January 18th marks the first time in eShop history that you can snag free demos for upcoming launches. The timing of the event was perfect for Capcom to demo Resident Evil: Revelations. After a five minute download I fired up the the gaming ready for what Capcom had brought me. What better way to prepare myself for the glory that will be Resident Evil 6, than to play a gorgeous handheld RE first?

The demo leve is titled “Ghost Ship” we find our character exploring an elaborate bedroom, and being asked to regroup. You explore a bit, find a screwdriver, and fight your first zombie. Baddy #1 is a spike-fisted mummy looking monster, a few shots fired and you can continue on. The over the shoulder view is identical to the popular mechanic used in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the standard mechanic allowed me to relax into my usual comfort from R.E. 4, which was quite comforting. The item finder was an interesting addition to the game, and I found my self walking through rooms scanning everything just to be sure I didn’t miss any ammo opportunities.

Wrapping up the pre-play left me foaming at the mouth.  I’m going to have to buy the full version.  I won’t be purchasing the Power Thumb, or whatever stupid name that additional grip accessory is called, during my 3 plays through the demo I consistently asked would an extra analog stick help this? I don’t think it will… I suppose for curiosity sake I’ll have to test it out with and without, but I think it’s safe to say that you can get by simply with the game on this one. Have you folks played the demo yet? If so, what’d ya think?  If not, why the hell not?!

Because most consoles live or die based on third party titles, with Nintendo being the exception, it’s good to see that there is continued support for the PlayStation Vita. The latest third party announcement comes Warner Bros. Interactive, letting us know that 2011’s Mortal Kombat is coming to the handheld with some added content. According to NetherRealm’s Ed Boon, “The original game content and new features we developed for the PlayStation Vita will provide gamers with the best fighting game experience available on the new mobile platform.” Ultimately, that means they’ve shied away from the rear touchpad, but they’re adding some great bonuses to the front. For instance, want to perform that x-ray attack you’ve built up? No need to remember the combo, just tap the icon on your screen. Have trouble punching all the moves for your fatality? Just swipe the directions on the screen. Of course, purists will hate the added accessibility for “noobs,” it’s just no fun to have an actual challenge. Other additions are a greatly expanded challenge tower, adding an entire second tower exclusive to Vita that will take advantage of the touch screen and accelerometer. One example given was tilting your Vita to affect in-game gravity. So what about it, Zombietron? I know you’re getting the Vita, but I’ve heard you claim to suck at fighting games. Would these features sell you on a portable Mortal Kombat?

A few more characters have been announcedf for Street Fighter x Tekken, and two more have been teased. The latest official additions from Capcom’s side of the table are Balrog And Vega, completing the boss collection from Street Fighter II. Actually, Vega was sort of leaked a while ago, but this is official confirmation. On Namco Bandai’s side, Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law were also announced. According to the hype trailers, it also appears Ling Xiaoyu and Juri will be coming. Oddly, it also seems they’re trying to tease a pair of mascots that don’t fit the theme, Mega Man and Pac-Man. Then again, this wouldn’t be Mega Man’s first time in a fighting game, and Cole McGrath has already been announced as a Vita exclusive. So I guess it’s not that much of a stretch. But they better test Pac-Man for performance-enhancing pellets before letting him compete.

With the Starhawk public beta opening up slowly this week, starting with PS+ subscribers, it’s about time we get a release date. Seems I’m not the only thinking that as Sony has announced it will be coming on May 8th. I’ve downloaded the beta but haven’t had a chance to get started. Apparently there’ve been a slew of bug fixes since the private beta at the end of last year. If you’re at all intrigued by the game I’d suggest you try the beta as soon as you can. If it’s anything like it’s predecessor, Warhawk, jumping in late in the game will just see you getting noob-hunted by the pros.

Along with the game being delayed, the deadline for preordering Max Payne 3 has been extended. So, if you really wanted that Max statue but were thinking you were too late, you now have until April 2nd. As a reminder, the special edition includes a 10″ Max statue, bullet keychain, still-life prints, DLC, and soundtrack. The game is now set for May 15th. Here’s the teaser picture again, but ignore the dates on it since they’ve been recently changed.

It’s been so long since I’ve heard anything about Final Fantasy Versus XIII that I was starting to assume it was dead. There still isn’t much to announce, but the director, Tetsuya Nomura, has said that the next time we see it they’ll be showing a realistic demo on actual consumer hardware. Previous showings have been on dev kits with significantly more power. Of course, they haven’t actually said when that showing will happen. Frankly, if it’s taken this long to get anything running on real hardware, I wouldn’t expect to hear anything more about it for a long time. Actually, it will probably be at E3.

