Rumor: Mass Effect Trilogy to PS3?

masseffect1You all know of my love for Mass Effect and its awesomely epic sci-fi space opera ways. As I’ve said before, it’s one of the more underrated games of this generation, and deserves a spot right near the top of the heap because of its excellent story telling, something that not many games do that well to begin with.

So, it should excite some of you Sony dudes to know that Second Story Gamer is reporting a rumor that Mass Effect and its eventual trilogy of games are all going to be hitting up the PS3. Their source says that this decision was made by EA due to the economic climate, and the official announcement will drop during GDC (also where Mass Effect 2 will first be revealed).

As I said before, this is a rumor, but even the idea of it is exciting. The thought of more gamers getting to experience such a fun title is always a welcome one. So what do you guys think?

Source- Second Story Gamer

Game Industry Twitters

twitterThe power of the Internet is a fascinating and ridiculous thing. Take last week, for instance, when news of the plane crashing on the Hudson was first reported via Twitter as opposed to major news sites like CNN.

For those of you who are not familiar with Twitter, it’s like a mini blog of sorts where you can post short, instant updates for all your friends to see. Definitely a nice way to keep up with the newest stuff from your favorite sites, bloggers, etc.

Recently, it looks like some dudes put together a list of ALL (and I mean all) the video game industry people on Twitter it could find, all for your viewing pleasure. So, if you want to keep up to date with your favorite developers, press releases, etc, this could be a super useful tool. Good reading!

Source- Game Industry Tweet

Where Should GTA V Be Located?

gta4pcApparently, there are rumors that GTA V might drop as soon as this freaking year. While I’m not putting too much stock in these things just yet, it does bring up an interesting discussion. Will we return to Liberty City? GTA III moved to both Vice City and San Andreas, so what are the likely candidates for the next free-roaming installment?

The XBoxist has put together a list of their top 5 candidates for GTA V. They’ve got a pretty interesting breakdown as to why some of these settings would be ideal, namely Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, Hawaii and the future.

As some of you know, I’m a big fan of that last one. Also, I could see Tokyo make for a great GTA world. What do you guys think? What should the next Grand Theft Auto city be?

Source- Xboxist

Valve Makes Steam More Awesome

steamI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Valve is genius. They really know what they’re doing, especially when it comes to Steam. That’s why even EA comes to them for web distribution of their games. It kind of rules.

In a move that makes Steam rule your face even harder, Valve has delivered in-game web browsing to Steam in a new update. So now, you can get your game on, your snack on, your noodz on, and whatever else you want to get on while you play their awesome games.

Heck, you can even read GamerSushi while you play. Right? Right? Who else thinks this is awesome? Spread the Valve love.

Source- Kotaku

Today’s WTF: Nintendo’s “Kind Code”

nintendo-kind-codeLots of people crack on Nintendo for not making hardcore games anymore. Today, a patent went public that may confirm this suspicion for many people: Nintendo’s Kind Code. What is it, exactly, you ask?

Though there is a lot of techno mumbo-jumbo to the patent and not many specifics are known yet, basically, the Kind Code allows you, if you get stuck at a point in a game, to become “unstuck”. This works by choosing a hint in a menu, or selecting an option that lets the game take control. If you’d like, you can also just load up a developer’s saved game with full stats/health/etc, and jump into any point of the game you want.

The idea is that this will turn more casual people on to hardcore games, so they don’t have to worry about getting stumped, or they can start the game from where ever they want, or they can just watch the game play itself.
Continue reading Today’s WTF: Nintendo’s “Kind Code”

Hottest Wii Games of 2009

nintendo_wii_1With what seems to be just a so-so year for the XBox 360 and a stellar year for the PS3 coming up, one wonders what Nintendo is up to for the future. So far, there are many that feel that Nintendo has left the hardcore gamers behind, but the overwhelmingly huge sales that they’ve been raking in deserve lots of praise.

Well it was only a matter of time before someone put together a list of the most anticipated Wii games of 2009, and Gamasutra delivered. I actually have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised by the list, as there are a couple of more interesting and normal games (rather than Wii Ware) that will be hitting. Apparently, the new Tenchu is actually showing lots of promise, Sin and Punishment 2 looks great and some of the other exclusives look rather unique.

Another interesting thing about the list? Most of the games on it are coming before the summer. So what’s Nintendo got up its sleeve? Thoughts?

Source- Gamasutra

The Most Anticipated XBox 360 Games in 2009

xbox360-1It’s kind of a given that in terms of AAA titles, Microsoft has really set the bar high over the last couple of years. From games like Mass Effect, Gears of War, Halo, and even some great XBLA titles like Castle Crashers or Braid, the 360 set itself up as a gaming machine with some unique content. Will 2009 continue the trend?

Gamasutra compiled a list of the most-awaited games of 2009 for Xbox 360, and the answer might be a sad, resounding “no”.

