So you’ve got a bit of a dilemma, the Mass Effect 3 demo comes out this coming Tuesday, but that also happens to be Valentines Day, and you’re sweetie may not be too keen on you skipping your scheduled dinner and viewing of The Vow to get a taste of the crew of The Normandy’s finale. What do you do?

If you’re a card carrying member of Facebook (and let’s be honest, who isn’t these days), you can head over to the Mass Effect 3 Facebook page and take part in a flash game — the result, early access to the Mass Effect 3 demo, like instant access.

So boom — you get your first taste of Mass Effect 3, and your girlfriend doesn’t miss out on her Channing Tatum flick. You’re welcome.

The other day we told you about how Minecraft’s creator offered to fund Tim Schafer and Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2. Not to be outdone, the fine gaming folks of the internet have raised over $1 million dollars for a new title by the studio via Kickstarter.

Seriously.

The idea of a completely funded major adventure title completely funded by fan money is a pretty cool and revolutionary idea. Shafer also confirmed that a documentary about the game’s development is also under way.

A runor has been swirling around the internet over the last few weeks that Rocksteady Studios, the makers of both Batman: Arkham Asylum and it’s sequel Arkham City are hard at work on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game.

They’re not.

Rocksteady head Sefton Hill told Kotaku that though the rumor was “amusing” they are not doing a turtles game.

Parents, pay attention. This is what your kids are going to be hounding you for later on this year.

Activision has announced the next line in it’s popular Skylander series of toys/video games — the Giant Skylanders. The new line features sixteen new figures, eight of which will be giant sized, along with a new game. Don’t worry — you won’t need to plop down money for a new Portal, the one you have will work just fine.

Check out the trailer below for your first look at the new figures.

The Salt Lake City Tribune is reporting that Eat Sleep Play co-founder and the man behind such mega hits as God of War and Twisted Metal, David Jaffe will be stepping down and leaving the company following next week’s release of Twisted Metal for the PS3.

The report suggests that Jaffe (UPDATE: jaffe has confirmed he will leave the company) will be staying around for the game’s release, along with a bit of testing and polish, and then will segway into a new position,and a brand new company, which will focus on “big next gen ideas.”

As for Eat Sleep Play, the studio will reportedly transition from console games like Twisted Metal to more casual iPhone and iPad games. “”It’s a platform that is in our pockets almost 24/7. It’s kind of the size and types of games we’re playing,” said other co-founder Scott Campbell to the Salt Lake Trib. “You can certainly reach a lot more people. That’s pretty exciting for us.”

The company has also confirmed that as a result of the move, that they will see a number of layoffs in the near future. Here’s hoping all of those folks land on their feet.

Tim Schafer and Double Fine’s Psychonauts could be the most under-appreciated game in history, so naturally fans are no clamoring for a sequel, but even the most passionate fan doesn’t seem to hold a candle to Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson, who is willing to at least partially fund a possible Psychonauts 2.

Apparently everything started when Schafer gave an interview to Digital Spy, saying that despite the studio’s switch to smaller, digital delivery games like Stacking, Costume Quest and Trenched The Iron Brigade, he would love to do a sequel to Psychonauts…if “a few million dollars would suddenly become available. That’s where Notch has seemingly stepped in. In a tweet directed directly to Schafer, the Minecraft creator said simply; “Let’s make Psychonauts 2 happen.” Notch later sent a follow-up tweet assuring Schafer, and the rest of his followers that he was in fact very serious about the proposition.

Trying…to…keep…fanboy urges…down…

So just what does Schafer think of all this? In typical Schafer fashion,  he played off the rumors to Kotaku. “”I just woke up, is something strange going on?” The developer did take to Twitter to comment on the rumors later in the day — sort of.

“Man, so many tweets,” Schafer tweeted. “I assume this is all people asking for codes toHappy Action Theater and Rise of the Martian Bear?”Oh wait,” he continued. “Hm. This is interesting.

Microsoft and Lucas Arts have announced that Star Wars Kinect, along with the special edition Star Wars Xbox 360 will release on April 3.

The console, along with the game were delayed late last year after the game received majorly negative critical reception. Here’s hoping it’s tuned up from our time with it at last year’s E3.

Depending on what kind of gamer you are, this may sting a bit. It turns out that before Naughty Dog began work on their upcoming end of the world action title, The Last of Us, they were well into development of Jak and Daxter 4, but scrapped plans when things started to feel forced.

“We dug around trying to find the core of Jak and Daxter,” The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann told Game Informer Magazine. “Who are the characters? We had to reboot it essentially. Every time we got excited about an idea we’d take a step back and look at it and be like ‘It’s not Jak and Daxter, are we just slapping the name on it for marketing reasons?’

Druckman went on to add that his computer is currently full of rejected ideas for Jak and Daxter 4.

“It started feeling like a compromise,” Druckmann added. “The more we tried to make Jak and Daxter like we wanted to, it didn’t feel like things were matching up. We have folders and folders filled with scrapped ideas.All the ideas just started to feel like they were going so far away from what made Jak and Daxter Jak and Daxter,” added Evan Wells, co founder of Naughty Dog. “Even though we wanted to give fans another Jak and Daxter, we felt we weren’t going to give them the game that they wanted, and that we would end up either limiting the direction that the company had this passion for while simultaneously not creating the game that fans wanted. We just realized we were going to just do everybody a disservice.”

So does that mean that the series is done?

“Never say never,” he said. “It could happen. Naughty Dog’s got a long history and I think it’s got a long future so to say we’ll never go back is kind of crazy but right now we’ve got The Last of Us that we’re definitely going to be supporting. I guess there’s a possibility that the Uncharted team could move on to Jak and Daxter. It’s still up in the air, but I wouldn’t think that’s going to happen, because I think we’d run into all of the same problems with that team that we did with this team.”

