The second game from Breath of Death VII developer Zeboyd Games releases as an Xbox Live Indie Games today.
Cthulhu Saves the World is a parody role-playing fame for the Xbox 360 where the dark god inspired by the writing of H.P. Lovecraft. Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by horror author H. P. Lovecraft that first appeared in the short story"The Call of Cthulhu."He (or she?) is a gargantuan, tentacled creature with a hideous appearance.
In Cthulhu Saves the World, the cosmic creature decides that in order to destroy the world and plunge it in to eternal darkness (as originally planned in"The Call of Cthulhu") he must first save the world as a hero. From this strange logic, the dark god and his companions set out on an adventure filled with redemption, romance, and insanity - according to the game's developers.
The game features 16-bit graphics, turn-based RPG combat, comic book style cutscenes, a"save anywhere"save system, three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard), a 1UP system that allows major battle replays, seven playable characters, three bonus game modes, 20 original songs, a multi-level-up systems that lets charcters level up fast, and random encounter limits. The game offers around six to 10 hours of gameplay.
Cthulhu Saves the World costs 240 Microsoft Points ($3 USD) in all countries where Xbox Live Indie Games are supported.
Nintendo of America launches Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version for DS in North America on March 6. The all-new adventure introduces a new region to explore and more than 150 new Pokemon to catch, train and battle.
Naturally, some of these new Pokemon are exclusive to each version of the game. For example, the Legendary Pokemon Zekrom is only available inPokemon WhiteVersion, while the Legendary Pokemon Reshiram is only available in Pokemon Black Version.
For the first time in the series, Black and White feature unique areas exclusive to each game.Pokemon BlackVersion features a metropolitan area called Black City, while the White Version features the White Forest. Both games also feature a Seasons system. Some Pokemon appear more frequently during different seasons, and players can only access some areas during a specific season as well.
Players start the game with one of three new Starter Pokemon: the Grass-type Snivy, the Fire-type Tepig, or the Water-type Oshawott. Nintendo says that while players explore in the main storyline they will encounter only new Pokemon. Finally, both games feature the original boy and girl trainerswho set out on an adventure in the new Unova region.
Pre-orders for Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version are available from major retailers throughout North America for a suggested retail price of $34.99 each. For more information about the game, visitwww.pokemonblackwhite.com.
UK-based developer Jagex Software is trying something new: letting players decide a future update to its online game, RuneScape.
The developers set up an online petition this week asking players if they want to allow"unrestricted free trade,"and the player-versus-player combat area called"The Wilderness."The developers say this move is part of its 10-year anniversary forRunescape.
"We want to celebrate RuneScape's 10th anniversary by offering our loyal community the chance to decide, once and for all, the future of Free Trade and the Wilderness,"said Christoph Vietzke, Head of RuneScape, in an announcement this morning."
"When considering game changing decisions such as this we always hold our players' ultimate game experience firmly in mind,"added Mark Gerhard, Jagex CEO."We have released a host of new content which provides a comparable PvP experience to the old Wilderness and mechanics to allow increased trade limits with long term friends but we are still regularly told by players that they want more. We want to find out whether the passionate voices we hear on this topic are truly representative of entire community or just a vocal minority. If the vast majority of our players support of the campaign then we will restore these features to the game as quickly as possible."
Jagex plans to reintroduce unrestricted trade should players approve it. This feature grants players the freedom to donate their wealth or trade items to friends without restriction.
The Wilderness is a player-vs.-player area described by Jagex as the"most dangerous area in RuneScape."The Wilderness gives players a place to fight each other to the death for loot and money using all the features added over the past 10 years such as creature summoning, new curses, more powerful weaponry, armor, and more.
The community petition runs until January 14. Jagex says that this event is the first of many planned to celebrate the game's ten-year anniversary. To support the campaign, visitwww.runeScape.com/wilderness.
