It’s been a while but Pinball FX2 released a pack of pinball tables, so if you’ve yet to try this game out this would be a good place to start. For 800 microsoft points on the Xbox of $9.99 on PS3 you can get 4 marvel tables. The pack is called Vengeance and Virtue and it contains the tables Ghost Rider, X-Men, Moon Knight and Thor. I played each table through about five times and these are my thoughts on each one.

Out of the four tables Ghost Rider was the table I initially found I was best at. The thing which came naturally to me with this table is that there are a lot of times in which you can activate the ball saver so if you happen to make a mistake you’re doing fine because it seemed to be pretty hard to lose a ball. One of the other nice things is there is a pretty easy way to get a random bonus and I’ve gotten the extra ball almost every time I’ve played. Having four balls over three really improves my overall score. The multiball is somewhat easy to get so I tend to be able to get at least one every time I play. One of the things which I must warn about though is there is a moment where Lucifer will give you an option to go for 500,000 points or 5 million points. If you choose 5 million you have to hit your shot or the ball is gone, as I’ve only been able to hit it once I always choose the lower option because it gives you a ball save in case you miss. It was a little hard to figure out how to start the missions so once you get the feel of the table make sure to go into the help and options and then rule sheet to figure it out. The other way I have been able to get as many points as I have is because it’s easy to get the bonus multipliers up and so just keep doing that, the highest I’ve gotten it up to is x15. Ghost Rider was one of the first comics I got into as a kid and I even now have a good collection of the really early Ghost Rider so this table was definitely my first choice when deciding what to play.

The X-Men table was a bit trickier for me to figure out. It’s mostly learning all of the ramp shots so it takes being calm and making the right shots. I found doing a different view then normal helped with this one and holding onto the balls by holding them in the flippers helped me to make the ramp shots. The most important part of this table in my mind is the UNITE ramp, hitting it six times allows you to add a member of the x-men to your team. Each of them have special bonuses and I found the ones which are just essential for me are Jean Grey and Nightcrawler, because with each of them you get outer lane saves x3. Those pesky outer lanes are what have been leading to the most balls out for me. As you get to know this table get to know which of the x-men correspond to which ramp, when you get that down doing the missions and multiballs tend to get a lot easier and that’s when you really start racking in the points.

In preparing to write this I decided I needed to give every table a fair shot and Moon Knight was one I didn’t expect to do very well on. I had tried it about 3-4 times and gotten very little in terms of scoring. I’ve always thought Moon Knight was a cool character but I’m not at all familiar with his story and so everyone on his table was completely new to me. Well suddenly I got into a rhythm with the table and I got closer to Wizard Mode on this one table then I ever have on any other table I’ve been on. I completed all four of the missions and I was very close to finishing all of the side missions and I even pulled off about 5 extra balls while playing the table. It was crazy, in one play through I had upped my score from a measly 20M up to just under 100M. Once you get the hang of this table is it non stop, and there are a lot of things to do. When I started this I expected to come out saying Ghost Rider was my favorite table but now unless Thor wows me, Moon Knight may be my favorite.

Finally we have Thor, and after giving it a fair shake I am baffled by this table. I had a very hard time with this table, though a friend did tell me this was his favorite table. The nice thing about this table is it’s very easy to start missions, what was really hard for me is when shooting the ball I would constantly hit something instead of a ramp and it would bounce right into the middle and I would lose the ball. The Thor vs. Loki mission was the only one I had any success with and it gave me a good amount of points so I do have a decent score, I just left it feeling a bit frustrated. It seems this will be one I’ll have to practice quite a bit before I can get.

So my personal favorite is Moon Knight. Ghost Rider comes in a close second, and then X-Men in third and Thor in fourth. It’s a good pack, it’s pretty cheap and it is hours of fun.

Also if you have not heard yet, anyone with an iphone can go to the apple store and search for Zen Pinball, if you download the app for your iphone there is one free table included on it so you can get your pinball fix in on the go.

A Penny Arcade reader sent along this incredibly shocking chain of emails over to the folks at at Penny Arcade after the reader had received some of the worst customer service I have ever seen. Seriously, it can’t get much more ridiculous than this…

I thought I’d share the emails with you and bring to light just how much this marketing company has done to completely ruin any positive internet presence they might have had (PR is their business…so good luck with that Ocean…) and generally destroy their overall reputation as an internet marketing company. Note: Ocean Marketing is a social media and overall marketing group that serves as a mediator between N Gaming and the customer for their Avenger Controller. N Gaming is not directly responsible for this terrible chain of email – but they should probably kick Ocean Marketing to the curb and demand hefty compensation for their potential losses (if they haven’t already).

The exchange starts off like this (my comments are in blue):

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 16, 2011, at 1:34 PM

I ordered 2 of the upcoming PS3 controllers (invoice xxxxxxxxx—Nov 3, 2011). Any chance of getting an update of when these items will ship? I’m not really happy about being forced to pay upfront then have the advertised date of “Early December” be completely missed without any sort of update on availability. I really need one of them for a X-mas present as well. Anyways, looking forward to finally using one of these bad boys. Thanks and happy holidays.

-Dave

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 16, 2011 2:45 PM

Dec 17

– Paul Christoforo

^( Seriously? You call THAT a customer service reply? Just a date – no word on what’s happening on that day, if it’s the day of receipt or the day of shipment. Just two words and the lamest signature I have ever seen at the end of an email.)

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 19, 2011, at 11:02 AM

Thanks for the reply Paul.  Can you clarify whether my particular order already sent or if Dec 17 was the first day shipments went out?  I have not received any sort of shipping confirmation email or tracking information.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 19, 2011 11:21 AM

They still haven’t shipped yet on the way here from china

^(Again, no effort to assure the customer’s concerns are being taken care of. No effort to assure them that the product is at least on the way and that they’ll forward promptly upon receipt, and no effort to thank the customer for their time, patience and business. This is at best a VERY poor excuse for “customer service” …if you can even call it that.)

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 20, 2011 4:29 PM

So then delivery to customer doors by December 24th is no longer likely correct?  Do you have an estimated date of when units will arrive in California? Thanks.

^Understandably, the customer is getting irritated and replying with the same short style of email. By this point I would have been demanding details and more explanation. This person was waaaaay more patient than I am, but then again I work in customer service with international clients so I know what kind of information I could be getting from a good company when I write to a customer service email address.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 20, 2011 5:11 PM

They are in the USA now in customs so its wither before or after Christmas.

^What?!?! Is that English? Also, I happen to know all too well that if you’re the one who needs to clear items from customs so you can get your product to your customers – you get your ass on the phone and you clear the items so you can give your customers an idea of when to expect the product. There’s no way this Marketing rep is handling both customer service AND shipping/customs clearance (and presumably doing Marketing as well?). I get the feeling that this person doesn’t really know what’s going on with the product, and it sounds like they’re bullsh*tting for time.

