All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Deadly Premonition and El Shaddai publisher Ignition Entertainment recently underwent a bit of restructuring, leading it to adopt part of the moniker of its parent company, UTV Group. The publisher, henceforth named UTV Ignition Entertainment, will now focus on delivering downloadable titles on digital platforms including PSN, XBLA, Steam, Facebook, Google Games and the App Store.

The change was made to satisfy "a demand to market and publish games at more inclusive price points that maintain the same level of quality as their boxed counterparts," UTV Ignition chairman Hassan Sadiq explained in a recent statement. We suppose that's an admirable goal, though we'll never forgive them for missing the perfect opportunity to name their business "Remix to Ignition." For shame, you guys. For shame.

Red Dead Redemption running away with it.

That's the second biggest tree I've ever seen!

#summerofgaming Summer is tough on the person who loves playing video games. How can one survive gaming's hottest, sweatiest and slowest season, whether hitting the beach with a Nintendo DS and PSP, or staying home and out of the sun? More »

Who knew the PlayStation Move controllers had such powerful rumble motors? Time Crisis returns to PS3, this time with support for Sony's new motion controller. (Although, you can still use a Guncon!) More so than previous Time Crisis games, Razing Storm is about causing as much destruction as possible. Instead of wielding a handgun, your characters are armed with machine guns -- giving the Move's rumble motors a thorough workout.

The gameplay will be largely familiar to anyone that's played an on-rails shooter before. You duck to dodge and reload and, in typical Time Crisis fashion, a countdown appears around enemies that are getting ready to shoot. However, the flow of the gameplay has drastically changed, as the player is far more powerful than any previous Time Crisis protagonist. Equipped with a machine gun, you'll be able to tear through the environment, bursting through cover. It makes it quite easy to mow down the dozens of enemies that are rushing at you on the screen.

"Are those zombies?," I asked a Namco Bandai representative. "No, those are terrorists," they responded.

#clips The Mayans were fierce warriors, so ... why not hand one an assault rifle? Or flamethrower? Or rocket launcher? Sounds like a good policy to me, and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light demonstrates it effectively in this trailer. More »

I feel bad for not even knowing that Sci-Fi magazine existed. Looks like I might have a reason to check it out now. The Resident Evil film series is my guilty pleasure, and I’m sure this one will be just as good/bad as the others. I mean, this one will be in [...]

#callofduty The publisher of Call of Duty may want to explore "new digital business models" for its bestselling military shooter—perhaps as an MMO—but rumors of Modern Warfare 2 going pay-to-play appear to be premature. More »

The most recent Bungie update is a doozy. There's over 5000 words of Halo: Reach goodness in there, so allow us to distill the important bits. First of all, that nifty hologram ability from the Bungie Day video two weeks back? Totally real and available as an armor ability in Reach.

Second, Bungie has dropped a somewhat massive image -- check it out in the gallery below -- showing off exactly which items players will see in the Halo: Reach Armory on day one. Any Halo fan is bound to notice that Cortana shows up at the bottom of the image, alongside Sgt. Johnson, Master Chief and Sgt. Buck (AKA Nathan Fillion). Will these be playable characters? Voices for Firefight? We've contacted Bungie to see if we can find out.

Finally, Halo: Reach Avatar Awards have been revealed, comprised of the helmets worn by Noble Team. These will be unlocked by completing certain actions within the game.

“So, where exactly are the comics at Comic-Con?” That’s what I wondered when I attended my first San Diego Comic-Con a few years back. Comic-Con may have been all about pulp and capes once upon a time, but these days it’s more of a celebration of geek/pop culture: sci-fi TV shows, action movies, and, of course, video games.

So for those of you attending this mega conference (about 125,000 last year), I’ve put together a primer of the PlayStation presence at the San Diego Convention Center (and beyond).

The PlayStation Booth

We’re booth #4237, right next to our friends at SOE, and a stone’s throw from Capcom and WB. Play E3 favorites like LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, Gran Turismo 5 (in glorious 3D), The Sly Collection, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, a host of PlayStation Move titles, and more. Plus, we’ve always got cool giveaways and schwag!

