According to this 1UP report, EA said in Japan today that its Suda51-Mikami horror collaboration will be announced in Tokyo next week.

The highly anticipated game will be shown for the first time at EA Tokyo Showcase 2010 on September 15, a day before TGS opens.

EA has already said it is planning several all new game reveals and announcements for the event, and hinted at gamescom in Cologne last month that the Japanese horror may finally break surface in September.

It was announced in August 2008 that Suda51, head of Grasshopper Manufacture, and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami were to co-develop a horror game for EA.

EA’s MMA will get a demo this month, the publisher said today.

And EA MMA demo will launch on September 28. It’s to include four fighters, four different skill levels and a tutorial, and will be available for both 360 and PS3.

As EA Sports has done previously with demos for NCAA Football 11 and Madden NFL 11, suggesting someone on your friends list tries the demo will unlock free content in the full game. In this case, you’ll get “classic” Randy Couture as a playable character.

Included fighters are current Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem, Bobby Lashley, Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Jake Shields.

A “Fight Now” bout in San Jose and an interactive tutorial featuring Shields and Miller at the Horizon Center in Japan are the two available play options.

The game’s out on October 19. Thanks, Kotaku.

Yes, there was supposed to be DLC. No, it’s not happening any more.

Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama has told Famitsu (via 1UP) that DLC was originally planned for the game, but the scheme was scrapped.

“We were planning to make some DLC, but that plan wound up not happening,” he said when answering a question on a comment he made before the game’s Japanese launch on PS3 last year.

He said owners should “hold on to their saves from the end of the game”.

Square confirmed this morning that it’ll be releasing the game for 360 in Japan as the “Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits Edition,” which will include a post-completion quest called “Episode i”.

Producer Yoshinori Kitase explained why is the move happening now, nearly a year from FFXIII’s original Japanese launch and six months since its western release.

“We feel that there are a lot of 360 owners worldwide, and a lot of people in Japan who own nothing but 360s,” he said.

“Thanks to the new [Slim] system and such, the situation’s a lot different than it was in July 2008,” he added.

July 2008 saw Square boss Yoichi Wada announce FFXIII for 360 for the US and Europe on stage at Microsoft’s E3 presser.

FFXIII 360 launches in Japan on December 16.

PAX Prime saw 67,600 attendees through its doors in Seattle last weekend, and it sounds as though Mike and Jerry aren’t done yet.

BigDownload reported the attendance figure for the just-ended show, confirming a record for the expo.

The first PAX East in Boston last March brought in 52,290 attendees. It’ll move to a much larger venue in the city next year.

Flush with the show’s ongoing success, Penny Arcade bosses Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins have no hinted that they may be ready to move abroad with a new event.

Speaking to Gama at the show, the pair said that a third PAX event might happen and that it “would likely take place in a different country; preferably somewhere the duo want to visit.”

PAX was used for 2K’s Duke Nukem Forever reveal this year. Check out our interview with Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford on that here.

Ubisoft has released a demo for R.U.S.E. on Xbox Live.

In it, you get to play a full mission designed exclusively for the demo.

According to the XBL page, you will be able to “command Allied forces from the Head Quarters and lead your army to a nuclear conflict and combine deceptive strategies to conquer the battleground”.

The PS3 demo was released last week in both the US and Europe.

R.U.S.E. is out today in the US and on September 10 for PS3, 360 and PC in Europe.

Check out the launch trailer for it below, courtesy of GameTrailers.

Hear that? That’s the starting gun for pre-TGS going off. And Square Enix’’s fired the first shot.

A sequel to Dissidia: Final Fantasy has been announced in Japan’s Shonen Jump magazine for PSP.

According to Andriasang, known as Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy,the game will release next year and will now feature Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII and Kain from Final Fantasy IV in the roster.

Other then that, not much else is known, although Square’s Tetsuya Nomura said an unmentioned new game from Square will be at TGS next week in playable form.

This is all but likely to be it.

Nomura had previously teased a Dissidia sequel, saying in March the following:

“A Dissidia Final Fantasy sequel well work at it!”

The original Dissidia released back in Japan at the end of 2008 for PSP, before getting a European release last September.

Surprise. Following on from yesterday’s report, Sqaure Enix has formally confirmed Final Fantasy XIII will release in Japan for Xbox 360.

The game, an international edition known as “Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits Edition”, will release on December 16 for a budget price of 4,980, according to the latest issue of Famitsu.

This will be the first 360 title in Square’s Ultimate Hits budget line, according to Andriasang.

More details are expected to drop in a press conference Microsoft is holding in Japan later today.

Lightning strikes

A Japanese release of FFXIII was hinted at earlier this year, when the achievements list of the game appeared on Xbox Japan’s website in July.

But Square was still coy on it, with producer Yoshinori Kitase refusing to comment on it at gamescom.

Final Fantasy XIII launched in December of last year for PS3 in Japan, before launching in the west in March this year for PS3 and Xbox 360.

The game shipped 5 million units of the game worldwide, before it was confirmed in May it had sold 5.5 million units.

“You’re probably just gonna use this to buy brains, but you know what, I’m feeling generous today. So here’s a fiver.”

“Bless you, sir.” [Sounds of brains being devoured, screams].

A quick look at Dead Rising: Case Zero’s Xbox Live leaderboards shows 328,290 entries, which suggests that just under 330,000 players have forked over five dollars for the downloadable title since its launch last week.

We’d call that experiment a success, Capcom. What say we celebrate with a Twinkie and party over at the local mall? It’s fun, cheap, and zombie apocalypse-proof! Yeah, we party hard, but most importantly, we party smart.

Thanks, Gamasutra.

Most villains escape from imminent capture/death with hidden jetpacks, trap doors, or smoke screens that – unlike their real-life counterparts – somehow enable teleportation.

But those guys have nothing on the Shadow Broker. His big, bad Deus Ex Machina basically breaks the world.

Fortunately, BioWare forced its whip-crackers to work so much overtime that they started complaining, and had to hire on more whip-crackers to whip the whip-crackers. The bottom line? You should now be able to enjoy the new Shadow Broker DLC pack on your PC! Also, some employees might be dead from exhaustion or whatever.

“Lair of the Shadow Broker should now be fixed for the PC and should be able to be downloaded now for both the PC and Xbox 360,” the developer wrote in a thread on its social network.

Previously, the DLC hit a planet-sized snag, and unfortunately lacked the redundant Krogan nervous systems necessary to cope. This, of course, left all PC users unable to play.

Everything’s good to go now, though. So download away!

September is here again and you know what that means, right? Hockey fans get their yearly video gaming fix from Electronic Arts with the latest installment in the venerable series, "NHL '11." With each new entry that comes out, the question inevitably gets asked: is this just a roster update or did EA somehow figure out a way to put more meat on these already hefty bones? It's easy to answer this year: without question, more meat. Read on for the breakdown.

The Basics

There's not much to say here, really. EA's "NHL" series has long been and continues to be the premiere hockey simulation on the video game market. All of your favorite modes are back, including the RPG-like Be A Pro and last year's similar, front office-focused newcomer Be A GM modes. You basic "sit down and play" and franchise options are back as well, naturally. In addition to a handful of new, relatively minor features, there's one serious all-star taking the ice this season that amps what you get on the disc up to "Orange Box" levels of content: the insanely addictive playing card-based Ultimate Hockey League.

The Highs

UHL FTW

Ultimate Hockey League is a concept carried over from "Madden" and "FIFA" before it. Basically, you build a team by assembling a collection of trading cards. All players get a starter pack, with additional packs available through the game's story which you can purchase using either cold, hard cash or "Pucks" earned through UHL play. The experience is definitely weighted in such a way that starter players can skip a lot of early grinding by straight-out purchasing a top-level pack or two. The team, which can be further tricked out with head coach cards, training cards and contract extension cards, grows by participating in online and offline games and tournaments. Once "NHL '11" is properly released, EA will be overseeing month-long seasons with players divided by their skill levels. It's impossible at this point to judge how that will work, but even in its offline iteration, the process of playing your team and tricking them out with earned cards is insanely addictive.