Those looking for some (semi) new Jak and Daxter action will want to pick up the HD collection, when it releases February 7. Check back later for our full review.

Former Infinity Ward members Jason West and Vince Zampella formed Respawn Entertainment back in 2010 after a nasty and very public split from Activision. Now, nearly two years later, all we’ve seen from the new company’s first game was a set of blurry images, and an announcement that the game would in fact be multiplatform, but we may finally be getting a possible release window.

According to a reportedly leaked  marketing EA calendar and posted by French site Hardgamers, the publisher expects the company’s first game to hit sometime in the year 2013.  EA hasn’t commented on the rumor, we’ve reached out them and Respawn, but don’t expect comment.

Throughout my years working in the game industry, I’ve come to know a few gaming testers. You know what they do? Work long hours on single sections of games to find even the smallest bugs in your favorite games. You know what they don’t do? Get cockroaches dumped over their heads. But eh — maybe Sony is changing their interviewing processes.  Check out the Tester: Season 3 when it premieres on all of your favorite PlayStation branded devices to see who does gross stuff the best to get a job testing games.

 http://youtu.be/413N_FTYWxI

When Alan Wake’s American Nightmare hits Xbox Live Arcade later this month as part of Microsoft’s Xbox Live House Party, you won’t be visiting the same old woodsy locations. Rather, the folks at Remedy have taken everyone’s favorite darkness fighting author and put him into a haunted desert location. Check out these new screen shots to see check out some of the game’s new locations, weapons and enemies.

It should come as no surprise to regular readers of Blast that I’m openly waiting with childish anticipation for Valve to even mention the words Half, Life and the number 3 in the same sentence, but they just don’t seem to be ready to spill the beans. When protests, mailings and sluething don’t work? What’s an anxious gamer to do? Well, apparently play the latest game in the series.

A group calling themselves “A Call for Communication” has organized a massive event, where over 30,000 people have pledged to sit down and play Half-Life 2 — all in an effort to get more communication from Valve. “We have decided to gain Valve’s attention by delivering a basic message: Your oldest and longest running fanbase would like better communication,” said one posting.

The event happens this Sunday from 11am-11:30Am PST. Now that’s my kind of protesting.

Here’s a cool video showing how Naughty Dog, the studio behind Uncharted made the debut trailer for their newly revealed PS3 survival game, The Last of Us.

The game is rumored to ship later this year. Fingers crossed.

If there’s one thing Capcom loves..it’s crossovers, and this could be the strangest yet. Take a look at the trailer above, announcing some of the PS3′s exclusive content for the upcoming fighter Street Fighter X Tekken. Yep, that’s Pac-Man and the oddest choice of a Mega Man — the original box art Mega Man. Yup, the fat one.

During the build up to last year’s E3 in June, everyone wanted to know about the new Nintendo console. What would it do? What would it look like? What would it be called? Then we got our look at it. The Wii U.

Meh.

While the system itself was cool, if not gimmicky (read our hands on preview from the show here), but pretty much everything agreed that the name needed to be changed, and it looks like Nintendo may actually be looking at that possibility.

The rumor suggests that Nintendo is worried that the Wii U name would confuse potential customers in the same way that the 3DS did. Apparently some people weren’t sure just what the 3DS was. Word is we could get a new name by this year’s E3.

The often rumored but not yet confirmed next generation Xbox is being said to be more than six times more powerful than the Xbox 360 and reportedly will finally play Blurays — but that’s not the big news. According to a report on Kotaku, the new console could prohibit used games from being played on it.

Citing an unnamed source, the site doesn’t say how the proposed technology could be implemented, but does theorize that the most probable solution would be to link each copy of a specific game with a unique code (similar to the current online pass system), though that can easily be bypassed by keeping the console offline.  Taking such a strong stance on used game sales would make publishers, who see no revenue from second hand sales, but may not sit well with retailers like GameStop or consumers.

Another rumor suggests that the next Xbox console will ship with a brand new version of the Kinect peripheral, complete with an onboard processor.

There’s been no confirmation when we’ll see the new Xbox, but rumors suggest some sort of unveiling to happen during this year’s E3 in June.

NEWTON — A Newton North High School student has designed a new iPhone game that is garnering a lot of attention in the mobile gaming community.

Indie developer Eli Bock is the creator of Space Kiwi. His company, ORRO Apps, is marketing the game on the App Store.

At 16 years old the Newton North sophomore has accomplished what many adults are still striving to do, starting his own business and being recognized for his work by large corporations.

“I figured the App Store could use a family friendly, gender neutral game,” Bock said. “I think this game is really accessible to the casual player. You can just pick it up and play.”

The game came out in December, and Bock said he was excited that smartphone users around the world would be using his creation.

Space Kiwi is an arcade-themed title that’s all about quick reactions and high strategy. Players embark on a journey with the little bird Space Kiwi to save planet Earth from the menacing Moon Men invasion. The Space Kiwi battles through six different zones featuring challenges in the air, sea, land and space during its counterstrike.

There are a total of 60 levels to brave through, with each one becoming more challenging as the player advances. Also, 28 different enemies with all kinds of super powers attempt to thwart the Space Kiwi’s efforts which makes for an unpredictable experience. As players take down the monsters they earn points and level ratings.

But on your way to the moon you cannot forget to collect as many coins as your Space Kiwi can snag to rack up high scores.

There are a lot of levels and challenges but Bock ensures that this game is user friendly. Gamers just have to tilt their smartphone to navigate the Space Kiwi to victory and tap the screen to shoot down enemies.

What really makes this new app stand out from the rest is the characters. It is the first game app for the iPhone to have characters with fully animated features. All of these features were conceptualized and drawn by Bock himself. His interest in animation stemmed from an early age.

“I’ve always been interested in drawing. It started out with drawing then moved on to comic books then games to get the most interactive experience possible,” says Bock.

