The trailer today is pretty cool and I'm still looking forward to the game. I'm not as hung up on the original voice as some folks, as I just want a solid game. 

Prepare for the finale of the Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series with a free copy of Episode 3

by: Russell - - Add a Comment
Penny Arcade has announced that the finale of their On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series will be released on June 7th.  In preparation, players are able to head to http://penny-arcade.com/static/rainslick-giveaway to get a free Steam key for the third episode in the series.  However, there's a catch: the giveaway will only last until the end of the day OR until all the Steam keys have been given out.  So don't dawdle!  Head over to the link above, fill out the Captcha form to prove you're human, and claim your key before they run out.
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Love the Unreal games? How about five for only $10?

by: Russell - - Add a Comment
It's been a while since I've fired up Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition.  In fact, the last PC I played it on had Windows ME on it (yeah, kind of sad...in more ways than one).  I noticed that Steam has an Unreal Deal, but I've been waiting for it to go on sale before picking it up.  Needless to say, the wait has paid off.

From now until May 27th, you can pick up the Unreal Deal on Steam for a mere $10.  What does that get you?
  • Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition
  • Unreal Tournament III Black
  • Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor's Choice Edition
  • Unreal Gold
  • Unreal 2: The Awakening
I've only played UT: GotY and Unreal 2, both of which I enjoyed.  However, never playing the other three, plus the fact that it's only $10, was more than enough for me to pick this up.

New Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer details cooperative stealth

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Sam Fisher and Isaac Briggs have their work cut out for them in Splinter Cell: Blacklist's newest trailer.

Ubisoft's cooperative trailer shows off the ways the duo can interact and cover each other's backs via stealth tactics. Players' progress as both characters will be tied into cooperative and single-player modes alike, creating a persistent experience across the whole of Splinter Cell: Blacklist. The Strategic Mission Interface allows players to unlock new weapons and items through experience earned. 

Splinter Cell: Blacklist releases August 20 for Xbox 350 PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC.

Check out the trailer below for a look at Splinter Cell: Blacklist's cooperative mode.

Via: Gameinformer
 

Xbox Live discounts dozens of new titles and add-ons until June 3

by: Mike - - Add a Comment
Alan Wake, Dark Souls, Karteka, and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier are a few of the handful of discounted items on Xbox Live over the next two weeks. The full list of discounts includes:

Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury - 400 MS Points
Jeremy McGrath - 400 MS Points
Karateka - 400 MS Points
Mad Tracks - 400 MS Points
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond - 400 MS Points
Pid - 400 MS Points
Puzzle Quest 2 - 400 MS Points
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - 400 MS Points
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix - 400 MS Points
Rocketbowl - 200 MS Points
Texas Cheat 'Em - 400 MS Points

Alan Wake and Kinect Central will go on sale May 21-27. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and all available add-ons will be discounted from May 28- June 3, along with Kinect Central, Dance Central and NBA 2K13.

Via: Polygon

Source: Major Nelson

Rain down fire in new Guncraft trailer

by: Mike - - Add a Comment
Exato Games' Guncraft is a bizarre combination of Minecraft and Call of Duty, and in the newest trailer, Meteor Survival Mode creates an even more unusual twist to the title's gameplay.

In Meteor Survival Mode, players must freeze their opponents in their tracks before meteors rain down from the sky, melting them into little pools of space matter and H2O. 

Beta mambers will be anle to try out the Meteor Survival mode in the next content patch to Guncraft. 

Check out the trailer below to witness Meteor Mode's rain of fire over the landscapes of Guncraft.

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First trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins and information about the Deathstroke pre-order pack.

by: Nathan - - Add a Comment
I've heard mixed thoughts from fans about Batman: Arkham Origins. Some love the idea and want to discover the origins of our favorite caped crime fighter, while others want the story to continue and couldn't care less about his origins. In any case Batman: Arkham Origins is coming later this year and we have the first trailer for you along with information about the Deathstroke pack for people who pre-order. 

Batman: Arkham Origins will be going back in time several years before the events of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Gotham City's most dangerous criminals are on their rise to power and a young and inexperienced Batman faces defining moments on his way to becoming The Dark Knight. 

Those who pre-order the game will also get early access to the Deathstroke pack. The Deathstroke pack will contain Deathstroke as a playable character for challenge maps, two additional challenge maps and two alternate Deathstroke skins. 

Batman: Arkham Origins will be released worldwide on October 25th for the 360, PS3, Wii-U, and PC's. The game will release along with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita. 

