One of the biggest questions in the last year has been what Bungie, the studio behind the Halo franchise would do for their next game, the first since leaving Microsoft and the mega franchise they created behind for a new deal with Electronic Arts.  Now, it looks like we’re getting our first look at concrete details for the title, from the most unlikely of sources — court documents spotted by the L.A. Times.

Recently released documents from the upcoming Zampella/West VS Activision trial that resulted in the founders of Infinity Ward splitting from the publishing giant have emerged and confirmed that Bungie is currently developing four  “sci-fantasy, action shooter games” code-named “Destiny.” The first of these games is scheduled to come out in the fall of 2013, with subsequent releases in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Here’s the interesting part, the contract says that the first Destiny game will be released on the Xbox 360 and the “next successor console released by Microsoft” (referred to as the Xbox 720 in the documents), but will release on the PlayStation 3 in the fall of 2014 after a “joint technical feasibility analysis” that will determine whether the game “is able to be developed for the PS3 at quality and feature parity to the Xbox 360 version.”

The documents also refer to downloadable content, known as “comet,” which will release in the  fall of 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.

Reading through the documents, there are also a few interesting bits not about the Destiny project; like how Bungie stands to make a hefty $2.5 million bonus if the first Destiny game  receives an aggregate score of 90 or better on GameRankings.com. It also says that Bungie will use no more than 5% of its staff to create an updated version of their classic Marathon for E.A.

If the documents are to be believed, and the first game is due out in the fall of next year, an E3 reveal is looking likely. Blast will be bring you all of the up to date information from the Show of Shows as it hits next month.

Dante won’t be slaying any monsters this year. Capcom today announced that DmC Devil May Cry is hitting consoles on January 15, 2013.

The game gives the Devil May Cry franchise on a more contemporary feel and follows a younger Dante and his journey through Limbo City as he fights his way through the city’s dangerous monstrosities. Players can play as Dante’s human form but can also shift into his more demonic version granting him access to angel and demon powers.

A PC version is also scheduled for next year, but it is still in development.

Having broken records for the most units sold in a single day and being the highest rated Xbox 360 game on Metacritic this year, it’s no wonder Trials Evolution has already been played by over 500,000 players a month after launch.

One of the reasons the game has drawn so much attention (aside from its great reviews,) is that the game offers an engaging sharing system called Track Central that lets players upload their own custom levels and download new ones. The game’s leaderboards have also been keeping players busy.

“To date, players have created more than 60,000 custom tracks and skill games, using the exact same editor we used to build our own levels within the game,” said Tero Virtala, Managing Director of RedLynx. “Those same players have recorded more than one million entries on custom Leaderboards associated with user-created tracks, they have given more than 800,000 reviews of UGC within Track Central.”

Trials Evolution is out on Xbox Live Arcade. Check out our review for the game and find out why this game’s so popular.

Nintendo’s press conference is happening in just two weeks! We’ll be there covering it and live-blogging it as it happens, but if you’d also like to see all the action take place live on your screen, Nintendo has you covered too.

The all-access press conference begins Tuesday, June 5 at 9 a.m. PDT and will be streamed on Nintendo’s E3 website. It will also be televised on MTV2 and Spike TV networks. Throughout the week, Nintendo will also be updating its Facebook page with announcements and will be live tweeting via its @Nintendo Twitter account. Videos and trailers will be posted on Youtube as well.

While Nintendo will let you feel like you’re at E3, we’ll be there providing you previews and impressions of everything the big N announces that week. Have anything in particular you’d like coverage on? Let us know.

Source: Nintendo

While you’ll need to wait just one more day until the launch of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Ubisoft is letting players partake in some of the action a bit early right on Facebook.

Announced last month, Ghost Recon: Commander is a game that made for both fans and newbies to the franchise. The game lets players create their own team of “Ghosts,” customize them, and train them enough to send on missions. The 10 replayable missions involve sending killing terrorists, retrieving information, or rescuing hostages by clicking targets and locations on-screen.

Ghost Recon: Commander lets players save their game anytime and also engage in “asynchronous” co-op missions. Playing the game also unlocks special content in Ghost Recon Online Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, which hits consoles tomorrow.

Throughout gaming lore there have been certain games that come in and out of development and dodge deadlines to the dismay of their loyal fans. Starcraft Ghost, Half-Life 3, the mythical Duke Nukem Forever; all these titles have taken their fans heartstrings and thrown them across the room throughout development. Among these titles lies Max Payne 3. When its predecessor ended back in 2003, fans were expecting a swift turnaround for the sequel. However, problems with developer Remedy and publisher Rockstar eventually lead the two teams to split and for Max Payne 3 to be continually delayed. Thankfully, the release date was not a joke thistime around. Max Payne 3 is out and it delivers on the famed action, while providing a dark story sure to satisfy fans of the series.

The game picks up several years after the end of the last game. Max has fallen into a deep hole in his life and the only way to get out is to take on a private security job in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As one would expect, the 8-10 hour story has its share of backstabbing and vendettas, all narrated by Max himself in classic film noire fashion. While the writing is as strong as ever, the game switches between bad guys too quickly near the end of the game. By the time the person who you are really after is revealed, there isn’t that strong a connection or hatred for them considering they weren’t even important earlier in the game. Nonetheless, Max’s constant monologuing and heavy handed use of metaphors is much better penned than before, characterizing him as a much more cynical, yet likable character than in earlier games. His remarks are actually witty and longtime fans of the series are likely to chuckle when they hear Max’s comments on techno music or Facebook statuses. While the story does get needlessly complicated near the end game, Max’s reasons for mass murder are always clear and it delivers a satisfying conclusion to this new chapter in his life.

