All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#preorderbonus Harmonix and MTV Games have revealed retailer-specific preorder bonuses for Rock Band 3, with GameStop customers scoring three free tunes, including New Order's techno anthem "Blue Monday." It's no "True Faith," but it'll do. More »

#screengrab Boomerangs, the androgynous adventurer's must-have accessory this season, as we've learned from this Legend of Zelda-themed display at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, captured by The SinfulKnight. More »

Stuck in Limbo.

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Last updated: Monday, 6:00 PM

Red Dead Redemption is THE Western-themed video game. While many Western-themed games have come before it, RDR offers the most complete and satisfying take on the theme, making you feel as if you're truly there, in the dying days of the Old West.

The gameplay is top-notch; it never grows old riding off in to the wild to find an animal of some sort to kill and skin, or to search for gang hide-outs and shoot up the bad guys who dwell within. Indeed, the game world is massive and is full of activity; the amount of side content and the rewarding nature of exploring the game's world will not leave you disappointed.

The game succeeds thematically, as well; each portion of the game's world is like a different Western genre, with New Austin representing the classic Old West, Nuevo Paraiso representing the darker spaghetti Western, and West Elizabeth representing a more modern take on the Western, symbolizing the death of the Old West and the birth of the modern age. And that's without mentioning the beautiful plot and excellent character development present throughout the game; John Marston isn't your typical "badass outlaw," but rather, a character that you will grow to empathize with and deeply admire throughout the course of the game.

Some would call Red Dead Redemption "GTA: Old West Edition." Well, I call it GTA perfected. Red Dead Redemption is one of those games that you have to play if you consider yourself even somewhat of a gamer.

While some still lament the addition of multiplayer to the Assassin's Creed franchise, it seems likely that the online features of Brotherhood will be revisited in future iterations of the series. Speaking to Videogamer, associate producer Jean-Francois Boivin addressed why fans are so opinionated on the subject. "I think there's this dichotomy in the gaming world, that ... people who are sold to single-player don't necessarily care about multiplayer," he explained. "The wink we give to that in our universe is that the single-player [game] is Assassins, and the multiplayer is The Templars. I think in the end we're giving a lot to the single-player, because we're giving a full single-player campaign - so they won't feel cheated with Brotherhood."

Boivin hopes that the addition of a competitive angle to the Assassin's Creed universe will open up the series to a new audience, beyond fans of the single player experience. "Hardcore multiplayers might say 'I'm going to try this multiplayer. Hey, this universe is kind of cool! I might look into the single-player,'" he mused.

But will we see multiplayer in Assassin's Creed 3 (or whatever the next title might be)? While not a confirmation, Boivin admitted that "there's a lot of room for expansion in that universe," and envisions "a multiplayer component being there for a long time." Presumably, that would mean about two years from now.

#science In this digital age, when the country's most delicate information and processes are housed on vast computer networks, who do we turn to for defense against attacks by cyber-terrorists and 4chan? Now more than ever, the nation needs cyberwarriors. More »

Retailer pre-order plans detailed.

There are things that really just shouldn't be said on a podcast freely available to the public. Someday, we may learn this lesson. That day is not today. Come listen as we casually discuss the unbearably hot weather, Limbo and kidnapping.

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Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM, @senseiram), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander, @xandersliwinski) and Dave Hinkle (KnifefightYaDad, @davehinkle)

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. Break: "Things I Don't Remember" by Ugly Casanova.

For fans: Xbox 360 Fancast Facebook group

#pullquote Kojima Productions' chief podcaster reveals how many fans responded to a 2009 inquiry about whether fans want the development studio to make a new Zone of Enders game. Effort on the sequel has been backburnered. [Kojima Productions podcast, iTunes.] More »

Could an improved peripheral be in the works?

Don't worry Xbox fans, the mega-cool side-scroller isn't a PlayStation exclusive for long.

#screengrab Boomerangs, the androgynous adventurer's must-have accessory this season, as we've learned from this Legend of Zelda-themed display at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, captured by The SinfulKnight. More »

For those about to rock -- well, you should probably just cool your jets, as you've still got a little while to wait. A press release from Harmonix has announced that its upcoming, keyboard-infused rhythm title Rock Band 3 will hit North American store shelves on October 26, 2010.

Accompanying this announcement was the unveiling of the pre-order bonuses being offered by major retailers. Folks who reserve the title at Wal-Mart get a $10 e-Gift card. Those who go with Amazon will unlock an exclusive in-game guitar. Pre-orderers who go with GameStop will be able to download three songs for free at launch: "My Own Summer" by The Deftones, "Blue Monday" by New Order and "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads.

So, yeah. We'll go ahead and let you guess which retailer we're going to settle on. Go ahead. Think really hard.

Fairy Story Online - New Screens

New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town! I’m currently in the Big Apple preparing to attend a special PlayStation media event tomorrow night (Tuesday, July 20th) that will be overflowing with some of the biggest PS3, PSP, and PlayStation Move games of 2010 and 2011. Exciting!

But it begs the question: What would you like to know about these games? I can’t promise I’ll be able to get an answer for every one of your burning questions, but I will have hands-on access to most of the games on display as well as opportunities to ask producers and developers directly. Your questions will inform an upcoming series of blog posts that will drill deeper into each game’s features.

Please leave your questions in the comments. Below, I’ve attached some brief descriptions of each of the games on display and what features will be shown tomorrow in NYC.

PS3 Games

Killzone 3: Hands-on demo of the “Frozen Shores” arctic level in full stereoscopic 3D, complete with jetpack shootouts and brutal melee attacks.

