Gaming Nexus

PopCap bringing PRGP to XBLA and PC

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:15:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - What is a PRPG, you ask? It's a puzzle role playing game. Square Enix and PopCap Games are having a baby together that is due on November 18. The baby's name is Gyromancer. Their goal was to bring together the crazy addictive casual games and shake it up with RPG elements.

Watching the video below makes me think that they may have a winner on their hands. With beautiful graphics (for this type of game), 12 stages, more than 50 monsters to battle and more, expect Gyromancer to demand a lot of your time.

Dive into Dark Void with a new dev diary

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:33:00 GMT

by: Jake Wolfe
NEWS - Capcom has released a new developer diary for their upcoming action game, Dark Void. And in the latest dev diary, the lead producer, Morgan Gray, tells all. All you have to do to see the video, is being a member on the main community site, and you're set to hear all about Dark Void's darkest of secrets.

Close Combat: The Longest Day is updated

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15:00 GMT

by: Jake Wolfe
NEWS - Matrix Games has released the latest update for Close Combat: The Longest Day, and is now available for download. The patch fixes a large number of bugs, and adds data file changes to increase the historical accuracy of equipment performance, etc. To download the patch, just click here, as always.

Endless free trial for Warhammer Online up to level 10

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:02:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Mythic Entertainment announced today that players can try Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning for free as long as they want up to level 10. This means you can try as many characters that you would like to see if the game will appeal to you in the long run.

Another change to the game comes in the form of the "streaming client." This equates to a smaller file to download and start playing. Weighing in at just over 1GB, you can play Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and as new areas and content will be downloaded in the background as they are needed.

These are two very nice changes that should entice new players to give the game a try. Head over here to download the client.

Dragon Age Origins Toolset Released

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:02:00 GMT

by: Shawn Sines
NEWS - The official toolset for the recently released Dragon Age: Origins is finally available for download.

Fans of the game who want to tinker and build new scenarios, items, weapons and characters can now head over to the Dragon Age Social Network website and grab the program that will allow you to fashion your own dark fantasy adventures.

Along with the ability to create your own content, the toolset also offers interested designers the ability to "look under the hood" of the game to figure out how the game pulled off some of its more interesting scripted moments. The tools also include everyone's favorite machinima in the making feature - a cutscene editor!

A fair warning, these tools are not your typical click and play scripting tools, so the learning curve may be a bit high.

GameOn! Podcast Interviews Torchlight Creators

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:51:00 GMT

by: Shawn Sines
NEWS - There are many of us who fondly recall the days when Diablo or its sequel were the 800-lb gorilla in our gaming schedules so when Torchlight, a game built from that same addictive Action RPG formula and by some of the very same folks as Diablo 2 and Mythos hit the streets I was right in line.

While games like Titan Quest and Sacred 2 served to sate that desired loot whore instinct in me it wasn't until I got my hands on the semi-independently published single-player dungeon crawler Torchlight that I truly recalled how dangerously addicting a good action RPG can be.

This week on the GameOn! podcast Ron Whitaker, my guest host and I took an opportunity to talk with the minds behind the game and to talk about what Torchlight is, where it came from and where it is eventually going. If you're a fan of action RPGs and loot then you should definitely check out the podcast to help you figure out if $20 is too much to pay for losing your soul and your social life to any game.

Skaters get served in new Skate 3 trailer

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:32:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - Here's the new Skate 3 trailer which shows two rival skating gangs trying to out trick each other which looks a bit like a skateboarding version of "You Got Served" except faster and with the potential for more painful injuries. The game does look fantastic though and should put a little more pressure on the Tony Hawk crew.

Digital Distribution hits it's first speed bumps

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:12:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - Digital distribution is widely hailed as the future of gaming and while it's been relatively smooth sailing for a while the system hit a few major snags on the PC this week. We've seen bumps in the past with Steam's early days (the Half Life 2 launch wasn't exactly painless for a lot of people) and Games For Windows has been one cluster after another but this is the first time we've seen problems that aren't specific to one service.

