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.

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.

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.

In the last 24 hours, the gaming internet has been on fire with talk of the PR Nightmare that caused Ocean Marketing’s Paul Christoforo to lose his job. The story is up on the main page, but the basics go like this; a customer emailed Christoforo regarding the status of an order, which led to some very snippy responses from the rep, including name dropping the Mayor of Boston, and the editors of IGN and Kotaku. Christoforo then name dropped online gaming comic Penny Arcade, which led to the site’s Mike Krahulik to respond by banning the company from PAX East. It may be sad that it had to come to this, but the whole situation reveals a lot about who we are as gamers, and how far we’ve come when compared to other industries like movies, TV and music.

Every year the gaming Industry converges on Los Angeles for E3, and every year it’s met with more excess and bigger budgets. Huge elaborate displays, no doubt well compensated models and over the top stunts (two years ago THQ turned an entire city block of downtown L.A. into a territory occupied by North Korea for Homefront — just think of all of the expenses and permits associated with clearing that with the LAPD). Then there’s the parties. I remember very specifically when I wrote for a different site, hanging out on top of a high rise just blocks from the convention center during a party for Atari’s Test Drive Unlimited 2. Let me paint you a picture, free booze, everything covered in white, dancers grinding on each other, thumping music and what I could only assume was food. Notice something missing? Oh yeah, video games. After looking around, I found that there was one big screen, running the game, which was totally available the entire time I was there tucked far into the corner.

Now, I don’t bring this up because I hate parties, or drinking or free stuff (they gave away noise canceling headphones and Atari towels), but that I went back to my hotel worrying that the industry I’ve loved since I was a kid was becoming what we always feared. We were becoming another one of those excess first industries where we don’t know anyone’s name, and worry more about the ahem….”glitz and glamour” of the business instead. Then, the next day all hope was restored when I was sitting in the PlayStation VIP demo booth checking out the newly announced PlayStation Move with Ted Price of Insomniac Games and Ken Levine of Irrational Games. It reminded me that we still haven’t gone completely to the darkside yet, and there’s still a ton of unity within even the industries bigger names.

This whole Ocean Marketing Situation is much the same. Think about it. Penny Arcade has become a major player in the gaming industry. Not only do they have their own comic strip, but they’ve also got their own game, convention and charity. They did not have to get involved in something like this. Imagine if this happened with the movie industry, and someone name dropped a famous director like Spielberg or Robert Redford, actor and founder of the Sundance Festival. Do you really think either of them would give a shit about somebody being an ass to a customer, let alone responding? Saying nothing about their character, it’s hard to believe they would, the movie industry has gotten almost too big, and it may seem cliche; but no one cares about the little guy anymore. Krahulik stepping up and not only defending the customer, but taking action and letting the res of the world know that this type of behavior is not going to be tolerated, and banning the guy from PAX is a prime example of just how in the face of so much excess, we’re still focusing on what’s important (but come on guys, those death threats you’re sending his way are making this entire column look bad.

Oh and hey, here’s a funny video someone did of the incident.

  The 2011 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers kicks off tonight at 7 PM ET, but why watch it when MLB 11 The Show already knows who’s going to win — The Texas Rangers.

The award winning baseball sim gave credit to the red birds for sticking around for a six hard fought games (including a surprising game 3 win in Texas), but in the end, the Rangers couldn’t be denied for a second year in a row.

Check out the whole video over at the PlayStation Blog, and speaking for all Milwaukee Brewers fans — go get ‘em Rangers.

Say, would you like to play Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One? What’s that you would? Then you’re in the right place.

We’ve got two beta codes that need a home, and want that home to be with you.  How do you win? Easy, just comment below and tell us who your favorite character from the game is, and why. Only one comment per user will be counted. Winners will be chosen September 16 at 5pm.

Good luck!

LOS ANGELES — Blast Gaming Editor Joe Sinicki and Blast Editor John Guilfoil are in The Los Angeles Sports Arena for Sony’s press conference. Stick with us for up to the minute updates.

We open to a rather long video, then Jack Tretton shows up, he’s talking about the PSN hack. He days you’re welcome to the press and thanks well…pretty much everyone.

Consumers are the lifeblood of the company. He apologizes for the hack.

Triton encourages those who left or who are afraid to embrace it as a result of the hack to open up to the brand.

Sony will soon be offering free access to cinema now.

Naughty Dog is now on the stage to talk Uncharted 3. Its new footage not seen anywhere else. A boat level where Drake is constantly swaying and yes, it’s gorgeous.

Water effects are fantastic.

Like previous Uncharted games, the scale on this game is astounding.

As you’d expect, very cinematic, very cool.

Multiplayer beta begins June 28.

New contest will give people first access to entire game.

New level features Drake scaling an airplane as it takes off.

Marcus Smith from Insomniac is up to talk about Resistance 3.

Were seeing new footage from the St. Louis section of the game.

It, like most other games in the lineup is on 3D. Not completely sold on the tech, but it works well here.

Were now talking PlaystAtion move. Were getting a bundle with everything you news for the move, the sharpshooter and r3.

God of war, ice and shadow of colossus are getting 3d treatments.

Two new 3d products, one a 24 inch display. It will be able to let two people see two distinct 3d images. Were also getting a more affordable pair of 3d glasses. There’s also a bundle with the monitor, glasses And resistance for $499.

2k sports is now up to talk NBA 2k12 with the move.

NBA on the move will allow easy play with move controller.

Kobe Bryant is here. He’s going to show how easy it is to play with the move. He doesn’t seem to be doing so well.

Kobe calla the game so realistic it’s frightening. It comes out October 12.

Were now seeing medievmoves, a new move game from the team that made sports champions.

No inventory system, what weapon you use depends on what motions you use.

This reminds me of sorcery from last year. Wonder what happened to it.

It features pretty impressive 1-1 motion.

It’s available this fall.

Were looking at infamous 2. Yeah, we know it comes out tomorrow.

The game gets user created content and move support this fall. Little big planet 2 gets further move support as well.

Starhawk is up next. Great reaction from the crowd.

Jack is now talking about a return, it better be… It is…. Sly Cooper is back!

Sly Cooper: thieves on time coming next year.

Dust 514 only for PS3. Will combine with Eve Online.

The ability to create one persistent world is awesome. Dust looks great too.

Closed beta hits this fall.

Bioshock infinite is shown. Incredible.

Looks so much different than any other game on the series.

Ken Levine talks about the move and his doubts. He talks how Sony has made him a believer by allowing new people to experience his games.

Yes, Bioshock infinite will feature move functionality.

Bioshock is also coming to the NGP.

Saints row 3 will feature brand new ps exclusive content. So will the new Star Trek game.

New phaser peripheral coming.

At an alpha stage. The game looks impressive.

SSX will feature exclusive content, as will need for speed: the run.

Battlefield 3 on PS3 will include bartledie 1943 on ps3 only.

Kazuo Hirai is up to talk about NGP.

Playstation suite will allow ps content to be available on android smart phones and tablets.

It’s official. It’s PlayStation Vita. It’ll be working with AT&T for 3G versions. The crowd laughed and booed at that.

Near is a streetpass like system for vita.

Uncharted Golden Abyss is being demonstrated.

So wait, is there only touch controls for combat?

The game is very heavy on touch control.

Next were talking about Ruin, a social action rpg compatible with the vita and ps3. So far…kind of underwhelming.

Saves will work on PS3 via cloud tech.

Mod Nation Racers is coming to Vita.

Where is Kevin Butler?

Mod Nation Vita will feature a cool track editor that you can trace with your fingers. Even the lighting can be changed.

PS3 tracks will work with Vita Mod Nation Racers.

Little Big Planet Vita is coming. Will revolutionize portable gaming. Rather cool ways that the features work with already in game mechanics. It will allow you to use textures from pictures as well as the PS3 game.

Sf x Tekken is coming to Vita.

Cole from Infamous joins the game.

Vita will be available this holiday. Wifi only retails for $249. The 3G model goes for $299.

How do you know when your gaming studio has “made it?” When a fan sends you art of your characters in pornographic situations.

It’s been a different road than most for Austin, TX based indie developers Twisted Pixel, but it’s that road perhaps that has given them the freedom to create as they want to. Known for their quirky sense of humor, original characters, art and story, this is the true story of Twisted Pixel Games.

Things weren’t this way for the studio though. Founded by industry veterans  Michael Wilford, Josh Bear and Frank Wilson, Twisted Pixel was originally doing contracted work for the now defunct Midway Games (remember Blitz: The League 2 and NBA Ballers? Yep, those were Twisted Pixel). It wasn’t until 2008 that the studio announced that their focus was shifting, to digitally distributed titles based on their own intellectual properties.