Physics-Based Play

On-ice animations are no longer stock. Instead, play is governed by a proper physics system (and it's about time). This results in on-ice happenings that you could conceivably never see again. It's a little wonky at times, if only because the action happens from far enough away that it's not always easy to tell how or where you're handling the puck. Overall however, it is a refreshing new addition to the series.

Everything Else, Including The Kitchen Sink

There are a handful of other minor new features -- broken sticks, revamped faceoffs, tweaked passing controls -- but really, the strength of the series has long been and continues to be the wealth of options available. UHL is just another addition to an already robust offering that can please any hockey fan, from the casual party gamer to the hardcore statisticians.

The Lows

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

While the AI is generally competent, there are a noticeable number of downright questionable moments. Opposing teams have an annoying habit of dumping the puck against the back boards, even when there are clearly open teammates. More than once as I played, the puck would land behind the goalie and just sit there; the goaltender wouldn't react, the players would skate around aimlessly and only after a few precious seconds had burned off the clock would the play be called. The fact that the AI is mostly competent only makes these off moments stand out even more.

Bill Clement And Gary Thorne

Nothing against these guys personally, but someone REALLY needs to write a bigger script for their on-ice commentating. It becomes especially apparent during UHL games when there are no (or few) "star" NHL players for them to pull out anecdotes about. But the commentating frequently doesn't fit what's happening on the ice, seemingly moreso than it has even in past years. It's a minor thing all told, but perhaps "NHL '12" should give the commentator system a much-needed overhaul.

EA Trax

EA: If you're going to give your game a soundtrack, please include more music than could fit on a single CD. While players can use their own music, the pre-loaded soundtrack for "NHL '11" becomes repetitive very quickly.

The Verdict

Any complaints are ultimately minor. This is the premiere NHL video game experience. EA did it again. It doesn't hurt that they have no real Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 competition this year, but even if they did, "NHL '11" likely would have blown it out of the water. With EAUHL joining an already robust offering of modes, even nitpickers like myself will find very little to complain about.

The PlayStation Move's September 19 release date is right around the corner, and Sony knows that there are PlayStation 3 owners still on the fence about whether or not to pick up their new device at launch. Thusly, they've published a gargantuan list of questions and answers about the motion controller, and their answers contain tips and prescriptions for optimizing its performance, including which TVs will encounter lag-oriented issues.

"The PlayStation Move has similar sensing latency as the DualShock 3 controller for many PlayStation Move games, this is about 22ms, though it can vary somewhat between games," Sony's team explained in the Q&A posted to the official PlayStation blog. "Modern HDTVs unfortunately have much more latency, usually on the order of 60-160ms. If your TV has 'game mode,' make sure to enable it."

If you've been following the flow of Move info since it was first announced, you probably already knew most of these details, but it's so comprehensive, it couldn't hurt to take a look before you pick up one of the little glowing orb-wands for yourself.

As for your living room setup, Sony has some distance recommendations for you look over as well, and it turns out they want you in about the same place as you would be standing to use Kinect if you'd like to see the best results.

"Players should calibrate in the location and position where they intend to play," Sony wrote. "The working range is 2 to 10 feet away from the camera, but the *ideal* range is 5 to 9 feet away from the camera, depending on the game."

Did any of Sony's answers suprise you? What are your feelings about Move ahead of launch week? Share your opinions in the comment section below.

"Braid" creator Jonathan Blow conducted a low-profile series of play-tests at PAX for his upcoming title "The Witness," and though his display was easy to overlook, a few details and some early gameplay footage taken by Kotaku have emerged. The "Myst"-like 3-D world of puzzles that he shared with lucky, attentive con-goers served as a experiment for him, in addition to providing a few gamers with a show-floor Easter egg.

"For all three days of PAX 2010, 'The Witness' was publicly playable by anyone who came by the booth," Blow wrote on his blog at The-Witness.net. "However, it was unmarked and unattended, so it was easy to miss...."

He didn't announce his presence prior to the show and sneaked onto a table as a phantom parter with "SpyParty" developer Chris Hecker and "Monaco" developer Andy Schatz. That was all a calculated way to attract a specific kind of audience, according to Blow's notes.

"At a show full of companies trying to capture your attention and sell you things, I wanted to do something that is subtle, and a surprise if you notice it, and decide to investigate, you find something unexpected," he explained. "Also, I wanted people to be able to play the game for as long as they want, not feeling pressured to stop playing because of a huge line of antsy people waiting behind them."

If you appreciated the level of thought and effort that went into "Braid," you won't be able to help trying to piece together what this game is going to be about. If the game turns out to be like its predecessor, innovative gameplay will take the foreground in front of an emotional story. But who knows which emotional heartstrings he'll want to tug on this time.

Were you able to get any time with "The Witness" at PAX? How excited are you to check it out when Blow and his team are finished? Share your responses in the comment section below.

Warren Spector has said his studio, Junction Point, is interested in further exploring the story of Epic Mickey once the original game is released.

Speaking with ONM, Spector said he’s looking to possibly turn the game into a franchise and hopes a second round with the renowned mouse will be released sooner rather than later.

“I’ve been pretty upfront that I have no interest at all in doing something that’s just a one shot,” he said. “Certainly it has been conceived as something that could become a franchise because that’s all I’m interested in doing.

“Not because I want to build a brand and make a ton of money but because there are so many stories to tell. Whether that actually happens is way above my pay grade.”

However, Spector said he has no plans to do a game starring Donald Duck, at least in the Wasteland sitting.

“Ha! That would be a completely different game. I wouldn’t even want to do that as part of this Wasteland world we’ve created,” he said.

Epic Mickey releases on Wii sometime before the holidays, and may one day hit other platforms in the future. That’s the dream anyway.

Check out footage of the game from PAX here.

Via CVG.

The NPD results for August will see a release on Thursday, and already analysts are weighing-in on what to expect with the US numbers.

One such analyst is Michael Pachter, who has predicted a decline for both hardware and software due to online offerings.

Multiplayer was “the biggest driver” in the last 18 months

According to Pachter, strong online offerings are keep gamers happy enough for the moment that they’re not purchasing new titles, and the analyst has predicted a 6 percent decline in software sales, and a 7 percent decline in hardware for August.

“Based upon statements made by Microsoft earlier this year, it appears that millions of people are playing multiplayer games online for an average of 10 hours a week, making a serious dent in the time available to play other games,” he said.

“We remain convinced that the popularity of online multiplayer gaming has caused a decline in overall packaged product sales, and we expect this decline to persist unless the publishers change the multiplayer model.”

Publishers think a change (charge) will ‘em good

Changes in the multiplayer model are happening though, as proved by both Electronic Arts and Microsoft, with the former charging used buyers $10 for online services, and the later raising the price of Xbox Live subscriptions.

Sony also introduced PlayStation Plus this year, for those seeking premium services, and other publishers are starting to take notice of the industry wide mini-trend.

“While we expect the publishers to continue to offer free multiplayer content that is similar in quality to what is offered today; we expect the publishers to channel their efforts on improvements to multiplayer by offering a premium subscription service, in the hopes of driving an ever- increasing number of customers to a pay service,” said Patcher, who has also suggested Microsoft will up the ante with an extra-premium service.

In the meantime, Pachter believes investors will remain cautious until financial gains from online services are more noticeable.

Be sure to check back with us on Thursday evening when the NPDs are released to see how close Pachter was in his prediction, as well as who bested who in everything for the month of August.

Start preparing your verbal barbs for one another now.

Via Gamasutra.

DeathSpank, not content to rest on his laurels, is back later this month in Thongs of Virtue, where he must collect six pairs of thongs.

Hopefully, they went through the wash beforehand.

Purple Thongs of Justice

According to the demo we saw at PAX last weekend, and the trailer posted below, DeathSpank was one of six recipients of virtuous thongs created by a master craftsman in the Great Fires of Bacon. His pair, fittingly enough, are the Thongs of Justice.

The other five wearers of the magnificent thongs were corrupted by the powerful panties – as is want to happen on occasion – and DeathSpank must collect these thongs from their wearers, and dole out justice and mayhem along the way.

