Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced Aquaman as the latest addition to Injustice: Gods Among Us. The King of the Seven Seas joins Batman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and more. He even has both hands.
The game is being developed by NetherRealm Studios, the team behind Mortal Kombat. It is set for release April 16, 2013 on XBox 360, PS3, and WiiU.
One of the most interesting parts of any sci-fi saga is always the technology. For many of us, that love affair begins and ends with amazing spaceships. Maybe you love Vader’s TIE Fighter, or the Normandy SR2. but the USS Enterprise has been one of the most fascinating interstellar transports since it first hit the small screen in 1966. And who wouldn’t want to learn more about it, as well as see parts of the ship that haven’t appeared on screen.
J.J. Abrams is currently working on his next entry into the Star Trek universe (May 17, 2013) and this time around it’s coming with a licensed game from NAMCO Bandai. From the press release:
For more than four decades, the U.S.S. Enterprise has been a majestic icon of adventure and excitement. On board, her crew explores strange new worlds, seeks out new civilizations …
But what fans have known of the iconic starship has largely been limited to what is seen in movies and on television. That will change on April 23 when STAR TREK The Video Game gives players a deeper and much more interactive look inside the U.S.S. Enterprise.
“One of the great joys of video games is the opportunity to take audiences to places that are only hinted at in traditional film and TV projects,” said Brian Miller, senior vice president of Paramount Pictures and executive producer of STAR TREK The Video Game. “Giving gamers the opportunity to explore the U.S.S. Enterprise is one of the more exciting aspects of our video game and one that we can’t wait to share with Star Trek fans and gamers worldwide.”
Playing as Kirk and Spock, gamers must face-off against the villainous Gorn – the formidable enemy first introduced in the classic 1967 Star Trek television episode “Arena.” Their battles will take them into familiar locations, like the bridge, transporter room and the engine room – but also deep into many areas of the ship that have never been seen on film before, including the Enterprise’s turbolift shafts, observation lounge, engineering decks and officer’s quarters.
The producers and development team of STAR TREK The Video Game worked closely with the entire creative team responsible for the re-imagined 2009 blockbuster Star Trek film to ensure what players see will look and feel remarkably authentic.
“The Enterprise is not just a ship – she is one of the most important characters in all of Star Trek. Our goal from day one was to make sure that the Enterprise looks, feels and even sounds as true to life as anything players have ever seen,” Miller said. “Hopefully, players will come away feeling as if they’re ready to be part of the crew themselves!”
The game is launching slightly ahead of the movie on April 23, 2013 (PS3, XBox 360, and PC) as is normal for licensed games. It is available for preorder now.
What other areas of the ship are you hoping to visit? Let us know in the comments.
JJ Abrams seems to have a new goal in mind: take the busiest man in Hollywood title from Guillermo del Toro. Not only is JJ still finishing his second Star Trek movie (with a third in the pipe) and committing himself to Star Wars: Episode VII, he’s also talking with Valve‘s Gabe Newell to make Half-Life and Portal films, plus a gaming collaboration. The discussion started during an on-stage conversation at the DICE Summit last week. For now, it seems like a couple of creative guys are just talking about projects that could be fun, but the conversation definitely took a tone that indicates real discussions with real results will be had. I’m intrigued.
With Sony expected to announce their next-gen console next week we should be very close to announcements about a whole slew of launch games. At least one, possibly two of those games may be coming from Avalanche Studios. CEO Christofer Sundberg’s LinkedIn profile indicates the company is working two next-gen titles. One is “new installment in a very well-known game series.” The “sandbox action game” is being published Square Enix. Smart money is on this being Just Cause 3. The other title is an “open-world action game” based on “a well-known movie license.” This is likely the Mad Max: Fury Road tie-in that Avalanche was attached to a few months ago.
A long-held rumor tying Activision to Nickelodeon’s newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has now been confirmed. Apparently three games are planned for the series, with the first hitting shelves this summer. Which is a little disconcerting considering they didn’t actually announce a developer. Activision hasn’t always been well-known for taking care of their licensed franchises. The Turtles have a long gaming history with some ups and downs. They’re definitely overdue for a top shelf game that appeals to old and new fans. Personally, I’m hoping Activision gets Beenox on development. They’ve done pretty well with Spider-Man, including Shattered Dimensions featuring unique gameplay segments as four different characters.