Some other good news is that it appears Kevin Conroy will be back to voice Batman in Arkham Origins. I know a lot of people were disappointed when they learned he wouldn't return.

Be sure to check out the trailer below!
 
[READ MORE]

Now Loading for the week of May 20, 2013: Better Late Than Never Edition

by: Jeremy - - Add a Comment
The moral of this week’s story is everything old being new again, or various systems getting caught up with the times. There are a lot of re-releases and updated ports hitting the market this week including the return of Donkey Kong Country, and HD version of the 3DS Resident Evil, and the Wii U getting a couple of titles a few months late. Not everything is familiar though so take your pick from the long list of games launching this week.

My picks for the week include:

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: Rave reviews have been pouring in for this 3DS port of the now-classic Wii title Donkey Kong Country Returns. This is an updated port of the Wii game from 2010 which was an original adventure, not an update to the SNES classic. Once again, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are out to stop the theft of bananas on their island. The game has been credited with being an incredibly challenging platformer that pays great homage to the genre and sets the standard for future ones. If you own a 3DS, you will definitely want to pick this one up.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Action RPG fans have a treat coming to the PC this week with NeocoreGames’ The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. The game is perhaps best compared to Torchlight, as I mentioned in my recent preview, but has plenty to love in its own right. This is an exciting adventure that you can experience alone or with up to four friends cooperatively. Between loot gathering, experimenting with the game’s alchemy system, and an engaging world that is a combination of steampunk and goth-noir, this one should keep you busy for a long, long time

Resident Evil Revelations: Wow, this is a new concept: an HD port of a portable game! That is exactly what Capcom has done with the former 3DS-exclusive entry in the Resident Evil series. Revelations has gotten the full HD-makeover for its outing on the home consoles including updated visuals, Achievement / Trophy support, and at least on the Wii U, a plethora of new features that make use of the Wii U’s unique control pad. The reviews have been positive thus far, including our own (Wii U, PC), and the reception of the original was much higher than that of Resident Evil 6.

The full lineup for this week includes:

Weekend News Roundup - 05/19/2013

by: Jeremy - - Add a Comment
5/17/2013 5/18/2013
  • Learn about the music of The Last of Us and the composer behind it
  • Let it rip with these new Beyblade: Evolution screens
  • Gran Turismo 6 coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 later
5/19/2013

OUYA will be at E3 in a parking lot across the street

by: John - - Add a Comment
The OUYA's retail release is getting a little bit delayed, but they're trying to get the word out to other gamers. E3's one of the biggest gaming shows around and they want to make a presence there. But, it's pretty expensive to get a booth inside the show so what is a small company to do?

Well, they will be setting up a booth outside of the convention center so even the public can check out the console. The company's also calling on all developers to see about doing some demonstrations of their game there.

Now, some folks are going to look at this and say they're just cheap or it's a sign of how second rate they are. There have been some companies in the past that have done this so they're not the first. But, I look at it as at least they are giving folks a try with the console whether you can go to the show or not.

I recently received my OUYA and it's an OK device. I'm more interested in the hacking aspects of the console then what it has to offer with mobile gaming on the big screen. I've done that plenty of times with an HDMI out from my tablet or phone in the past. And I've gotten it to stream some media pretty well already. Now if it only had an IR receiver so I an control it with a universal remote, then it would be a pretty killer $99 streaming device.

So, it won't be too long before the OUYA's in everyone's hands. Is it going to be a huge hit? Who knows, but they are making a go at it and we at least got a nice Kickstarter success story out of it if nothing big comes out of this console.

[READ MORE]

The Last of Us will be available for digital download on launch day

by: John - - Add a Comment
June 14th isn't only the day after E3 2013 ends, but it's also the release date for The Last of Us from Naughty Dog. Now, you can head to your favorite store to pick it up, but there's going to be one other option.

The Last of Us is going to be available as a digital download purchase(Game Informer) that day as well. Now, the game's going to be huge but you won't have to sit through the entire download to start playing. As soon as it gets done downloading half of the game, you'll be able to start playing. While it's not the immediate start that we want, it's still a lot better than waiting for the entire game to be installed.

What I would love to see is a pre-load option like we do on Steam. That way, all Sony really needs to do is to activate the game from their servers and you'll be ready to go.

Five seconds of Call of Duty: Ghosts

by: John - - Add a Comment
In two days, you'll see the full preview of Call of Duty: Ghosts along with the reveal of the next Xbox. For now, you can check out five seconds of the game as a work in progress. A lot of what you'll see are wireframe models and a quick shot of the dev tools that are used to create a character. While not too much, it's there to whet your appetite for more but thankfully it's just a few days away. You can check out the Vine video here.

