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Showing posts from June, 2012

News Byte: Resident Evil 6 Collector's Edition

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Capcom  has today announced the Resident Evil 6 Collectors Edition. RE 6 will be released this October and those looking to get more than just the game has something to look forward to. Here's a breakdown of what you get with the CE. Resident Evil 6 game Zombie Steel Book Exclusive RE 6 hardback artbook showing Concept Art RE 6 Avatar DLC Code or Dynamic Theme (console based) Ivy University, Tall Oaks hooded sweatshirt The RE6 Forces Emblems - High Quality enamelled zinc alloy emblems of the tree main protagonists squad insignia's, mounted on and set in a limited numbered frame authenticated with signature from Senior Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi and RE6 Director Eiichiro Sasaki. Everything above comes bundled together in the lenticular "Needle Bomb' collectors box. Well there you have it, a collection the fans will really appreciate. There's no mention of how much it will cost so stay tuned for that update. 

News Byte: Far Cry 3 Delayed

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Well another game has jumped aboard the delay train. Far Cry 3 which was scheduled to be released this September will now be released in December. Ubisoft has sited the need to create the best possible gameplay experience--which is the usually comment for every delayed game. They may say that but I wonder if this delay has to do with any feedback the may have received from their showing at E3 this year. In any case you can expect Far Cry 3 on December 4th in the US and November 29th in the UK.

Thoughts/Opinion: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Hero Voice Overs

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By now I'm sure we've all had the chance to play or experience one of Traveller's Tales Lego games. Even if you haven't, chances are that you know someone who has and they can tell you the fun to be had from these games.  The latest installment, Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes falls into the same categories as the previous installments but manages to bring something new to the Lego franchise. Lego Batman was an unbelievably good time and let you play as several well known characters from the Batman universe. Lego Batman 2 follows the same template with a few changes. For the first time, in any Lego game, the characters are fully voiced. Batman, Superman, Robin, Catwoman and all the characters have a voice this time around--even the lesser known characters. What also makes this Lego game so different is the inclusion of an open city to explore. Gotham City with all its back alleys and skyscrapers makes an appearance in its entirety.  Flying around Gotham as Su

Nintendo Announces 3DS XL and More...

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Last week Reggie Fils-Aime hosted the Nintendo direct show where he revealed several projects occurring within Nintendo and what we'll get to see over the next several months. The first thing he revealed was the 3DS XL which is, as the name implies, a bigger version to the 3DS. It packs two huge screens that are 90% bigger than its predecessors, comes with a 4gb SD card and will be released on August 19th. Throughout the show the went over several games including Kirby's Dream Collection, Pikman 2, the Nintendo eShop and much more. What came as a surprise was the announcement that Nintendo is partnering with Namco Bandai to create the next Super Smash Brothers. There's a lot more that Nintendo goes over so check out the video below.

The Week In Video Game Releases

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Welcome to what I'd consider the beginning of our summer video game dry spell. After this week there aren't a lot of major titles being release, if any. For lets concentrate on what this week has to offer, here's what's on tap for this week in releases: Nintendo DS/ 3DS Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome 2   [06/26] The Amazing Spider-Man   [06/26] Escape the Virus: Swarm Survival   [06/28] Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome 2   [06/28] iPhone/iPad SQUIDS Wild West   [06/27] The Amazing Spider-Man   [06/28] HueShift   [06/29] PC Dungeons & Dragons Online:Menace of the Underdark   [06/25] Battlefield 3: Close Quarters [06/26] Dead Island (GOTYE)   [06/26] London 2012 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games   [06/26] Spec Ops: The Line   [06/26] The Amazing Spider-Man   [06/26] Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier   [06/26] The Race for the White House   [06/28] Sony PlayStation 3/ PSN Dead Island (GOTYE)   [06/26] London 2012 - The

Okami Gets HD Treatment

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If you loved Okami back on the Playstation 2 then you're going to love it on the Playstation 3. Capcom has announced that Okami HD will be coming to the Playstation Network this Fall for $19.99. This HD update will not only include a change to graphics but will also include move and trophy support.