The first of those releases came on January 21 of the next year with The Maw about a pair of aliens who crashland on a foreign planet, the idea for which was actually born years before. “ Years ago, Josh and I used to meet in our free time and just have a lot of fun creating different game ideas and stories while we ate things,” Twisted Pixel’s art director David Leung said in an interview to promote the game.”  After playing Ico, I was really inspired to create a game with story and characters that evoked empathy from players, so Josh and I started building on this idea and ended up with The Maw.  It’s something we just did for fun assuming nothing would ever come of it, so I was very surprised and excited when Josh called me up and told me that he pitched the game and that it was actually going to happen.”

Reception for The Maw was overly positive, but it wasn’t until later that year that the studio would have its first major hit. ‘Splosion Man was one of those titles that just came out of nowhere and it’s likely you heard of it first from your friends than many gaming publications. An addictive 2.5D platformer, ‘Splosion man followed the story of a being created in a laboratory and made completely of explosive material.  Players would use the character’s ‘sploding powers to reach new heights, escape the laboratory and of course…turn the scientists holding you captive into steaks.

A screenshot from Twisted Pixel's smash hit 'Splosion Man

Much like The Maw before, ‘Splosion Man was created based on random ideas and story thrown around the Twisted Pixel office. “Sean Riley  (lead designer at Twisted Pixel) thought it would be funny to make a game where a dude splodes in a world only made of glass, since we love the idea of glass shattering all the time,” Twisted Pixel’s COO Josh Bear said of the game.  “From there, everyone joked about that concept until it was fleshed out into what is now on Xbox Live Arcade.” ‘Splosion Man was an undeniable hit for Twisted Pixel, selling over 39,000 copies on Xbox Live and getting the honor of being bundled with other games from the summer of arcade line as a full retail box title. And unfortunately becoming the center of a controversy with Capcom mobile.

“We are very proud of our characters and the little world we have built around them,” Jay Stuckwisch Twisted Pixel’s Marketing Director and 2D artist told Blast. “The nice thing about that is we can intermix things from past games into new ones, like little cameos here and there.  I think the advantage to this is that it keeps games new and fresh, and expands our universe, rather than constantly focusing on cash in sequels.”

Both The Maw and ‘Splosion Man, as well as the entire development team made an appearance in Twisted Pixel’s next game, Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley. Though it still featured the studio’s trademark art style and humor, Captain Smiley was something completely different for Twisted Pixel.  Following the adventures of the titular Captain Smiley and his genetically attached wisecracking sidekick Star, the game requires player’s to jump in and out of other comics to gain more popularity and features mechanics never before seen in a Twisted Pixel game including quicktime events and what many call the studio’s best writing to date.

Even with all of the success of their various characters, none one at Twisted Pixel would single one out as their personal favorite. “Our games are like our kids, we can’t love one over the other,” Stuckwisch told Blast slyly.

One would almost expect The Twisted Pixel offices to be one of comic insanity and constant shenanigans, much like Bart Simpson expected the Mad Magazine office to be when he visited New York City, but they too would be disappointed says Stuckwisch. “A day at TPG is a long one.  Granted we get to start a little later than most “everyday” jobs, but the nights can get pretty long, especially around crunch times.  Sometimes we are here until 2am or later.  A lot of time people work from home too.  I think the thing that may surprise readers most is that the studio is actually a very quiet place.  Everybody is so focused and working so hard that you could hear a pin drop most times.  However right now we are remodeling, so the sound of jackhammers and wall pounding is a little deafening.”

The staff at Twisted Pixel Games hard at work. Stuckwisch claims that the office is sometimes so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

2011 will be an interesting year for Twisted Pixel , as with their two new games, they’re both looking forwards and backwards. For the first time ever, Twisted Pixel Games will be releasing a sequel (though it’s sort of a spinoff) to one of its properties with Ms.’ Splosion Man, but Stuckwisch assures Blast that it’s not just ‘Splosion Man with a bow and it’s more of a labor of love for the project. “Ms. Splosion Man has been an awesome project for us to work on.  We had double the time to work on this game so we get to put all the stuff we wanted to in Splosion Man but didn’t have time for.” With the studio’s other project, it’s more uncharted territory, as the company announced that The Gunstringer will make full use of Microsoft’s motion sensing Kinect camera.

In Gunstringer, players take the role of a wild west marionette skeleton, controlling his movement with the left hand and gun with the right (though certain sections require both hands to be used as guns). “Gunstringer has been great, but a little intimidating,” said Stuckwisch. “ It is new territory, but the designers and programmers have been amazing with it and done some pretty cool things.”

Be sure to follow Twisted Pixel on Twitter @Twisted_Pixel for up to date news and contests!

ORLANDO, Fla. — There’s nothing quite as whimsical and charming as entering the gates of Walt Disney World. Just the very sight of the welcome sign leaves you with a unique excitement and undeniable giddy feeling. Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida was the home to the first U.S. based GT Academy national finals. I accepted an invitation to attend the event on behalf of Blast Magazine with no idea what I should really expect of the event. George Nicholson, an avid gamer and simulation programmer, also attended the event with me. Little did I know, during our brief visit to the academy, I’d get to observe and interact with 32 grown men chasing little boy dreams.

The GT Academy events started back in 2008 in Japan, but this is the competition’s first visit to U.S. soil. 32 competitors are narrowed to 16 finalists and those finalists will proceed to Silverstone, a course in in the UK. At that point, they’ll go through very rigorous training, physical and mental conditioning to prepare them to compete in actual race cars. It’s a little like the scene in Armageddon when they’re training the unsuspecting oil rig workers to be astronauts (which is awesome, in my opinion).

The event was appropriately hosted in the PlayStation Pavilion. Upon our arrival, we were met by a warm PR rep for Sony and escorted into the Jostens Center where the event was already in motion. We made our way down the stairs and were greeted by a couple of names you may already know – the Nissan Nismo Z and the GTR. Well, hello there! We’ll go ahead and file those under “do want”.

The Nissan Nismo

After making our way through the makeshift entertainment hall, we found ourselves in the center of the competition circle. Eight racing stations stocked with their very own barefoot racers. I couldn’t help but notice that everyone driving in a racing station had their shoes sitting next to them. Apparently, these guys are above the law. Rules of my road say that I have to keep my feet enclosed in proper shoe attire. Pretty sure I’ll be writing my congressman about this.

The intensity in the racing circle (which I lovingly refer to as Racing Row) was incredible. Every racer was extremely focused — despite the many professional photographers, videographers and fuzzy microphone covers in their faces. That kind of focus is a highly coveted skill where I come from. I’m just sayin’. After a short stint in Racing Row, I meandered back to the lounge area gratuitously provided by Sony.

In the lounge area, there were several couches individually placed in front of their own 40” (if I had to guess) TV. These gaming stations were equipped with PS3s and the latest Sony titles, of course. Two GT Academy finalists were focused on LittleBigPlanet 2. I sat and took in the sights with Darryl from Lima, Ohio.

After we discussed the fact that neither of us could understand what was going on in this game of LittleBigPlanet 2, we talked a little about racing. Darryl works in the automotive parts industry and participated in “some drag racing” in Lima — but never anything like what the GT Academy was offering. “We’re all gearheads” was what Darryl told me. According to what he knew, almost every competitor had some kind of leg into the automotive world — be it racing, simulation racing, automotive industry workers, etc. He was the one who kindly educated me on the types of cars on display and some other aspects of the competition.

After making my way back to Racing Row again, the intensity drove me out yet again! I’m pretty sure that the guys in the black shirts that said “official” across the back that were holding clipboards had a lot to do with my discomfort. There just seemed to be too many bodies in this small area (and let the record show that I’m not claustrophobic OR afraid of hugs). So, in sneaking away, I saw in my peripheral an interview taking place with an extremely enthusiastic young competitor. That’s when I met Christopher Roberts. The charisma and excitement from this guy was incredible. You’d think he just won the Super Bowl kind of excitement.

