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Dragon Age II

2011-02-06T14:15:24+00:00

Rating summary: This is an action-adventure role-playing game in which players assume the role of a warrior who completes quests in a mythical land. Players use swords, bows and arrows, and magical spells (e.g., fireballs, energy beams) to defeat human-like enemies and fantasy creatures (e.g., giant spiders, demons, ogres, golems). Attacks are often accompanied by slashing sounds, large explosions, and cries of pain. Blood splatter effects occur when enemies are hit, and damage sometimes results in dismemberment or decapitation—blood stains and body parts occasionally appear in the environment. In one cutscene, a man's severed head is held up then tossed to the ground. During the course of the game, characters sometimes engage in sexual dialogue (e.g., "Why is it always about sex with you?" and "Sailing is like sex. Do it wrong, and it'll make you sick."). Players can also initiate brief cutscene sequences in which couples (male-female or same-sex) are shown kissing and embracing one another in a bedroom as the screen fades to black. In one cutscene, a woman kneels in front of a male character and appears to perform fellatio—there is no depiction of the sex act; the camera pans out to the rest of the room. The words "a*s," "bastard," and "sh*t" appear in dialogue.

Linking sites: VG247, Destructoid

Puppy Games - Revenge of the Titans

2011-02-06T04:39:07+00:00

Construct and command your ground defences in a series of increasingly massive battles across the solar system, in our frenetic arcade mash-up of Real Time Strategy and Tower Defence! Take a visit to R&D to discover the latest technology, then build a network of blaster turrets, rocket launchers and laser cannon, explosives, barricades and shield generators, refineries and reactors, and send forth your own droid army to battle the invading alien forces!

Linking sites: Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Destructoid

Angry Birds confirmed for Nintendo 3DS - Nintendo 3DS Focus

2011-02-05T20:36:19+00:00

0comments: Comment

Linking sites: VG247, Joystiq

SPEC | HOMEFRONT

2011-02-05T14:14:56+00:00

0 Add to My News Story by Stephany Nunneley Sat, Feb 05, 2011 | 14:07 GMT Spike, Homefront’s publisher in Japan, has decided to remove North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il from the game’s intro due to guidelines set by the CERO ratings board.According to Spike’s official website, translated by Andriasang, the CERO has specific guidelines regarding portrayals of existing people and countries. Because of this, mentions of the North Korea itself have been removed from the game as well.Here’s the list of changes due to the ratings board:In one live action sequence in the game’s opening movie that depicts North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as having died, the image of Kim Jong-il has been removed. In scenes that have been deemed malicious to an existing country, said country is now referred to as “A Certain Country to the North.” In scenes that have been deemed malicious to an existing person, said person is now referred to as “Northern Leader.”Other than the changes mentioned above, the game will stay intact.In the game, Kim Jong-il dies, and when a new dictator takes his place, he starts enveloping surrounding countries before invading the United States. Homefront was dated for Japan yesterday, and release on April 17.It releases on March 15 in the US and March 18 in the UK. Related postsKaos FPS Homefront set in North Korea-occupied USBilson: North Korea has been “really cooperative” in helping with Homefront storyHomefront dated for April 14 in Japan 0 Posted in: PC, PS3, Shooter, THQ, Xbox 360 Tags: homefront, kaos studios, Spike

Linking sites: VG247, Joystiq

Fat, Ugly or Slutty

2011-02-05T10:25:46+00:00

Posted on February 3, 2011 The site is still experiencing a few issues here and there, mainly in the form of people being jerks and trying to break the site. Voting on the posts is currently disabled.Yes, if you can believe it, there are jerks who are writing mean things on the internet about a website that posts about jerks writing mean things on the internet. I know, right?!We’ve had some great comments and hilarious hatemail so far and so we’ll be writing a follow-up to all of this soon. In the meantime, for you Star Wars fans, check out friend-to-FUoS StarWarsAnyone on Twitter and Tumblr!The Separatist Underground - Marcus Bass/ERRRskate151 Posted in: Staff Blog more comments

