All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Media presentations of all new 'The Secret World' content and gameplay.

#doom4 Doom 4 was a no-show at this year's QuakeCon, and id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead told me he'll take the arrows for raising expectations it would be there. He also share with me a sliver of details about the game. More »

After two years of silence, Bethesda is very used to deflecting questions about its next, still unannounced game. But executive producer Todd Howard finally shared some info about the forthcoming project at this year's QuakeCon, telling Eurogamer that it's "pretty far along." Around 90 people are working on the game, and Howard predicts that the stretch between the project's announcement and launch will be the "the shortest it's been for us."

Additionally, he pointed out that the upcoming project will run on existing consoles and is built on the same engine that powered Oblivion and Fallout 3. "That's our starting point -- the Fallout 3 tech. It started with Morrowind, we went to Oblivion, we did a lot between Oblivion and Fallout 3 because now we had final hardware -- with Oblivion we had six months on final hardware, so Fallout 3 technically does a lot more than Oblivion. The new stuff is an even bigger jump from that," he said. He wouldn't get too specific on when we'd hear more, saying he didn't want to disappoint people by announcing an ... announcement that might shift later on.

Hopefully, Mr. Howard knows that disappointment will be harder to avoid if that announcement turns out to be anything but Elder Scrolls V.

The dwarf of your dreams approaches.

#xbox360 This is a custom-made arcade cabinet for this week's downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game (coming later to PS3 and PC) Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light. Xbox Live hype man Major Nelson Tweets that he's giving this away. More »

Hi everyone! Recently, we announced a number of great new PSP packs will be available this year – the Madden NFL 11 PSP bundle was made available earlier this week, the InviZimals PSP Entertainment Pack will be available this October, and the God of War: Ghost of Sparta PSP Entertainment Pack will be in stores this November. Now, we’re taking the action straight into back-to-school with a ton of other great games for just $9.99 (MSRP).

Back in June, we debuted the PSP “Favorites” software line, a value line that brings you a great selection of your favorite PSP titles at an even greater price – $9.99. We’ve added more games for you to choose from, some of which are already available now and others that are coming soon, such as Burnout Legends, Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded, Capcom Classics Collection: Remix, Dark Stalkers: Chaos Tower, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Medal of Honor: Heroes, Sid Meier’s Pirates! and many more. To date, we have nearly 25 PSP “Favorites” available in the library and you can expect this number to grow well into this holiday season. Soon, games included in the PSP Favorites library will have “Favorites” on the packaging. Make sure to look out for it when you’re at your local retailer. Here’s a quick reminder of what games we previously announced:

• Ape Escape: On the Loose
• Buzz! Master Quiz
• Hot Shots Golf Open Tee
• Justice League Heroes
• LocoRoco 2
• Manhunt 2
• Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play
• Patapon 2
• Pinball Hall of Fame
• PixelJunk Monster Deluxe
• Silent Hill: Origins
• The Sims 2
• SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo
• Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow
• Twisted Metal: Head On
• The Warriors

Now that school’s back in session, Kevin Butler’s favorite protégé is at it again. Starting today, you’ll be seeing the latest Marcus spot on TVs nationwide. Here’s an early look at how Marcus will help you from getting schooled…

You can check out more Marcus videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/marcuspsp.

With great games like Madden NFL 11, Kingdom Hearts and InviZimals coming this fall, as well as a whole slate of engaging $9.99 titles, this holiday promises to be a fun one for PSP owners.

Let us know your thoughts and enjoy!

If you're the kind of person who loves high-flying, risky stunts, but doesn't like the risk of buying downloadable games without checking them out first, Sony has something just for your oddly contradictory interests. A demo of Hello Games' PSN-exclusive stunt game, Joe Danger, will be available tomorrow on the North American PlayStation store.

A demo of this stunt game may not just be for those hesitant to drop e-dollars: perhaps you like motorcycle stunts, but have a heart condition that requires you to experience thrills in tiny, bite-sized portions. Perfect! Hello Games has you covered.

In the market for some classic puzzle-platformer action? Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus have both been permanently marked down to $5.99 on the DRM-free digital distribution service, GoG.com. Frankly, we can't think of a better way to wind down the summer than by saving a bunch of Mudokons (and saving some cash). Follow us!