With the Tron game receiving a decent review score on our site, we put a tough question out to our Twitter community--what's the last movie-based game that you enjoyed? Here are their answers.
We gave Tron a 3.5/5, which makes it better than most movie games. Which recent adaptions have you liked? Best answers posted, one wins swagless than a minute agoviaTweetDeckGamePro GamePro
A handful of users are of the mindset that there haven't been any worthwhile tie-ins of late. Here are the replies that see little to celebrate in the realm of movie-based games.
Of the games that did receive accolades, one title stood head, shoulders, and claws above the rest. Here's the praise heaped upon one of the best recent movie-related video games:
@GameProThe Wolverine Game last year! The violence and dismemberment was what truly belonged in game devoted everyone's favorite mutant.less than a minute agovia webStarkiller Subject1138
@GamePro- Ghostbusters. The game had the characters, jokes, and a great story. On top of it all, it made you feel like a Ghostbuster.less than a minute agovia webKevin DoCTa_K
@GameProToy Story 3. Although it wasn't perfect, it was fun to play&if I can say this, it's cuteness and overall gameplay won me over.less than a minute agovia webBishop VisceralBishop
@Gameprois that a joke? Scott pilgrim vs the world the game, greatest adaption ever. Of all times. Once they let you level up more I mean.less than a minute agoviatxtJonathan Robbins DaveOwnage
@GameProI've got to go with the Scott Pilgrim game. Not only is it a fun blast from the past, but it also has an awesome soundtrack.less than a minute agovia webJ. N. Walker SilentPlatypus
Our choice for today's top tweet goes to louiedog, who brought up an alternative way for movie games to reach the marketplace without having to deal with traditional adaptation ailments. Congrats, louie--send a reply to GamePro on Twitter before the end of the week to claim your swag. Here's the dog's bark:
Try as they might, the movie and video game industries have rarely had their schedules in sync. Thankfully, recent years (and projects) have allowed the titans of each industry to learn how to create what's best for the viewers and players.
What do you think of the responses above? Is there any game you'd add? Please continue the conversation by commenting below or by replying toGamePro on Twitter.
Episode 14 of 4th String has the most prolific minds in sports video game podcasting chatting about their disappointment with NBA Jam and the World Cup location choices.
In episode 14 of the 4th String's Weekly Thrillride, the team behindThe Sports Game Guy's Sports Anomaly podcastdeliver the definitive word on all things sports and video games. This week,Todd Zuniga,Greg Ford,Mike Suszek, andAndrew Fitchregister their disappointment with NBA Jam and the two choices made for future World Cup locales. The foursome also discuss making the difficult team choice when you don't root for any team in a particular sports game. Embedded below is the audio for the episode:
To subscribe to the 4th String podcast, please visit the show's officialiTunes page. For more information on the show, check out the official4th String websiteandTwitter page.
DICE announced that when the Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam downloadable content releases later this month, players have a chance at unlocking an additional multiplayer map if they choose to work together.
By engaging in team actions, players unlock the fifth map called Operation Hastings. The new map is a remake of the classic map of the same name from the game Battlefield Vietnam.
To unlock the map, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam players need to amass 69 million team actions online. Team actions include helpful activities such as resupplying, reviving teammates, healing, spotting enemies, and repairing vehicles.
The Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam DLC releases December 18 on PC through the EA Store and Steam, and December 21 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network for 1200 MS points ($15).
While the normal newsday was filled with Zynga developments, a few cool tidbits like a real-life Tron lightcycle and vuvuzela-based anti-piracy measures didn't get proper recognition. Until now...
Two social gaming powerhouses joined forces today, as Facebook game developer Zynga bought out Newtoy, the developer of the popular Words With Friends iPhone app. We polled our Twitter-base to see what the teams can learn from each other.