Linking sites: VG247, Destructoid, Joystiq

Gamasutra - News - Interview: Runic Games' Schaefer On Taking Torchlight To XBLA

2011-02-05T04:40:12+00:00

Linking sites: VG247, Joystiq

IndieGames.com - The Weblog - Browser Game Pick: Hot Throttle (Cactus and Doomlaser)

2011-02-05T02:10:00+00:00

When Jonatan told us about Hot Throttle in an IndieGames podcast (it was called Burning Enthusiasm at that point), neither myself or Tim could talk for a few mins from laughing. Now that the game has been released, it's just as messed up as we had hoped.In Hot Throttle, you play as a semi-naked guy who thinks he is a car, and you race other guys around the city. A warning in advance: It's a little NSFW, as it features comical yet creepy scenes, such as your character offering another man 'a ride in my taxi', and another of him giving 'CPR'.The game itself is a little awkward to begin with, as it doesn't really explain what the controls are or what you're meant to be doing, and once you do realise what your job is, the other racers are miles ahead. Still, from the second race onwards, it's pretty enjoyable, although those cutscenes remain creepy as hell.Race over to AdultSwim to play, but preferably with clothes on, please.

Linking sites: GameSetWatch, Destructoid

Amazon.com: Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World (9781594202858): Jane McGonigal: Books

2011-02-05T00:45:25+00:00

Practical Advice for Gamers by Jane McGonigal Reality is Broken explains the science behind why games are good for us--why they make us happier, more creative, more resilient, and better able to lead others in world-changing efforts. But some games are better for us than others, and there is too much of a good thing. Here are a few secrets that aren’t in the book to help you (or the gamer in your life) get the most positive impact from playing games. This practical advice--5 key quidelines, plus 2 quick rules--is scientifically backed, and it can be summed up in a single sentence: Play games you enjoy no more than 21 hours a week; face-to-face with friends and family as often as you can; and in co-operative or creator modes whenever possible. 1. Don’t play more than 21 hours a week. Studies show that games benefit us mentally and emotionally when we play up to 3 hours a day, or 21 hours a week. (In extremely stressful circumstances--such as serving in the military during war-time--research shows that gamers can benefit from as many as 28 hours a week.) But for virtually everyone else, whenever you play more than 21 hours a week, the benefits of gaming start to decline sharply. By the time you’re spending 40 hours or more a week playing games, the psychological benefits of playing games have disappeared entirely--and are replaced with negative impacts on your physical health, relationships, and real-life goals. So always strive to keep your gaming in the sweet spot: 7–21 hours a week. 2. Playing with real-life friends and family is better than playing alone all the time, or with strangers. Gaming strengthens your social bonds and builds trust, two key factors in any positive relationship. And the more positive relationships you have in real life, the happier, healthier and more successful you are. You can get mental and emotional benefits from single-player games, or by playing with strangers online--but to really unlock the power of games, it’s important to play them with people you really know and like as often as possible. A handy rule-of-thumb: try to make half of your gaming social. If you play 10 hours a week, try to play face-to-face with real-life friends or family for at least 5 of those hours. (And if you’re not a gamer yourself--but you have a family member who plays games all the time, it would do you both good to play together--even if you think you don’t like games!) 3. Playing face-to-face with friends and family beats playing with them online. If you’re in the same physical space, you’ll supercharge both the positive emotional impacts and the social bonding. Many of the benefits of games are derived from the way they make us feel--and all positive emotions are heightened by face-to-face interaction. Plus, research shows that social ties are strengthened much more when we play games in the same room than when we play games together online. Multi-player games are great for this. But single-player works too! You can get all the same benefits by taking turns at a single-player game, helping and cheering each other on. 4. Cooperative gameplay, overall, has more benefits than competitive gameplay. Studies show that cooperative gameplay lifts our mood longer, and strengthens our friendships more, than competing against each other. Cooperative gameplay also makes us more likely to help someone in real life, and better collaborators at work--boosting our real-world likeability and chances for success. Competition has its place, too, of course--we learn to trust others more when we compete against them. But if we spend all our time competing with others, we miss out on the special benefits of co-op play. So when you’re gaming with others, be sure to check to see if there are co-op missions or a co-op mode available. An hour of co-op a week goes a long way. (Find great co-op games for every platform, and a family-friendly list too, at Co-Optimus, the best online resource for co-op gaming.) 5. Creative games have special positive impacts. Many games encourage or even require players to design and create as part of the gameplay process--for example: Spore, Little Big Planet, and Minecraft; the Halo level designer and the Guitar Hero song creator. These games have been shown to build up players’ sense of creative agency--and they make us more likely to create something outside of the game. If you want to really build up your own creative powers, creative games are a great place to start. Of course, you can always take the next creative step--and start making your own games. If you’ve never made a game, it’s easier than you think--and there are some great books to help you get started. 2 Other Important Rules: * You can get all of the benefits of a good game without realistic violence--you (or your kids) don’t have to play games with guns or gore. If you feel strongly about violence, look to games in other genres--there’s no shortage of amazing sports, music, racing, puzzle, role-playing, casual, strategy and adventure games. *Any game that makes you feel bad is no longer a good game for you to play. This should be obvious, but sometimes we get so caught up in our games that we forget they’re supposed to be fun. If you find yourself feeling really upset when you lose a game, or if you’re fighting with friends or strangers when you play--you’re too invested. Switch to a different game for a while, a game that has “lower stakes” for you personally. Or, especially if you play with strangers online, you might find yourself surrounded by other players who say things that make you uncomfortable--or who just generally act like jerks. Their behavior will actually make it harder for you to get the positive benefits of games--so don’t waste your time playing with a community that gets you down. Meanwhile, if you start to wonder if you’re spending too much time on a particular game – maybe you’re starting to feel just a tiny bit addicted--keep track of your gaming hours for one week. Make sure they add up to less than 21 hours! And you may want to limit yourself to even fewer for a little while if you’re feeling too much “gamer regret.”