Expect a new Assassin’s Creed title this year. This isn’t exactly news since it’s basically assumed at this point in the franchise’s life. But it’s official now, as Ubisoft has announced a new entry in the series with a new hero will be coming in Fiscal 2014 (April 2013-March 2014). This came out of an investment call, so no details were revealed. Apparently a new team will be taking the lead on the project, but several studios will be contributing as is usual for the franchise.
Meanwhile, back at the cave, a Time-Warner investment call has also revealed the next Batman Arkham game will likely be releasing this year. During the call, CFO John K. Martin stated that they “…also have a strong games release this year, which will include the next release in the Batman Arkham franchise. So all in all, we expect Warners to post another very strong year in 2013. And with a little luck, the year should be as good or maybe even a little bit better than 2012.” Rocksteady has been rumored for a while to be working on a Silver Age-inspired prequel rather than another gritty version. Is Martin talking about that game? Or is it separate from the core Arkham titles and a sequel is on the way from another developer?
Capcom is celebrating its 30th anniversary with Capcom Arcade Cabinet, a series of old arcade titles releasing on PSN and XBLA over the coming months. It will start February 20, 2013 with Game Pack 1. In the first pack, Black Tiger will be free, while 1943: Battle of Midway and Avenger will be $3.99 each or combined for $4.99. Four more three-packs will be coming with each game running $3.99 or $9.99 for the lump. Additionally, a 17 game mega-pack will be available in late May for $29.99 That will include all five prior packs, plus two mysterious bonus games (likely Strider and Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts).
A new combatant has apparently entered the Injustice: Gods Among Us arena. Virtually nothing was said, but Ed Boon did release a picture that seems to indicate Killer Croc will be a playable character. I suppose this could just be from a cut-scene, as you can see Riddler and Penguin in the background clearly not participating in the fight. Regardless, the game is starting to look a little heavy on the Bat. Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Solomon Grundy, Bane, and Nightwing are already confirmed. Bruce’s extended family is quite well-suited to a darkly violent fighting game, but they’re really going to need more characters from the larger DC universe if they want to keep it balanced. Then again, maybe it’s not supposed to be balanced. We don’t know the story line. Perhaps the motivation for the conflict comes from the Bat-verse.
Then again, maybe they’re already working on that balance, as they’ve announced Captain Marvel (AKA billy Batson, Shazam) as well. Have to admit, I’m liking this costume:
Bungie is getting set to launch a much larger reveal of their mysterious next project, Destiny. It was expected that any major announcement would come at GDC in March, but the developer now has a seven day countdown on their website. There’s some sort of puzzle element to it as well, but it’s stumped me. The countdown will apparently take us to this Sunday. I don’t know what’s coming, but I can’t help thinking that it’s only a few days before Sony’s big press conference.
High Moon Studios has narrowed the release window for the upcoming Deadpool game. Looks like you’ll be stepping into the Merc-with-a-mouth’s shoes this Summer. I’d still like to see something more specific, but I also like that they’re keeping it open instead of locking into a date they may need to push back. I have my reservations, but I’m actually pretty excited for this. Pre-orders are available now.
Remember the good old days when you and your pals debated whose pops was the toughest hombre on the block?
“My dad could beat up your dad.”
That was then.
Now, let’s ponder something a little cooler. Like, maybe, who would win in a battle between Bane and Batman?
Or how about Wonder Woman taking on Harley Quinn?
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment are now allowing comic and video game fans to voice an opinion about who would win some epic battles as part of the lead up to the April release of the new superhero fight game Injustice: Gods Among Us.
For a total of 10 weeks, characters from the DC Comics universe will go head-to-head and you can vote on who you believe will win the bout.
Check out the first match-up video here:
While the first week pitted the Dark Knight against Bane, Week 2’s royal rumble features Wonder Woman against the Joker’s twisted femme fatale, Harley.
Each Monday, the week’s combatants will be revealed in videos that detail the skills, attributes and tech available to each fighter. You can also check out some of the celebrity experts weighing in on the matchup.
All votes and submissions have to be submitted by Thursday night and the results will be announced in a final fight video, showing the all-out battles and ultimate victor.
You can voice your opinion via Facebook and Twitter and enter to win prizes, such as avatar items and skins, by voting at https://injustice.dccomics.com.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is slated to hit store shelves on April 16 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U. The game still hasn’t been rated.