After the major news broke this morning thatZynga had purchased Newtoy, we posted the following question on Twitter:
Zynga has bought Words With Friends developer Newtoy. What can the two companies learn from each other? Best answers posted, one wins swag.less than a minute agoviaTweetDeckGamePro GamePro
A majority of the responses seemed to believe that the two companies will attempt a fair bit of cross-branding with their respective popular IPs. Given the fact that Newtoy is now being dubbed"Zynga With Friends,"it's very conceivable that the following prophecies could come to pass.
A few other respondents pointed out Zynga's less-than-stellar public image, which they believe could adversely effect Newtoy's reputation. Here are a few replies that don't think highly of this collaboration:
Our choice for the top tweet of the day goes to shawn_i, who provided the most concise description of what the two companies have to offer for each other. Congrats, Shawn--please send a direct message to GamePro on Twitter before the publication of tomorrow's"Tell us how you really feel"article to claim your swag. Here's Shawn's prediction:
In the world of social and iPhone gaming, changes can happen very quickly. While it will be months (possibly even years) before we see the fruits of the Activision-Bungie partnership, we may start to see the effects of this teaming in short order. Given Newtoy... er, Zynga With Friends'hardcore pedigree, the team has the potential to really improve Zynga's public image while making plenty of money in the process.
What do you think of the responses above? Is there any suggestion you'd add? Please continue the conversation by commenting below or by replying toGamePro on Twitter.
With EA's John Riccitiello and the Kinect-Move pissing contest providing most of yesterday's news beef, a few choice cuts like the Inception game and Kevin Butler's new video were left untouched. Here's where we give them their just due.
Dave: By"extreme,"they mean"standard gameplay clips."Still, I'm looking forward to the game, since it seems as though you'll be able to engage in Frank West-style photography.
AJ: There's your good news and bad news, together in one headline.
Dave: Great, that gives me enough time to FINALLY snag a game of the year award. Also, the article linked above is a pretty good read, as it details the near-15-year history of GDS.
AJ: I'm not too keen on that deal (particularly since it includes"Grown Ups"on Blu-ray), but it's always nice to have a new Kevin Butler video.
Dave: First the PSP kid, now a"Best Buy employee."Kevin Butler is able to create a group of charismatic satellite pitchmen. This man is truly a powerful corporate spokesman...
A few major stories fell through the cracks yesterday, including Apple's new Game Center developments and Jade Raymond's next project. We've picked those and other newsbits and made snarky comments about all of them.
PC World's David Daw pegs his top eight Kinect hacks from Lightsabers to Windows 7 hijacking. Did your homebrew make his list?
SAN FRANCISCO (11/29/2010) - Kinect hacking is taking off at blinding speed. Microsoft'sKinect motion controller for XBox 360is less than a month old, and it's been barely two weeks since Adafruit announced a winner in theirOpen Kinect competition. Since the, Microsoft hastacitly endorsed opening up the Kinect as a platform, and it seems like there's a new Kinect hack every couple of hours. It can be tough to keep up with a phenomenon that's gone from nothing to a full blown scene in less than a month, so as a service to you we're rounding up GeekTech's favorite Kinect hacks.
I can't tell if I should be more impressed with the implications for children's games or with the fact that this whole project only took a day to put together.
Using Kinect as a gesture control interface for Windows 7 means we're another step closer to the Minority Report future. Seeour original storyon this hack.
From flight404 who's also responsible for the Black and White video. He's doing a ton of interesting work with putting Kinect Data through all kinds of cool filters. I'd really suggest checking outhis whole vimeo channel.
Luck is with the 4th String team as the team's 13th episode is something to truly be thankful for. This week, the stringers chat about Kobe's Call of Duty turn and the sports-related VGA nominees.
In the 4th String's Weekly Thrillride number 13, the team that poweredThe Sports Game Guy's Sports Anomaly podcastpress their luck with a Thanksgiving-themed episode. This week,Todd Zuniga,Greg Ford, andMike Suszektalk about the sports video games they're thankful for, the ridiculous fallout from Kobe Bryant's Call of Duty: Black Ops commercial, and the reception of NBA Jam on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Embedded below is the audio for the episode:
To subscribe to the 4th String podcast, please visit the show's officialiTunes page. For more information on the show, check out the official4th String websiteandTwitter page.