Either way, as it was in both games before hand, the meat and potatoes of the experience lies in the ridiculous gunplay. Rockstar has implemented a cover system to the game, leading to a more tactical approach than before. The patented Bullet Time system is back, allowing Max to fall into a trance where he is faster than his enemies and has the ability to dodge bullets with ease. Every bullet is individually modeled, leading to a much higher level of realism to this unrealistic mechanic. Unfortunately, the difficulty within the game cancels out some of the overpowering action many fans are used to. Enemies take cover intelligently and have deadly aim, even from long distance. Not to mention that near the end of the game most bad guys will be covering every inch of their body in body armor, turning them into frustrating bullet sponges. While bullet dodging out of cover and through a window is as awesome as it ever was, when it is over you find yourself awkwardly laying on the floor and struggling to get up with a middle aged groan as bullets smack you across the face. Throw in the fact that your health does not regenerate and you need to be in constant search for painkillers and it can seem unfair at times. It is a problem of new meets old that can hold the game back. Enemies have gotten smarter, and the reckless style of play so suited for this kind of game just does not fly anymore.

Yet, when breaking down the mechanics of the action, it is a beautifully made game. The transitions between animations are extremely smooth, such as when you are left on the ground after a bullet dodge and can rain hell on your enemies. Despite the sometimes frustrating painkiller health system, the game finds ways around it with style. If you have a painkiller on you when you are fatally shot, the game will slow down into Bullet Time and direct your aim towards the guilty goon. If you dispatch him then Max will take the painkiller and give you a second breath of health.

Max Payne 3 is powered by Rockstar’s Euphoria physics engine that mixes Havok-style physics with artificial intelligence. This makes empting a clip on someone more realistic than in any other game in recent memory. Add in the fact that bullets damage enemies without censor, making an entry wound that quickly fills with blood and stains anything it touches, and killing someone in Max Payne 3 looks alarmingly close to the real thing. While the game is not the best looking around, the small details are what sell you on the package. Painkillers will not just be littered around the level, you will have to look for them in logical places such as bathrooms and behind some depressed secretary’s desk. Even the fact that every weapon Max is carrying is shown on his person, and when you reload a side arm he will stick the two handed weapon in between his chest and arm so that it won’t fall on the ground, is enough to convince you of the attention to detail Rockstar has put into this. Cutscenes are all done on the game engine and will often lead directly into gameplay, never taking you out of the experience. Max is suffering from a heavy drug addiction and the game will use some distortion effect in the cutscenes to remind you of that. It can get old quickly, but it successfully captures just how out of whack Max’s life is.

In a first for the series, Rockstar has added a full multiplayer suite with a dozen different game modes and fully integrated character customization. Standard modes such as deathmatch and king of the hill serve their purpose but the real bones of the experience lies with the Gang Wars mode. Players are sorted into teams and dropped into scenes ripped from the single player story. The game mode is always random but it will evolve according to who won the last match, linking together each round with cutscenes and voice over. There are five rounds in each match and the variety of game modes makes this some of the most fun you can have with the game. Bullet time is integrated beautifully into the experience. When you activate it any player in your line of sight will slow down until they break that line of sight. This goes without mentioning the implementation of Bursts (read: COD perks) as little additions to your arsenal. Each burst has 3 levels that you build up the same as you would Bullet Time. If you hold off from using it, and can stay alive, long enough to reach level 3 then the payoff is more than worth the wait. Overall, the multiplayer suite is fully stocked and has just as much attention put into it as the single player story.

Blast Factor: What is probably Max Payne 3’s biggest problem is that it does not always feel like a Max Payne game. You will often be forced into cover and have to pick off enemies like in Gears of War or Uncharted. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is sure to strike a nerve for fans that have been waiting years for this sequel. Nonetheless, when it does feel and play like it should, the experience is bar none some of the best action you can find in a game this year. Throw in the fantastic multiplayer offering and the return of the high scoring arcade mode and the game comes stocked with quality features. Much like Max himself, this game can stumble out of the gate and many of its mechanics have not aged gracefully, but at the end of the night, it is one hell of a good time to hang out with.

A QA tester at TT Games, the makers of various Lego titles, tweeted a picture of a Wii U tablet controller that looks a whole lot different from what we saw at last year’s E3.

As you can see from the image to the right, the controller now has analog sticks that have replaced the 3DS Circle pads. The Select and Start buttons have been moved from the bottom of the controller to below the face buttons on the right side. There also now seems to be two additional square-shaped buttons below the D-pad and next to the power button. Click on the image for more detail and compare it to last year’s model below.

Source: Twitter

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I was a good attempt at giving players a continuation of the original Genesis titles, but its wonky physics and gimmicky stages kept it from achieving true potential. It looked like a classic 2D Sonic game, but the game lacked that special essence that made its 16-bit predecessors so much fun. Luckily, Episode II is the better of the two installments and gives fans a Sonic they’re more familiar with, even if does come with a few misses.

One of the biggest additions to Episode II is the inclusion of Tails, who now brings two-player co-op to the table. Like in the classic games, Tails can pick up and fly Sonic to places he can’t reach for a short amount of time, but players have a lot more control over him this time. By simply pressing a button, the action will pause, and Tails will teleport to where Sonic is and help him out. I found this too convenient sometimes because while it gets you out of sticky situations right away, after a while, it becomes too easy to press a button and save Sonic from a misstep. Tails and Sonic also have another combo ability that turns them into a giant ball, faster and stronger than the average spindash. The duo will always be joined by one another, so levels integrate these two abilities in unique ways that create a different experience. The game may feel like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but this is a new game, after all.