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011, at 9:47 AM

I noticed the updated info on the webpage, and I don’t understand why there is absolutely no benefit given to those like me who have already ordered, and paid their money.  You’ve had my money interest free for nearly two months, yet now ANY new order will get $10 off….meaning I should just cancel my order for 2 controllers, get my money back, then re-order.

My other questions is regarding item compatibility.  Ocean Marketing seems to be involved with the Xtendplay controller holder, so I was wondering if the Avenger N-Controller can be used in conjunction with the Xtendplay (for both Xbox and PS3)?  Thanks

^ (This is a legitimate question in that if the product releases, presumably those who have pre-ordered should have their orders allocated and forwarded first. That’s how it’s handled in the industry I work in, and that’s how it’s handled in a lot of other industries, too. Unfortunately, this Ocean Marketing guy is going to fly off the deep end and respond with complete insanity…)

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 26, 2011 10:14 AM

Yes it can be used with xtend play if you remove the stand and no one is allowed to cancel and re order if we catch anyone doing it we will simply just cancel your order all together and you can buy it retail somewhere else. (Holy crap he’s gone off the deep end! If we catch anyone doing it? You are representing a business sir, not the mafia!)

Things happen in manufacturing if your unhappy you have 7 days from the day your item ships for a refund. (So, wait, I’m not following here… He can return it but he can’t cancel it? You also didn’t explain that you were having manufacturing problems.) You placed a pre order just like any software title the gets a date moved due to the tweaks and bugs not being worked out and GameStop or any other place holds your cash and im sure you don’t complain to activision or epic games so put on your big boy hat and wait it out like everyone else. The benefit is a token of our appreaciation for everyone no one is special including you or any first time buyer . Feel free to cancel we need the units were back ordered 11,000 units so your 2 will be gone fast. Maybe I’ll put them on eBay for 150.00 myself. Have a good day Dan. (WHAT?!?!?!)

And here’s where things get really interesting…

From: Dave
To: Ocean Marketing
Dec 26, 2011 12:11 PM

Then cancel my order if you want to.  I’m making a legitimate complaint about your poor communication and you’re the one stooping to childish levels, a patronizing attitude, and threats.  Hell you can’t even get the spelling of my name right.

And Gamespot pre-orders…wow what a terrible comparison.  Retailers take a couple dollars IF THAT for you to guarantee your game availability on the release date, whatever that is. That’s the understanding and that’s what you get.  Plus, I don’t have to complain to Activision or Epic games about these issues because they’re usually not missing the street dates for their AAA titles.

Now let’s take YOUR situation:
1) You’ve promised a new product based off the design for an existing, working product
2) For the longest time, you’ve stated on your website (your failure to update regularly is another issue) the initial/special/limited batch of your new product by early December, obviously in time for the all-important holiday gift-giving season.  I and thousands of other customers GIVE YOU OUR MONEY, INTEREST FREE on the promises you made online.
3) I reach out to you, on Dec 16 (AFTER you have FAILED TO MEET YOUR ADVERTISED DEADLINE AND FAILED TO COMMUNICATE TO ANYONE WHAT THE SITUATION IS) obviously a little frustrated but more curious about when I and other customers can expect the product we paid for.
4) Your reply to me is a cryptic “Dec 17” with absolutely no explanation of what that means.  In the mean time you having been using funds from pre-paid customers to complete Research & Development, product redesigns, and manufacturing mis-steps.
5) You force me to follow-up with an email asking for clarification about what “Dec 17” means since the day has passed and I have yet to receive any new information about my order.  Now you instead of ANSWERING MY QUESTION OF WHAT THE NEW DELIVERY DATE IS, you tell me the goods have yet to leave China…  Why are you telling me this?  I’m not your employee I’m your goddamn customer!  TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF MY TIME AND WHEN I CAN EXPECT MY PRODUCT I PAID FOR.
6) So great…I have to email you AGAIN trying to get a CLEAR answer from you whether a Dec 24th delivery date is possible and if not, what the new date is.  Rinse & repeat: You give me an update of the delivery process (wow, thanks…you haven’t told me anything I don’t know about the order of international shipping procedures) but instead say “…so its wither before or after Christmas.”  WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?  GIVE ME A DATE!?  One that you’re actually going to follow, because I already see “late Nov to early Dec”;  “Dec 17”; and now “CHRISTMAS” in my rear-view mirror.
7) So I guess what’s left for me to do but just wait?  Oh but what’s this, you’ve updated your website…Ok at least you’ve clarified the dates more, I can expect my controller my latest first week of January.  But now as a “token of our appreciation” to all your “loyal customers” (you mean like customers who put up cash for you hold an use?) you’re giving a $10 coupon.  Let me get this straight…so you held my money interest free for 2 months to help bring this product to market, and now some new customer can place an order and pay $10 less than what I paid?  You have financially penalized me in two ways for being a “LOYAL CUSTOMER.”

I’m SURE you’re getting tons of other inquiries and I’m sure you’re not enjoying the fact that your product is not out when you wanted it to be.  I and everyone else understands that “sh*t happens,” but if you want us to be understanding of that, then you need to keep us in the loop.  You’ve already set yourself up for failure by making explicit promises that aren’t even “likely” given that the design and manufacturing are still be refined.  Then you make sure you’re going to fail by actually taking all of our money, Not just a little bit….THE WHOLE F*CKIN BEEFALO.  Why wouldn’t we trust that you’re going to deliver our merchandise on time?  Besides…it’s based off an existing product so how hard can it be?  Well as your youtube video shows, making any consumer device is hard and requires many iterations and improvements.  But I’m not going to apologize for holding your feet to the fire.  You created these expectations by acting like the release was already a done deal and by hiding the fact that it was faaaar from it.

I want my two n-controllers.  I 1) PAID FOR THEM   2) WAITED   3) DEALT WITH YOUR UNHELPFUL ASS.  I also didn’t want to feel like my trust and loyalty as a customer was being abused and then actually punished in comparison to other customers.  But I guess we can’t have it all… so right now I’ll settle for getting my merchandise and hopefully never having to deal with you again.  I’ve spent enough time writing this email which I hope you gain some insight from.  If you actually do want to screw me over by not fulfilling my order, then I assure you be hearing more from me or people representing me.

You show a surprising lack of business polish for someone who’s quite established, AND an lack of awareness of your customer base: Hardcore gamers.  We’re a demanding, vocal customer but the flip side is we’re loyal and eager to spend.  It’s lucky for you that I really want this product because it seems really deliver on making the gaming experience more effective and enjoyable.  Hell, I want to combine the aventer-controller with the xtend play to make the ugliest, most comfortable, most awesome controller ever.  And I’ll still buy the xtend, so let that be a testament to your products, the rise above your poor representation.

