A visually impaired gamer named Alexander Stern is suing Sony, Sony Online Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment America for not offering features that make their games accessible for people with visual disabilities.

According to Stern, by not including these options, Sony is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The law suit claims that Stern has written several emails and letters to Sony requesting these features for games - mainly on MMOs - and Sony hasn’t complied. The suit also mentions how other companies, including Blizzard, have allowed the use of mods or other third party programs to incorporate features including visual cues or voice overs for gamers with “disability impaired visual processing”.

The suit also states that Sony’s denial in including these features are costing Stern money. Sony runs an auction site where users can sell their in-game loot for real money and, since Stern can’t participate in the auctions, Stern claims that he is losing money.

I’m really sorry for this guy and I think that everybody should have the right to entertainment and, in this case, video games but I think he’s just trying to work the system for easy money.

Video games are a visual form of entertainment and I don’t think it’s realistic to suppose that a company is going to modify the code in their games to fulfill the needs of an individual or a comparatively small group. By this same logic all movie studios and book publishers should alter their products to offer versions for the visually impaired.

I think it’s great that some companies offer the possibility of including mods or other programs into the game but. in my opinion, demanding them is totally different. Hopefully, technology that allows visually impaired people to have a better enjoyment of games will come along soon but I don’t think suing is the best way to accomplish or accelerate this process.

Read [Destructoid] Also read [GameSpot]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

This week’s first featured downloadable game is Military Madness: Nectaris for $9.99 on the PS3. This remake of the original Military Madness for the TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment System back in 1986, features two opposing forces battling for supremacy on the moon. Players choose a commander for their Army and strategically use up to 20 unique abilities by plotting their attacks on an overhead map and watch the battles unfold in a cinematic view of the action. Up to four players can choose the maps they wish to fight on in multiplayer mode, set the number of turns and time limit for each game, and customize their armies. This game allows controller share for players who don’t have enough controllers for everyone playing on the same console. Check out Military Madness: Nectaris for the PS3:

The next downloadable game this week is Numblast for $4.99 for the PS3 and PSP. In this game a young boy accidentally changed his friend into a monkey while trying to solve the Numblast stones. Players must help the boy change his friend back by lining up the correct stones together. Check it out:

Price Drops

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine Weapon X Arena Pack (PS3/Now $4.99)
• TV Show King Price Drop (PS3/Now $6.99)
• Mercury Bundle 2 Sale (PS3/Now $9.99)
Bundle includes:
• Archer Maclean’s Mercury
• Mercury Meltdown

Qore Subscription

• Qore Episode 18: November 2009 (PS3/$2.99)
• Qore Annual Subscription: November 2009 (PS3/$24.99)

Here is what else is new:

Downloadable Games

• PSOne Classic: Gex (PS3/PSP/$5.99)
• Crimson Room: Reverse (PSP/$7.99)
• Creature Defense (PSP/$7.99)
• Ben 10: Protector of Earth (PSP/$14.99)
• Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground (PSP/$14.99)
• Ben 10 Alien Force (PSP/$19.99)
• Ghostbusters The Video Game (PSP/$29.99)
• Star Wars Clone Wars: Republic Heroes (PSP/$29.99)
• Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (PSP/$29.99)
• Class of Heroes (PSP/$39.99)
• Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP/$39.99)

Free Demos:

• Trine Demo (PS3/Free)
• Military Madness: Nectaris Demo (PS3/Free)
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge Demo (PSP/Free)

Bonus Game Contents:

• LittleBigPlanet Anniversary Costume (PS3/Free)
• LittleBigPlanet Spaceman Costume (PS3/Free)
• Brutal Legend Tears of the Hextadon Map Pack (PS3/Free)
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Character Compatibilty Pack (PS3/Free)
• Topatoi: Arcade Style Pack (PS3/Free)
• Way of the Samurai 3 Weapons DLC (PS3/Free)
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Juggernaut Playable Character (PS3/$1.99)
• Dragon Age: Origins Warden’s Keep (PS3/$6.99)
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Character and Mission Pack (PS3/$9.99)
• Dragon Age: Origins Stone Prisoner (PS3/$14.99)

Rock Band Pack:

• Nirvana Bleach Pack (PS3/$5.49)
Individual Tracks:
• “About a Girl” by Nirvana (PS3/$1.99)
• “Blew” by Nirvana (PS3/$1.99)
• “School” by Nirvana (PS3/$1.99)

• Foo Fighters Pack 03 (PS3/$6.99)
Individual Tracks:
• “Best of You” by Foo Fighters (PS3/$1.99)
• “The Pretender” by Foo Fighters (PS3/$1.99)
• “Wheels” by Foo Fighters (PS3/$1.99)
• “Word Forward” by Foo Fighters (PS3/$1.99)

Individual Song Tracks

• “Fake Friends” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Unplugged bonus content:

• “Toxicity” by System of a Down (PSP/$1.99)
• “Waking the Demon” by Bullet for My Valentine (PSP/$1.99)

Free Game Videos:

• Pulse 11/5 Edition (PS3/PSP/Free)
• PlayStation 3 TV Commercial – “Candle” (PS3/PSP/Free)
• PlayStation 3 TV Commercial – “Montage” (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Numblast Trailer (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars “Out For Revenge” Video (PSP/Free)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Trailer (PSP/Free)
• 2 for 1 Mercury Bundle Trailer (PSP/Free)
• God of War Collection Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Assassin’s Creed 2 Dev Diary 4 (PS3/Free)
• Dragon Age: Origins City Elf Origin Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Dragon Age: Origins Dwarf Commoner Origin Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Dragon Age: Origins Mage Origin Trailer (PS3/Free)
• NIER TGS 2009 Trailer (PS3/Free)

Wallpapers and Themes:

• Tekken 6 – Returning Characters Theme (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 – The Fight Card Theme (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 – The New Faces Theme (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 Alisa Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 Asuka Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 Hwoarang Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 Jin Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• Tekken 6 Kazuya Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• FIFA Soccer 10 Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• Let’s FIFA 10 Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• FIFA Soccer 10 Blanco Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• FIFA Soccer 10 Rooney Wallpaper (PS3/Free)
• FIFA Soccer 10 Rooney Wallpaper 2 (PS3/Free)
• Lemmings PSP Theme (PSP/Free)
• Roadkill – Animal PSP Theme (PSP/$1.49)
• Roadkill – Human PSP Theme (PSP/$1.49)
• Roadkill Theme (PS3/$1.99)
• Family Guy Theme (PS3/$1.99)
• DarkMatter Quadrilogy PSP Theme Pack (PSP/$4.49)
• DarkMatter Quadrilogy Theme Pack (PS3/$5.99)

Read [PlayStation Store Blog] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Walmart has some great online-only specials that have just appeared on the website. The only catch is, there’s no knowing how long these deals will last. The site specifically states that it is while supplies last, but it doesn’t mention how many of each item are available. So if you see a deal you like, better pounce on it quickly.

There are six video game deals that go along with this online special. Five out of six relate to Nintendo systems or products for Nintendo systems, and the other sale pertains to an Xbox 360 item.

