All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#clips Earlier this year, Senior Editor Michael McWhertor took a couple days off to appear as an unpaid Tester panelist and have Adrianne Curry touch his shoulder. More »

XSEED has clarified the announced "November" release date for Ys: The Oath in Felghana -- and it's about as early in November as it can possibly be. If you're up for a classic top-down action RPG for your PSP, you can grab this remake on November 2.

The special edition version (pictured) will be available from Amazon, GameStop, Videogamesplus.ca and "other fine retailers," and will include a soundtrack and desk calendar. The regular edition will be available in both UMD and download forms for $30.

#clips We're getting a little tired of Minecraft's arts-and-craft shows. Yes, you made Mega Man, well done. But there's always room for applause when people recreate BioShock's Rapture in its entirety, complete with whales. More »

The review copy of Art Academy sent to me by Nintendo included a bit of example art saved in its gallery. Specifically, this portrait.

#pullquote Microsoft's Phil Spencer explains in one sentence why the Xbox isn't exactly embracing 3D technology at the moment. Via CNN. More »

Layton: “The culprit behind the witchcraft that put the city in chaos… You are the very one!” girl: “You’re wrong. I am not a witch.” Layton: “Then how did you know the contents of the book you could not have possibly read?” Phoenix: “OBJECTION! Professor, there is a glaring contradiction in your testimony.” Check out the full translation [...]

We're not sure why people place so much value on their own privacy -- after all, we spend our days pouring out our hearts on this here public website -- but apparently, it's enough to warrant a class action lawsuit over Zynga's alleged leaks of Facebook users' private info. According to a press release from law firm Edelson McGuire, the suit, filed in a San Francisco federal court by St. Paul, Minn. resident Nancy Graf, seeks "monetary relief for those whose data was wrongly shared, and injunctive relief to prevent continued privacy abuses."

No specific amount was mentioned regarding the extent of the aforementioned "monetary relief," but seeing as how the announcement claims the leaks affected 218 million Facebook users, we're guessing the damages sought will be ... significant.

The development studio behind both the Pinball FX series on XBLA and Zen Pinball on PSN has just popped up on the Australian Ratings Board website under a listing for "Marvel Pinball," a "multiplatform" game. The ESRB has yet to detail it, but we get the feeling Marvel Pinball just might be a pinball game with Marvel branding and characters -- our detective work knows no bounds, we know.

Given past additions to its pinball games, Zen Studios could be planning the title as an expansion to its forthcoming Pinball FX 2. Regardless, the listing existing at all means we should be hearing more about Marvel Pinball sooner than later.

If you're looking to unleash your Force on the cheap, check out this deal at the Microsoft Store: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 is just $40 to pre-order (down from $60), which is almost as good as the deal we got after Jedi mind tricking that GameStop employee.

Guys, can you believe it? Mac is, like, totally a gaming platform now! We never thought we'd say that but with support from Valve, Blizzard and the likes of PopCap, it's gotta be an exciting time for Mac-owning gaming enthusiasts.

And joining the platform is the sensation dominating your nation, Civilization V. Aspyr has announced that it'll publish the 2K Games/Firaxis sequel on Apple's computer platform "this holiday season." Sorry, no exact launch date for the port beyond that. Oh, and sorry-er, but the press release doesn't mention the first DLC pack, which is set to launch on PC later this month. We've sent a caravan bearing goods and questions to Aspyr and 2K Games and will let you know what we hear back.

#kinect We were kind of hoping today's Kinect plug on Oprah would mean she'd be piloting a virtual raft with her body, but the episode's YOU GET A KINECT! YOU GET A KINECT! YOU GET A KINECT! finale is even better. More »

We saw a bit of off-screen footage of the spectacularly improbable Professor Layton vs. Gyakuten Saiban this morning, but now we can see the whole thing in luscious direct feed, thanks to the now-open website. In the trailer, it appears that Professor Layton accuses a girl of being a witch, to which her lawyer characteristically objects. After that, Hershel and Phoenix (and Maya and Luke) team up and explore Labyrinth City.

The website also features concept art, screens, and introduction trailers for both series. What it doesn't feature is a release date. Check out the trailer after the break.

Professor VS Gyakuten saiban -- the Japanese name for a new crossover 3DS game that features both Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton -- was revealed last night by Level-5 during a press conference in Tokyo. The game is being developed in collaboration with Capcom, though Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi will be heading up writing. It appears that this marks the beginning of Level-5 and Capcom's much teased collaboration, and one of the four surprise titles Level-5 said it would reveal during its Vision 2010 event currently taking place in Japan.

1UP's liveblog details the gameplay of Professor VS Gyakuten saiban as a "combination of puzzles and crime mystery," while Level-5 president Akihiro Hino characterizes the collaboration by comparing it to "two TV shows getting together and making a movie." The game's official website is scheduled to open officially on October 20, but Andriasang already has some images of the game and we've embedded a shaky cam video of the reveal trailer after the break, courtesy of 8-4's Mark MacDonald.