ME3 Bounty Weekend - Operation: Savage

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Bioware has announced the next Mass Effect 3 multiplayer event. Starting Friday June 22 at 6pm PST and ending on Monday June 24 at 4am PST, player will be able to take part in this event. The goal of this event is as follows: Allied Goal: Eliminate 7 million trooper-level enemies: Cerberus, Assault Trooper, Husks, Cannibals, Geth Troopers Squad Goal: Extraction on any difficulty with the squad using a mix of Krogan, Vorcha, or Batarian classes Squad Goal Success: Squad awarded a Commendation Pack Allied Goal Success: All players awarded a Victory Pack [via Bioware ]

Review Round-Up: Lollipop Chainsaw

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Suda 51 returns with another unique experience. Lollipop Chainsaw has you play Juliet Starling, a zombie hunter, who has to slice and dice her way through hordes of zombies and put a stop to this outbreak. Does Lollipop manage to come out on top, let's see what the critics have to say: MetaCritic:   69/100 Destructoid:   9.0/10 As a piece of entertainment, Lollipop Chainsaw is something truly memorable -- shameless, camp, idiotic, and so very enchanting. As a game, it is a celebration of the arcade era, an era when games felt free to be outrageous without worrying about being taken seriously or making even the vaguest lick of sense. As something to review, it is not deserving of the dread I wrote about at the beginning of the article. As it turns out, trying to describe Lollipop Chainsaw is half the fun. Talking about it is a joy. Playing it, even more so. It's one of the straight-up dumbest games you will ever encounter, but at the end of the day, it proves one thi

News Byte: Is New DLC Headed to Rage

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Well according to PEGI, the European rating board, a piece of DLC entitled The Scorchers maybe coming to the game. Of course this is just speculation right now as Bethesda and Id Software haven't confirmed anything.

News Byte: LEGO Batman 2 Demo Out Now

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The LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes demo has made its way to a console near your. Before buying the game, which was also released today, you can get your hand on Batman, Robin and several of his super hero pals as they try to stop the Joker and Lex from having their way with Gotham City.

Summer of Arcade Games Priced & Dated

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Microsoft, via Major Nelson , has revealed the prices and dates for its Summer of Arcade Xbox Live Games. Here's a list of the titles and release dates: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD - 1200MSP - July 18th Wreckateer - 800MSP - July 25th Deadlight -1200MSP - August 1st Hybrid - 1200MSP - August 8th Dust: An Elysian Tail - 1200MSP - August 15th As always if you purchase all the games you'll be rewarded with 400 Microsoft points back.

News Byte: Anarchy Reigns Delayed

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Well it seems like another game is getting delayed until 2013. It was announced yesterday that Anarchy Reigns will not be releasing States side in July and will now be moving to Q1 of 2013. Well that's just great, there goes probably the only game I was going to get this summer. Although we'll have to wait, the game will still be released this July in Japan.

SWTOR Possibly Going Free to Play

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It would seem that BioWare is considering taking Star Wars: The Old Republic into the Free to Play realm. According to Emmanuel Lusinchi, Lead Designer at BioWare, the studio is investigating said possibilities and stated "We are looking at free-to-play, but I can't tell you in much detail. We have to be flexible and adapt to what is going on."  It makes perfect sense for BioWare to consider this model for SWTOR. The F2P market is getting bigger and better; so if gamers are given the option of playing something both fun and free -- most likely they'll opt for that compared to a subscription based model. Personally I'd love for them to go F2P. It would give me the ability to play whenever without having to feel like I wasted money by not playing with the month. We'll have to wait and see what BioWare decides for the future SWTOR. [via Joystiq ]

God of War Ascension Collector's Edition

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We all know that there's a new God of War coming next year. We also know, for the first time, it will include multiplayer and that it is a prequel to the first God of War. Today we find out that there will be a $79.99 Collector's Edition of the game released. The Collector's Edition will include the following items: An Exclusive 8" Kratos Statue A Premium Steelbook case The Official Game Soundtrack (digital version) PS3 Dynamic Theme PSN Avatar Pack Multiplayer Double XP Unlock and A Pass for future DLC Content You can head over to Amazon.com to Pre-order your copy today.