-DAVE with a V

p.s. You look really douchy be having one youtube video complaining about the noise of traffic next to your home and then another video showing off your obnoxiously loud rice rocket (which is nice, I gotta hand it ya).

p.p.s. Welcome to the internet, bitch.  That’s how I roll.

From: Ocean Marketing
To: Dave
Dec 26, 2011 2:19 PM

LOL Thanks for the Free PR I know the Editor N Chief of Kotaku , IGN , Engadget I’ll be meeting them at CES .The noise complaint was for people high up on the food chain in a corporate world of real estate you have no clue about.  Thanks for the Rice Rocket Compliment too love me some motorcycle . Send that over to Engadget you look like a complete moron swearing and sending your customer service complaints to a magazine as if they will post it or even pay attention do you think you’re the first or the last what are they going to do demand us to tell you were your shipment is or ask for a refund on your behalf … Really … Welcome to the Internet ? Son Im 38 I wwebsite as on the internet when you were a sperm in your daddys balls and before it was the internet, thanks for the welcome to message wurd up.  Grow up you look like a complete child bro. I Don’t have my controller so im gonna cry to the world … Really ?? Hey take that free time and do something more productive. All you had to do was check the like everyone else , people have inquired but you’re the douchiest of them all J

To all our pre-order customers looking for information on the status of their orders after a busy couple of months The PS3 Avengers are on their way from our Manufacturing plant overseas. We are aware that everyone is anticipating having their Avengers under their Christmas Tree and were doing our best to get these orders shipped out as fast as possible. We appreciate you as loyal customers and for supporting our company. Customers will start receiving their products this week before Christmas and After Christmas and into the New Year. As a token of our appreciation we are offering all our pre-order customers and new customers 10$ off your next order with us just enter Avenger1001 at Checkout. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Oh and FYI When a street date gets pushed by a publisher on a video game you pre ordered do you cry to them too ?

You just got told bitch … welcome to the real internet check kotaku in 2 weeks when they are reviewing free PS3 Avengers we send them as well as G4 and all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way you think you speak for billions son your just a kid you speak for yourself no one cares what you think that’s why were growing and moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month. We do value our customers but sometimes we get children like you we just have to put you in the corner with your im stupid hat on. See you at CES , E3 , Pax East ….? Oh wait you have to ask mom and pa dukes your not an industry professional and you have no money on snap you just got told.

It gets way more entertaining from there. You can read where the folks from Penny Arcade get involved near the bottom of the post.

As you may have seen, the internet is now exploding with articles about this – including one from Kotaku that reveals the possible background of the Worst PR Rep in History – Paul Christoforo. Apparently, this might just be a case of Internet Roid Rage – as it appears Mr. Christoforo has been engaging in heavy anabolic steroid use and just came off a 16 week cycle. In a last ditch effort to re-claim his presence on the internet, Christoforo got a new twitter account called “@OceanStratagy” (oh yeah, he can spell, too). Feel free to tweet to him lots of fun things.

I deliberately shut myself off from virtually all news sources from Friday afternoon until this morning. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started this column. Would the long weekend have been filled with crazy gaming news and I’m now desperately behind? Did everyone else take the time off with me? Turns out everyone had a great holiday and very few newsworthy items have come to light in the last few days.

I actually wish I had caught my first item before my media blackout to report that Rockstar is hosting a Double XP event for Red Dead Redemption for the winter break time. The event started Christmas Eve and runs through January 2nd. As a further bonus, if you played on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day over the weekend it was actually Triple XP. This Saturday and Sunday, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, respectively, will also be Triple XP. If you’ve been looking to max out your Gamerscore or earn the platinum trophy for this title you should definitely take advantage of this event. I’m sure it will hold you back from Skyrim, Uncharted 3, or whatever other major title you scored as a gift, but it’s still a damn fun game even after all this time.

If you scored a PS3 for Christmas, or are just looking to expand your peripheral library for the system, Sony has made the next few eeks the perfect time to get yourself some accessories. Happening now through January 21st at most major retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, Fred Meyer’s, Fry’s, GameStop, KMart, Sears, Sony Stores, Target, and Toys R Us – interesting to not see WalMart on the list) is Sony Play Days. With varying discounts on various items, the event will get you up to 50% off some peripherals and accessories. You should check the Playstation Blog for the full list of items and discounts. Some of the highlights, especially if you’re new to or want to get the Move, are an extra Move or Navigation controller for $10 off, the LittleBigPlanet Move bundle for only $80, $5 off the bluetooth blu-ray remote, and 3D glasses for only $50. I think the only thing actually 50% off is the Sharpshooter, but even at 20-30% you’re still saving dough.

In what appears to be the only non-promotional news drop today, the third DLC character for King of Fighters XIII has been announced. He of the absurdly large nose, Mr. Karate, will be available January 10th. For PS3 users, that’s the same day the NESTS Kyo DLC will drop after its recent delay.

Somehow that’s the end of the news for this week’s early edition. It’s a little sparse, but it’s no surprise. The real question is whether Friday’s edition will be just as sparse while eveyone takes the entire week off (like me), or if the devs and publishers will want to end this year with a bang of big announcements. Personally, I’m expecting this column to be relatively short until the end of January.

As Christmas winds away and we start finishing our glut of Fall games it slowly becomes time to hear more about all of those games promised for “early 2012” or “Spring 2012.” The first of these is Devil May Cry HD Collection. Collecting Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening Special Edition with bonus content for only $40, this bundle has finally gotten a street date. Capcom has announced this collection will be available April 3, 2012. My only response to that is Dante’s going to have to wait. Mass Effect 3 will still be permanently jammed into my console at that time.

Speaking of Capcom, they’ve decided not to sit back and watch all of the digital sales happening for the end of the year and get in on it themselves. Now through January 10th you should definitely be taking advantage of the Capcom PSN Holiday Super Sale. There are some serious gems in here for up to 50% off. Check the Capcom blog for the full listing, but here’s a few I highly recommend: Bionic Commando: Rearmed for $4.99 (Rearmed 2 is also good and on sale, but the first is better), and Super Puzzle Fighter II HD for $4.99. Seriously, Puzzle Fighter. Buy that game!!! This is probably the best jewel/brick dropping puzze game ever made. Yeah, I said it. It’s better than Tetris and Dr. Mario. Buy that one and hit me up on PSN; I’ll re-teach you the definition of n00b.

