Big column today so let’s jump right in:

If you’ve seen the cartoon at all, or the shadowed promo image, the main playable characters in Young Justice: Legacy should come as no surprise. [By the way, if you haven’t seen the show, what’s wrong with you? It’s awesome!] The upcoming action-RPG from Little Orbit will feature the whole regular cast of Kid Flash, Artemis, Superboy, Robin, Miss Martian, and Aqualad. Six additional characters will be rounding out your upgradeable squad when the game launches in February 2013 (PS3, 360, Wii, DS). Before you start guessing though, remember that the game i set to take place between seasons one and two. You may have to think back and try to remember when Zatanna and Captain Marvel first started hanging with the team. Red Arrow (Speedy) is probably a safe bet regardless. The developers have also announced the first six villains you’ll be facing. This is a pretty heavy duty line up for the youngsters, including Lex Luthor, Sportsmaster, Cheshire, Icicle Jr., Killer Frost, and Black Manta. Six more baddies are also on the way.

Codemasters isn’t exactly a developer at the top of watch list, but they do have a pretty solid record for racing games (like DiRT and F1). Not being as flashy or sexy as some of the iterative FPS or franchise tie-ins it’s easy to write them off. Which I almost did since their only story right now is the expansion of two more facilities Warwickshire and Birmingham, creating 125 more jobs in the UK. Then I remembered how many sudio closures and job losses I’ve written up lately. In light of so many studios having financial troubles, it’s nice to be able to mention a good story as well. So congratulations to Codemasters for succeeding in a business that tends to only favor the Activisions and EAs of the world.

Did you just look at your calendar and realize you forgot to pre-order the special edition of Max Payne 3 by the April 2nd deadline? Whoops, now what? Pay a fortune to a reseller on eBay? Nah. Rockstar has extended the special edition orders until the May 15th release date. What changed their mind? It apparently comes from “unfortunate recent retail issues in the UK and elsewhere in Europe which have affected preorder availability.” They aren’t calling out GAME, a high-profile UK retailer that recently came under administration (British for bankruptcy), but it’s pretty clearly related. Those still seeking the special edition are encouraged to order from the Rockstar Warehouse, though it’s also available at GameStop.

Did you think the music gaming fad was dead? You’re probably right, but not totally. Harmonix has got a new game in the pipe for PSN and XBLA, Rock Band Blitz. Despite the name, this won’t feature a full plastic instrument band. It’s actually played with a standard controller and is more of a throwback to Harmonix’s original rhythm games, Amplitude and Frequency. Comparisons to Rock Band Unplugged on PSP are also reasonable. The game will come with 25 songs, but could have a library of nearly 3,700 (over that byt the time the game launches this summer) depending on how much DLC you’ve bought for the Rock Band franchise. Not only will all of your previously downloaded content work in the new game, the 25 it includes will also be playable in Rock Band 3. The first five of the 25 songs have been announced:

Grasshopper Manufacture has had some great, if not completely successful, games over the years. This is mostly due to Suda51’s brilliant concepts, that sometimes just don’t make enough sense. Still Killer 7 was one of the games that really put Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture on the map and it’s a little odd for the industry that it’s been idle so long. Their newest game announced, Killer is Dead – 2013, may make you think that’s changing. But, despite the similarity in the title, the new game is an all new IP. The player is a prisoner, sentenced to death, who must kill his own assassin before the execution takes place. Suda 51 promises this will be in the spirit of Killer 7 and No More Heroes, a “dark side 007” with sexy ladies. The No More Heroes style swordplay also returns with some new elements in the mix. As always with Grasshopper, I’m looking forward to seeing more, even though I’ll never understand what I’m seeing.

The Sony version of Super Smash Bros. looks to finally have an official name. Previously going by the temporary moniker Title Fight, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will get its official reveal and preview at E3 in June. wow, that name is a mouthful! Title Fight is a little too generic, but friendlier. While we still have to wait until June for official announcements, there are a few tidbits already known about the game. For instance, Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, Nathan Drake, Colonel Radec, Fat Princess, and PaRappa are al expected in the melee. Expect to be brawling in levels based on Buzz!, LittleBigPlanet, Hot Shots Golf, and Sandstorm Village. BSR! will have a few ‘bots on the ground at E3, so expect to see more about this one the first week of June.

Still playing Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning? Want to be playing it, but you’ve done it all? Good news, more DLC is dropping this month. “Teeth of Naros” will feature an all new city, new enemies, new dungeons, new etc. Expect plenty of additional armor, weapons, and cards. The floating city, Idylla, is named for an ancient Troll god. The add-on will be available April 17th for 800 points ($10).