This Week In Video Game Releases

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We roll into another week in video game releases; the PC front seems to have a great week ahead of it, with consoles having a few releases. Let's take a look at what's on tap for this week. Nintendo DS/ 3DS Pokemon Conquest   [06/18] Brave: The Video Game   [06/19] LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes   [06/19] Slitherlink by Nikoli   [06/21] iPhone NO RELEASES SCHEDULED THIS WEEK PC Brave: The Video Game   [06/19] Resonance   [06/19] Roller Coaster Rampage   [06/19] Ship Simulator Extremes Collection   [06/19] Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings   [06/19] SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny   [06/19] Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers   [06/19] Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalker 2013   [06/20] Quantum Conundrum   [06/21] Oniken   [06/22] The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav   [06/22] Sony PlayStation 3/PSN Brave: The Video Game   [06/19] LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes   [06/19] Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalker

News Byte: Dawnguard Beta Codes

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Bethesda has reported that beta keys for the Skyrim Dawnguard expansion has started to trickle out to people who applied. Since there was so many who applied they have currently sent out keys to .005%, meaning there are a lot of people that will have to wait. Currently the keys are for Xbox 360 users who will be receiving an email with a redemption code.

Review Round-Up: Diablo III

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It's time to end the fight against evil. A few demonic lords remain and its up to you to put a stop to them and their invasion.  Words cannot express how brilliant Diablo III is, lets take a look at what the critics had to say: MetaCritic:   88/100 IGN:   9.5/10 Twelve years. Twelve long years of waiting and fans are finally playing Diablo III, and, if my recent marathon sessions are any indication, they will be for the foreseeable future. So many systems from previous Diablo titles have been improved, making for an approachable, rewarding and deeply satisfying treasure hunting game. It's addictive on a level few games can match, so much so that it's easy to largely overlook its flaws. Sure, if you want you could really nitpick Diablo III’s design, but ultimately any minor grievances seem so trivial when compared to the enjoyment I had and will continue to have with Diablo III for years to come. GameInformer:   9.0/10 Diablo III is a great game, and every bi

Review Rond-Up: Mario Tennis Open

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Hankering for a game of tennis but don't want just a regular game. Well how about taking Mario and his friends for a spin. Lets see what the critics had to say about Mario Tennis Open for the 3DS. MetaCritic:   70/100 GameTrailers:   8.1/10 Mario Tennis Open’s single player mode is fun for a few hours, but it will ultimately leave you wanting more. Thankfully, the multiplayer mode with its online functionality will keep you coming back well after you’ve plowed through the main course. Mushroom Kingdom tennis vets will miss the career mode, but anyone just looking for a solid competitive game that’s best enjoyed in short bursts will be well taken care of. GameInformer:   8.0/10 For the first time in series history, Mario Tennis Open offers full online multiplayer – both singles and (impressively) doubles. It also has local wireless multiplayer. Based on my experience, both modes work smoothly. This isn’t the tennis revolution that some might have hoped for, but it’s a s

News Round-Up

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It's back to our regularly scheduled programming. Lets take a look at all the video game news that mattered for June 11, shall we. Here's the round-up: Half Life Remake still in development Persona 4 Arena Gets Pre-Order Bonus Crimson Dragon Delayed Marvel Pinball: Avengers Out Next Week Max Payne Hits Androids Thursday Blizzard Readying to Ban Diablo III Cheaters Dead Island Sequel will Retail for $50 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee HD Remake Coming Next Summer Layoff Hit Silicon Knights Success Rate of Most Game-Related Kickstarter Slant Six Games Also Hit With Layoffs Ono Apparently Overworked by Capcom Black Ops II Headed to the WII U THi4F To Be Better Than Deus Ex: HR First UE 4 Game to Ship in 2013 Final Fantasy III Port Headed to PSP New Tracks Coming to Dance Central 2 Metal Gear Online Goes Offline Today Sledgehammer Working on Call of Duty Game There you have it, all the news you need to know. Make sure to check back tomorrow for another ro

News Byte: Epic Mickey 2 Release date Announced

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Those waiting to get their hands on Warren Spector's next game, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two will be happy to know that he game will be released on November 18th. The game will be released on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii.

