Remember all the uproar back in March when Mass Effect 3 released and people didn’t like the ending? Of course you do. We covered it extensively (here, here, here, and here). Just as it seemed the topic was dying down, Bioware is releasing the free “Extended Cut” DLC today. The DLC is said to provide “deeper insight to Commander Shepard’s journey based on player choices during the war against the Reapers.” It’s also expected to give players “a sense of what the future holds as a result of the decisions made throughout the series. And it shows greater detail in the successes or failures based on how players achieved their endings.” The file itself is fairly large for DLC, 1.85GB. It makes sense then that Bioware is suggesting you reload a save file from before the attack on the Cerberus to play through the DLC. Apparently the changes start that far back at least, not just in the finale on Earth. The real question now is, regardless of what changes are made, can Bioware possibly satisfy everyone who complained? Personally, considering I’m halfway through the second act of the game with my second Shepard (been going really slow and gave up on Insanity towards the end of the first act), do I just finish with him, or reload that pre-Cerberus save with Betch Shepard and just see what’s changed? Either way, count on someone from Big Shiny Robot! to review the changes as soon as possible.

That’s not the only DLC coming for a major RPG franchise this week though. “Dawnguard” for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be launching on XBox 360 today as well. PS3 players are going to have to wait a bit; no date has been announced but Bethesda has confirmed it is coming.

On to lighter subject matter, Dreamworks has acquired the rights and is set to begin production next year on a Need for Speed movie. Release is planned for 2014. Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) is directing. What should you expect, besides fast cars? Probably not much. According to the press sheet, the film will be “rooted in tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise.” Haven’t they already made a whole series of these movies with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and The Rock?

Capcom’s newest RPG IP, Dragon’s Dogma, released last month to generally favorable reviews. The general indication from critics is the game has a few flaws, but is quite good overall. This is actually one I expected to review well, but not necessarily sell many copies. Capcom seems to think it’s selling well enough though, as they have now confirmed that it’s getting a sequel. Obviously no details on that are available yet, but at least we know it’s coming. Honestly, this was probably going to get lost in queue of games I’ll play eventually, but the feedback has been high enough I think I might make it a priority.

Wouldn’t you know it? I’ve been slowly working on the 3rd Quarter Preorder Breakdown over the last few days and had just finished the entry on Far Cry 3 when I got the news that it’s no longer releasing in third quarter. I guess it’s better to knownow than to have already published it. The new release date is now November 30th, nearly three months later than its previous September 4th.

As they did back in January, Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City have appeared once again on the ESRB listings for upcoming games. Nothing was announced at the beginning of the year when they appeared briefly then disappeared again. No official announcement has been made this time either, but it definitely looks like they could be releasing as downloadable games. It’s curious that San Andreas isn’t appearing as well. If they’re HD remakes, which is doubtful, you’d expect the trilogy as a collection. If it’s just PS2 versions coming on PS3, I can see why they’d skip the massive scope of CJ’s California. Or they’re holding that one to release closer to GTA V which is set to take place in the same region. Regardless, even if it’s a mistake at teh ESRB, it’s probably past time for Rockstar to comment.

Top tier voice actors can be a serious “make or break” point for many gamers. There was a time when such a thing didn’t even exist, and we did well with our voiceless characters. But as voice acting has spread across the gamescape, we’ve seen how great it is when they’re good (Mass Effect series) and how terrible it is when they’re bad (most JRPG ports). Which is why the announcement of Camilla Luddington (Californication, True Blood) as the voice of Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider is such good news. Luddington is a British-born actress with “emotional depth and the youthful tone needed for Lara Croft,” according to Darrell Gallagher of Crystal Dynamics. The game releases in March 2013, but you can see Camilla at San Diego Comic-Con where she’ll be joining panels with other members of the team to discuss the new direction of the franchise.

The Journey Collector’s Edition mentioned in a recent VGQH has finally been confirmed by thatgamecompany. As previously reported, it will included flOw, Flower, and Journey on one disc. Three mini games, built within 24 hours during an internal Game Jam, will also be included. The “mini-games [Gravediggers, Duke War!! and Nostril Shot] showcase thatgamecompany’s lighter side with madcap competitive multiplayer action.” Expected release date is August 28th, with MSRP at $29.99. Full contents of the pack are:

• 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary about making Journey
• Creator Commentary play-throughs of flOw, Flower, and Journey
• Three exclusive mini-games
• Concept art and screenshot galleries
• All three original soundtracks
• PS3 dynamic themes and wallpapers
• PSN avatars including 8 new, exclusive Journey avatars
• Game trailers and developer diary videos
• Reversible cover art

The latest update for PlayStation 3’s firmware is rolling out worldwide. Version 4.20 doesn’t seem to add a whole lot, so it’s safe to assume it’s mostly anti-hacking stuff. Apparently there will now be an option for deleting save data in batches instead of one at a time. Also, the power save functionality will now default to one hour of idle time before shutting off your system. You can still change this manually, they’re just changing the default. This update will also provide more audio options if you’re using a headset, hopefully eliminating the side tone feedback problems that were introduced with the 4.10 update. As always, you’ll need to update before getting online with your system. PS Plus members should have theirs updated automatically.

Speaking of Sony, they’ve set one of their most successful franchises, Resistance, into idle mode. According to Daniel Brooke (producer, SCEE), “The Resistance franchise has been exciting to work on but as for the future we have no definitive plans.” It was announced earlier this year that Insomniac was finished working on the series, but it was assumed another studio would be taking over the IP, much like Microsoft’s Halo. Now it appears the franchise will simply stagnate, at least for now. No current plans doesn’t mean they won’t come back to that well eventually.

It looks like that covers all the major stuff for this week’s early edition. Now I have to get to revising the 3rd Quarter article to replace Far Cry 3, possibly using the Journey collection??? But then what do I do with the theme…? Keep an eye open for that post later this week, and come back Friday for more Quick Hits.

E3 has been great about providing new screens, trailers, and details about some really great games. The general consensus I’ve seen is that the “Big 3’s” press conferences were all pretty weak, but Ubisoft sort of stole the show, despite not really showing anything new (other than Watch Dogs). The show highlights for me are still Assassin’s Creed III and Liberation, and Beyond from Quantic Dream. The WiiU has impressed me just a little more, but I’m actually even less inclined to call it “next-gen” after seeing their lineup. My concern for Nintendo is that this still is not a core gaming console. The family-friendly grandparents console is a nice market, but it’s still a niche market. The crazy part of E3, even though it ended yesterday, is that we’ll still be seeing the fallout for weeks to come. Because of that, despite this being my round-up for the week, I’m still going to be missing something. I’m sure of it.

As the week moved on a little more information was revealed about Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls. We didn’t know the title going in, but the next game from the folks who made Heavy Rain was definitely one of the most anticipated announcements. Now, not only have we seen the game, starring Ellen Page, we’ve found out it will incorporate Move, just like Heavy Rain‘s updated version. Quantic Dream is a small studio, so leaks are easier to prevent, but they’ve obviously been keeping this one secret for a long time. Normally an announcement at E3 2012 means we’re going to see release in late 2013 at the earliest. Not for this one. Sony’s announced the game will launch in fourth quarter 2012. That’s a little tricky though, as they didn’t specify calendar or fiscal year. The difference being an October-December window or a January-March. Not a big difference, but someone will certainly freak out about the delay if it comes in February.

Another major announcement, one that was “leaked” slightly before the event, is Star Wars 1313. This is a pretty major shift for a 35 year old franchise, with a much more adult theme and grittier tone. Also, it’s not often you get a Star Wars game that doesn’t have you swinging a lightsaber as a Jedi. But, looking at their gaming history, those games are often incredibly fun. Think Shadows of the Empire, Bounty Hunter featuring Jango Fett, and Lethal Alliance. What has been released so far indicates this will be primarily a third-person, cover-based shooter. You’ll play a bounty hunter on scary-low level of Coruscant, level 1313 specifically. In the videos you seem to have a companion, and he’s kind of a jerk. Whether he’s with you throughout the game, or just the intro isn’t clear yet. The gameplay footage we’ve seen from the show is reportedly real-time, in-engine on a high end PC. Unfortunately they haven’t announced which consoles, if any, will get the game. Or when it’s coming out. LucasArts is much larger than Quantic Dream, so I’d expect this is still much further out than Beyond, or it would have been leaked by now. Depending on the planned release, I wouldn’t count on a console release being this generation.

Speaking of cover-based, third-person shooters… Ubisoft’s big surprise of the show wasn’t Assassin’s Creed: Liberation (though that was a surprise). It was actually Watch Dogs. This will be open world, but guns are not your only tools. How and why your character will have control of traffic lights, power grids, trains, and other tech isn’t clear, but you can use all of those elements to take down your enemies. You can actually cause a horrible car accident that sends destroyed vehicles into the group of thugs that have you pinned down in an alley. While the screens we’ve seen look gorgeous, like 1313, platforms and date are unnannounced. So, most likely, what we’ve seen is a high-end PC. If it’s coming to consoles, again like 1313, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re talking PS4 and neXtBox.