Soar, Solve, Scribble and Sing with New Downloads for Wii and Nintendo DSi

#xbox360 Does your Xbox 360 feel incomplete? Is it full of save files and Xbox Live Arcade games, maybe a theme or two but no Kinect-enabled software? You can waste some bandwidth today and change that. More »

In a panel at the just-kicked-off GDC Europe conference in Germany, THQ Digital creative director Don Whiteford revealed his studio's first major title, Red Faction: Battlegrounds, being built by a core team of just four people. As reported by Gamasutra, THQ Digital Warrington - formerly known as Juice Games - is working on the companion game, due for release on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network before next year's March retail release of Red Faction: Armageddon. THQ's Danny Bilson previously said it would be available "three or four months" before Armageddon, putting the downloadable title's launch somewhere around December of this year.

Gamasutra reported that Battlegrounds is a "topdown car, mech and rover combat title [...] with up to four players on the same screen" and offers the ability to "unlock unique elements in Red Faction: Armageddon." As for why a downloadable Red Faction game comes so close to a major retail release, Whiteford said that while "margins were looking very healthy in this space," a key part of the strategy is "building awareness and loyalty for the company's core brand products." And it seems to be working. This is our fourth post mentioning the game and it's only just been announced!

We receive an official announcement from the developer.

We're calling it: the Virtual Console is dead. There have been two games this summer. If there are any more, consider them stragglers. Nintendo, if you'd like to prove us wrong by stepping up the Virtual Console release schedule from "almost never" to "occasionally," please feel free.

There are still DSiWare and WiiWare games, though, including Divergent Shift (formerly Reflection), the long-awaited puzzle platformer about navigating two mirrored versions of the same character across different terrains simultaneously.

New arcade title will unlock elements in Red Faction: Armageddon.

A couple of the developers who helped evolve the popular Defense of the Ancients mod are concerned with Valve's recent DOTA trademark filing, as well as its implications for the future of the game. Steve "Pendragon" Mescon and Steve "Guinsoo" Feak, who helped with the creation of DotA Allstars and now work at Riot Games on the free-to-play DotA-inspired League of Legends, believe DotA should remain a "community-owned product that modders, independent developers and game fans can continue to modify and play as often as they'd like."

Mescon said he understands why Valve would want to make a DotA-inspired game, but told Joystiq that he was "surprised that [Valve have] decided to try to trademark the DotA name, because it goes against what [he] and others believe DotA means to the community." He suggested that by trademarking the name, Valve is attempting to take ownership of the name and "exercising control over its future." Mescon believes the "DotA name should remain the property of the community at-large, as it always has."

Despite these issues, Mescon said, "We are actually really interested to see what they can do with this genre because we are excited to see companies of Valve's caliber to enter the space that we've been working in for the last few years."

We contacted Valve for comment on this piece, but as the company has yet to officially announce the game, we'll just have to continue following this story as it develops.

Ship-to-ship combat and an exploding head.

#redfaction The question over the weekend was "Is THQ working on a downloadable Red Faction game?" The answer on Monday morning is "yes!" More »

We dive deep with Ninja Theory's heavenly adventure.

#wow Because if you do, it'll cost you $88 million. More »

#metroid I think it's the highest praise you can heap on a Wii game, at least in terms of its appearance, when you can say it doesn't look like a Wii game. More »

#art The super-talented Paul Robertson was one of the main men to thank for Scott Pilgrim being one of the best-looking games we've seen so far this year. Here, we take a look at some of the reasons why that is. More »

#wii The upcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold will be doing something too few games have done so far this hardware generation: feature cross-play compatibility between the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. More »

#clips Using sparse backgrounds, Garry's Mod and the power of C&C Music Factory, YouTube user thejazzman9475 has for the last month been taking some of Valve's best characters and breathing a little extra life into them. More »

#2k I paid a visit to 2K Marin's Canberra offices last week to have a chat with the developers of the upcoming XCOM reboot for the 360 and PC. And there was really only one question I wanted to ask. More »

The last week, particularly the last few days, has been full of new PC game release dates and announcements. What will next week, which also happens to be Gamescom week, bring us? We'll just have to wait and see -- in the meantime, check out what the last seven days brought us.

Exclusive features

• StarCraft II: We conclude our strategy guide to Blizzard's game with entries on the Protoss and Zerg factions along with some of the game's achievements.
• Blood Bowl Legendary Edition Interview: We chat with members of Cyanide Studio about their upcoming update to 2009's fantasy-themed sports game.

Downloads

• Global Agenda Free Trial Client: Try out this recent first person shooter MMO for free.
• Mafia 2 demo: It's a playable slice of the upcoming open world crime action game from 2K Games.
• Victoria 2 demo: Check out this portion of the recent historical strategy game from Paradox Interactive.
• The Scourge Project Demo: This is a free look at the recent third person shooter that uses Unreal Engine 3.
• BioShock Infinite trailer: This is the first CGI trailer for Irrational Games' upcoming shooter title.
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution gameplay trailer: Check out this first look at actual game play from Eidos Montreal's action-RPG.