With the future of media consumption in constant flux, Netflix has had one solid advantage over Amazon Instant Video, availability on gaming consoles. That’s all changed this week with the service now available on PlayStation 3. It’s currently the only console running this service but I wouldn’t expect that exclusivity to last. Installing the app is simple to do directly from the XMB under “TV/Video Services.” The service currently boasts over 120,000 movies and TV episodes for rental or purchase. The real boon, of course, comes from Amazon Prime membership, allowing free access to over 17,000 videos. Prime membership is $79 per year and comes with a free 30 day trial. Signing up for Prime, full year or trial, can also be done directly from your PS3. One of may favorite parts of Amazon’s service is that buying many of their DVDs and Blu-Rays gives you temporary access to stream that same content immediately. So if you buy a new release, you can usually watch it streaming while you wait for your disc to arrive.

In addition to Epic Mickey: The Power of Two making its way to home consoles, the franchise is also going portable with Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion for Nintendo’s 3DS. Zombietron’s got full coverage with the press release. While the game does take place in Wasteland, it also harkens back to Mickey’s Genesis days as he’ll be squaring once more with Mizrabel in the Castle of Illusion (which has fallen into Wasteland). Gameplay seems to be equal parts sidescrolling platform (a la Castle of Illusion), paint and thinner mechanics (a la Epic Mickey), and incorporating player drawings (a la Drawn to Life?). Is it weird that I might be more excited for this one than its console brother?

Few things can make an old fart like me grin as much as this one. It probably doesn’t hurt that I’m listening to The Muppets Soundtrack as I’m doing this column. Anyway, Wayforward Technologies and Majesco have announced a reboot of their Double Dragon franchise from 1980’s. Thankfully the reboot isn’t an update in the same way GRIN attempted with Bionic Commando. Instead, Double Dragon: Neon is an old school, side-scrolling, beat ’em up. Just how retro are they going to go? Neon health bars with synth and guitar solos for the soundtrack. Billy and Jimmy Lee will be brawling down Adobos on PSN and XBLA this July. Pricing is not yet announced. I guess we’ll find out at the end if you still have to fight your brother or not.

It’s no secret that the ‘bots around here have been huge fans of Marvel [Zen] Pinball. We’ve been eating up every table on release day since the game launched. The next table to hit is going to be no different. World War Hulk will be the first table released in the Avengers Chronicles set. When the Gamma Giant returns from involuntary exile, it’s a bad time to be Illuminati, X-Men, or the Fantastic Four. This table will be dropping sometime this spring, with the remaining tables in the set (The Avengers, Infinity Gauntlet, and Fear Itself) soon to follow.

Amidst the uproar about the ending, Ray Muzyka (Bioware, co-founder) has unveiled the plans for their tweaks to the ending of Mass Effect 3. The Extended Cut DLC will be free and releasing this summer. In what seems to be a case of severely missing the point, it appears the only extension will be additional epilogue scenes, rather than addressing the most vocal concern: that the choices that supposedly mattered really didn’t. According to Muzyka, “Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.” I still haven’t decided exactly how I feel about the whole controversy, but I’m already inclined to think this won’t actually satisfy (or silence) the critics. I’ll still wait and give it a fair shake this summer, which is probably about the time I’ll be finishing my Insanity run, if I can even make it that far. Arse-bot has covered this a little more extensively. I think we disagree on a few key points, but I can’t really explain why.

The media releases for Aliens: Colonial Marines have been releasing at a steady clip. It’s about time too. Hasn’t this game been in development for at least a decade? Then again, who cares when it looks this aweseome? Check out the videos Zombietron’s posted.

Are you still having trouble with glitches in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? Bethesda is rolling out patch 1.5 to help. There’s the obvious glut of fixes for stability and abnormalities that, generally, have seemed to improve the way the game runs. But, for those that haven’t actually had any problems, there adding a few things for you as well. For the full list of bug fixes, check out Bethesda’s blog. For the short list of other tweaks:

As revealed a few issues ago, four new maps for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception are coming soon. Two of the four, Graveyard and Old Quarter, were revealed at that time. The other two are London Streets and Oasis. London Streets is a bar brawl at the Pelican Inn. Oasis is a Bedouin camp. All four maps will have dynamic events that Naughty Dog is keeping under wraps for now. The pack will be available for $9.99 on April 11th. It does come free with the Fortune Hunter’s Club. Speaking of which, if you want to join that club you’ll need to do so by April 17th. If you’re still planning to get all of the DLC for this one, you’ll want to join the club by that date in order to get the best deal.

Finally, that seems to be it for the week. Check back Tuesday for all of the weekend’s updates.

BioWare has always claimed they listen to fan feedback, and I don’t remember the last time there was as much “fan feedback” about a game than there has been with Mass Effect 3.

By now, I’m sure whether you are a casual or hardcore fan of the Mass Effect series, you’ve heard pretty much all there is to hear about the ending. I shared my personal experience with the ending as well as tried to round up all of the controversy and theories surrounding it in previous posts, so let’s just jump in to what EA had to say about releasing new DLC to expand upon the controversial ending.