Because of the creation of his new game Bock founded his company ORRO Apps. He now has many more opportunities ahead of him with the launch of his company.

Bock wanted to incorporate his ideas mainly because he felt it was a more professional approach. Also ORRO is a label he can put on his apps that people will recognize in the future. This label will appear every time a player boots up Space Kiwi.

Since the success of Space Kiwi, Bock plans on continuing to design more apps. As of right now the indie developer says he is juggling six or seven ideas but has to choose the right one to be his next his project.

Bock is already being recognized locally and he says some of his teachers have even bought his app. With the success of Space Kiwi still going strong one can expect many more great ideas from this young innovator.

Here’s your first look at MLB 12: The Show, courtesy of our friends over at IGN. Featuring new broadcast style presentation and move controls, MLB 12: The Show hits the PS3 on March 6.

For those of you who are on Call of Duty: Elite, your first care package arrives today in the form of the first map pack. Included in the pack are…you know what, just watch the video above, it includes Rob Riggle of the Daily Show.

A new report on Inside Mobile Apps reports that Microsoft may be looking to phase out its Microsoft Point system that it has used since the inception of the Xbox Live Marketplace in favor of real world money, a move that would effect not only Xbox Live, but the Zune Marketplace, and Windows Phone users as well.

Citing memos sent to company partners, the site claims that Microsoft has reportedly been warning said partners to get ready for the change by the end of 2012. Given the recent rash of Xbox Live Point thefts and phishing scams, one has to wonder whether security is a main reason for the possible change.

If you’re like us, you began to worry about the upcoming X-COM first person shooter when it was delayed; and then delayed again…for a year. Then things got bad when you heard that THQ would also be releasing a more traditional turn based game based on the franchise. Don’t worry, X-COM fans, we’re not alone, even the franchise creator Julian Gollop thinks things are looking fishy.

“When from out of the blue we heard that Firaxis are doing a turn-based version, it’s as if 2K are trying to cover all their bets,” Gallop said in a recent interview with Edge Magazine. Adding that most game companies view the turn based genre as one not worth their time,  Gallop questioned how much the new title will innovate.”I’m guessing it isn’t a hugely big-budget title, so I think they’ll be sticking to fairly safe ground. I don’t think there will be any technical innovations in their game engine,” he said. Gallop also offered some advice for the developers of the game…sort of, adding that it could use ”procedurally generated environments, a more sophisticated destruction model for the terrain,” and more advanced AI but “I suspect they’re probably not going down that route, judging by the screenshots.”

“I thought it was a great shame because it was going down the same route as some of the previous X-COM sequels, like Interceptor and Enforcer—in other words, going completely against turn-based combat,” he said. Those two games were critically panned for shallow gameplay and, in Interceptor‘s case, campy themes that marked a huge departure from the X-COM canon that has acquired such a devoted following.”

Blast was able to sit in on a closed door demonstration of X-COM during last year’s E3, and liked what we saw, but we didn’t play it, so who knows.

Lashing out in response to sharing service Megaupload being taken offline and its founder jailed, hacking activist group Anonymous took down websites for Universal Music and CBS.com. One rumor suggests that Xbox.com and Xbox Live could be next.

The group sent out a video earlier this week claiming that if the MegaUpload services were not restored within 72-hours, they would begin targeting such sites as Capital One, The United Nations, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. There are rumors that the video was merely an empty threat posted by either smaller members of the organization or someone not even affiliated with them.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Anonymous allegedly took down a gaming service. Though they denied any involvement, the group was credited with taking down the PlayStation Network, taking the service offline for 23-days in response to Sony taking legal action against a hacker who “jailbroke” his PS3 system.

It’s unclear whether the Xbox Network is a verified target of the group, or which of the services would be effected.

If a new posting on Xbox.com is to be believed, the newly announced Resident Evil 6 may be amping up its online suite to feature six player online co-op.

The listing, for whatever its worth also features a wrong release date (the game is confirmed to release on November 20 of this year) says that the game will feature 1-2 player offline co-op and 2-6 player online co-op. This wouldn’t be the first time the series would feature online co-op — the last game in the main series, Resident Evil 5 featured two player co-op while the upcoming Resident Evil: Raccoon City will feature four player co-op.

No word on whether the six player co-op will be story based or a new cooperative mode. We’ve reached out to Capcom for comment and will update this page if we hear back.

AbleGamers, the advocacy publication for disabled video game enthusiasts has named Star Wars: The Old Republic as its mainstream Game of the Year, meaning that it’s the most widely released title that is also widely accessible and accommodating for gamers with different needs to experience full gameplay.

The publication cited The Old Republic for ”many accessibility options such as full subtitles, queue-able actions, multiple action bars, area looting, auto looting, and built-in mouse sensitivity.”  The color-blind friendly mini map, and full keyboard and mouse functionality also received mentions.  Perhaps most interesting is what the publication calls the unintentional accessibility by the NPCs. ”These NPC characters which accompany the player through most of the game provide support to those who need it without forcing them to request help from other players,” AbleGamers wrote

Past honorees for the award include Forza Motorsport 3 and Dragon Age.

Valve is pretty well known for trolling its own fans, especially when it comes to the often rumored and long waited Half Life 3 or Half Life 2:Episode 3. Could this be the ultimate trolling?

Probably not.

Spotted on Reddit by Kotaku, this Onion Ring bears a design strikingly similar to the logo of Valve’s famed shooter. Is it some sort of sign that we’re finally getting Episode 3? Who knows, but I bet it’s delicious.

Get your clown masks ready and jump in your ice cream truck — Twisted Metal has gone gold and is ready for you to finally get your hands on it.

Twisted Metal releases exclusively for the PS3 on Valentines Day. Be sure to check back for Blast’s official review.

Hey, remember Freddy Prinze Jr.? He was that guy in that thing once. You know, that 90s teen movie.