Also at E3 will be a playable version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. This game actually made my list of 2012 games you should expect to see pushed to 2013. But with a playable demo coming in June, I may be wrong.

Preorder bonuses have been announced for Yakuza: Dead Souls. It appears that GameStop has the exclusive bonus for the United States, including the Dentetsu Pack (8 extra weapons, 14 new guns, 8 hostess outfits, and more), the “God Bless America” Pack (extra costumes for each main character), a bonus karaoke mode, and bonus casino items. You can preorder now, but the game doesn’t release until March 13, 2012.

WarHammer 40K: Space Marine is expanding again. Next week will see the release of the Dreadnought Pack, with new maps and an all new mode. The new mode, Dreadnought Assault, puts two teams into competition for a single point in the map. If you can control the point your side will spawn a Dreadnought, a bipedal tank with way too many guns. THQ hasn’t announced a price for this pack, but they have promised more free DLC soon, with a Capture and Control mode for multiplayer.

Shank 2, the sequel to one of the best downloadable games of 2010, is coming to PSN and XBLA on February 7th. That’s one of the things I love about downloadable titles. Unlike retail releases, once a game is confirmed, it’s release window is usually very short. Building on the success of the first title, this sequel will have more precise controls, new weapons, better AI, and a co-op (online or couch) survival mode. Oh yeah, another thing I like about downloadables over retail, this one is $10.

Remember when you first started playing video games and you only had three lives. After they were gone, unless you found a way to earn more, your game was over. Which means you had to go all the way back to 1-1 and start again. Most games today have lost that penalty for failure, to mixed results. Obviously you can’t restart Skyrim from the first cutscene every time you die, but do platformers really need check points every 15 seconds? Ken Levine is an old school gamer, and he wants to bring back some element of consequence to failure in games. So what’s his plan for Bioshock Infinite? It’s called 1999 mode. More hardcore than hard, this mode will require you to make decisions with a lasting impact on your entire playthrough, forcing you to specialize rather than adapt your powers to each situation. You’ll also have to focus more on managing weapons, powers, and health – though they haven’t yet explained the mechanics behind it. You’ll also have to carry specific materials to revive you from death. Dying without the needed materials will get you a “game over” screen. Is this really going to be like collecting green mushrooms, or is it all talk about a hardcore mode that isn’t actually very hardcore? Knowing Levine, I’d expect the former. We’ll find out when the game releases, supposedly later this year.

One of the biggest announcements of the week comes from Capcom, Resident Evil 6 is coming November 20, 2012. The main antagonists for the game will be series regulars Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield. Ashley, the president’s daugher, also appears to have a role, alongside a friend with “special blood” – also a playable character and featuring a shaved head. The game takes place 10 years after the initial Raccoon City outbreak. Leon seems to be good buddies with the president, who transforms into some hideous monster after a bioterrorist attack. Meanwhile, Chris is still with the Bioterrorism SecurityAssessment Alliance (BSAA), heading to China to prevent a bioterrorist threat. The best news? They’re bringing back actual zombies! We all knew this fall would turn out to be a big season again, Capcom is just the first to clue us into how big.

All seven levels from the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD have been revealed. We all knew the Warehouse was returning, but you’ll also be heading back to School2, Mall, Hangar, Marseilles, and Venice. Though it will likely be missing the original soundtrack, a highlight of the first game, this downloadable is expected to be $15 and should be released later this year. Here’s hoping this takes it back to when the series was fun.

That’s the end of the news for this week. If you’ve given up on Skyrim because of glitches, might want to check for the update. Bethesda has a pretty extensive one on the way. Then again, now that you have your life back, do you want to give it up again so soon? Regardless, see you next Tuesday!