“Through additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will give fans seeking further clarity to the ending of Mass Effect 3 deeper insights into how their personal journey concludes. Coming this summer, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will be available for download on the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and PC for no extra charge.

“We are all incredibly proud of Mass Effect 3 and the work done by Casey Hudson and team,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder of BioWare and General Manager of EA’s BioWare Label. “Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.”

Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series added, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.”

[CVG]

As a fan of the Mass Effect series, this comes as very good news. Having now been a few weeks since beating Mass Effect 3, I have come to terms with the ending. I am still massively disappointed by it and think it is filled with plot holes and nonsensical rambling, but the frustration about the situation has worn off knowing that BioWare and EA had already announced there will be some clarifying DLC and that they would make good on their word.

We now have a time line for this DLC and that is a release date some time over the Summer. Having dug a little deeper into the ending, and having spent hours talking to fellow BSR Bot and Mass Effect fan Senador Kooch, it appears less and less like the Indoctrination Theory is true – that BioWare had somehow planned for this ending to not be a “true” ending. After scouring through production notes about cut story lines and tight deadlines and all the pressures that come with them, it appears more like BioWare just dropped the ball with their story telling. There’s probably no higher meaning, no “this is all happening in Shep’s mind”, the ending is just simply poorly scripted – at least in the form it currently holds.

The quote that gives me the most hope is that last line from Casey Hudson, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.” For me, this is exactly what I was hoping for. Clarify for me some of the more major plot holes at the end of the game, and provide some sort of personalization to each players’ ending based on the hundreds of choices we’ve made over the course of 80+ hours of game play. Was that not one of the big selling points of the Mass Effect series? An incredible sci-fi universe and story taking place within it that the player is able to participate in in a big way? It will be nice to hopefully see more personalization added to the ending, and of course some clarification to the many “What the hell?” moments that happen over the course of the last 10 minutes of the game.

In my humble opinion, this is the right move to make. Had this DLC been released and cost already upset video gamers more money to gain additional clarity and personalization that should have already been included in the ending, the proverbial feces would have hit spinning, air-circulating blades. Did BioWare drop the ball with the end of their epically awesome franchise? It kind of looks like that was the case. Are they listening to fan feedback and providing more clarity, closure, context and personalization to their game in a way they feel still maintains their artistic integrity? It certainly appears that way. But let’s face it, BioWare is up against the ropes here and I don’t envy their position, and even after the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC drops, there will still be unhappy fans out there (hell, I very well could be one of them), but you can’t please everyone. The important thing here, I think, is that a company like EA and BioWare actually listened to the feedback from their fans and are willing to add to their game to improve it.

Just how much of the ending are they going to be able to improve? Well, we will have to wait until Summer to find out.

Yesterday brought a plethora of new content surrounding Aliens: Colonial Marines. Hoping to overcome what I considered to be the one-sided multi-player of AVP, Gearbox has released a few multi-player and single player videos discussing the new angle. I think ditching the overpowered Predator was a good idea, and even though the multi-player looks like the standard FPS offerings, I think this will shock and surprise many, check out the video below folks!

Gamespot Preview:
This video covers what Gearbox is aiming for and also shows how much they love the Alien movies. The single player looks absolutely stellar.
-ZaYLpUl8

IGN Multiplayer Preview:
The multiplayer looks very Left 4 Dead, instead of a Tank you get the Crusher, and the tension built by the motion detector is palpable, cannot wait.

Disney Interactive announced today that they will be releasing an Epic Mickey title for the 3DS this fall. Sending a hat tip to the Genesis days, the game titled, “Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion” will focus on Mickey’s Genesis adventure “The Castle of Illusion”. Players will get the chance to go back to the castle which is now in disarray and begin repainting the world to it’s former glory. Combining Epic Mickey and the 3DS makes perfect sense to me, I can’t wait to see what they put together. Press Release directly after.