Despite Australia’s newest game rating, allowing a category for an 18+ age group, they’re still busy banning games. Actually, Syndicate is the first ban I’ve seen since legislation for the new rating passed. The rating is not actually available yet, leaving the highest rating as MA15+. However, reading their decision on the game, I would speculate the title may be unavailable even with the higher rating possibilities. According to the classification board:

“The game contains violence that is high in impact and is therefore unsuitable for persons aged 18 years to play. Combatants take locational damage and can be explicitly dismembered, decapitated, or bisected by the force of the gunfire. The depictions are accompanied by copious bloodspray and injuries are shown realistically and with detail. Flesh and bone are often exposed while arterial sprays of blood continue to spirt [sic] from wounds at regular intervals.”

I think the key line here is “unsuitable for persons aged 18 years to play.” They’re essentially saying the game is so violent that it would be detrimental to the psyche of a responsible adult to play the game. Frankly, the game sounds a bit disgusting and probably isn’t something I would even be interested in playing. Despite that, I’m glad I live in the United States where an outright ban by the government isn’t likely to happen. Whether consumers refuse to buy it, or retailers refuse to carry it, at least the game would be available to those who are willing to seek it out.

We all knew Modern Warfare 3 would be getting ample DLC, and we also knew the Elite subscribers would be getting it first (and free). What we finally have now is a date for the first add-on, January 24th, 2012. That date is only for XBox 360 players, of course. Microsoft has the timed exclusive on the DLC, meaning PS3 owners won’t be downloading the extra content until the end of February at least. And, while we don’t know exactly what is coming, they have released one teaser shot they’re calling “Park.” I’m assuming this is part of a new map set in an urban area with an open park segment.

When I first heard EA was rebooting the SSX franchise I cringed. As I’ve heard more about it I’ve gotten a little more excited. It became obvious to me just how much my optimism for the game has changed when I saw it was delayed and felt disappointed. I expect delays for most games, so it’s rare for me to let out a little moan and a frown when I hear that one is getting pushed back for two weeks for a “final bit of polish.” Getting shifted from Febraury 14th to February 28th isn’t bad. And, to hear Todd Batty (Creative Director) tell it, it will be worth the wait. According to Batty, they “recently decided to take a couple of extra weeks to give our game the final bit of polish we think it deserves. Over the course of more than 10 years of making games I have not worked on a single project where our team did not wish, coming down the home stretch, that we could have just a bit more time. Time to do all the little things that may not be noticeable during the first hour or two playing the game, but are appreciated over the course of days, weeks, months and beyond…. SSX was one of the games that always took the time to do exactly that. There is a reason why Tricky and SSX3 are still among the highest rated games of all time, and it is because even playing them today they still stand the test of time. Our goal from Day 1 was to re-launch this amazing franchise with a new SSX game that could live up to that legacy.” Since I tend to agree with him about Tricky and SSX3 I’m willing to sit out the extra two weeks. But can they at least tease me with some of the soundtrack (one of the highlights of the series) while I wait.

At long last Square Enix has announced Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance], the next entry in the popular franchise. As you’d expect with the title, the game is exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS. Players will take on the roles of both Riku and Sora as Yen Sid and King Mickey send them to the Sleeping Worlds for their final exam. Completing this task will make them Keyblade Masters, setting up the franchise’s story for its final battle. Square Enix promises new Disney worlds we haven’t seen in the franchise, including La Cité des Cloches (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). The title is scheduled for 2012, with a final date yet to be announced.

Square Enix has also announced an extra piece of planned DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2. Azrael is a bow weapon exclusive to XBox 360 and usable in-game only by Serah. The weapon will be 80 Microsoft points on January 31st and will still need to be bought in game from Chocolina the Merchant in Episode 2. When equipped, your Chain Bonus will be enhanced.

Sony has officially announced the North American launch lineup for the Playstation Vita in February. Here’s the list (games marked with a * are PSN only, if no publisher is listed the game is first-party):

• Army Corps of Hell (Square Enix)
• Asphalt Injection (Ubisoft)
• Ben 10 Galactic Racing (D3)
• Blazblue: Continuum Shift EXTEND (Aksys)
• Dungeon Hunter Alliance (Ubisoft)
• Dynasty Warriors Next (Tecmo Koei)
• Escape Plan*
• F1 2011 (Codemasters)
• FIFA Soccer (EA)
• Hot Shots Golf:World Invitational*
• Hustle Kings
• Little Deviants
• Lumines Electronic Symphony (Ubisoft)
• The Michael Jackson Experience (Ubisoft)
• ModNation Racers: Road Trip
• Plants vs. Zombies* (SOE)
• Rayman Origins (Ubisoft)
• Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (Namco Bandai)
• Super StarDust Delta*
• Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs Only* (Drinkbox)
• Touch My Katamari (Namco Bandai)
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Capcom)
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss
• Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour Edition (SEGA)
• Wipeout 2048

Included with this announcement were four “launch window” games as well. Gravity Rush, MLB 12 The Show, Reality Fighters, and Unit 13. Games for the system are currently listed at $9.99 to $49.99. John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing for Sony, calls this “the biggest and best lineup we’ve ever launched across the history of PlayStation platforms.” With over 20 games at launch and more than 100 in development, he’s probably right. But will it be enough? The portable market is suffering, the unit’s cost is higher than expected, proprietary memory cards are expensive, and with games running up to $50 for top shelf titles the system has a few hurdles ahead of it. Personally, I’m not buying day one. I’ll wait six months or a year for the newer model to release and drop in price about 25%. That’ll also be about the right time to start picking up used games for a reasonable price, as well as having a quick turnaround on them through Gamefly.

Since that’s the end of the news, allow me to wish you all a Merry Christmas (or other holiday of your choosing). Please be safe and enjoy your holiday. Here’s hoping you get all of the games you desire, and give as much joy as you’ll feel.

I picked up both Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 (for Xbox 360) on their respective launch dates. I was excited to play both with Battlefield offering something new for me and Modern Warfare was the next title in a series of games that I quite enjoy. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with both games in the two months or so that they have been out, and I find my copy of Modern Warfare 3 sitting on the shelf more often than not as I play Battlefield several hours each week having a blast. This post isn’t an argument as to why Battlefield is the superior game to Modern Warfare, it’s why Battlefield is the superior game for me.

The Call of Duty franchise has been a mainstay in my console since the original Modern Warfare and I have picked up each title since, enjoying hopping online and playing with friends. It was a nice change of pace from my go-to FPS title, Halo. I was excited for the Call of Duty franchises return to Modern Warfare and as soon as I picked it up I was anxious to get hope and hop online and get to the online playing. I spent several days with the game playing Team Deathmatch and other game types online. It was fun, but I found myself a bit bored and a bit frustrated.