A quick perusal of the list reveals just a few exclusives, and two of those are Halo spin-offs (ODST and Halo Wars). The only game I can say I’m really looking forward to that is exclusive would have to be Star Ocean: The Last Hope which looks like a proper honest-to-goodness JRPG. So what about you guys? Excited about any of these games?

Source- Gamasutra

Farewell EGM: 1UP Sold to UGO/Hearst

egmI remember one of the coolest things when I was a kid was getting a subscription to Nintendo Power. The idea of getting a printed magazine each month about video games was incredible, and through the years I moved around to different gaming mags. While the Internet is a great and wonderful thing, it has slowly and inevitably contributed to the death of print media.

Which brings us to the news that broke today: Ziff Davis has sold 1UP to Hearst’s UGO Entertainment. While this means that changes are coming to one of the Web’s biggest gaming hubs, it also means that EGM will stop printing. The new January 2009 issue will be the publication’s last. On top of all of this, many employees have been fired from 1UP as well.

So, a sad farewell to a long standing gaming mag. I’ll definitely miss purchasing EGM on the occasional stop at the grocery store or at the airport. I’ve always enjoyed their features. Who else is sad to see EGM go?

Source- Gamasutra

Who’s Got The Best Exclusives?

console-warsIn the epic fanboy debates of ages past and present, the ultimate factor always turns out to be console exclusives. Being able to tout a game that the other console doesn’t have wins major points, even if the other side pretends that they wouldn’t touch Halo or Metal Gear Solid if it was on their console of choice. Yeah. Right.

However, these days, console exclusives are light. Since games cost more to make, it’s just not financially reasonable to make an exclusive for one console when you can make more money by spreading the love and your game around.

Unigamesity has put together a list of the pure console exclusives from 2008, and compares their Metacritic ratings. Who wins? You might be surprised. For the record, I think Left 4 Dead should have been included on the 360 list. Sure, you can play it on the PC. But console-wise, you can only play it on the 360, which is what matters for the purposes of this argument.

Source- Unigamesity

PS3 Games to Watch Out For

ps3In terms of games, the last couple of years have belonged to Microsoft, with just a few exceptions for both Nintendo and Sony. The slew of games for the 360 since 2007 seems to have finally slowed though, and we’ve gobbled up the bevy of FPS games til our eyes have turned red. Now that the 360 doesn’t seem to have much on its plate, this could easily be Sony’s year, and it’s about time.

Edge Online has put together a list of the 10 most anticipated PS3 games for 2009, and I have to say, I’m excited to be a PS3 owner. There are more exclusive games coming out than I realized, and who knows, maybe Sony gets its groove back after all.

List after the jump!
Continue reading PS3 Games to Watch Out For

Gamepocalypse: Wii Sports is the Best-Selling Game, Ever.

wii-sportsSeriously. Kick me right in the nuts, because I must be dreaming. I’m not really sure how this hasn’t gathered more attention recently, but it’s true- Wii Sports is the best-selling game of all time, now at over 40 million copies sold, putting it past Super Mario Bros., the previous title holder.

Granted, these numbers are a bit skewed, as both of these games were bundled titles with their systems (a PS2 bundled game would have sold 100 million plus copies), but it’s still significant, as no game has ever sold more than the original SMB until now. And it’s Wii. Freaking. Sports.

Curious about the other top 10 best-selling games of all time?
Continue reading Gamepocalypse: Wii Sports is the Best-Selling Game, Ever.

Gaming Flops for 2008

too-humanThere’s nothing worse than being super excited about a video game only to have it suck. We all know that all-too-familiar pang of disappointment as we pop a game in the disc drive and then play it, only to wonder aloud “WTF” as the game really gets moving. Or not moving, if that’s the case. So what were the disappointments of last year?

Second Story Gamer has put together a list of what they deem to be the 10 Biggest Flops of 2008. Basically, they take some of the more hyped games, and post their MetaCritic rating as well as their sales numbers, to determine which of them underperformed.

Some of the titles aren’t altogether too surprising (Mercenaries 2, Haze, Wii Music), though putting LittleBigPlanet for honorable mention seemed a bit off. Also, where’s The Force Unleashed? Did you guys play any of the games on the list?

Source- Second Story Gamer

PC Gaming Preview, 2009

pc-gamingI know that many of you are PC gamers, so I wanted to direct your attention over to Shacknews, where they have put together some cool lists for 2009. Basically, each one runs down a huge list of titles that are going to be hitting the PC next year, and apparently there’s a lot to look forward to.

So far, there’s not really a whole lot on my plate that excites me about 2009 in terms of the consoles I own, but looking at these lists shows that PC gaming is far from dead. Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead DLC, Starcraft II, Dragon Age: Origins, Battlefield Heroes, and not to mention the other ports from consoles. Good stuff.

Be sure to check out both part one as well as part two to get your PC gaming info. What are you guys excited about for next year?