DISNEY EPIC MICKEY PAINTS ITS WAY TO THE NINTENDO 3DS SYSTEM WITH “DISNEY EPIC MICKEY: POWER OF ILLUSION” Reality is What You Paint of It as Player Illustrations Come to Life in 3D BURBANK, Calif. – (April 4, 2012) – Disney Interactive Media Group today announced the development of “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion,” the first Nintendo 3DS™ title in the “Disney Epic Mickey” franchise. The title features an interactive combination of painting, dual screen integration and 3D transformation capabilities designed to give players the unique ability to create objects and even characters they can place in the world of Wasteland. In “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion,” Reality is What You Paint of It. The game offers a special drawing and painting function that allows players to create rough versions of objects that magically transform into classic Disney-style 2D illustrations. Utilizing the game’s unparalleled dual screen integration, players then move their creations to the top screen where they are further transformed into full-color, fully-rendered 3D visuals. Paying tribute to the classic Sega Genesis title “Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse,” “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” focuses on the fabled Castle of Illusion, which has fallen into Wasteland, an alternate world filled with 80 years of forgotten Disney characters and theme park attractions – and now forgotten video games. The evil witch Mizrabel, villainess from the classic “Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse,” finds herself an unwilling inhabitant of Wasteland, and unleashes a plot to escape using the Castle of Illusion to imprison and drain the cartoon essence from currently famous Toons. Players will take on the role of Mickey Mouse as he utilizes his magical brush to wield paint and thinner to confront Mizrabel and save the Toons. “The original ‘Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse’ changed the face of video gaming by allowing players to play as Mickey Mouse in a side-scrolling adventure full of dynamic environments,” said Warren Spector, vice president and creative director, Junction Point. “We’re honored to be able to pay tribute to this classic video game by creating a title that truly takes advantage of the unique capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS, putting the magic of Disney and the historic Castle of Illusion in the palm of your hands.” “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” is being created by critically acclaimed DS developer DreamRift, in collaboration with Disney Interactive’s Junction Point. The game is slated for a fall 2012 release on the Nintendo 3DS. For more information, go to www.disney.com/disneyepicmickey, or check out this month’s issue of “Nintendo Power” magazine which features an exclusive cover story on the upcoming game. About Disney Interactive Media Group
Disney Interactive Studios, part of Disney Interactive Media Group, is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California, and has internal development studios around the world. For more information, log on to http://www.DisneyInteractiveStudios.com. About Junction Point Junction Point is Disney Interactive Studios’ Austin, Texas-based developer of console games with a focus on games where “Playstyle Matters.” Junction Point games offer strong, player-driven narratives, opportunities for problem-solving over puzzles and choices with significant consequences. The studio’s goal is to tell stories with players, not to them, allowing them to craft their own, unique experiences. Junction Point was founded in 2005 and joined Disney Interactive Studios in July 2007. For more information on the studio, go to www.junctionpoint.com.

April is starting off a little slow on the news front. Sort of matches the release schedule for this Spring. But, there’s still a little to learn.

Ronimo Games, the team that brought you Swords & Soldiers, has a new title coming to PSN and XBLA on May 1st. Awesomenauts is a 2D Multiplayer Online Battle Arena inspired by 1980’s cartoons. Taking place in the year 3587, the game features six anti-heroes, with up to three players split-screen or online. Froggy G, coming from the swampy ghettoes of Ribbit IV, is a mercenary thug. Sheriff Lonestar is genetically engineered cowboy created by sentient cows; he was banished from his homeworld for wrangling the natives. Leon Chameleon is a stealthy and suave lizard, now the most wanted criminal in the galaxy. Clunk was built to be part of a robot army that fell apart when the villain building it died from an untimely infection; his attempts at a repurposed life as a housekeeping robot have left him with anger management problems; he began his new career as a mercenary to save money for therapy. Yuri is a Russian space-monkey from 1960’s Earth; a warpfield anomaly sent him hundreds of years into the future and provided him with super-intelligence; his homemade time-traveling rocket pack translates his speech. Voltar the Omniscient was a super-scientist whose brain, being the only part of him left after a star-encapsulating power station exploded, has been transferred to a mechanical body that he now uses to command his robots; his role as a mercenary is unclear, but surely is related to his constant scheming. So the characters are creative, and I dig the cartoon art style. But, so far, the action doesn’t look that impressive – a complaint I’ve had with Ronimo title in the past. I’ll still definitely be keeping an eye on this one.

Another downloadable with a fun art style is coming soon, this one from Team17. Worms Revolution is a new evolution for the franchise, built on a brand new engine and returning to the much-loved 2D side view. Release is scheduled for “consoles” in third quarter of 2012.

Fresh off the success of Gotham City Impostors, Monolith is apparently hard at work on another licensed game. While they’ve clearly proven they’re capable of making good licensed games, they will be facing a different challenge by making a movie tie-in with The Hobbit: Part One. The game’s based on the film trilogy were okay, but not great. Since then the franchise has gone downhill with Aragorn’s Quest and War in the North. It will be interesting to see what Monolith and WB Seattle do with this one, set to release alongisde the film in December. The same team is likely working on the tie-in for part two next year.

While Sony and Microsoft are still adamant that we won’t be seeing any announcement for “PS4” or “XBox 720” at E3 this year, the rumor mill is keeping the stories active. Sources supposedly in the know at Sony say the “design goalposts” have been in place for over two year, certain developers and publishers already know what’s happening and are working on it, other devs should know more by the end of the year and most of the strongest ones this summer. But the big one from Sony is that they’re “confident” the PS4 will beat “neXtBox” to market, both of which are expected by holiday 2013. Apparently the keynote addresses at E3 next year will be the big tip off as to who starts the next-gen salvo.