The National Finals top 16 (photo credit: gran-turismo.com)

“I’m still on cloud nine. I had goose bumps and my heart and adrenaline was pumping.” The mechanical engineering student has been playing Gran Turismo since he was eight years old. He was gifted a PS3 and GT5 from his girlfriend for Christmas which is what allowed him to practice for the GT Academy competition. Best gift ever? I think so. Between his dad’s love of cars and his mom’s competitive nature, this scene doesn’t seem inappropriate for the Champlain, New Yorker at all. He’s been racing other driving simulators for a while now (iRacing, Forza Motorsport). He also raced RC cars with his little brother. So glad this kid made the top 16. His charisma, skill and energy earn him my support — Christopher Roberts is officially my favorite.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Lucas Ordonez, the first season winner of the GT Academy competition who was presently in Florida racing in Sebring (which he eagerly informed us of placing second in the race). Another high-energy character, Lucas will soon be moving on to practice for the Le Mans 24 Hour. I have respect for anyone who puts off an MBA to pursue a career of passion as a racecar driver. Though I was excited to hear about his recent successes, a little of his personal history and his upcoming races, I really had just one question: Based on your observation, which competitors have what it takes to really race? Ordonez said he saw some fast ones this time around, but that fast wasn’t necessarily what it took. Anyone can make a fast car go fast — “what is really most important is staying calm and focused”. He points to Emerson Trimble and Jose Sebastian Cedeno. “Those two over there in the caps (referring to their hats). I think they are very good.”

Congratulations to the final 16:

1. Bryan Heitkotter (GTZf_CudaMan)

2. Christopher Roberts (Dr_3Wide_Skills)

3. Jason Miller (R1600Turbo)

4. Andre Gomes (FixByWire)

5. John Wilding (SpecMiata-JSW)

6. Christopher Morton (Z06Fun)

7. Kris Norris (Appalachian_Kris)

8. Gregory Russell (Gar529)

9. Connor Clifford (ConMan_Skills)

10. Phillip Arscott (Doctor_ILL)

11. Nick Fontana (BlindSideFive0)

12. Rich Pratt (ZeroLM)

13. Glenn McGee Howle (Glenn_McGee)

14. Steve Driscoll (Choate51)

15. Sean Johnston (GTP_TheCheef)

16. Jose Cedeno (SebaF1)

Blast correspondent George Nicholson contributed to this report

Apple’s highly anticipated iPad 2 releases at 5pm tomorrow. We’ve already heard about how thin it is, how much more powerful the processor is and all that, but what we really want to know is — how will it serve as a gaming machine?

Developers seem to think so. In a recent interview withGamezebo, Andrew Stein, Senior Director of Mobile Business Development, PopCap Games (Plants VS Zombies, Bejewled) was very excited about the possibility of developing for Apple’s new tablet.

“We’re always excited about new, more powerful technology. Although the iPad was a powerful device, we found ourselves running up against some limits as we were adapting our games to the iPad,” said Stein. “The Introduction of the camera, the gyroscope, etc on iPad 2 means that there’s now feature parity between iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4^th gen and iPad 2. Consistent availability of features makes it much easier for us to start thinking about how we could incorporate those into gameplay. We’re also pleased that the resolution isn’t changing, so we don’t have to rework our existing games to be supported on the iPad 2.”

But is that enough to make you go out and buy an iPad 2 tomorrow? Marc Saltzman of The Game Hunters Blog seems to think so. Saltzman, of USA Today have been playing around with the iPad 2 for just over a week now and say that the new feature set create an impressive gaming machine. Speaking about the iPad 2′s more powerful processor, Saltzman notes that there’s simply no comparison between the two machines. “Memory-intensive games like Infinity Blade and Back to the Future Episode 1 HD play very smoothly, too. In fact, Apple says graphics performance is up to 9 times better than its predecessor — and while that number seems awfully high, you can see a marked improvement. As a test, I launched and played the same games on the iPad and iPad 2 side-by-side, and there’s no comparison.”

The iPad 2 hits stores Friday March 11 at 5pm.

Video was strictly outlawed during this morning’s Sony presser. God bless rebels.

One daring attendee filmed the montage showing off the demo footage of games coming to Sony’s new NGP (can’t wait until I can just say PSP2). Included is footage of the new Uncharted, Killzone and Resistance titles as well as a few new IPS. Check it out before Sony finds it!

If you told me a year ago that we’d be looking at Duke Nukem Forever being released within the quarter, I would have punched you in the face. But here we are.

The often delayed Duke Nukem Forever will be hitting shelves on May 3rd of this year,” Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford revealed to Game Informer.

“The moment fans all over the world have been waiting for is almost here,” says Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “May 3, 2011 marks Duke’s return as he unleashes his brash and brutally honest wit on the world. His return is going to be epic and one that will make video gaming history!”

The saga of Duke Nukem Forever is a much publicized one. First announced by 3D Realms in 1997, the title was delayed countless times, which prompted the studio to tell fans that it would be released “when it’s done.”  In mid 2009, 3D Realms was downsized and eventually closed down and the project was presumed dead until Gearbox announced at this year’s PAX that it would be resurrecting and releasing the title.

Remember last month when we were supposed to get a brand new Gears of War reveal at Spike’s Video Game Awards, but it was pulled at the last second? If a brand new trademark filling, recently spotted by Siliconera means anything, we may have our first clue as to what it was meant to be.

The filing, which was accompanied by the image to the right, lists that it will be used for “video game software,” a “series of computer game hint books and instruction manuals,” and/or “t-shirts.” Gotta have those t-shirts I guess.

So just what is Exile? While there’s still no official word, the smart money says it’s either that Gears of War Kinect game we’ve been hearing about for some time now, or some sort of downloadable content similar to Dead Rising: Case Zero, which series producer Cliff Bleszinski has shown interest in.

Stick with Blastmagazine.com for more on Gears of War Exile and Gears of War 3.

Guybush Threewpood is now Shortplank Hardwood. Yeah, you know where this is going.

Independent developer Grimmstone is readying a add-on pack for it’s X-rated Tetris title (yep, that totally exists) with the name “The Secret of Spunky Island” Essentially, you play the role of a porn director who needs to fill roles in his porn parodies by ahem, positioning …umm ..actors into roles as they fall from the screen.

If you’re really interested in the game and it’s artistic qualities, you can find out more at the developer’s official site, which features NSFW content obviously.

SOURCE

The long wait is over, Nintendo announced today that its highly anticipated 3DS handheld system will be hitting American retailers on March 27 (two full days after Europe gets it) and will retail for $249.99. The announcement came during a press event Nintendo held for the new system.

“Nintendo 3DS is a category of one – the experience simply doesn’t exist anywhere else,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “You have to see Nintendo 3DS to believe it. And it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

Also revealed was the fact that the company plans to kick off an aggressive marketing campaign for the new system, including a multi-city demo tour that will allow gamers to play the system before it’s release.

The system will come packed with a telescoping stylus and a fair amount of digital software packed in. Nintendo also announced a slew of games that are expected to hit with the system sometime this year including Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats, submariner Steel Diver, Ocarina of Time 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Dead or Alive Dimensions, Madden, Super Street Fighter IV 3D, Asphalt 3D, Combat of Giants Dinosaurs 3D, Lego Star Wars III The Clone Wars, Ridge Racer 3D, Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D. Fils-Aime said that he expects near 30 games to be available for the system by June.

Editor’s Note: Each week in December we’ll be unveiling another nominee for Blast’s 2010 Game of the Year Award, here’s our this week’s — Bioware’s space masterpiece Mass Effect 2. Keep checking back each week until the final week, when we reveal the winner along with all of the yearly award winners.

The release of Mass Effect in November 2007 was the beginning of a cult following and the birth of a wonderful RPG franchise from Bioware. The major aspects of Mass Effect that made the first title shine weren’t just your typical answers like beautiful graphics and fun gun play (some opinions were the combat was clunky). The story of Commander Shepard and the characters that joined you along the way made this title the epic RPG that it was. The universe that Bioware introduced us to had the depth and creative story to suck gamers in and have them wanting more. The announcement that your game save from the first title would have a direct impact on the sequel left the gaming community waiting in even bigger anticipation.

The level of excitement for the release of Mass Effect 2 made me a little skeptical for a few reasons. The promises that Bioware made in assuring gamers a more developed story and revamped combat for the sequel had me worried. The balance between RPG elements and combat are tricky and I was afraid if Bioware went to much in one direction the franchise would lose its RPG roots and epic story. The announcements of voice over contributors such as Martin Sheen and others had me worried as well. I didn’t want to see Mass Effect go the route of say, the Call of Duty franchise, with huge explosions, big name voice over talent, and a sub-par story (not to mention a new game every 6 months). I wanted my thirty plus hours I put into the first Mass Effect to mean something, and for the sequel to blow me away.

