Picking Kristin Schaal was genius for one, and these probably would have been up sooner if I could stop laughing. The advertisements themselves are a great blend of funny, and informative. Taking the black and white world of the corporate professional and doing what most of us stuck in that world try to do. Blend the boring corporate grind with some form of violent video games. The advertisements are below for your viewing pleasure. My favorite by far is the play backwards trailer, which one do you folks dig?

This is my favorite hands down

The rest of these are pretty good too

Happy day! I’m (obviously) really stoked about this. You can now purchase some Ghostbusters themed items for your Xbox Avatar. The screenshot above breaks down the pricing. I think the jumpsuit itself is set at a fair price, most costume themed Avatar items are closer to 400 points. Try it out here.

Thanks to Ghostbusters News for bringing this to our attention.

Despite the demo for Mortal Kombat already being available, apparently all the secrets are not yet out. The not so major news drop in the last few days is that Kabal will be a playable character. He was never one of my favorites but he definitely has his fans.

Last week had plenty of news about game delays due to the recent catastrophe in Japan. On Friday I predicted the delayed regions for Motorstorm: Apocalypse would likely get the game around the same time as the US planned date of April, assuming the destruction was on its way to some degree of repair. If things weren’t starting to come under control by then, the US would be delayed as well. Sony isn’t going to wait that long to find out. And that’s fine with me. The game has now been pulled from its planned release in North America and currently has no dates scheduled at all. If/when Sony determines there is a good time for this game to release, I’ll pass it on.

Going in a completely different direction, Red Faction: Battlegrounds now has a release date. The game will be available on PSN April 5th for $9.99. The news was broken by an email from Sony to its subscribers so nothing about XBLA was mentioned, but presumably it will hit at the same time. XBox users, however, won’t have the option to get the game for free by being a PlayStation Plus subscriber.

I mentioned recently that Bethesda had announced they were working on Prey 2. It seems they’ve actually been working on it for some time and have a lot of the key concepts down. Revealed in a story in Game Reactor magazine, the game will have no multiplayer and Human Head has stated explicitly they are borrowing from some recent top tier games. The main character, Killian Samuels, is said to have free-running movement borrowed from Mirror’s Edge, while the cover mechanic is inspired by Killzone 2. They also mentioned the playable areas are wide open, a la Assasin’s Creed 2, and it will have the “freedom of Mass Effect.” All of this sounds very different from the first Prey and that’s probably a good thing.

An upcoming shooter that will have multiplayer, is the long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever. Like most things Duke, the multiplayer modes are classic stereotypes of the genre with a self-serving twist. Dukematch and Team Dukematch (featuring blue and red shirted Dukes) are known in other games as deathmatch. Also featured will be Capture the Babe (flag) and Hail to the King (of the Hill). Naturally, picking up a flag isn’t good enough for Nukem, so he’ll be beating and kidnapping women instead. All of the great weapons you would expect will be making their appearance in the 8 player matches along with some classic maps and new ones. The jetpack, though not in the main game, will be available in multiplayer. It will also have a typical XP ranking system to make your Duke better than everyone else’s. And you can get bonus XP by using pipe bombs for suicide runs, just what gaming has always needed.

In a move that surprises no one, EA Sports has announced they’ll no longer be including instruction manuals with their games. Ubisoft made the same decision some time ago. The ad-men are saying it’s an effort to go “green” but it’s clearly their economic green, not the environmental one these companies are thinking about. Frankly I support them for environmental reasons and would be even more supportive if it meant they passed their savings on to the consumer, even if it’s as little as 50 cents a title. The games will have a digital version of the manual available via an in-game menu. Considering the number of online guides available you should have no trouble learning to play the game. If you’ve been buying used you probably haven’t gotten the manual very often anyway. I use GameFly and they don’t send manuals but you can usually get a .pdf of it from their site if needed.

I can’t say I really know much about Gun Loco, the XBox 360 game from Square Enix. But I’m sure the cartoon shooter had its share of would-be purchasers that will be disappointed to know the game has been canceled. No reasons for the cancellation have been officially announced. Whether or not the game is up for grabs to another developer or publisher is also not known.