Source- Shacknews

Games to Get Cheaper?

moneyWith the more expensive tech and the big budgets behind gaming in this day and age, it becomes natural for the prices to rise. However, I’ve always wished that companies would scale the costs of their titles in order for the prices to stay down. It’s not worth buying a short game like Mirror’s Edge for $60 in today’s economy.

However, it seems like the recession is going to be giving pause to video game companies. Forbes points out that already, prices of games are starting to come down, most notable Call of Duty: World at War, which was reduced to $49 just before Christmas, and was one of the holidays’ top sellers at that. So now, analysts are predicting more might drop as well.

I find this to be great news. To me, instead of just maxing out your dollars so you can make a $60 price point, game developers should set good budgets for what a game needs, and then price accordingly. As I mentioned earlier, a 5-6 hour game should not cost me $60. Hopefully this continues. What do you guys think?

Source- Forbes

Metacritic’s Top 10 Games

metacriticOnce again, we revisit that timeless truth. We love the junk out of top 10 lists. Well, it seems that MTV Multiplayer has done some homework and put together this nifty list of the 10 best rated games of the year on Metacritic.

While we can’t shout “wtf what a sucky list” at this, we can get an idea of games that were for some reason universally overrated/underrated. It begs the question of whether or not the gaming media gives free passes to some of the bigger franchises like GTA IV and MGS 4. In my opinion, both of these were lackluster entries into their respective series.

List is after the jump!
Continue reading Metacritic’s Top 10 Games

WoW Could Be The World’s 4th Largest City

wow1It seems that WoW has now surpassed the 11.5 million subscriber mark this month, after decimating the 11 million mark just a short while ago. I guess those Wrath of the Lich King sales really pushed them over the edge. Who knew?

Seriously, though, that’s an absurd amount of subscribers. Stacked up against the biggest cities of the world, that places WoW just above Delhi, India which has 11.3 million people in the city proper. Just a couple more million to pass Mumbai (13.6 million), and that will be something quite unprecedented in gaming.

It’s hard to imagine that many people all playing the same game all the time. I’m really just baffled by that number. So how many of you here have played or are currently WoW players? You are a mighty army, I’m told. I’d rather not cross you.

Source- Kotaku

New Zelda in 2009?

zeldaAt least, that’s what analyst Colin Sebastian is predicting with his apparently magnificent prophesying abilities. In a report to investors, this dude listed a bunch of games up for release this year, and included the mention of a new Zelda title.

Seeing as how the last game released with the Wii in November 2006, this doesn’t seem to be too far off the mark. Given Nintendo’s track record in the last two years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them bust out some crazy release dates on people part of the way through 2009. They did the same thing just this year with Mario Kart Wii, a flagship title for the console.

So what do you guys think? Excited at the potential of a new Zelda game dropping this year? What improvements or features do you hope Nintendo’s added to the mix? To think, you could have two games to play on your Wii instead of just the one. I kid. But really, share your thoughts.

Source- GameSpot

EA Folds to Valve’s Steam Machine

eaWow. This is one of those things that I never thought I’d say out loud in my lifetime. EA learned their lesson. They have seen the grievous error of their ways, and have thus repented. How does one know this, you ask? Well, there is a simple answer.

EA has moved its games to Steam.

You can now purchase games like Spore and Mass Effect, with notable titles like Dead Space on their way soon. The best part of all? It seems that they may be DRM-free. To me, this just speaks volumes to the power of Steam, and that Valve yet again shows that it understands gamers and digital distribution better than anybody.

What do you guys think? Good news? I certainly think so. I hope Steam is eventually the platform for all PC releases, personally.

Source- Shacknews

The Great Big List of Future Video Game Movies

sfmovieSo we all know that video game movies tend to suck. We also know that somehow, people keep choosing to make the really crappy ones into movies, rather than games that are actually relevant anymore.

But did you know that there are 28 Video Game Movies in development right now? I had no idea that there were so many. And that some of the names on there are from games that just aren’t worth a damn.

Full list after the jump!
Continue reading The Great Big List of Future Video Game Movies

Video Game Heartbreakers, 2008 Edition

heartbreakEvery year has its ups and downs in the video game world. From console releases, to huge gaming flops, to bad decisions made by silly companies, there are always some great gaming memories to throw down at the end of each year. And as we all know, 2008 was no exception.

Ugo has just released a list of The Worst Heartbreaks in Videogames 2008, which chronicles the 20 biggest disappointments from the gaming realm for this good year. Some of the notables include DRMs and piracy, the gory fatalities that were cut from MK vs DCU and Nintendo’s lack of releases this holiday season. The number 1 though, might be a shocker. Fanboy sticks ready!

What about you guys? Agree with the list? What were some of your video game heartbreakers this year? I’d have to agree with the article that the combo of the fall deluge of games and the undersell of new IP combined to form my biggest disappointment this year. Seriously, if any other industry released all of its content at once, it would be suicide. Not to mention that in the gaming biz, the products are $60 each.

Source- Ugo