Let’s look at what online specials Walmart is selling:

• Make your own DS Lite value bundle with a DS Lite (you choose the color), Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and one of four Nintendo Expression Accessory Kits for $149.00. The page also gives you the option to add on an additional game, but the additional game will full price.
• Wii Fit Plus with balance board and DreamGear 5-in-1 fitness bundle for $119.00.
• 2 Wii games for $30. You can choose from 33 titles, which include Cooking Mama: Cook Off, Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga.
• Wii with Wii Fit Plus with balance board and $25 gift card for $299.00.
• Wii Rock Band 2 or Rock Band Track Packs for $20 each. You can choose from Rock Band 2, AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack, Rock Band Metal Track Pack, Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock, Rock Band Track Pack: Volume 1 or Rock Band Track Pack: Volume 2.
• Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit for Xbox 360 for $79.00.

Site [Walmart]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

TDGMods is working on a reimagining of the Blood and Blood II: The Chosen first person shooters called Hypertension. What’s unique about this project is the systems it is appearing on. In 2010, it will be released not only for PC, Mac and Linux computers, but also for the Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast’s life cycle just won’t end!

Hypertension will be based on the original game, but will also feature a number of new features. For example, while Caleb will still be around to fight against the various monsters and enemies that assail him, Aurelia is a new 2028 character introduced to expand the storyline. The game will also have some RPG elements that weren’t found in the original game, as characters will be able to talk with NPCs to progress or bribe them for crucial information, modify their weapons to make them more powerful and heal themselves. A single-player deathmatch side mode will also be included.

Blood, the original game, was a Monolith Productions PC game released May 31, 1997 by GT Interactive. It was a first person shooter set in 1928, with an ominous storyline surrounding a man named Caleb who going against a cult called The Cabal and its dark master, which he once served as an elite general, to save his love Ophelia. It even spawned a sequel, Blood II: The Chosen, that was released for PCs on October 31, 1998. The sequel was set in 2028, and once again Caleb is facing off against the same cult, although now The Cabal has become a massive corporation.

There’s even a trailer up on YouTube. Before you click through the link to watch it, be advised that it features graphic violence, lots of blood and strong language. If you’re under 16, you probably shouldn’t be watching it. The trailer makes it look like a pretty good FPS option for people who’re looking for a creepy new one.

Read [MCV] Site [Hypertension by TDGMods]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

When Midway filed bankruptcy, one of the potentially lucrative licenses it had was the right to make games based on TNA Wrestling. When Warner Bros. bought the company it picked up the rights to several Midway games but PWInsider said the TNA game wasn’t one of them.

PWInsider’s TNA sources said the rights may bounce back to TNA since Warner Bros. wasn’t interested in purchasing them. TNA officials won’t comment on what, if anything, is happening with the game. TNA Impact sold one million units with reviews being just so-so.

Still, wrestling games have a built-in fan base and TNA is still basking in the publicity glow of a partnership with wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. Wrestling needs more competition in terms of programming and video games, so here’s hoping something works out.

Read [PWInsider] Also Read [Baltimore Sun]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

EA’s Madden franchise often comes under fire for a perceived lack of innovation but here’s a feature that certainly promises some unique wrinkles.

Madden NFL 10 will soon contain a game mode that will combine elements of fantasy football and trading card gaming.

Madden Ultimate Team is a free downloadable addition on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network coming January 2010. In this game players will collect virtual packs of cards ranging from “platinum” to “bronze.”

You’ll be able to select everything from your team’s playbook to its uniforms and player cards include legendary statistical years such as Randy Moss’ 1999 Minnesota Vikings campaign. The download will come with a starter pack and you can purchase other cards through the in-game store or win them through in-game accomplishments.

This is definitely a different step for the franchise. It has had card collection modes before but this is the first time they’ve been folded into a separate game experience. I wonder if hardcore Madden fans will consider this a worthwhile distraction and, if this is successful, could we see the cards branch into other games?

Read [Gamertell] Read [Electronic Arts] Also Read [Joystiq]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Epic Games is making a breakthrough in the games community by offering one of the most acclaimed game engines, the Unreal Engine 3, free to the public.

Now anyone can get their hands on this technology by downloading the UDK, or Unreal Development Kit.

The Unreal Engine 3 has been used in blockbuster first-person shooters including the Gears of War franchise, Unreal Tournament 3 and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. It has also been adapted for other genres including RPGs (Bioshock and Mass Effect) and action games (Mirror’s Edge).

The UDK offers advanced tools including a physics engine, video encoding, particle effects, destructible environments, audio encoding and an AI system.

Although the UDK is targeted mainly at the development of games, other areas including design, architecture and construction can also benefit from the engine, so there’s much to like here for everybody.

This really got me excited and if my PC wasn’t a piece of junk I would be toying with the UDK right now. Epic Games has taken a huge step in the right direction by putting this engine on the hands of what could potentially be a huge crowd. I’m sure this will drive forward the development of games and I can’t wait to see what the modding community can do with this.

The minimum requirements for the UDK are:

• Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
• 2.0+ GHz processor
• 2 GB system RAM
• SM3-compatible video card
• 3 GB Free hard drive space

Read [, Fighting, Shooter, Puzzle, Strategy, Updates, Nintendo Downloads

There’s a large assortment of downloadable games available today for Wii and DSi owners. There are three new WiiWare games, two Virtual Console classics and three DSiWare games. Not too bad.

Most of the games released seem geared towards younger gamers though. All three WiiWare games, “Aha! I Got It!” Escape Game, Carnival King and Family Card Games, and the DSiWare title Battle of the Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition are clearly geared towards kids. Don’t let that turn you off though - take a thorough look at the descriptions and catalogs on your Wii and DSi before you make any decisions.

Gamertell’s Nintendo Download picks for the week are R-Type (Virtual Console) and Viking Invasion (DSiWare).

WiiWare

“Aha! I Got It!” Escape Game
Price: 500 Nintendo Points / $5
Publisher: Ateam Inc.
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Players: 1
Description: Milo has gotten a puzzle room for his birthday, and in order to escape from said room, he has to solve all of the puzzles. This means you point and click around the entire room and use the remote to solve all of the puzzles.

Carnival King
Price: 700 Nintendo Points / $7
Publisher: Incredible Technologies
Genre: Mini-game Collection
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Cartoon Violence
Players: 1-2
Description: A mini-game collection where players visit the Arcadia, Dreamland and Lagoon Parks and play various carnival games.

Family Card Games
Price: 500 Nintendo Points / $5
Publisher: Aksys Games
Genre: Card Game
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Suggestive Themes
Players: 1-2
Description: You can play Daifugo, Speed or Memory card games alone, against one other friend or against three other players online.

Virtual Console

Fighting Street
Price: 800 Nintendo Points / $8
Originally Appeared On: TurboGrafx 16 CD-Rom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Fighting
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Mild Blood and Violence
Players: 1-2
Description: A port Street Fighter. You pick either Ryu or Ken as your fighter, then face off against other characters in an attempt to prove you’re the strongest and best.

R-Type
Price: 500 Nintendo Points / $5
Originally Appeared On: Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Shooter
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Fantasy Violence
Players: 1
Description: A side-scroller where you go through eight levels trying to power up your ship and gun and attempt to stop the Bydo Empire.