The maps seems to have no rhyme or reason to them and are essentially just mazes of buildings to run through hoping you are the first guy to pull the trigger when you turn a corner and come face to face with a member of the opposite team. In all previous titles in the CoD series I have not used shotguns more than I have in MW3, but I found they were the most useful for this type of game play and found my game improving after I settled on the fact this was the best tactic. Then there are the kill streak rewards. Constantly throughout every game played there is some sort of ridiculous kill streak being used, raining hell fire down from overhead padding the kill-death ratios of those who called upon them. I use them myself obviously, but there is something slightly less satisfying knowing that your 27-3 K/D spread was mostly due to calling in an AI chopper to do away with all the poor guys that didn’t equip the proper class to hide them on the map. Not every second of every match needs to be filled with bombing runs, attack helicopters and other over-the-top attacks covering the map in explosions decimating the other team to keep me interested, but perhaps this is needed for younger gamers than myself. After a few days it occurred to me that this was just like all the other Call of Duty games: Chasing red dots on the map to build up enough kills to unleash a killstreak reward. It just wasn’t as fun as it used to be.

A few weeks prior to MW3, Battlefield 3 dropped. I had played and enjoyed the beta and was eager to hop into the full game. My experience with the Battlefield series was limited to playing the single player campaign in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but I was looking forward to something new and what I found really impressed me. Air and ground vehicles for support, four classes to provide a role to play to support your team, no ridiculous kill streak rewards and most importantly: a first person shooter game that encourages team work by rewarding you for it. My friends and I immediately took a shine to the Rush game type and jumped into it feet first. Here was a game where the point wasn’t to try to get an amazing kill-death spread, but to work as a team towards the objective. You could score just as many points as the guy who got 25 kills in the game if you were distributing ammo, healing team mates, repairing vehicles, and accomplishing the objectives. Sniper rifles didn’t shoot perfectly straight over a mile distance – you had to account for bullet drop due to gravity and shotguns won’t instantly kill you from fifty feet away.

When I get online to play a video game with friends, I want to play with them, not just be playing the same game as them and Battlefield promoted this. It wasn’t long until within our squad we had all taken on our own roles and were great at working together tackling objectives. If one needed more ammo, there was someone to supply it; if a man went down, there was a medic to revive them; if a tank was damaged an engineer was on hand to repair it and keep it moving. Over and over again we found ourselves in epic battles holding down an objective, all working together and warding off wave after wave of attacks as buildings crumble around us thanks to the awesome Frostbite 2 engine.

Battlefield changed my idea of what a FPS could and should be. No longer was it just about getting an awesome kill/death ratio as you chase red dots around a map, now it was about team work, tactics, skill and working towards a common objective on expansive, exciting maps. Here we are now over two months after both titles have come out and Battlefield has rarely left my console – and when it has it’s been to play Sonic Generations, Batman: Arkham City, or Marvel vs. Capcom 3 not Modern Warfare 3. My desire to jump in to MW3 has pretty much dropped to non-existent, especially as more and more of my online gaming friends convert over to Battlefield. The fact of the matter is that Activision has been pushing out the same game under the Call of Duty umbrella year after year, never really changing much, never trying to introduce something new. There are millions of Call of Duty fans who love the game as is, so this formula seems to work for now, but for me Battlefield offers something new, engaging and expansive that keeps me coming back for more.

For the time being I’m considering myself done with the Call of Duty franchise. Perhaps in the next few years Call of Duty will come out with a new game that completely changes the FPS landscape once again, but right now I know I can get $30 store credit at my local gaming store. That seems more worth it to me than holding onto a game that will do little more than sit on my shelf collecting dust as I defend my base against waves of enemies descending upon me at Damavand Peak.

Square Enix makes some of the best games in the business. They have the Final Fantasy franchise, the Kingdom Hearts franchise, and half a dozen others that just knock your socks off every time you play them. One of the best things to come from this technological revolution is that we can now play their older (arguably better) games anywhere we’d like on our smart phones and tablets.

And this holiday season Square is making it even easier.

They’re having a huge App sale through the holidays, from now until January 4th, 2012.

Get ’em while they’re hot.

CHAOS RINGS $12.99 ⇒ $6.99
CHAOS RINGS® for iPad® $15.99 ⇒ $7.99
CHAOS RINGS® Ω $11.99 ⇒ $5.99
CHAOS RINGS® Ω for iPad® $14.99 ⇒ $6.99
Chocobo Panic® $3.99 ⇒ $1.99
COOKING MAMA®* $6.99 ⇒ $3.99
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS® $7.99 ⇒ $3.99 (Get this game, I play it constantly. It’s amazing.)
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS® for iPad® $7.99 ⇒ $3.99
DISSIDIA® 012 FINAL FANTASY® AR $4.99 ⇒ $2.99
DISSIDIA®012 FINAL FANTASY® Larger-than-Life Gallery® $5.99 ⇒ $2.99
FINAL FANTASY® $8.99 ⇒ $4.99
FINAL FANTASY® II $8.99 ⇒ $4.99
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS® $15.99 ⇒ $11.99 (This is another fantastic game I can’t talk about enough)
FINAL FANTASY® III $15.99 ⇒ $11.99
FINAL FANTASY® III for iPad® $16.99 ⇒ $12.99
GROOVE COASTER® $2.99 ⇒ $0.99
Hills and Rivers Remain® $4.99 ⇒ $2.99
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light® $2.99 ⇒ $0.99
Secret of Mana® $8.99 ⇒ $4.99 (This is one of the best co-op RPGs ever made)
SLIDING HEROES® $0.99 ⇒ Free
SONG SUMMONER®: The Unsung Heroes – Encore $9.99 ⇒ $4.99
SPACE INVADERS® INFINITY GENE™ $4.99 ⇒ $2.99
SQUARE ENIX® CHARACTERS MAIL $1.99 ⇒ Free
SUMMER STORY™ $8.99 ⇒ $3.99
VANGUARD STORM™ $3.99 ⇒ $1.99
Victorian Mysteries®: The Moonstone $2.99 ⇒ $0.99
Voice Fantasy® $2.99 ⇒ $0.99

*For the first 30,000 downloads

Aaaah, Christmas week. Unless you work in retail or have some big year end project due this is probably a good time of year at work. Then again, it’s also a good time of year not to be at work. Seriously, I wonder how many readers are seeing this from home instead of while slacking at the office. I’m actually working my day job this week, but I took the next week off instead. The ratio of vacation time I have to take versus the consecutive days of sleeping in and drinking too much is just too good to pass up. Regardless, there is still a little news to report this week, so let’s get to it.

