Welcome to the first of June everyone. How is it possible that this year is already approaching the halfway point? Didn’t we just have the holiday glut of 2011 games? And is it just me or has this year started off really slow? The only games sticking out in my mind as notable releases so far are Mass Effect 3 and Diablo III. Well, that and the Vita, but I still haven’t gotten one. There has to be some more. What am I missing? Regardless, news time:

There’s been a huge shift in leadership over THQ, the long-suffering publisher Saints’ Row, Red Faction, and others. Danny Bilson left the company earlier this week, coinciding with Jason Rubin‘s appointment as company president. Rubin founded Naughty Dog with Andy Gavin back in 1984. Before leaving ND in 2004, Rubin was directly involved in the creation of the Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises. He is now in charge of all development, marketing, and publishing for THQ. According to THQ’s CEO, Brian Farrell, “Jason’s proven track record in the industry speaks for itself, and he is one of the brightest minds in the business. We believe he can be a game changer and can contribute immensely to executing on our strategy of delivering quality connected core game experiences.” Which is all probably true. Meanwhile, the only official word regarding Bilson’s exit is that it allows him to “pursue other interests.” That doesn’t necessarily sound voluntary.

EA released a Dead Space 3 graphic novel short earlier this week. It’s kind of a strange release as it was basically unannounced, and it ties into a game that isn’t officially announced either. The novel introduces Jason Carver, an Earthgov Sergeant. Carver sees an attack on the marker site during patrol on Uxor, with a mass of necromorphs being released. Carver must fight his way back to the colony and his place in the Dead Space universe. The official Dead Space site says “this is just the start of John Carver’s saga.” Presumably Carver will have some sort of role in Dead Space 3. Does that mean Isaac Clarke is out? Could this be the FPS version of the game Ea hinted a while back? There’s been plenty of rumors and leaks, but nothing official about the game. I have a feeling that will all change next week at E3.

Sony made a big whoops with their European Store update this week. They temporarily made the Battlefield 3 Premium Edition available for purchase. According to the product descriptio, which has since been removed, it’s actually available on June 4th. Presumably that is correct and we’ll see it launch officially on Tuesday. Unfortunately, this means Sony has basically stolen EA’s thunder of announcing this at a pre-E3 press conference. The list price was £39.99/€49.99/AU$79.95. Take that for what you will regarding US pricing. The last we heard in this week’s early edition was to expect a $60 price tag.

Warner Bros. Games and Monolith have announced Guardians of Middle Earth, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title coming to PSN and XBLA this Fall ($15 and 1200 MSP, respectively). The game will feature 5 vs 5 battles with more than twenty guardians. Playable characters may include Gandalf, Sauron, Gollum, and others. There will also be additional releases to tie in with the upcoming film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. In-game chat, stats, leaderboards, and all of the other staples of MOBA are expected.

Doom will always hold a special place in a lot of hearts for introducing a generation of gamers to the violent explosiveness of a the FPS. There were others, but Doom always seems to be the historical lynchpin. To celebrate that legacy, Bethesda has announced the release of Doom 3: BFG Edition. This will be the definitive release of the game, featuring HD graphics, 5.1 surround, and 3D support. The package will include the full game, the “Resurrection of Evil” add-on, and “The Lost Mission” (seven new levels). The entire game will also now feature an armor-mounted flashlight, making it a little safer to explore those dark corridors. If that isn’t enough game for you, Doom and Doom 2 will also be included. Oh yeah, it’s also got trophies/achievements if you’re into that sort of thing. Release is scheduled for this Fall.

Zen Studios is expanding beyond pinball with what appears to be the ultimate casual game melting pot. CastleStorm looks like equal parts tower defense, Angry Birds tower destruction, and real time strategy. I’m not sure how a mishmash of genres like that is going to work, but I have to admit that I’m inclined to play anything that lets me throw a sheep out of a catapult. That’s only part of the game though. You’ll also need to build up defenses around your castle, and can assault your opponent with ground troops as well. In all honesty, my first thoughts on the concept were not good. If it were coming from Ronimo I’d probably just write it off immediately as I haven’t really enjoyed anything they’ve done. But this comes from Zen Studios, so I am definitely keeping an open mind. Release is set for “later in 2012.”

Cd Projekt Red (The Witcher) has announced their next game. Cyberpunk is a 1980’s pen and paper RPG by Mike Pondmsith that they’re converting into a top-shelf video game. While we know Pondmsith is collaborating, we’re pretty short on all other details. We know it will be “a mature RPG for a mature audience,” “advanced RPG mechanics,” and a “gigantic arsenal.” Release dates and platforms have not been announced, but look for more information soon.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault has been announced and is coming to PSN this Fall. This release, in addition to the R&C HD Collection is all part of the 10 year anniversary of the franchise. The original third person camera is returning, and the controls wil feel more like the PS2 originals. That’s all the details for now, but Insomniac has promised more information soon and a special surprise for North America.

Ubisoft is expected to announce Splinter Cell: Blacklist at E3 next week. The game will reportedly take place directly after 2010’s Conviction. This will also be the first full title from Ubisoft Toronto. The story looks to be Sam focusing on some of his black list targets. Look for more next week.