The first was all of the hurdles users had to jump through to get Dragon Age:Origins working correctly. Of course a lot of these issues were created because each entity along the way had their own pass mechanism which needed to be navigated to get the game working correctly. This is one of those nasty things that will eventually go away as companies figure out how to get their services working together better.

The second big bump was Impulse, Direct2Drive, and Gamersgate refusing to sell Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2 on their services because it includes a mandatory install of Steam for things like DRM and saved game management. This grants Steam a de facto monopoly on selling Modern Warfare 2 digitally on the PC. This will be a bit trickier to navigate as Valve has so tightly woven their Steamworks tools set with their online service and there's no way anyone is going to help their competitor sell more of their product. I don't see this really hurting sales of the game that much but it has to be a bit scary for those who don't want Steam to have a monopoly on the digital distribution market and will further the calls for Valve to start decoupling their various components.

It's not unexpected to see these kind of problems as a technology matures but it is a somewhat painful reminder that we are still in the early days of this new distribution mechanism. These won't be the last bumps we have but they do represent a small inflection point in the system.

What do you think? Are these big issues for you or should we just got ahead and welcome our new Steam overlords? Let us know in the comments.

Rock Band DLC sees some more bands making their debut

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:23:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - Although Jack White of The White Stripes has already made a few musical appearances in Rock Band via The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, he’ll be making a debut with his sister this time around. Three tracks from The White Stripes will debut next week: “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine,” and “Icky Thump” from their albums across the years. They aren’t the only bands making their debut next week; The Damned featuring “Smash It Up (Part II)” adds to the punk rock tracks in Rock Band. Kasabian with “Club Foot” joins these tracks on the 360, Wii, and PS3.

I guess No Doubt has no issues with Harmonix, because they’re setting their track “Excuse Me Mr.” for the PSP’s Rock Band Unplugged. Next week’s DLC for Rock Band Unplugged also includes “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys. As always, you can check the Rock Band site for a list of full tracks now currently available for download.

Mass Effect for cheap on Steam this weekend

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:16:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - Just as a quick FYI, the PC version of Mass Effect is available for $10 on Steam this weekend which means you can get one of the better recent RPG's for less than three gallons of gas. Randy really loved the game and if you start now you'll have plenty of time to finish the game before Mass Effect 2 hits next year.

News Roundup: No Dedicated Servers for Call fo Duty Modern Warfare 2 gives your Spirit Rage

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
NEWS -

No dedicated servers for Rage either
Experience Nintendo Tour: The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks
Valcon Games gives the DS a keyboard [musical that is-ed.]
Deal or No Deal invades your SMS plan
Another win for the US with previously Japan exclusive Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Play Spore on Facebook
Get fancy with Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition and check out the new footage
Try cleverness next week with Encleverment Experiment
PS3 instant streaming disk for Netflix on the way
Gran Turismo 5 cost $60 million to make?
Explore Fragile Dreams coming exclusively to Wii next year
Psychonauts, Bloodrayne series, and Advent Rising now available on GOG
PS3 owners will be able to try the multiplayer of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on November 19
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gets a launch trailer, shows space level?
Do some unreal development with UDK3
Five new characters and other goodies coming to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
Low level dungeon available for purchase in Dungeons and Dragons Online Store

Reggie says New Super Mario Bros will outsell Modern Warfare 2 on one system

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:01:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - Sean loves Reggie Fils-Aime and his ramblings. OK, maybe not but he does say some interesting things every now and then. He recently predicted that New Super Mario Bros will outsell Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 on one system. So we have the Infinity Ward title coming out on the 360, PS3, and PC. I can definitely see it outselling the PC and/or the PS3 version. I already talked to a few folks that have canceled their PC order because of all the hoopla that Infinity Ward is doing to that title on the computer.

The two games really cater to two different sets of gamers though so whether it does outsell MW2 on another platform is irrelevant in my opinion. I think we should all aim for both games to do really, really well so that the industry remains healthy.