Another Square Enix title, Dungeon Siege III, is not only still moving forward, it’s expanding. Conciding with the game’s May 31, 2011 release (PC, PS3, 360), Square Enix will be teaming up with Dark Horse for a free web comic. The comic “will deliver three exciting vigenttes by writer Jeremy Barlow (Star Wars: Rebellion) and artists Iban Coello (Iron Man: Iron Protocols) and Sergio Abad (Transformers: Prime). The 10th Legion has fallen, but heroism is not dead in the kingdom of ehb, even as civil war tears the country apart….” You’ll be able to read the comics at dungeonsiege.com or at Dark Horse’s site. In addition, the game will be packaged with new print comic if you’re buying from Wal-Mart.

Puzzle gamers have likely heard about or played Zoe Mode’s Chime already. It’s been available on PC and 360 for some time and was generally considered overpriced for the level of content it provided. But that extra cost was considered worth it by many since it went to charity. Now, Chime Super Deluxe will be making its way to the PSN on March 29th. It will be cheaper ($9.99) and include more content, but the charity element of the purchase is out. The game is classic styled block puzzler, a la Tetris or Lumines, with a heavy element of music.

Saving the best for last in this edition, I give you the preorder bonuses for Batman: Akrham City. Actually, this may be only some of them, with more being announced before it releases on October 18th. If you order at GameStop you’ll be getting the “Joker’s Carnival” challenge map. Best Buy is offering the “Combo Pack,” but it’s not clear what will be in that combo. I’m thinking the world’s greatest detective probably has no need for pretzels stuffed with pizza. But of the two, the mystery combo pack sounds better to me. The challenge maps had very little appeal to me in the first game.

Many of you know I am addicted to Minecraft. The picture attached is a sculpture I actually did on my server. Well a video was uploaded on Friday which shows a new neutral creature: Wolves. These wolves are said to be able to be the first companion in the game. You can tame the wolves and then they run around with you. This is some of the coolest news I’ve heard in a while and the video is all sorts of cute. Watching the dog get water off itself is awesome. Notch has said they will be fairly rare but they won’t despawn after you’ve tamed them.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Lp9p5yjuo

Ghostbusters News had the luck of interviewing Atari about their upcoming title Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime. Out of all the wonderful input they got, I’m most excited about the Avatar Awards.

GhostbustersNews.com> X-Box fans felt a little left out with Playstation Home outfits being released a few years back. Can we expect to see any clothing/props for our 360 Avatars?

Atari> We’re working on some several items including a slimmer pet, stay puff pet and an ecto-4WD remote truck, among others.

For the rest of this interview, head on over to GhostbustersNews.com.

I know Sunday the 27th is technically next week, but since I don’t normally get this published until Monday I consider the week to be Monday thru Sunday. This is rarely an issue, but when Nintendo 3DS is coming out this week it has a big impact. So, unless otherwise noted or 3DS involved, everything’s coming out on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Multiplatform:
Mayhem 3D (360, PS3)
Crysis 2 (PC, 360, PS3)
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (3/27/11 on 3DS, 3/22/11 on everything else)

Playstation 3:
Tomb Raider Trilogy
Playstation Move Heroes

Nintendo Wii:
Raving Rabbids Party Collection
Trackmania: Build to Race

Sony PSP:
Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy
Naruto Shippuden Kizuna Drive

Nintendo 3DS:
Ridge Racer 3D
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Shadow Wars
Asphalt 3D
Combat of Giants Dinosaurs
Rayman 3D
Pro Evolution Soccer 3D
nintendogs + cats: Golden Retriever and New Friends
nintendogs + cats: Toy Poodle and New Friends
nintendogs + cats: French Bulldogs and New Friends
Pilotwings Resort
Steel Diver
Samurai Warriors Chronicles
The Sims 3
Super Monkey Ball
Bust-A-Move Universe
Super Street Fighter IV
Madden NFL Football

As far as momentous releases, none are bigger than the 3DS itself. But a few others are noteworhty even if you aren’t getting the new handheld. First and foremost, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars should be getting much love. Hardcore gamers should be excited for Crysis 2 while those with a Playstation Move will likely be getting Heroes. Personally, I’ve been enjoying the HD renaissance of classic games from the PS1 and PS2 eras or even earlier, making Tomb Raider a big release in my eyes; especially since I’ve basically missed out on the franchise so far. I’m not sure why, it’s just one of those series I never actually put any effort into playing in the beginning so I never knew where to start later.