Critics attack video games as the antithesis of a fit lifestyle, but fitness video games offer America a rare opportunity to change their lifestyle for the better. Here's how Wii Fit solved a 15-year-old problem for AJ Glasser.
Here's my problem: I was a fat kid.Wasas in I'm no longer 155 pounds at age 11; I'm 130 pounds at 26, and I'm happy with that. It's just that for the past 15 years, I wake up with a momentary stab of panic that I've turned into the fat kid again.
Here's how Wii Fit solves my problem: It lies to me. It says I'm doing great when I'm not, that I'm running 5 miles when I'm really running about 2, and it periodically says that, yes, Iamthe fat kid.
The thing about being the"fat kid"is that you can lose the weight, but somehow you never stop seeing yourself as overweight. It's a twisted head game you play with yourself every day when you get out of bed and start getting dressed, wondering if today's the day your favorite jeans won't fit anymore and you'll have to go up a size.
For me, it's not so bad because I work in the video-game industry. Very few people here would judge me for how I look if I was 130 pounds or 230 pounds, and even fewer actuallyknowhow I look based on the fact that most video-game interactions are done online. But I still catch myself sucking in my gut when I walk past reflective store windows or biting the insides of my cheeks when someone takes my picture so my face looks thinner.
Like so many Americans, fitness is an unhealthy obsession for me. I'm not as at risk for serious medical problems as one of the8 million Americanswith a full-blown eating disorder, but I still have a problem treating my body right because of how I see myself. I could be 10 pounds lighter than I am now (which my doctor wouldn't like), and I'd still have the same problem.
But with Wii Fit, YourShape: Fitness Evolved, and Dance Central all lying to me about how look, my head has a harder time playing games with me. Wii Fit makes me look like a chubby cylinder even when I clock into its definition of a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). YourShape uses realistic proportions but makes me look like a wobbly Jell-O mold, which is really hard to scrutinize the way I can a naked body in a mirror. And Dance Central? Unless I leave the Freestyle camera function on, that game goes way out of its way to hide my own body from me while it tells me I'm"dancing."
At first, people don't like being lied to. There was some media frenzy aroundWii Fit calling some little girl"overweight"because her BMI clocked in as higher than whatWii Fit's preset statisticsthink an 8-year-old should be. And I admit I made a face when I saw my Mii morph into what I thought of as a chubby cylinder ("Hey -- you said I was normal! Why do I look fat?!"). I also bristled when the game suggested a"healthy"weight for me is 119 pounds. If I lost that much weight, I'd lose my size C bra cup, and you could count my ribs from the front --not attractiveeven by America's thin-obsessed beauty standards.
But whenever these games piss me off, I can step back and remind myself,"Hey -- it's just a game."I can't take what Wii Fit tells me too seriously -- I mean, how can it say I ran 5 miles in 20 minutes when my Mii has such stubby little legs? I don't even think of my legs as"legs"in YourShape because they're bright orange (and sometimes purple), and Dance Central presents me these ridiculous-looking preset characters that look like they got dressed in the dark, which completely absolves me of any shame I might feel about my own body.
The truth is a fitness game needs to lie to you to be a game. How else could it decide who scores higher on dancing to"Maneater"or how many points you get for kicking a block unless it has a set standard by which it can judge all players? Fitness, meanwhile, cannot be judged the same across all people -- not everybody's born with supermodel proportions; diets vary widely by region and culture; and not everybody has the money or the time for a daily personal trainer. You also can't"win"fitness, but you can"win"in fitness games.