We’ve got a small lead on one of the topics Microsoft is expected to present at their E3 press conference. The “XBox Music Center” looks to be a music streaming service for the console, birthed from the Paris-based Musiwave that Microsoft bought in 2007. We’ll have to wait for E3 to get details, but this looks like a possible rival to Sony’s Qriocity (or Music Unlimited, or whatever the hell they’re now calling that thing no one uses).

We’ve learned a few more details about the upcoming Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. The game will be an expansion of the “Road to the Multiverse” episode of the show. Players will control Stewie or Brian (or both in co-op), and each has unique abilities. You’ll be taking on several different characters in levels around the Quahog multiverse, with Bertram (Stewie’s evil twin) as your main adversary. We’re expecting more details on the multiplayer component soon. The game is scheduled for Fall 2012.

DLC for Dark Souls is headed to consoles. The expansion brings “The Artorias of the Abyss” portion of the PC’s Prepare to Die Edition to console platforms. This adds new areas, new enemies, new bosses, and new equipment. As you’d expect, it will also be stupid hard. If you like your video games to punish you, set aside $15 for this winter.

Ahead of three, with promises of more info at the event, LucasArts has announced Star Wars 1313. Zombietron has more. Looks like a harder-edged, fancier version of Lethal Alliance for the PSP. Playing that one made me realize you don’t have to be a Jedi to have fun in a Star Wars game. Unfortunately, my save game glitched and would kill my PSP everytime I tried to play it so I never finished.

That’s it for the week from me. We’ll be back with more VGQH on Tuesday as we begin the E3 coverage in earnest. Also, keep a close on BSR! as we have a few people covering the even on site as well.

Of the many nerdy wishes that have run through my mind the last few weeks as we here at BigShinyRobot prepare for E3, the biggest was simply this. “Dear Konami give us another Castlevania”. The first Lords of Shadow ended in such a way that I was left foaming at the mouth. This trailer has me excited, hopefully more information will come with our Konami booth tour next week.

With E3 just around the corner, Lucas Arts dropped some info on Star Wars 1313. They will be releasing many more details this week in L.A. so keep checking back as we’ll be on the scene bringing you all the greasy details. Currently StarWars.com has provided us with the following information.

In the new 1313 series players will take control of a bounty hunter in the seedy underbelly of Coruscant and utilize a “range of exotic weaponry.” The game is also focusing on fast paced combat, without any form of supernatural powers for self defense. Players will have to rely on wit and strength it seems to battle foes. It is aimed for mature audiences and has not been given a tentative date. What do you think guy and gals? Seems like a better offering than Star Wars Kinect to me.

After nearly a decade of development, and Error 37,  the next installment in the Diablo franchise has finally been released!….and well, it definitely is a Diablo game. When I start a game, I will usually try out something new rather than Mr. Magic McMissile or  Big McLarge Huge (Thanks MST3K) for the hundredth time. Because of this, I chose to start the game with a class I have not seen in other RPG’s, the Witch Doctor.

Well, it was either that or the Demon Hunter but my friend wanted to try Demon Hunter which is bull crap as he has never read anything about Van Helsing or seen any Dracula films. Ugh…

Anyway, turns out that the Witch Doctor is basically a Necromancer, but I am having fun with him anyway and all of his CC/turning people into chickens and sheep. Here is a screenshot I took from act 3 while dealing with a bunch of punk-ass demons:

That’s right. Where are your Arcane Sentry powers now??

Also, I was pretty excited that I got to see my old friend Deckard Cain, not too long after starting the game. I was kinda hoping he’d be dropping sick rhymes to a phat beat though..

The gameplay is what you would expect from Diablo, with a few changes made since the last installment. Rather than being able to choose your own stat progression, Blizzard assumes that we are all idiots and takes control of that for us. Instead of being able to carefully select certain abilities for our classes, leveling them up and having to live with our awful decisions, they just go ahead and give us every ability and allow us to swap any of them in and out. Basically, every single wizard that hits level 60 is going to be exactly the same except for the equipment they are wearing. I guess it makes fighting more fair in PvP (when they do release it) but it severely limits the potential of character building.

Something very innovative about this game is the inclusion of the in-game auction house. This is a place where people can sell their items to other players for gold. It’s a pretty good system, I think, and helps keep people away from selling virtual property for real money, although I doubt that will truly stop. Unfortunately, I accidentally clicked on the sell button that put my entire collected inventory of Essences, almost 800, on auction for way below standard price and they all sold immediately, even though the game told me I had 5 minutes to cancel…

I have to mention how good the graphics look this time around. The environments are extremely well polished and when they are falling apart around you, it add to the intensity. I also like that with every time you visit an area, different layouts and caves spawn so it kind of adds to the replayability if you are a completionist.  It’s kind of gratifying just running around and breakin’ shit for loots as well. The in-game cinematics are truly amazing, including some of the most realistic looking characters animations I have ever seen in a game.

Something that is very noticeable upon playing through the game on Normal and now starting my playthrough on Nightmare is that  I can no longer easily take enemies and bosses by myself. However, I am not built to be that strong right now but I feel like there is a huge jump between the two difficulties. I do like is, don’t get me wrong, because I feel like I now need to team up with other people to win fights. I feel like more of a support with the Witch Doctor, slowing enemies and summoning things to take hits while another class seemingly just one-hit KO’s everything.