This Week In Game Releases

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Another week another batch of games being released. We're coming into that period where not a lot of games are released. Lets take a look at what's on tap for this week. Nintendo DS/3DS iCarly: Groovy Foodie!   [06/12] Devil Band: Rock the Underworld   [06/14] Mad Dog McCree   [06/14] iPhone/iPad BABEL Rising 3D   [06/14] PC Krater   [06/12] Runes of Magic Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge   [06/12] Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion   [06/12] SPlice   [06/13] Aika Online - Epic III: Descent   [06/14] Magicka: The Other Side of the Coin   [06/14] Sony PSP/PS Vita Gungnir   [06/12] Gravity Rush   [06/12] Metal Gear Solid HD Collection   [06/12] PulzAR   [06/12] Sony Playstation 3/PSN Lollipop Chainsaw   [06/12] DiRT Showdown   [06/12] Nintendo Wii/Wii U No Releases Scheduled This Week Microsoft Xbox 360/XBLA DiRT Showdown   [06/12] Lollipop Chainsaw   [06/12] Phantom Breaker   [06/12] BABEL Rising   [06/13]

E3 2012 Has Come and Gone

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E3 2012 is over and although it wasn't one of the best, there was still a lot of great gameplay footage from the show. If you didn't get to see your favorite game, here are two sites that have hours of footage--which also includes interviews with people around the industry and more. GameTrailers IGN Use those to catch up on what you may have missed from last week. On another note, this years E3 didn't do it for me. It was a complete let down. I'm not the only one that feels that way, many people within the industry felt that the big three failed to deliver with their conferences. Nintendo especially had an unbelievably weak show. As a gamer when I watch E3 I want to be WOWED; I want to sit there during the livestream or however I'm watching and be blown-away-- if not impressed by what I'm seeing. It means that the industry is still growing, not just on the hardware front but with new IPs as well. For now it's time to put this years E3 behind us a

XBOX SmartGlass

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During the Microsoft Press Conference Microsoft announced Xbox SmartGlass, a new piece of tech that allows you to go deeper with your Xbox experience. Now when Microsoft made this announcement I had some reservation, still do, but I've come understand  SmartGlass  a little more.  Lets start out with what is SmartGlass? SmartGlass is an app that you can download to your phone or tablet turning said device into a controller, additional screen, mouse or show companion depending on what you're doing at the time. The app will be available on Android, iOS and Windows devices. This is good because it means you don't have to buy any new hardware, additionally the app is free across each device. What does it do exactly? What SmartGlass does is allow you to use your phone, tablet or computer to further enhance your experience with the Xbox. If you recall from their press conference SmartGlass will allow you to move seamlessly between movies on your device and Xbox. When it com

News Byte: Dead Island Sequel Announced

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Techland has announced that a new Dead Island game entitled Dead Island: Riptide is currently in development. Expect a major reveal sometime this summer. This is surprising, I guess a 2nd game is a second chance to get it right.

Nintendo E3 Press Conference Impressions

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That does it for all the E3 Conferences, Nintendo has wrapped and although I was expecting to be blown away--Nintendo could only muster up a small breeze. Nintendo unfortunately stumbled into the same hole that Microsoft managed to dig the day before. Nintendo started their conference strong with the reveal of a fan favorite Pikmin 3, showing off new gameplay and the bump in graphics that comes from running on the new Wii U. They showed off the Wii U gamepad and then they showed New Super Mario Bros. U. On the third party front, Batman Arkham City Armored Edition utilizes the Wii U gamepad and offers a different take on Rocksteady's game. It's from here that I think Nintendo lost me. Wii Fit U Okay, that's expected, but what's up with Sing Nintendo. The third party trailer seemed to be same games from last years E3. Nintendo should have taken it upon themselves to showoff some more games from the third-party developers so we could see some more of the gamepads

Sony E3 Conference Impressions

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To wrap up the nights events, the Sony E3 Press Conference manages to close on a high note. Sony showed the first ever gameplay for the God Of War: Ascension, which retains the brutality as the previous titles. They also announced that the game will be released in March of next year. It wouldn't be a Sony conference without a look at Vita and Sony managed to highlight the handheld hardware. Sony announced Assassin's Creed: Liberation releasing on the same day as AC III; it features a female lead and will unlock items for AC III on PS3. Sony also announced Call of Duty:Black Ops - Declassified and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will be making their way to the handheld. Now back to the meat of the show. Several reveals were made at the Conference including the first ever gameplay for AC III using ships and the Far Cry 3 4-player co-op mode. Sony didn't stop there, they also revealed Beyond: Two Souls. Beyond: Two Souls is a the new game from Quantic Dream, the mak