There's nothing that hurts our feelings more than when video game companies tell us one thing and do another -- or when they don't tell us anything, and then do something truly bonkers. We cherish few things more than transparency, whether that transparency comes in the form of honesty from developers, openness from a particular company's executives, or a crystal clear glass of poison-free tap water.

Of course, some things should completely obfuscate our view of what lies beyond. Things like oh we don't know the bottoms of hot air balloon baskets? Or how about the bottoms of hot air balloon baskets. What about Japanese gaming hardware sales statistics posted after the jump? No, those are okay. See, those don't keep you suspended in the air, hundreds of feet above the deadly, deadly ground. Unlike the bottoms of hot air balloon baskets, you see.

[Image]

Hey, fans of Apple products love stacking things on top of other things to make bigger things too, you know. That's why NetDevil recently opened up Lego Universe's closed beta process to Mac users. Potential stackers and builders can hop on the wagon by going to the game's official Beta Center and applying to join up.

These new players are getting in at an opportune time -- though the beta's currently only playable on certain days of the week, the game's official site promises that "it won't be long before the game servers will be open 24/7, which means non-stop playtime - woohoo!" That was their woohoo, not ours, though we can certainly see why that's cause for celebration.

#wtf Reader Andrew G. has, since he was six, always thought that the theme for Dr. Wily's Castle from Mega Man 2 sounded like Elton John's "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That." Both were released in 1988. More »

If you have a secret personal collection of Cabbage Patch Dolls and Care Bears, does PlayStation have a treat for you! Thanks to Pixar and the power of Blu-Ray, every toy’s nightmare; Emperor Zurg and Sid Phillips — finally meet on one single premium disc. The Kylosian & Segramites people invite you on an adventure on your PSP, as you adventure through seven distinct worlds. Also, you’ll be able to hunt dinosaurs this week. Wait, what?

Only PlayStation can make Emperor Zurg, Kylosians, Care Bears and Dinosaurs make sense in one sentence when we reveal this week’s new releases. Strap on your Sony Walkmans and join me on this week’s The Drop.

PlayStation 3

Toy Story 3 Hybrid Premium Edition – Pixar delivers the original Toy Story film in high definition while packing in Toy Story 3: The Game, all on one single Blu-Ray disc. Emperor Zurg is my personal favorite villain, and having him as an exclusive playable character on PS3 in Toy Box mode gives me a perfect excuse to don my black cape and conduct my symphony of villainy.

PlayStation Network

Top Gun – Jack Epps, Jr., the original Top Gun screenwriter, maintains the attitude of the classic 1980s pop-culture film when he returned to write the Top Gun video game. Dodge missiles and return enemy gunfire while piloting your F-14 Tomcat to the sweet nostalgia of “Danger Zone.” Senior Game Designer for Doublesix, Ollie Barder will be on the blog tomorrow with more details. Stay tuned.

Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2 Demo –There’s an alternative for all your air combat needs. Ubisoft evolves aerial warfare with Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X 2 demo, putting you in the pilot seat of an ultra-sophisticated aircraft. Dominate the skies early when the demo drops on Tuesday.

Joe Danger Demo – Not convinced that Joe Danger is a must-have PS3 exclusive? You’re in luck — you can download the free demo Tuesday, and brace yourself for awesome. 

PlayStation Portable

Ys: Seven – Begin your adventure in Altago City and trek all the way to the Holy Precints of the Wind where the Kylosian people worship the Great Wind Dragon. Sounds pretty epic, huh? That’s because Tom Lipschultz of XSEED Games gave us a one-on-one guided video tour of their ambitious portable title earlier this week. Make sure you ask him about the Segramites, I hear they’re big on lava and brimstone.

PlayStation minis

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunters – This new PlayStation mini from Tatem Games is redefining big game hunting by letting players explore huge non-linear locations as they attempt to track down a variety of dinosaurs. But if you’re not careful, the hunter can become the hunted! The full game includes 15 dinosaurs across five environments including pine forests, muddy marshes and rolling hills.

#fallout Answer: "We're game development pussies," Bethesda's Todd Howard said at a QuakeCon panel on Friday. No really, the engine in Fallout and Elder Scrolls runs into AI problems if ladders are introduced, and the developer just works around them. More »