Sean, Chuck, and I recently played New Super Mario Bros and it wasn't bad in my experience. You can check out Sean's recap of the event.

Patchity patch patch for Dragon Age

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - Hey, we knew there were going to be patches so here's the first one for Dragon Age: Origins on the PC. This is via Steam so if you got it through that then it will auto-update.

Updates to Dragon Age - Origins have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Dragon Age - Origins

Fixed potential corruption of character statistics
Fixed portrait appearance sliders when importing a character from the downloadable Character Creator
Fixed import for preset face settings from the downloadable Character Creator
Made Easy difficulty easier
Slightly increased attack, defense, and damage scores for all party members at Normal difficulty
Fixed video issues when running on a very wide screen display, including ATI Eyefinity displays

No dedicated servers for Rage either

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:52:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - Now this one surprises me. John Carmack, one of the founding fathers of online FPS gaming and one that probably started the dedicated server rage with Quake, will NOT be enabling dedicated server support for Rage. Is it that hard to have both support in there? It's been like that forever so why this sudden shift to only doing matchmaking and listen servers on the PC side?

The only way I can see this changing is if Modern Warfare 2's new method fails. John's pretty happy he's not the one trying to do this first so he, like all of us PC gamers, are keeping an eye on this to see how it works. If things go OK then bye bye dedicated server support for many upcoming PC games. I'm already not liking the reduction in concurrent player support in MW2. With the shift towards a non-dedicated world, the reaction and execution of matchmaking will be a hot topic for the foreseeable future.

Experience Nintendo Tour: The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:33:00 GMT

by: Sean Colleli
NEWS - After cooperatively battling the Koopa horde in New Super Mario Bros Wii, John and Chuck took turns with Wii Fit Plus, while Janie handed me a DSi loaded up with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The demo they had on hand was the same one from PAX, but I had yet to play the game or even seriously research it. While little of the core gameplay has changed since Phantom Hourglass, there are a few significant additions that go a long way to making Spirit Tracks feel more like a real Zelda game.

I’ve never made it a secret that I was pretty disappointed in Phantom Hourglass, and a lot of it had to do with the control scheme. Scribbling on the touch screen to do everything, from using items to swordplay to just moving Link around, got tiring very quickly. It also trickled down into the dungeon design, taking the focus off of logical, sequential puzzle solving and putting it on pace-breaking and often arbitrary stylus use. Like most long-time Nintendo gamers I have a kind of instinct that guides me through Zelda dungeons and even Metroid games, but after spending hours with Phantom Hourglass, wandering in circles, particularly in the aggravatingly redundant phantom dungeon, my wrist cramped up and I went back to playing Link to the Past on my GBA.

It’s a real shame because I wanted to enjoy Phantom Hourglass but it clearly wasn’t designed for Zelda fans, it was designed for new Zelda fans, and I know a lot of those newcomers loved it. Well, if anything I’m persistent, so I wrung as much time out of the Spirit Tracks demo as I could.

First, the good. The dungeon I played around with flowed a lot smoother than the start-and-stop ones in Phantom Hourglass. I wasn’t lugging a giant key everywhere I went, or hiding Solid Snake-style from roving phantoms; in fact, I was controlling one. That’s right, possibly the most annoying enemy in Zelda history (currently tied with that bottle-stealing buzzard in Majora’s Mask) is actually an ally in this game, almost a pet for Link. You guide your phantom with, what else, paths drawn with the stylus, and he can go at least anywhere Link can get to. As in the previous game he’s nigh-indestructible, but that’s useful this time because he can block fire jets and wade through lava, with Link riding on his back.

All of the puzzles I encountered used this strange form of teamwork, and it was quite satisfying once I started thinking out of the traditional Zelda box. Swapping between Link and his phantom at will, moving them to different locations to flip switches or avoid hazards…this persistent coordination sucked my into the dungeon more than any Zelda game in quite some time. It’s this kind of innovating that I wish they’d done in Phantom Hourglass, stuff that sets me out of my comfort zone but puts a smile on my face once I puzzle it out.