The heavily anticipated (at least in my world) Vita has been available in Japan for just over 1 month, and according to media create and andriasang it has sold 500,000 units. To add to concerns, the numbers last week for the device ranked below the 3DS, and it’s predecessor the original psp. To put the 500,000 unit sales into perspective the Nintendo 3DS sold 440,000 units within it’s first week. I’m not sure if Sony is pointing fingers yet, but it has to be related to the lack of solid release titles seen in Japan as of yet. I see 3 or four good launch titles hitting us , and solid titles heading very soon after the device release, but can it hold up in the U.S. market?The 3DS suffered what Nintendo considered to be tough sales numbers, and they quickly dropped the price. My concerns with the Vita currently lie with the software releases, if low sales numbers hit the U.S. developers will leave the device high and dry. In Japan software sales for the device have also been abysmally low, with no titles for the system even making the top 20 by volume in the previous week. I’m still extremely excited for the system, I truly believe the features packed in make it worth the price tag. But I’ve been wrong before… hell I purchased the original PSP 3 times over a four year span as titles I wanted to play launched, and then a draught of 1 year or more hit. I’m hoping for more use from the Vita, and you know I’ll be feverishly reporting my thoughts on every bit I can get my grubby mitts on. I certainly hope that I don’t end up with a $300.00 paperweight. Thoughts?

Today Capcom officially announced that Resident Evil 6 is in production. The tentative launch date is November 20, 2012 and the game will be releasing for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. The trailer itself looks absolutely incredible! The combat system seems to have some added action-heroesque maneuvering that could put a real spin into the franchise. The HD announcement trailer is 2 minutes of heart-thumping awesome. I hope this game hits on time, and I hope it lives up to buzz and expectation, could make for a Holiday blockbuster like no other.

Trailer :

A blog on Capcom Unity had the following quote to describe the upcoming title.

“It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Due to be by the President’s side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision. At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack. With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world’s population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.”

More information is on the way, so be sure to follow @RE_Games on Twitter as well as the series’ Facebook page. Pre-orders are already underway in the Capcom Store (360, PS3), with Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy details coming very soon

Excited? I sure as hell am. Thoughts below!

It’s still a slow retail time but that hasn’t stopped the presses. Plenty of publishers and developers are hyping their imminent spring games, and plenty more are looking even further forward. Others are looking for a quick cash injection with DLC announcements for existing titles. This week’s early edition of VGQH has a little bit from all of them.

First up is a new character incoming for Saints’ Row: The Third. In addition to the Genkibowl VII package releasing today is CheapyD from Cheap Ass Gamer. He’ll be one of your regular homies you can call for help once you reach that point in the game. CheapyD will come with the Genkibowl VII DLC for $7. But this is Cheap Ass Gamer, so you can also pick him up for free by downloading the Genkibowl VII Viewer Pack instead.

The Starhawk beta has begun its expansion plans. Those invited to the private beta started playing back in November and December and can still play as long as their original files are still intact. PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to start the action as of today. Those who registered their online pass from Uncharted 3 and opted in for marketing emails should be getting an invitation with a download code to start playing on February 1st. Everyone else will be able to start playing on February 22nd when it becomes completely open.

While most publishers have started including Online Passes with new copies of games (some with benefits like early beta access as just mentioned), requiring second-hand players to pay $10 for online access, Namco Bandai has been pushing back against used game sales in a different way. Their plan is exclusive free content with “preorders,” though the access is basically just included in the first run packaging. The extra content is not necessary for play, but it’s a nice bonus for early adopters. Anyway, a similar plan is in effect for Ridge Racer: Unbounded. This free uprgade to the “limited edition” will include three additional cars and five branded paint jobs. That gets you The Immortal, Road Wolf, and Ghoster; and you’ll be able to customize them (or any other car) with paint jobs from Ace Combat, Galaga, Pac-Man, Tekken, and Soul Calibur. If you’re a racing fan, that’s eight more reasons to look forward to March 6th.

Now we go from good news to bad, especially if you’re looking forward to 2K’s XCOM reboot. We’ve known since November that the game was delayed delayed from March until the “next fiscal year.” Since retail fiscal years tend to end in the summer it was still expected the game would see a 2012 release date. Not happening. It’s now being pushed into the first half of 2013. Just to be clear, this is the first person shooter version of the “new” XCOM franchise. The other game in the series, a more traditional strategy version, is still planned for 2012, even though it was announced later.

There’ve been some interesting rumors floating about that THQ is cancelling their entire 2014 line-up. Why anyone would already be cancelling stuff that’s two years away doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Apparently it doesn’t make a lot of sense to THQ either as they are admantly denying the rumor. Rumors that they’ve also put themselves up for sale are unconfirmed at this time. While they have had, and may still be having, some financial trouble, they still have a very strong stable of franchises. Sales of WWE ’12 are up nearly 40% from last year’s version in the same time period, despite releasing on fewer consoles. Saint’s Row: The Third has also tripled sales of the second game in the same time. UFC Undisputed 3 and Darksiders 2 are both scheduled for the first half of 2012. While they are culling some of their kids titles to focus on a more core gaming experience (not a surprise considering the utter failure of the uDraw tablet), with all of those brands to leverage THQ probably isn’t going anywhere soon.