Take competition, for example. Video games are naturally competitive even without multiplayer because it's always about who has the higher score. Tacking that on to a game about fitness warps the concept of"fit"so that top score on the Obstacle Course mini-game becomes more important than the number on the scale.
The lie frees me from my"former fat kid"anxiety. If it doesn't matter what the fitness games say about my body because they're full of s***, then I don't worry about my body so much when I play them. With the game steadily lying to me about what I can accomplish, I feel safer telling some of those lies to myself in real life and maybe trying to make some of them true.
Just this past summer, I ran theSan Francisco Half-Marathon. I don't think I could have done that in the pre-Wii Fit days, because it never would have occurred to me that I could without that dirty, lying jogging mini-game. Now, it'd be silly to credit Wii Fit completely with my half-marathon victory (2 hours, 44 minutes—hells yes!). But it was the game that got the ball rolling, the thing that finally convinced me that fitness is more about attitude than weight.
AJ Glasser could kick your ass in Wii Fit Plus's Obstacle Course even if she weighed 300 pounds.
Two big retailers waded into the used games/trade-in market today with separate approaches. Target wants your trade-ins and Best Buy will take what it can get.
With theTarget trade-in program, consumers can turn in their"new or used iPod, iPhone, video game, GPS system, camera, and DVDs and Blu-ray discs"and receive a Target GiftCard to spend on anything in any Target store. The program is part of a joint effort between Target and NextWorth, an electronics recycling system committed to reducing e-waste.
Best Buy offersa similar programstarting today at over 600 stores across the United States. Here, consumers can trade in"select gently used video games and consoles"for Best Buy gift cards.
Notice how the gift cards obtained from used games can be used on stuff that isn't game-related. Better hold onto your games, lest Grandma trades 'em in to help pay for a car amp.
Fans of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars will have more than just a new season to look forward to, come mid-September. LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment have announced plans to launch the online game Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures during the same week as the third season premiere.
In the official announcement, alongside the September 15 release date and the listing of in-game entertainment like 'minigames, daily activities, events, rewards, lively social environments, and competitions' Sony Online also revealed the premium pricing structure for Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures . While the game won't cost anything in some areas like Sony Online's other major free-to-play game Free Realms, the game will also carry a $6-a-month 'Membership' subscription the company says will 'take the galactic action to the next level.' Free Realms' subscription service runs $5 a month.
The announcement also mentions the game's 'Station Cash,' which, while not tied to microtransactions, does seem to have a bit of cash value, given its ties to the 'Clone Wars Adventures Galactic Passport' that will be sold at retail locations. Along with 500 units of Station Cash and a few other undisclosed items, the Galactic Passport will give users a 90 day membership, the chance to obtain the Togruta playable character, and a Yoda monitor topper.
To learn more about Clone Wars Advetures, check out thein-depth preview of the gamewe put together at E3. Any Clone Wars viewers planning on taking their fandom online? Will you go free-to-play or splurge for a subscription?
In a recent interview, executive vice president of core games at THQ Danny Bilson provided information about the company's plans for its top franchises, including a new focus for shooters and a ramped-up WWE release slate.
Bilson recently spoke at length with Computer and Video Games, providing the company's current and future strategy when it comes to its most popular franchises. Speaking to CVG about Homefront, he described the upcoming shooter's merits in a gun-filled marketplace, stating"There's no steroided-out, super-soldier, waving the American flag, saying, you know 'We're rangers. Toughest guys in the world.' You know? It's like: No interest in that. We're a global company. No jingoism here. Some of that's political, some of that's personal."Describing game's hook as"urban combat,"Blson noted"The tonality of Homefront is very different to what's out there today. It's violence with consequence."
Bilson also laid out the release strategy for WWE games, planning a more frequent schedule of titles from the pro wrestling company. Starting with next year's arcade-influenced WWE All-Stars, the company will release wrestling games on a bi-annual basis."We're growing that brand basically through an alternate SKU every six months - the other SKUs are more friendly, easier and less simmy,"Bilson said.