On January 26^th 2010 Mass Effect 2 was released and Bioware delivered on every promise made with a sequel that I can say, is an almost perfect action RPG. The game was an instant game of the year contender for many reasons. There is one fact that had been true since I had been a young lad and even rang true in the first Mass Effect. When you have an RPG, the combat will be turn based and not as smooth as say, an FPS title. That wall has been torn down thanks to Bioware. Mass Effect 2 has a smooth FPS like combat in a RPG setting. The dreams of gamers being able to duck and take cover after blasting an enemy in the face with a rocket launcher, or look down the sights of a sniper rifle in slow motion in an RPG, were answered. This successfully brought in the interest of gamers that have never even purchased an RPG before. The core fans of the franchise like myself didn’t cringe at this new combat system or the FPS elements either, because of the story and in depth character detailing. The universe that Bioware had developed in the first title was back, and better than ever.

The evolved combat, epic story, or improved graphics are not the only aspects that awarded this title a game of the year nomination by Blast Magazine. The choices you made in the first title had a deep impact in the sequel, just as Bioware promised. This was the first time a sequel actually took a game save from the first title and made you deal with the consequences. For example if you (as I did) decided to have Wrex take a bullet in the first title he would not be around in the sequel. The blank slate that is Commander Shepard and the tools Bioware has given you to mold him or her into your own hero or anti-hero are nothing short of amazing. This game keeps you coming back for replay after replay and just playing as a different class warrants another play through.

The main factor that really sets this franchise apart and brings Mass Effect 2 to the top is the characters you meet that join your mission along the way. There are a lot of RPG’s or action RPG’s out there that have characters that join the main character along the way. These characters help you fight or play a part in the story but in most cases you never really get to know their back story, and many won’t hold your interest for very long. This is what sets Mass Effect 2 apart from the rest; I had such a blast getting to know every character in this game, and their back-stories. The team at Bioware did such a great job with these characters. Besides them having special combat abilities, they also have great stories and you feel a real connection to them. My two favorites were Jack the wild, emotionally-disturbed, biotic-powerhouse, and Mordin the scientist who would talk a thousand words per minute, and even break into song at moments.

. The gaming market right now has so many titles out there that have over priced or lack luster DLC. I can’t tell you how many times I have shelled out 800 Microsoft points for a couple weapons in a game and been highly disappointed. The DLC market in my opinion has felt like a way for developers to make a little more cash, not quality additional content for the gamer to enjoy. There has never been a game that offered armor, weapons, characters, and expansions for such fair prices. The sheer amount of DLC support this game received was phenomenal especially since the game is quite large to begin with.

I’m what you might call a cynic. I’m not one for handing out praise and gooey words to games unless they really deserve it. Yet, I can’t say enough about Donkey Kong Country Returns. It’s epic, it’s fun, it’s gorgeous – it’s the best platformer you’ve played in a long time.

Strangely enough, Retro studios didn’t look to new technology or fancy new features for their attempt to restore faith in the once prominent franchise, theymerely returned one of Nintendo’s oldest heroes to his roots and in the process have surpassed everything Rare has done with the original.

Life is hard for Kong, he’s finally gotten rid of those pesky Kremlins, but now he’s got to worry about his fellow jungle animals running off with his banana horde. You see, the animals are under the control of the evil Tikis known as the Tiki Tak Tribe. As you’d expect, your goal is to traverse the jungle, defeat the Tik Tak Tribe and get yourself some potassium goodness in the process.

In essence, returns is the formula from the original Donkey Kong Country boiled down to its most simple assets. Anyone who remembers the last few games in the series will remember that they were filled with increasingly annoying King family members and stale gameplay. Save for our ape protagonist and Diddy (along with a few appearances by Cranky Kong), the extended family sits this one out in favor of a more streamlined story and classic gameplay.  Everything you remember is here, from the vine swinging, to collecting the gold K-O-N-G letters, the key here is that Retro Studios, the same team that revitalized the Metroid series with Metroid: Prime was able to make the gameplay feel fresh, without adding too much.

What’s most striking about Donkey Kong Returns is just how impressive and creatively brilliant the level design is throughout the entire experience. From striking set pieces like riding on the back of a whale to the series trademark mine car sections, every second of Kong’s latest adventure seems lovingly crafted to get the absolute most entertaining experience. Sprinkled throughout are clever nods to the original series, like characters and hidden rooms. It’s clear that Retro were fans of the original game.

That level design though isn’t just for show though, it also adds a world of difficulty. While it may not look as menacing as it is, there are sections of Returns that are unforgivingly hard. Much like the original, you’re going to gain a lot of lives, which will lure you into a false sense of security, but you’re likely to use them all during these punishing sections. More often than not, these sections will either be the boss fights or include them. Strangely enough though, the game feels instantly accessible and inviting even for those without an emotional attachment to the big monkey on the cover. Also aiding in helping frustrated players is the Super Guide. Much like in New Super Mario Bros, dyeing eight straight times leads to the option to see a prerecorded run through of the level.

For the first time in the series, Donkey Kong Country Returns includes co-op simultaneous gameplay, and while at times it can be a bit frustrating in the same way the multiplayer of New Super Mario Bros was, it mostly works. As you’d expect, Donkey Kong is more of a brute type character who uses mostly melee combat, while Diddy is quicker and uses projectile weapons. Undoubtedly, my favorite part of the co-op experience was the ability to have Diddy jump on Donkey Kong’s back, so it’s easier for less skilled players to advance while playing with a stronger partner.

The biggest letdown? Why no classic controller support? No don’t get me wrong, the Wii controller works fine in most cases, but growing up playing this very franchise on Super Nintendo and N64 and not being able to use a similar controller just feels wrong. There is some motion functionality in the game, by shaking the Wiimote, DK will perform a ground pound, but in some cases, the game confuses this motion for an attempt to get DK to roll, and it’ll likely cause you one of your lives.

The Blast Factor: With Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro Studios proves that its talents aren’t just limited to first person shooters. The newest Donkey Kong adventure is a breathtakingly creative and fun instant classic that everyone will be able to appreciate. Whether you hold an emotional attachment to Nintendo’s monkey hero, or your experiencing the franchise for the first time, Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of the best games you’ve played all year.

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 is an interesting departure from the typical shooter. It’s a strictly team-based title that is designed to be a hardcore, real-world paintball sim. There is a single player campaign that takes you through a series of real paintball tournaments and allows you to build a team of up to 10 shooters, while consistently unlocking new equipment and upgrades with money earned from the various events.  There is also a robust, highly customizable local multiplayer mode – and a map editor for folks who want to design paintball scenarios from the comfort of their couch.

It was a new experience for me to play a shooter where your opponents don’t get traditionally “killed” but are rather eliminated by taking a paint spec. What is not immediately obvious about this detail before you get into GHP2 is that it affects play by allowing users to periodically “cheat” and wipe paint off when they’re hit. It is a calculated risk to try, and best to do in deep cover. If the refs see you, the team loses two players instead of just one. Do it too many times in a match and you’ll be hitting the pine in hurry.

The other interesting game mechanic introduced here is the ability to slide. GHP2 features 3 vertical positions like CoD: prone, crouched or vertical. If players are vertical and hit the crouch button while on the move, they’ll perform a slide that stays low and puts them right up against cover if performed at the right distance. It certainly adds to mobility and can be used effectively to avoid danger in certain situations.

Screeshot is from HD version

When I agreed to review GHP2, I had the choice of either Xbox 360 or Wii. I decided on the Wii version because I wanted to know if a game like this could really handle itself with the Wii’s motion controls. If indeed that were true, it might be really fun. Several shooters, like The Conduit and Red Steel 2, are amazing on the Wii and I was hopeful this would also be the case with GHP2 – especially since it is one of the few to incorporate online play. Unfortunately, these hopes were quickly dashed.

First off, the Wii Zapper controls are so bad. Having to reach up to the Wiimote position and tap A to zoom from the Nunchuck position is a ridiculous chore – a deal-breaker really. You can’t win playing this way because you don’t have easy access to the whole host of game controls. Using the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo without a Zapper is slightly more manageable (although you should keep Zapper controls on), with easier access to the A button for zooming in and out. You will still have to hunt for buttons, however.

Unfortunately, all forms of motion controls in GHP2 are just entirely too spastic to provide any sense of real accuracy or room for effective strategy. Your slightest movements outside the field of view and most snap-back reactions will send you spinning wildly out of frame. If this happens while you’re running, diving or otherwise maneuvering, you’ll typically end up leaving yourself exposed in the worst of possible places. I gave the motion controls my best shot for a day or two. I really did. Ultimately, they were just too unforgiving for what is basically a stealth/ cover shooter though. You can widen the Wiimote’s dead zone so that aiming in the corners of the screen is more possible without the whole view changing – but it is still extremely frustrating to use.