Co-op mode lets two people play together offline or online, but it does come across a few problems, one of them due to the game’s fast-paced action. If you fall behind your friend, the game will respawn you right behind him, but you’ll need to press a button to pop out of your protective “bubble” like in New Super Mario Bros. The problem here, though, is that this happens a lot when going down slopes or slides, even when you don’t intend to leave someone behind. Another thing I noticed is that the person playing as Tails will have an advantage and can easily exploit certain situations by flying; this is especially evident during boss fights. Let’s just say, playing with someone else is easier than playing solo.

Controlling Sonic and dashing through the many colorful worlds feels quite good. Episode I’s physics engine has been overhauled, and the blue hedgehog runs a bit more like he did back during his Genesis years. Sonic’s homing attack is back, but aiming feels more accurate and is easier to pull off. He is also less shiny and doesn’t look out-of-place amid his colorful backdrops, which have layered textures that often give the game a great pseudo 3D effect. Considering the game is supposed to feel like Sonic 2, it’s great that controls and graphics don’t distract you from the game’s speed, a problem that often plagued Episode I.

Stages, too, are a lot more reminiscent of the original games and are designed to keep you always in motion. While it’s a bit apparent that the themes of past stages have been recycled into “new” zones – expect to see a sky fortress and a snowy amusement park, for example – the game does have its unique charm that is complemented by its soundtrack reminiscent of Sonic’s 16-bit days. There is, however, one section of an underwater level that requires you to swim past enemies that freeze the way forward. If you’re too slow or your aiming is off, you’ll be blocked from all sides, and all you can do is wait until Sonic and Tails drown to try again. Frustrated, I tried (in vain) to find a solution, and can only wonder why the developers wouldn’t provide one that doesn’t require losing a life.

Like classic Sonic titles, Episode II is great the first time you play it, but you may question playing through it several times. To extend playtime even further, the game includes chaos emeralds and red rings to collect in each act. As expected, collecting these emeralds lets you turn into Super Sonic, but it doesn’t really affect the game’s ending that much. Also, while finding each act’s red ring is supposed to provide a challenge, they are simply in areas you’ll explore anyway, and their presence simply serves to unlock an achievement. The developers did include a score attack and time trial mode for each act, so players can at least compete with each other via the game’s leaderboards.

While I didn’t particularly enjoy Episode I that much, Episode II rewards players who played the first game and unlocks Episode I stages playable as Metal Sonic. This feels almost like an apologetic thank you to fans that played through the first game, but this expansion gives you some backstory to the character and lets you play through the first game in a whole new way. Plus, it’s great to see Sega implement a similar lock-on technology it did back when Sonic & Knuckles came out.

Episode II has some obvious gameplay issues and provides a lackluster ending, but the experience playing through each stage is very nostalgic of the fun I had playing through the Genesis games. I also appreciate the improvements the developers made to the game and that they listened to and fixed what fans disliked about the first one. At this rate, let’s hope Episode III is made and becomes something truly worth raving about.

The financial struggles of 38 Studios, the development house behind Kingdom’s of Amular has been well documented this week, but you couldn’t tell by the first look at their long in development title — a MMO dubbed Project Copernicus. 

“When you play single player games, you have to rely on computer programming and artificial intelligence, but when you add the human element to it, a lot of different things can happen and I think that that variable is what has made this space (online gaming) so big,” Shilling said in a recent interview. “We’re looking at a Hollywood Production here, roughly $60 million dollars to put this out and a multi-year development cycle.”

38 Studios, headed by former Redsox Pitcher unveiled a short fly over video of the project’s world today, and it’s impressive. Just today, the Governer of Rhode Island announced that the game would release in June of 2013.

Stay with Blast for more on 38 Studios, their financial situation and Project Copernicus as we approach this year’s E3.

Happy weekend Blast community! Friday brings fun,  sleeping in and of course — Free Games!

This week, we’re bringing you a classic with a new twist. Arcade classic Dragon’s Lair launches today on the Xbox 360 and this time features full Kinect support. Want to play it for free? Here’s what you’ll have to do:

-Follow Blast Magazine on Twitter @BlastMagazine

-Mention us in a Follow Friday (#FF) post

-Use the hashtag #FGF

That’s it! We’ll pick one random winner later on in the day, and who knows — we may have some extra goodies to give out during the weekend too.

It appears that 38 Studios didn’t make payroll this week, but is in the process of making its late loan payment of $1.125 to the state of Rhode Island this week, confirmed a spokesperson for the state’s Economic Development Corporation.

Keith Stokes, EDC’s executive director who was involved in devising the $75 million loan the state granted 38 Studios also resigned last night. Former Gov. Donald Carcieri who was also responsible for the loan during his term in office has not responded to comments, but House Speaker Gordon Fox states “he has no regrets.” Taxpayers could end up paying over $100 million dollars to make up for the loan.

A source also told Joystiq that Curt Schilling’s company has fired all of its temps and contractors this week.

We have contacted 38 Studios for more comment, but the company has not responded to our questions.

Update: The check that was hand-delivered to the EDC has bounced because “there were insufficient funds to cover it.” The check was returned.

Source: WPRI, Joystiq

While most simulation video games strap you behind the cockpit of military fighter jets or even high-speed race cars, TML Studios wants you to ease into the world of a professional bus driver in its upcoming title European Bus Simulator.

European Bus Simulator recreates all the miniscule tasks bus drivers need to be mindful of during their workday and brings it to you on the PC. These include preparing the day’s schedule, monitoring your fuel and engine levels, and even clearing up those steamy windshields. Because the game captures things in crisp detail, the passengers you pick up and drop off will range in appearance and personality and the city you drive through will be bustling with life. When you’re done driving people around, you can also walk around and explore the city you so enthusiastically serve.