I should probably also mention the recent hacks that have happened. Apparently, if you have even once opened your game up to the public, you could be the subject of invasion by hackers where they take your stuff. A lot of people are getting banned because of this, even the accounts of people who were hacked, not just the hackers. I have an acquaintance who warned another player about the hacks and he got banned just for doing that. So, if you still can, I’d recommend keeping away from the public games until Blizzard fixes this.

Now, I hear of this magical level filled with ponies and Care Bear looking creatures that you get to murder known as “Whimseyshire” so it has become my new goal to find this place.

I’ve got all but two of the items and I am pretty excited to enter, however, I seriously don’t know whether or not I will want to continue playing after I get through this area. It is kind of starting to feel like a grind getting through everything again and if I even get through Nightmare, I’ll be surprised. That being said, I do enjoy playing the game quite a bit while it lasts and I will probably come back to it here and there in the future and for that, I will give it..

4/5 Devils Going Down to Georgia.

The last edition for the month of May. This one was quick and eventful. What do we have to look forward to in June? E3 for starters, which means you’ll want to keep a Big Shiny Robot! tab open at all times as we’ve got several people headed to L.A. for coverage of one of the biggest gaming events of the year. I’ll do my best to keep everything recapped in VGQH, but you’ll want to make sure you’re getting all of the major stories as they publish. But that’s next week, there’s still plenty to cover today after the long weekend.

One thing I had been anticipating for June, Inversion, has now been delayed into July. No firm date has been issued, nor a specific reason. Let’s go ahead and assume it’s the typical “final polish” excuse – which will somehow still result in a day one patch. what we’ve seen of the game doesn’t have the most spectacular visual presentation, but the gravity-flipping game concept looks solid. Saber Interactive and Namco Bandai have a lot of potential on this one and I still plan to play it, even if it is a month late.

It hasn’t been officially announced for a western release, but details on the Zone of the Enders HD Collection in Japan look awesome. The collection is coming on October 25th in three different versions. All three collect both the original game and the sequel, Anubis (called ZOE2: The 2nd Runner in the US). It’s all been bumped up to 720P and is running at 30-60 fps. The standard edition runs the typical 3,980yen. The Premium Edition comes with a special box, ZOE reBOOT Edition remix CD, a couple of booklets, the Chronicle Book, and a reBOOT book containing conversations with Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa. That one is set for 8,980yen. The Konami Special Edition has even more collectibles and costs an extra 1,000yen. Again, this is Japan only for now, but it creates hope for similar packages to make their way west, hopefully soon.

Another fine HD collection has been confirmed for US release. Resident Evil: Chronicles HD combines two former Wii-exclusives, The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles, into one PS Move package for a measly $27. The collection hits on June 26th. If you’d prefer only one of the two games, you’ll be able to snag them individually for $15 starting July 17th.

Thanks to a tip from a UK retailer, we know a little about the Battlefield Premium service that’s expected to be revealed at E3. This is basically EA’s response to Call of Duty: Elite. The service is expected to run $60 and will include at least four, possibly five DLC expansions. The four to be included are Back to Karkand (already available – and likely already purchased by anyone considering the service), Close Quarters (June), Armored Kill (September), and End Game (December).The possible fifth pack is called Aftermath in late 2012. There is a small conflict with some of this information, as End Game is alternatively scheduled for Spring 2013. Maybe it’s being pushed back by Aftermath’s release in its slot? Other benefits could include new weapons, vehicles, assignments, and dog tags. Remember, we’re talking rumor for now, so be sure to watch EA’s press conference next week for the solid details.

Microsoft is still adamant that we won’t be seeing the new XBox next week at E3. But, their job posting ads may be spoiling some of the new features. A recent ad states they’re “focused on enabling amazing new in-game and in-console voice and video experiences for the next generation of Xbox.” This could just mean they need someone to work on the next version of Kinect, but Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Skype indicates a strong possibility of incorporating that service directly into their next console. Is this something that excites you? Is it just another fringe benefit that makes your console a little more awesome? Or is it a complete waste of resources and they should focus on making a gaming console, instead of a full media entertainment hub?

If you still haven’t found your way to Demon’s Souls, you may have been planning on skipping it altogether, considering the online servers were scheduled to shut down on May 31st. Note the use of past tense in that last sentence. Atlus has just announced that the servers will remain “for the forseeable future.” This is a fickle industry, so I don’t know how far they can foresee, but this is good news for a game that’s now bargain-priced at $19.99.

One thing we can expect NOT to see at E3 is a preview of Mass Effect 3‘s extended cut. Bioware’s Chris Priestly assures us it is still on the way, but they aren’t showing any of it. What is coming, however, is a fairly sizeable patch (1.03) to fix myriad minor bugs in the game. I say minor because I’ve read the list and they’re all minor. Internet brats will be very quick to correct me and explain that all of these are completely game-breaking and Bioware’s the worst company in the world for letting a broken game into the wild in the first place. The official date hasn’t been announced for the patch, but it’s probably safe to assume it will come alongside the free Rebellion multiplayer pack available today. Meaning my PS+ subscription probably installed it last night but I haven’t turned on my machine today.