So you want a little information about Halo 4‘s Spartan Ops mode? We’ve got that, but not much more:

“The story of the UNSC Infinity intersects with the Halo 4 campaign, and then continues on in a brand-new, story-driven experience known as Spartan Ops.

“A first-of-its-kind, exciting new addition to the Halo franchise, Spartan Ops is an episodic adventure that blends immersive storytelling, high-quality cinematics and action-packed gameplay to deliver an unprecedented serialized experience.

“Through a weekly series of cinematic episodes, Spartan Ops will tell the continuing story of the UNSC Infinity, following the events of Halo 4. These episodes will center on the UNSC Infinity leaders and crew as well as a new team of Spartans—Majestic Squad.

“These cinematic episodes will provide the backdrop for the weekly Spartan Ops gameplay missions. Playable in single-player or cooperatively with up to four players, Spartan Ops lets you explore the corners of Requiem in objective-based missions and help uncover the secrets of the mysterious Forerunner world.”

Personally, I’m a little sketchy on the whole weekly episodes thing. Is this story-based multiplayer? Are you really going to be watching cut scenes between matches? Do people want that? Altogether, the game looks like a good entry into an established and loved franchise, but anything they tweak is going to fall under serious scrutiny.

If you haven’t checked your PlayStation Store this week, and missed the announcement at E3, PS Plus is getting a whole mess of new value! Starting this past Tuesday with the store update, 12 full games are available for free to Plus subscribers. These games will be rotated through on a regular basis, with plans to give subscribers 45 titles per year. The first set is nothing to sneeze at:

• Choplifter HD
• Hard Corp: Uprising
• Infamous 2
• Just Cause 2
• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
• LittleBigPlanet 2
• Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
• Saints Row 2
• Sideway: New York
• Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
• Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone

PS+ runs about $60/year, and it is a subscription service like Netflix. That means you can access these games only as long as you have a membership. Just like cancelling your Netflix service means you can no longer stream your instant queue, letting your Plus subscription expire means these games will no longer be playable. Some people take exception to this model, but the way I see it, you’re spending that much on 360 per year just to play online. Maybe I’m a Sony shill, but I thoguht Plus was worth it even before they added this kind of value. Something to note is that the North American and EU stores don’t match on titles. I would guess that some of the games on the EU version (Darksiders, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD) will cycle in as part of the annual 45 games, and vice versa.

When the name Dead World was trademarked recently, speculation was that we’d be seeing the sequel to Dead Island very soon. And we are, but that’s not actually the name. It’s actually being called Dead Island: Riptide. Despite Deep Silver saying it was not in production last month, Techland’s Facebook has a blurb about the game: “The next battle between life and death will be waged in Dead Island Riptide, currently in development for consoles and PC by Techland. An extensive reveal of the thrilling new perils that players can expect from this new entry to the Dead Island franchise is planned for later this summer. Stock up on zombie survival guides, water, ammunition, and watch this space!” A nice logo was also revealed:

The “Dawngaurd” DLC we’ve been anticipating for Skyrim has been given a tentative release date. Todd Howard says it will be available on June 26th for 1600 MSP, assuming everything works according to plan. Due to timed exclusivity, PS3 users can expect “some time” after that.

It seems a little late to the game, but a Move update is coming to Portal 2. This will come through the “In Motion” add-on and includes new levels as well. These will be the same levels that came out for the PC version’s compatibility with Razer’s Hydra motion controller for PC. The motion levels allow players to manipulate objects and rescale for additional puzze solving.

Of all the great stuff coming out of E3, one thing that’s been slightly overlooked is Microsoft’s confirmation of this year’s Summer of Arcade. The titles that have been confirmed for the event are Hybrid, Wreckateer, Deadlight, Tony Hawks Pro Skater HD and Dust: An Elysian Tale (which is obviously not realted to Sony’s Dust 514 in any way). No date has been announced, but Microsoft recently had Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD listed for July 11th before it was taken down. It would make sense to get it started with the Independence Day update.

Proving once again that there is no property in modern media that can’t be milked to death and then done again, especially when Activision gets involved, Angry Birds HD is coming to consoles. More information is expected in about two weeks. What version this will be is unclear, as Angry Birds is already available as a PlayStation mini. Come back in a couple of weeks and I’ll have whatever’s updated about it in VGQH.

Overkill confirmed this week that they have a publisher for Payday: The Heist 2, 505 Games. This sounds to be a very fair deal for both parties, giving Overkill more freedom than most publishers allow. The official line from Overkill is that “This new co-operation lets us be Overkill and lets us develop the Payday franchise in new fantastic directions long term. With the support and skill of 505 Games we are going to pull off heists on a scale never seen before!” While the first game was PC and PS3 exclusive, no consoles have been announced for this sequel. This all comes after the announcement last month that Overkill is working with Valve on a “very cool blend of Payday and Left 4 Dead.” Common speculation is that this may be a prequel detailing how the outbreak started.

A glaring omission from this year’s E3 has been Team ICO’s The Last Guardian. Expectation is that this game should be seeing a fairly imminent release, yet it wasn’t even mentioned at the press conference and didn’t seem to be anywhere on the show floor. Why not? According to Shuhei Yoshida (Sony Worldwide President), “The team back in Tokyo is working hard, and there are some technical difficulties that the team is focused on right now. That’s why we don’t have an update.” Regarding speculation that the game is headed to the next-gen, Yoshida confirmed it “is a PS3 game.” I can’t help but think the delay is directly related to the game’s director, Fumito Ueda, leaving Sony back in December, though he is reportedly still involved on a freelance basis.

Sony isn’t the only one with a conspicuously absent title. Where was Crytek’s “core” title for Kinect, Ryse? Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, Phil Spencer, seems positive that it’s coming, but not very positive about its current state. According to Spencer, they’re “just not at a point right now to show the game,” but they are “still working with Crytek, [and] still extremely committed to the relationship.” There is a caveat however, as “we want to make sure that we’re putting our best foot forward every time we show the game.” Sounds like he doesn’t think the game is in good enough shape to even run a teaser at gaming’s biggest event. Mysteriously, when asked about the game remaining Kinect-only, his response was that “Kinect will be part of the game, absolutely.” Part of the game? That doesn’t sound good for Ryse, but it also sounds really bad for Kinect. The device sold a lot of units, but has it sold a lot of games?

Speaking of Crytek, CEO Cevat Yerli has declared the company is moving to a strictly free-to-play business model. This shift will occur after their three current projects (Homefront 2, Crysis 3, and Ryse) are completed. According to Yerli, Call of Duty: Elite and other DLC models are “milking customers to death.” Yerli says the company’s future will be “all the new games that we’re working on, as well new projects, new platforms and technologies, are designed around free-to-play and online, with the highest quality development.” Budgets are still expected to be “between $10m to $30m – so no compromise there – but at the price-point of $0 entry.” This seems like a very bold move, especially for a company that pushed the graphical limits of many high end PCs with the first Crysis.

Huge week this week, but that seems to be it for now. E3 is exciting, but also overwhelming. Hopefully next week will be a little more relaxing, but not overly dull. Come on back on Tuesday.

E3 is here!!! This is like Christmas in June for those of us that follow video games. We’ve got at least three ‘bots on the scene and BSR! will be bringing some extensive coverage. As per usual with VGQH, I’ll link you to their stories for all the details, but you can get the basics right here. Starting with Sony’s press conference which I watched live last night on G4.

For me, the highlights were Beyond from Quantic Dream and the announcement of Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation for PS Vita. Seriously, anything from Quantic Dream and David Cage has my attention immediately. Also, I really enjoyed AC: Bloodlines on PSP. So a white Vita packaged with our first female (French-African) assassin probably just sold me on Sony’s new handheld in October. Which, by the way, will start supporting PSOne Classics this summer.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Click the link above and read Zombietron’s full report, I’m just handling highlighting:

• Jack Tretton loves “exclusive” – he also had the best suit of the night (it’s a weird thing I notice).
• PSOne Classics are coming to Vita, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy VII were mentioned specifically.
• Call of Duty: Declassified was shown for Vita. Looks like Call of Duty, on a Vita. Yawn.
• Quantic Dream’s Beyond, starring Ellen Page looks fantastic, but how and what do you actually control?
• Actual PS All-Stars Battle Royale gameplay was shown. Looks chaotic. Nathan Drake (duh) and Big Daddy (huh) were announced.
• ACIII and Liberation were both discussed. Hardware bundles for PS3 and PS Vita, respectively. Captaining a ship as Connor looked boring.
• PS+ is getting some more love. inFamous 2, LBP2, and Saints’ Row 2 will be available today. For free it appears. Look for more awesome stuff for the service soon.
• Something about Far Cry 3. I went to make more margaritas.
• Wonderbook and some spell-casting Pottermore thing was shown for Move. Live demo controls were fail. Ha ha.
• God of War Ascension: Kratos kills things. Gore and combos. Sound familiar? March 2013.
• Gameplay of Naughty Dog’s Last of Us was shown. I literally turned my head and shuddered at the violence. Not the gore, the brutality. Zombietron has the video.