This isn’t the first time TML Studios has decided to make a game about driving jobs. The studio also released New York City Bus Simulator and even Tow Truck and Delivery Truck titles.

These games are great when you want to get a glimpse at the daily lives of many citizens. Just take a look at the trailer to see how a bus driver’s life isn’t as easy as it looks.

Ever dream of being a bus driver when you were little? European Bus Simulator is available worldwide on May 31.

Starting today, CCP games is letting players sign up for open beta access to its upcoming free-to-play first person shooter DUST 514. Players looking to participate can sign up on the game’s website and cross their fingers they get an acceptance email.

Releasing exclusively on PlayStation 3, DUST 514 combines the world of EVE Online with large-scale warfare and intense military combat. Select EVE Online players will also be selected to join in on the beta this week.

The game was announced at last year’s E3, so expect to see more news and our preview of the game next month. Dust 514 is expected to release later this year.

When Microsoft made Forza Horizon official earlier this year, all we got was a trailer of people and cars — not in game cars mind you. But now hey — look an in game screen shot — and there’s a car!

We’re expecting to hear more about Forza Horizon at this year’s E3 convention in L.A., which is less than three weeks away.

Also, I’d just like to point out, the screen looks awfully familiar to a certain automobile themed Disney movie…I’m just going to leave this right here…

Not wanting to be overshadowed by two other special edition pre-orders announced this week, 2K Games has announced not one but two deluxe editions for Borderlands 2.

As of today, players can pre-order the Deluxe Vault Hunter’s Collector’s Edition, which includes an authentic Marcus Kincaid bobble head, hardbound art book, map of Pandora, a comic book download, and a four sticker set. This set costs $99.

If you want to get an even better package, why not spend $50 more for the Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition, which comes in a replica loot chest and includes everything from the Deluxe version plus a SteelBook case, a creatures of Pandora identification chart, lithograph postcards, field notes from Sir Hammerlock, a cloth map of Pandora, and a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Even if you decide to forego the above sets and simply want the game, pre-ordering it from participating retailers will grant you access to the Borderlands 2 Premier Club, allowing them to download the Gearbox Gun Pack, a Golden Key to unlock an in-game race, the Vault Hunter’s Relic to boost your fortune, and an all-new fifth character class: the Mechromancer.

Borderlands 2 hits the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on September 18, 2012.

Vampires and Kirby. What do these two have in common? Well before you say they both have done their share of sucking in the past, how about also being the stars of this week’s Nintendo Downloads?

3DS eShop
Kirby’s Block Ball (Nintendo, $2.99)

Kirby’s Block Ball is one of those games that let players do something more than simply suck in their enemies with the pink puffball. Think of the game as Nintendo’s version of Breakout, so not only will you be moving a paddle around to bounce brick-breaking balls around, but you’ll also find Kirby-themed power-ups like Maxim Tomatoes and absorb enemy powers.

Rayman Origins (Ubisoft, DEMO)

If you haven’t tried out Ubisoft’s platforming gem, you can now download the game’s demo for free. With over 60 levels, nostalgic Rayman controls, and lush graphics, you just may be sold on adding this game to your collection.

DSiWare
Chronicles of Vampires: The Awakening (Teyon, $4.99/500 pts)

Vampires merely set the tone for this game, so don’t expect any gushy love story. In fact, this hidden object game will have you traveling to 20 different locations in order to stop a sinister plot from happening and destroying the living world.

38 Studios met today with Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to discuss its current financial situation, which at the moment isn’t looking so good. During the meeting, studio founder Curt Schilling asked the state for more money, even after his studio defaulted its latest loan payment this month, leaving many to wonder what will end up happening to the Providence-based company.

Attorney and Game of the Law Editor Mark Methenitis told Joystiq that based on documentation and information he has reviewed, the state’s $75 million loan was secured by studio assets including all of 38 Studios’ intellectual property. This includes rights to Kingdoms of Amalur and any other unannounced games currently being worked on.

“What that means, in brief, is if they default on their obligations to the RIEDC, then the RIEDC can turn around and take possession of as much of that as is necessary to pay off the debts owed, Methenitis told Joystiq.

Remember that Rhode Island taxpayers may end up paying upwards of $112.6 million to pay up the studio’s loan. The state could bring in more money by auctioning off rights to Kingdoms of Amalur to the highest bidder, though it’s not likely anyone will want to pay $100 million for a relatively new IP that has only seen one game so far.

Source: Joystiq

Sniping games seem to form their own sub-genre in the crowded first person market. From the disastrous Sniper:Ghost Warrior to the original Sniper Elite, it is a genre that does not seem to have too many supporters. Nonetheless, Rebellion Software has seen it fit to revive it’s cult classic series and bring it to the next generation. Unfortunately, despite the shiny new coat of paint, the game suffers  from a major identity crisis, leading the once promising series deep into the path of mediocrity. Sniper Elite V2 acts as a sort of “revamp” for the original game.

Once again, you take control of American OSS agent Karl Fairburne who has been sent deep into war torn Berlin in 1945 to single-handedly stop the German nuclear secrets from getting into Soviet hands. Predictably, the story has you track down the most evil fictional Nazi’s ever imagined, complete with scars and ugly snarls. There are no notable secondary characters and you are literally alone during every mission. The roughly six hour story does not do enough to satisfy any narrative nerve and only drives this game deeper into the mediocrity hole. The main problem with Sniper Elite V2 is that it completely misses the point of what a sniper game should be. Instead of creating a decent stealth game with some cool sniping opportunities, the game forces you to engage all enemies in the room in order to continue.