Getting back to the DLC front, Dead Island is getting a story expansion on January 31st. The “Ryder White” add-on puts you in the shoes of the game’s main antagonist, opening up a different perspective about the Banoi zombie outbreak. The story will expand on Ryder’s character as both loving husband and military leader. The $10 addition will include two extra blueprints for weapons and several hours of “twists and turns.”

While Capcom has been very open with news about Street Fighter x Tekken, Namco Bandai hasn’t been as forthcoming with their alternate version, Tekken x Street Fighter. Both games were announced in 2010 and Capcom’s is set for release March 6th on pretty much every console ever conceived. Meanwhile, the latest news on Namco Bandai’s crossover is Katsuhiro Harada’s response to a fan on Twitter, stating that he is “considering” bringing the game to Sony’s new handheld, PlayStation Vita. Which is all well and good, but have you considered when you were planning to do that?

Sony seems to be starting a New Year’s tradition on PSN. Last year they put 11 of their top games on sale to celebrate 2011. This time around it’s 12 for ’12. Starting today and running until January 23rd, 12 of last year’s top titles are 30% off. PlayStation Plus subscribers will get the games for 50% off. Here’s the breakdown:

• Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS+ $4.89
• Cubixx HD
• Eufloria
• Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
• PixelJunk Sidescroller
• Rochard
• Sideway New York
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken – Reg. $11.99, Sale $8.39, PS+ $5.87
• Regular $14.99, Sale $10.49, PS+ $7.34
• BloodRayne: Betrayal
• Dungeon Defenders
• Okabu
• Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition
• PayDay: The Heist – Reg. $19.99, Sale $13.99, PS+ $9.79

Capcom’s expansion into Vancouver (formerly Blue Castle Games) seems to be growing. A pair of recent help wanted ads for Capcom Vancouver have teased a little bit about their future. One ad refers to the division as a “multi-project and multi-IP developer” with “two new AAA titles in the works.” The other ad says they are hiring for a third-party action-adventure game. The smart money is that one of those “two new AAA titles” is Dead Rising 3, as Vancouver has been the exclusive studio on that franchise since the second game released in 2010. The other title, according to the job description, is a third party action-adventure title in an “Unannounced New IP.”

Capcom’s not the only with job ads raising eyebrows. Rockstar‘s got one of their own. Their ad indicates Rockstar North (Edinburgh) needs an environment artist to work on an unannounced next-gen project. What might that be? While no consoles have been announced for GTA V, the game has and it looks to be coming to this generation. Could it be Red Dead Redemption 2? Or maybe the return to Bully that Dan Houser has said is imminent? Whatever happened to Agent? Could it be going next-gen?

But that’s not the only Rockstar news this week. Delays in the gaming community are common and it’s rare for one to take me by surprise. That said, my jaw dropped when Take Two announced Max Payne 3 has been pushed back from March 6th to May 15th. Is it just that they want to separate themselves from an already crowded month, especially the same date as Mass Effect 3? Possibly, but according to Strauss Zelnick, CEO, “This short delay will ensure that Max Payne 3 delivers the highest quality, groundbreaking entertainment experience that is expected from our company.” So, final polish as usual, eh? Regardless of the reason, this has a much stronger impact on investors than on gamers. May is actually at the beginning of Take Two’s 2013 fiscal year, whereas releasing in March would have put it in FY2012. With this move Take Two will likely have a net loss on the books for FY2012. On the other hand, that’s a big jump start for their 2013. A start that should be well padded if GTA V releases this holiday season as rumored. It’s also important to note that Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire were May releases in 2010 and 2011, respectively. This could all be part of Take Two claiming the video game equivalent of the opening summer blockbuster.

So what have we covered so far this week? DLC? Check. New IPs? Check. Delays? Check. Sales? Check. Next-gen console rumors? Check. Betas? Check. Exclusives? Check. Rumors? Check. Seems like we’ve got it all covered. That should tide us over to Friday.

Charlie Parra del Riego of Lima Peru has a unique way of making my favorite video game music metal. I stumbled across him via a link on Kotaku and had to share him with the world.

Here’s a few of my favorites including his latest cover. The Dragon Born Comes, from Skyrim.

His website has links to his music, and ways to purchase via iTunes, I’d check this guy out by clicking HERE

The PS Vita is only weeks, well.. one month away, and the launch titles are starting to line up. Here’s some info in case you haven’t been following super closely.