Microsoft’s press conference was a little too early for me to catch. G4 ran it again after Sony’s but by this point I was a little drunk and more than a little tired. Honestly, all I really gathered from it was that Halo 4 is still their only superstar. And something new in Gears of War (Judgment). Seriously, I was half falling asleep at this point. My recollections are completely unfair. I’m sure they showed a lot more that I would have found interesting if I could keep my eyes open. I’ve done a little digging and I can give you the basics that I missed but no details:

• Splinter Cell: Blacklist debuted.
• Forza Horizon coming in October.
• XBox Live: better Bing functionality, more languages, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Machinima, Univision, NBA, NHL, ESPN, XBox Music, Internet Explorer
• SmartGlass: some kind connectivity between TVs, tablets and other devices. Potential, but I need to to know more. Watch movies or play games
  on XBox with maps or play calling on your tablet.
• Tomb Raider gameplay
• Resident Evil 6 has timed exclusive DLC.
• Dance Central 3 (surprise).
• Black Ops II timed exclusive DLC (surprise).
• South Park: The Stick of Truth (March 5, 2013) timed exclusive DLC and Kinect functionality.
• New Games: Ascend: New Gods, Lococycle, and Matter
• Fable: The Journey is October 9, 2012.

Nintendo’s event is today. I’ll miss it but you can follow along with Zombietron’s live blog.

From here out it’s going to be a little helter skelter with things from pre-E3 and during in the most reasonable manner I can construct. I apologize in advance if it looks like lunacy.

Injustice: Gods Among Us brings NetherRealm back to the DC realm. Batman, The Flash, Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more will have their own, large-scale fighting game in 2013. Ed Boon shows some excitement, and you should expect to hear more about this throughout the week.

Two more games have been announced for Move that just scream hardware bundle. Sports Champions 2 and Dance Star Party are planned for later in 2012. We’re all still waiting for something else along the lines of Sorcery to convince us that our lollipop controllers were worth the purchase.

Naughty Bear had a good concept that didn’t really come off smooth. Kind of disappointing, but it looks like Behavior Interactive wants to give it another go, albeit on a smaller scale. Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise will be coming to PSN and XBLA later this year.

We’re still awaiting confirmation on the Premium service that’s expected to be shown at E3, but it should also be mentioned that Battlefield 3 had a huge title update coming this week. The list of patches and tweaks is extensive so I’m not listing all of them. If it goes the way of most updates, just know that everything has been fixed except the one glitch you hate the most.

How big of a fanboy shill are you for Assassin’s Creed? Big enough to drop $100 on the Ubiwokshop Edition of Assassin’s Creed III? Yeah, me too. This version comes with a hardcover encyclopedia, and the 200+ page graphic novel about Subject 4. This novel combines the complete run of AC: The Fall and AC: The Chain from Daniel Cross and Nikolai Orelov. You can pre-order now, and you’ll want to do it before the Fourth of July. After that it goes up to $110. The game still launches on October 30, 2012.

SEGA also announced a collector’s edition for Aliens: Colonial Marines. This one comes with a resin figureine of a xenomorph fighting a powerloader, a USCM dossier, schematics for the USS Sephora, recruitment card, recon photo, USCM patches, graduation certificate and extra DLC – all in a special “xeno hive” box. The bonus DLC includes Cpl. Hicks, Sgt. Apone, Pvt. Hudson and Pvt. Drake; Ripley’s Flamethrower, extra Marine customization items, USCM Acadamy Firing Range level, Phase Plasma Rifle and Sonic Electronic Ball Breakers. Not a bad haul, though a price hasn’t been announced. Thos figurines are tricky. Sometimes they can produce them cheap enough for an $80 bundle, but they usually go for $100. Most of the DLC is also available as a GameStop preorder bonus. You should also expect it as paid DLC at a later date. The game releases on February 12, 2013.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 was announced prior to E3, but the details were sparse and we’re expecting more at the show. For now, know that you’re playing as Gabriel Belmont again, the Belmonts are seeking to finish Dracula for good, and this is the “shocking conclusion” to the Lords of Shadow arc.

Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider reboot has finally been dated, March 5, 2013. This game looks a little better every time I see it. I’ve gone from completely bored with the concept to wondering how long it will take to reach March.

An Italian retailer had a Hitman HD Collection listed for a short time last week. This isn’t the first I’ve heard of this rumor, but it is still only rumor. With Hitman Absolution coming in November it probably makes sense to revisit Agent 47’s past sometime at the end of Summer.

The Lord of the Rings isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. With The Hobbit returning the characters to the big screen this holiday season and the Guardians of Middle Earth MOBA coinciding with it you probably think you’ve seen all of their current plans. Wrong. Isn’t this franchise ripe for Traveller’s Tales to brickitize it for LEGO The Lord of the Rings? Of course it is. And it’s further along than you might expect, as it’s set for release this Fall. That’ll be two LEGO games this year (including LEGO Batman 2). They also had at least three last year, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter Years 5-7, and Star Wars III. Can they keep up this level of releases? Development should be fairly easy since you’re just skinning the engine and only need to focus on level design. But how many more franchises can they milk?

Game Informer has revealed the first game from Robotoki, Rob Bowling’s new studio. It’s zombies. That’s a good and a bad thing. Zombies are an easy sell, but they’re also getting a little tired. Human Element is going to have to bring something new to the table to really stand out. To listen to Bowling describe it, he’s got that covered. “Their greatest strength is the fear that [zombies] instill in us, the survivors, that unreasonable fear. Unreasonable fear that leads us to do unreasonable things to survive.” You’ll have three different classes from which to choose: Action, Intelligence, and Stealth. You’ll also choose your scenario: survive alone, with a partner, or with a child.“How you choose to start in the world will determine how you can engage and impacts the scenarios you will be presented with on a physical and morality level.” Excited? Too bad, you’re waiting until next-gen consoles in 2015.

Preorder bonuses for Bethesda’s Dishonored have been announced for the major retailers. GameStop has Arcane Assassin DLC and a deck of tarot cards; Best Buy will give you a whale oil USB lamp and Shadow Rat DLC; you’ll get the Backstreet Butcher pack from Amazon; Wal-Mart has the Acrobatic Killer pack; and Target will give you a decal for your smartphone. Good job Target. The game launches on October 9, 2012.

EA’s Press Conference Highlights – they need to work on their information security:

• Dead Space 3, February 2013. Drop-in/out co-op. Leaked info was right. Footage.
• Battlefield 3 Premium: Leaked info was right.
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted officially announced. This was leaked a while ago.
• EA now has the UFC license instead of THQ.
• Crysis 3: February 2013. Again, leaked ages ago.

Ubisoft’s Press Conference Highlights (also could use some leak protection):

• Spec-Ops: The Line getting free DLC.
• Announced Avengers: Battle for Earth. Spider-Man, Wolverine, Venom, Storm, Magneto. Fall 2012. Kinect functionality.
• Assassin’s Creed III footage. PS3 exclusive DLC
• Watch_Dogs: Techno-conspiracy thriller. Control electronics in the city for open world destruction. Total surprise. Want to hear more.
• Far Cry 3 trailer. Four-player co-op. PS3-exclusive DLC.
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist footage.

That’s all for now. Definitely keep a BSR! tab open all this week though. I’ll have highlights again on Friday, but for details as they happen, watch for Zombietron and company’s live coverage.

To get the information listed early let’s remember that Sony has many exclusive partnerships. Their partnerships are exclusive, and did they mention that they’re exclusive?

The conference led off with a rousing video set of upcoming and current titles on the Playstation 3 and Vita. The folk at at Sony then began discussing the Vita and their dedication to the gamers. The Vita will be given Playstation One Classics, huzzah! It may be four months too late but at least it’s coming.

Next Quantic Dream entered to share the first look at Beyond. I hope you played Heavy Rain. If you didn’t there is still time to save your soul. The trailer describes the game more than I can. The faces are gorgeous, the rigging is absolutely insane, I can’t wait.

Next we were treated to Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale game play. Being one of the few that didn’t like Smash Brothers I’m not too excited. It was cool to see the announcement of Big Daddy and Nathan Drake, those ready for the game will have a great cast to choose from.

Assassin’s Creed III Liberation for the PS Vita was announced to my delight, yeah that’s right I have a game to buy for Vita now folks! Further more the cross compatibility with the PS3 is absolutely phenomenal looking, I’m disappointed to see the arm twist required to snag a skin and multi-player character, but it is what it is. I’m sure those of us unwilling to purchase both will be able to grab the DLC a few months down the road.