Meanwhile, Microsoft‘s specs for their next-gen console, whatever it’s to be called, have some rumor leaks as well. Their new machine looks to have two GPUs equivalent to AMD 7000s. Unlike dual PC setups, the two GPUs will work independently, drawing separate items at the same time. The CPU will supposedly have “four or six” cores. That seems like a pretty big distinction, making me wonder about the validity of the rumor as a whole. Supposedly, one core will be for the built in Kinect, and another for the OS. It is also rumored to require a constant internet connection as an anti-piracy measure. That seems sketchy, as high speed internet connections aren’t universal to all gamers.

Do you need more overly endowed fighting girls in your life? Good, because Skullgirls has finally gotten it’s release date – and it’s sooner than you might think. The downloadable fighter will be available from XBLA on April 11th for 1200 points.

THQ and WWE announced a “Wrestlemania Edition” of WWE ’12 in conjunction their flaghsip event this past Sunday, where The Undertaker moved to a 20-0 record at wrestling’s biggest stage. This edition will be featuring extra characters Batista, Brie and Nikki Bella, Brodus Clay, Michael Cole, Mick Foley, Alicia Fox, Vicki Guerrero, Kharma, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Jim Ross, the late Randy “Macho Man” Savage, and Trish Stratus. Additionally, you’ll get alternate costumes the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal, plus Edge and Christian. This special set is planned for May, though it would have made more sense to come out this week to more closely align with the Pay-Per-View.

NIS America has announced three new PS3-exclusive RPG variants are headed for release in the coming year:

That’s all for now. Check back Friday for the rest of the week’s news!

It has been over a decade now since Bungie introduced the Halo series to the world on the original XBox, and two days ago on March 31, 2012, the company bid a fond farewell to the franchise that has spanned five titles and countless priceless multiplayer memories for people all over the world.

Honestly, it doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was sitting in Kill-tacular-tron’s basement with four XBoxes wired together as two teams squared off against each other (one team in his room, the other in his little brother’s across the hall). Racking up kill-streaks, downing bags of Doritos and liters of Mountain Dew, and shouting obscenities across the hall was how I spent many a Friday and Saturday night during my mid-teenage years – and believe it or not I was tazed more than once. Yes. Tazed. By a real tazer owned by a friend I shall refer to as “Mr. Jones” due to his unhappiness over me sniping him from across a level multiple times. It hurt, we laughed, we were young and dumb. These were great times.

As the years have gone on, and multiplayer moved online we all still found ourselves in front of a Halo title several times a month over the years. Trash-talking strangers, giggling over awesome kills, and saving video clips and images as trophies for posterity. I have been cussed out by kids that sounded no older than 13, and in return have taught some prepubescent brats a thing or two on how to creatively string together of words mothers of the world would be apalled by – but it’s all part of the fun; you run, you gun, you take cover, you snipe, you throw that grenade of desperation as you take a final bullet, you careen over a hill on a warthog running over poor saps not quick enough to move out of the way, you trash talk your competitors, you move on to the next round. It’s fu$%ing Halo.

The torch has now been completely passed to 343 Industries who will be releasing Halo 4 later this year, and I don’t think many people are worried about that. While we fans have stood behind Bungie for all the great work they’ve done on the franshise they created, I for one am excited to see where these new guys take it next, and what laugh-inducing (mis)adventures are in store for my friends and I, now in our late-twenties, who will eagerly hop online to wage our own battles against those who oppose us. It will be a new game, but I will still be haphazardly running into dire situations – out numbered and out gunned, Senador Kooch will still be meticulously planning attacks and executing them better than most I’ve ever played against, Bigcheezhead will still be trying to do his favorite thing in the world: sticking a grenade to the face of an opponent, and Kill-tacular-tron will still be humping every man he guns down.

I can’t wait.

To honor the completion of the passing of the Halo franchise to 343i, Bunige has put together an awesome infographic with some amazing stats on the Halo franchise. Obviously, you’ll want to click for the high-res version!

Be sure to share your favorite Halo memories in the comments below!

The king is back… again! (more…)

A little slow in the news this week, which is probably connected to the slow release schedule we’re facing for the next few months. But we’ve still got a few key items:

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has continued to receive good multiplayer DLC support since it’s release in November. The Season Pass has generally been considered a good investment by fans of the game’s multiplayer modes. Unfortunately, the constant release of content was bound to end sometime – and that time is coming very soon. Following the already announced Shade Survival DLC, Naughty Dog has declared one more piece of content is coming in April before boxing this one up. The last add-on includes two maps, Old Quarter and Graveyard. Old Quarter looks to be a Middle-Eastern setting at night. Graveyard consists of rusting cargo ships in the ocean. Anything else coming with those maps is not yet being discussed. While the trophy (whores) hunters have been disappointed that the DLC hasn’t included more virtual bling like the second game, there may yet be hope. Rumor has it a patch for the game coming with, or soon after, the last add-on may include trophies tied to all of the previously released DLC.