The 3G models will be activated directly through the device, no contract required. You can purchase data in buckets of either 200 MB at $15 a piece, or 2 gig at $25 a piece.

Hopefully the dismal sales numbers in Japan don’t reflect the quality of the device, I won’t lie by denouncing my reservations about a $350.00 gadget with the potential to turn paperweight. There is hope, however, that the titles releasing day one will sustain the purchase, it does after all have 11 games launching the same day as the “early access” bundle. ($350.00 to acquire the system a week before the rest with Little Deviants and a 4 gig Sony SD inside.)

With the bundle you’ll also have the option to purchase

 
• Lumines Electric Symphony
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcon 3
• Uncharted Golden Abyss
• Hot Shots Golf World Invitational
• Wipeout 20148
• Reality Fighters
• ModNation Racers
• BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extended Edition
• Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour SD
• Gravity Rush

The only question I find myself asking is which titles are going to be simply “launch” titles and which will be quality. If I had to judge based on gut instinct and marketing alone, I’d say Uncharted, Lumines, and Little Deviants are going to be must plays. Ultimate MVC3 is going to be a fan favorite, but not added to my library, and Wipeout will also be a hot or cold scenario, many will love, and others simply won’t care.

What are your thoughts folks? Will you be adopting early or waiting to see what the market holds? Comment below.

Is it just me, or have video games finally started to come into their own within popular culture? Certainly the Pac-Man and Mario references have been around for a long time. But it seems like gaming is starting to intersect with other media and enter into the lexicon much the way Star Trek, Star Wars, and other large franchises have done in the past. Gaming icons are also becoming just as recognizable to diverse groups; Mario, Sonic, and Lara Croft can be recognized and named by audiences of children and adults, much like Darth Vader, Miss Piggy, and Wolverine. I definitely think video games have had a more concentrated effort to be seen as respectable medium, going to great lengths to intersect with the movie, book, comic, and television audiences. Maybe that’s simply because of the innovation required to be successful in game marketing and development.

Of all the cross-hobby endeavors I’ve seen from gaming, the latest from Crystal Dynamics seems to be one of the most interesting. The developer of the current Tomb Raider reboot is teaming up with Geocaching.com to collaborate on the marketing for the game’s release. Geocaching is a real life game/sport with well over five million participants and 1.6 million active geocaches hidden around the world. “Players” use clues, pictures, GPS systems, and whatever other tools at their disposal to follow virtual “treasure maps” to find these hidden geocaches. Caches can be found in Times Square, the Berlin Wall, the Great Wall of China, or in your local Little League ballpark. For the Tomb Raider project, Crystal Dynamics will be combining traditional Geocaching techniques with the photo-based projects in Geocaching Challenges. While it’s doubtful you’ll be shooting giant jungle cats, battling zombies, or plundering ancient ruins, you will be able to bring your virtual treasure hunting experience to bear in a real life adventure. Think of it like LARPing without the silly costumes, styrofoam swords, and hippies at the park making fun of you.

In a more insular way, working within the gaming medium, EA has certainly figured out how to cross promote their big titles. With demos coming for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3, EA is providing incentives for you to try both games. The demo for Reckoning should be available on January 17th. Similar to what was done with Dragon Age and ME2, playing that demo will unlock exclusive content for ME3. The Reckoner Knight Armor will increase your melee damage and increase projectile velocity in your weapons; the Chakram Launcher sends out lightweight explosive discs. The Reckoning demo will also unlock content for its own full release (February 7th), including a Twist of Fate Card, Chakram Twinned Blade, and Infernal Helm. ME3‘s own demo will be out shortly after, allowing you to unlock further content in Reckoning. The N7 Armor is inspired by Shepard’s outfit, but doesn’t seem to have any bonuses beyond looking awesome; the Omni Blade Daggers will be a powerful holographic weapon coming from the player’s gauntlet, though I don’t how that will make sense in Reckoning‘s universe. This seems like an obvious play to get EA’s core of Mass Effect fans to try out their new IP, and it’s going to work on me and countless others. And who knows, the demo may be enough that I’ll buy Reckoning as well.

However, I won’t need a demo to convince me to buy Mass Effect 3. I am currently marking dates off an advent calendar that counts down to March 6th. So you can bet I perked up about possible DLC plans for Mass Effect 3. Casey Hudson, executive producer, says they have “some multiplayer stuff, but we’re also planning some DLC on the single-player side, because it did really good in Mass Effect 2. There’s a reason why we can add stories to what’s there.” Similar to the second game, the single-player DLC will be accessible at any point during your main storyline.