Hey everybody. I hope you all had a great St. Patrick’s Day and the excess of Guinness isn’t hurting you too badly. I certainly enjoyed my Shepherd’s Pie, Jameson, and homemade porter. But on to video game news:

If you missed it earlier this week, there’s a new Batman: Arkham City trailer. Check it out. In the last game, Rocksteady really shook things up with new looks for Poison Ivy (homina homina homina) and Harley Quinn. This time around Harley gets another new set of duds again, but what really piquede my interest is Catwoman. I like the bomber style mask and her attitude (for the two seconds she gets to show it) is perfect. The Riddler has also been revealed as having larger presence than the last go-round. These two shots make it pretty clear they’re keeping with the classic look in some ways, but also giving the character an update that matches everyone else:

I mentioned on Tuesday that there have been a few delays, and even cancellations, for practical and empathic reasons involved with the recent tragedy in Japan. Sony has confirmed that Motorstorm Apocalypse (originall yplanned for release yesterday in Japan) will be delayed in Japan, New Zealand, and the UK. The US release date is currently scheduled for April 12, 2011. At this point I think further delays fall into the wait and see category. Depending on what news comes from Japan between now and then you can expect either further delays, or worldwide release on or around the planned US date.

The DLC characters Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 were also reported to be delayed at the same time. Turns out that delay is only in Japan and shouldn’t be affecting most of the world.

By the way, the events in Japan are a horrible thing for those people. Please, do something to help out through one of the numerous fundraisers available. I don’t even care which one. I know the online nerd community has made arrangements in various ways. If you can’t be bothered to find an avenue to donate, use PSN. They have an exclusive theme available as reward for donating from two to fifty dollars for earthquake and tsunami relief efforts via the the American Red Cross. I did it. Will you?

If you’re waiting for Brink (May 17) but haven’t preordered because you wanted to know where to get the best bonus, Bethesda has your answer. Four different costume packs, tying into other hit franchises, will be available depending on the retailer. Ordering through GameStop gets you the Doom pack, including a Hellspawn tattoo, beanie cap, bandana, two shirtsm and a skin for the Bulpdaun SMG. Ordering your copy from Amazon will net you the Psycho pack for the exclusive Caesar’s gun, tortured soul tattoo, burlap sack combat mask, and two silencer attachments (soda can ArkTactical). If you choose Wal-Mart (you evil bastard) or Steam, you’ll get a Spec Ops pack with a Hockler machine pistol, combat scope, combat mask, and dogtag tattoo. I saved the best for last. Not because Best Buy is any more or less special than the others, but because Fallout is. That package includes a bandana, Vault-Tec beanie, Vault 101 tattoo, two skins (101 and New Vegas) for the Carb 9 SMG, and two shirts.

As I mentioned last week, PlayStation Plus subscribers got access to a Mortal Kombat demo. It’s available this week for everyone else. I played through the single player ladder with all four characters last night. This looks like the klassic kombat longtime fans have been wanting. I had a little trouble with Mileena’s fatality and I couldn’t pull of the tree’s environmental fatality shown in the included video. I also had my x-ray special moves blocked a lot! But don’t let that sway you. I’m actually terrible at fighting games but enjoy them anyway. Please, parents, show a little common sense. This violence is too mature for me and I’ve been over 18 longer than I care to admit.

I really wish the Activision courtroom drama would just end, but that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. In addition to suing Infinity Ward for every crime imaginable they have now successfully drawn EA into the suit. This does mean the trial will begin in May so it’s possible an end is coming. Most likely, though, it will turn an overly long war with both sides using delay tactics in hopes of wearing down the other’s legal budget.