Remember Demons’ Souls? This was the game that was released in October 2009 and you rage quit in November because it was so hard. Then, for some reason you remembered how awesome it was so you bought Dark Souls and rage quit that one a month later too. Well, Atlus is hoping you kept that first disc around because they’ve temporarily made it easier. From now through January 2, 2012 you can participate in the Pure White World Event. The event makes the world of Boletaria slightly easier and unlocks new areas and items. I’m sure you’re backlogged on all the great Fall games, and you may get some new material for Christmas, but if you’ve been wanting to work on Demons’ Souls again this is a very good opportunity.

Square Enix has long been promising that Final Fantasy XIII-2 will have an extensive DLC plan after retail release (which has already happened in Japan, scheduled for January 31, 2012 in the U.S.). So far it doesn’t look that extensive. Based on the Japanese release scheduled announced at Jump Festa, the Omega DLC, featuring a robotic beast you can defeat and recruit to your own party, will be first. After that will be a costume pack giving Serah a pink bikini and Noel his Ezio get-up. All of this was previously known, so I would expect to see more DLC announcements in the coming weeks, with some big news coming on or around the full retail release in North America.

Are you on Twitter? Want to have your face in a game? Are you okay if that face gets torn apart in “bullet time?” If you answered yes to all of those questions, Rockstar can use you in Max Payne 3‘s multiplayer. Here’s how this works: Step 1 – Follow @RockstarGames on Twitter. Step 2 – Use #MaxPayne3 when Tweeting about the game (and do that a lot). Step 3 – Rockstar will pick ten random people each week and send them a direct message. Step 4 – Respond to your DM with a picture in 48 hours or less. (They’ll be selecting two finalists each week for a total of eight winners.) Step 5 – Use your face in multiplayer when the game releases in March. Step 6 – Have said face shot off! Of course, it is a contest, so it’s probably a lot more complicated than I make it sound. Check their website for full rules and details.

Are you still hunting down trophies in Batman: Arkham City and starting to itch for yet another new costume? Today brings good news. To celebrate the success of the game, and to thank fans for their support, Rocksteady is releasing a free Batman Inc. skin for use in the game. But, what if you haven’t finished the game yet? We all know you can’t change your skin until you’ve beaten the campaign. Right? Actually, no. Along with the new outfit the developer has announced a cheat code to allow new skins during the first play. To unlock this treat, go to the menu screen after selecting your save slot, enter Left, Left, Down, Down, Left, Left, Right, Up, Up, Down and listen for the tone. If you’ve done it correctly you’ll now have the option to change your Batskin.

Seems to be lots of DLC news today. This next one is kind of a downer though, especially compared to a free Batsuit. King of Fighters XIII‘s “Nests Kyo” DLC is being delayed until January 10th due to a technical error. Not one to suffer bad press lightly, Atlus is offering a temporary discount for the add-on (making it $2.99) when it does release. SNK Playmore is also hard at work on a patch to fix the game’s online service and will be releasing it as soon as possible.

Must be a good week for announcing delays to DLC for fighting fans. The Ancient Warrior pack for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is also delayed, for a much more ridiculous reason. Originally set for this week, the pack will be held back until March 6, 2012 to allow Capcom the time to remove one of the costumes. I’d certainly expect the $3.99 price tag to be cut along with Magneto’s House of M skin. Why on earth are they removing the costume? Apaprently it is too similar to the royal garb of King Juan Carlos of Spain. Really? Marvel introduced Captain America with a picture of him punching Hitler in the face. Now we’re afraid we’re going to offend the king of Spain because he shares a wardrobe designer with Magneto? The costumes are remarkably similar, but shouldn’t this be more Juan Carlos’ concern and not Marvel’s? After all, he’s the one dressing up like a comic book character to lead a nation. I suppose we should just be glad he’s not dressing up like Victor von Doom.

That’s it for today and this week’s early edition of Quick Hits. Check back Friday for more updates.

Aah, December. Still loving the back log of games I haven’t finished. Still looking forward to the upcoming thrills of Spring. Still looking high and low for any kind of decent gaming news but finding little. But here’s what I’ve got:

If you’ve been watching the coverage for Asura’s Wrath but just can’t decide if it’s for you then you’ll want to pick up the demo first. It will available in Japan in January. North America’s PSN and XBLA will get the demo on the retail game’s launch date, February 21st. Doesn’t really give you time to pre-order but you’ll probably still be busy with Skyrim and your other backlog of Fall games anyway. If you like what you see in the demo you can pick up a retail copy at your leisure. For now, this one’s in my GameQ. I’ll pick up the demo and decide if it’s getting upgraded to a buy, or downgraded straight out of the Q.

Capcom really needs to learn the meaning of the word “ultimate.” As in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 should be the ultimate version of the game. That means additional DLC ruins the title. Regardless, the “Heroes and Heralds” add-on will be coming next week. The add-on includes a new mode that utilizes “Ability” cards to have temporary invisibility, speed boosts, etc. Online play will boost rankings and top ranked players will get new Ability cards and character skins as rewards. Apparently their ranking system works in such a way that players who only have time for a few matches each week can still unlock cool bonuses. Really, I shouldn’t be complaining about additional DLC – especially since the add-on will be free. It’s just the use of the word “ultimate” when it’s really “penultimate” at best. On top of that expansion, Capcom has also let out the secret of the “Ultimate Controller” for the PS3 version. The controller has a touch screen which can be mapped to perform four special moves with just a swipe. So how much will it be and when can you buy it? It’s coming at the end of February with a starting cost of $250 for the wi-fi version. Wi-fi version? That’s right, this “Ultimate Controller” is actually the PS Vita.

Ninja Gaiden 3 has received its Japanese release date, March 22nd. Hopefully this means we’ll see a North American date soon, and hopefully it will be in the same time frame. Also announced with this release date is that the game will have a Collector’s Edition. No details on that edition were included. I’d expect to see more on that very soon.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen anything on Risen 2: Dark Waters, the upcoming pirate RPG from Piranha Bytes and Deep Silver. I’m expecting to see more coverage of it now that it’s been given an April 24, 2012 release date. As if the very concept of a pirate RPG doesn’t sell itself, you’ll be able to control a vicious monkey. Sold. But, any chance we could make that a vicious robot monkey?

I’ve made no secret of my feelings about adding multiplayer to games that don’t need it just because the market expects it. That said, Rockstar has a decent track record with GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption, so I was willing to listen when I heard multiplayer was coming to Max Payne 3. The mode is being called Gang Wars and actually intertwines with the single player story, expanding on what happens before and after scenes you’ll play alone. The game itself has different challenges, such as recovering suitcases after a blown drug deal, disarming bombs, and seizing rival turf. All of these objectives can change during the course of a single game. As you accomplish goals you’ll earn XP that rewards you with in-game “Bursts.” These “Bursts” provide a variety of gameplay benefits. Bullet Time is an obvious bonus for the series. Others like Paranoia and Sneaky will cause opponents to see allies as enemies or you as an ally, respectively. I’m still not completely sold on it, but I’ll give the mode a look when the game launches in March.