PlayStation Gaming Cocktail (Thursday night)

This event is invite only – but we’re inviting (40 of) you! Join the PlayStation team to go hands-on with our latest first-party PS3, PSP and PSN titles, including MotorStorm Apocalypse, Dead Nation, Pixeljunk Shooter 2, echochrome ii, and more (in addition to everything we’re also showing at the booth). Grab a cocktail, chat with developers and go hands-on with content from the show floor and additional software titles.

Due to space restrictions, we can only get 40 of you into this exclusive event. If you’re going to be in San Diego on Thursday night, and are 21 or older (no exceptions), drop us a line at playstationcomiccon10@gmail.com (one entry per email) before midnight tonight PT (Monday, July 19th). Please include your first and last name, and if you’d like to bring one friend. We’ll notify you if you’re selected by end of day tomorrow, July 20th. Invitees will be selected randomly.

PlayStation Panels

Comic-Con is known for its panels, where you can get face time with your favorite creators. Make sure to line up early!

Origins and Evolutions of a Video Game Superhero – inFAMOUS 2 Panel & Q&A
Time: Thursday, July 22: 6:30PM –7:30PM • Room: 7AB
Sucker Punch Productions, the developer behind the critically acclaimed PS3 summer blockbuster inFAMOUS and the upcoming inFAMOUS 2, takes you behind the scenes in the making and evolution of superhero Cole MacGrath.

Twisted Metal Returns!
Time: Friday, July 23: 1PM – 2PM • Room: 8
Come meet game directors David Jaffe (God of War) and Scott Campbell (Downhill Domination) as they introduce the demented characters of the new game, share some early looks at the game’s twisted end stories, and show concept art of the PS3 Twisted Metal that never was!

The World That is God of War
Time: Saturday, July 24: 1PM – 2PM • Room: 7AB
Ru Weerasuriya and Dana Jan have helped to expand the God of War universe with their smash hit on PlayStation Portable, God of War: Chains of Olympus. Now they’re back, along with their talented team at Ready At Dawn Studios to expand upon this blockbuster mythological world with God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Join Ru, Dana, and team for this one-on-one interview and Q&A session.

Finally, here are a few of my (non-PlayStation-specific) picks for Comic-Con. These are the ones I’m going to try to make it to when I’m not covering the events above.

1:00-2:00 Video Game Comics: The Next Big Thing— Are video games the biggest thing to hit comics since superheroes? Richard George from IGN explores this phenomenon, along with representatives from Dark Horse, EA, IDW, and WildStorm. Featuring some of the hottest video game properties in comics, this is one panel fans of either medium won’t want to miss! Room 5AB

3:30-4:30 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Exclusive Live demo— LucasArts’s executive producer Haden Blackman presents a thrilling look at the sequel to the fastest-selling Star Wars game of all time. Blackman will share the latest scoop on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and show attendees how to use the Force at a devastating level never seen before. Room 6BCF

4:45-5:45 Capcom 2010 and Beyond!— See the latest trailers and get the inside scoop on all of Capcom’s most highly anticipated games for 2010 and beyond: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Sengoku Basara, Okamiden, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Ghost Trick, Dead Rising 2, and more. On top of all that, hear details on an exciting new game announcement by Capcom legend Keiji Inafune, the father of Mega Man! Room 6BCF

Friday

11:15-12:15 Marvel Interactive: Marvel Video Games— Learn all about Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Super Hero Squad Online, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Thor and and other new games via exclusive trailers, surprise reveals, and Q&A with the game creators, as well as the Marvel writers working on the next wave of Marvel Games from some of the industry’s top publishers. Room 6DE

2:00-3:00 Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds— The wait is over! After a decade of demand, Capcom delivers with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds! Learn all you need to know about the characters, levels, storyline, fight moves, and combos from producer Ryota Niitsuma and special advisor Seth Killian of Capcom, along with TQ Jefferson, director of games at Marvel Entertainment, and Frank Tieri, storywriter for Marvel Comics. Then show off your fighting game skills as audience members are chosen for some spontaneous challenge matches to win exclusive MVC3 prizes, followed by a Q&A session. Room 24ABC