Bilson and other THQ executives will likely explain more of the company's strategy during the company's quarterly earnings call next Monday, which GamePro will be listening in on.
VGChartz reports this morning that StarCraft II pre-orders have topped 800,000 units in North America. Blizzard declined to confirm or deny this number, but they expect to announce their own numbers in a couple of days once the game actually hits shelves.
There's no way to know where VGChartz is actually getting its numbers -- the site also estimates total worldwide week-one sales to top two million units -- but when we spoke with a lead publicist at Blizzard, that number didn't seem to surprise them in anyway.
The publicist reminded us, however, that Blizzard does not give out pre-order numbers prior to a game's retail release. So sit tight, hit some midnight launches this evening, and wait for official word hopefully later this week.
The Silver Lining--an adventure game featuring characters and settings from the King's Quest franchise--has finally seen release after eight years of volunteer development. Read on to learn where to download the game, and what its creators will be doing next.
The first episode of The Silver Lining, entitled"What Is Decreed Must Be,"can be downloaded onthe game's official website. The development team at Phoenix Online Studios, who have collaborated on the game for eight years without pay and have braved copyright issues with two separate publishers, are promising four more episodes throughout 2010.
In the next year, Phoenix Online Studios will move onto a for-profit project, as the team has announced another episode adventure game to be called Corridor 9. Updates on Corridor 9 and The Silver Lining can be found over the next few months at the officialPhoenix Online Studios website.
It's the end of the week, which means we're going to reward our readers with plenty of great gaming-related goodies. This week, we're expanding the branches of our giving tree so that our Twitter, Facebook, and website-based fans will all get a chance to win age-appropriate prizes.
With every social group that matters getting showered with free stuff today, we'll dispense with the pleasantries and get into the contest rules. Ready? Here goes...
For our Facebook users, we're giving out ten packs of three kick-butt Universal Studios Blu-ray movies--Inglorious Basterds, Public Enemies, and Wolfman. Due to all three movies being rated R, we've got to go with the site that has the strongest age filters (Facebook), and youmust be 17 or older. In order to enter this contest, please reply to the contest post onGamePro's Facebook pageonly oncewith the answer to this simple question... If you win, which Blu-ray will you watch first, and why? We'll pick our ten favorite posts and give each of them all three movies.
Our Twitter fans will be in the running for younger fare, as we've filled a bag with E-rated mystery titles for all of the current consoles. Don't fret at the rating, however, as we've picked a batch of games that will appeal to kids, adults, casual players, and hardcore fans alike. To enter via Twitter, simply reply to the contest post on theGamePro Twitter feedonly oncewith the name of your favorite E-rated game. We can't guarantee it'll be in there (in fact, odds are it won't be), but we're pretty sure you'll be satisfied by the haul. We'll pick one winner at random and send them the set. Make sure you pick an E-rated game to reply with, as we'd hate to disqualify you because you put a T or M-rated game in the text box.
Last, but certainly not least is the GamePro.com prize pack. We've heard the comments from some of our users, and we're giving you the chance to win sweet swag here on GP. We're going to be giving one winner on GamePro a pair of, you guessed it, teen-rated games for the console of your choosing. To win this pack, please reply in the comment sectiononly oncewith the name of your favorite teen-rated game, and we'll pick a winner at random.
All winners will be picked at 5PM PST. You can enter all three ways, but can only win once. For more information on GamePro's Friday Giveaways, please refer to 'The Rulez.'
Whoever first committed Mario to frosting may as well be sainted now that we're all obsessed with video game-themed cakes. Join cake enthusiasts here at GamePro as we listen to former Kotaku Weekend Editor Flynn DeMarco tells us how the great video game cake craze first began and maybe tells us where it's going.