DSiWare

Battle of the Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition
Price: 800 Nintendo Points / $8
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Mild Fantasy Violence
Players: 1-4
Description: As a Bronze dragon, you must reclaim the bronze gems and beat the Salmu dragon. This means you must travel through 10 different areas. You can also customize your bronze dragon and have it fight against other players.

Sparkle Snapshots
Price: 500 Nintendo Points / $5
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Other
ESRB Rating: N/A
Players: 1
Description: A program that lets you edit the photos you take with the DSi camera by adding in frames, extras, stamps, outfits and such. It also includes a shutter timer, allows you to factor in lighting and set the lens type used for the shot.

Viking Invasion
Price: 800 Nintendo Points / $8
Publisher: BiP Media
Genre: Strategy
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Fantasy Violence
Players: 1
Description: A tower defense style game where you have to build up your defenses against vikings. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from, two modes to play through (Campaign and Survival) and over 10 levels to play through.

Image Source for R-Type screenshot: Retro Gamer

Site [Nintendo]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

If you haven’t got any plans for tomorrow (November 1, 2009) and you’ve either got a Wii or have friends with Wiis, you may want to take a quick trip to your local Target. The store is going to have a one week Wii game sale. When you purchase two $49.99 Wii games, you’ll get a third game for free. Yes, we’ve seen this promotion before, but Target’s is noteworthy because it applies to 80 Wii games in stock. As you can see from the ad scan image at the right, games like Wii Sports Resort, Super Smash Bros, Bakugan, Drawn to Life, Rabbids Go Home and Spore Hero are among some of the applicable titles.

The other major video game promotion in this week’s Target ad starts November 3, 2009. If you go in and purchase the $199.99 Band Hero bundle for the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii, you’ll get a $20 Target gift card to go with it.

Seems like this could be becoming an annual event at the retailer. Kotaku reported last year on October 31, 2009 that Target was offering the exact same promotion.

Nice to see that the retailer is keeping up deals like this to help people prepare for the holiday season. While the Black Friday 2009 deals will undoubtedly be spectacular and perhaps even better, not everyone wants to rush out on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Read [Vertical Wire] Via [Joystiq] Also Read [Kotaku]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

**Fair Warning: This will be VERY SPOILER HEAVY. Read of your volition!!!**

The Human mind is very interesting piece of biological equipment. The way we think, interpret, and create. How our brains use electrical impulses to make it all happen. And yet, the Human mind is also one of the most terrifying things in existence. The way our mental psyche can succumb to an emotion, creating fantastic and frightening events, manipulated by memories and nightmares, an inescapable fear.

Silent Hill 2 isn’t a horror game in the classic sense of the genre; sure it has demons and plays our fears of the dark, but it goes beyond that by becoming truly scary through its playing with the mind. It’s a haunting video game twist on the plot device used in many works such as the short story, An Occurrence at Owl Bridge Creek , and the Adrian Lyne film, Jacob’s Ladder.

The inescapable fear described in the beginning paragraph has pulled in a widower named James Sunderland (who looks an awful lot like Keifer Sutherland’s character from the movie, The Vanishing, which I might is also about a man relentlessly looking for his wife). His wife, Mary, succumbed to unknown disease or so he thought. He received a letter from her telling him to meet her in their “special place”.

Silent Hill.

It was there that the two shared the last special moments together before Mary became hospitalized and pass on. It now is the place where James will confront Mary… and himself.

Silent Hill 2 isn’t a particularly good “game”, it instead is carried fully by its story, one that, to myself, remains good enough to go back through over and over again despite the horrible design choices the game’s designers made. Having to open the menu whenever you wanted to use items or view the map and notes was the most notable pain, though if you imagine Resident Evil controls plastered on a PlayStation 2 game that gives you a better idea of what your dealing with. The graphics weren’t anything spectacular either, even though the rough, grey and grainy visuals helped with the game’s atmosphere. Still, I love every bit of it. If Team Silent would ever get off their behinds to remake this game, I would only demand better sound quality.

Akria Yamaoka was at the top of his game when creating the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack. It’s something that any lover of video game music needs to experience. Promise’s guitar work is haunting and the piano work on it’s reprise is equally matching. Laura’s Theme is the standout track with its heavy rhythmical use of electric guitar.  Even its reprise does a fantastic job with a fusion of a piano and violin dancing a duet. Laura’s Theme is the track that just sucks you into the entire story. Too bad the original version never got released. For our protagonist James however, too bad a lot of things never got released.

After washing his face in a public bathroom that confirms why I’ll never use one, James sets off down a long pathway into a fog-covered, seemingly deserted Silent Hill. He meets his first encounter, Angela, in the graveyard just before the entrance to town.

Angela is mentally ill and is searching for her mother. She was abused by her father and has a fear of men. Further along James finds Eddie, a obese man who also is mentally ill but only wants to have a friend. Eddie killed someone and is on the run from the law. There’s also the little girl Laura, who was in the same hospital as James’ wife Mary. Finally there’s Maria who looks exactly like Mary but doesn’t share the same attitude.

If you play the prelude story on the Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams re-release, Born From a Wish, you find out that James is a “bad man”.

You see; James Sunderland did something terrible. His visit to Silent Hill isn’t to find his wife, but to confront what he has done. His journey through the town is merely a creation of his own guilt, the people he meets are figments of his own desires and misdeeds. His sins. The monsters are his aggressions and his own fear fighting back, trying to keep him from realizing what he did. The legendary Pyramid Head, James’ personal punisher.

As James puts the pieces together the town and its inhabitants go mad, falling apart, crushed under the power of realization.

Angela representing the way James treated Mary, with disdain over her illness, walks up through a burning staircase after James comes to terms with his hatred of Mary for burdening his life. Eddie is killed by James in a shootout, confirming James to be a murderer and a glutton. In contrast, Laura is James’ remaining innocence. She has committed no sin and therefore isn’t haunted by the demons. She is the little girl that Mary asks James to adopt, his only unselfish link to Mary. Maria, much like Angela and Eddie, is a representation of everything James wanted from Mary. James wanted to be with another woman, someone more outgoing, sexual, and not burdened by an illness.

That’s why James Sunderland killed his wife. James killed Mary. His guilt blocked the horrific event from his mind for years. He smothered her with a hospital pillow to free himself from her burden.

How it all ends after the final realization is a mystery. Future Silent Hill games would only make reference to James going into town and disappearing, his fate unknown to the outside world. Did he kill himself by driving into Tuluca Lake? Did he come to terms with what he did only to repeat the cycle with his imaginary girlfriend Maria? Did he adopt Laura? Does he ever get Mary’s forgiveness? Was it a dog all along? Or did James get abducted by aliens like Henry Mason (the protagonist from the first Silent Hill) before him? We will never know for sure. But what we do know is that no matter the official outcome, Silent Hill 2 remains the best in the series and a game that should definitely be our your Halloween gaming list.

Purchase [Gamestop / Amazon]

Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The Los Angeles Times reports that earlier this week (October 29, 2009) a Sacramento jury awarded $16 million to the family of Jennifer Strange, who died in a ill-fated 2007 radio contest that asked participants to “Hold Your Wee for a Wii.”

The mother of three died from water intoxication after chugging bottles of water without urinating for hours during the “Morning Rave” show on Sacramento’s KDND-FM in an attempt to win a Nintendo Wii console.