The game play for Assassin’s Creed III looked phenomenal, I can’t stress how incredible the games look. I believe Wrath.O.Tron put it best when describing the amount that the new hardware gap is pushing the engines is simply incredible.

Next up on the roster Far Cry 3 with 4 player Co-Op. It looked good, it sounded good, and the coop was really exciting. I’m not sure how pumped I am for Far Cry 3, but the coop would drive me to play it.

After Far Cry 3 we were given the honor of a 15 minute story book demo, including the Harry Potter Spell Book. The new Wonder Book looks ideal for children, and those people that want to read books on their tv…while sitting….on the floor… with their Playstation Move….Next to their cats……

After something family friendly it was finally time for a chain of violence, God of War Ascension showed us that Kratos is still okay with brutally slaughtering goat men, half elephant men things, and well, anything that stands in his way.

The coup de gras of Sony’s presentation was “The Last Of Us”, with what I will deem as one of the grittiest, and most hardcore game play demos I’ve seen in a long time. The brutal beating dished out by the main character and his female companion made me anxious to play. The villain gets choked out, not just a quick kill, it was a slow and visceral choke out. I’m not sure if I’ll be desensitized enough to handle it. I guess we’ll find out. Check back for gameplay footage as soon as we can get our hands on it, and we’ll see you all at Nintendo’s conference tomorrow.

Judging by the numbers it put up, it appears everyone reading this saw The Avengers over the weekend. Twice. I know I did. I also ejaculated. More than twice. More like every time the Hulk did something awesome. Which was every time the Hulk did anything. The best part is that this leads right into today’s first story.

A table based on the recent film is coming to Zen/Marvel Pinball as part of the Avengers Chronicles four pack. Sadly, we don’t have a date yet. Or, technically, a price. Somehow or another these tables will be involved with the launch of Zen Pinball 2 on PS3. I’m a little confused how that relates as it seems it will merge Marvel Pinball and Zen Pinball. Which is basically what it’s always been on the 360 version. But, I think ZP2 is also coming to 360??? I’m seeing $9.99 and I’m also seeing free if you already own one. Definitely seeing Vita version is free with purchase of Ps3 version. I’m confused, but who cares. There’s a a pretty picture. And your balls aren’t silver, they’re color-coordinated so you’re actually playing as one of the Avengers and have to pick which order you use each hero.

In case you missed the announcement because you were watching The Avengers, a new event started on Ms. Splosion Man this past Saturday. The SPLOKOUR Challenge wants to see how far you can get without touching the floor; each touch to the floor results in a ten second penalty. The contest continues until May 20th, so you’ve got plenty of time to practice your SPLOKOUR moves. At the end of the promotion, the top five in the leaderboards will have chance to win the next game from Twisted Pixel and a Ms. Splosion Man plush doll. Which is actually a semi-announcement in itself. Twisted Pixel is announcing their next game at E3 on June 5th.

Harmonix is also working on a new game that hasn’t been officially announced. As you’d expect, it will be a music game. Also, with their most recent success coming from the Dance Central franchise, you shouldn’t be surprised that it’s motion-based. The big news is that it’s actually next-gen motion-based. Of course, with next-gen systems not being official yet, neither is the announcement. The information we have comes solely from a job listing.

The first issue of the Max Payne miniseries from Marvel is now available for free download. You can read it online or download a .pdf here. You can also enter to win a physical copy at the same link. The comic is written by Sam Lake and Dan Houser.

Most of you should know by now that a South Park RPG is coming from THQ and Obsidian. Parker and Stone are handling the writing to insure that it has the true South Park feel, unlike many of their other licensed games that only carried the title. In order to make the game stand out from its predecessors, it has been officially named South Park: The Stick of Truth. Unfortunately, that’s the extent of the new information I have on the game. Nothing else has come forward, just the name. I’ll get back to it when something important happens.

Ubisoft has been hinting at the long-awaited sequel to Beyond Good & Evil for years. From simply encouraging fans to buy the PSN/XBLA release of the first game so they could gauge excitement levels, to then announcing that Rayman Origins needed to make a lot of money to fund the project, they’re clearly indicating it’s a possibility but that they’re afraid of the money side. According to recent comments from Michel Ancel, Beyond Good & Evil 2 is in creation stage. No idea what that means, as it doens’t sound the same as production. However, we do know we won’t see it very soon, as like Harmonix’s next game, they’re planning it for next-gen. According to Ancel, “it’s a very ambitious game and we need some tech to achieve that ambition.” He didn’t mention which next-gen consoles, as he hasn’t seen the tech for them and he doesn’t want to lose focus by making those decisions now. He elaborated by saying the team will “focus on the game. We create it first, then we’ll see what can run it. We don’t say 2013 because we don’t know when it will come. We’re working to create a great game and it needs more tech.” Ancel also indicated that control of the player character would be parkour in nature, much like Prince of Persia or Assassin’s Creed. Since his statements, a single screen shot has been making the rounds on the internet, supposedly from the long awaited sequel.

Agent 47’s Facebook page is proclaiming an announcement will be made this Thursday, May 10th. Actually it’s the Hitman Facebook page, but whatever. Of course, whenever a publisher tries to announce something major, someone else leaks it. An ad from an upcoming issue of Game Informer exposes the announcement with a more elaborate version of their teaser photo. This is related to Hitman Absolution, but it looks to be a standalone game. Apparently you’ll be able to access Hitman: Sniper Challenge by pre-ordering Absolution at GameStop. It certainly looks to just be a leaderboard game, but you may be able to unlock weapons or other items for Absolution. Here’s the leaked photo and the “official” one as well.

The $99 XBox 360 deal I mentioned last week has launched. The 4GB console has an incredibly low entry price, but you’ll be contracted to pay $15/month for your Gold membership for two years. Your two year total is $459. Buying at the standard retail price and paying the typical membership fee is $40 cheaper. Depending on your financial means and savvy, this may be an acceptable way to get the 360 you’ve been wanting. I call it a rip-off, but I’m probably being unfair. The deal is now live on Microsoft’s official site where you can pick up a voucher to redeem at an official store in the U.S. Not sure which stores in your area are “official?” Try this handy link. This still raises next-gen questions in my mind. How many stories have mentioned next-gen systems today alone? Microsoft and Sony refuse to talk timelines for their next consoles, but plenty of rumors are pointing at 2013, if not by the end of this year. Is now really the time to contract yourself into 2014 on a current console? Is Microsoft committing to the 360 through the next two years, or is this a shady maneuver to keep people paying for old tech after they release the new stuff in 12-18 months?

After being outed on Amazon, Activision has made an official announcement about Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. Activision’s Executive VP, David Oxford, said that “Fans of Family Guy will love that we’ve taken some of the series’ most iconic and memorable moments and built them into an impressive and uncensored video game Anyone who watches the show will appreciate how much we have adhered to its rich and twisted universe and characters.” Writing and voice talents from the show have apparently been tapped for the game, though no furthe details are available yet. It is expected to launch in Fall 2012.

During a recent earnings call with investors, EA has confirmed that we will see new releases in the Need for Speed and Dead Space franchises this year. No news about the games was announced. It’s just an investor call, not a press release. To recap what we know about them: Dead Space 3 is expected to feature an ice planet and a “Shadow Isaac” that mocks his actions and gives insight into his fractured mental state. EA has also discussed moving the franchise into different genres, though the idea of Dead Space 3 as an FPS is unfounded for now. At least one retailer has started taking pre-orders on Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2. However, no other news has come forward about it so the subtitle may not be accurate.

Finally, they aren’t new games, but they are great games – and they’re only $1.00. PixelJunk is having an anniversary sale! Q Games is turning ten, and PixelJunk is turning five, so they’re celebrating by giving you some of the PSN downloadables for only $1.00. PJ Monsters, Racers, Eden, and Shooter are on crazy sale with today’s store update. PJ Monsters Deluxe for PSP, Shooter 2, and Sidescroller are also being reduced by 50%. The PJ games are some of the best-reviewed titles the PSN has, and getting them for one measly dollar should be abig deal. Unless you’ve already bought them all. The sale only lasts for a week so you’ll need to snap up your choices quick-like (as in immediately for me, since I’ll be out of the country starting tomorrow). Of course, when this sale ends, PixelJunk’s newest game, 4AM, will be launching on May 15th.

That’s it for today. And, for me and VGQH, that’s all until May 22nd (or May 25th if I’m too busy when I get home). As you just saw in the last story I am taking a long-awaited trip. I’ll be visting Ireland for ten days. It’s a good time of year for VGQH to take a break, since most of the major news is being held until E3 the first week of June. You should still keep an eye on Big Shiny Robot! while I’m gone. Most of these smaller stories I round up a couple of times a week will likely get skipped, but anything major will still be covered by our other gaming ‘bots. Until I return with a definitive answer about the best way to enjoy a Guinness, Sláinte!