You’ll find Thongs of Virtue is not verydifferent than the previous version, which is not an issue as we found very little wrong with the first outing.

This time around, you take up where you left off but in a land destroyed by war, with a new arsenal at your disposal: pistols, machine and ray guns, bazookas, and the same sorts of melee items from the first game.

Combat has been balanced a bit, and it looks to be less hack-n-slash than the first. There seems to be a bit more variety to the quests as well, with the same fetch quests thrown in among ones with time constraints and more puzzle bits for good measure.

DeathSpank is also the recipient of a monocle which will control an enemy for a short while, helping our hero defeat those out to do him great harm. Also, he can man his own ship for transportation across the water.

Zany characters, more unicorns

Sparkles the Wizard is back, along with a new character called Steve the Ninja, who rides a unicorn and is, like his name states, a ninja of sorts.

It all looked rather fun from the demo shown to us at PAX, where we were also handed our own pair of DeathSpank themed thongs (no, you cannot see them), and we’re really looking forward to getting our grubby paws on it September 21 through PSN and September 22 on XBL.

Enjoy the trailer below.

In case you’ve been at work all day, busy with paperwork or shoveling manure – whatever it is you do, we don’t judge – you may have forgotten all about the nice bits of BioWare DLC hitting today, so consider this a friendly reminder.

Whether Dragon Age: Origins or Mass Effect 2 is your poison, BioWare has something to appease you.

First up is the Witch Hunter DLC for Dragon Age: Origins, featuring the final chapter in the game, and it’s a bit Morrigan-centric.

It’s available for $6.99/560 BioWare/MSP on PC and Xbox 360, and should hit the US PS Store later tonight, and the European store tomorrow.

Then, there’s Lair of the Shadow Broker where you can continue a relationship with blue-skinned Liara and kill a bunch of bad guys as well, for 800 MS/BioWare points on Xbox 360 and PC.

This bit of DLC, along with all the others, will be included with the PS3 version slated for January.

Enjoy.

Thanks, Mike.

Got loads of questions regarding PlayStation Move? No worries. Sony has you covered.

Thanks to a rather large FAQ posted over on the US PS Blog, Sony has answered just about every question you could possibly come up with regarding the new motion controller.

Those wondering about pricing, the basics, how it works, the best position to set the camera, who it’s geared toward and more, are all answered for you through here.

Hopefully, it will clear up any unresolved questions you may have regarding the device.

As far as the games are concerned, it looks as if those wanting to try Move titles before they drop some hard-earned cash are in luck: most Move titles will get a demo before launch.

So, that’s good news there as well.

PlayStation Move hits retail on September 15 and 19 in Europe and the US, respectively.

Gameloft's heavily "Diablo"-inspired iPhone title "Dungeon Hunter" will be making a transition onto the PlayStation Network, getting a visual tune-up and extra features suitable for the PlayStation 3. The HD port will stretch out its screen and bypass a more predictable PlayStation Portable release to test the console market's waters, and they've even prepared some screenshots.

A cooperative four-player multiplayer mode that works online and offline, as well as 30 levels of dungeons and over-worlds will accompany the title to PS3's, according to a report on GamerBytes.

A successful launch could mean big things for the brand if console users are receptive. Right now, "Dungeon Hunter" has a substantial reputation among iPhone gamers, but if Gameloft can expand its audience into other markets to compete with some established fantasy/action RPG franchises, it's entirely possible we could see ports of the game appear elsewhere.

If the price point doesn't turn out to be too scary, plenty of iPhone and iPod touch owners should be open to trying this out. Nailing the gameplay and controls will be key as well, of course, but as of yet there's no trailer to show off such things.

Assuming the graphics and look have been re-tooled as much as this report makes it sound, I'm keen on seeing such a trailer. Tackling existing console and PC genres to the iPhone's control system isn't always the easiest thing in the world for developers, but "Dungeon Hunter" set the bar for its category when it originally hit. We'll see if its makers at Gameloft are up to accomplishing such a feat one more time.

Are you interested in seeing "Dungeon Hunter" come to consoles? Do you think the PSN will be a good home for it? Share your responses in the comment section below.

Sad news today regarding Company of Heroes and Relic designer Brian Wood, who died in a car accident on Friday.

According to The Province, in an effort to avoid an SUV heading straight for the vehicle he and his pregnant wife of five years, Erin, were traveling in, Wood cut the wheel of his vehicle so the unavoidable impact would hit the driver’s side instead of the passenger’s side of his Subaru.

While Wood’s decision only cause a minor head-injury for his wife, it unfortunately ended his life.

“All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead, ” said Erin Woods. “At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that saved us both.

“I am not going to waste the gift he gave us.”

According to the police report, the driver of the SUV was attempting to remove her sweater, and handed over control of the vehicle’s steering wheel to the passenger.

Two male passengers in the back seat were also killed in the wreck and the passenger sustained a pelvic injury. There was also evidence of drug use by the occupants of the SUV, and all were known to police.

The driver has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault, with the passenger who took the wheel expected to face the same charges.

VG247 wishes Wood’s family and Relic the best during the sad times ahead.

Via D’toid.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood was impossible to miss at PAX Prime last weekend, what with it’s massive display and flashy booth.

We weren’t only intrigued by the booth’s spare-no-expense decor, though; we were also curious as to how Brotherhood’s multiplayer was looking.

Choose your Assassin in “Wanted”

Before you start going around killing people in Wanted, whichreminded us of a Deathmatch mode, you choose your Assassin. Each choice has its own set of abilities, one of which is allowing you to change your appearance to look like the NPCs walking around the city.

I picked the Courtesan, a female character of course, and my weapon of choice was throwing knives. Once I chose my deadly lady, I was assigned another player to assassinate. In Wanted, up to eight players are thrust onto a city map where each is assigned someone else to kill. The catch to this is that your target, like you, looks like any another other NPC in appearance while walking around in the map.

To help you counter the anonymity of your mark, the game provides you with a radar to locate the unfortunate victim; as you get closer to them, the marker inside the radar gets larger. However, while this may sound like it makes easy prey of your intended, the reality is anything but. It was still tricky to find the person I was trying to kill, because even though the radar showed my target’s location, I had no idea who they were in the crowd unless they started acting differently than the rest.

Unless they were standing stock still, running, or just seemed a bit odder than the general populous, I had no idea how to differentiate between them and the NPCs meandering about the map.

Luckily, I figured out who my target was thanks to them looking a bit lost, but should I have chosen in error and killed an innocent NPC, the target would have vanished on my radar and I would have lost points.

Not only would this have happened, but I would have also stood out more to the person who had me assigned as their target. Drawing a lot of attention to yourself will, ultimately, get you killed, so you need to be slick and discreet.

If you’re spotted by your would-be Assassin, you can try blending into a crowd. Should that not work, like Altair and Ezio before you, you can start running across the rooftops until in effort to escape.

Luckily, this never happened to me, and the demo – which lasted about 10 minutes – ended with me going about my merry way.

Was it fun? It was.

Still a ways to go

The demo’s controls showed the game has a ways to go in terms of mechanics, as I had a bit of a hard time pulling off some of the killing moves I was used to doing in both Assassin’s Creed 1 & 2.

I also got a bit confused while trying to get myself in the correct position to pull it off the kills. Part of this, assuredly, was down to frantically trying to finish my target without drawing attention to myself, but the build wasn’t complete either; obviously, this’ll be remedied by the time it hits shelves in November.

Still, even with a rusty demo and an unskilled Assassin steering the 360 controls, Brotherhood was fun; it’s now in the top ten must-haves for the rest of the year.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is slated for release on November 16 and 19 in the US and Europe, respectively.

With no indication when Sega might return to "Virtua Tennis," the "Top Spin" series is really the only tennis game in town. 2K just announced that the fourth iteration, the aptly-named "Top Spin 4" is being developed for release in 2011 for 360, PS3 and Wii. The game will feature vintage Andre Agassi (seen above) as a playable character, but only for those who pre-order at GameStop in the US. I guess Sweden already scooped up Bjrn Borg.