Retailer-specific preorder bonus incentives have now been taken to a new high. Or a new low, depending on perspective. What game could possibly be worth at least seven different bonuses? Halo 4, duh! So, what are your options?

• Play.com: Deadeye Helmet
• GameStop: Forest Spartan IV Armor Skin
• Best Buy: Venator Raptor Spartan IV Armor Skin
• EB Games: Forest Spartan IV Armor, Arctic Battle Rifle Skin
• Microsoft Store: Pulse Armor Skin
• Amazon: Pulse Armor Skin
• Mighty Ape: Raptor Spartan IV Armor Skin, Locus Helmet, Assassin Multiplayer Emblem, plus the non-exclusive Pulse Armor Skin and Bonebreaker Emblem

Keep in mind, some of those retailers may not be available in your country or area, but you’re definitely going to have to work the balancing act of convenient ordering with best exclusive. The game isn’t out until November, so I’d expect even more incentives to appear before its release.

Today’s Playstation Store update is set to include a plethora of ultimate editions at significant discounts. These editions will include the game and any applicable DLC. These are all high-powered titles and if you’ve missed any of them they’re all games you should probably jump on now. First price listed is the normal discount, second is what you’ll pay if you have PS+:

• Red Dead Redemption w/ three DLC packs – including Undead Nightmare $27.99/$19.59
• inFamous 2 $33.99/$23.79
• Bioshock 2 w/ five DLC packs $27.99/$19.59
• MotorStorm Apocalypse $50.49/$35.34
• CoD: Black Ops w/ four DLC maps $66.49/$46.54
• L.A. Noire: Complete Edition $27.99/$19.59
• Mafia II w/ seven DLC packs $20.99/$14.69
• Just Cause 2 Ultimate Edition$20.99/$14.69
• Mortal Kombat w/ Warrior Bundle and Klassic Skins 1 $$34.99/$24.99

I’m led to believe each title has some sort of expansion included, but I don’t have all of the details. If inFamous 2 includes Festival of Blood it’s an absolute no brainer. If it doesn’t, you should probably get it anyway. That was my personal GotY for 2011, and I’m still constantly using my sling pack that came with the special edition.

One more thing to look forward to at E3, maybe two, is the next game from Quantic Dream. The French developer behind Heavy Rain is reportedly working on two unannounced games for Sony platforms – with one of those games possibly being on an unannounced platform. Quantic Dream’s David Cage assured us that the seven minute Kara video shown at GDC earlier this year was not a game, but could it be a clue about what they’re showing at E3? Their next game is planned for reveal at Sony’s press conference on Monday.

With The Witcher 2 receiving high praise (but mediocre sales) earlier this year, the talk of porting the PC-exclusive first game began anew. The port had been in development for a long time, but problems led to what we thought was its ultimate demise. The Witcher: Rise of the White Witch has now risen from the ashes and is apparently coming soon to XBox 360 and PS3. More details should be coming from Prjekt Red’s press conference tomorrow.

Just as we’re preparing for Skyrim‘s “Dawnguard” DLC, Zenimax has filed a new patent for something called “Hearth Fire.” It’s entirely possible that this isn’t even connected to The Elder Scrolls, but incredibly unlikely. Those of you with way too much attention to detail know that “Hearth Fire” is a conjuration skill book in the game, one of the twelve 2920 books. So what is it? We have no idea, but it sounds suspiciously like the next chapter of DLC, or possibly a sidequest in “Dawnguard.”

That ends this week’s early edition. Check back for more on Friday. The late edition could be huge in anticipation of E3, or incredibly small with everything being kept close to the vest until next week. We’ll find out on Friday.

First shown in the Video Game Quick Hits Column. The Cave looks awesome, incredible, incredibly awesome, it must be a Double Fine game! Admit it, even Once Upon a Monster had some entertainment value for all ages. Don’t take my word for it though, I’m just one of those guys that makes a living typing crap up all day. As if getting a game fully funded by fans wasn’t enough. Double Fine announced their game slated for sometime in 2013 called “The Cave”. It has a very unique style, and looks to be something incredible, I can’t wait for more information. Here is the trailer below.

Sithbot here with a review of Sorcery for the PS3. Take it away, Sithbot!

If you’re like me and own a Move for the PlayStation3, then you’ve played the hell out of House of the Dead Overkill and Dead Space Extraction, but then packed it away and only broke it out for drunken bouts of Just Dance or Yoostar.  Sony’s Move seemed to have had so much potential, but due to the overall lack of developer support, aside from the games mentioned above, it never reached the heights of what was promised back when it was announced at an E3 years gone by.  There was this really cool looking game called Sorcery that was demoed, but it kept getting pushed back and back, and most of us thought the game would never get released … Until now, that is.

Yes, Sorcery finally made its debut on the PS3, and unless you paid close attention to your PSN updates,  you might have easily missed it, which is a shame since this game, despite being much too short and a bit flawed, is a ton of fun and a good excuse to dust off your Move controller and put it to the use they were meant for.