Linking sites: Destructoid, Joystiq

The WGA's Micah Wright defends its game writing award | Blog entry

2011-02-05T00:23:33+00:00

Alec MeerDeputy Editor, GamesIndustry.biz04/02/2011@08:34Following yesterday's comments on GamesIndustry.biz by Deus Ex: Human Revolution lead writer Mary De Marle concerning whether the Writer's Guild of America's games writing award comprehensively reflects the industry, the WGA's Micah Wright responded directly.This is an excerpt from the full story. Log in or register for free to read the whole article.Log inForgotten your password?Register for freeChoose an account type to get started.Work in the industryIndustry freelancerStudentConsumerFind out more about account types

Linking sites: VG247, GamePolitics News

Iwata Asks

2011-02-04T23:29:08+00:00

Nintendo's Online Privacy Policy

Linking sites: VG247, Joystiq

Conduit in development for 3DS | VG247

2011-02-04T23:29:07+00:00

2 Add to My News Story by Stephany Nunneley Thu, Feb 03, 2011 | 20:04 GMT High Voltage chief creative officer Eric Nofsinger has revealed to Eurogamer that the firm is currently working on bringing The Conduit series to 3DS.According to the studio, development on the project is still in the early stages, what with the team putting the finishing touches on The Conduit 2 and all.“Now that we’re winding things down a lot of our resources are on pulling this technology over to 3DS,” he said. “We are very much pulling over this engine and this technology on this new hardware.“We’re still early. The resolution is definitely lower, but the screen real estate is smaller so it balances out. We’ve not had a lot of severe optimization yet, but we’re going to be able to have something very close to this [Conduit 2] on the 3DS probably by GDC.“We’ve got environments from this already up and running around. You can shoot, you can select different weapons and you can see enemies. It runs pretty darn well with full 3D and everything.”Nofsinger said the dev team is also excited about 3DS’s Friend Code which will give the firm a “serious leg up,” on the multiplayer.“It’s quite different than developing for the DS and the DSi,” he said. “Developers like us that have more of a console experience on GameCube and on Wii are going to be able to take advantage of the 3D better and they’re going to be able to do a little bit more with the hardware than people who are coming at it from the straight DS angle and used to doing more 2D, or very limited 3D, kinds of things… We can be a shining star on this.”Nofsinger also revealed that the firm is in talks with SEGA regarding the distribution of the product on 3DS.“I would guess that SEGA will be interested,” he said. “I had a nice conversation just yesterday with their head of artist and repertoire. At DICE, the conference in Vegas that’s coming up, we’ll probably have some more chats.”The Nintendo 3DS is due out in Europe on 25th March. Related postsConduit 2 intro video tells you why you’re the chosen oneThe Conduit to be Wii Speak enabled, will not use MotionPlusHigh Voltage “taking measures” to “preemptively thwart” hackers and cheaters in The Conduit 2 2 Posted in: 3DS, Action, Sega, Shooter Tags: conduit, conduit 2, high voltage