Crytek has made a bold move in the soundtrack department, hiring composer Hans Zimmler (Dark Knight, Inception, The Last Samurai) to compose part of the score for Crysis 2. I’ve long been a fan of games that put a heavy focus on the soundtrack. The level of immersion it adds gets overlooked far too often. In the meantime, the good news for fans and developers alike, is that the soundtrack becomes a marketable item in itself. It will be available for download from iTunes, Amazon, and others on March 22nd when the game releases in the US. Speaking of Crysis, the PS3 multiplayer demo had some issues with server connections for many users. The demo is now being ended so Crytek can focus on making sure the final product is perfected. If your having server issues this late in the game, pulling the demo is the least of your worries.

Remember when everyone got all caught up in the hullabaloo about Dead Island when the weird rewind trailer was released? It was so artistic and beautiful and this was going to be a whole new thing for zombies and video games alike. You don’t have to admit it, it’s okay. We know you’re lying. Now we see it’s not that different at all. Because if you ahve zombies, you have to have GIANT ZOMBIES!

XBox owners have already been playing Beyond Good & Evil HD and Sony devotees have been jealous. We’ev always known it was coming to PS3 eventually, but now we know when. It will be on PSN this May (presumably $10 like the 360 version) and includes bonus avatars of JAde and Pey’j if you buy in the first two weeks. If you’ve already bought this for your 360, buy it again on PS3. Rumor has it the sales of this remake directly affect the chances of a sequel.

Most people have a strong opinion on 3D in movies, good or bad. When it was anounced Thor and Captain America were being done in 3D for theaters this summer it was with joy for many and sorrow for many others. Now, SEGA has announced their respective games will be getting the 3D treatment as well. At this point I don’t know which 3D it will be. I’m hoping they make it only for those with the fancy 3D TVs (which I don’t have) rather than faking it for just any screen. If you’re going to do it, do it right.

Mass Effect 2 has received tons of praises and honors as last year’s game of the year for a variety of outlers. It’s final DLC chapter, “Arrival” has been teased for weeks, including several new (lackluster) screens being revealed through Bioware’s FaceBook this week. The big news is they have finally set the date for release on XBox, PS3, and PC as March 29th. Obviously Shepard is still in the starring role, but Admiral Hackett is also making a return, still voiced by Lance Henriksen.

IGN has debuted a new gameplay trailer for Batman: Arkham City, which is set to hit the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 on October 18! I actually think that this game is the game I am most looking forward to this year. The world looks more open and exploratory than it’s predecessor, while still keeping a lot of familiar gameplay intact.

Frankly, it just comes down to this:

Best. Batman game. Ever.

Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.

Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

I am really really excited for this game. I’m even more excited now that I know JK Simmons is on board and voicing Aperture science’s head honcho. For those who haven’t played Portal 1 yet, please do so. Then you’ll be as excited as I am for the sequel.

When it comes to Batman: Arkham City, I’ve had one big question burning for some time now and that question has been answered, October 18th.

If you’re like me, one of your favorite parts of Portal was Jonathan Coulton’s Still Alive during the game credits. For Portal 2, Valve wants to keep that same spirit. To that end, they’ve hired indie-rockers The National to do music for the game. Not being familiar with The National, I can’t really comment. I do trust Valve to treat the property right and if they think it’s a good follow-up to Coulton I believe them. We’ll find out for sure when the game releases on April 19th.

Did you love Lemmings? Are you wishing someone would make a sequel? Well, too bad, that’s not happening. Instead, maybe you should pick up Swarm on the PSN or XBLA next week. Developed by Hothead Games and published by Ignition Entertainment, the platform puzzler looks like it could really satisfy that Lemmings itch, while still being something unique. The player controls (individually and collectively) up to 50 “swarmites,” little blue blob creatures, to obtain DNA strands. The swarmites can be told to work together for speed boosts, stacking up to a higher goal, sacrificing for the greater good, etc. The price point hasn’t been set yet, but I’m predicting $9.99, with future DLC at added cost.

The growing relationship between video games and comic books has been fantastic for nerds like me (and painful to my wallet). The latest creation to marry the two is id Software’s Rage. Bethesda and Dark Horse are teaming up to bring you a three part miniseries, beginning June 22nd, to serve as a prologue for the game’s release on September 13th. Tim Willits, creative director for the game, has had a hand in the comic to insure proper fit. The rest of the creative team is Arvid Nelson, writer; Andrea Mutti, art; and Glenn Fabry, cover art.