Kevin Conroy back as the voice of Batman for Arkham Origins?

by: John - - Add a Comment
There have been reports that the most famous voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, wouldn't be back to voice the titular character in Batman: Arkham Origins. That had some fans a tad bit disappointed.

Well, that may not be true. Kevin was at the Dallas Comic Con over the weekend and he had a panel. During the panel, he says that he IS going to be voicing Batman for Arkham Origins. Now, there's no official word yet, but if it comes from the voice actor himself, you can probably take that to the bank. Check out Kevin himself talking about the game.
 

Nintendo Direct 5-17-13 talks about a few games but Best Buy is the big news

by: John - - Add a Comment
Nintendo Direct's been a pretty good way to inform the public on anything happening at Nintendo. E3's around the corner and that's usually the place that new games are playable and by a select group. The public could only watch, but that's going to change this year.

Reggie Fils-Aime announced at the end that they are partnering with over 100 Best Buy stores to allow the public to play select games there during E3. No specific games were announced, but it's a good bet that it would be many of the titles being shown at E3. This is a pretty nice move on Nintendo's part to grab some publicity and let a large population try out their upcoming games, not just those attending E3. I hope more companies start doing this. 
 

Learn about the music of The Last of Us and the composer behind it

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While we're all waiting for The Last of Us to be launched next month, Naughty Dog has recently released a new video that talks about the music from the game with the composer himself, Gustavo Santaolalla.  Santaolalla has done some work in the film industry winning multiple awards for his music in multiple movies such as Babel and Brokeback Mountain, yet he has never composed any music for a video game until now.  Just by listening to the music in the video, the soundtrack sounds pretty good.

If you're interested in hearing more of the music from The Last of Us, you have three options.  First, you can head over to the SoundCloud page for the game.  Next, you can purchase the soundtrack via CD over on Amazon for about $13.  Finally, those who pre-order the game via the Sights & Sounds DLC pack you'll receive a digital copy of the soundtrack.

By pressing the button below, you are certifying that you are 18 years old or older and you are of age to view the content.

Let it rip with these new Beyblade: Evolution screens

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Rising Star Games has recently released a new batch of screens for their upcoming game BEYBLADE: Evolution for the Nintendo 3DS.  The game is being developed to take advantage of the 3DS's capabilities by letting players launch their in-game Beyblades by using the gyro and manipulating the viewing angle with the AR camera for precise control and adjustment.  The game will also have real-time multiplayer battles as well as a Story Mode where you can unlock new parts for your Beyblade and can fine tune them in the Bey Factory.

BEYBLADE: Evolution is expected to hit retailers this fall in two versions: a standalone version as well as a collector's edition in collaboration with Hasbro which will include an exclusive Wing Pegasus 90WF Beyblade toy previously unavailable outside of Japan.

Gran Turismo 6 coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 later

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Sony gamers who love cars love the Gran Turismo series. It's been the defacto racing simulator for many years now. In fact, the series is celebrating 15 years, which is a pretty great feat. 

Gran Turismo 6 is coming and it'll be coming out for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. PS3 will get first crack at playing the game, but expect a PS4 version later on down the road. Vita folks aren't going to be left out here either as a version for the portable will also be forth coming.

1,200 cars, 71 course layouts, 33 locations, and more through DLC will give you plenty of choices to play with. For now, check out the announcement trailer and gaze at some of the beautifully rendered cars that you'll be able to drive yourself when the game hits the store shelves.
 

ShootMania Storm update allows for even more user created content

by: Nathan - - Add a Comment
ShootMania Storm has been out for a little over month and features a ton of ways for players to create their own content, but players will be getting even more ways to create their own content with the latest update. 

The game was updated this week and includes the following new features.

Character Skin Importer - Players can now create and play with their own customizable avatars which means that players can now create their own team uniforms. This also allows players to be able to place clan insignias on the uniforms or simply develop an original avatar. Players are only limited by their own imaginations.  

Object Importer - Players can create and import items and dynamic objects.

Additional Features 
  • New features for scripts
  • Additional controls for bots 
  • New items and objects API and features
  • The ability to use Mouse wheel to change actions or weapons
  • New Storm blocks for map creation and decoration 
Additional information about the update can be found on the official forums.