Sorcery follows the story of young sorcerer’s apprentice, Finn, and his ‘cat’ Erline, and the misadventures they get into when he borrows a magic wand from his master and goes exploring.  Needless to say, ‘stuff’ happens, you learn you’re more than just an untalented apprentice, Erline’s not just a cat, and the fate of the world is on your shoulders.  So, nothing that cool or original in the story, but that’s not why you should be playing this game anyway, although the dialog and voice acting between Finn and Erline is enjoyable and well done and gets your involved in the characters.

You SHOULD be playing this game to see how a proper PlayStation Move game should perform. Want to cast your arcane bolt? Flick the controller at the screen. Need to hit that enemy on a ledge above you? Flick it UP, towards the enemy on screen, and your spell locks on that foe and knocks them out.  Want to ‘curve the bullet’ a la the movie Wanted? ‘Throw’ your spell like they do in that movie, and it will curve around pillars and connect.  Seriously, it’s hard to recreate with words, the pure joy of using your controller like a magic wand and have it recreated exactly how you want on screen; it really makes you feel like Harry Potter. I can’t describe how fun it is to be just running through a hallway, flicking your wand left and right to smash objects to get the gold or ingredients inside them and just seeing it take place flawlessly.

As you progress through the game and get new powers and spells, feel free to combine their effects to further destroy those who oppose you. Level up your fire and wind spells to lay down a path of flames and send a whirlwind through them that will catch on fire and obliterate all in front of you.  Hit your foes a few times with the ice spell, then switch, on the fly, to your standard arcane bolt and shatter them into a million pieces.

In case you didn’t get my drift, Sorcery is a blast to play and something anyone with a Move should experience.  That said, the game is incredibly short and can be beaten in around 6 hours, with little to no replay value, which is a shame, as that keeps me from recommending it as a solid BUY since it can easily be beaten in a rental period. Sadly again, you won’t find the game at your local BlockBuster (if you still have one), so you’re stuck shelling out the $40 to buy it or waiting on GameFly.  Whatever you decide, if you get the chance to check out this amazing game, do so, you won’t regret it!

You can pick it up at Amazon.

It’s been a while, but I’m back and it’s time to start cranking out the gaming news. I’ve missed writing these snap shots of what’s happening in the gaming world, but it was also kind of refreshing to be completely out of the loop for a couple of weeks. If anyone is interested, Ireland was awesome, but not very warm. Driving on the left side of the road is less awkward than you might think. Roundabouts, however, are stupid; especially twin roundabouts that you discover while desperately looking for a tire shop at 4:30 on Saturday afternoon. [Special thanks to Bowes Tyres in Portlaoise, Co. Laoise by the way.] Enough about my vacation though, time for some gaming news.

Eric Landin, voice of inFamous‘ Cole McGrath seems to have tweeted the cat out of the bag regarding four unannounced characters for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. He initially announced he was returning to the booth to reprise his role as McGrath for an unnamed project, which he later named as Battle Royale. He also name checked two other voice actors, Nolan North and David Hayter. The insinuation was that they would be reprising their roles as Uncharted‘s Nathan Drake and Metal Gear‘s Snake, respectively. All of this is unconfirmed so far by Sony, but all three would be reasonably expected in a game featuring PlayStation icons. Characters confirmed for the title so far ar PaRappa, Sweet Tooth, Kratos, Sly Cooper, Colonel Radec, and Fat Princess. Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Crash Bandicoot, and many others should also be expected. Who else do you want to see?

A few others have also confirmed they’re back in the recording booth for a little game you might recognize, Mass Effect 3. Lance Henriksen (Admiral Hackett), Tricia Helfer (EDI), and Raphael Sbarge (Kaiden Alenko) are all recording new lines for the extended cut, which is said to provide more closure for those fans upset by the ending. Hopefully this free release (date pending) will satisfy those fans. Oddly, more lines by Sbarge won’t mean much to either the Shepard I’ve already completed, or the one I’m playing now. Kaiden Alenko is dead for both characters. My third Shepard will definitely be happy to see him again though, once I get around to playing her story and rekindling their romance. [GameStop has Mass Effect 3 on sale for $29.99 this week if you haven’t bought it already.]

While we’re on the subject, more free DLC is coming for Mass Effect 3‘s multiplayer. I still can’t shake the feeling that this was supposed to be a buyable add-on, but Bioware is too scared to charge for anything now. At least not until the extended cut is released. The Rebellion Pack will include the Vorcha soldier and sentinel, ex-Cerberus adept and vanguard, and male Quarian engineer and infiltrator. Two new maps, Firebase Jade (Sur’kesh) and Firebase Goddess (Thessia) will be included. If you’re getting bored with the mission objectives, waves 3, 6, and 10 will randomly include the new goal, retrieving a package and escorting it to the extraction zone. A permanent gear slot is also being added where you can apply enhancements picked up from reinforcement packs that don’t expire after one match. And, finally, what expansion would be complete without new weapons? The Cerberus Harrier, Krysae Sniper Rifle, and Reegar Carbine are being added. This expansion is set for release next week, on May 29th.