2K Czech will be handling the development of "Top Spin 4," fresh off the release of "Mafia 2." Somehow I doubt "Top Spin" will see similar, half-decade-long development times. And there probably won't be quite so much driving.

In the game's announcement, 2K noted that "Top Spin 4" will feature "all-new innovative controls to dominate the competition." Looking at the list of supported platforms, it seems likely that Kinect and Move will each be getting a nod in some way or another. It'll be interesting to see how much work 2K Czech puts into the game to support these new modes of control. Kinect would be especially tricky, given that there'd be no way to move your character around or to select a certain type of shot. The game may have to be simplified, ala Tennis in "Wii Sports," where much of the controls are handled by the game's AI. That's if Kinect is supported at all, which hasn't been confirmed yet.

Whatever the case, looks like tennis fans have a new title to watch out for in 2011. Oh, and an old, Andre Agassi to stare at.

Bungie's very real "Halo: Reach" Legendary Edition materialized in retailer listings for $149.99 with a special case, collectibles and an assortment of in-game armor, as well as a "Legendary Noble 6" sculpture. Bungie waited until nearly the eleventh hour, however, to go into detail about their "two full hours of exclusive, behind-the-scenes campaign commentary covering unrevealed aspects of 'Halo: Reach''s production" that are now officially part of the package.

Creative director Marcus Lehto, audio director and composer Marty ODonnell, cinematics and story lead Lee Wilson and effects lead Steve Scott will all contribute to the extra content, according to a post on Bungie.net. Their reflections will cover "a full campaign play-through, from start to finish." It will be "judiciously edited to excise the downtime and deliver only the most impactful moments," however, so it sounds like they'll try to keep it lively. Don't watch the commentary before playing "Reach" yourself, though, because they also say it will be laced with spoilers.

Remember that this will be the last time you can expect to hear the franchise's original developers contributing to such a commentary track, since they're departing Halo and their relationship with Microsoft Game Studios to focus on their mystery Activision game once "Reach" ships. That's next week, by the way, on September 14, so the time to choose your level of "Reach" investment is nigh.

Are you sold on the "Halo: Reach" Legendary Edition? Is there anything else you wish Bungie would have included? Share your perspectives in the comment section below.

Portal 2 was shown to the public for the first time at PAX Prime last weekend, and while no one got hands-on time, Valve’s Josh Weier was there to show us a bit of the puzzler’s co-op portion.

First and foremost, those who felt the first Portal was a bit light lengthwise will be pleased to know both the single-player and co-op modes are twice as long as the original game. Also, those who felt tinges of motion sickness or vertigo with the first one shouldn’t be troubled this time out; the field of view has been changed.

The co-op portion of the game’s story is independent from the single-player. Obviously, you and your partner will have to work together in order to complete each stage.

Valve has included the ability for you or your partner to throw up an hint icon on the screen, which designates where you’d like the other player to open a portal. You’re using the same gun you had in the first game.

Hug it up

These hints are extremely useful, especially as the two players aren’t allowed to speak to each other. It’s just hints and emotes for communication.

Emotes can be used to hug it out with their partner, wave, or complete other small gestures.

The hint system was demonstrated to the audience in a situation with a light bridge. In order to use the bridge to get into the next room, the players had to use the portal guns to make the bridge extend. A player would throw a hint up on a wall, the partner would open a portal there, and the first player would throw its portal up and walk through to the other side.

Another instance of required cooperation where hints were useful was a room with lasers, which are new to the series. In this room, one player would insert a reflecting cube into the laser’s path, while the other player opened a portal in the wall for the laser to be reflected through. Each player would then open portals in the walls deterring the laser’s path until until it was no longer restricted.

Lasers will play a significant part in some of the game’s puzzles, as you’ll sometimes have to use reflector cubes to aim lasers at turrets in order to destroy them.

“Chasm filled with deadly liquid”

At one point in the demo, Valve showed a room obstacled by a large chasm. In order to get to the other side, a portal needed to be opened allowing one of the players to build up enough momentum to shoot across the chasm.

One player opens two portals, which allows the co-op partner to keep slipping through them, gaining speed constantly. Once the player gained enough momentum, the player’s partner shoots a portal into the wall on the other side, and the player came flying out onto a platform.

Should your partner not open the portal in the correct spot, you’ll fall into the chasm filled with deadly liquid. Tough break. However, you appear back where you first started in the room, so it’s not like you’ll have to walk too far to restart.

Once you finally reach the other side of the room, you just repeat what your partner did to get you both across.

Throughout play, Glados’s voice twits along, encouraging you or throwing witty barbs your way should she feel you’re not doing as well as you should.

All in all, co-op in Portal 2 looks like it will be loads of fun, and with twice the puzzles and length as the first game, it should lock you in for time.

You can check out the demo we saw of Portal 2 through the video we posted for you on Saturday.

Portal 2 releases on February 9 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops" will have at least two names in common with "Batman: The Dark Knight" when it slips into stores on November 9. Actor Gary Oldman,who will come back to the CoD franchise to voice-act as Viktor Reznov, and writer David Goyer have signed on to provide their services for the game, as has actor Ed Harris. Oldman will reprise his role from "CoD: World at War," while Harris will introduce his character, CIA operative Jason Hudson, and Goyer will provide script and plot consultation for Treyarch.

"Oldman, Harris and Goyer are considered some of Hollywood's finest talents and they perfectly complement 'Call of Duty: Black Ops'' ambitious and immersive single player experience," Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia said in a press release. "Their contributions have helped us to push the boundaries of our story telling and character development far beyond anything we have ever attempted before in the franchise."

Just in case you didn't catch the hints Treyarch has been trying to throw your way, "Black Ops" is probably going to go to some dark places. Just short of calling in Christopher Nolan to direct an intro and casting Christian Bale in the lead role, they've inched about as close to "The Dark Knight" as they can get.

Harris' portfolio of video game work isn't nearly as deep as Oldman's, but he's played a wide range of malevolent and everyman type characters in his movie work. It's not totally clear if his part will fall into one of those categories this time around, but we'll known by November.

What do you think of the casting choices in "Black Ops"? Are you glad to see Oldman returning? Share your perspectives in the comment section below.

Over the last few years WayForward Technologies have established themselves as the go-to developer for developing licensed games if you want the end product to actually be enjoyable, especially if it's on one of Nintendo's platforms. While most licensed titles generally fall into the category of shovelware, WayForward has done an impressive job crafting games that are enjoyable across the board, whether you're a fan of the source material or not. Their streak has continued with their latest release, "Batman: The Brave and the Bold The Videogame," a classically influenced, 2D sidescroller based on the Cartoon Network show of the same name.

The Basics

"Batman: The Brave and the Bold The Videogame" follows the Caped Crusader as he teams up with other superheroes to stop crime. The game is a classic 2D sidescrolling beat 'em for up to three players. The main gameplay features the Dark Knight as a playable character in each of the game's four "episodes" alongside another hero from the show's diverse roster.

The Highs

It's Just Like The Show

"Batman: The Brave and the Bold" may be a relatively new entry into the Batman Universe (it's only in its third season), but it definitely feels like it stands out on its own. Instead of the usual dark portrayal of Gotham's most tormented billionaire, "The Brave and the Bold" takes a slightly more humorous look at Batman as he teams up with other familiar faces from DC, and the game feels like a true extension of the show. Instead of tweaking characters or dialog, WayForward kept everything essentially the same, creating an interactive experience that feels like it could be part of the cartoon, instead of a re-envisioned version of it. The game even goes so far as to start each episode with its own boss fight, much like the show does before the opening rolls (which also happens in the game at the beginning of each episode).

Classic Gameplay

Being an animated show, "The Brave and the Bold" really feels like it exists in a 2D world, and the game recreates that feeling perfectly by being a simple sidescroller. While some might think it to be an outdated genre, its a perfect fit for this title, creating a game that doesn't feel forced in anyway, whereas jumping to 3D might have thrown off some fans of the series.