Wayne Chamberlain has covered the gaming industry since 2002. He is the co-host of the Star Wars Book Report podcast, available on iTunes, and a contributing writer with Postmedia News and Canada.com.
“First, if it moves, kill it. If it’s not moving, Kill it again. Second, you’ve each got more firepower than an army platoon. So use it, all of it. Third, you don’t die unless I give you a direct order.”
Ah, you have to love military bravado in video games.
That’s the speech delivered in an early trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines, Sega’s long-awaited and highly anticipated shooter based that will debut Feb. 12 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as PC and Mac (a Wii U version is in the pipeline, the developer insists).
Well, a story-based trailer has surfaced in advance of the release and it certainly should get the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, not to mention causing your trigger finger to start feeling a little twitchy.
Check it out:
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The game will be considered canon in the Aliens universe, which isn’t surprising given the amount of movie cross-over on display. Cpl. Dwayne Hicks opens the trailer, informing a second crew of Colonial Marines bound for LV-426, the Xenomorph-infested planet featured in Canadian director James Cameron’s iconic film Aliens, that everyone in his unit is to be considered killed in action.
The limited edition swag you score for having pre-ordered the game includes Ripley’s flamethrower as an in-game weapon (that would be Sigourney Weaver’s character for those who are only peripheral fans of the movie), as well as a movie character pack that lets you play as one of Cpl. Hicks, Sgt. Apone, Pvt. Hudson and Pvt. Drake. Apone was the African-American bad ass in charge of the movie’s ill-fated squad, while Hudson was the squirrelly dude played by Bill Paxton and Drake was the tall, blonde-haired guy with the chiseled chin who sported one of the cool M56 Smartguns – the big cannons that Marines strap themselves into.
According to Sega, Colonial Marines (which is being produced by Gearbox Software, the studio responsible for some truly epic shooters, such as Half-Life, Borderlands, the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved and Brothers in Arms) will be a first-person shooter that looks to capitalize on the claustrophobic atmosphere of the movies. So expect lots of wicked sound design, environments where there’s more shadow than light and some intense, jump-in-your-seat moments.
Weapons-wise, expect to kit out with the classic pulse rifles, flamethrowers and the beeping motion trackers.
The story-based campaign will feature up to four-player drop-in/drop-out co-op gameplay, as well as multiplayer modes for those who enjoy map-based twitch-fests against online opponents.
You will be able to access customized loadouts and upgrades, earning perks, weapons and new looks along the way.
So, get ready to saddle up, stay frosty and remember, no Marine gets left behind … assuming there’s anyone left.
For more information, see www.sega.com/alienscolonialmarines.
The massively-multiplayer blow-em-up World of Tanks is one of Wargaming.net’s strategic battle games available free-to-play online. Keep in mind I’ve only played about 135 matches, which seems like a lot, but it can require much more to master the game. Also keep in mind that for several of those matches, I had access to every tank, fully loaded.
Newest Addition – Chinese Tanks
The game is hugely successful, because there is a wide variety of tanks to choose from. In the original version, you fought in teams together: Americans, Russians, French, British and Germans. There are no country v. country battles.
The latest addition is Chinese tanks. All of them have not been rolled out yet. According to PR coordinator Jamie King, there have not been release dates set. The Chinese tree currently has 17 tanks and several are replicas from other countries.
My favorite Chinese tank so far has been its elite level 10 tank, the 113, (The most expensive tank at 3.5 million), which is considerably faster than most of the other heavy tanks in its class other than the French. Of course, with speed you are sacrificing the strength of the tank’s armor.
Gameplay
Mastering the game is more about finding the tier you are best at, not which country you choose. Countries play together as one and are just split up. Even the voicework is the same for each country. You are allowed to select from a tier of tanks in each country, including light, medium, heavy, self-propelled guns (SPGs) and tank destroyers.
Within those tank trees you can select the tank with the stats most suitable to you. As a newbie, I find the tank tree a bit confusing. I’m not a numbers person, so looking at stats for individual tanks can be exhausting. The tanks often have slight variations in their equipment and stats, and it’s up to you to figure out exactly which one to start with.
Typically the light tanks are “scouts.” They immediately head to the goal, either an enemy base or a particular flagged area and spot enemy tanks. Though they don’t have a lot of advanced armor or weaponry, they are vital to highlighting the enemy’s position for their teammates.