Once I strapped up the Classic Controller, I started to enjoy GHP2 a little and understand the game of paintball. I have never played in my life, so a level of education was necessary.  Although GHP2 does not do a tremendous job of explaining the mechanics of the real game step-by-step, especially when it comes to equipment considerations and game types, it is really the best way to learn about the sport I can think of without actually going out and doing the real thing. After playing the GHP2, I feel like my first couple of moves on a real paintball field might not be all that terrible.

Screenshot is from HD version

GHP2 offers an absurd level of customization in both single-player and local multiplayer modes, and the incorporation of  real-life players, locations, equipment and even crowd noise all go a long way toward making the experience feel authentic. Fans of the sport will likely be at home with the title and have natural instincts on how to best cover territory and with which loadouts. Another interesting equipment wrinkle introduced here is the weight factor. You can pimp your gear out to the gills if you want, but it will cause you to suffer in the mobility department. It would literally take months to master all the various loadout options in GHP2, as you work to equip your team of (ultimately) 10 players with all the right stuff.

Blast Factor: While I did have fun with this game, there was rarely a moment when I didn’t wish I was playing something else. I liked the environment and gameplay variety. The sad fact here though is this is just not a good title for the Wii platform. It becomes playable and somewhat interesting once settling on a Classic Controller, but this is really just an argument for playing the game on another platform. If you have a 360 or PS3, don’t even think about this title for Wii. First off, it’s virtually impossible to find a game online, so that aspect of it might as well not even be there. Second, the graphics on the Wii version are really limited and present functional problems when trying to track your shots. You account for wind and gravity in GHB2 – which is cool and relatively original – but it doesn’t add much when you can’t see where the paintballs are going and the splotches you do see vanish almost immediately. The AI is nothing to sing about either. Your teammates are straight garbage.

For real fans of paintball, I might recommend this title on 360 or PS3. But definitely rent it first. If you do end up buying, you will get a free paintball pass for two that is valued at up to $300. If you use the voucher, I suppose you could say the game pays for itself.

This week, the United States Supreme Court will hear the case of The State of California vs. The Entertainment Merchants Association. The landmark case, which marks the first time the Supreme Court will hear a case regarding video games is an all out debate on whether the content of violent games is protected under first amendment rights. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know:

Why Should you care?

Be they entertainment, art, or consumerism, video Games are a growing medium, if the State of California is victorious in this case, violent video games like Grand Theft Auto will be treated much like Pornography, and it will be illegal to sell them to minors.

But, kids staying away from these games is a good thing right?

Of course, but the big question here is whether the government has the right to regulate the gaming industry. As of right now, it’s technically not illegal to sell an M-Rated game to kids, just as it’s technically not illegal to let a child watch an R Rated movie. If the law passes, these games would be viewed much the same as X-rated movies with strict penalties for those letting kids play them. Is parental control and the ESRB enough to deter kids from playing these games?

Who’s proposing this bill?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, The State of California and a few other states. They’ve been trying to get this law on the books for almost a decade now, but each time the games industry has sued, and won. California Assemblyman Leeland Yee wrote a bill which would fine a retailer $1,000 for selling a violent video game to a minor, which was signed the by the Governor but promptly delayed and struck down by a lawsuit.

So, just what makes a game violent?

It’s tough to say. Most hearings, those for the law are showing pretty edited tapes of games like Grand theft Auto and Postal 2. While they’re not going after bigger games like Call of Duty, it’s really only a matter of time before they do so. The law does however clearly state what criteria it would use for determining whether a video game is viewed as violent:

A) Comes within all of the following descriptions:
(i) A reasonable person, considering the game as a whole, would
find appeals to a deviant or morbid interest of minors.
(ii) It is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the
community as to what is suitable for minors.
(iii) It causes the game, as a whole, to lack serious literary,
artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
(B) Enables the player to virtually inflict serious injury upon
images of human beings or characters with substantially human
characteristics in a manner which is especially heinous, cruel, or
depraved in that it involves torture or serious physical abuse to the
victim.

Alright, what can I do?

While gamer advocacy groups like The Entertainment Consumers Association and the Entertainment Software Association have launched awareness campaigns (including one featuring a mass mailing of controllers to law makers, there’s no much you can do at this point. The hearing starts on Tuesday, November 2 at 10: 00 AM Et; which is also the Fall general elections. Stick with Blast as we’ll keep you updated throughout the day on this monumental case.

If you’re a gamer who was born in the late 90s, chances are you ask your older brother one question. “Why does your generation like that stupid blue hedgehog ?”.

Yes, indeed Sonic is now considered a flop, but there was once a time when Sonic was the arch nemesis of Mario, both of them were the most successful characters in the video gaming industry, Sega even created a subsidiary development team called Sonic Team, Sonic was on fire!

Nowadays though, it seems that Sonic is on life support, the shift from 2D to 3D wasn’t too kind to the hedgehog, with SEGA releazing one terrible Sonic game after another, and creating many useless characters along the way, such as Silver the hedgehog, and that dreadful Werehog in Sonic Unleashed. The quality of Sonic games have declined considerably over the years, the blue hedgehog no longer felt on par with Mario, but rather felt like some generic, mediocre mascot.

However, that was then and this is now, SEGA have decided to take Sonic back to his roots, and have released Sonic 4, the sequel to Sonic 3, and a game that fans have been waiting 16 years for. The question that many people will ask, is it good? And the answer, finally, is a “Yes”.

Sonic 4 Episode I is the best Sonic game in a very long time, it took SEGA over a decade, but they finally got it right. The gameplay in Sonic 4 feels like that of a true Sonic game.

The game starts out fairly simple, you find yourself in Splash Hill, an almost updated replica of Green Hill Zone, you play the first level in the game and pass with absolute ease, and then you are taken to the screen where you get the complete freedom to choose which zone you want to choose, and which act you want to choose from that zone.

While Sonic games usually didn’t let you choose the zone or act you wanted to be in, this feature doesn’t exactly give or take much from the game, just like past Sonic games you take on the boss of each zone after finishing all three acts.

The graphics in Sonic 4 are gorgeous, the game stays true to the Sonic 2D formula while updating it with HD graphics and a constant framerate that never drops, the great news to Wii owners is the fact that the game looks exactly like the PS3 and X360 versions, only in 480p, which isn’t a dealbreaker at all really. In fact, the game felt more at home on the Wii than the PS3 and X360, having the game next to other Sonic titles new and old in the Wii library made it feel like this is where it truly belongs.

Some fans have wondered what Sonic’s appearance is like in Sonic 4, does he resemble Sonic of yore? Or does he resemble the modern day Sonic? While playing Sonic 4, we played Sonic 3 and Super Smash Brawl alongside it, seeing how the best 2D sonic models of past and present are featured in said games. Sonic’s model resembles the modern day Sonic more than that of the old Sonic during SEGA’s golden era, with his long legs being the most distinctive feature.

The music in Sonic 4 is a step in the right direction, it surpasses the music in the majority of the 3D Sonic games, the downside is the fact that the music sometimes doesn’t feel like that of a Sonic game, the music is slow, and at times it’s too slow, it just doesn’t mesh with the sprinting hedgehog at times.

The gameplay in Sonic 4 adds nothing new to the franchise, and that is probably one of the greatest things in this game, seeing as how every time SEGA adds a new element to the game (like that God damned dreadful werehog), the game turns out to be a disaster. The new feature in the game is the homing attack, while this feature isn’t new in the Sonic 3D games, it’s new in the Sonic 2D ones, when Sonic is in mid-air and near an enemy, a lock-on appears and Sonic can attack that enemy, this feature actually fits in with the gameplay quite well, and is also crucial at times to progress through a level.

While the gameplay is solid, it does have some issues of it’s own. For instance, the only power ups available are the temporary invincibility and the ability to breath under water, features such as the fire ball and electiric ball were present in Sonic 3 almost 16 years ago, SEGA not including them now is an awkward strategy on their behalf.

Another issue that is noticed almost immediately is the speed of the game. It is obvious from the get go that Sonic 4 is slower than previous iterations in the Sonic franchise, especially in 2D sonic games, add the fact that you will be stopped from progressing in certain levels later on in the game until you perform some minuscule tedious tasks, and the sense of momentum in the game falls flat. It’s not as bad as it sounds, but it stops the game from being truly great.

The final, and perhaps most annoying aspect of the gameplay is the difficulty settings. Usually in video games the game becomes harder gradually, helping the players adjust to the gameplay and introduce new enemies and challenges at a reasonable pace. Sonic 4 throws this strategy right out the window and disorients you in a way like no other.