Rumors about PlayStation 4 have been circulating. These rumors actually seem to have a little support though. The project is codenamed Orbis at Sony. [From Latin, Orbis Vita translates to “Circle of Life.”] The processing and GPU look to be off the charts. 3D at 1080P. Backwards compatibility is out. Some sort of limitation on used games that would require an additional fee via PSN to unlock the full title. Full exposure early next year, release Holiday 2013. Nothing extravagant is shown, but if you need a little confirmation on the “Orbis” name, try going to orbis.scedev.net/

Did Namco Bandai possibly want Ridge Racer: Unbounded to fail? Some time ago they announced the game was being delayed in North America in order “to pack the disc with features that will truly make the game sing.” This led to many Europeans thinking they wouldn’t be getting the complete version and deciding to skip it. Yet consumers in North America started noticing the game on store shelves this week, right on schedule. Namco Bandai has confirmed the game launched as originally planned and will be available in Europe today. What the hell, Namco? Tell Europe they’re getting a weaker version and tell the US they’re getting late? Then release identical versions in both regions on time without telling anyone? You deserve the lackluster sales this is going to generate.

The schedule for Asura’s Wrath DLC is now available. Each of these add-ons looks to expand on certain elements of the story from the main game. One of them, possibly hinting at the future of Mass Effect, will finally get you the “true” ending through Episodes 19-22.

• Episode 11.5: Forging Ahead is now available for $1.99
• Episode 15.5: Defiance – April 3rd, $1.99
• Round 3 Part IV: Nirvana – April 24th, $6.99
• Round 4: Lost Episode 1: At Last Someone Angrier Than Me – May 8th, $1.99 (Ryu fight)
• Round 5: Lost Episode 2: The Strongest vs. The Angriest – May 15th, $1.99 (Akuma and Evil Ryu)

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron release date? Yes, please. Looks like it’s coming August 28, 2012. Despite Michael Bay’s best efforts, Transformers are still cool. War for Cybertron was probably the best robots in disguise game to date. I have high hopes for the follow-up.

I’m not sure if I’m supposed to have heard of this guy already, but Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time is apparently coming soon to PSN. This looks like the kind of wacky game that PSN just does really well, especially with Move support. Doc Clock is either a brilliant inventor or the master of plans gone awry. His invention of the world’s greatest toasted sandwich maker has turned his cat into a cactus. The time machine he invents to go back and fix the problem actually launches him thousands of years into the future. His slipshod inventing techniques will now be put to use as you build flying and driving contraptions out of bathtubs and old gears. Seriously, this looks and sounds just looney enough to be awesome. Apparently it’s been available on Steam for sometime, but this will be the console debut. Price and release date are not confirmed beyond “SOON” and my own speculation that this looks like a $10 title.

This week has been bittersweet for developers thatgamecompany. The company is seeing great critical success with the release of Journey, the third game from the studio that just set the record for the fastest selling PSN title of all time. Unfortunately, it also sees the departure of one of their co-founders, Kellee Santiago. Santiago formed the company alongside Jenova Chen in 2006. After three highly successful PSN release she has to decided to move one. Santaigo, explaining the move, said “I felt like I have done everything I needed to do there, and that [Jenova Chen]’s in a great place now to go on and continue with some of the other people at thatgamecompany to take that to a whole new height.”

SEGA‘s finances haven’t been really solid for a while now. In the face of that, they’re restructuring in much the same way THQ has done recently. With their most recent report indicating a loss of about $72.5million US, they’re closing several studios in Europe and North America as well as cancelling several games. Which studios and titles are on the chopping block is not currently public knowledge but we should be seeing something soon. I can’t help but wonder if they could solve their issues by simply releasing Aliens: Colonial Marines. I think Gearbox has been working on that one for well over five years.

If you don’t read Big Shiny Robot! regularly, here’s some of the stuff you’ve been missing:

Zombietron’s got full coverage on South Park:Tenorman’s Revenge, coming to XBLA today. If you’re big enough fan to be buying Season 15 on DVD or Blu-Ray you may even be getting it free. By the way, this has no connection to the upcoming South Park RPG, which we haven’t seen much about since the big cover story in Game Informer.

We’ve also got the protagonist highlight video for Assassin’s Creed III. Ubisoft is showing off Connor in all his badassery with a breakdown of some of his weapons. On a side note, a rep from Ubisoft has suggested PC gamers pick up a controller before October for this entry. Mouse and keyboard controls will still work, but they’re indicating this will be best played with a dedicated controller. There are lots of low cost options for this, and I know more than a few people who have picked up used 360 controllers just for their PCs.