Bioware and EA have announced that actor and screenwriter Freddy Prinze Jr. will be lending his voice to the newly announced James Vega in the upcoming Mass Effect 3.

The studio also announced that for the first time in the series, players will venture to Mars. It’s rumored that when players get to the red planet, they’ll be reunited with returning character Liara.

“Maybe there’s something there,” said Bioware lead writer Mac Walters when referring to Mars and the Prothean Archive. “The Protheans came very close to defeating the Reapers…unfortunately the Illusive Man [and] Cerberus are there ahead of you.”

It was also earlier in the week that a playable multiplayer and single player demo will hit Xbox Live and the Playstation Network on Valentines day, ahead of the game’s March 6 release date.

Bill Gates isn’t going to send you a large chunk of cash for forwarding you an e-mail, a Nigerian Prince doesn’t want to give you his inheritance and no, you’re not going to be one of the first to play a beta version of Halo 4. Sorry, those sign ups that are being e-mailed around are fake.

David Ellis of 343 Industries, the studio behind Halo 4 took to Twitter to warn that any site or e-mail offering access to a beta for game is not to be trusted.

Microsoft has yet to announce any Beta plans for Halo 4, but that’s not to say that there won’t be one. Both Halo 3 and Halo: Reach had betas,so the safe money is on an eventual beta, just don’t give your info to anyone just yet.

EA’s stock prices appear to be in a bit of trouble, and it’s reportedly due in large part to the performance of EA’s long anticipated MMORPG Star Wars: The Old republic.

The company’s shares fell almost 3% to $17.75 after stock analyst Todd Mitchell, working with  Brean Murray Carret & Co, released a briefing on the company’s performance, citing an unimpressive December 20 launch of the mega MMO. ”Initial sales appear to be below expectations, and casual observation of early play is causing us to rethink our assumptions,” Murray said in a note to his clients.

EA has announced that Klei’s Shank 2, the sequel to the highly acclaimed and stylish 2D side scrolling beat-em-up will release on PC and the PlayStation Network February 7 and will hit Xbox Live the next day.

Of course, we’ll have the full review for you here at Blast.

Ken Levine thinks you’re a pussy. Well…sort of. He thinks your games are too easy, and as a result, he’s giving Bioshock Infinite a much harder, much more unforgiving mode when it releases later this year.

1999 mode, named after a time when Levine says games were much more challenging and is designed to offer challenges to the players that the average campaign wouldn’t.

“We want to give our oldest and most committed fans an option to go back to our roots,” said Ken Levine, Creative Director of Irrational Games. “In 1999 Mode, gamers face more of the permanent consequences of their gameplay decisions. In BioShock Infinite, gamers will have to sweat out the results of their actions. In addition, 1999 Mode will demand that players pick specializations, and focus on them.”

So just how hard is 1999 mode? Players will have to take a more demanding look at things like in game choices, health and weaponry. Players will also not be able to respawn if they do not have sufficient resources to do so.

“I’m an old school gamer. We wanted to make sure we were taking into account the play styles of gamers like me,” Levine said. “So we went straight to the horse’s mouth by asking them, on our website, a series of questions about how they play our games. 94.6 percent of respondents indicated that upgrade choices enhanced their BioShock gameplay experience; however, 56.8 percent indicated that being required to make permanent decisions about their character would have made the game even better.”

THQ has announced that Bioshock Infinite will release sometime in the fiscal 2013, which kicks off this April.

It may not come as much of a surprise, but Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil 6 is in development — and its scheduled to release this November.

The announcement came when a teaser countdown at NoHopeleft.com ran out, announcing the latest entry in the long running action/survival horror franchise.  The game casts players in the shoes of the franchises’ two biggest names – Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield for the first time.

“Resident Evil 6 represents a giant stride forward in the evolution of the series,” commented Katsuhiko Ichii, Head of R&D and Global Marketing via official press release. “The development team, led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, is working tirelessly to deliver the most impressive Resident Evil title ever both in terms of scope and production values. We are all genuinely excited by the title and cannot wait to share it with the world.”

Resident Evil 6 releases for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 20 and the PC soon after.

Google and The Onlive company have jointly announced that all future Google TVs will feature access to the Onlive cloud gaming service.

Full playability of the Onlive service, which offers cloud based, streaming gaming with no downloads is coming soon to all versions of the popular TV service, but the viewer, which allows unlimited viewing of games being played on the service is available now.

Google has been rumored to be getting into the gaming industry for years, and this is the latest step towards what many believe will be a proper Google console. Google announced late last year that several third party developers were porting popular titles like Bastion and Mini Ninjas to the Google Chrome Web Broswer.

Sega has announced that its futuristic shooter Binary Domain won’t be making its scheduled late January release date. The game will now release on February 28 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Binary Domain takes players to the near future, where robots have become slaves to human kind, and rebel against their masters. It’s also not Terminator. Nope, definitely not Termiantor.

Look, I love Skyrim as much as the next guy, but there’s no denying it would be better with a bit of madness. In the above video, a modder replaced the dragon in the game with a weird half-dragon, half Macho Man Randy Savage creature. Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds, and its good to know that the former World Champion is gone but not forgotten.

The above photo is of an apparent promotional sign spotted at a Best Buy in Rochester, MN touting the highly anticipated release of Blizzard’s Diablo III on February 1 of this year. A matter of weeks.

Several readers have pointed out that the sign features misspellings (the game apparently comes out in Febuary and not February) and the font seems off, point to an apparent photoshop. However, Joystiq, the site which originally ran the photo has called the store in questioned and verified that yes — the display is up.

Best Buy’s website also lists the game as being available on February 1, though Blizzard has not commented or set a date for the game. We’ll update this page when we hear more.

It may not have been the best kept secret in the world, but Warner Bros has officially confirmed Lego Batman 2, and yes — it’ll feature some of DC’s other heroes.