Platinum Games is certainly high in the media spotlight after being announced as the developer for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. But don’t let that make you forget that they’re also finalizing Anarchy Reigns, which was just announced for release on July 23, 2012. If you haven’t followed this game much, expect the same level of violent craziness you saw in their previous games, this time with 8-player free for alls. If frantic violence is your thing, Platinum will always have you covered.

While Kojima has handed off Revengeance to Platinum he is still working on the Fox Engine, which will power his upcoming Project Ogre. In typical Kojima fashion, we don’t know anything about the game yet. However, he has released a few pictures showcasing the graphical power of the new engine. The first, showing a man with a tank, is reportedly from Project Ogre. The second, showing a couple of nurses (or maybe flight attendants?) with visible bra straps beneath their clothes, is apparently not from the game itself. Rather, it’s simply a good shot to show the graphic capabilities of Fox. I’m impressed with the look, but we all know it takes more than good graphics to make a good game.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, the franchise’s first foray in to a fully multiplayer game is coming in March. So far, the main coverage on this game has been the lesser known members of Umbrella’s Security Services. Finally we’re getting more details on the more fleshed out characters in Heroes Mode, including a list of playable characters. Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Ada Wong are obvious choices. But other, lesser known characters, are also being included. Among them, you’ll see Hunk, a secret character from Resident Evil 2 representing the U.S.S. I haven’t followed the entire series, so some of the others on the list are unfamiliar, but maybe a bigger fan can clarify their origins in the comments: Carlos Oliveira (“A member of the U.B.C.S. dispatched into Raccoon City to help rescue survivors”), Nicholai Ginovaef (special military forces, “a cruel man with a dark purpose”), and Lone Wolf (U.S.S. helicopter pilot, “skilled with firearms and proficient at tactical combat”). The Heroes squad will apparently consist of Leon, Claire, Jill, and Carlos as they face off against the opposing heroes Hunk, Nicholai, Lone Wolf, and Ada. Slant Six (of SOCOM Confrontation) is developing. Capcom, obviously, is publishing.

There’s been a lot of speculation floating around about the PS Vita and how many user accounts it will hold. a spokesperson for Sony has confirmed that the device will only allow one PSN User ID. “In other words, PlayStation Vita is intended to be played by only one user.” So, if you plan to share your device with your family, only one of you will be able to earn trophies. The hardware will need to be reset to the factory settings to set up a new user, then reset again to go back to your own. This is an obvious attempt to curtail custom firmware and game sharing. While their goals may be admirable, the tactic is a little overbearing. This is yet another one of Sony’s attempts to block gamesharing by limiting the number of devices that can be activated. What hasn’t been clarified yet, however, is how many Vitas can actively use content from one PSN ID. I’m guessing that will also be limited to one. Again, I understand the goal, but I actually wonder if this will result in fewer PSN games being purchased at all. Many players aren’t willing to pay the asking price just for themselves, but are more willing to part with the money if their friends and family will get use of it as well. Regardless, combining this news with the ridiculous price of proprietary memory for the system spells a drastic decrease in potential sales for the latest handheld. Thinking back along the lifespan of my two PSPs and the 3DS launch, coupled with the rise of mobile gaming on phones and tablets, could the Vita’s failure (almost by design) spell the end of the dedicated handheld gaming device?

While the Vita may be dying on the vine, Activision is doing the best Scrooge McDuck-swimming-in-gold-coins impression with over one billion dollars in sales for Modern Warfare 3. Some would consider that money enough and just retire to a Taj Mahal in the woods. Instead, they’re adding new game modes. Hardcore Ricochet and Hardcore HQ Ricochet have already been added as playable modes. Drop Zone will be playable this weekend. In Drop Zone, your goal will be to hold a specific area of the map. “Care Packages” will be dropped every 15 seconds. Whoever has the most teammates in the Drop Zone will “own” the package, but it can still be stolen by your opponents. The Ricochet modes are a hilarious response to the childish dickheads that like to slaughter their entire team as soon as a match begins. The new Ricochet effect will apply friendly fire damage to the shooter, not the target. I kind of wish this was never announced or explained, just implemented in all modes. How funny for the 14 year old kids to just start dying immediately with no explanation?

And that ends it for this week. I really need to spend more time playing games and less time talking about them. My backlog is so deep that this week alone I finished L.A. Noire (finally, I am so awful at that game), Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Limbo, and inFamous: Festival of Blood. I also started Braid and will be diving into X-Men Destiny this weekend.

Remember when Nintendo released that new handheld console and sold it for $250? And then a little while later they realized that was a bad idea and dropped it to $170? But to keep their $250 customers happy they said, “Hey dudes, we’re going to give you some awesome nostalgia filled games for FREE. We’ll call it the ‘Ambassador Program’.” Shortly after nerds rejoiced. Some even found a way to get the 3DS for $170 and still get the Ambassador titles.

Earlier in the year Nintendo released it’s NES titles:
Super Mario Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
NES Open Tournament Golf
Donkey Kong Jr.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
Mario & Yoshi
Wrecking Crew
Metroid

Yesterday Nintendo announced the GBA titles it would be releasing in Japan on the 16th:
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island
Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

To be honest, I think this was a really smart move on Nintendo’s part. Sure, they are old games. But these are the cream of the crop. Really really good stuff. I think Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap is my favorite handheld Zelda title. Not to mention there is no confirmation that the Virtual Console will get the ability to download GBA games. There is a good chance the only way to see them on your 3DS is to have this Ambassador Program. No word on a U.S. release date, but I can’t imagine it’s too far off.

As we expected, there were some pretty big announcements and video debuts during Spike’s VGA show on Saturday. There’s very little detail right now, but at least we know what games are expecting continued coverage over the next year. The awards show was rather boring and a little too hyped on itself but it did show honors to some worthy games. I am personally disappointed with their choice for Game of the Year, as are many others – particularly those who are still suffering game-breaking glitches. For the full recap of the night’s winners, click here. For the latest video game news, read on.

Western JRPG fans will be getting a treat this summer. Agarest: Generations of War 2, the third game in the series is on its way to Europe and the US. If you haven’t been following the series I can’t really explain it you. Just know it’s a Japanese RPG, Anime girls with animal tails and all. It is worth noting that the title may be shifted to Record of Agarest War 2 for the Western audience.