Linking sites: VG247, GameSpot's News, Destructoid

Primal Carnage - Indie Multiplayer First Person Shooter

2011-02-04T19:35:17+00:00

Welcome to the Primal Carnage website. Primal Carnage is a ground breaking, innovative game, based on survival in hostile environments. Team based, class driven, all out survival combat, pushes Primal Carnage to the extremes of multiplayer, online games. Have fun exploring. Please check back frequently for updates, news, and new media. Feel free to sign up for Beta ! Follow us on these sites: VIEW GAME FEATURES

Linking sites: Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Destructoid

Sony pegs NGP for “2011″ in London, drops mega-details | VG247

2011-02-04T19:35:16+00:00

20 Add to My News Story by Stephany Nunneley Fri, Feb 04, 2011 | 15:00 GMT New information regarding Sony’s NGP emerged in London yesterday during a private presentation to around 20 UK-based developers. According to one of the attendees, Sony outlined its marketing plans for the first five years of the handheld, as well as providing extra details on its hardware specs and networking features.Extra NGP DetailsSony wants titles that’ll work on both PS3 and NGP.Uncharted, Little Deviants and WipEout HD shown running in London.Games run at 60 frames per second.Both front and back panels capable of six-point multi-touch.Wi-Fi plus 3G expected “holiday 2011.”Analysts expect it to retail between $299-$349 in the US.Q&A – NGPThe developer, speaking anonymously to Eurogamer, said Sony plans to focus on the core during NGP’s first year on the market before changing its focus to “hardcore and teens” during year two. Beyond that, Sony expects the audience to expand into younger and older demographics.According to the source, development kits weren’t handed out at the event due to “late shipments from Japan,” and that in order for a studio to be given one before April, the team must submit a “20-page concept document on a game they want to release at launch”. Development kits have been in the hands of UK studios for quite some time, but the new kits being described by the source will be the firt ones with “the final GPU in them.”Titles demoed at the event Uncharted, Little Deviants and WipEout HD, with the source stating the later was running on the game’s PS3 engine with “no changes to the art platform.”“That means full resolution, full 60 frames per second. It looks exactly the same as it does on PS3 – all the shader effects are in there,” said the source, adding that Sony wants developers to create titles which will work on both PS3 and NGP. In order to streamline this, Sony has made the submission process easier, with only a single submission required for either system; however, the platform holder also doesn’t want “exactly the same game,” on both systems, stating there “has to be a reason for the NGP title,” yet contain interactivity between the two versions with NGP-only extras.NGP games shown running on the system.“NGP is a developer’s dream – Sony is finally doing the things developers have been crying out for for years,” said Eurogamer’s source. “All games at launch available on flash [the physical storage medium] would also be on PSN.“Any shaders for PS3 stuff will just work. We won’t have to rewrite. What would have taken two-to-three months before looks like it could take just one-to-two weeks now. The architecture is obviously different, but it’s the same development environment.“Sony has made [NGP] completely developer-centric this time. [The development kit] is really simple to plug in and use. It opens direct in Windows Explorer and you can see all systems on a network – so you could, for example, update the firmware of multiple NGPs at once.“A PS3 dev station can take three hours to set-up. This looks like it will take under 20 mins. It just makes everything easier – they’ve really thought about it this time”.The source also confirmed that NGP contains three gyroscopes compared to the PS3′s controller, and combined with front and rear touch panels capable of six-point multi-touch, which will allow more accurate movements. Sony demonstrated this by showing a person “squeezing an in-game object,” by pinching the front and back at the same time.“NGP is a developer’s dream”“The touch pad on the back is fantastic,” said the source. “It does feel second nature, like you’re having a real impact on the world.”Social and location-based features were touched on, so were “virtual gifts,” like “new skins and avatars”.Sony also told attendees that a date and price for the system would be announced soon, and the rumored “cloud saving” feature was not confirmed by SCEE despite being brought up by developers.NGP was announced last week in Japan, and the general consensus is that it will see a retail release in time for Christmas shopping. During the event, Sony hinted that the Wi-Fi edition would be released this year, and the Wi-Fi plus 3G system would be the one hitting around the holidays.Earlier today, EEDAR estimated that the Wi-Fi only version would retail in the US between $299 and $349 “but not to exceed $399.” Related postsNew Spike teaser drops mega-hint: new Resident Evil incoming?Japanese hardware sales – PS3 drops back after FFXIII demo mega-rushEpic Mickey: Gameplay details from London Event 20 Posted in: Hot, NGP, PS2, Sony, hardware Tags: NGP London Event