Valve and Overkill have confirmed they are collaborating on what they’re calling a “very cool blend of PAYDAY and Left 4 Dead.” Overkill’s PAYDAY: The Heist is a co-op shooter that has you and friends pulling off major bank robberies. It’s a fun game, but didn’t quite deliver to its full potential. Valve’s Left 4 Dead is a co-op zombie killer with rave reviews and legions of fans. The blend of the two could be something truly special. No further details have been released, such as whether the new game will take place in the existing worlds of the other two. Also not mentioned was where we would see release of the game. PAYDAY is a PSN/PC exclusive, while Left 4 Dead is exclusive to Microsoft. The easy prediction is that it will have mass releases on all major platforms, but they could go always WiiU exclusive just to mess with us.

A recent trailer for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 revealed upcoming DLC characters for the franchise’s long-awaited return. Michelle, Ancient Ogre, Angel, and Kunimitsu are all seen in the trailer. True to Katsuhiro Harada’s word, these characters will be free DLC. Those who preorder will get them immediately. Others will need to wait a little longer, when the characters are released to everyone, also at no charge. The game is scheduled for September 11, 2012.

Aliens: Colonial Marines has seemingly been in development for a century. Fans can’t wait to get their hands on the title, yet they’re going to need to wait a little longer. It’s recently been delayed again to February 12, 2013. Randy Pitchford of earbox has confirmed that this is a solid date and the end of development is close enough they can be confident the final product will arrive on time. He also further explained that the development cycle hasn’t actually been overly long, it just appears that way because of when the game was announced. He compared the timing as similar to the original Borderlands and Brothers in Arms. The difference is that those two games were announced well into development, whereas Aliens: Colonial Marines was announced to the public in an early concept stage because everyone was so excited.

Capcom’s Devil May Cry reboot has been locked in for January 15, 2013 according to a recent announcement. They also used the announcement to introduce Kat, a hooded medium that Dante encounters in Limbo City. Her psychic powers allow her to see into the Limbo realm, but not interact with it like Dante. Expect to see her as a physical presence in the “real” world and an apparition in the alternate realm.

The long-awaited announcement of Bungie‘s next game has finally come. Their follow-up to the genre-defining Halo series is called Destiny and is planned for 2013. It will be the first in a “sci-fi fantasy, action shooter” series. Based on rumors, job advertisements, and “reveals” from disgruntled ex-employees, the game is likely to be an MMO – “WoW in space.” Much of the planning for the series has already been made public because of the contract’s exposure in the ongoing lawsuit between Activision and Infinity Ward’s founders. The first game will be a timed XBox 360 exclusive, potentially releasing on PS3, PS4, “XBox 720,” and other consoles. Additional titles in the series will likely have synchronous releases, and are expected to release every other year until 2019. The years between releases are obligated to expansions, called “Comets” in the contract.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown has announced its release date and preorder bonus. The “Elite Soldier Pack” will add extra customization, giving you the “ultimate tools” for your troops. The game is set for October 9, 2012. On a related note, Take Two’s version of XCOM, as an FPS, has been revealed in a financial report for “Fiscal Year 2014.” That means we won’t see it until at least April 1, 2013 – with the window being open until March 31, 2014.

Babel Rising, a tower destruction (as opposed to defense) that looks properly unique and biblical has been given a release date. It’s set for PSN and XBLA on June 12th. If you’re unfamiliar with the biblical tale, the arrogant Babylonians attempted to build a tower to heaven (think World Five in Super Mario Bros. 3), only to invoke the wrath of God and be severely punished. In this version, you are God. As an all-powerful deity you’ll have plenty of tools (lightning, meteorites, floods, etc.) at your command to smash their puny tower. Oddly, co-op and competitive multiplayer will be featured. Clearly they aren’t going for a literal interpretation, as multiplayer breaks the first commandment. Regardless, looks fun, and I can’t wait to hear the religious boo-hooing as soon as it releases. [Yes, this is a big-boy version of the iPhone game.]

In light of legal wrangling between Motorola and Microsoft, International Trade Commission Judge David Shaw has recommended the XBox 360 be banned in the United States. Arse-bot has the full story. The quick version is that Shaw advised the ITC that, in his opinion, the 4GB and 250GB Slim versions of the console violate patents owned by Motorola. The patent claim (regarding the tech that decodes video) by Motorola has already resulted in the consoles being banned in Germany. The ITC will now review Judge Shaw’s decision. If they decide to uphold the decision, President Obama will have 60 days to overturn it.

Can you believe it’s really been 25 years since we first dropped a quarter into Street Fighter? Was I really only six years old when Ryu became the World Warrior by defeating Sagat? Apparently so. And, this September, you’ll be able to celebrate a quarter century of shoryukens with the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Pack. Strangely, the only notable entry in the extensive franchise that seems missing is the first game. You know, the one that’s 25 years old. The games included are Super SFII Turbo HD Remix, SFIII Third Strike Online Edition, Super SFIV Arcade Edition (w/ all costume DLC), and SF x Tekken (w/ all character and costume swap DLC). The games will be available for XBox 360 or PS3. But that’s not all you’ll get in this $150 set. It also includes two blu-ray discs of exclusive video: a documentary highlighting the franchise’s influence on fans over the years, the SFIV and Super SF IV Anime movies, all episodes of the SF animated series, and SFII: The Animated Movie (but not the Van Damme / Raul Julia action flick). Still not worth $150? What if they include an 11-Disc(!) soundtrack, hardcover art book, Ryu’s belt (full scale replica), 8″ light up Ryu statue (mid-shoryuken), and a certificate of authenticity? Probably still not worth the asking price if you’re not a hardcore Street Fighter fan. But, if you are, this is possibly the greatest single game collection ever released. It’s only confirmed for North America and limited quantities are expected. I’d recommend you get your pre-order in now.