The medium and heavy tanks have various roles. Often, the brave ones face enemies head on in one-on-one shoot-outs to take their base or to kill as many enemies as possible. Others choose to protect home base from intruders. SPG (artillery) tanks hide in a central location and use the shift key to attack from above (my personal favorite). Although you might get a little flamed for taking what is considered the “wrong” role, the path you take is entirely in your control.
Your team within the tanks can gain more experience in each game, and you can upgrade individual parts, like guns, tracks, health packs, repair kits and ammunition.
Pros
Cons
What’s your take on World of Tanks? Or, would you consider playing it, particularly with the addition of the Chinese tanks? Sound off in the comments below.
The edge and multiple sites have been reporting that an inside source has announced technical specifications on the Xbox 720 as well as some terrifying news for game retailers. The system will be “shipping all games with activation codes making the products useable only one time.” Microsoft is also reported to be heavily committed to “always online” functionality with massive storage space to back up the digital distribution. The edge reported that the specs would be:
Our source has also confirmed that the next Xbox’s recently rumoured specs are entirely accurate. That means an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics solution and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. As of now, the console’s hard drive capacity is said to be undecided, but Microsoft’s extended commitment to online delivery suggests that it will be the largest unit it has put inside a console to date.
If Microsoft truly plans to block used game sales on their console they will definitely be opening a can of worms with their “business partners”. Imagine that 50-60% of your profit is derived from the purchase and resale of used gaming products. Then imagine that using your trade in program you also sell close to 50% of titles on release for those publishers. You would definitely have a bargaining chip with companies like Microsoft, Sony, and others. Although I may not be the biggest supporter of Gamestop, or the way they do business. I am a supporter of their employees who are working to simply take care of themselves and their families. The amount of volume driven through their doors in the gaming industry is pretty obscene, and Microsoft would have to have an extremely well thought out plan to replace their distribution. It would have to go above and beyond a Microsoft store in every city, and get much closer to the Steam model, with pre-loading, massive summer sales and the whole 9 yards. As far as hardware specifications go I really hope the new console is loaded with something a little beefier, even if they continue their subsidy program by allowing you to commit to 2 years of live, I would love a console with enhanced functionality that can keep up with my PC. With Sony announcing something big in just under 2 weeks, looks like this might be the year of the next generation consoles.
Let’s face it, game-based movies are typically pretty brutal. That’s probably Hollywood’s way of exacting revenge given just how crap-tastic movie-based games usually are.
Regardless, the two industries need each other and are destined to feed one another for the foreseeable future.
Agent 47 is the lead character in the Hitman video game franchise.
Cue the latest bit of gaming-inspired news: The website Moviepilot.com is reporting that Fast and Furious star Paul Walker has signed on to play Agent 47 in a film based on the Hitman franchise.
47, a man with a shaved head and a bar code tattooed on the back of his head, was played by Timothy Olyphant in 2007’s Hitman, which was helmed by Xavier Gens. Olyphant was making a name for himself based on his Deadwood performance and while Hitman certainly wasn’t the worst game-based movie ever made, it didn’t exactly connect with North American film fans – grossing just less than $40 million at the domestic box office.
It did, however, crack $100 million around the globe – a decent return on a reported budget of $24 million.
According to Moviepilot.com, commercial director Aleksander Bach will helm this Hitman. He will reportedly work with screenwriter Skip Woods, who wrote the original.
“Filming is expected to commence soon in Berlin and Singapore, but we don’t know much past that, as the actual plot is currently being kept firmly under wraps. If the games and 2007 movie are anything to go by though, I’m sure we can expect to see lots of gun and piano wire action when it releases,” the Moviepilot.com piece concludes.
Indeed, as the game centers on controlling an assassin whose main goal is to blend in and kill silently. That works great in video games, but will it work in a feature film? Chances are, based on Walker’s reported casting, that won’t be 47’s modus operandi.
Question is, will movie-goers and game fans alike embrace the relatively niche actor, pushing Hitman beyond the genre market and into a more mainstream vein. Jack Reacher showed there remains a taste for vengeance-based tales, but Walker isn’t exactly Tom Cruise when it comes to box office bankability.
Let’s start with a few things you may have missed this past week on Big Shiny Robot!:
Something else you may have missed this week is EA shelving the Medal of Honor series. According to Peter Moore, COO, “Critics were polarized and gave the game scores which were, frankly, lower than it deserved. This one is behind us now. We are taking Medal of Honor out of the rotation and have a plan to bring year-over-year continuity to our shooter offerings.” Poor news for fans of the franchise, but good news for fans of Battlefield. EA is doing quite well by the way, posting a net revenue of $1.18 billion, though it is slightly below their estimated budget of $1.25-1.35 billion. Of course, they blame MoH for the shortfall.