You spend the majority of the game unchallenged, quite literally breezing through the leves, by the time you reach the final zone, you’ll have around 20 lives and the only real challenge you’ll have faced is the boss of zone 3, during the three acts in the final zone, you will die around 6 times (assuming you get lucky and pass certain frustrating parts of the game quickly), then you will face the final boss of the game. Here you will die over and over again, in one of the longest boss fights in a Sonic game, at times the fight will be hard, and not in a modern day game hard, but in a Mega Man hate yourself kind of hard. And the most frustrating part about the final boss, is the tempo of the level. It is so slow it hardly fits a Sonic game.

The biggest downside for Sonic 4 isn’t the game itself, but it’s the price. Sonic 4 Episode I is priced at $15, the game can be finished in less than 3 hours if you’re dedicated enough to finish it in a single session. It has good replay value, and you can even unlock Super Sonic, but it’s not enough to slap a $15 price tag, especially when there are games like Castle Crashers, and Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light that offer mad replay value and multiplayer gameplay for the same price.

The Blast Factor: It’s almost hard to believe this, but this might the first time in over a decade that Sonic fans get two great Sonic games in a single year (assuming all goes well with Sonic Colors), this could be the year Sonic fans celebrate after all. If you’re a Sonic fan who’s been dying to play a great Sonic game, Sonic 4 is well worth the 15 dollars, if you’re hesitant and wondering if it’s worth the investment or not, you might wanna check Other PSN/XBLA titles first, like Castle Crashers and GoL, or Wii Ware titles like Cave Story.

Bethesda confirmed earlier this morning that they have released a patch to fix some of the technical issues found in the PS3 version of Fallout: New Vegas. When this update will be available for the console edition of the game is still unclear.

” We’reworking hard to make this update available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,” reads the official Bethesda blog.

Blast reviewed Fallout: New Vegas this week, and cited the game’s surprisingly high amount of technical errors as one of the game’s major downfalls.  Stay with Blast for more on the upcoming patch.

In the two years since its release, Bethesda has kept Fallout 3 relevant thanks to a steady stream of downloadablecontent that expanded the game universe. Now however, it seems to be hurting the franchise more than anything else.

Fallout: New Vegas is a difficult beast to review. On the one hand, it adds to the experience first seen in Fallout 3 wonderfully, but on the other, that experience is nearly three years old.  The world is as massive and creative as ever, but playing through the latest chapter in the critically acclaimed franchise grows incredibly familiar and tiring all too quickly.

As you’d expect, New Vegas takes place in the year 2281 in a post apocalyptic Las Vegas, Nevada. Much like the Washington DC setting of Fallout 3, the map of New Vegas is incredibly large and impressive. In fact, the wasteland setting in New Vegas is easily one of the game’s best features. Actual landmarks like the Hoover Dam and the Helios Solar Energy Plant dot the landscape, which is tons of fun to explore. Playing through and exploring the world New Vegas presents is incredibly rewarding and the more you play, the more you’re sure to appreciate. Case in point – when you get to the actual Vegas area and see swing entertainers and the lights of the strip – it’s a truly awesome sight when you realize that up until this point you’ve been staring at a barren wasteland.

As a living  artificial world, Fallout 3 is nothing short of fascinating, but as an interactive experience, it’s a bit more thin. What worked so well before, often feels old hat here, and rather than feeling like you have complete control, it’s not uncommon to feel like the game is limiting what you can do.  Everything you’ve come to expect from the engine is here, just in a different form – while Fallout 3 began with you choosing your traits at birth, New Vegas does so after you regain consciousness after being brutally attacked and forced to dig your own grave.

While much of New Vegas’ gameplay is showing its age, the citizens of the wasteland are a different story altogether. In previous Fallout games, the factions were easy to navigate; one was good – one was bad – and so forth. Here, many of the factions come off as neutral forces, perpetuating ideas rather than stereotypical responses. This makes the game incredibly more fun to navigate, as you’ll have to really identify and choose which faction you want to align yourself with.

Each time I would get into the action of New Vegas, a technical glitch or troubling design choice halted any interest I had in the game. Several times, I had to restart my game as it caused the entire 360 to lock up. Furthermore, when the action starts to pick up, you’re left with a chugging framerate and some embarrassing textures. The worst aspect though by far is the game’s obscenely long load times. Even those wouldn’t be much of an issue if they didn’t happen so frequently. Going into a building? Load screen. Leaving a building? Load screen. It’s obviously annoying and has a tendency to take you out of the game, especially when your quest has you going through different buildings.

Those looking for more of a challenge with Fallout: New Vegas are pushed towards the new hardcore mode which severely amps up the difficulty and realism.  In Hardcore mode, stimpaks (the  game’s health system) heal over time rather than instantly, severe injuries require additional medical assistance and players must eat, drink and sleep to avoid starvation, dehydration and exhaustion. Yes, it’s as hard as it sounds, but it’s incredibly satisfying for dedicated Fallout players.

The Blast Factor: If Fallout: New Vegas were an expansion pack or DLC, it’d be instantly worth the money, but asking gamers to put down $60 for a title that adds almost nothing new, yet is chock full of technical issues is a bit much. Still, those who love The Fallout games are sure to find much to love in the Mojave Wasteland. Fallout: New Vegas isn’t the masterpiece many thought it would be, but fans are sure to enjoy one more romp with their pipboy.

ATT has announced that its U-Verse IPTV platform will be hitting the Xbox 360 in the United States this Friday, October 15 and Windows Live phones next month. The service allows for users to watch, record and manage TV content from major networks directly on the Xbox 360.

The service is a bit pricey though, as those wishing to set-up service on the Xbox 360 will be required to $99 for a startup kit ($55 for those who already have service but would like to extend it to the console) along with AT&T’s monthly service fees.

The service is the first live TV service to hit the console in America, but European gamers have had a similar service in Sky TV for the last few years.

I’ve always viewed Half Life, and it’s sequel as the much anticipated Citizen Kane of video games. It’s complex mixture of interactive entertainment and artistic expressionism are everything video games can, and should be. It’s one of those properties that should never become a movie, like the videogame version of Watchmen. Wait, scratch that last part.

There are exceptions to every rule however, and Marc Spitoni’s teaser trailer for “I am the Freeman” is enough to change my tune. Spitoni, who works for WETA, the fine folks who did much of the special effects for the Lord of the Rings movies and District 9. Yep, it’s that good.

“I’ve always been in love with the PC game ‘Half-Life,’ so I decided to work out a project that would have been a trailer for a hypothetic feature film of Half-life,” Spitoni said of the project. ” The whole thing is pretty faithful to the game and based on HL2.”

“I am the Freeman” gives hope to the fact that someone could do a Half-Life movie right, but they won’t. Spitoni points out on his website that he won’t be making a full movie, just a longer trailer. Let’s just hope Valve is watching.

Madden 11, featuring cover-boy natural Drew Brees,  is available today after a rather rocky reception to the demo several weeks ago. It features a new ‘Strategy Pad’ that houses all pre-snap options in a single place, but the mechanic was maligned by many faithful for being slower than the previous system and offering no option to revert back. The vintage pre-snap controls will be patched into the game shortly after the beginning if the NFL season, but, for now, players will have to just have to grin and bear it.

This year’s version of the game features numerous tweaks designed to lower the barrier to entry for new players. It has a dummy play-calling system called Gameflow which is supposed to guide you through the game in a hurry without sacrificing strategy. Players are able to dictate the way Gameflow calls the game by using ‘Gameplanning’ as well. This feature allows you to assign plays to certain situations for the Gameflow brain to pull up when those situations arise.

Another notable addition to this year’s game is a new feature called Online Team Mode where up to six players can jump into a lobby and pick sides.  Players decide to be responsible for different components of the game – QB, rushing, receiving, pass rush – and can decide to play free-roaming characters as well. This feature seems like it will be super-fun with friends and has a lot of potential. I play the NHL version of this and it is a very good time. It will be interesting to see how Madden’s take plays and is received.

Finally, Madden 11 will place much more emphasis on the right analog stick, as many of the evasive moves that previously used buttons are now mapped somewhat more intuitively to the stick. It seems to be the way of all things.

So, to the many proud Madden- freaks of the universe on this day, I say, “Have a glorious time with your new toy! And, I hope you don’t get caught by your boss.”

SAN DIEGO – The big news about Halo: Reach to come out of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con? You’ll now be able to play Firefight as the Covenant. There’s a  new armor ability called Hologram, as well as a slick new Halo: Reach 360 Slim model hitting stores to coincide with Reach’s release. Also, not to be outdone, Bungie debuted something truly amazing for the creative crowd called, Forge World.