Ubisoft Founder and CEO, Yves Guillemot, has revealed some of their plans for E3, announcing a major event for June 4th (the day before the official start). According to Guillemot, “This year’s E3 promises to be one of our biggest and best yet. We’re showcasing the strongest, most competitive collection of core titles we’ve had in years, innovative new games for new platforms and a broad lineup that has something for everyone.” Did you catch that? Read it again. Especially the “innovative new games for new platforms” part. What new platforms? Could he mean WiiU? Or does he mean new platforms that will be announced at E3? You know, the ones Sony and Microsoft are swearing up and down won’t be announced this year.

Yakuza Studios and SEGA have finally released some vital details about Yakuza 5. All five playable characters have been revealed: Kazuma Kiryu, Taiga Saejima, Shun Akiyama, Haruka and Tatsuo Shinada. Shinada is the only new addition to the franchise; he’s a former baseball player who’s been banned from the pros for gambling. The story will directly tie in to Yakuza 4 and will take place in at least five cities: Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka. The game is currently about 70% finished (in a new engine) and appears to be on schedule for a December release.

Double Fine’s latest game, The Cave (from the mind of Ron Gilbert), is going to be released by SEGA. That’s an interesting publishing partner for the developer, but it also seems like a good fit. Expect some classic side-scrolling and platforming, combined with a few puzzles and a “nuclear-tipped ICBM.” It will certainly feature Double Fine’s regular staple of odd but endearing characters and is set for PSN and XBLA in early 2013.

Movies based on video games have a shaky history. The idea of a Shadow of the Colossus film has been batted around for years, but it’s a difficult concept to swallow. There’s very little dialogue between Wander and Agro – and one of them is a horse. There’s also not much in the way of other humans in the game, making for a difficult movie to present to a large audience. The only thing giving me a little faith is that sony recently gave the director’s job to Josh Trank, who actually went to Sony and asked for it. If you’re not familiar with Trank, he directed Chronicle recently. That was an easy film to overlook but you really shouldn’t have. Despite our friends at Big Movie Mouth-Off giving it positive reviews I didn’t actually see it until my flight back from Ireland. This was put together surprisingly well, with a fairly realistic portayal of what normal people would do with superpowers. Even in the shadow of Avengers Assemble (as they’re calling in Ireland), this was a good superhero flick. Whether that will translate to SotC is unclear, but I can think of plenty worse directors that could have gotten the job.

Update 1.6 is on its way to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s got a whole pile of bug fixes that may or may not actually fix things in the game (and possibly make things worse). But, it’s actually got one major revision: mounted combat. Both ranged and melee combat will be available from horseback, creating all sorts of new combat scenarios and potentially changing your entire strategy. A release date was not announced, but it looks to be very soon.

I know this a massive edition of VGQH. I wasn’t trying to compile 2 1/2 weeks of news, but I did want to get all of this week’s since I missed Tuesday. I was back home, but still too behind on everything to write a proper column. Things should be back to normal next week. Although I am still suffering from withdrawals. Why oh why can’t I get Bulmer’s Cider in Utah???

If you’ve been putting off getting all those indie games your friends have been telling you about, you’re out of excuses starting today. (more…)

I recently reviewed Echo’s Revenge by Sean Austin and I enjoyed it. After the review I was able to talk to Sean about the novel, his writing, and how a story can work with both a book and an online component.

Baldassbot (BSR!): Please tell me a little about yourself. Is The Ultimate Game (Echo’s Revenge) your first novel?

Sean Austin: This is my first novel. I’ve written a variety of scripts for Imax and other 3D motion, game simulations and produced a bunch of motion simulated experiences over the years, but this is my first novel. I’ve tried to take some of my experience developing new technologies and applied it to the (currently) fictional notion of creating sentient robots who participate in reality games. I’m almost done with the second novel and I have an outline for the third.

BSR!: While the book does tell a story from beginning to end, it doesn’t seem complete in itself. There is an interactive portion involved with www.echohunt.com. What are the challenges with creating a story that crosses media in this way?

SA: The challenge is keeping the reader engaged across a variety of mediums, and to do that you have to write differently and provide different assets at each venue. For example, a website needs interactivity and plenty of images, a compelling narrative (with perhaps less text), engaging links, and a social component. A novel of this type, while being connected to other media, still needs to hold up on its own. In the case of this novel, it was written specifically for gamers in a different style; specifically tailored to the gaming mentality. Gamers seem to enjoy the style. This novel is also unusual in that it is one perspective of the story- the experience of the gamers caught in a game gone horribly wrong. “The Other Side” (Book 2) tells the game designers’ side of the story, which is how Echo got loose in the first place, and why the designers couldn’t warn the gamers as they were being abducted. After reading the second book (currently in manuscript form), the reader comes away from the story with a much richer, deeper experience than one could with a single story line. It’s a different concept for a novel- like real life, when we experience something and then discover the full picture later, when we hear someone else’s take on the same event with a very different perspective.