During the broadcast, one of the DJs mentioned the 2005 death of a college student during a hazing ritual in which he which he was forced to drink water without urinating. Also, a listener called in and warned the DJs of the hazards of water intoxication. Entercom Communications Corp., the company that owns the radio station, fired 10 people in the wake of the deadly prank.

Entercom said it will not contest the judgment.

Read [Los Angeles Times] Also Read [G4]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

This week’s first featured downloadable game is Inferno Pool for $9.99 on the PS3. But this isn’t the old school game of pool we all know and enjoy. In fact, this game takes pool to a whole new extreme challenge for up to four players. In this game players can compete locally or online to pocket as many balls as they can to clear the table and knock their opponents out of the race by stockpiling their balls to unleash total mayhem. Because every ball a player pockets drops on their opponent’s table, check it out:

The next downloadable game this week is Zombie Tycoon for $7.99 for the PSP. In this game players create and control the zombies roaming the city for the brains of helpless victims. Check out Zombie Tycoon:

Price Drops

PSP Game Sales
Note: The following games for the PSP are 50 percent off until November 4, 2009 other price drops may only be temporary unless specified.

• Super Stardust Portable
• Echochrome
• Myst
• Brain Challenge
• Unbound Saga
• Manhunt 2 (PSP/Price Drop $19.99)

Here is what else is new:

Downloadable Games

• Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (PSP/$4.99)
• Crystal Defenders (PSP/$9.99)
• LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival (PSP/$14.99)
• Darkstalkers Chronicles: The Chaos Tower (PSP/$19.99)
• Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (PSP/$19.99)
• NBA 2K10 (PSP/$29.99)
• Petz Dogz Family (PSP/$29.99)
• Petz Hamsterz Bunch (PSP/$29.99)
• Petz Saddle Club (PSP/$29.99)
• Hasbro Family Game Night (PS3/$39.99)

Free Demos:

• Ratchet And Clank Future: A Crack In Time – Ratchet Demo (PS3/Free)
• Fat Princess Demo (PS3/Free)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Demo (PS3/Free)
• LocoRoco Midnight Carnival Demo (PSP/Free)
• Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Demo (PSP/Free)
• Crystal Defenders PSP Demo (PSP/Free)
• Petz Saddle Club Demo (PSP/Free)

Bonus Game Contents:

• PAIN – Celebrity Character Elvira (PS3/$1.99)
• Trivial Pursuit Sports Pack (PS3/$4.99)
• DJ Hero Extended Mix Pack (PS3/$5.99)

Guitar Hero 5 Packs:

• All Hallows Eve Track Pack (PS3/$5.49)
Individual Tracks:
• “Gor Gor” by GWAR (PS3/$1.99)
• “Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson (PS3/$1.99)
• “Astro Zombies” by The Misfits (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Pack:

• Wolfmother Pack 1 (PS3/$8.49)
Individual Tracks:
• “Sundial” by Wolfmother (PS3/$1.99)
• “Pilgrim” by Wolfmother (PS3/$1.99)
• “Woman” by Wolfmother (PS3/$1.99)
• “White Unicorn” by Wolfmother (PS3/$1.99)
• “New Moon Rising” by Wolfmother (PS3/$1.99)

• Rob Zombie Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)
Individual Tracks:
• “Superbeast” by Rob Zombie (PS3/$1.99)
• “Dragula” by Rob Zombie (PS3/$1.99)
• “Burn” by Rob Zombie (PS3/$1.99)

Individual Song Tracks

• “Sugarbaby” by Morningwood (PS3/99 cents)
• “Best of Me” by Morningwood (PS3/99 cents)
• “Rock Me” by Liz Phair (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Unplugged bonus content:

• “My Old School” by Steely Dan (PSP/$1.99)
• “Kool Thing” by Sonic Youth (PSP/$1.99)

Free Game Videos:

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Behind The Scenes – Mastering the Cell Processor (PS3/Free)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Behind The Scenes – Online Technology (PS3/Free)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Behind The Scenes -Thinking Like A Dog (PS3/Free)
• The Saboteur – Irishman In Paris (PS3/Free)
• NBA 2K10 – Post-Moves Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Just Cause 2 – Vertical Gameplay (PS3/Free)
• Just Cause 2 – Panau Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Just Cause 2 – Announcement Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Front Mission Evolved – TGS 2009 Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Dragon Age Origins – Warden’s Calling (PS3/Free)
• Dragon Age Origins – Dalish Elf (PS3/Free)
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – Squad Story 1 (PS3/Free)
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – Squad Story 2 (PS3/Free)
• Assassin’s Creed II – Dev Diary 1 (PS3/Free)
• Assassin’s Creed II – Dev Diary 2 (PS3/Free)
• PAIN – Celebrity Character Elvira Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Story Trailer (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Beaterator – Timbaland Trailer (PSP/Free)
• Beaterator – Intro Trailer (PSP/Free)
• Beaterator – Sessions: Max & Clay (PSP/Free)
• Beaterator – Sessions: Artist Series 1 (PSP/Free)
• Beaterator – Sessions: Artist Series 2 (PSP/Free)
• Thexder Neo – Launch Trailer (PSP/Free)

Wallpapers and Themes:

• Skull Bash Theme 1 (PSP/99 cents)
• Skull Bash Theme 2 (PSP/99 cents)
• Infantry Theme (PS3/PSP/$1.49)
• Apache Gunship Theme (PS3/PSP/$1.49)
• German Panther Tanks Theme 3 (PSP/$1.49)
• German Panther Tanks Theme 4 (PSP/$1.49)
• German Panther Tank Theme 2 (PS3/$1.99)
• Lingerie Football League: Dallas Desire Theme (PS3/PSP/$1.99)
• Skull Bash Theme (PS3/$1.99)
• It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Theme (PS3/$1.99)
• South Park Dynamic Theme (PS3/$2.99)

Read [PlayStation Store Blog] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

When your friendly neighborhood delivery person (hey Tim) comes to your door with a wooden crate in tow and you didn’t order anything, you know it’s going to be fun.

It’s been a while since I’ve received notable swag from a game company - I blame the economy - but this one proved to be especially interesting.

Prying open the nailed down wood lid to the small wooden crate revealed a dozen plush (read: stuffed) SqueeBalls Party creatures. Each is about 6 to 8 inches tall and variable widths. They feature large eyes and, as my almost-3-year-old can attest, they are “so cute.”

SqueeBalls Party by Aksys Games and PDP is a family party game that stars twelve wacky toys. You control the cute and creepy SqueeBalls in minigames including bowling, golf, cooking and a bunch of other button-mashing tasks. It’s rated “Everyone” with cartoon violence and is currently available for Wii, DS, Xbox 360, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Site [SqueeBalls]

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The Nintendo Wii has pulled off quite a coup becoming the exclusive home to a game that promises to change everything you think you know about Mickey Mouse.

Disney’s corporate mascot wasn’t always the happy, smiling doormat we’ve come to know him as. When Walt Disney first created him, he had a playful but mischievous streak that got him into trouble. That’s the Mickey Mouse legendary game creator Warren Spector loves. When Disney officials approached him about redoing Mickey in a video game, he was shocked to find they wanted to bring that mousy miscreant out of the mothballs.