Gran Turismo 5: Hands-on with a variety of tracks and vehicles in the game, including 3D support and the GT racing sled.

MotorStorm Apocalypse: Hands-on racing through a demo of the destroyed urban landscape in stereoscopic 3D.

LittleBigPlanet 2: Create and play full games using Sackboy’s new abilities, innovative tools, and expanded gameplay.

The Sly Collection: Hands-on with two missions from Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves displayed in 3D.

Heavy Rain: Hands-on with PlayStation Move functionality for this evolving mystery game.

EyePet: Interact with your virtual pet in stereoscopic 3D using PlayStation Move.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11: Hands-on with PlayStation Move support for this EA Sports golf simulation that was last seen at the PlayStation 2010 E3 Expo press conference.

Time Crisis: Razing Storm: Hands-on with PlayStation Move for this upcoming PS3 shooter from Namco Bandai.

Tron: Evolution: Hands-on with this holiday 2010 title, based on the upcoming film starring Jeff Bridges, that includes support for PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: A new chapter that picks up where Assassin’s Creed II left off, this title will feature a multiplayer component for the first time as well as an all-new single-player experience.

echochrome ii: Use the PlayStation Move controller as a flashlight to shine light on puzzles and find solutions hidden in the shadows in this upcoming PSN title.

Dead Nation: From the creators of Super Stardust HD, this upcoming PSN shooter puts you in the middle of an overwhelming zombie apocalypse.

PixelJunk Shooter 2: Hands-on demos of two stages that introduce new underground caverns teeming with mysterious, deadly creatures.

Tumble: Use the PlayStation Move motion controller (and stereoscopic 3D support) to accurately and precisely stack blocks in tall towers.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light: Gameplay demonstrations of this upcoming PSN title that will stress co-op gameplay in offline and online flavors.

Additionally, I’ll have access to hands-on play for the PlayStation Move launch window games, which include Sports Champions, The Fight: Lights Out, TV Superstars, The Shoot, Singstar Dance, and Kung Fu Rider.

PSP Games

God of War: Ghosts of Sparta: Hands-on with Kratos’s latest quest, a prequel to God of War II that tells the story of how the Spartan warrior rose to power as the God of War.

Patapon 3: Hands-on with the new Superhero Patapon in this musical battle game for the PSP.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep: Hands-on play in a new PSP chapter of this RPG mashup that features characters from Square Enix and Disney.

Invizimals: Experience augmented reality by capturing, training, and battling a vast collection of creatures using the PSP 3000 and PSP camera.

Piyotama: An action-puzzle game for PSP where you hatch eggs before they overflow the nest by lining up eggs of the same color and chaining them together four at a time.

Gravity Crash Portable: Combines vintage arcade shooter gameplay with next gen visuals, as well as new content and enhancements not seen in the PS3 version.

If you value function over form -- or, rather, Fantasy over form -- you may want to examine an alternative to purchasing the newer, slimmer Xbox 360. Amazon's current Deal of the Day is the Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 bundle, which has had its price reduced by one Grant, down to $300.

- Monolith Soft creative director, Tetsuya Takahashi presented Nintendo developer, Hitoshi Yamagami with the idea for Xenoblade while Disaster: Day of Crisis was in the middle of its development - Takahashi had some of the younger staff members pose for him as models for his model of the game’s map design - the way that light and [...]

Innovation key to Guitar Hero turnaround.

Innovation key to Guitar Hero turnaround.

Innovation key to Guitar Hero turnaround.

Innovation key to Guitar Hero turnaround.

#summer As we get in a summer gaming mood here, let's spend part of the week watching clips of the most summer-styled games. We start with sun-splashed Super Mario Sunshine. Who knows when it occurred, but it feels like summer. More »

Yes, there will be lots of interesting panels, swag, premieres, celebrities and other stuff at Comic-Con. Whatever. Nintendo just gave us the real reason the July 22-25 event is worth attending: a new Dragon Quest IX map. If you bring your DS to Nintendo's booth, with the game running in Tag Mode, you'll automatically pick up the "Mortamor" treasure map, being offered for the first time in North America. Presumably, other people will be there doing the same thing, making it your best chance at multiplayer. If you aren't playing DQIX yet, you'll be able to spend some demo time with it at the booth (#2944).

You'll also get the opportunity to play Metroid: Other M, over a month before its August 31 release. Now that's an opportunity worth fighting the cosplaying crowd for.

#xboxlivearcade If Plants Vs. Zombies has Xbox Live Achievements, surely there must be a video game to go along with it, right? Yes, of course. PopCap's gardening of the dead smash hit will become an Xbox Live Arcade game in September. More »

The portable iteration of Just Add Water's modern take on a retro classic, Gravity Crash, will finally see the light of day tomorrow. The new and arguably improved PSP version of the game will be added to the PlayStation Store in the next PSN content update tomorrow, available for $10.

The new version of the game features an anti-gravity ship, which is less eager to go crashing into the surrounding walls than the original -- though, isn't that kind of counter-intuitive to the game's moniker? For the full list of changes visited upon the handheld port, check out the developer's recent post on PlayStation Blog.

#thefuture How can I know what video games will be like in the year 2040? How can I do anything but speculate? Preparing for a futurist panel tonight, I've determined 30 things we will know about about video games by 2040. More »

#iphoneapps The official Tron app just hit the App Store, and it is stunning. The free app currently offers a (very good) tanks game, just with Tron-style weapons and laser-light levels, but even more premium games are on their way. More »