On a related note, EA says fans should expect some information for Battlefield 4 in “about 90 days.” If I were a gambling ‘bot, and I am, I’d wager that timeframe allows for the PS4 and neXtBox announcements first. There’s probably a good reason for that.
I can’t help but theorize another connection to the next-gen announcements when I hear that Rockstar has delayed Grand Theft Auto V. Originally slated for May, it’s now been pushed back to September 2013. I think that’s a bit early for the next-gen consoles, but maybe not. Rockstar’s official line is the standardized “additional development time.” For Sony and Microsoft, a high-profile title like this could be a system seller. On the other hand, GTA: San Andreas came near the end of the last generation and certainly benefited from the large install base for the consoles. Probably no connection, but the delay is still noteworthy.
Early in the week, “leaked” images of an planned new IP from Ubisoft hit the internet, alongside stories of the Prince of Persia franchise being put on hiatus. It didn’t take long for Ubisoft to confirm both, with caveats. The successful Prince of Persia IP is on pause, for now. I realize this is kind of strange coming from the studio that releases an Assassin’s Creed title every year, but they feel the Prince has run his course for the moment. The franchise isn’t dead, it just isn’t active in the immediate future. Meanwhile, the images from the Egyptian themed Osiris were legit, but the game isn’t actually coming. It actually never even made it past the early design stages. A shame really, an ancient Egypt game with magic and creepy gods has potential. Then again, Ubisoft is pretty good at making games. If they decided not to take it any further, I’ m going to trust they knew what they were doing.
The BSR! “bull pen” debated whether or not we needed to run another article about the relationship between games and gun violence when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R, TN) made an ass of himself on MSNBC’s The Rundown, but decided we had pretty well said everything we needed to say. However, it is news, so here’s the quote:
“I think video games is [sic] a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people.
“But the First Amendment limits what we can do about video games and the Second Amendment to the constitution limits what we can do about guns.”
At least two bills have been introduced since the Newtown massacre in December seeking funding for research into the games and violence relationship. President Obama has also asked Congress to arrange such funding. An independent, scientific analysis is probably warranted, but it’s doubtful that’s what would actually come from one of these bills. Our highly partisan Congress is much more likely to ask a research team to find a link between the two, as opposed to asking them to find out if there is a link.
Few names is gaming hold as much credibility with a certain crowd than Suda51 and his Grasshopper Manufacture team. The latest from the Japanese developer is apparently coming west to the US courtesy of a deal with XSeed. Killer is Dead sets the player as Mondo Zappa, an executioner that will make full use of his katana and Go-Go Gadget left arm. If you were a fan of Suda51’s Killer 7 or No More Heroes, keep an eye on this one.
If you’ve somehow missed out on the incredible God of War series because you haven’t owned a PS3, Sony is going to make this real easy for you. Coming March 12, 2013 is a new bundle that will include a 500 GB red PS3 Super Slim, red controller, God of War: Ascension, God of War Saga (God of War III, plus HD versions of PS2’s first two games in the series and PSP’s Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta), and a 30 day trial of PlayStation Plus for only $350. That’s enough content that even long-time owners looking for an upgrade should probably consider it.
Arguably one of the most anticipated upcoming games for the BSR! writers is High Moon’s Deadpool. We’ve been eagerly anticipating more information about the game since its announcement, but it’s been slow in coming. Finally, two additional characters were announced and they’re great inclusions. Deadpool’s sometimes comic co-star Cable, AKA Scott Summers’ son from the future, will be making an appearance. As will the merc-with-a-mouth’s somewhat awkward love interest, Death. Which is all well and good, but it only makes me more excited and I still don’t have a release date.
Dead Space 3 just released yesterday, but EA’s already talking about their first DLC expansion. In “Awakened,” “gamers will experience some of the most disturbing content they have ever seen in a Dead Space game,” according to Steve Papoutsis of Visceral Games. The content will be coming in March for $10.