Do you know how hard it is to avoid spoilers about the The Avengers when you’re the last person you know to see it? I missed the preview screenings and working at 6am means I didn’t see it last night at midnight either. Only a few hours to go though. I’ve got tickets for 2:50 this afternoon and 10:00 tomorrow morning. The agonizing length of my work day will only be surpassed by an even more agonizingly long day this coming Tuesday. I’ll tell you more about that one next week. For now, let’s talk gaming news:

Max Payne 3 is set to release on May 15th (soundtrack on May 23rd). Which means now is the ideal time to start DLC dates. There’s a time and place for the discussion about planning DLC before a game even releases, with some legitimate arguments on both sides. I’m going to avoid that for now and just let you know what Rockstar has cooking. The Rockstar Pass, as seen with L.A. Noire, is making its return. You may have already seen it in the PlayStation Store (and likely the XBox Marketplace but I haven’t checked). It’s also available for pre-order through GameStop and Best Buy. Purchasing the pass will get you access to all of the planned DLC at a significant discount. The first map pack, “Local Justice,” will release in June with another six packages coming throughout the summer and fall. Total damage on the bundle is 2400 Microsoft Points ($29.99), 35% less than buying the packs individually. That seems like a pretty steep entrance fee considering it’s only providing multiplayer expansions and you’re already spending $60 to even get started on the game. Splitting the DLC into so many packages runs the risk of creating a fractured online community if a lot of people decide to skip the Rockstar Pass and only buy a couple of map packs. The plan has its flaws, but the Housers have a long resume of strong successes. Until I see otherwise, I’m going to believe they have the right idea.

Along with the Kinect functionality that came earlier this week, Bethesda has finally given us something official in regards to Skyrim DLC. Not much, but something. The first add-on chapter will be called Dawnguard and is apparently coming to XBox 360 this summer (thought to be a timed exclusive, likely coming to PS3 at a later time). Other than that, we’ll have to wait until E3 (June 5-7) when they’ve promised to reveal more. In the meantime, they gave us a cool promo shot.

Remember the Wii Vitality Sensor? No? That’s fine, it never went anywhere and looked ridiculous. But I can’t help thinking about it when I see the patent Microsoft was recently granted, a wearable EMG controller. EMG, or electromyography, is a technology that’s been used in prosthetic arms for several years. Essentially, small electrodes read the electric pulse of your muscles when you move (or try to move something that isn’t there in prosthetic applications). Microsoft filed the application in 2009, but it’s recently made its way through and was granted. The application referenced using EMG technology in an armband, a wristband, and clothes. It appears Microsoft has shelved the device in favor of Kinect, which released in November 2010, much like Nintendo dropped the Vitality sensor. I’m not sure whether this should be written off as another hare-brained controller gimmick, or lauded for what it could mean to the future of games. I honestly think we’ll see something of a similar nature in the coming years as the technology improves. The job that pays my bills is actually in the prosthetic industry so I have a little insight about the technology. At the moment, it’s simply not accurate enough to get you through an intense FPS battle. But it could be. Combine this tech with an improved version of Kinect, eye tracking devices, immersive 3D projection, etc. and what have you got? Anyone who’s seen a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation knows exactly where I’m going.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops II being officially announced earlier this week, it seems a little premature to be offering pre-order incentives already. That isn’t stopping GameStop though. As one of the country’s largest game retailers they tend to get a lot of the special exclusives, which is odd considering they’re also a primary motivator in the used game market that publishers and developers dislike so much. GameStop is planning four waves of incentives. Ordering now will qualify you for all four. The first is a double-sided Black Ops II poster in very limited quantities (order before June 30th). PowerUp Rewards members can also get a Modern Warfare 3 Prestige token by ordering now. The remaining three waves have not been announced. The game doesn’t actually release until November 13th. According to Amazon, the day one pre-order numbers are three times higher than for the first Black Ops, the biggest selling game in the franchise’s history.

With Journey completing thatgamecompany’s three game exclusivity contract with Sony, the Japanese giant has another “incubation” deal with another indie developer set to take their place. Developers Giant Sparrow are currently working on The Unfinished Swan for PSN. The player controls Monroe, a boy chasing a swan that has escaped from an unfinished surrealist painting. Huh? A short trailer reveals Monroe flinging black paint at a white canvas to create the world. According to Ian Dallas, Creative Director, “The painting a white world stuff is actually just the first 15 minutes. After that, things get really weird.” The title will support dualshock, Move, or Move and Navigation Controller. The downloadable space has been a great venue for “art house” games, with thatgamecompany one of the leaders in the movement. Can Giant Sparrow fill the hole they’re leaving at Sony? We’ll certainly find out soon, though no formal release date has been announced.

Rumors have started about a new pricing structure for the XBox 360. Microsoft has made no official comment, but reliable (though anonymous) sources are claiming a $99 4GB system with Kinect will soon be hitting stores. How do they make that profitable? The same way your cell phone company does it, by locking the buyer into a $15/month subscription to XBox Live. An early cancellation fee would apply. Total cost over the two years is $459, as opposed to $419 if you go the traditional route. It’s more expensive in the long run, but it’s also a good way to get it on the system with very little up front. The bundle would come with a two year warranty as well additional television-style programming from their partners. With the major consoles approaching the end of the cycle, this could be a last ditch effort to move inventory and supply cash before the next-gen hits. Of course, if next-gen comes within your two years, you’re contractually locked into outdated hardware. I doubt this will actually happen, as I’d wager we are less than 12-18 months away from the neXtBox.

Maybe sooner, the latest next-gen rumors point to the next XBox having reached the manufacturing stage. According to the rumor (from a source I can’t verify but it’s got a lot of credit from other sources I do know), Flextronics in Austin, TX is currently building units. This is the same facility that built the original XBox and the 360. At the moment it’s assumed that they are not mass-producing retail models, but actually creating debug units for developers. Still, if they’re being built, we have to assume to they’ll be available sooner rather than later. Microsoft still refuses to acknowledge the platform officially, but did release a more elaborate denial than we normally see from them. Their statement reads that “Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumours or speculation.” Microsoft clearly has huge plans for E3, recently announcing that they’ll be live streaming their press conference over XBox Live for the first time, in addition to Spike running the 90 minute presentation in its entirety, commercial-free. Frankly, I’ll be stunned the new platform isn’t featured in some way.

Sony also has rumors flying about pricing structure, but theirs doesn’t include hardware. A recent survey sent to some PSN members asked them to evaluate various pricing plans for PlayStation Plus subscriptions. The proposal seems to indicate a three-tiered structure. The first tier would be $7.99/month, $17.99/quarter, or $49.99/year. This level would offer 40 PSN titles, 20 “Classic” titles, and one full blu-ray game for free each year. Each of the games would be “A” quality titles and new releases. This plan would also offer a 75% discount on all games in the store. The other two options look to run $9.99/month, $24.99/quarter, and $59.99/year. The two plans are similar, with one offering more free games but a smaller discount in the store. I didn’t receive the survey myself so I can’t comment on the context. However, based on the screen grab IGN has, I’d says this looks less like a three-tiered plan and more like an evaluation of which pricing structure has the most appeal. At best, I’d expect to see two options at slightly different price points – high quality free stuff and a steep discount vs. lots of free stuff and a smaller discount. Oddly, all three options in IGN’s image don’t include a CoD Elite subcription, but the line’s existence indicates that may be a possibility as well. Which, if any, of these options would you choose? Keeping in mind, free content is only playable while your subscription lasts; discounted content you buy will still be playable after it’s expired (assuming those rules remain the same under the new structure).

As if Saints’ Row: The Third wasn’t crazy enough, THQ is releasing a super-powered, standalone expansion, Enter the Dominatrix. The expansion ($29.99) features Zinyak, an alien warlord, entering Steelport and imprisoning the Saints’ leader in a virtual reality program. This virtual Steelport looks about as far over the top as an open world game can get. At least until THQ creates something even more bizarre. No date yet, but we’ll update it as soon as we hear one.

Amazon has outed yet another game, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse, apparently coming this September. No details have come light yet, but Activision has told Game Informer that more information will be coming soon. That’s pretty much a confirmation that the game is real. It’s a little odd that Activision would even comment if they weren’t actually going to say anything about it. However, there is a logo!

That’s it for the gaming news this week. Check back on Tuesday for what will be my last edition of VGQH for a short while. I’ll be missing at least three issues, maybe four. It’s not official yet, but I’d like to offer my congratulations to Captain America, who defeated Thor in a powerful rout during the final round of Avenging April brougt to you by Citizen-bot. This was a big, fun project and he did a great job with it. I hope we see more events of this scale on Big Shiny Robot!