Also be sure to check out their official Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

Finally be sure to check out my review of the game

[READ MORE]

Wii U and 3DS to get a new Sonic game through exclusive partnership between Nintendo and Sega

by: Russell - - Add a Comment
During today's Nintendo Direct, it was announced that an exclusive partnership between Nintendo and Sega will bring a new Sonic game to the Wii U and 3DS titled Sonic Lost World.  While not much is known now, more info will be revealed before E3 2013 which begins on June 11th.  However, that wasn't all that was announced on today's Nintendo Direct.

Several other things were announced such as Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games for the Wii U, a new Mario...um, I mean Luigi game, more Game Gear games coming to the Virtual Console (including several Sonic games), and more.  Check out the official press release for more info and a list of everything that was discussed at Nintendo Direct, or you can check it out for yourself.

[READ MORE]

Warner bros. puts a charming twist on the DC Universe

by: Mike - - Add a Comment
Warner Bros. announced Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, a new title that fuses the charming world of Scribblenauts with the universe of iconic heroes such as Batman or Superman.

A new trailer presents some of the puzzles protagonist Maxwell will have to overcome during his travels through locations such as Gotham City, Metropolis and the Fortress of Solitude, as well as a character creation tool that combines villains with heroes alike. 

Check out the announcement trailer below, along with the first batch of screenshots.
 
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Overstrike is ready for Fuse

by: Mike - - Add a Comment
Insomniac Games released a new launch trailer to precede the upcoming launch of Fuse, the cooperative third-person shooter with weapons straight out of the Ratchet and Clank universe.

Fuse releases May 28 in North America, and May 31 in Europe. In the mean time, get to know the characters of Fuse in this digital comic, or read up on our recent hands-on demo to get a glimpse of our thoughts.
 
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Now Playing: System Shock FUSE Edition

by: Randy - - Add a Comment
GeoGuessr, a Google Experiment using Google Street View, has people getting lost and found all over the globe. Among the Sleep, an indie horror game played through the eyes of a two-year-old, went into open alpha on Tuesday, nabbing its $200,000 Kickstarter along the way. But with System Shock 2 hitting Steam this week, Gaming Nexus is gaming like it's 1999.

What are you playing this weekend?

Russell Archey | staff writer | Twitter @neoscyther
I got System Shock 2 last week and have enjoyed it so far, except for those stupid monkeys that my wrench never seem to hit, but that may be my own fault (and yes, I was crouching). As much as I try to take a break from it, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim keeps drawing me in.  The good news though is that I'm near 100 in smithing, which was my last goal before taking on the final set of quests, so hopefully I'll be able to finish this one up this week and can finally move onto something else.

Nathaniel Cohen | staff writer | Twitter @seven_hells
I'd never played System Shock 2, but now that I'm just about finished with it, I have to say that while I love the complexity of the gameplay, I miss the complexity of the story. I sort of expected System Shock 2 to have a BioShock-style story, but it's actually really bare bones, and the twist--even though I knew about it beforehand (doesn't everyone at this point?)--seems extra obvious. I would love a BioShock game with the stats and character building of System Shock 2. Also, I’m about to fire up Freespace 2 for the first time. Wish me luck, guys.

Sean Colleli | staff writer
I knew it would happen, but I'm completely sucked in by System Shock 2 again. It's great to finally have such a classic on Steam, and it reminds me why I was just a bit disappointed by all the BioShock games. Ken Levine seems more focused on making games with really complicated stories, instead of really complex gameplay, which is fine, but it's cool and a little sad that Irrational will never match the depth and terror of System Shock 2 again.

Jeremy Duff | senior staff writer | Twitter @duff3c
Things are finally slowing down for my game life this weekend. In addition to fitting in a few rounds of Injustice: Gods Among Us where I can, I will be getting my co-op on with Mike Mahardy in some FUSE.

Charles Husemann | editor in chief | Twitter @chusemann
My gameplay this weekend will be another edition of Farm Simulator: Suburban Edition as I finally get around to buying and planting new plants in my garden. Will probably work a bit on MechWarrior Online and resist the siren call of Metro: Last Light.

Randy Kalista | staff writer | Twitter @randykalista
Last week's dip into the Xbox Indie pool refreshed me, so I'm cannonballing back in. Zoning out on the clink of quarters jangling down the coin slot in Arcadecraft. Fighting my three-year-old for control of the gamepad on the Atari Breakout-like Wizorb. And nodding my head knowingly to DLC Quest which, despite being a couple years old, might still be the funniest commentary on modern gaming since.

Mike Mahardy | staff writer | Twitter @mmahardy
I'll be playing FUSE with Jeremy. Now that Metro: Last Light is out, I might replay a few of my favorite levels throughout the game between rounds of Injustice: Gods Among Us and Mass Effect 3 multiplayer.