The average level will involve some sort of artificial hallway, be it a bombed out street in Berlin or a V2 rocket facility, littered with enemies and a sniper or two perched in a building. You would think that the best approach would be  to sneak your way around the patrol, by either not being noticed or quietly picking out enemies. However, the linearity of the game prevents you from taking any other routes other than where the patrol is. You cannot traverse through broken down buildings and flank you enemy, you cannot sneak your way into a sniper’s nest, or even find any alternate routes to your objectives. Sneaking past the patrols is out of the question since the enemy snipers are guaranteed to see you  and shooting them will get the attention of every enemy in the area. There are times where background noise can be used to cover the sound of your shot, but it is few and far between. The game is built so you have to become a one man army and dispatch all of the enemies as quickly as possible.

Now, to say that a game fails at one thing does not mean that it does not succeed at another. You would think that when taking away the useless stealth, Sniper Elive V2 would be a half decent action game, but it even fails at that. Bullets are realistically impacted by gravity and wind meaning lining up a shot can be more difficult than anticipated. There is a focus system that is activated by how calm the sniper’s heartbeat is, meaning that is you were sprinting to knee high wall you are using as cover you will have to wait a minute to have a super slowdown effect. One of the few redeeming features of Sniper Elite V2 are the gruesome killcams that follow the trajectory of your bullet and show an x-ray effect as it breaks bone and  pierces internal organs. It rarely gets old and can bring about a few macabre chuckles.

Not everything in Sniper Elite V2 is horrible. There are a few cool features in place that make setting up a good shot enjoyable. If you wound an enemy they will lay on the ground screaming for help until another enemy comes by and helps them up, in which case you can finish him as well. The game encourages you to lay traps, such as using a trip mine on a door or setting a landmine on a dead body, in order to make your escape easier. However, the game will often make you escape through a different path than the one you came from, making any premeditation useless.

The amount of complaints toward this game keep stacking up. There is no Nazi swastika in the game for whatever reason, making the red and black flags in its place stand out like a sore thumb. The graphics do not fare well, with character models in the Xbox 360 version looking like Ken dolls and a horrible draw distance that makes one wonder why Rebllion used such a limited engine for a game that requires a good draw distance. To add insult to injury, the enemy AI did not graduate from kindergarten, leading them to get stuck behind walls and unable to notice you when you are right next to them. Even more annoying is the fact that they seem to have ridiculously good aim while blindly shooting a fully automatic machine gun from behind cover, hitting you in the face when you are 500 meters away in a watchtower.

To put it simply, Sniper Elite V2 is a broken game. There are cool ideas in place but the game containing them is a waste of time. The poor game design completely misses the point of a sniper game and manages to make this a painful exercise in patience.

While anyone can pre-order Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] and get a few AR cards, serious Kingdom Hearts aficionados will want to feast their eyes on the game’s Mark of Mastery box set.

Commemorating the franchise’s 10th anniversary, the special edition of the game will come in a snazzy magnetic box and will include a branded clear hard case skin cover and 12 art cards. The game will also come with five AR cards that will unlock creature companions known as Dream Eaters in the game.

The Mark of the Mastery box set is priced at $54.99

Brace yourselves, Halo fans. Microsoft today revealed the contents of Halo 4‘s robust, sleek-looking Limited Edition.

Available for pre-order now, the $99 game package grants players access to nine future DLC multiplayer maps, early access to six Specializations for their Spartan career character, and a UNSC Infinity Briefing pack, which includes some collectible documents and a neat blueprint of the game’s ship.

Players will also gain extra content through Xbox Live including,

• Unique in-game Spartan-IV armor skin
• Unique in-game weapon skin for the Assault Rifle
• An exclusive in-game emblem
• Xbox LIVE Avatar prop
• Xbox LIVE Avatar Spartan-IV armor set

Finally, the Limited Edition will also include lots of exclusive videos and featurettes including an extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. Even the box for the Limited Edition looks like it means business.

During a meeting with the Economic Development Corporation to discuss his studio’s financial situation, Curt Schilling asked the state of Rhode Island for more money.

The meeting was called days after officials were notified that the studio failed to make its latest loan payment of $1.125 million this month. 38 Studios was given a $70 million loan from the state of Rhode Island to move from Massachusetts to Providence.

The EDC took no action on Schilling’s request, nor was the amount he asked for revealed. WPRI reports that the “state is still trying to decide whether it’s worth risking more to help the company.”

Schilling quickly left the meeting this afternoon and simply told reports that his priority was to get back to his team.

If 38 Studios doesn’t receive assistance, Rhode Island taxpayers could face paying back upwards of $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments.

Source: WPRI

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is all about teamwork. The game takes Mickey back to the Wasteland where he discovers that things are not as peaceful as he left them. The game will include new co-op features that will enable two players to venture forth in the Wasteland together. While one player controls Mickey and his magic paintbrush, the other can take on the role of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and use his remote controller to electrocute enemies.

In a new behind the scenes video, Warren Spector and his team discuss the making of The Power of Two and the important role of working together. The video below also showcases the game’s lush updated graphics coming to Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and Wii later this year.

Starting today, players who want to partake in online Mario Kart 7 races need to download the free patch for the game released a couple of days ago on Nintendo’s eShop. The Mario Kart 7 Version 1.1 patch removes three notable shortcut exploits in the Maka Wuhu, Wuhu Loop, and Bowser Castle 1 race tracks when the game is played online. These glitches allow players to skip entire laps or get transported too far ahead, giving them an edge over their competition, forcing many to either join in on the shortcut or wind up in last place.

This update is the first one of its kind Nintendo has rolled out since it announced plans to do so earlier this year. In Japan, the next batch of games to be patched include Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance and New Love Plus. Its latest 3DS firmware update now allows Nintendo to update individual software over the internet, something its competitors have been doing for years.