Host:Dave Rudden
Music:"It's My Party,"Lesley Gore
Discussion Group:Dave Rudden, Ben PerLee, Flynn DeMarco
Dramatic Reading:Chris Parisi, AJ Glasser
Length:36 minutes
AJ's cake
Ben's cake
Here are some of the other cakes we talk about during the podcast (click on them to see their origins):
You can find Flynn DeMarco's baked goodshereand check out Ben and his friends' cake explotshere. Be sure to check out theCake Wrecksblog if you haven't already and a very special shout out toJennie Sue, cupcake artist.
The day-one Comic Con schedule is up and loaded with video game-related events. From game reveals to familiar acts, here are four things you won't want to miss at San Diego Comic Con this month.
12:30-1:30 City of Heroes Going Rogue: Reinventing a Superheroic MMO
What they're talking about:City of Heroes' next big expansion adds a moral gray area to the hero/villain dichotomy -- the developers explain why that's awesome.
Why we care:With DC Universe Online on its way to shelves in November, it'll be interesting to see how the original superhero MMO plans to hold on to its fanbase.
1:15-2:15 World Premiere of the First Game From 38 Studios
What they're talking about:Curt Schilling is finally ready to reveal what he's been working on with heavy-hitters Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore, and Ken Rolston.
Why we care:Even if it turns out to be an iPhone game about pink fuzzy bunnies, the spectacle is still worth the watch.
2:00-3:00 Radical Publishing Panel
What they're talking about:A bunch of famous and semi-famous storytellers from comic books, movies, and video games get together for"special announcements"and a raffle.
Why we care:Keith Arem of Call of Duty and the upcoming Exile is one of the panelists. Could be one of those"special announcements"pertains to his work. Also, this whole transmedia thing is picking up speed -- so even if it's not a game, the likelihood of something on this panel being game-related is pretty high.
3:30-4:30 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Exclusive Live demo
What they're talking about:Executive Producer Haden Blackman leads a game demo of a new level.
Why we care:It's the Force Unleashed II. How could wenotcare?
4:45-5:45 Capcom 2010 and Beyond!
What they're talking about:Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Sengoku Basara, Okamiden, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Ghost Trick, Dead Rising 2, and other stuff, too -- including a game announcement from Mega Man papa Keiji Inafune.
Why we care:Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Okamiden, and that game announcement from Keiji Inafune.
Check out the rest of the day-one video game eventshere.
Sony's competitive reality show, The Tester, returns to PlayStation Network sometime fairly soon after what the company called a"successful first season."As of today, the gaming public gets a say in which of the applicants will become one of the 11 contestants competing for a job as a Sony QA tester.
Anopen casting callwas launched back in mid-June, and since then, over a thousand users have signed up in the hopes of winning a spot on the show. Each would-be contestant was given the opportunity to create a profile and upload an audition video as well as photos. Voting starts today onThe Tester's casting site.
Voting ends July 16. The top 500 contestants will move onto round two and presumably subsequent rounds will continue the elimination process until the contestant pool is full of worthy applicants.
Interestingly, Erik Estavillo, a gamer witha history of civil casesagainst Sony (Estavillo sued for $180,000 after being banned from PSN), is one of the most active members on the site. To date, he's contributed 4,345 votes and comments. His own personal entry into the Tester contest, however, only has 53 entries.
No air date is set for Season 2 of The Tester. Check out our impressions of Season 1here.
With a long holiday weekend looming, today's news focused more on deals and giveaways than new product announcements. A few other cool newsbits started to heat up today, and they've exploded onto today's daily stale bread.
The already-innovative Crackdown 2 demo has been updated by Ruffian Games with the hardest difficulty in the franchise yet, while Rare has revealed an unlockable crossover character that will be playable in Perfect Dark upon purchase of the retail version of the superhero sandbox game.