#screengrab The Legend of Zelda's Link re-imagined as an aging elf—and looking like he'd be right at home in World of Warcraft—by artist Damien Canderle for ZBrush Central's "Age of Legends" Comicon Challenge. Elder Link [ZBrush Central - thanks, Corey!] More »

Samsung LED 7000 3D TV Review

TimeGate has announced that a multiplayer beta for the PC version of Section 8: Prejudice will launch sometime this fall. The beta will give players their first look at the new features introduced in the sequel and will also show off the "enhanced" Games for Windows Live integration, which includes "streamlined matchmaking and improved server browsing." You can sign up for the beta right now at the official Section 8: Prejudice website.

While you wait for that precious invite to hit your inbox, check out some new screens of Prejudice in the gallery below.

Nintendo was nice enough to send a review copy of Art Academy over to the warehouse. I’ve been really interested in the game for awhile now, but I wasn’t too sure you could make high-quality art with it. Then I turned my DS on, popped the game in and found this in the [...]

The acquisition of id Software by Zenimax Media brought with it a slew of strong brands, but perhaps the most important is its 2011 game, RAGE. During an interview with GI.biz, id Software creative director Tim Willits brought up how important the game is to the developer internally: "There is a lot riding on it, we need to make sure it's great. Don't f**k it up!"

But it's also pretty important to Zenimax that id be allowed to take its time. "I can tell you that if we weren't part of the Zenimax family, we'd be trying to rush this game out," Willits revealed. "So it's so nice being able to say, 'let's ship it next year, let's get the multiplayer awesome, let's get the game as great as we can make it.' Without their support, I honestly think that RAGE would not be as good as it's going to be."

For Willits and id, the game isn't so much going to be a singular experience -- the developer is looking to create an overall experience where the goal is to make the player "feel that things happened before you got there and that things will happen after you leave." Star Wars is referenced as influence, yet Willits also mentioned possible DLC tie-ins and two different iPhone games as additional means to flesh out the universe.

Another indication of RAGE's importance internally is how many people id has working on it: over 60 people. "Quake 2 we did with 13. Quake 3 with about 23. Doom 3 with about 38, I think, now on Rage we're past 60, and that's just the Rage team. It's still small, but it's big for us."

Jigsaw wants you to play another game, but should you run in terror?

#thats*crag*inteamwork Get ready to reach for the replay button, as this brief Halo: Reach clip highlights one of the best multiplayer kills we've seen to date in Bungie's newest sci-fi shooter. More »

You've already had time to sup on our opinions on Fallout: New Vegas, but we imagine you must be hungry for more, like a lost courier in the Mojave who's been attacked and left for dead. Actually, you know what? That's, like, exactly how this game starts. Weird, huh?

Anyway, let's satiate that appetite for words you've got going, shall we?

• Eurogamer (90/100): "Obsidian has created a totally compelling world and its frustrations pale into insignificance compared to the immersive, obsessive experience on offer. Just like the scorched scenery that provides its epic backdrop, New Vegas is huge and sprawling, sometimes gaudy, even downright ugly at times - but always effortlessly, shamelessly entertaining."
• GamePro (90/100): "This laundry list of complaints might seem like a game breaker, but that I could suffer through them repeatedly during my marathon New Vegas weekend and still walk away feeling not only satisfied but hungry for more says something about the power of the formula that Bethesda has crafted."
• IGN (85/100): "In New Vegas, the fun Fallout 3 formula is intact, with more polished combat, high-quality side missions, and the exciting setting of the Vegas strip. Unfortunately, the bugs also tagged along for the ride."
• Game Informer (85/100): "Gamers should expect more of the same from this follow-up. If Fallout 3 holds a place among your top 10 games of this generation like it does for me, another rewarding 200-plus hours of survival awaits you."
• PC Gamer (84/100): "More wasteland to wander. New Vegas is good, but the failure to move the series on makes it feel a tiny bit stale."
• Giant Bomb (80/100): "It's not a surprise that Fallout: New Vegas sticks closely to Fallout 3's structure and style. But if it weren't for the game's way-too-long list of technical issues, New Vegas would actually be better than its predecessor. Instead, it's a well-written game with so many issues that some of you might want to take a pass, at least until some of this nonsense gets fixed."

#aspyr Sid Meier's deeply addictive Civilization series is coming back to the Mac platform later this year, thanks to publisher Aspyr. The company confirmed its plans to bring Civilization V to Apple computers "this holiday season." More »

Australia and New Zealand, 20 October, 2010 – Nintendo announces that from 28 October 2010, Wii™, available in black or white, will come packaged with Wii Sports™ Resort, the new Wii Remote™ Plus and all for the same great value price of SRP AU $299.95. Wii will still include the original Wii™ Sports game and Nunchuk™, [...]

If you're jonesing for entry keys into the Killzone 3 beta, but don't feel like ponying up for the PlayStation Plus membership required to be eligible for early access, Sony's offering social networking mavens another, thriftier opportunity. If you're all up on that Twitter, you can be eligible for one of 150 beta codes by Tweeting "@killzonedotcom Please include me in the Killzone 3 beta! My PSN ID is [your PSN ID] #killzone3 #scea http://ow.ly/2Vfcf." (If you live in Europe, replace #scea with #scee. Jurisdictions, and all that jazz.)

The codes will be distributed by October 22, but if you don't manage to snag one from Sony, we'll have some a bit later this week. Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, and also our Facebook page, and you should also probably listen to our podcast, and, now that we think about it, you should probably just follow us around on the street.