Unfortunately the stylus still controls everything. I know Nintendo wanted to keep the controls bonehead simple for people who’ve never picked up a Zelda game, but why can’t I use the D-pad to move Link? We’ve had D-pads since at least the NES, I’m sure the majority of Nintendo’s new baby boomer audience played with an old NES controller back in the day and knows how to work a D-pad. They could at least include it as an option for more experienced players; the current control scheme has D-pad direction up open the map, with all the other directions and face buttons left unused, so it’s not like they couldn’t accommodate such a layout.

My main issue with the controls is congestion—with everything controlled by the stylus it’s easy to get confused. I always have a hard time moving Link in a direction and scribbling his little sword moves at the same time. Thankfully your pet phantom follows you around and will quite effectively wipe out any nearby enemies on his own, but I’d still like Link to be a more capable fighter.

Once the dungeon segment abruptly ended—Nintendo demos tend to time out right when things are getting interesting—I selected the boss battle from the main menu. This part was pure Zelda. The series is known for its creative and often humorous boss fights, and this time I was squaring off against a giant, well-rendered and cel shaded beetle. Its butt was pouring out noxious purple smoke and also happened to be its weak spot, and the only way for Link to deal damage was to remove the smoke first. In the dungeon, I’d acquired a pot that let me shoot air, similar to the Gust Jar in Minish Cap, except to use I had to blow into the DS mic.

After I cleared the smoke and landed a few good strikes the beetle took to the air, occasionally spitting out spiky, explosive worms. The worms curled up when slashed, and if I timed it right I could use the air pot to direct them into the beetle’s face via small whirlwinds. One it took a few blasts to the mandible the beetle fell, rewarding me with a staple Zelda treasure chest. The fight was fun, sufficiently challenging and original—the best kind of Zelda boss battle.

The final segment available was a train sequence, the gameplay the game derives its title from. Link’s adorable little train can be set to chug down the tracks at varying speeds, with a bomb-firing cannon for defense against raiding bokoblins riding their trademark pigs. Like Phantom Hourglass’s boat segments, you tap the touch screen to fire bombs while the top screen displays a map of the track. At key moments you’ll have to choose between branching paths to avoid colliding with other trains running at the same time, so it’s a good idea to glance at the map ahead of time.

I managed to direct Link’s choo-choo (seriously, I can’t talk about it in non-cute terms) for a few minutes and then entered a dark cave, where a large spider with an eyeball in its mouth started chasing me—I’m guessing it was a Ghoma. I landed a number of square hits with my cannon but once again the demo timed out and dumped me back on the title screen.

I’m having a hard time getting excited about the whole train thing. I’m sure it’s significant to the story but without any context, it’s just a different, slightly clunkier mode of transport than the boat. It still takes way too long to get where you’re going, there isn’t much to do along the way other than shoot at enemies, and you can’t alter your course as much as you could in the boat. I applaud Nintendo for doing something different but on-rails travel between dungeons isn’t very interesting. A big part of Zelda’s appeal is the aimless exploration of wandering through whatever land you find yourself in, stumbling across hidden items, caves full of treasure or quests off the beaten path.

I knew I’d have mixed feelings about Spirit Tracks and so far, I still do, though I’m a lot more optimistic. The dungeons and boss fights look promising but the train section falls flat. I’ve wanted a portable Zelda I could sink my teeth into ever since Minish Cap, but for now it looks like the real deal will remain on the Wii while the DS gets the casual stuff. At least Spirit Tracks isn’t what I initially predicted—a Zelda rail shooter. And it has more of what I love about the Zelda series and less of the unfocused, random and forced elements from Phantom Hourglass.

Most important though, is that Spirit Tracks has one gimmick this time that works—I’m intrigued by the pet phantom and the small taste I got makes me want a lot more. It looks like they got the DS experimenting out of the way last time, and now they can focus on a new idea for the series and really make it sparkle.