According to a statement released by Junction Point, his video game studio, Spector said:

“Mickey is an adventurous and rambunctious mouse. I want to bring his personality to the forefront, place him in a daunting world and connect his spirited character with video game players worldwide. Ultimately, each player decides for him - or herself what makes Mickey cool.”

The story is that Walt Disney’s first creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, lives with other retired characters in the Cartoon Wasteland. It’s a paradise created by the sorcerer Yen Sid (spell that backwards for the joke). Oswald grows a little resentful when he sees Mickey becomes the most famous cartoon in the world. To make things worse, on an unplanned visit to the Wasteland, Mickey accidentally spills some magical paint that creates a being called the Phantom Blot.

Years after his goof-up, Mickey gets pulled back into the Wasteland to see the horror he inadvertently created. Whether he cleans up his mess as the lovable hero or as a dirty rat will be up to the player. Paint and thinner are the weapons that eliminate your toon enemies and you will use waves of the Wii-mote to fling the paint about.

This is one of the projects to watch in 2010 for a couple of reasons. It’s a game with the potential to brilliantly use the Wii’s unique controls, which is something many games strive for and fail at. Also, it’s the re-imagining of perhaps the most well known fictional character on the planet. With the creator of Deus Ex at the helm and the Disney mythology in the sandbox, I can’t wait to see the finished product. Epic Mickey is slated for a fall 2010 release.

Site [Epic Mickey]

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King of Fighters XII is flawed. Anyone who’s spent even five minutes trying to play using the online multiplayer would realize that. Ignition and SNK knew the problem was there, and promised that the companies would take action to make things right for their customers. Back on July 31, 2009, they teamed up to do just that for PS3 owners, promising that one for the Xbox 360 was on its way. Today (October 30, 2009), a little over three months later, an Xbox 360 patch has appeared.

This patch does everything players were asking. It fixes the lag, theTrueSkill points counting issues, character movement problems, issues that popped up when certain characters fought one another and chat restrictions. It even keeps the game running smoothly when a player is taking part in an online match with someone whose connection isn’t as strong or fast. The way it works is the patch actually changes how the game handles the data received and sent during online matches - pretty cool!

The press release notification of the patch also included a three sentence apology from SNK, stating the company’s remorse over the grief it caused KoF XII owners and fans of the series with the rampant issues in the game. It also states that SNK will, in the future, try to work on quality control issues. Hopefully this means this won’t happen again.

Read [GamesonSmash] Site [King of Fighters XII]

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is going to be huge. It will probably be the biggest videogame release of 2009 and may even break a few records in the process. Demand for COD: MW2 is through the roof so retailers are thinking of creative ways to get buyers into its stores to pick up the game. The latest contender for your MW2 dollars is Walmart which is giving a $20 eGift Card to anyone who preorders COD: MW2 online. The eGift Card is limited to one per customer and can only be used online.

Walmart isn’t stopping its blitz with the gift card. More than 2,400 24-hour Walmart locations will start selling MW2 at 12:01a.m. on November 10, 2009.

If you are one of the first 20 people to purchase MW2 you’ll receive an copy of the game autographed by the team at Infinity Ward.

Some light math indicates that 48,000 autographed copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be handed out at Walmart. It may seem like a lot but considering the millions of copies this game is expected to sell, autographed covers will be rare.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be available on November 10, 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It carries a very understandable “Mature” rating from the ESRB.

Site [Walmart]

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Hey everyone! This is a momentous day for Important Importables. Today marks the 100th column. Who’d have thought, right?

Anyways, to celebrate today, I’m listing my 100 all time favorite games that you can only get by importing. These are titles that aren’t available in North America, and you have to import from either Japan or Europe if you want to play them.

Remember, this isn’t a comprehensive list and is based on my personal picks. It’s a general guide to some great games you should be aware of. It’s also a bit biased in terms of systems, because it was formed based on games that I’ve either played or taken an interest in over the years. So, since I’ve imported quite a few DS games and that’s one of my favorite systems, there’ll naturally be more DS games represented.

If there’s a great import game you know that isn’t on the list and should be, tell the world in the comments. Also remember, many consoles have region protection! If you have a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, DS, PSP or PS3 you should be region-free, and if you have a Dreamcast you can buy or make a special boot-disk which makes your console region-free.

Dreamcast

• Bomber HehHe: It’s a puzzle game with some action elements. The goal is to place bombs to take down buildings.
• Capcom vs SNK 2: A fighting game, of course. The first one did get a US release, but this one didn’t.
• Cosmic Smash: It’s sort of like Arkanoid/Alleyway, in that you have to destroy blocks. Except you’re playing as a human trying to smash them with a ball, and racing against the clock.
• DUX: A side scrolling shoot-em-up (the Dreamcast was known for them) that has the distinction of being one of the most recent DC releases. It came out in 2009.
• Last Hope: Pink Bullets: Again, one of the more recent DC releases and shoot-em-up. It’s an updated and adjusted version of the Neo Geo game Last Hope.
• Napple Tale: Arisia in Daydream: A platformer where a girl named Arisia is tasked with returning the lost seasons to Napple Town.
• Pop’n Music: A fun, bright and colorful music game.
• Princess Maker Collection: You get Princess Maker 2 and Princess Maker 3 in one game.
• Rainbow Cotton: A shoot-em-up (cute-em-up) that’s the first 3D entry in the Cotton series.
• Puyo Pop Fever: It was the last Sonic Team DC game, but was never released outside of Japan.
• Any Sakura Taisen game: They’re all fun blends of visual novel, strategic rpg and dating sim games.
• Shenmue II: Only Europe and Japan got the sequel to Shenmue. I recommend importing the European version, since it’ll be in English.
• Shinseiki Evangelion: Ayanami Rei Ikusei Keikaku: Think Princess Maker, only with Rei Ayanami from Evangelion as the potential princess. Its also available on the DS, PC and PS2.
• Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles: A recent Dreamcast puzzle release.