It’s the first of May. According to Jonathan Coulton, “outdoor” f***in’ starts today.” Which may be true for some people in certain parts of the world. I’m not adventurous enough for it in broad daylight and it’s still just a bit chilly at night for such activities. Not to mention the bugs. On second thought, let’s just leave that to Coulton, I’m more of an inside kid I think. And you know what else you can do indoors? Play video games.

As I mentioned last week, Activision had a major announcement upcoming. As expected, it’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Release date is scheduled for November 13th. The first trailer will run in the NBA playoffs tonight, but the official website has already been updated with some extra information: “Pushing the boundaries of what fans have come to expect from the record-setting entertainment franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 propels players into a near future, 21st Century Cold War, where technology and weapons have converged to create a new generation of warfare.” Highlighting that future warfare are a few sceen shots released showing the new Quadrotor drones (flying RC machine guns) and a dude with fancy helmet and large gun. Is the near-future just what this series needed? Or is it just the same, iterative franchise with a new coat of (very brown) paint?

Ambitious fans have been digging around in the code for version 1.5.26 of Skyrim. I’m not even sure how one goes about doing this, but I’ve seen a lot of good, secondhand information from the technique. Files related to “DLC01” were discovered with references to snow elves, crossbows, new vampire animations, a Snow Elf prince, and RFsomething. According to Elder Scrolls lore, the snow elves inhabited Skyrim until they were forced underground by the Nords. There they survived on some sort fungi that made them blind and they eventually became the Falmer. They were also made slaves by the Dwemer dwarves. It looks like the first expansion will take you into the depths of Skyrim. But will these elves be friends or enemies? And who is RF? Rumor is that it’s a new companion. Could that be the same reference as the Snow Elf Prince? We should know more very soon, as Pete Hines (VP Marketing and PR, Bethesda) has indicated the plan is to release DLC details this week.

Speaking of Skyrim, the Kinect patch goes live today. There are 200 voice commands now available! Holding the right bumper activates the voice options, which you can issue in English or Dragonese. But really, if you’re yelling at your TV, are you shouting “Dismay” or “Faas Ru Maar”? Either way you sound like a damn fool, so you might as well go full tilt and yell it in Dragon. However, shouts are just the beginning. Voice commands will also help you to use magic, issue commands, barter, use the map, and more. There’s a full manual for the new functionality and you’ll need it if you plan to fully utilize the new options. It’s pretty lengthy though, so I’ve included the pages at the bottom to keep this looking a little bit clean.

Ubisoft has confirmed the plan for Rayman Legends, a follow-up to the well-received Rayman Origins. I mentioned this last week as part of the rumor mill, but that was soon followed with a promotional video about the Wii-U that contained elements from the game, forcing Ubisoft to confirm the game is in development, under Michal Ancel’s direction once again. But, just because the video is real, doesn’t mean it contains anything we’ll see in the game. As Ubisoft elaborated that “This video was intended as a purely internal demonstrative video, and in NO way represents the final game, the final console or their features. This video was destined for internal production teams who often create game prototypes with work in progress development kits.” Which is actually a legitimate statement, despite it sounding like a disclaimer.

Kinect Joy Ride from Big Park was a decent game with a limited audience. It’s now set for a sequel, Joy Ride Turbo, and it’s looking to open up the audience by dropping the Kinect and becoming fully controller-functional. With 42 vehicles, plenty of collectibles, three game modes, anf four player split screen, it looks like XBox 360 owners may finally be getting a kart racer they can be proud to play. A solid release date was not announced, but it is expected in “just a few weeks.”

Of course, there is Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing available for 360 players. But it’s not a console-exclusive. If that doesn’t bother you, and you really enjoyed the first game, you’ll be glad to know the sequel is on its way. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Transformed is scheduled for Holiday 2012. The returning cast includes AiAi of Super Monkey Ball, and the favorites from the Blue Hedgeverse Tails, Knuckles, and Dr. Eggman. Gilius Thunderhead of Golden Axe and Vyse from Skies of Arcadia will be joining the group as well. Track levels will come from Super Monkey Ball, Panzer Dragoon, and many other SEGA classics. Also, you won’t be limited to karts. Planes and boats will be appearing as well. Though I have to wonder if those will be separate vehicles, or if the “Transformed” in the title means you could be shifting from one type to another throughout the race.

You may have been seeing some growing press lately on a PS Move exclusive downloadable called Datura. This one’s hard to explain. It seems to be a mystery, adventure sort of game played through a pseudo-first person viewpoint. Basically, you can only see your hand, which you’ll control with 1:1 accuracy using your Move. A standard controller option is available, but this is clearly designed with the Move in mind. The latest news on the title is that it has been confirmed for release next week, on May 8th. If you’re into sterescopic 3D, that comes with it as well. Maybe that means I should keep the 3D glasses I get when I watch The Avengers on Friday.

If you aren’t at least in your late twenties you probably don’t remember a little thing called Dragon’s Lair. If you do remember it, and you’re not Swankmotron, you no longer have a Laserdisc player and this one is likely lost to the etheric past for you. Not for much longer. you’ll actually be able to play this again beginning May 18th when it releases on XBLA. The release will support, but not require, Kinect. Also featured will be two player, offline co-op, online leaderboards, Avatar items, Gamerpics, and view only mode that doesn’t require you to play along. That last bit may seem silly, but Don Bluth’s animations are completely worthy of watching as a straight cartoon. This should be a cause of joy for us old timers, and real opportunity for the younger crowd.

I remember a time when I never talked about behind the scenes staffing changes for developers. Now it’s almost as big of a deal to me as the change in directors is for fans of The Hunger Games. Richard Lemarchand has been a designer with Naughty Dog, working on the Uncharted series, almost since the beginning. He came to Naughty Dog from Crystal Dynamics in 2004 and has worked on three of the most successful games in Sony’s first-party portfolio of this generation. His time at the developer has now come to an end. His next endeavor will be in educating the next generation of game designers at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in the Interactive Media Division. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be out of game design completely. Lemarchand says, “I’ve always loved the experimental and avant-garde. I wanted to try to make a game in that sphere for the best part of a decade, now.” In addition to his educating duties, he’ll now also be working on an experimental game as part of a research project. I will definitely be interested in seeing what he creates.

Video games and live action stuff have a sketchy reputation in my book. The live action trailers for games tend to be awful, but the Mortal Kombat web series was pretty good. Here’s hoping the web series for Halo 4 keeps up that pace. It’s set to run during the lead up to the November launch of the game. Halo 4: Foward Unto Dawn will be five 15 minute episodes releasing weekly on Machinima and Halo Waypoint. The central figure is a UNSC cadet that will also be featured in the game. The series is expected to provide some additional background for the game and the war with the Covenant. This is Microsoft’s most expensive live action project to date. Their last endeavor of this kind, a Halo short by Neill Blomkamp, was nearly made into a full length movie. Ultimately, it was scrapped and the project became District 9 – a film that has a much better reputation than I felt it deserved.

Details are now releasing about the multiplayer modes in God of War: Ascension. Online multiplayer is making its series debut and Sony Santa Monica is making an effort to be unique. In Execution mode, two teams square off to change the color of several gears (red vs. blue), which summons the Spear of Olympus. This super-weapon will allow you to lay waste to your opponents, opening a path to their several traps. Getting by the spike and fire traps will lead you to an encounter with a giant mythological beast. In the example shown, that beast was Poseidon’s Cyclopic son, Polyphemus. You’ll choose to ally your multiplayer character with one of the gods. Which of the gods you choose (Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, or Hades) will determine abilities, perks, and unlocks. Higher levels mean new perks, weapons, and armor. With only seven maps, two small arenas and five large environments, the team seems to be going for a quality experience rather than varied backgrounds. Two things we know it will be missing are drop-in drop-out co-op and female combatants. Apparently Sony Santa Monica didn’t like the looks of their armored female brutes and decided to cut the feature altogether.

Digital copies of Marvel’s first issue of the Max Payne mini-series, After the Fall, launches for free on the Rockstar News Wire this Thursday. The series is written by Rockstar’s Dan Houser and Remedy’s Sam Lake, pencils and ink by Fernando Blanco. The series covers more of Max’s dark past and sets the stage for the third game in the series, launching May 15. Here’s the first cover, by Greg Horn:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Kinect Voice Manual

Can you believe it? April’s almost over. A week from now we’ll be geeksplashing movie screens across the country as we watch The Avengers release the Power of Whedon all over Loki and his hideous aliens. Well, most of us will be. Some of us watched it last night (or last week) and the rest of us hate you for it. For me, this movie is sort of opening a gateway to a summer of lunacy. The next week I’ll be enjoying a vacation that I’ve literally been planning for over ten years. Between May 4th and the end of August I think I have some kind of plan for every weekend. But you don’t care about my busy (but incredibly fun) schedule. You care about gaming news, so let’s get to it:

Have you ever seen the company’s name spelled as Micro$oft? Of course you have. Especially by trolling Sony fanboys. It’s an unnecessary dig at a company for doing what it’s designed to do, make money. But it tends to be how they make money that is irksome. A new deal has been struck to run 15-30 second TV-style commercials on XBox Live. It’s easy to complain about this considering you’re most likely paying them an annual fee to even be able to use the service and now they’re charging you for commercials, but most of you have probably been doing that with your cable or satellite service for years. The counterpoint to this announcement is that more channels are also coming, including one from Manga Entertainment. This is all an attempt to monetize a service that’s in millions of homes and should be expected. Yet it also seems oddly unnecessary. XBox Live has seen a 142% increase in advertising revenue since 2010, due in large part to the increased advertising space provided by the dashboard redesign – a redesign that many gamers feel decreased the usability of the interface. It’s probably not fair to judge this latest change until we see it in action, but it’s hard no to look at the concept and feel a little used.