Linking sites: VG247, Joystiq

High Voltage making Kinect title for 2K | VG247

2011-02-04T19:12:48+00:00

11 Add to My News Story by Johnny Cullen Fri, Feb 04, 2011 | 13:07 GMT Conduit developer High Voltage Software has confirmed it’s making a Kinect title that’ll be published by 2K.Speaking to EG, HVS boss Eric Nofsinger wouldn’t say more, other than an announcement would come “around GDC,” adding it was a “licensed game.”“It’s not announced yet,” said Nofsinger. “We’re doing that with 2K. It’s a licensed game. That’s our bread and butter as a developer. That’s how we’ve stayed in business for almost 18 years. “We don’t develop for just one hardware. We don’t develop for just one genre of game. We don’t develop with just one publisher. We’ve diversified all the way through.”“This game works well with or without the Kinect,” he continued. “It’s supported as a device, so if you have the device it works very well, but I don’t think it’s this brilliant, genius idea.“It works really well because it’s a 360 game. I don’t think it necessarily works really well because it’s a Kinect game.”HVS will release its next title, The Conduit 2, on April 22 for Wii. Related postsGladiator A.D. revealed as New High Voltage title, another to be shown tomorrowThe Grinder still FPS on Wii, says High VoltageHigh Voltage hints at The Conduit 2 during GDC 11 Posted in: 2K, Kinect, Xbox 360 Tags: Eric Nofsinger, High Voltage Software

Linking sites: VG247, Joystiq

What is Kojima’s Devil Project? | Gaming News and Opinion at TheSixthAxis.com

2011-02-04T19:01:22+00:00

Japanese übermensch director Hideo Kojima is known as someone who likes to have multiple fingers in multiple pies. Noted for his obsessiveness with the Metal Gear Solid series, the gaming maven also likes to collaborate with other directors and teams to keep things fresh.Tweeting today, Kojima seems to be juggling that one bugbear all managers struggle with – time-management. He said:Have to give priority to another line’s scenario etc., so now I cannot work on “the devil project” and “writing”.Before continuing:Worked on my “devil project” a bit after lunch. An experiment went well. Plot adjustment. Additional project. Phew.. now another line.What is Kojima’s “Devil Project”? Start your speculation below.In other Kojima Twitter news, the director also revealed recently how he has performed a Lazarus on one of his characters. He said:I brought back a character I killed before. Kind of cool.Gray Fox?Source: Twitter

Linking sites: VG247, Destructoid

Fat, Ugly or Slutty

2011-02-04T18:28:01+00:00

Linking sites: Destructoid, Joystiq

Check Out The First Battlefield 3 Teaser Trailer! - News - www.GameInformer.com

2011-02-04T17:12:48+00:00

DICE delivers the first teaser trailer, and we reveal a few must-read details about EA's next big shooter. Here it is – a buzz clip featuring some blurry images of urban warfare, the promise of a fall release date, and a Trent Reznor-style treatment of the classic Battlefield theme song: Most of the hard information is being kept under wraps for the cover story, but here's some declassified intel for you: Several standout features that defined Battlefield 2 return to the fold, including 64-player multiplayer on PC, jets, and the ability to go prone. What other features do you hope to see in Battlefield 3?