DS Connectivity

Like one of the many gadgets that Batman packs in his utility belt, players that have "The Brave and the Bold" for the DS have a trick up their sleeve that the villains in the game might not see coming. This is one of the very few Wii titles to take advantage of the DS connectivity functionality offered by the system, allowing players to sync their two devices together to unlock a third playable character, Bat Mite, at any point in the gameplay. While Bat Mite might not be able to directly attack enemies he can provide power ups for the two heroes that are battling, as well as drop a destructive anvil or bomb on their foes.

The Lows

Punch, Punch, Punch

It's a flaw of the genre, but through the ages beat 'em ups tend to be really repetitive, so much so that they encroach on boring. "The Brave and the Bold" doesn't do too much in the way of working the genre out of that rut, but it does offer a few options to break up the gameplay a little bit. However, looking for hidden items and playing as different characters (with the same basic move set as Batman) doesn't go too far to hide the fact that this is another brawler in the most traditional sense.

Only One Character Per Level

"The Brave and the Bold" is designed to be a two-player, co-op title. However, in a single-player game, it seems like one function that is missing is the ability to readily switch between the two on-screen characters (something that's possible in the DS version). Each character has unique abilities, weapons and attacks that would be fun to have full access to, but once you make your character selection at the beginning of the level, you are stuck with them through until the end.

Motion Controls

The motion controls in this title seem a bit out of place for the play style. The game isn't saturated with them, placing most of the controls on the face buttons, but there are some attacks that require a swing of the Wii Remote. While you can play through just about the entire game without using these controls, it seems like everything that's accomplished with the motion controls could have been mapped to buttons on the Classic Controller, and it would have only enhanced the experience. At the very least, offering the Classic Controller as an option would have been a welcome addition to the title.

The Verdict

While there are a few things worth complaining about in "Batman The Brave and the Bold The Videogame," for the most part, the good far outshine the bad. The game is a tight, fun experience that holds very true to the source material. Even thought the gameplay is a bit repetitive, both fans of the show (young and old), and fans of Batman in general should enjoy all of the game's episodes, as long as they aren't expecting it to be "Arkham Asylum 1.5."

The original "BioShock" never managed any noteworthy downloadable content. A few trials here, a new plasmid there, but nothing to write how about. "BioShock 2" always promised more on the DLC, but the first couple packs didn't really set themselves apart, either. It seems that all of the previous "BioShock" downloadable content managed to forget that people love the franchise not only for the gameplay but also for its ability to tell a good story. And finally we have DLC that provides both in spades. "Minerva's Den" is a fantastic addition to "BioShock 2" that is a must-play for anyone that enjoyed the full game.

The Basics

"Minerva's Den" is a strictly single-player piece of content. Set in 1968, the game has you playing another primitive big daddy, known as Sigma. Unlike Delta, Sigma isn't out to reconnect with a lost little sister. No, his quest involves capturing valuable data stored in the heart of Rapture's computer mainframe. Unfortunately he's got competition in the form of one of the computer's designers, an insane programmer named Wahl.

The Highs

A High-Quality Rapture Tale

Oftentimes when playing through downloadable content, it's blatantly obvious that the DLC isn't up to the same standard as the full game. That couldn't be further from the truth with "Minerva's Den." For this DLC episode, the developers kept the experience equal with anything offered on disc, and that includes recording new voice actors, offering up new weapons and having new foes to fight.

A Complete Experience

"Minerva's Den" lasts about 3 to 4 hours long, and in that time the game manages to tell one of the most compelling stories "BioShock" fans have ever seen. Clear character development, unexpected twists and constantly unique environments managed to breathe new life into Rapture. And considering this is likely the final piece of "BioShock 2" DLC, it'll be the last new bit of Rapture we might ever see, as "BioShock Infinite" will take place before the underwater city was ever built.

The Lows

Familiar Ground

This is not a huge complaint, especially if you enjoyed "BioShock 2," but if you're looking strictly at the gameplay in "Minvera's Den," it's not dramatically different from anything you saw in the full game. A few upgrades here and there, but you're going to be on familiar ground, saving little sisters, fighting off big daddies, so on and so forth. For me this wasn't a big issue, as it's been months since I played "BioShock 2" and didn't mind returning to these tropes, but if you're fresh off beating the game, it might feel like a retread.

The Verdict

"Minvera's Den" is unquestionably one of the best pieces of downloadable content I've ever played. It seems like no expense was spared to make this a top-notch experience for fans of the series. If you enjoyed "BioShock 2," "Minvera's Den" is a must-play and well worth your ten bucks.

Ziltch. Zero. 0. Get that?

EA Partners boss David DeMartini has told EG that Respawn Entertainment’s first title, to be published by his firm, is starting from “zero”.

DeMartini added that when he signed the upstart, formed by ex-Infinity Ward bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella earlier this year, it had nothing: no workplace, no furniture, no basic admin, no HR, nada.

“I know everybody is going to say, ‘Well what are they working on?’ The thing everybody needs to remember is they were starting at absolute zero,” he said.

“This is two guys who really know what they’re doing having to go find a place for the team, buy chairs and desks and furniture, find new technology from the ground up, and pull a team together. I need to get HR people.

“There are contracts. There are all kinds of things and administration that need to take place. Amongst all that administration they’ve pulled together the core of a fantastic team and they’re starting to work on a whole bunch of ideas to try and find what is going to be the one right idea for us.”

DeMartini had previously said the game is a lot further out then Insomniac’s project with EA Partners, and hinted last night that we’d see that sooner.

DeMartini has said of the Respawn title, though, that he is “highly, highly confident” of what the studio will first produce.

Think it’s safe to say Brink is crazy. In a good way, mind.

Bethesda’s released the fifth and final diary for Splash Damage shooter Brink, with some of the main team telling of the need to do crazy things with the game.

Watch it below. It’s a tiny bit good, yarp?

Brink launches in spring 2011 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Thanks, Evil Avatar.

Activision has released demos for both DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock on Xbox Live.

The DJ Hero 2 demo allows you to try out four exclusive mixes as you freestyle scratch, sample and crossfade through various gameplay tutorials, QuickPlay and all-new multiplayer modes including Accumulator and DJ Battle.

The included mixes are:

• Pussycat Dolls Featuring Busta Rhymes “Don’t Cha” Mixed With Pitbull “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”


• Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis “Just Dance” Mixed With Deadmau5 “Ghosts N Stuff”


• MSTRKRFT Featuring N.O.R.E. “Bounce” (Battle Mix)


• Estelle Featuring Kanye West “American Boy” Mixed With Chic “Good Times”

The Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock demo features the new, story-driven Quest Mode, narrated by Gene “The Tongue” Simmons from KISS, along with the following four tracks:

• Black Sabbath “Children of the Grave”


• Foo Fighters “No Way Back”


• Slash featuring Ian Astbury “Ghosts”


• Dethklok “Bloodlines”

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock lands at retail on September 24 and 28 in the UK and US, respectively.

DJ Hero hits stores on October 19 and 22 in the US and UK.

Both games are to be made available on PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.

2K’s announced Top Spin 4 is in development for a 2011 ship.

The tennis title is due to hit PS3, 360 and PC next year, and will feature tennis legend Andre Agassi for anyone who pre-orders the game on PS3 and 360. We’re assuming this means there’s no Andre for you if you don’t pre-order. That kind of sucks.

Details will come soon from 2K.

The game’s in development at 2K Czech, with the last game in the series being Top Spin 3 in 2008.

“Top Spin 4 is shaping up to be the most realistic and exhilarating tennis game in the Top Spin franchise,” said 2K’s Greg Thomas.

“For this iteration, the development team is focused on delivering a bold new take on the sport of tennis by allowing gamers to experience first-hand an uncanny level of realism in the player and stadium models, authentic audio captured directly from real tennis matches, and all-new innovative controls to dominate the competition.”

Microsoft’s Kudo Tsunoda feels it “will be hard” for another company to try and replicate a controller-free system like Kinect due to “super-complicated technical” hurdles.

Speaking with Eurogamer, Tsunoda said since the software itself was so complex that the mighty Microsoft even had a bit of a rough time with it.