Valcon Games gives the DS a keyboard

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:13:00 GMT

by: Sean Colleli
NEWS - It's not what you think, not a thumboard for the DS browser, but a 13 note, full octave electronic keyboard for use with Valcon's Easy Piano. Coming early next year, the game will let you practice and learn real piano--no colored buttons here, this looks like the real thing. The peripheral plugs into the GBA slot on the original DS and the DS Lite. The game includes the same keyboard on the touch screen but if you have the peripheral it's a lot more authentic.

Real Piano supposedly has a track list full of famous songs and a song creator too. I'm interested how the sound quality will work on the DS but needless to say, this is a fascinating idea. I've been waiting for Activision to expand their music game empire into Keyboard Hero, but this realistic approach is more appealing to me. I mean, look at that peripheral. Classy.

Deal or No Deal invades your SMS plan

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - I’ve always been interested in why so many people play these simple text-based games when we have so many other in-depth and visually immersive games out there. The reason is often due to some form of social contact, even minimal social contact, that people enjoy being a part of. The appeal for Deal or No Deal, however, is probably the awards that you have a chance at grabbing for yourself.

There is a winner for a $50 award daily, and a $500 award winner monthly. Other cash drawings they have planned are the Grand Prizes set for December that include three prizes total: $10,000, $25,000, and the grand prize of $50,000 in cash. There’s also the reward points that are redeemable for prizes. The full list is located on their site, and functions similar to the arcade style of redeeming tickets.

The game requires you to text back and forth with Deal or No Deal, answering trivia questions and accepting or rejecting the banker’s offer to buy your case. By slowly revealing the hints, you can determine how many points are in your case and whether or not it would be a better decision to accept the offer or not. Premium members play on their mobile phones, but if you don’t feel like doing the $9.99 a month plan, you can always opt to play on their site.

Another win for the US with previously Japan exclusive SMT: Strange Journey

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:06:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - Megaten fans: be jealous of Japan a little less next year with the announcement of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey release on March 10th. After all the excitement in Japan and the loneliness in the US, Atlus finally made the commitment and set the date.

The game is a successor to SMT: Nocturne but with a few developments in storyline. The game is sci-fi based and centers on a mysterious black hole that you find is inhabited by equally mysterious demons. Fortunately, you have the power to decide whether you want them to be on your good side or not, as you can use the powers of negotiation and coercion, or bribery if all else fails, to have them join your party.

That sounds like all fun and games, but to my disadvantage the game is a DS based one. Looks like I’m going to have to be making some purchases in the near future. Check the site for the details on the infamous Demonica suit and how the game handles the dual screen gameplay.

Play Spore on Facebook

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:33:00 GMT

by: Marissa Meli
NEWS - As if Facebook needed another way to slowly suck away your precious life hours.

Now it's got Spore Islands, from EA/Maxis. Facebook users can experience the series in a new way by competing against each other in a survival of the fittest.

“In Spore Islands, players get to invite friends in their social web to play on their island, so creating this game exclusively for Facebook was a natural choice for us since they are the largest and most popular social platform for games,” stated Caryl Shaw, Senior Producer of Spore Islands. “What sets Spore Islands apart from other social games is that it offers a different kind of social interactivity where a player’s gameplay experience is directly affected by the choices and decisions their friends make. It’s an ongoing game, so player’s [sic] creatures and islands will be active at all times, whether the player is logged into Facebook or not.”

"Games are one of the most popular activities on Facebook, with more than 100 million unique active users in the top 10 games alone. We are excited to see Spore Islands as one of the latest games on Facebook for our 300 million users to connect, share and play with friends,” said Facebook Platform Manager Gareth Davis.

Users will be able to choose their own islands and create creatures to live on them and evolve. Inviting friends to your island as well as sending your creatures to your friends' islands will help you dominate the most islands possible. You'll be able to earn and purchase DNA points that can be used to modify creature stats and appearances, with accessories like hats, animations, holiday-themed items, and more. Track your progress on both Global and Friends-only leaderboards.

I don't yet have the self-discipline to rejoin Facebook, but this is tempting.