Linking sites: Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Video Game News at GiantBomb

Halo: Combat Evolved remake coming this holiday | Joystiq

2011-02-04T15:11:30+00:00

MSRP 50 USD Release Date Available Now Genre First Person Shooter

Linking sites: Kotaku, VG247

Killzone Ngp Sony Cambridge, PSP News - GamerZines : Free Digital Games Magazines

2011-02-04T14:49:27+00:00

Written by David Scammell, 03 February 2011 DownloadsPlayZineIssue 43, December 2010 »PlayZine 43 »PlayZine 42 »PlayZine 41 »PlayZine 40 »PlayZine 39 + More...RateLinksNone AvailableTagsKillzone, killzone 3 Share»Facebook»MySpace»Twitter+ More...Games Latest Popular »Resident Evil Portable»Ace Combat: Joint Assau ...»God of War: Ghost of Sp ...»Metal Gear Solid: Peace ...»Kingdom Hearts: Birth B ...»The Third Birthday»James Camerons Avatar: ...»Army of Two: The 40th D ...»Grand Theft Auto: China ...»FIFA 10+ More...Guerrilla Games' senior producer Steven Ter Heide has told GamerZines that SCE Cambridge Studio is developing the NGP version of Killzone, and not Guerrilla itself."Our sister studio in Cambridge is doing that," replied Ter Heide when we questioned him on the NGP version of Killzone earlier in the week. "We've been working with them very closely for a couple of years now. They've been helping us develop actual Killzone content for all the games. P3Zine Issue 24For our latest Killzone coverage, click here to download P3Zine Issue 24 for free."We feel like the game is in good hands. We'll still oversee it because the universe is something we've built up, we know the war and the rules that have been established, but they're driving the development."Sony Cambridge has previously developed the PSP version of LittleBigPlanet, as well as PS1 classic MediEval and 24: The Game. They most recently put out PlayStation Move title TV Superstars.The decision to have an alternate studio develop the handheld version is similar to that of Uncharted, where Sony Bend is working on the NGP version rather than series creators Naughty Dog.NGP is Sony's successor to the PSP. The handheld is due to launch later this year.Killzone coverage available in P3Zine Issue 24 - click here to download it for free!»View more Killzone features...Loading... Images Videos Podcasts Videocasts Related Images (24)»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3 Hel ...»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3»Killzone 3 Page: 1 | 2 Features Games Related Features (27)»Guerrilla: PS3 hacks could 'ruin' Killzone 3's mul ...In PS3News03 February 2011»Killzone 3 Beta ArrivesIn PS3News03 February 2011»Killzone 3 Demo Incoming February 16In PS3News26 January 2011»Killzone 3 goes Gold, coming February 25 in UKIn PS3News14 January 2011»Killzone 3 Helghast Edition gets a price dropIn PS3News14 January 2011»Killzone 3 Helghast Edition costs £112In PS3News07 January 2011»10 PS3 Games to Savour in 2011In PS3Blogs28 December 2010»Retailers look to 3DS, Gears 3 and Skyward Sword f ...In WiiNews11 December 2010»Killzone 3 Collector's Editions confirmed for Euro ...In PS3News30 November 2010»Sony unveil Killzone 3 Limited 'Helghast Edition'In PS3News29 October 2010»Killzone 3 beta invites later today!In PS3News25 October 2010»Guerrilla Games giving away 300 Killzone 3 Public ...In PS3News19 October 2010»10,000 Killzone 3 Beta places gone in 30 minutesIn PS3News14 October 2010»Killzone 3 Theme required for Beta access goes liv ...In PS3News12 October 2010»Killzone 3 Public Beta Trial IncomingIn PS3News07 October 2010 Page: 1 | 2 CommentsUsername:»Forgot Password?Password:Subscribe to comment on this article or Login if you're an existing member.

Linking sites: VG247, Destructoid

Conduit in development for 3DS | VG247

2011-02-04T14:27:16+00:00

Linking sites: VG247, Destructoid