A negative Microsoft story followed by Sony’s May PlayStation Plus bonuses – doesn’t exactly look like I’m playing fair. Then again, maybe those two aren’t really playing fair by having these announcements run so close together. This month you’ll be getting Trine 2, Rock of Ages, and Awesomenauts for free! Two of those games, Awesomenauts (5/1) and Rock of Ages (5/15), are brand new releases; Trine 2 has been around for a while and is very highly rated. As for PSOne Classics, time to don your Dracula-killing hat and prepare for painful difficulty. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Castlevania Chronicles are free for PS+. Other free benefits this month will be the beta for PixelJunk 4am, two minis (Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims and Velocity), two avatars, and a dynamic theme. That’s a pretty good month. If you’re looking for discounts though, how about Datura, Disney Universe, Rayman Origins, and Saints’ Row The Third?

With the series now having passed the 17 million units sold mark, it should come as no surprise that Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is getting a Game of the Year edition. No word yet on a release date, but it’s set to include all previously released DLC, as you’d expect. If you’re like me and still playing catch up from last year’s games this should be a great way to get on this game. I’m so behind that I actually just sarted this one last week. So far I’d say it isn’t quite as good as the second game but still totally top shelf. My biggest gripe is that their revamp of the physics to be more dynamic just makes Drake look like Adrian Monk. Does he seriously have to touch every wall in arm’s reach? Even during a firefight?

Yet another accidental posting by an online retailer, Amazon France this time, has prematurely revealed a game. Well, not so much a game. It’s actually a bundled three pack of games. Resistance: The Trilogy is apparently releasing sometime around May 16th, though it hasn’t been announced or revealed for anywhere other than France. This will bundle all three games in the Sony-exclusive FPS series for 60 euro.

Newly announced for release this fall is NBA Baller Beats for Kinect. The game will require the use of an actual basketball as the Kinect will track it along with your body movements. It’s essentially a rhythm game, with a major focus on music and ball-handling skills. This definitely seems great for a certain audience, though I have the same concerns for it as I had for the pro guitar and drum modes on Rock Band. If you’re really that good with the ball, isn’t playing a game about it sort of redundant? There is also the additional concern of dribbling the ball on your carpeted floor. And think how thrilled you’ll be with the guy in the apartment above yours when he’s playing this one. My excitement actually comes from all the awesome YouTube videos we’re sure to see of people breaking up their family rooms with out of control basketballs. Sorry HB Studios, this is a cool enough concept, but maybe it should have stayed in the concept stage.

The creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami, is returning to survival horror with Zwei. Yes, that’s German for “two” but there’s no connection, and it’s also only a codename for the project right now. This will be coming from Tango Gameworks, the studio he founded that was acquired by Zenimax (parent company of Bethesda) back in 2010. Don’t get too excited yet though. It’s still very much in the early stages and no release window is even being hinted for now. As for where you’ll find it, it will be on HD consoles, but nothing specific yet. It’s early enough in development that we could be talking late stage for this generation or possibly moving into the next. Being next-gen would definitely be a good reason to not mention actual platforms yet.

Konami’s updated the official website for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance with an awful live action trailer. Seriously, it looks like SyFy grade special effects. At the end of the video it shows the date 4/30/2012. They’re apparently going to reveal something awesome. We’ve got a great series from Konami, with a revamped play style from Platinum Games. We all know what this is and whether we’re interested. What could they be revealing? It’s most likely the release date. If this video is any indication of the game’s quality, fans should prepare for disappointment.

Pretty lackluster way to end the week, but it’ll probably be like this until E3. If anyone wanted to make a big announcement, sometime in the next two weeks would be the perfect time. All of the competition will be stowing their top stories for the first week in June, then have to compete against one another for headline space. See you next week.

PixelJunk has released some incredible games on PSN and the brand carries a lot of name power. But I’m still a little confused about their next release, PixelJunk 4am. A beta is opening soon and it’s set for launch next month. But what is it? At the most basic level, this is a music visualizer. The second generation of PSOne had one built in, so does Windows Media Player. But it’s also a Move compatible “game(?)”. There will be four different “instruments” – bass, drum, rhythm, and synth – that you can manipulate, DJ-style. According to Lead Designer Rowan Parker, “Each track then has 4 different looping samples and four one-shot sounds in space around you that you can use. All of the loops and samples are different for each song as well, meaning events can have up to (4 loops + 4 one-shots) x 4 tracks x 5 songs = 160 different sound samples to pull from and mix however you like.” And it’s not just Move-compatible, it’s two Move-compatible. Meaning you and a friend can mix up the music together. Or you can get really fancy and ambidextrous by yourself. You can also just turn it on and leave it alone. That’s for people who like to watch. I’m intrigued enough that I may take a shot with the beta. If not, I’ll want a demo before I drop any money on something this vague.

The next Call of Duty is scheduled for announcement next week. Over on the official website there’s a countdown timer for the announcement. There’s an indication that the site won’t be the place to be watching, it will actually be the NBA playoffs. If you’ve been following along with us for the last few weeks you know this is going to be Black Ops 2.

“The Revenge of Harley Quinn” DLC for Batman: Arkham City that’s been speculated for a while has now been confirmed for release on May 29th. The game’s been out long enough that I shouldn’t be spoiling anything but I’ll try to be vague anyway. Only in her crazy head could she have the need to take “revenge” on Batman. It’s not like he made a choice, the Joker prevented him from taking the action she wanted him to take. Releasing on the same day will be the Game of the Year edition. This one will include all of the Robin, Nightwing, and Catwoman DLC, plus a download code for the Harley episode as well. It also comes with a copy of the very good Batman Year One animated film.

Capcom has announced the pre-order incentives for their upcoming mech-battler on XBox 360, Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor. GameStop will have the “Iron Guardian Armory” with the Rock and Jaguar armors. You’ll get the “Chrome Blitzer Armory” at Best Buy, with the Impact and Tiger armors. Finally, Amazon has the Carbon Assassin Armory, with the Savannah and Storm armors. Each different armor will provide a different boost to your Vertical Tank (VT). You’ll need all the boosts you can get when you jump into 2082 retake the United States from China in bipedal tank. The action starts on June 19th.

This is the worst kind of rumor, but Rayman: Origins was a fantastic sleeper hit from last year and any hint to a sequel is worth investigating. I say it’s the worst kind because it comes from a source’s source’s source, but it has the ring of truth. A recent marketing survey reportedly went out from Arkenford, a group with previous ties to Ubisoft. One of the recipients of this survey apparently snagged a possible screen shot of the game, featuring a purple dragon and a creature on stilts. You can clearly see Rayman running up the dragon’s back. And it’s been a few years since I’ve seen the movie, but does that dragon’s face look a little like Pete’s Dragon? Also mentioned in the marketing survey is the possibility of fantastical creatures like dragons (obviously), vampires, and creatures from Greek mythology. The return of four-player DI/DO co-op was also mentioned. This could be amazing, but it could also be a terrible hoax so I’m not getting my hopes up yet.

Robert Bowling, former community manager for Call of Duty, has announced his new studio. Robotoki is currently hiring and expects to announce its first title within the year. The philosophy is to create “a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last.” With the ultimate goal to create “experiences that transcend platforms and genres and allow our players to connect to our world, their characters, and gameplay via any medium.” Elaborating on the plan to develop for PC, console, and mobile devices, Bowling says “However, how they experience the world is unique to their device. The mobile / tablet experience should not mimic the console or PC experience, it should be additive to it, not supplemental. Allowing them to support their console and PC experience, continue their progression, but by experiencing the world in a meaningful and unique way.” Right now it’s pretty talk, but Bowling is an exciting personality with a lot of vision. It remains to be seen if he can deliver the experience, but it certainly sounds like has something awesome in the works.

That wraps up the news for now. It’s a slower time of year as the devs and publishers are keeping things quiet leading up to E3. Don’t forget, today sees the release of the first episode, A New Day, in Telltale’s The Walking Dead adventure. Individual episodes will be $5 or you can pre-order the entire run for $20.

Yeah, that’s right, it’s that day. Congratulations, if that’s your thing. Now can we just not make a big deal out of that for once? There’s gaming news to discuss.