Outed earlier last year by promotional materials, Lego Batman 2 will see the cubed, knight teaming up with The Man of Steel to stop the Joker and Lex Luthor from wrecking havoc in Gotham City. Other DC characters are expected to appear, Robin, Wonder Woman and The Green Lantern have already been confirmed.

The game is scheduled to be released this summer, let’s hope this is the Lego game we finally get online co-op in.

In an interview with Wired, Activision’s Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg described the company’s new aggressive DLC and update strategy for its Call of Duty franchise. Describing the million dollar shooter series as a much more “persistent franchise” than in recent years, Hirshberg talked about the publisher’s plan to deliver much more frequent DLC throughout the year.

“The idea behind giving people constant incremental, playable content and making it so you’re never more than a few weeks away from the next new experience within the Call of Duty universe is part of what we’re experimenting with,” Hirshberg told Wired. “This franchise doesn’t really behave like most franchises. It’s become something of a year-round activity for a large percent of our player population.”

What Hirshberg didn’t go into was just how the company plans on achieving this strategy. Will we see more DLC and map packs throughout the year? The safe money is on seeing the same amount of map packs and DLC in between smaller updates and tweaks to modes like Spec Ops.

Phew. What a year for games 2011 was? We saw blockbusters, major disappointments and even a few surprises. We got our PSN’s shut off and a new Xbox Live Dashboard — which may or may not be the best/worst thing ever.  Here’s what we, at Blast Games think was the best of a packed year. Agree? Disagree? let us know! Oh, and just a note, we decided to keep things fair, we would limit the platform specific awards to games that were actually exclusive to that platform — unless of course a game was incredibly better for one platform than the others.

Game of the Year

Nominees: The Elderscrolls V: Skyrim, Portal 2, Uncharted 3, Batman: Arkham City, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Winner: Portal 2

In a year of amazing games, Portal 2 stood out from the rest. It made us laugh, amazed us, and even brought a tear to our eyes. Valve’s followup to it’s critically acclaimed and cult favorite original puzzler was not only better than the original —  it eclipsed it. The writing? Superb. The voice acting? Unparalleled. Oh, and the gameplay? Portal 2 straddles the line between accessible and infuriatingly difficult.

Perhaps what makes Portal 2 so great can best be summed up by Matthew Root’s review, saying “Portal 2 is, simply put, an amazing game. The new gameplay mechanics make for even more incredible puzzle solving; the sense of scale is astounding; and the twisted, dark sense of humor remains hilarious.Buy it without hesitation, play it, and then share it with friends who don’t play games so they can see what they’re missing out on.”

Xbox 360 Game of the Year

Nominees: Gears of War 3, Forza: Motorsport 4, Once Upon a Monster, Bastion

Winner: Gears of War 3

With Gears of War 3, Epic Games has taken the formula set by the first two games and tweaked it ever so much to create the perfect finale for their long running series. Everything you love is here, the chainsaw lancers, the grubs, the brumaks, but there’s also so much more.  The characters are deeper, the story is more engaging and the entire experience is deeply satisfying. Gears of War 3 is undoubtedly Microsoft’s biggest release of the year, and it’s also the best; one that if you own an Xbox – you simply have to experience.

Gears of War 3 is easily the best game in the franchise, and it makes its case for best Xbox 360 game period. It’s a deeply satisfying and at times touching game that takes the formula set forth by the previous iterations and tweaks it in just the right places to make an incredible gaming experience.

PS3 Game of the Year

Nominees: Infamous 2, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, Uncharted 3

Winner: Uncharted 3

I play most games in a predictable fashion. I sit down, play for a few hours and then I walk away. I do anything else. I let the game brew in my head. With Uncharted 3, I couldn’t do that, every time I tried to walk away, I was pulled back. I needed to know what happens next; and that my friends is the mark of a truly excellent game. Uncharted 3 is sure to wow you with its fantastic presentation, thrilling gameplay and all around complete package. This is a game that I can’t recommend enough, and your PS3 library is not complete without it.

Perhaps what makes the game so incredibly riveting to watch is just how well every part of the game works in unison. The story features absolutely brilliant pacing that rivals that of Hollywood movies, and the top notch voice acting combined with the stunning score and remarkable visuals makes for a great experience. With Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog has cemented their reputation as one of the best storytellers in not just the industry, but all of popular culture.  It’s seen in the relationship reveals, the stunning plot twists that make you rethink the entire strategy, and perhaps most importantly, the game’s feeling of resonance players are sure to have each time they step away.

Wii Game of the Year 

Nominees: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Fortune Street, Kirby

There weren’t a ton of AAA games for the Wii this year, but there was one that changed everything. One that represented what motion control can do and gave a long established franchise a brand new identity.

When Nintendo introduced the Wii, and motion control to the world, it made some hefty promises. Now, nearly six years later, with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, those promises have been delivered on.  This isn’t just the best Zelda game or the best Wii game, it’s also the first game that makes motion controls make sense. With its incredible production values, new gameplay ideas and most importantly heart, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is simply one of the best games I’ve ever played.

It’s only fitting then that after 25 years and a lot of gaming, I’ve finally got that same feeling back – and it’s another Zelda game.  With incredible production values, bold new mechanics and a wonderous sense of exploration; The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword feels an awful lot like falling in love with gaming again. Each time I booted it up, I found something new that I made it not only the best Wii title or the best motion controlled game but the best Zelda in franchise history – and that’s truly saying something.

When Nintendo introduced the Wii, and motion control to the world, it made some hefty promises. Now, nearly six years later, with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, those promises have been delivered on.  This isn’t just the best Zelda game or the best Wii game, it’s also the first game that makes motion controls make sense. With its incredible production values, new gameplay ideas and most importantly heart, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is simply one of the best games I’ve ever played.