Get fancy with Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition and check out the new footage

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:27:00 GMT

by: Tina Amini
NEWS - The collectors’ edition of Mass Effect 2 was just announced, and the details have been revealed. The fancy pants collectors’ edition comes in a tin case with a copy of the “Art of Mass Effect 2” book, the first issue of the Mass Effect 2 Redemption comic book, and of course a DVD of a behind-the-scenes and making-of coverage videos.

In-game bonuses from the collectors’ edition include special weaponry and armor. Dr. Ray Muzyka promises that Mass Effect fans will be surprised by the contents of the collectors’ edition and that they will certainly enhance the experience of the game itself.

In more BioWare Mass Effect 2 news, they’ve released a new video with previews on new enemies to be featured in the upcoming game. In particular, the developers and designers discuss the Collectors (nice coincidence) and their possible association with the Reapers given their advanced technology. They are essentially bugs that can paralyze you and, well, collect you. Check the video for the details on some additional discussion of the enemies as well as some weaponry in Mass Effect 2.

Try cleverness next week with Encleverment Experiment

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:44:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Test your memory, reflexes and dexterity by responding to rapid-fire questions in Encleverment Experiment. This 1-4 player XBLA game is being developed by Blitz Arcade and is set for release on November 11, 2009. The avatar-supported title has questions for all gamers ages five and up so it should be good for families to play together.

There are 16 mini-games and puzzles with four difficulty levels each. Check out the screens below as well as a game play video. If it peaks your interest, download Encleverment Experiment on 11/11 for 800 MS Points.

PS3 instant streaming disk for Netflix on the way

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:20:00 GMT

by: Dan Keener
NEWS - A couple weeks ago, John posted that Netflix would be available on the Playstation 3 sometime in November. The only drawback was that PS3 owners would have to place a request to get a free disc that would launch and operate the Netflix streaming, most likely due to the Microsoft agreement with Netflix being on their Xbox 360 dashboard.

Well, I had requested my free disc that same day (10/26), and today I received an e-mail from Netflix that my Instant Streaming Disc will be here tomorrow. So I will get a chance to play with it and compare this service to that of the Xbox 360 for the same streamed movie. Meanwhile, check out the e-mail that I received:

Gran Turismo 5 cost $60 million to make?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:13:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - There was an interview posted on AutoWeek.com in which they talk with Kazunori Yamauchi, one of the brains behind the upcoming Gran Turismo 5. Near the end he mentions that the game has cost $60 million dollars to create. Granted this appears to have been some quick math on their part (not official) but it got me wondering:

Do you think that this PS3-exclusive racing title will be able to ship enough units to make up for it? I know that the games have been big in the past and this one appears to pack a ton of content, too. Is there enough of a fan base to make the 5 year, $60 million development worth it? Or, on a side note, is 5 years too long of a development cycle for a video game?

Feel free to comment and leave your thoughts.

Explore Fragile Dreams coming exclusively to Wii next year

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:35:00 GMT

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - XSEED is bringing a post-apocalyptic adventure exclusively to the Wii. Originally released in Japan as Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, it will be called Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon when it comes to the US in early 2010.

The player will explore an abandoned world that seems only to be populated by the dead. Using the Wii Remote as a flashlight will help you uncover clues, solve puzzles, and interact with the environment. The premise is interesting but it really comes down to how well executed it is. Find out more over at the web site for XSEED.

Psychonauts, Bloodrayne series, and Advent Rising now available on GOG

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:27:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - If you need a Tim Schafer fix and don't want to deal with the RTS elements of Brutal Legend then head over to GoG.com as they've got Psychonauts wrapped up in a nice DRM free bow for you for the low price of $9.99.

Also available today isAdvent Rising ($9.99) with Bloodrayne and Bloodrayne 2 soon to follow. Don't let the horrible movie lull you into thinking these are terrible games though as they aren't nearly as bad as the movie.

PS3 owners will be able to try the multiplayer of Bad Company 2 on November 19

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:26:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - After seeing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at E3, I'm pretty excited about the game. The PC version's going to be using dedicated servers so a win for it! Anyways, PS3 folks will be able to blow up buildings, vehicles, and each other on November 19th as that's when the public beta for the multiplayer portion of the game's going to hit.