BSR!: Sticking with cross-media questions, I don’t see something like this working 10 years ago. Is this the future of story-telling? Or just another tool for some and something to be ignored by others?

SA: We live in an extremely media-rich environment and are fortunate to be able to develop so many new ways of telling stories and communicating more complex experiences and ideas. I’m sure books will stand on their own forever. There’s nothing like spending time alone with a book; but story telling will continue to evolve because there are so many new, exciting ways to communicate with the internet, smartphones, new types of visual displays, and new social and gaming constructs. It’s particularly interesting to me that you can tell a story across multiple mediums and make it a more social active by allowing readers to post questions to the characters and each other at a book’s website.

BSR!: You share a name with one of the characters in the novel. How similar is that character to you? Which is really just a way of asking how much of yourself and your experiences did you incorporate into the story? I’m thinking specifically of Reggie’s realization that everyone has family problems, and that his relationship with Asa is unique but not unusual.

SA: The family difficulties I portray are purely fictional; however, the technical aspects of the game in Book 1, and especially Book 2 come from direct work experience. I’ve played different roles in various enterprises, some extremely fast-tracked and technically extremely complex. I tend to flex and become the personality that is required of me in whatever situation I’m in, whether it’s producing, writing, getting a crew over a mountain, or whatever I need to do. In this way I feel a little like Echo, morphing into what I need to be to accomplish my task. But ultimately I feel most like Sean because I have a similar personality- Sean is my alter-ego. He is my mouthpiece. We all have to take on different roles at certain times in our lives, and Sean’s attitude is one of contained outrage as he figures out what his role is when he sees his world of high-tech entrepreneurial experimentation gone horribly wrong. Sean tries to balance things out all the time, to create equilibrium, like when he tries to balance things out with Reggie after the focus group when HAkr makes fun of Reggie. But Sean can never fix everything. His circumstances are far too complex, so he can only keep trying to mitigate the folly of the humans around him. Joey knows this about Sean, that he’s trying to make things right, and is driven crazy by it because Joey is an extremist and wants to see what technology can really do. So Joey constantly pokes and jabs at Sean, and is a major pain in Sean’s neck whenever he posts on the website, just as he is in the book. I’ve incorporated a lot of my experience in the story by basing each game designer character on someone I’ve known and worked with in the simulation industry.

BSR!: Your target audience is gamers, primarily boys, aged 10-18. This seems oddly specific, yet it also seems like a market ignored by other popular fiction. Why this demographic?

SA: No one is writing for this group of guys, and yet we’re all complaining that gamers don’t read! What’s that all about? I want gamers to read and love reading for their life, so I’m just trying to balance the scale and give them a fair shot at being able to actually enjoy reading. There’s also incredible intelligence in a large part of this demographic that’s being wasted. I’m aiming for engagement and activation by gamers in the real world through a realistic writing style in a world of extreme hard knocks.

BSR!: A lot of BSR! readers are aspiring writers themselves. What’s your writing process? Are you an outliner? Do you have a set writing schedule?

SA: First, you have to have something to say. When you’re younger, it’s often difficult to know what you are going to write about, but you can work it out on paper in the form of an outline while keeping track of visual ideas and other inspiration I have along the way. It’s great to be outraged about something that’s personal to you, try to understand it, and then create a drama around it so you can develop a unique story. Writing is also much easier if you establish a rhythm to your work, like a certain number of hours at a certain time every day. I like to write from 9am – 2pm, then do what I need to do in the world while processing what I’ve written until I start again the next day. This way, there are always fresh ideas coming and the story gets richer with more twists. Then, rewrite many, many times. Ultimately, I never want my books to be predictable.

BSR!: How can our readers learn more about your writing and keep tabs on future projects? Are you on Twitter? Facebook?

SA: echohunt.com is a loose continuation of the investigation between novels and there is an excerpt from Book 2 on the home page. The social sites are Facebook: facebook.com/AAARealityGames , facebook.com/sean.austin.505 , twitter: twitter.com/#!/SeanAustinAAA , youtube (In works) youtube.com/user/EchosRevenge and finally, check in with the reality game coming up at aaarealitygames.com/. If anyone has questions about the characters, what they’re up to, or anything, they can ask on the message board at echohunt.com.

Echo’s Revenge is currently available in digital ($2.99) or print ($11.99) form from Amazon and other major retailers.

AAA Reality Games is a company dedicated to exploring the art of reality games through robotic engineering. AAARG is producing a series of game-related experiences, and is currently releasing the novel series Echo’s Revenge: The Ultimate Game as an ongoing investigation of Echo-7 through novels and website echohunt.com. Echohunt.com also provides STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering & Math) opportunities for 10-18 year-olds who are interested in STEM related areas of study. The Echo’s Revenge series is written specifically for video gamers ages 10+.