Best Art Direction/Visuals

Nominees: Skyward Sword, Skyrim, Uncharted 3, Batman: Arkham City, Rayman Origins

Winner: Rayman Origins

In a day of computer generated graphics, pixels and rendering,Rayman Origins stands out for its hand drawn animation, charming visuals and fun and original score. It may sound cliche, but they simply just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Rayman drips with charm and color. Each of the game’s worlds features remarkable hand drawn animation that literally pops off the 2D canvas. The detail in the levels are absurdly well done, and shows a remarkably varied palate. In one level for instance, you’re gliding through waterspouts in lush jungles, then the next you’re in a fiery volcanic level – -and each of them looks remarkably stunning. The game’s score is also remarkably well done, as I would do certain things in the game just to hear some of the game’s sound effects. It harkens back to a time that’s long gone bye in gaming, and perhaps most importantly, it’s packed with content.

Best Sound

Nominees: Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3, Skyward Sword, Skyrim, Bastion

Winner: Batman: Arkham City

This could have been the toughest category of the year, but we just couldn’t get past how well done Arkham City’s score and voice acting really is. Sure, you can say that there’s a bit too much Nolan North, but every character, whether it be major, supporting, or just background is voiced so superbly. The work by Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill..and yes, even Nolan North stands out as not only believable, but unforgetable.

What sealed Arkham city’s win? The joker infused symphony that plays while you hunt down thugs in the Steel Mill.

Biggest Disappointment

Nominees: Duke Nukem Forever, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, X-men Destiny

Winner: Duke Nukem Forever

How could it not be?

Right from the get-go, Duke Nukem Forever looks ages behind most modern day shooters. Textures are messy and undetailed, there’s a ton of slowdown and screen tearing and the entire game just looks unpolished.Character models look robotic and outdated as well. Okay, I get it, Gearbox wanted to keep the spirit of the original game intact, they wanted it to look like it’s still from that era of gaming, but they better hope that the rest of the world, and not just the gaming public is in on the joke, and are willing to pay $60 for a game that looks like it’s decades old.

Of course, the appeal of Duke Nukem has always been it’s take no prisoners in your face adult humor. It’s here (the first  two minutes feature quicktime events of the game’s protagonist peeing and then ability to pick up poop and throw it), but unfortunately it too feels dated. Remember movies like Team America: World Police and the famous political scandals of the 90s? Because Duke Nukem and Gearbox sure do.

Most Anticipated Game

Nominees: Diablo III, Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite

Winner: Bioshock Infinite

Looking back at 2011, one event sticks out, seeing the behind closed doors demo of Bioshock Infinite. I wrote the following words in my notebook regarding what I saw : “Amazing, outstanding, complelling…HOLY SHIT.”

Yes, Diablo III and Mass Effect 3 are going to be amazing, but every time we see more of the game, the wait until it comes out (no date has been announced, so it’s even worse) seems longer. With Bioshock Infinite, Ken Levine and Irrational Games are not only looking to redefine the series, but create their own revolution in the process.

We can’t wait to actually get out hands on it.

There’s a natural order to most things. Take buying stuff online. You place your order, your money and the product gets shipped to you. Except, that’s not what happened when one man ordered controllers from the makers of The Avenger controller, and his situation with what could be the worst Public Relations agent in not just all of gaming but the world has become internet legend over night. Dave shared the conversation below to a number of sites including Blast, and it’s amazing how far it goes and so fast.

Our story picks up with Dave questioning Paul Christoforo, a PR rep from Ocean Marketing whether the product he ordered would be available before the Christmas Holiday as promised, look for our comments in italics throughout the conversation.

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 16, 2011, at 1:34 PM

I ordered 2 of the upcoming PS3 controllers (invoice xxxxxxxxx—Nov 3, 2011). Any chance of getting an update of when these items will ship? I’m not really happy about being forced to pay upfront then have the advertised date of “Early December” be completely missed without any sort of update on availability. I really need one of them for a X-mas present as well. Anyways, looking forward to finally using one of these bad boys. Thanks and happy holidays.

-Dave

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 16, 2011 2:45 PM

Dec 17

- Paul Christoforo

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 19, 2011, at 11:02 AM

Thanks for the reply Paul.  Can you clarify whether my particular order already sent or if Dec 17 was the first day shipments went out?  I have not received any sort of shipping confirmation email or tracking information.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 19, 2011 11:21 AM

They still haven’t shipped yet on the way here from china

Blast: We’d just like to point out that we deal with a ton of gaming PR Reps on a daily basis, and if they had the grammar and spelling of this guy — we’d probably just end the conversation.

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 20, 2011 4:29 PM

So then delivery to customer doors by December 24th is no longer likely correct?  Do you have an estimated date of when units will arrive in California? Thanks.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 20, 2011 5:11 PM

They are in the USA now in customs so its wither before or after Christmas.

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011, at 9:47 AM

I noticed the updated info on the webpage, and I don’t understand why there is absolutely no benefit given to those like me who have already ordered, and paid their money.  You’ve had my money interest free for nearly two months, yet now ANY new order will get $10 off….meaning I should just cancel my order for 2 controllers, get my money back, then re-order.

My other questions is regarding item compatibility.  Ocean Marketing seems to be involved with the Xtendplay controller holder, so I was wondering if the Avenger N-Controller can be used in conjunction with the Xtendplay (for both Xbox and PS3)?  Thanks

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 26, 2011 10:14 AM

Yes it can be used with xtend play if you remove the stand and no one is allowed to cancel and re order if we catch anyone doing it we will simply just cancel your order all together and you can buy it retail somewhere else.

Things happen in manufacturing if your unhappy you have 7 days from the day your item ships for a refund. You placed a pre order just like any software title the gets a date moved due to the tweaks and bugs not being worked out and GameStop or any other place holds your cash and im sure you don’t complain to activision or epic games so put on your big boy hat and wait it out like everyone else. The benefit is a token of our appreaciation for everyone no one is special including you or any first time buyer . Feel free to cancel we need the units were back ordered 11,000 units so your 2 will be gone fast. Maybe I’ll put them on eBay for 150.00 myself. Have a good day Dan.