Sony Online Entertainment is looking to shake up the world MMOs yet again. Free Realms is scheduled to release March 29th on PSN. After the successful release of DC Universe Online they feel the time is right for a free to play, family friendly MMO on their console. [Family friendly translates to E10+ for Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence.] The game has been available on PC since 2009 and Mac since 2010, with a combined 17 million players registered. The game’s boast is a huge variety of playable content for players of all flavors. As with most free to play MMOs, microtransactions are available for items and outfits. Free Realms also has a membership option for higher level content. No word on whether this will be Move compatible, but it seems perfectly suited for it.

If you’ve been following VGQH for any amount of time you’ve probably noticed my growing interest in WWE All Stars, scheduled for March 29th. In one of the few instances where it could be a make or break demo, we’re going to get a shot at the game a week ahead of time, including the local multiplayer. I’ve been really on the fence about how this game will turn out. I’ll definitely be picking up the demo from PSN on March 23rd.

If you remember 2006’s Prey from Human Head Studios and 3D Realms, you may be glad to know a sequel is in the works. ZeniMax Media gained the rights back in 2009 and has now announced that subsidiary Bethesda (Fallout, Elder Scrolls) will be publishing Prey 2 for PC, 360, and PS3 in 2012. Human Head Studios is developing the sequel using the id Tech Engine (id Software is also owned by ZeniMax). However, this will not be using the still-in-development id Tech 5. An interesting side note for this, ZeniMax actually filed a trademark application for a television program based on the property when they got the game rights.

The disaster in Japan is, naturally, affecting the gaming world – mostly in the form of delays for one reason or another. [Please note, this is in no way a complaint or anything editorial. The nature of the story, however, does reflect on how technology has spread the effects of what previously would have been a localized disaster into something with global effects in large and small ways.] Disaster Report 4 has been canceled ouright for sensitivity reasons. Similarly, Yakuza: Of the End, featuring a zombie war in Japan has been delayed, as well as Motorstorm: Apocalypse. The Jill Valentine/Shuma Gorath DLC for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is also delayed, likely for reasons more practical than sensitive. It’s unclear how these delays are related to the world outside of Japan, but you can bet these are just the first of many. Japan’s gaming influence has been waning over the last several years, but they are still an important part of the scene. Sony also temporarily closed a PlayStation information and repair center in the Miyagi Prefecture, an area hit extremely hard by the devastation. Square Enix has also temporarily shut down servers for Final Fantasy XI and XIV to conserve power, and may continue the outages as needed.

The “Reverie” DLC for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has been given a date and price. For $10 on March 30th you’ll be stepping back into the shoes of Gabriel Belmont and helping the vampire girl, Laura. With three additional stages after the main game’s climax, the expansion promises a huge twist in the plot and a segue into “Resurrection,” coming soon.

Bioware has released a teaser photo for the upcoming “Arrival” DLC for Mass Effect 2. Good luck trying to interpret anything from it though. If you want more, Bioware suggests you hit up their Facebook. They’ve promised another image if they get 750,000 impressions (I hope you Facebook people know what that means, because I don’t).

In a suprise attempt to save the music game genre, Ubisoft has announced Rocksmith. Intended to be a “pure music experience” instead of a “party game” according to Tony Key (Ubisoft senior VP), Rocksmith will not use plastic guitar controllers. Instead, you’ll be plugging real guitars in using the standard jack and playing on a 45 song track list, including The Rolling Stones, The Animals, David Bowie, and Nirvana. Considering the game is scheduled for September, maybe Ubisoft is right. The genre may just need a break and a shot of real electric guitar to bring it back.

If you want to get in on the user-generated content beta for inFamous 2 I suggest you head over to the PlayStation Blog to find out how. Sign-ups opened yesterday and will be open until March 21st. Selected registrants will receive a voucher for the beta that begins April 12th. During the beta you’ll be able to create levels and submit them to Sucker Punch. The best user levels will be included on disc when the game ships this June.