In what is fast becoming a recurring segment of VGQH, this week’s next-gen rumor watch:
The latest reports indicate Sony’s PlayStation 4 will be more powerful than its Microsoft counterpart and will feature a new controller. The controller is supposedly designed to be very similar in size and feel to the DualShock 3, but will feature a WiiU/PS Vita style touch screen where the current Start, Select, and PS button reside. Additionally, a share button on the touch screen will allow players to record, edit, and post video of the last 15 minutes of game play straight from their controller. An upgrade to the PlayStation Eye is also expected, which will still be compatible with the Move. The rumors are unclear whether this will be a standard inclusion or an add-on device. Release is expected for Japan and the US by Christmas 2013, with a European release to follow in early 2014. Early rumors also point to possible launch titles coming from Guerilla Games (Killzone) and a new racer from Evolution Studios (MotorStorm).
Oddly enough, those Sony rumors are of the good or bad quality depending on your temperament. Rumors on the Microsoft neXtBox are a little more negative. And yes, I’m still calling it that until they announce an official name, despite how awkward it is to type. According to the latest reports, the new system’s games will require an XBox Live connection, meaning every console will have to be online to function. Furthermore, rumors that the console will block used games are also being supported. Microsoft is not a small or stupid company, so their decision to go online only is likely very well-informed and recognizes the lost potential for players without internet. They’ve just determined that those players aren’t numerous enough to make a difference. Killing the used game market though? On the surface it makes good business sense for the publisher, but are there long-term consequences that aren’t being considered?
2012 turned out to be a big year for video games ending in the number 3.
Need proof? Well, the top four titles garnering the most nominations from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers for its upcoming award show had 3 after the franchise name (well, one ended in III, if you want to get technical about it).
Leading the pack was Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3, which picked up 12 nominations, followed by 10 apiece for Mass Effect 3 and Max Payne 3. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed III bookended the group with nine nominations.
Ubisoft Montreal’s Far Cry 3 leads the field with 12 nominations for the upcoming NAVGTR awards.
However, only one of the four – Far Cry 3 – earned a nod in the biggest category, Game of the Year. The other nominees for the top prize are Borderlands 2, Journey, Spec Ops: The Line, Torchlight II and The Walking Dead.
Developed at Ubisoft’s world-renowned Montreal studio, Far Cry 3 is first-person shooter that incorporated role-playing game elements into its story-driven, action-packed plot. Published for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the story involves a group of young thrill-seekers who are kidnapped on a remote island by pirates. The open-world sandbox setting is about 10 times larger than the game environments featured in previous Far Cry titles, according to the game’s narrative director, Jason Vandenberghe, in an interview he did with PlayStation Universe (psu.com).
Meanwhile, Assassin’s Creed III was also developed at Ubisoft Montreal. The game follows the actions of Connor, a half-English, half-Mohawk assassin who is tasked with killing Templars in the run-up to, during and in the aftermath of the American Revolution.
Further cementing Canada’s role as one of the top video game producing nations, Mass Effect 3’s 10 nominations, for Edmonton-based BioWare, can only be viewed as a soothing salve after the final installment of the role-playing/shooter trilogy met with a mixture of fanboy outrage and widespread discontent. Many were upset by what they viewed as a poorly executed ending that didn’t really match players’ expectations based on BioWare’s assertions during the series’ run that the consequences of choices made by gamers during the trilogy would impact the ultimate outcome of the game.
Fans went so far as to post videos on YouTube showing all the ending variations, which amounted to a mere handful.
BioWare responded by releasing a free downloadable content pack called the extended cut that sought to clarify the ending (going so far as to add a fourth possible outcome to the original three) and leave open the possibility of future Mass Effect titles.
For my money, the title that was most deserving of recognition wound up tied for fifth with eight nominations … the brilliant, episodic downloadable title The Walking Dead.
Developed by Telltale Games, The Walking Dead is a point-and-click adventure based on the popular TV show. It follows fictional character Lee Everett through five installments as he tries to survive a zombie apocalypse among other survivors.
The game – available on PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and iOs – was also nominated in two acting categories: Best voice-over performance by Dave Fennoy as Lee Everett and best-supporting performance by Melissa Hutchison as Clementine.
In total, there are 53 categories, including: Innovation in game technology, animation, art direction, in-game cinema direction, control precision, design, graphics, dramatic score, use of sound and writing.
The awards, voted on by more than 900 reviewers, aim to recognize achievements in art, technology and production. The winners will be announced March 24 in Boston at the PAX East game show.
To see a complete list of nominees, visit http://navgtr.org/nominees.