More bad news for 38 Studios. It seems the studio founded by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling failed to make its latest loan payment of $1.125 million, causing the state of Rhode Island to investigate the studio’s sketchy financial situation, WPRI reports after confirming the news with Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox.

38 Studios was to provide payments to the Economic Development Corporation, but the EDC has now scheduled “an emergency meeting” tomorrow morning to discuss “an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public regarding the 38 Studios LCC financing.”

As was reported earlier, 38 Studios has already used up $49.8 million of the $75 million loan that it was given to move to Rhode Island. Fox didn’t comment on what would be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting, but it’s a safe bet the first thing on everyone’s minds will be how the money will be made up. If the burden falls onto taxpayers, Rhode Island citizens may wind up paying upwards of $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments.

38 Studios has yet to make any statement.

Source: WPRI

Yes, we know Max Payne and Diablo III are out today, but Sega wants you to put down your AK-47 and gaming keyboard for a bit and take a minute to relive your childhood with Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 2, which spindashes its way onto consoles and mobile devices this week.

Sega has been listening to fan feedback following the release of Episode 1, so expect to see some enhanced gameplay features such as two-player co-op, better physics, and the addition of the challenging red rings introduced in Sonic Colors.

Also, those who currently own Episode 1 will be able to replay the original game from the perspective of Metal Sonic and learn more about his backstory and how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 2 is out today on PlayStation and Steam and will be out on Xbox 360 tomorrow. The game will also be available for iOS devices on May 17. Be sure to check out our upcoming review of the game once it posts!

Fans have been waiting over 12 years for the release of Diablo III, and today they finally go their hands on Blizzard’s latest offering. The game not only set a Blizzard pre-order record of 2 million copies and became Amazon’s most pre-ordered PC game of all time, but just last night, over 8,000 midnight launch events were held across the country.

“This launch is a culmination of many years of hard work by our development team, and many years of passionate, dedicated support from gamers around the world,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re grateful for the enthusiasm of our players, and for the help of our beta testers in getting the game ready for release. Now that Diablo III is live, we hope everyone’s ready to have a hellishly good time slaying demons and collecting loot in Sanctuary.”

But before you relish in the hellishly new adventures you’ll be playing through in Diablo III, be aware that the game does come with a few bugs, and one in particular may lock you out of your game.

Here’s a list of the currently known bugs and errors players have experienced in the game and possible solutions. Blizzard is looking into correcting all these errors, but in the meantime, be careful who you trade with!

Error 37
This error indicates that the Diablo III server is full and is likely the result of high login traffic. If you receive this error message, please wait and try again.

Error 3005 and 3006 (time outs)
If you receive either of these messages while playing, please wait and try again.

Error 3006 (affects Demon Hunters)
When playing a Demon Hunter, giving a shield to your Templar before you kill Jondar and hire him can disconnect you from Battle.net and give you an Error 3006. Blizzard is working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and may address it via hotfix.

Error 14009 and 315300
If you are experiencing either of these issues and are using Windows, create a new user account with administration powers (http://www.wintuts.com/Manage-User-Accounts). From there, log into Diablo III.

Grayed-Out Login Button
Please make sure that you are using your Battle.net email address and password to log in to the game. Do not attempt to log in with your BattleTag.

Character Creation Issues
While most of the character creation issues have been resolved, it’s possible that if you attempted to create characters previously and did not log out, you may have actually maxed out your character list with “invisible” characters. If you are still receiving an error creating new characters, log out and log back in and then check your character list.

In conjunction with the release of Max Payne 3 today, Marvel Comics and Rockstar Games have released a brand new comic based on the grizzled detective — and you can get the first issue right now, for free without leaving your favorite chair.

Max Payne: The Fall, written  looks into Max’s troubled past, as well as tells a bit of the story leading up to the new game.

Head over to the official Max Payne webpage to download the first issue now, as well as enter to win a printed copy of the book.

Heroes of Ruin impressed us with its mission-based gameplay at PAX East last month, but the game is also coming with some features that are not too common on the 3DS including voice chat and a fluid drop-in-drop-out campaign mode.

This bustling RPG encourages players to play it with others and will come with daily Spot Pass challenges, Street Pass item trading, and other features that will make you reconsider playing it solo. Check out our preview to learn more about the game and watch the trailer below to see some of these multiplayer features in action.

A local Rhode Island NBC station reported on Monday night that Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios is now facing insolvency issues, just three months after the release of their first major title Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

Back in 2010, 38 Studios moved to Providence from Massachusetts after Rhode Island offered the company a $75 million loan with the hope of bringing 450 employees and tax revenue to the state. WPRI reports that the studio has received $50 million and currently has 288 employees.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has been in talks this past weekend with company executives regarding the future of 38 Studios.

“We’re concerned and just doing everything possible to ensure that 38 Studios stays part of the Rhode Island community,” Governor Chafee told WPRI on Monday night. “We’re working on different issues with them.”

The massive taxpayer-backed loan is actually funding the studio’s “Project Copernicus,” a massively multiplayer online game that is supposed to be released this September. 38 Studios has not announced plans to showcase the game at E3, nor has it planned any booth for the show.

If the former Red Sox pitcher can’t find a way to pay off his studio’s loan, Rhode Island taxpayers could be forced to pay up to $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments, according to bond documents reviewed by WPRI.

Source: WPRI, WPRI

Revealed at last month’s Nintendo Direct webcast, Pokémon AR Searcher, now known officially in the US as Pokémon Dream Radar, will let players use their 3DS cameras to search for Pokémon in the real world. The game is an AR shooter that will also give players access to new Pokémon like the recently revealed Sacred Beast Formes of Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus and transfer them to their games.

