All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#obituary In 1975, Popular Electronics featured on its January cover a computer kit built for home enthusiasts, touted to cost at least $1,000 than anything else out there. It was the Altair 8800. Its creator, Dr. Ed Roberts, died Thursday. More »

Company alleges Datel infringed on a number of Xbox 360 controller patents.

As if Assassin's Creed 2 hadn't already taken enough prestigious awards (not to mention a number two spot in our best of 2009 list), the MI6 released word today that the game also earned seven gold awards in marketing at the fifth annual MI6 Awards on April 1 in San Francisco. From "Outstanding Overall Integrated Marketing Campaign" (though all the cool kids call it the "OOIMC" -- pronounced "oo-imp-ka") to "Outstanding TV or Theatrical Ad Campaign," AC2 swept the awards show, only closely lead by Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles and NBA 2K10 at four each (remember folks, these are awards for marketing).

If you'd like, the whole list is available here (in PDF format, so you know). And yeah, if you hadn't already guessed, the Darkside Chronicles shirt was totally voted "Best Swag." Deservedly so.

How beating each other up every night helped lead to marriage.

#ipad The touchscreen version of Bizarre Creations' addictive twin-stick shooter Geometry Wars is on a short list of new iPad games that we're really excited about. But can the Geometry Wars brand of twitch-based gameplay translate well to Apple's new hardware? More »

EA's lifted the velvet rope and now the whole of the unwashed masses enjoying Battlefield: Bad Company 2 can access the Squad Rush multiplayer mode. Previously only available to those who pre-ordered the game, this mode pits two squads (of four players) against each other as they fight over a single M-COM station. Once the attacking team has destroyed the M-COM station, it opens up the next section of the map -- it's a scaled-down version of the regular Rush multiplayer mode.

If you're looking for something in the way of moving pictures, head past the break for a trailer that EA was kind enough to send over.

Just avoid this one.

Looks like a price drop is in effect, and you can now get Rune Factory: Frontier for $20 at either GameStop or Amazon. I bet there’s other retailers as well, and keep in mind that some stores offer price match!

Capcom needs to get this thing made, now! This sucker would fly off shelves, especially on the Capcom e-store. Let’s hope it moves from concept to real deal very soon!

Defend your towers.

Way back in July 2009, Smith & Tinker announced that it was going to authorize MekTek to release MechWarrior 4 and all its expansions for free "soon" -- likely to drum up interest for the upcoming MechWarrior reboot. After nearly a year, the game remains unreleased. The reason for the delay, according to MekTek, lies with Microsoft. The group claims that the project is "held up at Microsoft" and it's currently "unknown" when the release will receive its "final go ahead."

The studio adds the unfortunate revelation that it's now in dire financial straights thanks to the delay. "Due to the demands placed upon us by industry lawyers to release the Mechwarrior 4 Free release we were forced to insure our Studio at a premium rate to meet the Microsoft standard," reads the announcement, adding that group's server fund has "run dry" and is currently being paid directly by staff. MekTek is asking for donations from players that download its MekPak 3.1 expansion. According to the announcement, MekTek would be able to keep the servers running for an entire year if all those who downloaded the expansion were to donate $5.

[Via Big Download]

How awesome is Super Mario Galaxy 2? So awesome that the Wii can’t even handle playing a trailer for it…if you happen to live in the UK. Is this an issue that has cropped up for anyone else? I’m guessing most of you viewed the trailer online on your PC! [...]

It'll breaksmash your face.

Save your friends.

Save your planet.

I want to stress that this is not from Amazon directly, but a retailer through Amazon. Grab yours here

Can you count?

#psn After a couple of weeks' worth of teasing, Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada confirmed during a brief Twitter video that the best Final Fantasy game ever created will soon be released on the PlayStation Network. More »

#sega The video game version of Iron Man 2 ships alongside the movie next month. Sega Studios San Francisco, the team that developed that video game, is no more as of today. More »

Why are so many good online shooters hitting XBLA? Monday Night Combat is Uber Entertainment's upcoming arena shooter, made exclusively for XBLA. Like Lead & Gold, it evokes a Team Fortress 2 vibe, thanks largely to its cartoon graphics and focus on squad-based play. Yet, it manages to have a unique flavor of its own, thanks to its satisfying close quarters combat, and original tower defense-inspired gameplay.