Robo Lincoln has a full review of I Am Alive. This one caught my interest a while ago, but then fell away over time. Now that it’s out, I’m hearing only good things.

This is traditionally a slow time of year for games and this year will be no exception. There are definitely some good titles on the horizon, but they aren’t as prolific as you’d expect from fourth quarter. I’m hoping that in the future publishers will come to the same realization film distributors are finally reaching, that media doesn’t have seasons. We want to play (or watch) all year long. Just like blockbusters don’t have to open in July to make money, games don’t have to launch in October or November to become best sellers.

4/3/12

I can’t write for Big Shiny Robot! and not say the first thing that’s going to be awesome this quarter is Kinect Star Wars. I have to say it with some trepidation though as I haven’t seen much of it in action and most of the hands-on previews I’ve read have mentioned the janky control. But, it’s Star Wars! There are no bonuses anywhere I could find, so get it wherever is the most convenient or offers the best deal for you.

4/17/12

If you’re not a PC gamer but love RPGs, you may have found yourself wishing you could play The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings for months. At long last it’s coming to console, but only for XBox 360. Like most ports, preorder bonuses are kind of nonexistent. However, Amazon is offering a digital copy of The Witcher comic.

4/24/12

Prototype 2 will come with a free upgrade to the RADNET Edition regardless of where you preorder. But, if you get it from GameStop you’ll score an extra finishing move, the Bio-Bomb Butt Kicker. Amazon will give you the Prototype 2 digital comic. Best Buy has a vehicle armor bonus.

5/1/12

Sure, it will have been out on consoles for over a year, but the touch screen controls they’re adding to Mortal Kombat for Vita look like it may actually be enjoyable for fighting game cripples like myself. Again, no preorder bonuses that I’ve seen.

5/15/12

Say goodbye to the PC gamers in your life. They’ve been waiting YEARS for Diablo III. Once again, no preorder bonuses, but the people buying this one don’t need any. Remember though that this won’t have the PvP available on day one. That will be coming via patch at a later date. Blizzard was just ready to get the game out and didn’t want that one mode slowing it down any further. Get your looting fingers limbered.

If you’re not a PC gamer though, Rockstar’s launching Max Payne 3 today as well. They are offering preorder bonuses. GameStop will give you the Cemetery Multiplayer Map. Amazon has the Deadly Force Burst, which will give your bullets more damage in multiplayer. If you order by April 15th at either of those places, you also get the in-game Pill Bottle Loadout. Best Buy is offering the first multiplayer expansion for free. I’m a little unclear on whether that’s the same Cemetery map GameStop is offering.

5/22/12

XBox 360 got the first mention this quarter with a questionable recommendation. Now it’s PS3’s turn with Sorcery. This looks very interesting and built a lot of excitement when it was first announced. It’s since gone through a serious visual change. I’m still not completely sold on the motion control concept, but this could easily be the first Move title that convinces me it was worth my investment.

6/5/12

Inversion is the kind of title that could easily get a lost in a different time of year. Just another reason to avoid the “gaming season” release schedule. Too many games at once means a few good games will go unnoticed. A third person shooter with gravity controlling mechanics has just enough possibility to be interesting. I would be extremely excited for this if it weren’t coming from Namco Bandai. I’m just not sure I trust them enough with the controls for something that could be very complicated. For me, it’s definitely a rent before I buy, but still something I will be playing. Of course that means I’ll miss out on the Verge or Riot multiplayer maps with a preorder from GameStop and Best Buy, respectively.

6/12/12

If Gravity Rush meets expectations, this could be the title that sells me on the PS Vita. Like Inversion this one has you tweaking gravity and physics. I’ve heard this compared to Portal but I’m not sure I understood the explanation of that analogy. The cel-shaded graphics look incredible and it actually uses the motion controls of tilting the Vita in a way that makes sense, not just using the technology simply because it’s there. But that’s not the only notable title this week.

Full consoles players may be more interested in Lollipop Chainsaw. It’s Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, so don’t expect it to make sense. If you don’t know what this one is: cute cheerleader being guided by her boyfriend’s dismembered head as she attempts to reclaim her school, San Romero High, from zombies… with a chainsaw. If that hasn’t sold you then you clearly don’t understand the beauty of ridiculousness. Your retailer determines your preorder costume: Jimmy Urine and Evil Dead‘s Ash from GameStop, Rockabilly from Amazon, and Foxy Funk and Goth Girl from Best Buy.