Speaking of DLC, it looks like Modern Warfare 3 may be expanding more than just its maps. Infinity Ward has promised at least 20 pieces of DLC in the next nine months. The first expansion will be the Park and Coast maps, available to Elite subscribers on January 24th. Four more pieces will come in the next 90 days, followed by a bundle pack for non-Elite players. According to Robert Bowling of Infinity Ward, additional content will come in the form of Spec Ops missions, new game types, and new game modes. Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, and Raven have been collaborating on these experimental modes, culling the only the best of their ideas to further develop and eventually release.

Upcoming DLC is also being rumored for From Software’s Dark Souls. Supposedly a source “close to the project” has told EGM that the developers are currently finalizing the project trademarked last year as “Yama No Mori” (translated: Forest of Darkness or Dark Forest). If true, this looks to be a new area of the game with additional, horrible ways to die.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is suffering another delay. Explaining the move to May 25th, Adrian Lacey (IP Development Director) has said “Today we are feature complete in our MP, Single player and 4 player coop campaign modes. We have taken the decision to move the date in order to ensure that all these ingredients are pushed to the highest level and provide a truly unique shooter experience.” On a related note, the multiplayer beta will no longer be exclusive to XBox 360. Expanding to PS3, it will open in April.

Kaz Hirai recently addressed the rumors of PlayStation 4 being revealed at E3, rumors I hadn’t exactly heard but was already assuming for myself. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Hirai backed up SCE’s Andrew House, saying “Andy is absolutely right in that we are not making any announcements at E3. I’ve always said a 10-year life cycle for PS3, and there is no reason to go away from that.” His reasoning doesn’t hold with me though, as the PS2 had a ten year life cycle as well, continuing long past the release of the PS3. That said, I don’t necessarily think the PS4 is needed right now. I’m not sure a new XBox is needed either. I’m simply not convinced technology has moved far enough to require new machines (unless Microsoft wants to add 3D like Sony did with a firmware update). Ultimately, I see the Move and Kinect as half-steps to a new console, catching up to the Wii’s motion control. Likewise, I see the Wii U as a 3/4 step catching up to Sony and Microsoft’s HD (and hopefully online service). Assuming the XBox[catchy name] is announced and released this year, will Sony follow suit? Or will it make more sense to stagger development cycles and refuse to even compete? By that I mean that I don’t expect Microsoft’s next console to be much of an improvement over the PS3, meaning Sony could make slight improvements over the new XBox and release it in two or three years – followed by a similar release from XBox in another two or three years, with another Nintendo outing in the meantime. This could put all three developers back on the standard six year cycle of consoles, but not set them opposite one another for release day buyers. Ultimately, would this create more dual (or triple) console owners, benefitting all involved? Something to ponder….

The latest update to Sony’s first party Gran Turismo 5 will be hitting next week. Along with the 2.03 title update, Car Pack 3 and Speed Test Pack will be arriving on January 17th. The car pack seems pretty expansive as well, coming with the Lamborghini Aventador, Jaguar XJR9, Aston Martin V12 Vantage 2011, VW 1200 1966, Mini Countryman S 2011 and the Nissan Leaf.

If you’ve been following the stories about Sony’s upcoming dungeon-crawler you’ll want to note a fairly significant name change. Ruin, coming this year for PS3 and Vita, is now called Warrior’s Lair. Both names are fairly generic, but I think I preferred the original title. It was just a little more… poetic? Announced at the same time was a street date for the upcoming Vita title, Unit 13. That will be landing alongside Mass Effect 3 on March 6th. Hmm, I’m starting to think I may be obsessed with Mass Effect 3.

DC Universe Online is celebrating its first birthday, and they want to give you a present, but you’ll have to earn it. The Anniversary Cape is now available through a specific mission that was recently added. Lorin Jameson of SOE also threw out a bunch of stats to celebrate. Since launch, over 3.5 million heroes and 2 million villains have been created, 2.3 million users have registered through the PS3, and over 3.6 million days of playtime has accrued.

Armored Core V has gotten a release date and a pre-order announcement. The new, tactics-based Operator Mode is making its debut in this iteration of the mech shooter franchise, with the player commanding the battle from a general’s perspective rather than taking control of a mech and shooting up the countryside. The game is announced for March 20th. GameStop is offering the Heavy Assault Pack for additional weapons and parts. No word yet on whether that bonus, or others, will be available at other retailers.