Are you a Twisted Metal fan who forgot to pre-order and didn’t get the Axel DLC? Have you been waiting for it to hit PSN so you can buy it and toss away that extra couple of bucks? The good news is that it hit earlier this week. The even better news is that it’s still free. So go get it now. While you’re at it, show your Twisted Metal love by pre-ordering Starhawk (May 8th). The pre-order bonus for that one is a download code to get yourself an Outcast version of Sweet Tooth, complete with large machete, maniacal grin, and (green) flaming hair.

Rockstar is the latest publisher to combine two of my favorite things – games and comic books. Max Payne 3 will be getting a comic tie-in from Marvel Custom Solutions. There will be a limited print run, but this is primarily a digital release. Rockstar’s Dan Houser and Remedy’s Sam Lake are writing the three part story, while pencils and inks are being done by Fernando Blanco. Greg Horn is on covers. The story will provide more back story on Max, tying in events from the first two games and leading up to the release of the third. The first issue will be a free download through the Rockstar News Wire, Max Payne 3 website, and other digital comic services. Look for the game on May 15th.

Despite Namco Bandai’s crossing over with Capcom, they don’t seem to be learning any bad habits from them. Tekken‘s producer, Katsuhiro Harada, stated recently that he will never charge for DLC characters in the franchise. While this certainly seems to come in response to the recent controversy over Street Fighter x Tekken‘s 12 paid DLC characters already being on the disc, Harada assures it is not an attack on Capcom. According to Harada, “Tekken has never had DLC before and charged for it. This isn’t really directed at Capcom, I have always said this, but I see the characters and their move sets as chess pieces – they are essential items necessary in the game and we would never sell any of those individually.” He further elaborated that he would do paid DLC, but only for non-essential items, like costumes or music. Pre-order bonus characters would also be a possibility, but only with the promise that they would be available to everyone at no charge soon after launch. We’ll see how well he stands by these statements when Tekken Tag Tournament 2 releases in September, and whenever their planned release in the crossover, Tekken x Street Fighter, hits.

EA has been silent about the possibility of Dead Space 3, while gamers know the third entry is inevitable. Somehow, without an announcement from EA, a South African online retailer, BT Games, has made pre-orders available. They’ve also started taking preorders on the unannounced Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2. Are these mistakes? Eagerness? Or do they know something we don’t? Hard to say for sure, but this is the same retailer who outed Mass Effect 3‘s multiplayer mode and Jak & Daxter HD Collection before anyone at the owning companies had talked about it publicly. So, take that for what it is. Or isn’t. But don’t forget that E3 is only about six weeks away.

How do you celebrate 50 years of a movie franchise? Well, if you’re James Bond, you do it with another new movie, Skyfall, and collective video game, 007 Legends. The game will feature playable scenes from Bond’s 22 film history, and his 23rd coming this November. While scenes will be featured from all of his outings, the overarching storyline will be tying together six of the films. Four player split screen multiplayer will, of course, be included. Kinect functionality is also expected. This should give you all the lovely ladies and Walther PPK you can handle. Look for it October 16th, just before Skyfall hits theatres on November 9th.

THQ has been suffering financially as of late, with Saints’ Row The Third finally giving them a much needed boost. That piece of good fortune is slightly tempered by the recent announcement of a delay for Darksiders II. The delay from its previously announced June 26th was sort of expected with Danny Bilson (THQ’s Executive Vice President of Core Games) recently stating the game wouldn’t be released “before it’s done.” The new release window is set for August, to “ensure we meet the high quality threshold that we are committed to achieving,” according to the publisher. I often meet these delays with an unhealthy amount of pessimism. In this case, I’m inclined to give THQ the benefit of the doubt. I seem to be the only person in the world who didn’t enjoy the first Darksiders, which could simply have been my own frame of mind at the time. The franchise could very well be the savior or slayer of the ailing company. It makes sense to take the delay over the bad reputation that can come from poor quality.

The weeks of rumors and a recent leak on Amazon has led to the announcement (apparently ahead of schedule) of God of War: Ascension. Considering how the third game ended it’s not suprising this isn’t a numbered sequel. Instead, it appears to be a prequel. While still featuring Kratos, it’s very possible it will also have a co-op mode featuring his brother, Deimos. That’s still speculation for now, but look for a live streaming event on the PlayStation Blog and Facebook next Monday, April 30th. The event will be hosted by the game’s director, Todd Papy. You can check out a short video on the PS Blog now.

Another poorly kept secret announcement is apparently set for a few days later on May 2nd. This teaser image certainly indicates a Treyarch developed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be the next game in the franchise. We’ll find out for sure in a ocuple weeks.

HumaNature, the developer who created Toejam and Earl back when SEGA still made consoles, is apparently working on a Sony-exclusive title. Greg Johnson, CEO, recently posted an ad for a Technical Artist to work on the game. The most vital info seems to be the second paragraph: “As it happens, HumaNature Studios now has the good fortune of starting a new title directly for Sony that is cute and filled with quirky personality. It’s also super innovative in the area of emotional AI and personality simulation. It designed for both male and female players, and will be marketed in the U.S. and in Japan.” All of those buzzwords have their intended effect on me. I’d like to know more about the game.

If you haven’t booted up and played Gotham City Impostors for a while, you probably should. A new update to the game has added a new map, a new mode (Bounty Hunter – a lot like “Kill Confirmed”), and new languages for your character. Best of all, as a title update, this is actually free.

Square Enix and IO Interactive have begun the marketing push for Hitman Absolution in earnest. The game will apparently focus on the town of Hope, SD. According to the press release, “Hope and its citizens are heavily influenced by local legend Blake Dexter and his company Dexter Industries. Coincidentally, with the arrival of Agent 47, the otherwise quiet town has become a bedlam of strange accidents and occurrences.” Speculation is that these events may be linked to the first assassin, and we’ll know more via the pages of Hope News Times. A new page of the newspaper is planned for a reveal each Thursday with an accompanying screen shot on Friday. We’ve got the first page (click for readable size) and will keep it updated each week in VGQH, but you can follow it yourself at The Barcode Society or through Hitman on Facebook.

Codemasters is looking to unify their racing brands through a collective a online portal and new branch of the company, Codemasters Racing. Creative name, eh. Focusing exclusively on the racing space, the new branch will launch with the release of DiRT: Showdown on May 29th. Their new online hub, Racenet, will give you a single, persistent online profile throughout all of their racing titles -like F1 and Grid. This profile will allow players to track stats, see how you shape up against online competitors, and compete in events that may win you extra content. Assuming that’s all a free service, it sounds awesome. This isn’t the first service of its kind we’ve seen, not even the first in the racing genre. If this console generation is the first to fully embrace online multiplayer, and they’re getting this detailed with integration, what’s on the horizon for the next gen?

According to an official statement from Bethesda, the rumors of Prey 2‘s cancellation are totally false. However, if it has been delayed out of 2012. According to the statement, “The delay is due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards.” They are “determined only to release the AAA game that fans rightfully expect.” If all you’re looking to do is meet fan expectations, Bethesda, just go ahead and release it. Game breaking glitches, complete non-functionality on PS3, and a myriad of patches that don’t fix anything (or make it worse) is all we expect now. We’ll still buy it. Then again, according to insider reports, no development work has been done by Human Head since they stopped progress back in November 2011 to bargain for a better contract from Bethesda’s parent company, Zenimax. With such a long hiatus, it’s entirely possible the Zenimax will simply shift development to a new studio.

Risen 2: Dark Waters has also been delayed. Previously set for next month, it is now scheduled for release August 3rd. A new episode, The Air Temple, will also be releasing alongside it. It’s unclear if this was a DLC announcement alongside the delay, or if the extra episode is a sort of apology for the delay. I’ll update once I get some clarification.

If there’s one thing Sony is good at, and they’re actually good at a lot of them, it’s making sure they’re icons and mascots are clearly visible through cross-promotion. As if LittleBigPlanet Karting isn’t enough of a crossover on its own, incorporating the Sackboy icon and art into what will essentially a new ModNation Racers from United Front, they’re adding another mascot to the title as a preorder bonus. But it’s not Nathan Drake, Cole McGrath, Kratos, or any of the other gaming mascots you normally associate with Sony. Instead, it’s an actual person – Kevin Butler (VP of Many a Varied Thing). He’s a pasty little Sackboy with his traditional businessman’s haircut, shirt and tie, coffee cup, and an executive golf kart. This addition will come free by preordering through GameStop or Amazon. The game is currently scheduled for late October.

And that concludes the week’s news. I’ll admit to skipping some legal cases involving Bethesda and Ubisoft, but they both look like B.S. so it’s probably not worth the arguments they’d inspire. If anything changes with them I’ll have further updates in future editions of Video Game Quick Hits, which you can find every Tuesday and Friday here on Big Shiny Robot!