6/19/12

Come on, if you didn’t think I was going to highlight LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes you’re on the wrong site. Somewhere out there is still someone who thinks the LEGO games are silly time wasters for children. They are. But they’re also incredibly fun and I’ve enjoyed every one of them (except Pirates of the Caribbean but that’s only because I haven’t gotten to it yet). If the LEGOs aren’t enough reason to play it, this one also has Batman! And not just Batman, but Superman, Green Lantern and tons of other DC characters as well. Multitudes of characters are definitely one of the highlights of this series. Unfortunately, they don’t tend to do much with preorder incentives. GameStop is offering a Lex Luthor minifig though.

6/26/12

This was kind of a tough week to pare down to a single highlight. The Amazing Spiderman movie tie-in is releasing this week (and hopefully won’t suck like most movie games). LittleBigPlanet for PS Vita is also tentative. Darksiders II gets the nod for the showcase solely because it has preorder incentives and that’s the point of this column. Argul’s Tomb looks to be a standard pack in at all retailers. Additionally GameStop is giving you the Death Rides expansion pack with multiple side quests. Amazon has the Deadly Despair pack which will speed up Death’s mount, Despair, to get you across the massive map faster.

That’ll finish out the quarter. As always, release dates and incentives are subject to change.

I am Alive is a rarity in the gaming world, one that tries to scare me, not with monsters, but three generic bad guys and a single arrow for my bow. This simple game has a crazy way of giving me more anxiety than most horror titles. It deals out these moments of vulnerability through the use of one of the most primitive and effective tools in gaming, limits. By giving the player limits you force them to think through problems that most games in this generation simply allow you to shoot through. By giving you incredibly limited amounts of ammo, supplies, health, and even strength you can create games like this, ones that make you cautious to go across a street.

This game starts with your character, Adam, arriving home in search of his family after spending a year crossing a post apocalyptic united states on foot. The world is a collection of mostly climbable disheveled ruins occasionally shrouded in a poisonous dust. The decrepit state of the world is blamed on what is only vaguely called the event. You learn during the opening stage that your character is quite the climber but that his stamina is like most men, limited. You must manage your characters efforts correctly in order to survive, anything but standing and walking depletes your stamina which will only regenerate when you stop running, climbing, jumping, or in a lot of cases holding on for dear life. Simply standing in the toxic fog covering the city streets will also peck away at your stamina. An anxiously paced soundtrack can be heard growing stronger in the game like the cold fingers of death tickling your spine as your stamina depletes. You can keep climbing after your stamina is gone, but this extra effort comes at a high cost; for every second that you over exert yourself, your ability to keep stamina in reserve will be decreased. Doing this will likely force you to use items which could have been used at more life threatening moments in the future or to save dying victims and citizens you come across throughout the game. But with so much thought being put into the climbing and physical exertions of simply traveling through the ruined city of Haventon, the question springs to mind, How do you fight?

Climbing Mechanic: Strong

Two of the most important principles you’ll need to understand to survive in this game are your distance to target, and the ability to bluff. The Fallout 3 rejects that are your only enemies throughout the game really seem to hate your guts, they will kill you on sight just to lay claim to a bottle of water or some delicious rat meat. Your tools for survival against the redneck remnants of Haventon will consist of a Machete, a pistol, and a bow and arrow (one arrow). The machete is only good for a surprise attack or a one-on-one fight, anything else spells death. The pistol can easily become a paperweight if your quick on the trigger from playing too much Call of Duty, as you will rarely have even four bullets at your disposal. But the gun has a feature in this game that is rarely if ever used in gaming, intimidation. Just pointing your gun will stop most enemies dead in their tracks, this is so rare in games that is at first utterly baffling; your enemies don’t want to die. There are tough guys though who, even at gunpoint, talk like they’re bulletproof, prove these morons wrong or you will die. You can bluff these enemies with an empty gun if it’s all you’ve got, but you better have a plan that doesn’t include trying to fire an empty weapon (it won’t go well). And your bow is by far the best weapon, quiet, long range, intimidating, and the most important thing is that you can reclaim a used arrow. Using these weapons and their strengths in concert is vital to surviving in this game.

Combat Mechanic: Strong

Story is by far the weakest link in this game, usually I consider this a deal breaker, but in this case it can feel a lot like less may be more. The story feels honest most of the time, since you play a decent guy, it’s reasonable that you get caught up in helping people, which is a grand majority of the story. Unfortunately, finding your family is put on the back burner for most of the game, which makes you wish that nice guy Adam would try prioritizing more. It also makes me ask how did this guy get across the entire country in a year, if all he’s doing is bailing people out with his time and supplies.

Story: Weak

If my review for I Am Alive reads more like a strategy guide, there is a reason for that. Strategy is all this game is, after every ordeal you will find yourself repeating the title in your head, “I Am Alive!”. This game succeeds in building an appreciation for resources, more than any game in recent memory, and is a must have for any survival game fan.

9/10

Obviously I want to hear other opinions so dish’em out. And by the way if you disagree with me, that’s ok, it’s not a contest. I’m just right.