“What we’ve done with the software is something that’s really hard to pull off,” said the device’s creative lead.

“We have a good advantage at Microsoft because we have groups like our Microsoft Research department that not a lot of other companies have, and we’re able to solve some super-complicated technical problems in a short period of time.

“They were actually working on something like this before we even started it on Xbox. I think it’s going to be super-challenging for anybody else to solve those problems.”

You shall not pass, only trail behind

Should another company accomplish what Microsoft has with Kinect, however, Tsunoda said he thought the hands-free controller will have already moved above and beyond the initial launch offering.

“People have been trying for a long time and we’re the first company that’s been able to deliver this,” he said.

“If people are able to figure it out, by the time they’ve figured it out we’re going to be off into adding more new things to the platform. But I just think that’s such a hard technology challenge that it will be hard for anyone to deliver on what Kinect is.”

However, it looks as though there is another challenger out there, called iisu from Softkinetic and it is already being used in the Tiger Woods series.

Softkinectic CEO and founder Michel Tombroff believes it’s better than Kinect, as he told Eurogamer it doesn’t have any lag, and player detection and occlusion are more precise than Kinect.

Kinect hits November 4 in the US and November 10 in Europe.

Did you know that the most-played class in Mass Effect 2 is Soldier, more so then any other class combined? No? Did you know that only two PC players finished it 28 times and it was completed 23 times by four players on 360? You do now.

IGN’s posted up some interesting stats on the BioWare RPG, which shows that half of players imported a save over from Mass Effect 1.

Why the stats? It’s to help the developer get its shit together for Mass Effect 3 and any other sequels, obviously. Not that it ever needs to get it together, to be honest.

“The only data that we get are in terms of events — little things that happen in the game,” explained series producer Casey Hudson.

“Let’s say if we want to know whether players skip lines of dialogue, we can have that become a little event that gets sent up. It’s all completely anonymous, so all we get is raw numbers for how many times these kinds of events occur.”

Hudson said these stats are only used for building games from the ground up, so don’t expect feedback to be going into DLC, like the release of Lair of the Shadowbroker today, or the PS3 port of the game next year.

“There are some things regarding difficulty and weapons and things like that and those are easier to tune, but there won’t be a huge opportunity to include this stuff for the PS3 version,” he said.

“It’s about how you design a game from the ground up.”

There’s a whole lot more through the link.

BioWare’s released a new trailer of Star Wars: The Old Republic, hooking the upcoming MMO into one of its previous games.

The clip shows a mission where you must assault a complex build by Revan, one of the main characters from Knights of the Old Republic.

Check out the clip below.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is out next spring, although after March 2011.

Thanks, Big Download.

Microsoft put out montage trailers of both Joyride and Kinect Sports this morning, showing one woman soundly beating both a small boy and young girl. She really takes them to school.

The Kinect Sports video sees a family competing in a variety of events before taking on another family online in a soccer game. Mom wins the day with a childhood-crushing penalty a certain young man will most likely carry to his deathbed. It’s rousing stuff.

The Joy Ride trailer consists of a bunch of gameplay modes, including stunts, split-screen, racing and more.

Both are launch titles alongside the 360 motion system this November.

Kinect launches in the US on November 4, to be followed in Europe on November 10.

Metroid creator Yoshio Sakamoto’s all about the shocks, apparently.

He’s told a Spanish website that the next home console from Nintendo will “leave your mouth open.”

“At Nintendo we always have the obligation to surprise users with a new game console,” he said.

“We have never done what others have. We prefer to create something new that catches attention, and I think this will continue this time as well. Surely the new Nintendo machine will leave you all with your mouth open.”

This year, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has hinted at 3D for the next home console from the firm, following in the footsteps of 3DS.

NoA boss Reggie Fils-Aime has said the new hardware is a long, long way from coming.

“When the software developer comes forward with an idea that cant be executed on the current platform, thats when we start thinking seriously about the next system, he said back in March.

Were not there yet, from a Wii perspective.

Thanks, Kotaku.

The cheevos list? Kitase remaining a bit silent on the rumours? You may finally have your answer. Keyword: may.

According to an apparently leaked scan from the latest issue of Dengeki (via FinalFantasy.net), Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 is coming to Japan in an international version.

The title will supposedly launch in the country on December 16 – nearly a year to the day since it would have released on PS3 – and will feature an easy mode and English voiceovers.

Nothing else is mentioned.

The game launched in the west for PS3 and 360 back in March.

Pro-tip: if this is real, you’ll probably hear more tomorrow, as the new Famitsu is due out then.

We’ll drop Square an email, but don’t expect the unexpected.

Buttons, you say, Watson? Astonishing.

Rare’s George Andreas has told Edge the studio and Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux had strongly wanted buttons for Kinect originally, going as far as being “very vocal” to boss Kudo Tsunoda at the time, before deciding down the line they weren’t needed.

“We were absolutely adamant that we needed a button, something with haptic feedback, that would initiate an action,” said Andreas.

“It took a long time – we threw some prototypes together and then we saw you didn’t need one.

“We were very vocal to Kudo [Tsunoda, Kinect lead] at the time, and Peter Molyneux was as well, that you needed something in your hand,” he added.

The tech for Kinect allows the player to become the controller itself instead of using a physical controller.

Kinect launches on Novemeber 10 in Europe with Rare’s Kinect Sports being a launch title.

Via Kotaku, CVG.

Namco Bandai’s announced a release for Tales of Graces F in Japan, just a day after detailing its upcoming demo.

The game, a HD PS3 port of the Wii version that released last year in the country, will be released on December 2 for 8,379, higher then the 7,329 for the title on Wii.

But ToG F will feature extras not found from its original 2009 launch, such as a special DVD skit, as well as costume and custom theme download codes.

Namco detailed yesterday what to expect from the upcoming PSN demo of the RPG. Get more here.

Thanks, Andriasang.

Do want.

D’Toid’s thrown up the first 15 minutes of the beautiful looking Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

The clip shows the first mission in the game, known as “The Escape”, where Monkey and Trip will meet each other for the first time while trying to escape slave-ship 909.

According to the site, the mission is one of seven that will introduce you to the game.

Watch it below.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West launches next month, October 8, for PS3 and 360 from Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory.

Get your questions on the game answered by NT here.

Activision’s announced some of the voice talent for Call of Duty: Black Ops, whilst also confirming a return for Gary Oldman.

Oldman previously appeared in World at War as Russian WWII soldier Viktor Reznov, and will return for the Cold War-era shooter.

Also confirmed for Black Ops is Apollo 13 actor Ed Harris, who will voice one of the main characters in the game, CIA agent Jason Hudson.

Activision’s also announced it has brought on Dark Knight writer David Goyer to “provide script consultation and story development support.”

“Oldman, Harris and Goyer are considered some of Hollywoods finest talents and they perfectly complement Call of Duty: Black Ops ambitious and immersive single player experience,” said Treyarch boss Mark Lamia.

“Their contributions have helped us to push the boundaries of our story telling and character development far beyond anything we have ever attempted before in the franchise.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops launches on November 10 for PS3, 360, PC, Wii and DS.

Sony’s just released PS3 Firmware update 3.42, as confirmed by SCEA’s John Koller on the US PS Blog.

There’s virtually no detail on what the update actually does, with Koller saying only, “A minor update to your PS3 system is now available via system software update v3.42 that includes additional security features.”

This is a mandatory install, reportedly.

The release may well have something to do with a recent flurry of PS3 hacking software, but that’s reaching. Install it and be thankful Sony’s trying to keep you safe, citizen.

Game Informer’s posted up a bunch of new BioShock: Infinite screens, giving off the first in-game look at Handyman.

The Big Daddy-alike features a suitably turn-o’-the-Century head, waxed ‘tache and all, and he really does has some large hands. It’s all worked out well for him on the hand front.

The game’s on Game: Informer’s next cover, so we’d already seen a piece of Handyman art.

Irrational explained the thinking behind Handyman’s concept and construction in its podcast late last month.

He was first seen in the game’s reveal trailer in mid-August.