Blast: And this is where things start to get ugly

From: Dave 

To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 12:11 PM

Then cancel my order if you want to.  I’m making a legitimate complaint about your poor communication and you’re the one stooping to childish levels, a patronizing attitude, and threats.  Hell you can’t even get the spelling of my name right.

And Gamespot pre-orders…wow what a terrible comparison.  Retailers take a couple dollars IF THAT for you to guarantee your game availability on the release date, whatever that is. That’s the understanding and that’s what you get.  Plus, I don’t have to complain to Activision or Epic games about these issues because they’re usually not missing the street dates for their AAA titles.

Now let’s take YOUR situation:
1) You’ve promised a new product based off the design for an existing, working product
2) For the longest time, you’ve stated on your website (your failure to update regularly is another issue) the initial/special/limited batch of your new product by early December, obviously in time for the all-important holiday gift-giving season.  I and thousands of other customers GIVE YOU OUR MONEY, INTEREST FREE on the promises you made online.
3) I reach out to you, on Dec 16 (AFTER you have FAILED TO MEET YOUR ADVERTISED DEADLINE AND FAILED TO COMMUNICATE TO ANYONE WHAT THE SITUATION IS) obviously a little frustrated but more curious about when I and other customers can expect the product we paid for.
4) Your reply to me is a cryptic “Dec 17” with absolutely no explanation of what that means.  In the mean time you having been using funds from pre-paid customers to complete Research & Development, product redesigns, and manufacturing mis-steps.
5) You force me to follow-up with an email asking for clarification about what “Dec 17” means since the day has passed and I have yet to receive any new information about my order.  Now you instead of ANSWERING MY QUESTION OF WHAT THE NEW DELIVERY DATE IS, you tell me the goods have yet to leave China…  Why are you telling me this?  I’m not your employee I’m your goddamn customer!  TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF MY TIME AND WHEN I CAN EXPECT MY PRODUCT I PAID FOR.
6) So great…I have to email you AGAIN trying to get a CLEAR answer from you whether a Dec 24th delivery date is possible and if not, what the new date is.  Rinse & repeat: You give me an update of the delivery process (wow, thanks…you haven’t told me anything I don’t know about the order of international shipping procedures) but instead say “…so its wither before or after Christmas.”  WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?  GIVE ME A DATE!?  One that you’re actually going to follow, because I already see “late Nov to early Dec”;  “Dec 17”; and now “CHRISTMAS” in my rear-view mirror.
7) So I guess what’s left for me to do but just wait?  Oh but what’s this, you’ve updated your website…Ok at least you’ve clarified the dates more, I can expect my controller my latest first week of January.  But now as a “token of our appreciation” to all your “loyal customers” (you mean like customers who put up cash for you hold an use?) you’re giving a $10 coupon.  Let me get this straight…so you held my money interest free for 2 months to help bring this product to market, and now some new customer can place an order and pay $10 less than what I paid?  You have financially penalized me in two ways for being a “LOYAL CUSTOMER.”

I’m SURE you’re getting tons of other inquiries and I’m sure you’re not enjoying the fact that your product is not out when you wanted it to be.  I and everyone else understands that “sh*t happens,” but if you want us to be understanding of that, then you need to keep us in the loop.  You’ve already set yourself up for failure by making explicit promises that aren’t even “likely” given that the design and manufacturing are still be refined.  Then you make sure you’re going to fail by actually taking all of our money, Not just a little bit….THE WHOLE F*CKIN BEEFALO.  Why wouldn’t we trust that you’re going to deliver our merchandise on time?  Besides…it’s based off an existing product so how hard can it be?  Well as your youtube video shows, making any consumer device is hard and requires many iterations and improvements.  But I’m not going to apologize for holding your feet to the fire.  You created these expectations by acting like the release was already a done deal and by hiding the fact that it was faaaar from it.

I want my two n-controllers.  I 1) PAID FOR THEM   2) WAITED   3) DEALT WITH YOUR UNHELPFUL ASS.  I also didn’t want to feel like my trust and loyalty as a customer was being abused and then actually punished in comparison to other customers.  But I guess we can’t have it all… so right now I’ll settle for getting my merchandise and hopefully never having to deal with you again.  I’ve spent enough time writing this email which I hope you gain some insight from.  If you actually do want to screw me over by not fulfilling my order, then I assure you be hearing more from me or people representing me.

You show a surprising lack of business polish for someone who’s quite established, AND an lack of awareness of your customer base: Hardcore gamers.  We’re a demanding, vocal customer but the flip side is we’re loyal and eager to spend.  It’s lucky for you that I really want this product because it seems really deliver on making the gaming experience more effective and enjoyable.  Hell, I want to combine the aventer-controller with the xtend play to make the ugliest, most comfortable, most awesome controller ever.  And I’ll still buy the xtend, so let that be a testament to your products, the rise above your poor representation.