DS

• 100 Classic Book Collection: Basically an e-reader program with 100 classic books built in and an additional 10 that can be downloaded. It’s available in Europe, but not North America.
• Arabian’s Lost: An otome/RPG where the main character is an Arabian princess of a land filled with thieves, gamblers, assassins and crooks who must earn 10 million in 30 days to keep from being trapped in an arranged marriage. Its also available for the PS2.
• A.S.H.: Archaic Sealed Heat: A strategic RPG from Nintendo that was supposed to come to North America, but never did.
• Daigasso Band Brothers / Daigasso Band Bros. DX: A music game where you play songs using the DS face buttons. You can also create your own songs in both games and download songs in the sequel.
• Dokidoki Majo Shinpan!: A somewhat-perverted game which has gained fame and notoriety for the fact that players touch girls on the touch screen to determine if they’re witches.
• Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland: An RPG starring Tingle from the Legend of Zelda series and revolves around his quest to get money and get to Rupeeland. It received a Japanese and European release, but never appeared in North America.
• Game & Watch Collection 2: A Japanese Club Nintendo promotion that includes the Game & Watch titles Parachute and Octopus.
• Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2: The sequel to Retro Game Challenge. Since the first game wasn’t a huge seller in North America, we probably will never see an English version of the sequel.
• Hirameki Action: Chibikko Wagyan no Daiki na Bouken: This is a side-scrolling action game where players guide a little dinosaur with a mighty roar through levels.
• Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars: The first Idolm@ster game where players act as the idols instead of a faceless producer. It’s also the first game in the series with a male idol (though he’s in disguise as a girl).
• Itadaki Street DS: A monopoly-esque board game from Square Enix starring characters from Super Mario and Dragon Quest. It also has Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support so you can play online.
• Jump Ultimate Stars: A Smash Bros style fighting game with 300 characters from 41 Shonen Jump mangas. Unfortunately, it’ll never get a worldwide release due to licensing issues.
• Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten: A Japanese-English dictionary that’s perfect for people studying Japanese. A few Game&Watch games are also hidden in it.
• Katekyoo Hitman Reborn DS Flame Rumble X: Mirai Chou-Bakuhatsu!!: A 2D fighting game starring the characters from the manga/anime Katekyoo Hitman Reborn.
• Ketsui Death Label: An impressive shoot-em-up from Cave.
• Love Plus: A Japanese dating sim that’s gained a massive following in a short period of time. It takes place in real time and players are actually able to date, then marry, one of three girls they choose.
• Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken: A Taiko no Tatsujin drum game that even has an adventure/story mode.
• NANA: Live Staff Daiboshuu! Shoshinsha Kangei: A life sim based on the Nana manga/anime/movie where the player can make a life in Tokyo and try to get a job with one of the two bands from the series.
• Ochaken no Daibouken: An adorable and enjoyable platformer starring the Ochaken dog and Ochaneko cat characters.
• Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo DS!!: A hilarious and occasionally touching otome simulation where the main character is a fat girl trying to lose weight so she can get a boyfriend.
• Any Ouendan game: They’re like the Elite Beat Agents game, only better.
• Sigma Harmonics: A Square Enix adventure RPG where players must time travel to prevent murders and preserve the present.
• Slide Adventure: Mag Kid: An action/puzzle game where players attach a peripheral and slide the DS around to make the main character, Mag Kid, move.
• Soma Bringer: A gorgeous action RPG from Nintendo that may never get a worldwide release.
• Tales of Innocence: A good DS entry in the Tales of series that Namco Bandai never released outside of Japan.
• Tales of Hearts: Again, another good DS Tales of entry. It’s available in two versions - one with CG cutscenes and one with animated ones.
• Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 1st Love and 2nd Season: These two DS games are otome life sims where players guide a girl through high school and hopefully help her find a boyfriend.
• Vampire Knight DS: A DS otome simulation with visual novel elements that is based on the Vampire Knight manga/anime.
• Xenosaga I + II: A DS adaptation of the first two Xenosaga games.

GameCube

• Doshin the Giant: a god/life simulation where players determine how Doshin interacts with island natives. It was available in Japan and Europe.
• Kururin Squash: An action/puzzle game where players must navigate through mazes.

GBA

• Any bit Generations game: They’re a nice variety of stylish, simple puzzle and action games.
• Densetsu no Starfy: The first game in the Legendary Starfy series.
• Densetsu no Starfy 3: The last Starfy GBA game and the first where Starpy is a major character.
• Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi: The only GBA Fire Emblem game not released in English. It’s the first GBA Fire Emblem, but the sequel to the Fire Emblem GBA game released in North America.
• Genso Suikoden: Card Stories: Suikoden II with card battles.
• Mother + Mother 2: The original Mother and Mother 2/Earthbound in one cartridge.
• Mother 3: The RPG Earthbound sequel. It’s main character, Lucas, appeared in Smash Bros Brawl.
• Rhythm Tengoku: A music game and the prequel to Rhythm Heaven.
• Super Mario Ball: A Super Mario pinball game.
• Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2: A Tales of mash-up action-RPG. It’s mainly about fetch quests and quick missions.
• Tomato Adventure: An adorable Nintendo RPG designed for beginners. It has some elements found in the Mario & Luigi RPGs.

PC

• Any and every Touhou game ever released: They’re fantastic shoot-em-up (cute-em-up) games.

PS2

• beatmania IIDX 16 Empress: A fantastic music and rhythm game.
• Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd: A fighting game with the Bleach characters.
• Espgaluda: A Cave shooter that’s a prequel to ESP Ra.De..
• Fate/stay Night: Realta Nua: An all ages version of the popular visual novel Fate/stay night.
• GuitarFreaks & DrumMania Masterpiece Gold: The original guitar and drum music video game. This is one of the best entries in the series.
• Melty Blood: Actress Again: A fighting game starring characters from the visual novel Tsukihime.
• Namco x Capcom: An RPG with action and strategic elements that has characters Namco and Capcom games making cameos as either allies or opponents.
• Nana: A life simulation game based on the Nana anime/manga where the player moves to Tokyo and gets to interact with characters from the series.
• Tales of Destiny Director’s Cut: A PS2 remake of the PS1 classic Tales of Destiny, with additional content.
• Tales of Symphonia: A PS2 port of the GameCube game with additional content.
• Tian Xing: Sword of Destiny: A hack-and-slash game Devil May Cry fans would love.

PSP

• Audition Portable: A portable version of the PC MMO. The gameplay is similar to the Bust-a-Groove games.
• Any Bleach Heat the Soul game: Great PSP fighters starring Bleach characters.
• Breath of Fire III: A PSP port. It was released in Europe, so you can import it and play it in English.
• Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable: A PSP port of a PS2 game with extra characters. It’s a monopoly-esque board game with characters from Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
• Hatsune Miku Project Diva: A Sega music game starring the Vocaloid Miku Hatsune that lets you import your own .mp3s and create your own songs and music videos.
• Idolmaster SP: Available in three versions, Perfect Sun, Missing Moon and Wandering Star, it was the first portable version of Idolm@ster.
• La Corda d’Oro: A PSP port of the PS2 and PC otome/simulation where players attempt to become a great violin player and win competitions while also making friends or possibly finding a boyfriend.
• Macross Ultimate Frontier: An action game that lets players fight pretty much every battle in the Macross anime series.
• Maplus: Portable Navi and GPS Receiver: turns your PSP into a GPS.
• Parodius Portable: A port of the side-scrolling shooter.
• Persona 3 Portable: A port of the PS2 game Persona 3 with a second storyline where the main character is a girl. It’ll probably get a US release, but for now it’s Japan-only.
• Princess Crown: A port of the VanillaWare Saturn game that’s the spiritual successor and prequel to Odin Sphere.
• Princess Maker 4 Portable: A port of a Princess Maker game that’s very similar to the cult classic Princess Maker 2.
• Suikoden I + II: The PS1 games on one UMD.
• Tales of Eternia: A port of Tales of Eternia/Tales of Destiny II. It’s available in English in Europe.
• Tales of Rebirth: A port of the PS2 Tales of game that never made it outside of Japan. It isn’t available in English.
• Tales of VS.: A fighting game featuring characters from the Tales of games.
• Twinbee Portable: A port of the classic shoot-em-up.
• Ys VII: The latest entry in the Ys action-RPG series. It may see a US release, but for now it’s Japan-only.