Monday Night Combat was one of the most populated booths at PAX East, an impressive feat considering the high-profile competition offered by the bigger publishers. Perhaps the long lines could be attributed to Gabe and Tycho's glowing endorsement of the game at their first Q&A panel. Or, it might be because the game is, put simply, fun.

I jumped into a round and chose the Assassin class. I've always preferred speed and stealth over gunplay, and this class was perfectly suited to my play style. Like the Scout class from TF2, this character is very agile, and can jump long distances. The Assassin has the special ability to cloak for a brief period of time, and can also launch smoke grenades. The cloak isn't infallible, as players will notice a shimmer where you're located; however, in the middle of a frantic firefight, it'll be relatively easy to sneak up behind a player and brutally stab him in the back.

Fist of the North Star and Yakuza top the software charts.

Fist of the North Star and Yakuza top the software charts.

Fist of the North Star and Yakuza top the software charts.

#surveysays In the race to determine Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, readers rank Penny Arcade's Gabe and Tycho just above President Barack Obama, but they've got a ways to go before catching up to Lady Gaga. More »

Do you have any idea how hard it is for your Xbox Live Avatar to see when your 360 is turned off? It gets so dark in there without the console power button's emerald (or, sometimes, ruby) luminescence. Why not lend your tiny homunculus a hand by picking up the Modern Warfare 2 Avatar Night Vision Goggles, which Microsoft and Infinity Ward are handing out for free until Sunday, 11:59 pm PT?

It's a lot cheaper than constantly leaving your system turned on, and it makes it look like you're wearing Johnny 5's head as a sort of trophy, which is ... totally sweet, right?

Shortcut: Add the Night Vision Goggles to your Xbox 360 download queue [via Xbox.com]

Yesterday being April Fool’s Day and all, we thought you might need a “breath of fresh air”…

What’s New?

Hessian Sackboy Fragrances – Released yesterday on the PlayStation Store were the delicious smelling Hessian Sackboy Fragrances.

During your next “shopping trip” to the PlayStation Store, be sure to grab these fragrances (Hey, it’s a Sack of a Lot better than going to the mall and having those annoying “perfume girls” with clown makeup pop out of nowhere like a bad horror movie, and spray you in the eyes with some nasty overpriced stink potion!) I’m just sayin’…

During this one-week limited time offer, why not treat your Sackboy or Sackgirl to the finest fragrances available, whether it be the very essence of masculinity itself with “Hessian Pour Homme,” or the captivating aroma of pure beauty with “Hessian Pour Femme?”

Disney’s “Incredibles” are coming to LittleBigPlanet!

In case you missed Monday’s big announcement on the Blog, the Incredibles are coming to LittleBigPlanet!

Be sure to bring home the Incredibles to your LittleBigPlanet world next Thursday with the Incredibles Level Kit and the Incredibles Costume Kit. Also available are individual Incredibles themed costumes including: the Incredibles Family (all five Parr family members in one costume download), Edna Mode, Mr. Incredible (Retro Costume), Frozone and their arch nemesis Syndrome.

Tip: You really might want to consider getting the costume kit to have Sackboy covered. Have you ever seen Sackboy when he can’t find his “Frozone” costume? It looks a little something like this:

Community Levels

LBLFF – Final Fantasy VI: The Blackjack’s Shining Battle – by Henshin1

No Peg’s Island – by Shris (and LUNIEIZSICC)

Aeon Quest: Abduction (Episode 1) – by cdubb024

A level in Create mode! – by Mnniska

UNHEARTED: Drakes Misfortune 2 – by GruntosUK

Sackboy in the News

LittleBigPlanet PSP Wins BAFTA Award: Best Handheld Game – LittleBigPlanet PSP won a BAFTA for Best Handheld Game, beating some strong competition. As you can imagine, the whole team at Sony Cambridge are very chuffed. We’d like to give a big thank you to Media Molecule for all their support, and to the whole community for their continuing inspirational creations.

Workshop of the Week

LittleBigWorkshop Monthly Level Theme Contest: April – Ready to earn your “Rare Prize Crown?” Head over to LittleBigWorkshop and enter their monthly contest. This month’s contest theme is “The Great Treasure Hunt!”

Fist of the North Star and Yakuza top the software charts.