Ubisoft Press Conference Impressions

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Okay its official, Ubisoft absolutely stole E3 today. Their presentation was all about their upcoming titles; Far Cry 3, Just Dance 4, Assassins Creed III and Rayman Legends made their E3 conference. What made Rayman Legends gameplay standout was it was demoed on the Wii U and the integration with the Wii U gamepad shows off a different way to play. From beginning to end the Ubisoft Conference gives you want you want to see.  Rayman Legends and Far Cry 3 impressed but what everyone was waiting for was the Assassins Creed gameplay footage. Not to mention the impressive opening with Flo Rida and Just Dance 4. Assassins Creed III really takes your breath away with the new gameplay mechanics, the way Connor interacts with his environment and just the scale of it all. Ubisoft definitely has the right idea and they're going to have an impressive year ahead of them. What was really surprising was out of nowhere Ubisoft revealed Watch Dogs; a game where everything in the city is

EA Press Conference Impressions

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Electronic Arts just wrapped its E3 Conference and with ten developer and ten games showcased--EA manages to impress. Crysis gameplay, Battlefield 3-Premium, Dead Space 3 co-op gameplay reveal and UFC joins EA are just a few highlights of the show. Check out the E3 2012 for videos from the show and the entire conference. I'm somewhat skeptical at how immersive the experience will be in Dead Space 3 with a co-op character/partner there dropping random lines when you're trying to be scared. However it does look like Visceral is really taking it to the next level. Crysis 3 looks amazing, but that's to be expected from the Crytek team and the CryEngine.

Microsoft E3 Conference Impressions

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Going into the Microsoft E3 Press Conference I had some idea of what to expect but I was hoping that Microsoft would pull something out of its hat that would really blow me and the industry away. Well their conference was a hit and miss. Lets breakdown their conference shall we. The Microsoft Conference opened with the return of Master Chief and the first ever single player gameplay. The opening screen shows just how much of a bump in graphics this game has; Master Chief has never looked better and the same applies to Cortana. New enemies, news weapons and new gameplay elements are in store for gamers when Halo 4 is released later this years. The show them jumps into the world premiere of Splinter Cell: Blacklist bring back Sam Fisher who seems more brutal with his takedowns. What was more impressive was the fact that the game incorporates Kinect to let you use specific voice commands. Here's where the Microsoft Conference takes a bit of a dive with holding my attention

This Week In Video Game Releases

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And we're back, E3 maybe under way but there are still video games being released this week. Lets not let the excitement of E3 overshadow these games, so here are the releases for this week: Nintendo DS/3DS Madagascar 3: The Video Game   [06/05] Rayman Origins   [06/05] Art of Balance Touch!   [06/07] Cat Frenzy   [06/07] iPhone/iPad Deadly Association   [06/05] PC Deadly Association   [06/05] Inversion   [06/05] The Sims 3 Katy Perry's Sweet Treats   [06/05] Bang Bang Racing   [06/08] Strategic War in Europe   [06/08] Sony Playstation 3/PSN Bang Bang Racing   [06/05] Inversion   [06/05] Madagascar 3: The Video Game   [06/05] Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown   [06/05] Sony Playstation Vita Madagascar 3: The Video Game   [06/05] Nintendo Wii/Wii U Madagascar 3: The Video Game Microsoft Xbox 360/XBLA Inversion   [06/05] Madagascar 3: The Video Game   [06/05] Bang Bang Racing   [06/06] Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown   [06/06]

E3 2012 Begins Today

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E3 is just a few hours away and as to be expected there will be a lot of trailers, reveals and announcements. So to put everything in one place I've created a E3 2012 playlist that will have all these videos. Check back regularly over the next few days for videos and articles; as I give you my impression of each conference and everything that comes out of E3 2012.

Nintendo Pre-E3 Show

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Similar to the Konami's pre-E3 show, Nintendo has now released their show which details a few aspects of the Wii U including the controller redesign and Miiverse.

Konami Pre-E3 Show

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Yesterday, or today depending on your time-zone, Konami had its pre-E3 show. This show was a compliation of several of Konami's upcoming games--both announced and unannounced. The show started out with Konami talking about their new studio and then they detailed several of their upcoming games; the show culminated with the reveal of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. You can watch the complete pre-E3 show HERE , at Konami's official site or you can watch it on GameTrailers.com and expect to see more at E3 next week.