In addition to the full Firefight matchmaking support previously announced for Reach – a feature which was very noticeably absent from Halo: ODST – fans of wave defense will now be able to slay human characters en masse, feeding their latent alien blood-lust for hours on end without the necessity of knowing 3 other people ready to do the same at any given time of the night or day. This will be part of a 2-on-2 versus mode where a Covenant invasion force attacks lone Spartans with AI troops. Once all lives are lost by the Spartans, the sides switch. The new Firefight gets its icing with a never-ending Grunt-hunt mode called, Gruntpocalypse.

There was also the announcement of  ‘Forge World’ with a mind-blowing ViDoc  you can see here (link also features an unboxing video of the new hardware). In this total re-imagining of Halo 3′s Forge, the geniuses at Bungie have gone out of their way with to make the Halo map-making interface a far more robust and accessible experience. A slew of  locales will be available to tinker with that are actually all interconnected into one immense environment. The new mode features a staggering number of objects to place and manipulate, as well as many new and improved ways to do so. It was mentioned that when putting down a teleporter, for example, the player will be able to decide exactly how big they want it to be and which objects are allowed to pass through it, etc. The detail I found most compelling was that Halo: Reach will include a number of levels that developers created in the very same Forge World that ships with the retail title – a true indicator that users will have exactly the tools they need to make their Reach experience whatever they can imagine it to be.

Think you can handle it?

For their finale of what was likely one of Halo: Reach’s last big reveals before the game hits shelves on September 14, Bungie pulled back the curtain on the Halo: Reach Xbox 360 Slim Limited Edition. It comes complete with 2 custom controllers, all modeled to look like authentic pieces of hardware from the Halo universe. The demo unit was then given away to one sickeningly lucky audience member at their Comic-Con panel. Be assured that it is sufficiently beautiful. The only drawback is you don’t have nearly enough time to save up for it. Price is TBA, but you’re probably ready to steal your grandmother’s jewelry to get your hands on one regardless.

Behold (headset not included)

Source: G4

The first in a recently announced series of DLC packs coming up for the critcally acclaimed Red Dead Redemption, the ‘Legends and Killers’ pack will be released into the Wild West sometime in early August. It will feature 9 new multiplayer map locations – more than doubling the amount of territories in the existing multiplayer modes, 8 new multiplayer characters from Red Dead Revolver, and a new Tomahawk projectile weapon with corresponding Challenges/ Achievements/ Trophies for both single and multiplayer. It will run $9.99 on PSN or 800 MS Points on XBLA.

G4tv.com  and Capcom will be bringing fighting game fans some serious love this weekend when they stream EVO 2010, the premiere fighting game competition in the world, offering over 45 hours of coverage of the event. Fighting games are experiencing a renaissance with the recent success of Street Fighter IV/Super SF4 and some other notable titles like Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, and the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 re-release for XBLA/PSN. The exclusive stream from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas will feature tournament matches between top players from around the world with live crowd audio and expert commentary to explain all the onscreen action.  The stream will run from the start of the tournament on July 9th through the finals on July 11th.

EVO featured tournaments include:

Super Street Fighter IV

Tekken 6

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Melty Blood: Actress Again

To follow up, On Tuesday, July 20 X-Play will air ‘X-Play vs. Capcom:  EVO 2010 World Fighting Finals’, which will delve into the legacy of Capcom’s legendary fighting games, and give viewers an all-access look at the history of EVO as it has developed from a fledgling format to a mega-successful fighting institution.

Although the heyday of blaming the Grand Theft Auto series of videogames for the commission of real-world crimes has mostly passed,  this little nugget has emerged from an incident Saturday night in Raynham. Two youths, a 12 and a 16 yr old, were arrested for allegedly trying to set fire to a garage and an apartment building with makeshift Molotov cocktails. The younger of the pair claims they got the idea from playing GTA 4 prior to their early morning graffiti spree that commenced with a laughable attempt to blow up a couple of buildings.

Quick thinking, kid.

"They appear to have crossed the line from virtual reality to reality," said Police Chief Lou Pacheco, wasting no time in assuming GTA 4 as an absentee co-defendant. Not surprisingly, the Chief had little to say about the fact that these children were given the opportunity by their parents not only to play this very violent and mature game they have no business playing, but also to be driving around at 4am with a head full of bad ideas.

Fortunately, these two are not the most capable of criminals as the boys appear to have made the wicks out of flame-retardant material from a chair cover. They also neglected to realize that a Molotov cocktail only explodes and causes real damage when you break it.

Following the arrest, the boys were arraigned in juvenile court on charges of possession of an explosive device and attempted arson. They were then released to their families, who will probably now sue 2K Games instead of re-evaluating their lives and taking responsibility for what horrible parents they are.

A piece of graffiti from the incident featuring what is presumably one of the kid's real names...

Source: G4/ Enterprise News

Famed Fable creator Peter Molyneux recently revealed some brief details for Fable III’s downloadable  option. While the game will still receive a standard retail offering to come out in late 2011, Xbox LIVE users will have a chance to start downloading it in pieces a few weeks after the official release.

According to Peter, “Soon after the retail launch we’re doing episodic. We break it down in chapters. We give away the first chapter entirely free, the first hour. When you reach a certain point in the game it says ‘thank you for playing the pilot of Fable 3, do you want to spend an extra 2-5 or whatever dollars to buy the next episode, or buy the whole lot?’ Press ‘yes’ and you will immediately continue playing.”

This scenario looks like it should be a real win for players, as you’re not forced to drop the full $60 up front. Now you can try before you buy. If you feel like the game is dragging, you can simply stop paying for it and move on to something else. Fable III will likely be a must-buy, however, so…

Source: Kotaku

LOS ANGELES — David Jaffe, the mad genius behind the creation of Sony’s epic God of War and Twisted Metal franchises, announced this week that he would be leading the charge in re-imagining Twisted Metal for the PS3. One of the best loved games for the original Playstation, Twisted Metal hit a much darker note on the PS2 with Twisted Metal: Black, which appeared very early in the PS2′s lifespan all the way back in 2001.

The new Twisted Metal has aerial combat, snipers, and co-op weapons, which help put a spotlight on team play. It also includes factions for the various lead characters and a great new mode called “Nuke,” in which you are required to drag an enemy team’s leader behind your vehicle to a designated point where, if you can hold him there long enough, you’ll be rewarded with said nuke. You then fire it off and have to protect it from being shot down until it takes out your opponent’s floating, neon, giant pinata-like mascot.

This one will not be as dark as TM: Black, as the team is going for a Teen rating with the new version.

Don’t be surprised if this ends up being tops of E3 for a lot of folks. You can check out Sweet Tooth’s entrance and the live gameplay demo from Sony’s press conference here.

LOS ANGELES – Amid a deluge of new hardware news this E3, Sony unveiled expanded details for their Playstation Move motion control system for the first time Tuesday. Apparently, the Wii style of selling peripherals appeals to them, as it is going to be quite difficult to find everything you want in a single package when Move hits U.S. streets on Sept. 19.

The Move system exists in three pieces – the main controller, which will cost $49.99 standalone:

The PS Eye, which is also required for the system to work at $39.99 standalone:

And, finally, the Navigation controller which will run another $29.99:

While the first two items should suffice for casual Move titles, the more hardcore stuff like SOCOM 4, The Fight, etc. will no doubt benefit tremendously from the Navigation controller. Sony did indicate today that if you are completely averse to buying the navigation controller, you can use your Dualshock 3 with your left hand. However, I can’t imagine this being an ideal or terribly comfortable solution for many game situations.

There are a couple of bundles Sony will be making available: a Move/PS Eye/ Sports Champions (their answer to Wii Sports) bundle for $99.99 and the same package that includes a PS3 Slim for $399.99. Unfortunately, neither of these bundles include a Navigation controller or a charge hub. You’ll likely need a charge hub since the PS3 slim only has 2 USB ports. The charge hub, although not necessary, will cost you another $29.99:

If you’re into it and want to deck your PS3 out right, things will get expensive very fast — especially if you’re interested in more than one set of Move controls. You can use up to four standard Move controllers or two sets of Move-Navigator pairs on a PS3 system at any given time. Obviously, the more controllers you plan on getting, the more charging capacity you will need. Its definitely better than batteries, but it will be interesting to see how Microsoft’s Kinect price for the single device stacks up to all of Move’s various paraphernalia.