If the ability topre-earn achievementsin the Crackdown 2 demo hasn't piqued your interest in downloading the file, Ruffian Games has made the brief taste of the open-world action game appealing to more than just convenience-seekers. Starting today, players will have the ability to play the demo on an even more abusive difficulty level called Sadistic, a setting that promises to put the demo's Ruthless level to shame. When the game releases, however, the only difficulty levels available will be the bottom two -- Fragile and Tough -- though it'll certainly give demo-trained agents a leg up on the skills necessary to dominate online multiplayer at launch.
Speaking of agents, the agencies behind Crackdown 2 and Perfect Dark are planning a bit of a crossover, as Rare announced that players of Crackdown 2 will unlock a character from the game in the Perfect Dark remake's multiplayer mode. According to Rare's description of the crossover, the unlockable will not require a purchase -- rather, the addition of Crackdown's Agent 4 in Perfect Dark will be contingent upon having a Crackdown 2 save file on your Xbox 360.
Crackdown 2 is due out next Tuesday, July 6. Which of these two new Crackdown developments excites you more?
While we'd love to have the sale start in time for fourth of July parties, its tough to get angry at Microsoft for slashing the prices on hundreds of music game tracks, as 50 Guitar Hero tracks, 123 Rock Band tracks, and 38 Lips songs. From July 6-12 Xbox 360-owning game musicians will be able to score the songs for up to 50 percent off.
The 211 songs on sale as part of Microsoft's LIVEapalooza promotion encompass only a handful of single tracks, with 10 Guitar Hero tracks, two Rock band tracks, and 8 Lips songs each dropping from $2 to $1. The savings for the other 191 songs are only applied when purchased as part of a track pack or album set, with three-packs selling for $3 instead of $6. Rock Band track packs featuring more than three songs have dropped to $6, while all albums have been cut to $10. On the Guitar Hero side, Metallica’s Death Magnetic Album has dropped from $18 to $12, while the Rolling Stones Live pack is $5 instead of $9
To check out all of the tracks for the instrument based games, including the likes of Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who, The Killers, and Vampire Weekend, check out the source links located at music game blog Plastic Axe below. For the Lips songs, check out the Xbox.com LIVEapalooza link.
Not everyone owns a beach house to visit on Fourth of July weekend. In fact, not everyone celebrates the Fourth of July. Don't let that stop you from cashing in on video game sales, though -- check out our quick roundup of all the cheap stuff you can score this weekend:
Note: Most deals are going to be on PC and iPhone, but you may want to keep an eye on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network over the weekend to see if anything worthwhile gets a price cut.
Steam,"Perils of Summer"sale
"Through July 4, gamers will find massive savings on today's top releases, classic titles, and publisher catalogs. In addition, special 1-day sales will offer discounts up to 90% off regular prices."
"Get your gaming goggles on because the Weekend Impulse Buys FOURTH OF JULY edition is here and smokin' hot with many games up for grabs at just $2.99 and $5.99."
Since you guys were so awesome during our Facebook giveaway last week and because Microsoft sent us a few more New Xbox 360 units, we're giving away two more consoles. Hop onto Twitter and/or Facebook for your shot at one.
Same rules apply for theFacebookcontest: comment on theFacebook post of this articleand to make yourself visible, you might want to get a few friends to Like your comment.
For theTwittercontest, reply to @GamePro with what you plan to do with your old Xbox 360 once you get a new oneortell us the reason why you don't have a 360 already.
The contest is open now (even though it still counts as Swag Friday) and closes at 12PM PST tomorrow. We'll announce the winners at 1 PM PST -- sorry, no runner-up prizes this week.
Feel free to enter either contest -- but we do actually check to make we don't double-prize somebody. If you won something during last week's giveaway (even if you were a runner-up), you arenoteligible for this week's giveaway. And once again, these are North American retail units, so we're giving them away inNorth America only.
Full disclosure: These units do not contain any of the fancy peripherals from last week's giveaway. It's just the console, the necessary cables, a controller, and a headset. Also, we're keeping the third unit Microsoft sent us for office use.