The other new screens show a crow-laced scene and a fella spreading anti-anarchist propaganda.

BioShock: Infinite releases in 2012 for PC, PS3 and 360.

GTPlanet’s posted up ten new off-screen videos of Gran Turismo 5, all taken from the recent Best Buy conference in the US.

The top one shows the game’s damage modelling system in action. There’s a beaten-up Ferrari there, spinning round in circles. Amazing.

The rest show cars driving round tracks, down roads and over hills.

We saw this at gamescom. It’s exhaustive and very anal. You can stick that on the box.

GT5 ships on November 2 in the US and November 3 in Europe.

We really need to stop putting those “alarm” and “false alarm” buttons so close to each other.

Sorry, intrepid half-tucked adventurers, what you saw kicking around in the great womb of game development yesterday wasn’t Uncharted 3. Instead, Sony told Kotaku, it was just a little VO work for some new DLC.

For shame, Elena – getting us all excited like that. We thought Chloe was the sleazy back-stabby one. Not you!

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, gaming’s – to our knowledge – only team of T&A-loving ninjas isn’t going anywhere, according to Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto.

“As far as my opinion is concerned if we are going to make something similar to Metroid: Other M in the future I cannot think that it would be possible for Nintendo to make it without collaborating with Team Ninja,” he told CVG.

If Nintendo decides not to cook up The Other, Other M, however, Sakamoto does have an “it’s not you, it’s me” speech prepared for Team Ninja.

“But if I’m going to decide that it’s going to be a different story for the next Metroid adventure then depending on the skills, know-how and technology that might require, Team Ninja might not be the choice for us to collaborate with,” he explained.

Sounds like you need to start sucking up to Sakamoto stat, Team Ninja. He bought a new tie, you say? And it looks just plain awful? No! Don’t say that! Tell him it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve seen since you caught a glimpse of The Other M’s sterling Metacritic average. So, you know, be subtle.

Thanks, Prof.Dr.Moertel.

EA Partners boss David DeMartini has told Eurogamer the firm’s new title with Insomniac Games is being given an aim of 90 on MetaCritic.

The publisher had announced the deal with the California-based studio back in May, which seen its 16-year PlayStation-only code go out the window to develop a PS3-360 title for the first time ever.

DeMartini told the site in Cologne during gamescom it had already gotten “a really great creative idea” and it had been “breaking new ground”.

“Insomniac makes really high-quality experiences that consumers love, and they’re doing that again,” he said.

They are breaking some ground with regards to gameplay. But I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, they’re going 4D.’

“Insomniac regularly has set a bar at 90 in Metacritic. I think this game is going to exceed that bar. It is a really great creative idea that they’re executing on marvellously so far,” he added.

DeMartini went on to hint it won’t be before long before we see the title in action for the first time.

“I think sooner rather than later we’re going to be sharing some early concepts on that one because they’ve made so much progress. They’re in a great position.”

Not much is known on the EAP title, other than Insomniac’s main studio in Burbank, California will be handling development on the game.

The developer did announce in Germany three weeks ago two new titles from California and its new studio in North Carolina, respectively: Ratchet & Clank: All4One from its NC studio, and the muchanticipatedResistance 3 in Burbank, both for PS3.

Both of which will be out for 2011.

News! At last!

Uncharted voice actress Emily Rose has said she’s doing continuing work on the series.

She said in a tweet:

“Landed in LALA land yesterday and already the schedule is a buzz…. filming my first Night show today 4 #HAVEN then work on #UNCHARTED!”

While Rose didn’t exactly say Uncharted 3, Nathan Drake voice actor Nolan North has already said a third in the AAA Naughty Dog series is “common sense”.

Uncharted 2 is among one of the best critically rated games this generation.

Announce it soon, please?

Thanks, Gekidami.

Namco Bandai has detailed more info on the upcoming PSN demo of Tales of Graces F for PS3. Slow news day? Possibly.

The taster will offer a dungeon called “Forest of Mystery,” where you’ll be able to pick from seven different playable characters.

The demo will allow players to sample some character-specific moves, such as “Accel Mode” and the “hi-ougi” specials.

No release timeframe was given, but it’ll be coming soon, and will be at Tokyo Game Show next week.

Tales of Graces F, a PS3 version of the Wii game of the same name, hits Japan by the end of the year.

Thanks, Andriasang.

Give us a break on the headline. It’s the most painfully dull slow news day ever.

Ubisoft’s released three new screens of Driver: San Francisco. See them on Gamersyde.

The game was due out this holiday season for PS3, 360, PC and Mac – with aseparateWii version also due at the same time – but was delayed by Ubisoft until 2011 recently.

We went to see the crime-race reboot in Newcastle before E3 this year; you can see his impressions here, an interview with Reflections co-founder Martin Edmunson here and more assets that you know what to do with here.

Shock.

MEGamers is reporting that Mafia II has been in the United Arab Emirates, although no reason was given as to why.

The game is the latest to join the ranks of those refused sale in the country, including Darksiders, Heavy Rain, God of War III and even Dragon Age 2 next year, according to the site.

Sympathies, etc.

It looks awesome, it’s out next month, it’s gone Gold and it’s just gotten an 86 percent from GamesMaster.

Enslaved. It’s coming. What do you want to know about it?

We’ve already spoken to developer Ninja Theory about the game twice this year, once in Barcelona during a pre-E3 Namco bash and once in Brighton during Develop.

But what do you guys want to know about the game? Stick your questions in the comments below, and we’ll cherry pick the best to get answered by NT.

Sadly, unlike our MS community interviews, there are no prizes this time. Unless you count ego-boosting as a prize. In which case, push for the win.

We’ll stop taking questions by the end of play this Friday.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West launches in the UK on October 8 for PS3 and 360.

Was your Crackdown 2 DLC a bit screwed last week? Not to fear, Ruffian’s sorted you out. Just download it again.

The Dundee-based studio has confirmed it has now fixed issues that plagued the release of the game’s Toy Box content last week.

The developer said problems included hiccups with the narrator’s voice,wonky Achievementsand the game tending to “crash on loading”.

Apparently this was all “caused by problems mastering the DLC package,” and because of that, you need to re-download a newly-updated DLC pack instead of downloading a patch.

Thanks, Joystiq.

Epic’s raised $150,000 for Penny Arcade charity Child’s Play following it’s save or die Carmine campaign for Gears of War 3.

Gamers were allowed to buy virtual and real-life T-shirts to decide the fate of the final Carmine brother, Clayton, with proceeds going to the charity.

The campaign has been a overwhelming success, it seems.

As for if Carmine lives or not, you’ll have to play the game next April to find out.

Catch a video clip of Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski and Rod Fergusson announcing the news below.

Thanks, Beefjack.

Mafia II’s held on to the top spot in the UK charts, it’s been announced this morning.

The 2K title held on despite a 23 percent sales drop from last week, as well as a challenge from Kane & Lynch 2, which landed at second.

Wii Sports Resort made another challenge at the summit again, coming back at number three.

Toy Story 3 and Red Dead Redemption finished off the top five.

But there’s no room in the top ten from Metroid: Other M. The Team Ninja-developed title came in at 12.

Get the full top ten for the week ending September 4 below. Last week’s data is here.

That Halo movie. Completely dead, right? If comments made by 343 Industries boss Frankie O’Connor are indication, it’s as if it hasn’t even entered cardiac arrest.

A movie’s been on-off for the past couple of years, butO’Connor told Variety over the weekend (via Kotaku) the Halo studio is still intent on making a movie on all things Chief.

One that will be “excellent”.

“We’re still interested in making an excellent ‘Halo’ movie,” he said.

“We’ve created an awful lot of documentation and materials to support a feature film. We have a good idea of what kind of story we want to tell, but won’t move on it until there’s a great reason to do it. We’re in no particular hurry.”

If a feature-film doesn’t end up in the near future, Microsoft are looking at man’s best friend: TV. O’Connor said the firm was “intently watching” if a TV show would be an alternative option, with him adding that a movie wouldn’t be a “verbatim retelling of the game.”