The beta will feature Arica Harbor map with up to 24 folks fighting it out in Rush. You'll be able to experience infantry and vehicular combat with the Americans assaulting the Russians.

PC people can look forward to December 2009 as that's when the open beta for that platform will hit. 360 folks will have to wait til next year as the demo for all systems will be released then. The game will be due out on March 2, 2010 in the US and March 5, 2010 for Europe.

Modern Warfare 2 gets a launch trailer, shows space level?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:03:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
NEWS - Here's the launch trailer for Modern Warfare 2 that shows off more good looking footage from the game including what looks to be a level set in space (skip to the 1:00 mark to see what I'm talking about). It's a short bit but does seem to have kind of a weird Moonraker aesthetic to it (that's not a compliment).

I'm still torn on the game as the game defines the word hubris and I still think there's a lot of damage the game could do to the market. We'll see when the game hits next week.

Do some unreal development with UDK3

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:49:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - For free, yes free, you can grab the Unreal Development Kit for some modding of the Unreal Engine 3. It's great to see it being available to anyone and you can download it at www.udk.com. If you're doing development for noncommercial or educational use, there's no charge but if you plan on doing something to sell, well you'll need to work with Epic on using it for commercial use.

Another great thing is Epic will be doing updates to the UDK for free. I used to do some modding of the original Unreal Tournament using their tools and it was pretty easy to get into. There are a ton of great stuff to be had if you want to get started into modding or even looking into producing a full fledge program. I might have to download and take a look to see how it's evolved over the years.

Five new characters and other goodies coming to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:38:00 GMT

by: John Yan
NEWS - Available now until December 31, 2009 Magneto, Black Panther, Carnage, Psylocke, and Cable can be bought to play along side the others in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 for 800 MS points or $9.99. Not only that but you get four new missions and other goodies that come with the DLC. Interesting that it would only be available until December 31 but I'll try to get some confirmation as to if this just a timed DLC that will be gone after the end of the year.

-Update: Yes, I confirmed that this DLC will only be available until the end of the year so if you are thinking about picking it up, don't dilly dally.

Low level dungeon available for purchase in Dungeons and Dragons Online Store

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:47:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
NEWS - Recommended for players level 3-5 the Shan-to-Kor expansion is now available for purchase in the Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberon Unlimited store. The expansion contains 4 "hand crafted" dungeons, a new combat arena, and two additional optional quests. Also announced was a new server named Orion which should help to even out the crowded servers that have swelled since DDOb became free-to-play. Check out the trailer for the new expansion below. It looks like it beats the heck out of killing rats in the basement to me.

Retro Round-up for November 11

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Cyril Lachel
Article - This week Cyril battles Sagat and space lizards when he takes on Fighting Street and R-Type!

Section 8

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Nathan Murray
Article - In Section 8 there is very little to distinguish the single player campaign from the online multiplayer. With a very brief story there isn't much here to keep a single person interested. The multiplayer however has some fun moments and steadily ramps up the action bringing every match to an exciting climax.

For the Glory Interview

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Charles Husemann
Article - Chuck chats with the Project Leader about the upcoming game.

Lips: Number One Hits

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: John Yan
Article - iNiS is back with another in entry in the Lips library but this time it's all number one hits.

Obscure: The Aftermath

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:05:00 GMT

by: Cyril Lachel
Article - Cyril goes back to school to battle deadly plants in Obscure: The Aftermath for the PSP!

Of Dice and Men: Pathfinding

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Shawn Sines
Article - D&D has its own Edition war going on.. find out what Paizo's Pathfinder offers fans of D20 games.

DiRT 2

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:00 GMT

by: Tom Bitterman
Article - Racing in the dirt is fun! Vrooom!

Retro Round-up for October 30

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT

by: Cyril Lachel
Article - This week Cyril is spooked by Zombies Ate My Neighbors and throws eggs at Golden Axe!