3:30-4:30 Building a Horror Entertainment Franchise: Dead Space 2— The sequel to 2008′s award-winning horror videogame returns with its highly anticipated sequel in January 2011. Dead Space 2 unleashes a truly epic terror experience that will bring the psychological thrills of deep space to a terrifying new level beyond just video games. Executive producer Steve Papoutsis, art director Ian Milham, and producers Rich Briggs and Chuck Beaver will be talking about how they intend to establish Dead Space 2 among the top horror entertainment franchises in the world with a novel, animated feature, graphic novel, Motion Comic game and fan merchandise. Room 3

Saturday

3:30-4:30 DC Universe Online: The Next Legend Is You!— Superstars Jim Lee (Batman: Hush) and Mark Hamill (voice of The Joker, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: The Animated Series) join forces with the DC Universe Online development team to reveal the exciting backstory of this action MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game. Jim, Mark, and key members of the development team from Sony Online Entertainment discuss how an earth-shattering chain of events will make you the key to the salvation or ruin of the DC Universe when the game launches this November. Room 5AB

4:00-5:00 Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour vs. The Fans— It’s been six years and six volumes spanning over 1,000 pages, and you’ve been there since the beginning! But there’s always been one burning question itching at the back of your brain that you thought would never be answered. Think no more! Ready your Q’s, mind your P’s, and join Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley for a battle royale as he quibbles the quips of his worst enemies…his fans! Room 25ABC

If you’ll be there, I’ll hope to see you. Don’t forget to pack your deodorant! If you’ve been to Comic-Con before, you know what I’m talking about.

The official Twitter account for the Penny Arcade Expo has announced that this year's PAX Prime keynote speaker will be none other than Warren Spector, creator of the classic Deus Ex and Thief games, and current driving force behind the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey. Spector's no stranger to the keynoting game, having spoken at GDC and other conferences before. We got to talk to him back at E3 this year, and he's right in the thick of Epic Mickey, thinking about accessible gameplay and how to build very famous and licensed characters into his game in a fun way.

Spector will also be at Comic-Con later this week, speaking at a panel with writer Peter David about bringing Mickey and his less famous friends to life in the video game medium. PAX Prime is going down the first week of September up in Seattle, WA, and tickets are still (barely) available.

Soul of Darkness There’s no doubt that Soul of Darkness is heavily inspired by the Castlevania series. It looks just like the recent entries in the series, and Gameloft made that design choice on purpose. Actually, it seems like Gameloft does that with quite a few big-name game franchises. I think it’s the [...]

Coming from Nintendo’s official website… Thanks to WarioFan63 for the heads up!

The world doesn't stand a chance.

The World Cup had plenty of stars; here's our list of who deserves a spot on your virtual squad.

Robert Bowling, Josh Olin calm the crowd.

#gameface Guitar Hero players get down to business at the Brazilian leg of the World Cyber Games this weekend, via Flickr. More »

Comic-Con is turning out to be pretty worthwhile simply for DS-related reasons. In addition to the exclusive Dragon Quest IX content, you'll have a chance to try out Super Scribblenauts, and save $5 on the game for your trouble.

Warner Bros. Interactive will have demo stations for the adjective-enhanced adventure in its booth (#4545). Those who go to check it out will get an adjective of their own, thanks to a $5 Best Buy coupon to turn their own copies of Super Scribblenauts into cheap copies. The publisher released this charming artwork today as well, depicting some adjectivized objects found within the game. A plaid kappa! A wooden cat, in a furry cup, maybe? A tiny, striped, winged elephant! These are things that you can use in a video game to solve puzzles!

Robert Bowling, Josh Olin calm the crowd.

#patent A couple of patents published recently show that Sony's looking at stereoscopic video for more than just 3D gaming; it could take the place of split-screen local multiplayer. More »

BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion - Battle Fortress NEW SCREENS!!!

Apache: Air Assault - New Screens

Rapala Pro Bass Fishing - New Screens

#theterminator We can't say with total certainty whether FPS Terminator, a fan-made mod built on the Unreal Engine, will be the best, but it's safe to assume that it's better than the most recent entry, Terminator Salvation. Sorry, GRIN! More »