Pokédex 3D Pro is another upcoming eShop title that will give 3D owners a full working Pokédex with information on the over 600 species of Pokemon.

These two titles will coincide with the release of Pokémon Black and White Version 2 and be released this fall in the US. Available only on the 3DS, these two titles will give 3DS owners an advantage even though the upcoming Pokémon sequels are actually DS titles. No price was announced, but do recall that the current Pokédex 3D was offered at no cost to 3DS owners when it first launched last year.

Hey look, it’s Halo 4′s box art.  Appreciate it, because a ton of gamers had to work damn hard to get it.

Being the fun loving company that they are, Microsoft sent out a ton of emails to select users titled “Your piece of the Halo Puzzle”, each with a piece of the above image. NEOGAF user spawn031 collected them all and supplied the above image.

Now everyone say thank you.

EA knows watching a football game is a complete sensory experience and hopes to give Madden NFL 13 fans the closest experience possible to attending an NFL game without actually buying a ticket.

In its latest NFL playbook, EA highlights the game’s enhanced audio system including the new commentary team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, the award-winning broadcast duo who have worked together since 2004 as the top team of the NFL on CBS. The two have spent over 82 hours in the recording studio and have created over 9,000 unique lines of in-game dialogue, a majority of which were improvised on the spot.

The game also includes new dynamic sound effects and crowd banter as well as a newly orchestrated theme song by veteran composer Colin O’Malley. You can also check out EA’s website for videos and outtakes from Nantz and Simms’ recording sessions.

Madden NFL 13 hits stores August 28.

Ubisoft may be releasing Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on May 22, but if you’re someone who likes to get to know your characters on a more personal level, even those in FPS titles, you may want to check out Ghost Recon: Alpha, a short film that serves as a prequel to the game.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Alpha is a 25-minute film that follows the game’s four protagonists as they are dropped deep behind enemy lines after an attack on a European city. The plot plays an important role in the game and the film’s soldiers are the four protagonists you’ll play as in the game. There is also a special code in the film that gives access to an exclusive weapon in Future Soldier. The full film can be viewed below.

Made up of former employees from companies such as Harmonix, Irrational Games, and Iron Lore, Eeerie-Canal Entertainment is a Boston-based independent studio whose goal is to make creative and inspired games that are too risky for large studios.

Well into the development of its first title, the team today released the teaser trailer for Dreadline, a game that turns the tables on typical monster huntings and has you controlling a group of creatures that visit humans right before they face certain calamities. The trailer shows off the game’s Titanic level that involves harvesting the luxury liner’s passengers before they face their inevitable doom.

Eerie-Canal plans to release Dreadline on PC. Considering how well versed its employees are at making console titles, let’s hope the team gives us more platform options in the future.

Crystal Dynamics is pushing back the release date of its upcoming Tomb Raider reboot to ensure your next adventure with Lara Croft is perhaps the best one yet.

One of the most common reasons companies delay the launch of their games is for quality purposes. It’s no surprise then, that Darrell Gallagher, Head of Crystal Dynamics, told fans on the Crystal Dynamics forums that their reasoning behind the delay is to ensure they “fully deliver the very highest quality game.”

“When Crystal Dynamics first set out to reboot the Tomb Raider franchise, there were two goals that we were extremely passionate about,” wrote Gallagher. “The first was to create a modern Tomb Raider game that would surprise and excite gamers. The second was to make this the best game of our careers, something we would be really proud to be a part of.

“We’re doing things that are completely new to Tomb Raider in this game and the additional development time will allow us to put the finishing touches into the game and polish it to a level that you deserve. We believe this is the right choice and I guarantee it will be worth the wait. ”

Gallagher also gave us a sneak peek at what we might see at E3 with the inclusion of the above image titled “The Reach.” Last year’s demo showed Lara navigating some underground caverns, so perhaps this year’s playthrough will take her out into the wilderness.

Soure: Crystal Dynamics

Looking to save some cash by picking up Max Payne 3 from a Redbox kiosk when it releases this Tuesday?  Let’s just hope you’re playing on PS3, as the US based rental service has confirmed that they will only be renting out the first disc of the Xbox 360 version, meaning you’ll get half of the single player game and the multiplayer suite.

Redbox corporate policy is to carry only single disc games, but as a spokesperson told the consumerist, they’re taking a different tone with Rockstar’s latest. “Redbox kiosks are only equipped to rent out one disc per rental fee,” the spokesperson said. ”Since customer feedback has told us that many of our game customers like to test out titles before they buy them, we’ve decided to offer Disc 1 of Max Payne 3 for Xbox 360 so that renters can try it out for a low daily rate.”

There is currently no option to rent out disc 2 via the service.

“Disc 1 contains the entire online multiplayer mode and the first half of the extremely substantial single-player game. We think that’s a great deal for just a couple of dollars a day, and we’re excited to offer it! We’ve added a message on the website and on kiosk screens to let renters know about the limited game-playing.”

Would you pay $2 a day for what is essentially a limited demo? Let us know!

Starhawk is one of those games where a lot could have gone wrong. The developers at Lightbox Interactive and Sony Santa Monica were quite ambitious and tried to incorporate a ton of different environments, genres and mechanics — normally a recipe for failure, but not here. Starhawk works — and it works well; even when it shouldn’t.

Dripping with style, Starhawk is an absolute joy to get and cause some chaos with. Of course, it does have its drawbacks like a short campaign and some slight graphical issues, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying one of this year’s first truly great games.