Also coming March 20th is Ninja Gaiden 3, which has a newly announced Collector’s Edition. It’s a fairly typical package with one exception. In addition to the game, soundtrack, and art book there’s also a four fighter demo (including Ninja Gaiden‘s own Ryu Hayabusa) of Dead or Alive. The real gem of this collection though is the “Duel of the Masked” figurine, pitting Ryu against the game’ mysterious masked antagonist. Personally I was hoping for a full size katana, but you know how those parent groups can be. The figurine actually looks very nice and I’m sure plenty of collector’s will be willing to shell out the $100 MSRP for this kit.

It’s starting to look like March might be the new November. Not all of the releases are quite as high profile as turkey month’s, but there’s a nice batch of great games coming. First and foremost, of course, is Mass Effect 3. But it’s in good company with Max Payne 3, Street Fighter x Tekken, two Silent Hills, Mario Party 9, Yakuza: Dead Souls, RE: ORC, Ninja Gaiden 3, Armored Core V, and Ruin/Warrior’s Lair. Don’t forget we’ve got the PS Vita coming at the end of February. And Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is coming in early February, kind of like you’d expect to see a new franchise with potential drop in October to avoid the heavy competition of the holiday season. Has March always been a big month and I’m just noticing this year?

It should be no surprise to anyone that we here at BSR are pinball fans. We’ve espoused the virtues of Zen Studios excellent pinball simulations time and time again. Now the Budapest-based team has brought their skills to the portable arena. While the iOS and Android ports have been around for a bit, the version for the Nintendo 3DS’ eShop has been delayed in North America. It finally releases today, is it worth your time? Let’s find out.

First off, because of the way the eShop works, Zen Pinball 3D is a little different for those familiar with Pinball FX2. You unfortunately are not able to play a sample of the game before you buy it. While I was told not to rule out a free table in the future, for now the starting price for pinball goodness on your 3DS is $6.99. For your money, you get a nice bundle of four tables (Excalibur, Earth Defense, Shaman, and El Dorado). What’s especially nice is that Shaman and El Dorado have up until now been PlayStation 3 exclusives. Having them to play on the go is quite nice indeed, though my favorite PS3 table, based on famed scientist and internet darling Nikola Tesla, would be a welcome addition.

I have to commend the team at Zen for the presentation they give Zen Pinball 3D. Not only is the interface attractive and functional, Zen has gone the extra mile to include as many of the console familiar features as possible. If you know anything about the way Nintendo systems usually handle online modes, you’ll be doubly surprised to see that ZP3D not only has leaderboards and the superscore feature from the consoles, but they’ve actually managed to include achievements for each table. I hear the actual 3D effects are no slouch, either (Note: The reviewer cannot see 3D imagery).

Now, onto the gameplay itself. Unfortunately, this is where I wasn’t as satisfied as I’d like to be. Don’t get me wrong, it is still very fun, and decidedly zen-like (see what I did there?), but the 3DS itself has a couple of limitations that kept me from having the experience I expected. I’m not one to obsess over ball physics and technical things like that, but when I was first playing, I did notice things seemed a little off. At first, I chalked this up to the way the ball move to indeed be a little different. What I came to realize after a bit more play though is that I was playing a bit differently because I had a hard time seeing the playfield itself. You see, while the game does allow many view modes to see the playfield, most of them are at an angle, and on the small screen of the 3DS, it’s difficult to decipher things the further back the perspective goes. This is alleviated a bit with the views that focus the camera more on the ball itself, but I wasn’t able to find a view that I felt fit perfectly, unlike on the consoles. That being said, once you get past that, the gameplay is as smooth as silk, and is the high quality you’ve come to expect from Zen.

Normally, I’m not one to give a numbers-based review score, but if I had to score Zen Pinball 3D, I’d give it an 8.5. It looks nice, it plays well, and above all else, it is fun. Couple that with future table packs coming as downloadable content. I can also confirm that the beloved Marvel tables are due to hit the handheld, likely in a 4-pack. In conclusion, I can safely say that this is (so far) the best pinball experience you can get on the 3DS, and you’d do well to pick it up.

Zen Pinball 3D is now available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop for €4.99 or $6.99, depending on your region. A download code was offered for review purposes.

It would be trite to expand on the artistic differences of Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3. It would be banal (devoid of originality) to exclaim that these two games have different economic roots, one being the financial king, the other reaching out it’s hand in attempt to collect greater market share. It would be commonplace to soliloquize on the engineering of engines, their age, and attempt to explain the difference between their mathematical properties. Unless we are game designers ourselves, we fall victim to having the only thing left in our arsenal of gaming discourse – and this is: our opinion.