You had to be expecting a collector’s edition of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. But were you expecting three of them? Only 2000 units of the Special Edition ($80) will be released, netting you 40 replica Destiny Cards, a seven-piece set of Amalur-themed dice, the original soundtrack, a parchment map of Amalur’s Faelands and a bonus DLC pack of nine Fate-Touched Weapons that grant bonus XP from Fate Shift kills. The Collector’s Edition ($200) is limited to 700 and adds on to the Special Edition with a concept art lithograph signed by Ken Rolston and a 12.5″ Prismere Troll statue worth about $175. Finally, limited to 300 indiviudally numbered units, is the Signature Edition ($275). What do you get for that extra $75? Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore, or Curt Schilling (founder of 38 Studios) will sign that troll. Wait a minute! Who’s gonna pay $75 for Curt Schilling’s autograph? That troll is pretty awesome though.

When Tony Hawk teased via Twitter last week that he was announcing a new game on Saturday I suggested they go back to the series’ roots. Little did I expect I’d be so close. Rather than releasing Tony Hawk’s Activision Cash In With Yet Another Stupid Peripheral And “Edgy” Name, the newest game is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. While I was hoping for a return to the third game, this will actually be recreating elements from the first two in full HD on PSN and XBLA. It’s set for release in the first half of 2012 and is expected to be about $15. This sounds like good news to me, but Robomodo (the devs behind Ride and Shred) are handling the legwork. Excited trepidation would probably be the most accurate assessment of my feelings.

One of the expected treats at the VGAs was the game BioWare teased a few weeks ago. That first screenshot was very misleading, though the second one actually generated a few correct guesses prior to Saturday’s debut of Command & Conquer Generals 2. Looks like but they’re trying their hand at an RTS. I guess they deserve a chance to try something new, but when they’re continually making such great games in the RPG genre, like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, I see this as an unnecessary gamble. Even more so considering it will be a PC-exclusive. Yes, I know C&C has always been a traditionally PC game. But BioWare’s got a lot of credit with console gamers right now. And PC gaming is hardly dead, but more families have gaming consoles than hardcore gaming PCs. Skipping the console audience skips a huge swath of potential players. Regardless of my own opinion, look for this in 2013.

The VGA reveal of the Last of Us didn’t surprise me with its tone or story. Not that much story was revealed. It certainly looks like a post-apocalyptic zombie drama, as I expected. Maybe they aren’t exactly zombies in the traditional sense, but I didn’t get a real good look at them. But the reveal did excite me anyway. Why? Because it’s coming from Naughty Dog! After the Uncharted series on PS3 and the Jak series on PS2, these guys basically have the pin number on my debit card. The bigger question is whether this was more than just another game announcement. Jak was a definitive series on PS2. Uncharted is the same for PS3. Could this game be Naughty Dog’s PS4 powerhouse? The schedule currently has it set for late 2012, early 2013. That matches with many industry analysts speculation on the next generation of consoles. We also know that Sony has some of its in-house teams working exclusively on next-gen. Hmmm. If you think PS4 is coming but Naughty Dog isn’t involved, you’re crazy. Do they have time and resources to develop The Last of Us AND a PS4 game?

Epic’s big VGA reveal was an interesting little piece called Fortnite. I still haven’t quite figured out what this is going to be. Then again, I was expecting the announcement to be Bulletstorm 2, so don’t trust my instincts. As they described the game prior to the trailer I was thinking Minecraft. The video looks nothing like it, but the concept doesn’t seem that different. Lee Perry, Lead Game Designer, didn’t shy away from this similarity on Twitter and I wasn’t the only one to notice it. According to Perry, “Minecraft was an inspiration for sure. But Minecraft lets you build anything, we are focusing on constructing buildings specifically.” It appears there are strange demon creatures that attack in force at night. During the day you’ll be gathering supplies and building your fort’s defenses to keep you alive through the night. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of this one in action. Could be a while though. No date, or even which platforms are getting it, have been announced.

Am I the only one that thought cutting off the acceptance speeches from Bethesda to show off another trailer was a strange decision by Spike? Seriously, these guys won Game of the Year (deservedly or not) and you cut away to have Hideo Kojima stutter through his announcement. And I don’t want to be harsh on Kojima-san. He’s not a native English speaker and he was very nervous. A translator would have been much easier on him and the viewer. Regardless if it was the right programming choice, Kojima did show off a trailer for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. First off, I like the name shift. Keep the Solid moniker for the stealth games in the series. That said, Revengeance is kind of a dumb word. Of greater import is that development has passed to Platinum Games. They’ll do a fantastic job with Raiden’s katana slashing. Ninja hack and slash is their specialty. I am concerned about what this means for the series. Is the name Metal Gear going to lose its power as it gets co-opted for a whole series of wild games in varying genres? Possibly, but I think I encouraged the same behavior from other studios just a few short weeks ago. As long as they keep Snake’s story as one solid, cohesive narrative I’m not really concerned with ancillary titles in the franchise.

In the post-VGA days there is still gaming news making the rounds. Codemasters has announced DiRT Showdown. A proper sequel to the racing franchise is still coming, but this version looks to change things up a bit. The handling will be simpler to allow for easier tricks, but the real star of the show are the three game modes. You’ll still get muscle cars and SUVs to race. You’ll still get Hoonigan cars for Gymkhana and stunts. But you’ll also get some heavy, destructive beasts for demolition modes. It’s been a lot of years since I’ve played a game with decent a Demolition Derby mode. I’ve got high hopes for this one to fill that niche.

It may have taken three decades to finally bring Duke Nukem Forever to retail, but they haven’t been shy with the DLC. Apparently releasing this week, “The Doctor Who Cloned Me” will be adding new maps in multiplayer and additional single player campaign for $9.99. The new campaign has Duke fighting clones, alien queens, robots, and more in an effort to take down Dr. Proton’s evil plan. What is his evil plan? Ha, like that matters. As long as Duke gets to blow shit up and act like dick it doesn’t matter what nefarious plot he’s stopping. That’s just the Duke way.

Finally, for Sonic fans, the wait is finally over. Sonic CD, originally released in 1993, is coming to PSN and XBLA tomorrow. The better news? Getting the Time Stones back from Dr. Robotnik will only set you back a measly $5.00.

And that’s going to be it for today. I skipped a few minor stories for the sake of brevity. I’ll be doing my best to keep up through the holidays, but this time of the year tends to be pretty dry on the news front as many developers take time off to be with their families after the high pressure build up to the Fall release schedule. I am still looking for a new post pic to ring in the new year. Those children just get uglier every time I see them. Post a link in the comments or email your suggestions to balda$$bat (at) yahoo dot com (replace the $ with the letter “s”). You’ll be credited in a column and I’ll find something to send you. Maybe it will be an unwanted Christmas gift. Maybe it will be one of my R2-D2 action figures. Or possibly just a wrinkled old dollar. But I will find something.