SNES

• Der Langrisser: A strategic RPG with multiple endings based on decisions the player makes.
• Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu: The fourth Fire Emblem game and regarded as one of the best. It introduced the romance/relationship element into the series and is multigenerational - if two characters get together in the first part, their child will appear in the second.
• Live a Live: A Square Enix RPG with seven storylines that unexpectedly all end up being connected.
• Sailor Moon: Another Story: An RPG inspired by Sailor Moon with an original storyline that has become a cult classic and is unexpectedly spectacular.
• Seiken Densetsu 3: An entry in the Square Enix Mana series that was never released outside of Japan.

Wii

• 428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de / 428: In a Blockaded Shibuya: A highly acclaimed visual novel. It’s been ported to the PS3 and PSP.
• Captain Rainbow: It’s an action/adventure game from Nintendo where a character named Nick, aka Captain Rainbow, goes around helping people on Mimin Island trying to either grant his wish or the wishes of islanders. It features many little known or forgotten Nintendo characters.
• Disaster: Day of Crisis: An action/adventure game released only in Australia, Europe and Japan. Players help Raymond Bryce, who works for the government, survive and save people during natural disasters and stop a terrorist group called SURGE. It will likely never receive a US release.
• Sukeban Shachou Rena: A mini-game collection featuring cats working at Cat Queen, Inc. Your goal is to start out as an entry level cat. You work your way up to the head of the company and earn respect of the CEO, Nekopunch mascot Rena.
• Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: The Taiko drum game series comes to the Wii.
• Zero:Tsukihami no Kamen / Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse: The fourth entry in the Fatal Frame series.

Xbox 360

• Idolm@ster: The original Idolm@ster game, where players help an idol, or group of idols, become a success.
• Death Smiles: A new Cave shoot-em-up with a gothic theme.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables takes a one-week break, but will return November 13, 2009 to talk about Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last weekImportant Importables looked at six Japanese gadgets that exist only to be adorable.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Somewhere, Jack Thompson is tittering with peals of glee as the debate about video game violence just jumped to the forefront of the holiday shopping season.

Footage from arguably the biggest game release of 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, was leaked earlier this week (October 27, 2009). That would normally only be a big deal to folks concerned about spoilers. Spoilers, as in this is a SPOILER WARNING!

Seriously, there be spoilers here.

The leaked footage shows the player in control of a Russian terrorist who is mowing down innocent civilians at what appears to be Los Angeles’  LAX Airport.

Activision has confirmed that the footage is authentic and released a statement in the way of damage control.

“The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them,” the statement reads. “Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an forthcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.”

The Modern Warfare games are famous for combining gritty storytelling with “what if” scenarios that could happen in the real world. The first game’s depiction of a nuclear explosion was one of the most awe inspiring and yet unsettling moments in recent gaming history. You had to wonder how they would one up a nuclear strike and now it appears we have our answer.  The game hits store shelves November 10, 2009, for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (Windows).

The controversy has hit already and won’t be letting up soon.

Read [The Telegraph] Also Read [Gamepro]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

As part of the promotion for the upcoming sequel to Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft is presenting a short film based on the characters from the game.

The film is divided in three chapters and will serve as an introduction for the story in Assassin’s Creed II.

The film is called Assassin’s Creed - Lineage and takes place a few years before the setting of the game. Each of the three episodes will follow the father of Ezio - the protagonist of the new game- who is introduced as Giovanni Auditore da Firenze in the first chapter.

The fist episode is about 14 minutes long and it blends CGI and live action to narrate the assassination of an Italian noble. The film also presents some of the key characters of the game as well as game mechanics like the combat using the famous wristblade.

After watching the first episode I am really impressed. I thought it was just going to be a one or two minute trailer for the game but actually it has high production values and nice special effects. The short film was created by Ubisoft-owned Hybride Technologies and it’s no wonder why the film looks so good as this company is responsible for the special effects in movies including 300 and Sin City.

I’m really looking forward to the next episodes and I think these movies are a great way to spread the word about the game and to draw attention towards the franchise. We’ve already seen Microsoft doing something similar with their clips for the Halo franchise and they always help in creating buzz for the game. This blending of different media is a step forward in the right direction for games and I hope more studios realize this and get on board.

Read [USA Today Also read [Destructoid]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The big rumor of the day is that Nintendo is planning to release the Wii 2 in 2010 and the newer system will include a Blu-ray drive.

The rumor comes courtesy of French language site Logic-Sunrise which cites a “very stable source” (at lest that’s how Yahoo’s BableFish translates it). It also indicates that Nintendo may be waiting to announce the Wii 2 until one month prior to the system’s release.

The Wii 2 features and other bullet-list items listed in the post include:

• A Blu-Ray drive (to help discourage piracy)
• Support 720P and 1080P for videos and games
• 2010 simultaneous worldwide release
• Some type of trade-in program for Wii owners to upgrade to the Wii 2

Again, these are unconfirmed rumors based on a foreign site. MaxConsole indicates that the rumor suggests Wii 2 will be available the third quarter of 2010 although the French site does not appear to mention Q3.

The closest ting to a confirmation is Shigeru Miyamoto’s interview with Popular Mechanics where he talks about the next Wii (not necessarily the “Wii 2”) as being “more compact and perhaps even more cost-efficient.”

I’m waiting for an official comment from Nintendo concerning this Wii 2 rumor.

Update: Nintendo’s official, although not surprising, response via a PR representative is: “We do not respond to rumors and speculations.”

Read [Logic-Sunrise (French)] Via [MaxConsole]

Photo: From Logic-Sunrise (likely an illustration).

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The industry seems sharply divided on how much of an impact digital downloading will have on the future of game sales.

There has been speculation about whether the next Xbox or PlayStation will even feature any kind of disc drive. EA Sports President Peter Moore doesn’t think it’s time to put away the plastic cases and shrink wrapping just yet.

At the recent Berkeley Digital Media Conference, Moore gave his take:

“[The industry is] at least a decade away from saying goodbye to a physical disc. The more important question is what does the next generation of console look like?”

The talk of all digital gaming also gives rise to a question: What becomes of games such as Guitar Hero which have plastic peripherals as an important part of their gameplay?

Moore used this opportunity to take a few potshots at fellow gaming superpowers Activision Blizzard and Nintendo. Moore said if gaming did go digital, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick would be sitting on half the world’s plastic. Moore called Wii Fit‘s peripherals “bathroom scales” while talking about how much better he believes EA Sports Active is.

Moore, formerly of Microsoft, said that company will get to whatever the future of consoles is first.

Oh no, he didn’t! Are you listening, Nintendo and Sony?

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Industry Gamers]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Title: Ju-On: The Grudge
Price: $29.99
System: Wii
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Xseed Games (Feelplus)
ESRB Rating: “Mature” for blood, violence
Pros: Some decent “scares,” jump right into the gameplay, quite immersive (for a while).
Cons: Rigid and awkward controls, ridiculously short, no checkpoints on levels, blocky graphics, linear, pointless battery system, no story to drive the game
Overall Score: One thumb sideways, one thumb down; 68/100; D+; * 1/2 out of 5

Ju-On: The Grudge is faulty on many levels - and I’ll discuss these below - but I’m willing to forgive many of them because of the subtitle “Haunted House Simulator” thrown across the box.