We are the First Person Shooters. As a group, laymen call us ‘gamers’, a term that throws us into the general category, or genre, of video games. But First Person Shooter fans are as a specific a group as those who play MMOs. In relation to virtually-social tendencies, our intense desire for ‘fast paced’ and competitive gameplay make us either a ‘friend or foe’ in the virtual world. ( Utilize the word ‘fast paced’ to your own relative amount, for there is no need to disagree on the value of fast paced – as one might deem Halo to be more quick or less than, let’s say, Unreal Tournament).

Ask anyone who doesn’t play FPS games what their largest deterrent is and they might chime, “I’m just not good at it” or “it’s too frustrating for me”. This competitive landscape might be only one aspect, of many, that determine the gravitational pull towards these type of games, but there is no argument on the validity that ‘virtual competition’ heightens the desire to play multiplayer FPS’s online. (If disagreement on this point exists within you, consider the repercussions if we were to take away the ranking system that is inherent to online gameplay. How many would continue their FPS multiplayer journey)?

In many ways, players play FPS games for enjoyment, but the psychology of enjoyment grows as we mature. One day, many of us reading this article might lower the frequency with which they play games. ( Perhaps children, starting a company, or various other goals might inhibit our frequency of play). But the point remains: Our enjoyment is correlated by that which we have been conditioned to accept as the ‘status quo’.

For this reason the analysis of Battlefield 3 has been more of a comparison to it’s competitor. BF3 fell to the ‘analysis table’ of continual comparison to the ‘status quo’ – that being MW3. But with time passing by, and enough attempts, however, many were changing their bias and opening their eyes to the sophisticated difference that existed between the style of the two games. With enough time – and time was necessary to change the bias, (for if not, the fear to leave the status quo remains )– gamers could truly see a difference in quality, technique, and tactics. The demographics of many who play Battlefield 3 are older – and thus, a particular conclusion that could be reached is that those who play it are more mature. But it is often an interesting parallel to make regarding these types of games and the types of people who play them. To have a fair opinion, one must devote considerable time – an even amount – to both games. Many opinions exist without full consideration, or analysis, of both options.

Modern Warfare 3 gave fans exactly the same equation that had existed for 5 years. There would seem to be no plausible reason to evolve a game engine that, we’d be damned, still generated profit with the same FPS equation. Why change a methodology that, historically, gave considerable results – especially high monetary results? For such profits to be reaped and almost guaranteed, no sane developer would consider the expense needed for an evolutionary upgrade to their game. If such an occurrence were to happen, it would be, on the part of the developer, for altruistic reasons only.

Our eyes see what we continually perceive to be true. We stay with the same game and continue to gain ‘FPS comfort’ from our hardened, concrete vision. This illusion that any game creates – especially for a genre as powerful as FPS – would entice anyone and more importantly, bias them to a comfort- leveled demand for the ‘status quo’. In other words, that which we are continually used to, we find difficulty criticizing or critiquing. The Modern Warfare psychology was not unsophisticated so much as it was blatantly original – and thus, too a point, mundane. Long time FPS fans were ready for something new. They were ready to evolve, (even if their preferred engine would not). And so, many FPS fans (not necessarily Call of Duty fans, but just FPS fans in general), left to eat a different meal –obtain a different taste.

Humans age, and so do our concepts, our intellectual capacity, our goals, our initiatives, our creativity. With time, many who sought the FPS energy that had been created by the Modern Warfare franchise were becoming bored with the ‘taste’ of the continual meal. If Modern Warfare was the lobster dinner, fans were now ready for Filet Mignon. The Darwinian battle between these animals [BF3/MW3] created an ecosystem where, if anything, FPS games of the future will continue to evolve towards our desires.

As of 2012, it is incomprehensible to leave BF3 without true credit or consideration. Battlefield 3 must be rewarded for being the game that has been the most adaptable. And only those neglecting a full investigation of this fact will, unfortunately, fail to see the vision of that paradigm.

If Modern Warfare was checkers, fans have shown they are now ready for chess.

Big Shiny Robot reader, First Person Shooter, Technology Product Vendor Employee, and twenty-something Connecticut resident, HotfireXG, provided the preceeding article and welcomes all feedback in the comments below!

If you have an aritcle that you would like us to consider for publishing you can contact us at editor@bigshinyrobot.com!