-DAVE with a V

p.s. You look really douchy be having one youtube video complaining about the noise of traffic next to your home and then another video showing off your obnoxiously loud rice rocket (which is nice, I gotta hand it ya).

p.p.s. Welcome to the internet, bitch.  That’s how I roll.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 26, 2011 2:19 PM

LOL Thanks for the Free PR I know the Editor N Chief of Kotaku , IGN , Engadget I’ll be meeting them at CES .The noise complaint was for people high up on the food chain in a corporate world of real estate you have no clue about.  Thanks for the Rice Rocket Compliment too love me some motorcycle . Send that over to Engadget you look like a complete moron swearing and sending your customer service complaints to a magazine as if they will post it or even pay attention do you think you’re the first or the last what are they going to do demand us to tell you were your shipment is or ask for a refund on your behalf … Really … Welcome to the Internet ? Son Im 38 I wwebsite as on the internet when you were a sperm in your daddys balls and before it was the internet, thanks for the welcome to message wurd up.  Grow up you look like a complete child bro. I Don’t have my controller so im gonna cry to the world … Really ?? Hey take that free time and do something more productive. All you had to do was check the like everyone else , people have inquired but you’re the douchiest of them all J

To all our pre-order customers looking for information on the status of their orders after a busy couple of months The PS3 Avengers are on their way from our Manufacturing plant overseas. We are aware that everyone is anticipating having their Avengers under their Christmas Tree and were doing our best to get these orders shipped out as fast as possible. We appreciate you as loyal customers and for supporting our company. Customers will start receiving their products this week before Christmas and After Christmas and into the New Year. As a token of our appreciation we are offering all our pre-order customers and new customers 10$ off your next order with us just enter Avenger1001 at Checkout. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Oh and FYI When a street date gets pushed by a publisher on a video game you pre ordered do you cry to them too ?

You just got told bitch … welcome to the real internet check kotaku in 2 weeks when they are reviewing free PS3 Avengers we send them as well as G4 and all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way you think you speak for billions son your just a kid you speak for yourself no one cares what you think that’s why were growing and moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month. We do value our customers but sometimes we get children like you we just have to put you in the corner with your im stupid hat on. See you at CES , E3 , Pax East ….? Oh wait you have to ask mom and pa dukes your not an industry professional and you have no money on snap you just got told.

Blast: If you’re going to namedrop, make sure you know what you’re talking about. At this point Penny Arcade steps in and things get funny.

From: Mike Krahulik
To: Dave, Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 at 8:45 PM

Holy shit this is unbelievable. Dave, if this guy has a booth at Pax east we will cancel it.

From: Dave
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 8:53 PM

Hey thanks Mike.  It’s truly a shame because I think this device is great for gamers with disabilities and problems.  I think of Child’s Play and if anyone’s gonna need greater accessibility when using complicated gamepads…it’s sick kids!  Shit man, I’m really gonna feel bad if I think that sick children may somewhere down the line have fewer avenger controllers because I got into a pissing match with a sad old man.  Please don’t cancel their booth on my account.  As much as I hate this asshole, I still WANT his product and think it should be out there.  GAH, I wish I was in a position to make a competing product to really stick it to guy.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 8:54 PM

Hey Mikey,

We’re not renting a booth at pax east this year , bigger and better shows to be at we got nothing from the show . Oh so you know this guy has sold over 500 thousand dollars of product in Dec and is my main distribution arm landing us in GameStop , fry’s , Myers , Best buy , Activision , MLG , play N trade and a lot more . Were in 6 countries and you’re not going to take my money for a booth that’s a crock I can guarantee I’ll get a booth if I want one money buys a lot and connections go even further.  He’s a native Bostonian from Little Italy . Who are you again ?

Oh Teh Noes!

-Gabe

From: Mike Krahulik
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:08 PM

I am mike krahulik, Pax is my show. Feel free to google me=) I can promise you that you will never have space at any future Pax event.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:33 PM

OK Mike whatever you say lol , are you sure hour not in Boston I spoke to the person who ran the show in Boston last year. If you let some little kid influence you over a pre order then we don’t want to be a your show ,Ill be on the floor anyway so come find me , I’m born and raised in Boston I know the people who run the city inside and out watch the way you talk to people you never know who they know it’s a small industry and everyone knows everyone. Your acting like a douchbag not that it matters pax east pax west , e3 , CES , Gamer Con , SSXW ,Comic Con, Germany I’m all over the place. If we want to be there we will be there with industry badges or with a booth you think I can’t team up with turtle beach , Callibur or Koy Christmas , I can’t get Kevin Kelly to pull some strings or G4 , Paul Eibler Ex CEO of take 2 ,  Rich Larocco Konami , Cliff Blizinski Epic who were working with on a gears version , Activision who were working with on a MW3 and Spider man Bundle , The Convention Center Owners themselves , Mayor of Boston come on Bud you run a show that’s all you do and lease a center in Cities you have no pull in its all about who you know not what you do.  I’ll see space where ever I want , with who I want when I want and where I want so many ways around you and so many connections in this industry its silly. Anyway , I have no issue with you Sean Buckley Engadget, Scott Lowe IGN and the list goes on and on. Little kids unhappy with a PRE ORDER starting trouble and you email that to us , he’s a customer unless you’re his boyfriend then you should side with the company not the customer. Be Careful

From: Mike Krahulik
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:40 PM

I do run Pax, but I also run a website called penny arcade. It’s kinda popular.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:41 PM

Love penny Arcade !!

From: Mike Krahulik
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:42 PM

I’m glad you like it! You will be on it tomorrow:)

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:46 PM

Great !! Love PR

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:46 PM

Mike I’m not trying to fight with you I’m really not , you should give me the benefit of the doubt before judging over one person’s bitching . Did I feed into his emails a little bit too much yeah ok . But it’s one person dude for real. No disrespect intended for you , My name is good in this industry and I know a lot of people. I’ll be at CES are you going ?

From: Mike Krahulik
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:47 PM

Please remove me from this mailing list

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Mike Krahulik
Dec 26, 2011 at 9:57 PM

Your spamming me you’re not on a mailing list you idiot ! You sent me an email remember . Make sure you stir up a lot of controversy about us the more the better we needed some drama gets good blood flow going about the new product launch .  Your sites amateur at best my son could put together a better site than yours and you run PAX ?? Wow , Ill put my marketing team on a smear campaign of you and your site and your emails , I have about 125 dedicated people to run PR , Blogs , Articles , Videos you have no clue who I am . Thanks again

Blast:  The PR rep has apparently lost his job, and good has triumphed over douchery. Let it be known kids, even in this day of video chat and other modern marvels, the golden rule still holds true: don’t be a dick.