Have you been to any of the haunted houses that spring up in wooded areas and old schoolhouses at this time of the year? Ju-On gave me more scares than they do, so I at least have to give it credit for that.

Although, I want to clarify that being scared and being startled are two entirely different things. When a movie or game unexpectedly runs a cat in front of you with a really loud screech just to make you jump, that’s being startled. When a movie or game has you so frightened that you’re hiding under the afghan, barely able to peek out through the holes to look at the screen, that’s being scared.

Ju-On: The Grudge startled me on occasion. It never scared me.

When a Person Dies…

If you’ve seen the Ju-On movies (or it’s American counterpart titled The Grudge), you know the routine. If someone dies violently in a house or something, all who come into contact with its spirit will also die violently and the cycle continues. I’m not sure if that’s what happened in this game.

In each level, you play a character in a different location: abandoned factory, abandoned hospital, abandoned apartments, etc. Each level begins with a character name and most display the same family photo. Okay, so we assume these are all family members about to face the same terrible circumstances but that’s it on story. You don’t know why you’re there, you just are.

On each level you’re only usable object is a flashlight. This is permanently on and always frustrating because it uses batteries like a Hummer uses gas. Considering each level can be finished in under 25 minutes, that you have to find and replace four or five batteries per level is absolutely ridiculous. I get the sense of urgency that this creates, but why have that at all? The game is supposed to be about exploration, and if you’re forced to tear through each level for fear of being trapped in the dark (and promptly killed), you don’t have time to trigger all the frightening moments.

...With a Deep and Burning Grudge…

Even worse, in order to unlock the fifth and final level to complete the game, you’re going to have to play through the previous levels multiple times in order to find all the hidden objects, facing the same ghosts and dealing with the same bad batteries. I’m assuming this was done in an effort to prolong the game, which can easily be completed in two to three hours. Forcing you to replay levels can push it up to around 10, perhaps, but you won’t do that. It’s not worth it.

Making matters worse, the game crawls at a terribly slow pace and the flashlight control is horribly unresponsive. You use the WiiMote to point the flashlight at the screen and, to control direction, you press the B button. Hit down on the D-pad to back up. That’s easy enough to learn but annoying to use. The flashlight never seems to go where you want it to, making it cumbersome to even turn around or line up with a door so you can open it. This is acceptable when you’re exploring an area for the first time but it’s a game killer if you have to go through more than once.

If you want to play that fifth and final level, I highly recommend using a walkthrough so you can find all those hidden objects the first time.

After a couple levels, you know what’s going to happen. The triggered events never really change much and they’re telegraphed by the sound of the game disc being read. “Oh, the Wii’s clicking, here comes and yep. There it is. Doll fell from the sky. Scary.”

I’m also not sure I get the “scare meter” at the end of the game. Sometimes it calls me a sissy, sometimes it tells me I have no emotions. I’m never sure why. The two-player mode, in which player two conjures up random “scare moments” with the press of a button is fun for a bit, but both you and player two will quickly get bored with it.

...A Curse is Born.

Some elements of Ju-On: The Grudge do work. First, by making the screen so dark, you have no choice but to play it at night with the lights off; there’s simply no way you can make it through this game with any sort of glare on your screen. I think I like that decision.

Second, it really can be pretty spooky, especially early on. The creepy girl from the movies is used throughout and, although you’ll likely get bored with her hair, the use of that guttural clicking noise in the WiiMote’s speaker is quite effective.

Also, I’ve learned that horror “movies” are much harder to get through when you’re the one holding the flashlight. I had my wife try it and she couldn’t deal with the tension. However, she enjoyed watching me play it for a while. Either she couldn’t handle being the one facing the threats or she hated the control/battery system. Either way, objective achieved, Xseed!

Or something like that.

There’s no way I can recommend someone purchase this game, at least not at $30. With only four short levels (five if you’re persistent), it would’ve made more sense as a 1,000-point WiiWare download or a $4.99 iPhone game.

I do, however, highly recommend you rent it. Ju-On: The Grudge is certainly more effective than the majority of the horror movies out there there today (I’m looking directly at you, Saw). You’ll get your money’s worth out of an evening rental, provided you pay attention to those three words on the box: Haunted House Simulator.

This is not a game. Like horror movies and haunted houses, it’s simply a way for a teenage boy to scare his girlfriend into sitting a little closer to him on the couch and hopefully lead to a little bit of lovin’ when it’s over and that deserves some respect.

Site [Ju-On: The Grudge] Read [Gamertell]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Sony’s PlayStation 2 console may have just turned nine but for fans in the know that may seem to mean there’s only one year left to the system’s life.

Sony has often mentioned a 10-year life cycle for its hardware including a comment made by President of Sony Computer Entertainment Jack Tretton to Fast Company earlier this year about the PS3.

So when Sony sent out a press release earlier today touting the PS2’s ninth birthday, I contacted Sony to find out whether or not this is the system’s final year.

Well, never fear Soniatics.

According to Abby Reyes, Sony’s Senior Public Relations Specialist:

“There’s no set date for when the life cycle of PlayStation 2 will end. As long as people keep playing, and publishers keep putting out great new titles, the console’s life cycle will continue. The longevity of the PlayStation 2 can be directly attributed to its versatility. Because it’s not only a game console, but a home entertainment hub, it has found its place in one out of every three U.S. households. That huge install base has resulted in consistent developer support and a huge library of titles along with strong retail presence, all of which allows PlayStation 2 to remain the console of choice for years to come.”

Of course no one at Sony indicated exactly how long they will continue to support the hardware or license development but that certainly reads like a positive commitment. I’m not exactly certain how the PS2 - now selling for $99 -  is an “entertainment hub” but there certainly is a lot of life left in the system.

Here’s hoping for a few more good years, PS2.

Read [Gamertell] Site [PlayStation 2]

Full Story » | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Platinum Games and Sega’s Bayonetta isn’t due out in North America until January 5, 2010. Thankfully, PS3 owners don’t have to wait that long. If they have a credit card or a paypal account, they can hop online to the Japanese import video game store of their choice and order a copy of the Japanese version that comes out October 29, 2009.

Siliconera is reporting that, while the instruction manual is in Japanese, the game is completely translated. There’s even English voice acting! The PS3 version of Bayonetta received a 38 out of 40 in Famitsu, by the way, which means that a potentially great game could be waiting for you. Since the PS3 is region-free, the Japanese game will work with any PS3 console.

The only thing is, you will be paying a premium price for the right to own Bayonetta early. If you wait until January for the US release, it will cost you $59.99. Here’s what it’ll cost to import a Japanese copy right now from some of the most dependable online sites:

• $79.90 at Play-Asia
• $80.90 at NCSX Shop
• $84.90 at RenChi.com
• $84.99 at YesAsia
• $85.00 at HimeyaShop
• ￥7,880 (~$86.45) at Amazon.co.jp (Note: Amazon.co.jp won’t ship games to addresses outside of Japan.)

This could make a fantastic Christmas or holiday gift for your favorite PS3 owner. But bear in mind, it’s rated Cero D, which means it’s appropriate for players ages 17 and up.

Read [Siliconera] Via [Joystiq] Also Read [Kotaku]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »