Gaming Nexus

SOE says SW Galaxies is three million strong and growing

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:37:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Sony Online Entertainment announced today that Star Wars Galaxies is still going strong. With the recently released Chronicle Master system, players now have the ability to create their own quests. Players have the opportunity to follow and complete quests created by others. Successfully completing the user-created quests reward you with tokens that can be spent on unique items for the game.

The announcement was that over three million quests have been created since the launch of the Chronicle Master system. This includes one over zealous player who has create 6,000 himself. If you are interested in seeing what all the hoopla is about, head on over to Steam or Direct2Drive to download the Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures Premium Plus Pack. This includes the original game, all three expansions and more.

Or find out more at the official web site.

Direct2Drive Deals of the Week

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:34:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Direct2Drive has released the specials going on this week. One of the most noteworthy items they put in the alert was that you can get $5 off of Torchlight (making it $15) just by following them on Twitter this week. The specials and releases are as follows:

Special Deals and Price Drop
Three Different bundles from LucasArts (we posted earlier this week)
1. LucasArts “There’s Action, Adventure & Puzzles” Bundle – 50% off retail
2. Star Wars™ Classics Pack – 50% off retail
3. Can’t decide? Get all of the above in the LucasArts Premiere Pack – 60% off retail

Crayon Physics Deluxe – just $9.95 (50% off)

Price drop on Grand Theft Auto IV – now $29.95 (was $49.95)

New Games Now Available on D2D
Sims 3 World Adventures Expansion Pack (click here)

Command & Conquer 4 – pre-order now and get into the Closed Beta!

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game – pre-order and get great bonus items!

Elven Legacy Siege Expansion Pack (click here)

KISS becomes a Hero

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:32:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - Or rather, you get to play KISS as a Guitar/Band Hero with the DLC that we mentioned was promised for November. The three-track song pack comes with a song from their newest album - "Modern Day Delilah" - as well as "Lick It Up" and "I Was Made For Lovin' You".

As a promotional event, KISS will also be streaming a live concert on Facebook on Wednesday, November 25th at 9pm PST that takes place in LA.

Supreme Commander 2 dated

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:16:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - I never played the first one but Chuck was a fan of the game. Now, the Supreme Commander 2 for the PC will be available on March 2, 2010 while the 360 version follows a few weeks later at March 16, 2010.

Supreme Commander 2 is a real time strategy game that's set 25 years after the first one. What's good about the series is the scope of having large battles with a large amount of troops on hand to command. This is the first one that Square's publishing as they look to branch out into other genres.

Unite and play with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:13:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - One of the cooler things that's just been released is adhocParty for the PSP system. This will let owners of PSP and PlayStation 3 systems use the PS3 to bridge a connection to other PSP players and play some online games over the Internet. Capcom's Monster Hunger Freedom Unite is one of the first games to take advantage of this.

Just download a free app from the PlayStation Store and you're good to go. You can even do voice chatting which is pretty slick. I don't own a PSP, but I hear great things about Monster Hunter and this just be the game that makes me pick it up. Since I own a PSP, having the ability to play online from anywhere in the house will make it even that much better.

NFS SHIFT: red versus blue

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:31:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - Take a look at the new video showcasing team racing in Need for Speed SHIFT as well as a look into some of the cars.

PlayStation 3 online getting subscription service

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:10:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - One of the nice things about the PlayStation 3 is that you get free online play. If you just want to link up with a buddy and play some games, it's not going to cost you $50 a year. Well, Sony's got some revenue coming in from store purchases and so forth but they are looking to put out subscription based services as well.

As for what, nothing's been released yet but I'm interested to hear what they have in store. If, as the article suggests, that there could be a Gamefly like service for the PSN, then you have my interest peaked. What things would get you to pay for a subscription on the PS3?

Beam me up on January 12th

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:02:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - Those wanting to beta test Star Trek Online can finally do so as Cryptic has unveiled that the play dates for the game will be January 12th to January 26th. If you want a key, it's on a first come first serve basis and will be given at the website. It actually does look pretty good to me so I'm going to try and get in and see how it all is. Knowing my luck, I'll be awarded a red shirt on my first mission and we all know how that turns out.

Global thermonuclear war on Modern Warfare 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:59:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - It seems there are some hidden gameplay modes that some folks have found on the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Now we know you can launch a nuke if you get a high enough killstreak in the game but how about a game centered around capturing and launching one? Here's video of Global thermonuclear war and how this might play out if Infinity Ward releases this to the masses. It takes a long time to capture the nuke but I'm guessing more people around it will make it capture faster.

Is Apple after a bigger piece of the App Store pie?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:53:00 GMT

by: Dan Keener
NEWS - An article yesterday on Industry Gamers (via Joystiq) shows that Apple has placed a Job Posting looking for a Game/Media Software Engineer to work full time on iPhone multimedia “experiences”. On the surface, it appears that Apple could be looking for someone to continue to design and build more in-house Apps for the iPhone OS. However, when perusing the skills that skills that Apple is looking for, the list includes:

• -3-4 years of video game development experience, shipped at least one AAA title,
• -skills in audio systems, graphics pipeline, and network programming a plus are
• -passionate gamer

So it looks like Apple doesn’t just want that small 30% take on each App sold, they want 100% of the profits.

Capcom has already sold the movie rights to Dark Void

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:22:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
NEWS - I'm not a big fan of unconfirmed rumors (speculation is a different story) but even less so of press releases containing an abundance of when, will, and "we look forward". The movie rights to Dark Void, to be published by Capcom, have been sold to the production Plan B Entertainment. The game hasn't been released yet and Capcom is already bragging about the first stages of a movie that may or may not be made (I'm looking at you Halo). Even more surprising is the hint that, since Brad Pitt is the owner of Plan B Entertainment, Mr. Pitt is the potential lead for the flick. Never mind the fact that the game wasn't developed with Mr. Pitt's likeness and voice in mind. The solution? If Brad Pitt does star in the movie adaptation he would have to wear that ridiculous helmet for the duration of the film.

News Roundup: Witcher King to avenge 8-bit Heroes

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:14:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
NEWS -

Torchlight demo released
Buy a first class ticket to return to Rapture
Free-to-play weekend in Champions Online with special in-game event
THQ opens the doors to its World of Zoo new animal center
Konami announces details for new Metal Gear Online 24-Hour survival challenge
BioShock 2 box art revealed
Sony celebrates three years of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network
Return to Ostagar and avenge King Cailan
3D Dot Game Heroes: nostalgia comes with a video
DLC and Gold Edition incoming for Resident Evil 5
This week at GamersGate
Star Wars game bundles deals on Direct2Drive
In case you were wondering what the 8-bit version of Left 4 Dead would look like
Darksiders dev diary featuring Joe Madureira
Army of Two:The 40th Day shows off its customizable weapons [with video-ed.]
A dual core Atom with NVIDIA ION netbook to drool over
Midnight Riders coming soon to Left 4 Dead II?
Leaked Witcher 2 footage confirmed as real

Torchlight demo released

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:52:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - If you were not swayed by Tyler's review of Torchlight and want to check the game out yourself the folks at Runic have released a demo of the game that will allow you to play the game for two hours. After that you can pay them the $20 to buy the full version of the game. Honestly though, just go ahead and buy the game, you're getting a great value for your money and you're helping to support a good indie company.

Buy a first class ticket to return to Rapture

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:57:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Earlier in the day we posted the cover art for the upcoming Bioshock 2. That wasn't all that was released by 2K Games. Check out the screen shot below. That is all of the loot that can be scored by purchasing the Bioshock 2: Special Edition. What makes it so special? I'm glad you asked.

Included in this edition is:
·        Vinyl 180g LP with BioShock orchestral score
·        Audio CD with BioShock 2 orchestral score
·        Three vintage Rapture advertisement posters (rolled)
·        BioShock 2 Art Book, 164 pages and hardcover
·        BioShock 2 game

Do you think you are going to pick it up? It will be $90 for PC and $100 for 360 and PS3. Look for it in stores on February 9, 2010.

Free-to-play weekend in Champions Online with special in-game event

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:56:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Cryptic Studios, the developers of City of Heroes, City of Villains, and Star Trek Online, has announced today the upcoming Nemeses Confrontation event for Champions Online. On November 24, players will face their greatest Nemeses to protect the universe from great evil.

New and returning players will have a chance to play the game for free from November 26 through November 30. The Nemeses Confrontation adds even more action to the weekend by allowing players' ultimate enemies to team up. Get ready to play by signing up for the free weekend of Champions Online over at their web site.

THQ opens the doors to its World of Zoo new animal center

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:44:00 GMT

by: Jake Wolfe
NEWS - THQ has announced an online World of Zoo animal center, where you can download a free animal creator and make a unique and wacky animal of your own. For those of oyu unfamiliar with World of Zoo, in World of Zoo players create, download, and share their own customized, imaginative creature creations. To check it out for yourself, head on over to the main site.