Starhawk places players in the futuristic boots of rifter, Emmet Graves. In the distant future, rifters are humans who scavenge a series of planets, known as The Frontier for a precious yet dangerous resource known as rift energy. Of course, things can’t be that easy — the rifter’s way of life is threatened by the Outcasts, a group of humans mutated by the same rift energy everyone else is searching for.

The first hour or so into Starhawk, I was trying to figure out why the game felt so familiar, then it hit me. I’m this rogue character, scrounging for resources and trying to get myself out of trouble with corporations and enemies, only to jump into my dodgy craft and try to avoid my pursuers in a dog fight — I’m practically Han Solo. I just need a wookie. Starhawk drips with style and the mix of wild west steampunk and space combat is a unique setting that’s incredibly cool and fun to explore.

One of the major reasons Starhawk works so well is just how seamlessly everything blends together. In a typical battle, you’re likely to shoot out a ton of enemies, and then jump into your mech which can instantly transform into a flying ship so you can dogfight in space. This all happens nearly seamlessly, and there’s hardly any slowdown. It becomes incredibly cool and rewarding to move so quickly in between sections of the game. It also makes a good portion of the battles a lot more epic, as you’re often chasing the same group of enemies from land into space.

Starhawk isn’t just another action game though, the game features a number of mechanics from other genres, including strategy and tower defense. The biggest example of this is the game’s structure building system, which plays an integral part in the game’s core structure. You create everything from simple walls, to gates and even entire armories. Once the game tells you how to build them, you’re free to use them practically anyway you want in battle. The best part of all this is that building these structures requires them to fall down from the sky, and it’s an incredibly cool moment when you time it just right and it falls directly onto enemies.

As well animated and voiced as it is, Starhawk’s campaign is simply a primer for the game’s intense 32-person multiplayer suite, and it’s a primer you’re going to want to take. The game’s multiplayer suite requires your knowledge of each of the game’s mechanics to be successful. It may be a bit stressful at first, but the payoff involves some of the coolest moments I’ve had with a game in a long time. There are so many ways to take out your opponents, and games end up getting personal and find you going from ground to space all in search of your rival.

The Blast Factor: There could have been a million ways to screw up Starhawk, but, thankfully, Sony Santa Monica did a great job avoiding many of these pitfalls. What they’ve created is a fun, chaotic mix of genres that’s easy to fall in love with and hard to put down. Starhawk is simply a must own for PS3 owners.

A video game lawsuit filed against Beyoncé has been given the go ahead by Manhattan judge Charles Ramos. The lawsuit, filed by Gate Five Studios last year, claims that the songstress broke her contract and backed out of a $20 million deal for a game called Starpower: Beyoncé after demanding more money.

This forced Gate Five to lay off 70 employees during the busy 2010 holiday season. Beyoncé’s legal team claims that Gate Five did not have enough funding for the game and it was in her rights to abandon the project. Judge Ramos, however, states that Beyoncé simply did not give enough notice.

“You continue to negotiate right up until the time you pull the plug. That is not going to work with me,” Ramos told Beyoncé’s lawyers, according to the New York Post.

Gate Five is hoping to recover $6.7 million in investment capital and over $100 million in potential profits for the game. The lawsuit will head to court later this year.

These claims were filed while Beyoncé was pregnant with her first child Blue Ivy, and this news now comes to the singer during her first Mother’s Day weekend. If Beyoncé had done a little research, she should have just gone ahead with the production of her video game. Dance games actually have a nice niche in the gaming market, and considering her mama’s Beyoncé, I’m sure Blue Ivy would have learned to dance along with the game way before she started walking.

Source: New York Post
Via: Gamasutra

After two years giving its fans things to knock down, Rovio is moving past destruction and focusing on construction in its latest new IP titled Amazing Alex to be released in about two months. The Angry Birds developer is basing its new game on Casey’s Contraptions, an intellectual property Rovio recently purchased.

Casey’s Contraptions, released over a year ago, is a physics-based puzzle game that focuses on building Rube Goldberg-esque machines to collect stars on the screen. Once you are done putting everything together, you can press the play button to see if your machine was a success. While there are no screenshots of Amazing Alex as of yet, we can only assume that much of the game will resemble Casey’s Contraptions but with Rovio’s signature charm. It’s also safe to assume the game will be released on mobile devices.

Rovio has definitely seen success with its Angry Bird franchise. Heck, the games have been downloaded a billion times and the latest Angry Birds in Space hit 10 million downloads in just three days. As news starts trickling in, let’s see if fans will greet Amazing Alex with the same enthusiasm.

Monthly Japanese magazine CoroCoro has leaked some more information about the upcoming Pokémon Black and White 2 games releasing in Japan next month and in the US later this year.

Legendary trio Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus will be joining version mascots Reshiram and Zekrom and receiving new forms. Their original form from Pokémon Black and White will be known as their “Incarnation Forme” while their new ones will be known as their “Sacred Beast Formes.” Of course, these are translations, so their official name could always change. These new forms boost each Pokémon’s stats and change their appearance. Players will be able to unlock them using the Pokémon AR Searcher, a new app that was announced during last month’s Nintendo Direct webcast, making them exclusive to 3DS owners.

Since the games will take place two years after the events of the original, many trainers and characters have acquired new roles. Cheren is now a Normal-type gym leader and Bianca is now Professor Juniper’s assistant. The game will include new gym leaders too, and so far two new gym leaders have been revealed, including the Poison-type user Homika and Water-type user Shizui. Many past trainers from previous Pokémon games will make a return in the game’s new Pokémon World Tournament mode letting you battle favorites like Misty, Brock, and Cynthia. Other confirmed participants include Blaine, Erika, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Blue, Janine, Steven Stone, Volkner, and Lance.

Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the game’s Japanese launch.

Via: Pokebeach