Below is the list of Move-supported titles already announced. Sony indicated there will be between 15 and 20 at launch and that the casual offerings will cost $39.99:

First-Party Titles

Sports Champions, September 2010
EyePet, September 2010
Kung Fu Rider, September 2010
Start the Party!, September 2010
Echochrome 2 (PSN), September 2010
Tumble (PSN), September 2010
Hustle Kings, October 2010
Pain! (PSN), October 2010
TV SuperStars, October 2010
The Fight: Lights Outâ„¢, October 2010
The Shoot, October 2010
High Velocity Bowling (PSN) October 2010
Heavy Rain, October 2010
The Sly Collection, November 2010
SingStar Dance, November 2010
LittleBigPlanet 2, November 2010
Beat Sketcher (PSN), Fall 2010
SOCOM 4, Fall 2010
Sorcery, 2011
Heroes on the Move, 2011
Killzone 3, 2011

Third-Party Titles

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, September 2010
Toy Story 3: The Video Game, September 2010
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest, September 2010
Brunswick Pro Bowling, September 2010
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, September 2010
Time Crisis: Razing Storm, September 2010
NBA 2K11, October 2010
John Daly’s ProStroke Golf, Fall 2010
Racquet Sports, Fall 2010
R.U.S.E., September 2010
Kung-Fu Live, October 2010
Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos, November 2010
Tron Evolution, November 2010

LOS ANGELES – Although the device was officially announced in March, Nintendo finally took the wraps off of their new ’3DS’ yesterday. In addition to housing a 3D, glasses-free top screen that has a scalable effect controlled by a slider, the device also contains a gyroscope (indicated to be advantageous for shooter fans), a motion sensor, and a dual-camera setup that will allow you to snap and share 3D photos. It also now uses an analog ‘Slide Pad’ that can be seen just above the D-pad in the image below.

While the 1st-party titles discussed look sufficiently promising, one of the more impressive pieces of the announcement had to be the incredible 3rd-party line-up of games and top franchises that are slated to appear on Nintendo’s new monster mini.You can check out the full spec sheet for the 3DS below the image or at Nintendo’s official 3DS page.

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft unveiled a host of games and details for the exciting new Kinect system yesterday. The details are that it will release Nov. 4th and have 15 launch titles to go with it. The conspicuously absent detail was the price, which might produce a bit of sticker shock. We’ll just have to wait and see how that pans out…

Regardless, the game line-up announced is pretty solid. We’ll start with the surprises and move on to the more predictable stuff:

Forza 4 Kinect:

Not many people expected Forza, a reliably and historically hardcore sim racing franchise, to embrace the new Kinect controls. However, Microsoft showed off some really snazzy functionality that could only be done with Kinect, including full view control that allows you to move your head and look in exactly the direction you are facing. It also features the ability to peruse the interior and exterior of any car in the game from any possible angle and offers hot-spots that offer additional tricks and information. For the actual gameplay demo, there was no control over acceleration or braking, only hand’s free steering and looking around with the player’s head. The computer handled the footwork, but this will likely be optional when the title ships sometime next year.

Dance Central:

Although a dance game on Kinect seems like a no-brainer, it was a big surprise to have music game masters, Harmonix, reveal that they would be the one’s behind Kinect’s new killer-dance-app. Thanks to all the great relationships the developer is privy to through their Rock Band work and connected parents at MTV/Viacom, Dance Central is sure to have a blow-away track list of essential tunes to get down to. The demo was live and really amazingly performed to the classic Bel Biv DeVoe song ‘Poison’ by the Harmonix lead producer who can seriously move.

In order to make the title as authentic and impressive as possible, HMX worked with some of the best choreographers in the world. Some of the dances are actually those performed by the artists for the specific songs featured. It is also accessible and fun for players with little body control, as the difficulty is supposed to scale quite dramatically. This one should ship in Q4.

Star Wars Kinect:

This was a surprise announcement that warmed the hearts of nerds the world around (myself included). Lucas Arts and Microsoft will bring Star Wars Kinect to pass in Q2 2011. The trailer was just a teaser, but it featured a Jedi – presumably Luke Skywalker – moving through a wide corridor dispatching stormtroopers and other enemy hardware by blocking blaster fire, lightsabering and emitting a barrage of cool Force powers. The vid closed with Darth Vader stepping off a transport and preparing to get wild on our young friend.

The potential for awesomeness here is huge, so let’s hope this game can provide the kind of visceral and thrilling experience that the franchise ought to deliver on.

Additional games featured at the press conference were those that you could pretty much see coming. You have Kinect Sports, which is basically Wii Sports that will now involve and track your entire body. Kinectamals – a virtual, high-res petting zoo for the kiddies. Kinect Adventures is a series of Kinect-enabled multiplayer mini-games for fun with the fam or roommates. Kinect Joy Ride is a casual racing title in the spirit of Sega’s Crazy Taxi. The show also featured an Ubisoft fitness title – Your Shape: Fitness Evolved – which looked amazing, but you can easily see where that idea came from. What will separate it will likely be the fact that the Kinect device will sense when your form fails you and instruct you on how to correct it.

There are many more Kinect titles being previewed on the larger E3 show floor, so stay tuned to Blast for more info and hands-on reports as they come in.

LOS ANGELES — EA took the stage at their press conference yesterday and, among many other things, featured a live 12-on-12 demo of Medal of Honor’s multiplayer component which looks to be challenging Call of Duty for the title of top reality-based military shooter. The demo went off without a hitch and word is that it offers a very nice mix of what was good from both Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.The multiplayer component is actually developed by DICE, the studio who made BC2. While the games will have obvious similarities, the focus in MOH is not nearly as vehicle-heavy.

Medal of Honor takes place in modern-day Afghanistan and focuses on a little-known group of military men called Tier-1 Operators. According to the website (where you can also find the E3 trailer), “The Tier 1 Operator functions on a plane of existence above and beyond even the most highly trained Special Operations Forces. Their exact numbers, while classified, hover in the low hundreds. They are living, breathing, precision instruments of war. They are experts in the application of violence. The new Medal of Honor is inspired by and has been developed with Tier 1 Operators from this elite community.”

If you decide to pre-order the game at participating retailers, you will get a Beta key for June 21st for all available platforms: 360,Ps3 and PC. The beta version has two maps: Helmand Valley and Kabul City Ruins, and can be played by 24 players with two game modes: Team Assault mode and Combat Mission. Team Assault is basically Team Deathmatch, while Combat Mission is objective based. VIP members of the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will gain access to this beta version earlier on June 17. You can find out all the details on the Beta here.

LOS ANGELES — While most of the surprises in the new E3 Halo: Reach campaign trailer – revealed yesterday – were trumped by players’ exposure to the public multiplayer beta in May, one thing did indeed stand out: Space Combat. The trailer closes with two Spartans strapping into a fighter that launches triumphantly from Reach’s surface into orbit to do battle with Covanent forces in a scene that looks every but as good as any space battle from the Star Wars series. See the trailer for yourself on Xbox LIVE or check it out here.

Halo: Reach is set for release September 14 and I’m sure we can expect even more surprises before then. In the meantime, don’t forget about the jetpacks. They rule.

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft shocked the world today with news that a new Xbox 360 model will be hitting retailer shelves later this week. In closing a truly blow-away E3 press event featuring a host of amazing Kinect announcements, incredible Halo and Gears presentations, ESPN integration, and more, Microsoft revealed that it already began shipping the hardware update consumers have been frothing for over the last few years.

The new model is smaller, “whisper quiet” (noise with the existing models is a huge issue), includes state-of-the art Wireless-N technology, and houses a 250 GB hard drive — all for the same $299 the existing Elite model costs with only a 120 GB drive and no wireless capabilities. Obviously, they are trying to make friends before Kinect ships Nov. 4 and the Move/Kinect Wars officially begin, but they have succeeded in this case.

For those of you gaming faithful without a chance to attend E3 this year, EA has something nice to keep you busy. Instead of reading about all the fun you’re not having in Los Angeles, you can get download the ‘Overlord’ pack for Mass Effect 2 starting June 15. Overlord reportedly runs about 10 hrs and features a powerful AI villain reminiscent of the shadowy character from Ghost In The Shell. The horror-style adventure spans 5 planets and can be had for 560 MS points starting Tuesday.

Source: Major Nelson

Giant Bomb noticed the prolific rapper/actor/celebrity gamer’s comments during his latest Ustream broadcast in which he mentions his  Gears 3 role followed by, “I didn’t just say that.” If you start the vid at 17:30, you’ll hear the news from the man, himself. Ice-T and Epic Game’s Cliff Blezinski had discussed Ice-T’s inclusion in Gears previously, according to Kotaku.

If you’re looking for a really bad-ass EmmEffer to be in a trilogy-capping blockbuster like Gears 3, you can do a lot worse than Ice-T. If it’s been a while since you’ve heard the unfiltered version of the rap legend, I recommend listening to the entire broadcast because it’s totally hilarious. Epic PR must be thrilled with this for a reveal. Better luck next time guys…

The hard to miss Coco and her man.