Konami announces details for new Metal Gear Online 24-Hour survival challenge

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:16:00 GMT

by: Jake Wolfe
NEWS - Love Metal Gear Online? Wanna show off your mad, Metal Gear skills? Well Konami is giving you the chance to do just that. Konami has yesterday released details on a brand new, upcoming 24-hour survival challenge. And in short: the players who survive the longest over the course of the 24 hours get the most reward points and rare items. Sounds good to me! Check out the press release for some more info.

BioShock 2 box art revealed

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:11:00 GMT

by: Jake Wolfe
NEWS - The wait is over, BioShock fans! Not only does the release of BioShock 2 continue to grow near, but the cover art has finally been released! Feast your eyes on the beautiful cover art that is... BioShock 2.

Sony celebrates three years of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:04:00 GMT

by: Jake Wolfe
NEWS - Yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment America (which us average people just call Sony) celebrated three great years of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network. Three years ago yesterday, the great PlaySation Network all began on the brand new PlayStation 3 system.. I find this ironic, seeing as how I actually finally bought my own PlayStation 3 yesterday. And let me tell you, I can see why PlayStation 3 deserves to be three years old and counting!

Return to Ostagar and avenge King Cailan

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:21:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - For those of you who have played Dragon Age: Origins, or have seen the videos of the Battle of Ostagar, you’ll know how devastating a blow the battle was for the Grey Wardens, further deepening them in their plight. BioWare announced today that we will be able to revisit the dark scene with the upcoming DLC, Return to Ostagar. Quests leading us back to the site will hopefully allow us to avenge Kind Cailan’s brutal death by searching out his armor and arms. We’re promised to uncover some secrets along the way, which will undoubtedly add to the already detailed storyline, and hopefully provide some more insight into the unique personality that King Cailan was known for.

The DLC releases this holiday season for all three platforms running at $4.99 for the PS3, 400 BioWare points for the PC, and 400 Microsoft Points for the 360.

3D Dot Game Heroes: nostalgia comes with a video

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - Two days ago we gave you news on the officially announced release date for 3D Dot Game Heroes.

Today we’re giving you the official launch trailer. Check out some of that retro 8-bit style graphics you heard about for yourself.

DLC and Gold Edition incoming for Resident Evil 5

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:57:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - There will be quite a bit of downloadable content available next year for Resident Evil 5. There will be new episodes, characters, costumes, and weapon load outs. All of that will be released throughout the months of February and March, 2010.

If you haven't already bought the game, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition will be released in early March for $50.00. The PS3 version will have the game and all extra content on the disc. The 360 version will have the game with a token for the DLC on Xbox Live.

It's looking to be a good start to the year for Resident Evil 5 fans. The full release schedule is below.

This week at GamersGate

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:21:00 GMT

by: Adam Dodd
NEWS - This week is pretty busy for GamersGate with new releases Elven Legacy Siege, The Sims 3 World Adventure Pack, and King's Bounty: Armored Princess. But that's not all as the Publisher special for this month is Paradox Interactive, which means 50-70% deals on their products. The Games of the week (ends 11/23) are: Tropico Reloaded for 50% off, and Evochron Legends for 20% off. The games of the weekend (ends 11/22) are: Kings Bounty: The Legend for 50% off, Sango 2 + Takeda Bundle for 50% off, and Rush for Berlin Gold also for 50% off. They also have a special offer for Elven Legacy, which is half off until the 24th.

To check these deals out head on over to the GamersGate website, and you can also follow them on Twitter.

Star Wars game bundles deals on Direct2Drive

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:10:00 GMT

by: Adam Dodd
NEWS - From now until the 23rd, D2D has three new exclusive game bundles, each for 50% off its retail price.

There's the Star Wars Classics Bundle, the 'Action, Adventure & Puzzles' Bundle, and the LucasArts Premiere Pack. If you're having trouble deciding, the Premiere Pack includes both bundles and is 60% off retail price.

Each of these can only be found on D2D, and this is a limited time offer so get on it!

In case you were wondering what the 8-bit version of Left 4 Dead would look like

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:52:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - If you were ever wondering what the NES version of Left 4 Dead would look like here's your answer...

Darksiders dev diary featuring Joe Madureira

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:51:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
NEWS - Uncanny X-Men, Ultimates 3, and a lesser known comic Battle Chasers comprise the major graphic novel works on Joe Madureira's bio. Even if you've never picked up a comic book to save your life you might recognize Mr. Madureira's art in the NCSoft game Dungeon Runners. Now he's the creative director at Vigil Games, the developer behind Darksiders, and is not ashamed to admit; he hates drawing horses. Check out the new dev diary below for some very cool details about the evolution of the main character of Darksiders War and his horse Ruin.

Army of Two:The 40th Day shows off its customizable weapons

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:46:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - The original Army of Two had some nice customization options but it was still fairly limited to muzzles, stocks, magazine sizes, color, and a few other small items. Well for Army of Two:The 40th Day, the team is really letting you go hog wild and allowing you to go even further with how you customize the weapons in the game as evidenced by this new video from the game.

Personally I like the ability to customize the weapons in the game more than the random drops that you get in Borderlands. Sure there's probably not a gun that sets people on fire in Army of Two:The 40th Day but the system allows you to get more comfortable with your weapons rather than having to constantly compare what you have to what you just picked up. What do you think? Would you rather have random drops or the ability to customize your weapons? Let us know in the comments.

News Roundup: Bad napkin things

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:41:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
NEWS -

Decades tests your trivia knowledge as well as your coordination skills
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days has filmmaking inspirations
Things on Wheels shows you things on a video, also things on images
Get a napkin before reading - Gyromancer released today
Tekken 6 gets engaged to the PSP, goes gold
Celebrate the life of Guybrush Threepwood
Third developer diary for James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
HALO: REACH to premiere on Spike VGA awards
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 could allow you to hack your server
Konami Apps on sale for $0.99, include Metal Gear and Silent Hill
Worlds first 3D laptop comes from ASUS using NVIDIA hardware
Two Radeon HD 5870's slapped together into one card
Fileplanet offering Battlefield Bad Company 2 beta keys
Gamestop using moles during the Modern Warfare 2 launch
Go all Shirley McClaine in Dungeons & Dragons Online
ECS announces GeForce GT240 series card

A dual core Atom with NVIDIA ION netbook to drool over

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:32:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - I have held off on purchasing the HP 311 netbook as my weapon of choice to cover CES but it looks like my procrastination might have paid off. Check out this just announced Asus Eee PC 1201N. This sucker features a dual core Intel Atom processor running at 1.6GHz with up to 3GB of ram and a 12.1" screen.

Powered by the NVIDIA ION graphics components, this puppy can output HD video and with the new Flash release, you can watch HD online videos without seeing the stutter on other netbooks. Up to 320GB of hard drive space and 6-cell battery that should last around 5 hours will give you enough space and time to do all your work on the go.

The netbook should be out in mid-December for around $500, which is cheaper than the HP i spec'ed out with less features and a smaller screen. I'm hoping it will be released in time for me to order and be here before CES rolls around. Or, Asus if you're out there, just have one ready for me to pick up at your booth.

12.1-inch LED-backlit WXGA screen (1366 x 768)
Genuine Windows 7
Intel Atom 330 Dual Core processor
NVIDIA ION Graphics
DDR2 SO-DIMM 2GB/3GB
250GB HDD/320GB + 500GB* ASUS WebStorage
802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
1.3M Pixel Webcam (with digital zoom function)
Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
Stereo Speakers
VGA Port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor), HDMI out, three USB 2.0, LAN RJ-45 port, 2 x Audio Jack (Head Phone / Mic-in), Card Reader: MMC/ SD(SDHC)

Midnight Riders coming soon to Left 4 Dead II?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:29:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - I'm in the midst of some zombie killing in Left 4 Dead II but perhaps we're going to get some more content in the not too distant future. In the Dark Carnival campaign, there are some references to the band Midnight Riders and wouldn't you know it, a teaser site for the group is already up. Now, not much is known but seeing as there are four members, how cool would it be to play a short Crash Course like campaign of these four making their escape from the zombie hordes with all new weapons?

Looks like Francis has some folks he can relate to.

Forza Motorsport 3

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Matt Mirkovich
Article - Living your life a quarter mile at a time can be dangerous. Perhaps Forza 3 can tame the speed demon in you.

Touchmaster 3

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
Article - Chad tells you why the third in the series doesn't stand out in a crowd.

Fairytale Fights

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Cyril Lachel
Article - Cyril may need to wash his blood-stained clothing after reviewing Fairytale Fights!

Space Invaders Extreme 2

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Sean Colleli
Article - Sean sees just how much innovation can be pumped into last year's arcade remake sleeper hit.

LittleBigPlanet

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

by: Cyril Lachel
Article - Cyril discovers that one of the PlayStation 3's best games is also a top tier PSP game!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: John Yan
Article - One if the biggest, if not THE biggest game of the year is finally out and John looks at the Xbox 360 version of Infinity Ward's latestl.

Torchlight

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Tyler Sager
Article - Ever wondered what would happen if you took the best and coolest aspects of your favorite action RPGs and blended them seamlessly into a single title?

DJ Hero

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Cyril Lachel
Article - Even without taking ecstasy an grabbing a glow stick, Cyril still enjoys DJ Hero!