The latest game in the Halo IP, Reach, launches worldwide next Tuesday from original developer Bungie, who will be stepping aside from the series after its launch to focus on its new Activision-published IP.

Warren Spector’s PAX keynote has hit the net. Go live that Spector-like dream below.

Within the 45 minute keynote, the Junction Point boss covers many subjects, including his own life as a developer and also the age old debate of are games art.

One of Spector’s better quotes from the speech was this:

“Challenge yourselves. Demand more from the games youre offered. Vote with your dollars. Raise your voices and urge developers and publishers to give you something new and betternot just better executed versions of things weve already played.”

Catch the video below.

Thanks, Filefront.

Eurogamer’s just announced EA’s line-up for EGE next month at Earls Court, including Crysis 2 and Dead Space 2.

The publisher’s also bring Criterion’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Medal of Honor and FIFA 11.

EA is the latest publisher confirmed for the event, following on from Sony, Bethesda and Konami and others.

Eurogamer Expo takes place between October 1-3, although tickets for the Saturday have now sold out.

Get tickets for the Friday or Sunday here.

When one thinks of Duke Nukem Forever, so many subjects spring to mind: vaporware, legal drama, a dated action hero, nostalgia, excitement, nebulous press releases, broken promises, four different gaming engines; the list is endless.

Duke Nukem Forever has been rebooted many different times – something usually reserved for entire franchises – and now, once again, the game is back. This time, though, the Duke’s disenfranchised fans can, finally, be sure that a developer is able to fulfill a long-kept promise and drag the jaded star into modernity. And it’s all thanks to the love and devotion of a developer with a vested interest in the hulking blond with a penchant for women and cigars.

Gearbox announced in Seattle on Friday that Duke Nukem Forever will release next year for PS3, PC and 360, and no one is more excited to be able to bring the Duke back to us than the firm’s president and co-founder, Randy Pitchford.

After the reveal of Duke Nukem Forever at PAX Prime last week, Pitchford sat down with us to talk about his role in bringing Duke back to the masses. He talked about how he funded the game, supported the original developers, and ultimately put Gearbox’s reputations on the line in order show 2K that Duke was alive, relevant and ready to kick ass, kill pig beasts, and take fucking names.

VG247: How long have you guys been sitting on this, Randy?

Randy Pitchford: Well, we heard about 3DRealms running into trouble in May of 2009. The reason I went to Texas and started working with 3DRealms was because of Duke Nukem 3D. They had let everybody go that day, fired everybody and shut down the whole studio, in May of 2009. We all watched it, and read about it, but Allen Blum [senior level designer - Ed] just couldn’t let the dream die.

A lot of the newer guys on the team that were fired, went off and found other jobs, but Alan and some of the others guys, who were the heart and soul of Duke, just couldn’t imagine anything else. At first, they didn’t know what to do, and then they were like, ‘You know, why do we have to let it die? What if we just kept going?’ So they started working out of their houses, with all the stuff they brought home. They did a deal with Scott Miller, one of the owners of 3D Realms, and I think Scott and George Broussard were still trying to figure it out with the legal part going on.

So, I got wind of this, and I had seen what existed, and I know Alan, and I had worked with Alan, and I knew it was possible. I decided then that I was going to help – in Duke’s time of need. I believed I could be the one to help this. I offered to fund them, and it got to the point where they needed it, so I started to fund them and I started talking to George and Scott about the business to see what we could fix it to make this possible.

I put it all together in a nice package and brought it to Christoph Hartmann [2K's president - Ed] and told him what I’d done. I told him that I had leveraged my knowledge of a brand I had worked on before, and the trust that both Scott and George has in me and the team has in me, and my own studio’s credibility and expertise, along with our ability to ship games on all platforms. I brought all of this to Take-Two. Since Take-Two owns all the publishing rights to Duke Nukem Forever, it’s obvious they want nothing more than for this game to be great.

So, with Christoph seeing that I was able to fix the situation and enable that, he got behind it; me and my studio and this approach just allowed all of the business to work out.

That’s the long story. The short story, is, yeah, we’ve had to be really secretive for over a year about this; this isn’t the game you want to make promises about. This isn’t a game where I could come out and say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna make it all right,’ after the business was settled, because, let’s face it, we’ve heard that story before.

Even if we had released screenshots and trailers – I mean, we’ve seen screenshots and we’ve seen trailers. We’ve all been jerked around for a really long time. And while the truth is we haven’t been jerked around, as the guys have never given up the dream, they were in a tough spot. They couldn’t put enough in to grow in this industry, but they knew they had the right formula and they didn’t want to let it go, or let the game be something they didn’t imagine.

It’s kind of serendipitous that my studio got strong enough to help. I mean, we’ve been so fortunate. The success of Borderlands, our Brothers in Arms games, and the things we did in Half-Life – we’ve been so fortunate, and successful enough to be a position to help.

You know, somebody once said, ‘Always bet on Duke’. So I did. I put myself right in the middle there and put all the chips on it and it worked out. Our strategy was to get it there, to get it to where we know it’s there, we know it’s happening. We have it to the polishing stage, where we have it running on all the platforms and where we know it’s ready to ship.

When talking about all this, we were like, ‘Let’s bring this to the gamers. Let’s not do announcements, let’s not do advertisements. Let’s bring this to the gamers, and let gamers play it.’ I love the PAX show, and this was right around that time, so PAX is the place. There are tens of thousands of people here, and they’re not retailers, and while there’s some journalists, it’s not really about that – it’s about gamers. We wanted to bring the game to the gamers, and that’s what we did. I mean it’s been crazy. The line has gotten up to four hours long to see the game. It’s trending as the number one worldwide on Twitter.

I mean, holy crap. I mean, Duke Nukem.

That just shows how much we all want to pull for him, and how important it is that he’s triumphant here. I mean it’s not ‘just a game’: it’s very personal to me.

So, yeah. Duke Nukem won the internet today.

Apparently he won PAX too, Randy. The line to see him hasn’t looked any different all day. It’s been massive since the show opened.

Randy Pitchford: You’re right, and I actually feel really bad about it, because it’s tough to stand up and wait in line for four hours. I wish we could do more, but we’re gonna find other opportunities before the game comes out. That’s the key. We want as many people to get their hands on it as possible and see Duke for themselves.

Well, what about a demo, then? We’ve heard rumors about that and I know you are in the polishing phase, as you said. I asked Brian this morning if there would be a demo for those who couldn’t make it to PAX or another venue.

Randy Pitchford: I think that is an important thing to do, and while I don’t have a date for that…

But one of the things about being able to keep it secret – well, my understanding is that 2K just told their retailers about the game for the first time this morning.

Really?

Markus Wilding, 2K PR boss: Yes, it’s true.

Randy Pitchford: There’s a reason for this is: if it had happened earlier, the expectation of promises could have come up and this is a game you don’t make promises about.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag we can actually make those plans. No we can get with retailers and figure out the launch window, and figure out demo timing, and work with the first-parties on that. We weren’t able to do that until this point, because if we did we risked damaging it even further.

It’s like making more promises. You know, even if the promise is real – which it is – people won’t believe it until they see it themselves. We just wanted to bring it in front of people, and people will believe them, and we want more people to see it, because everybody needs to see it for themselves. That’s important before it launches, and this is the first step.

Well, sure. I mean, it was first announced in 1997.

Randy Pitchford: That’s when I left 3DRealms. In fact, it was May of ‘97 when I left the studio, and it was May of 2009, a dozen years later, when they had to shut down.

Right, and because of that it’s been a massive joke to people: ‘Duke Nukem is vaporware.’

Randy Pitchford: We’ve been through the whole range of emotions, from wanting the sequel, to, ‘Oh my god what the hell’s wrong with this thing,’ to, ‘Wow, that last trailer was awesome and that means its real again,’ to, like, making fun of it and calling it vaporware.

I mean, yeah, it was getting Vaporware of the Year award in Wired magazine every single year, and finally Wired’s like, ‘You know what? Duke Nukem Forever now has a lifetime achievement award.’

But here’s the thing about Duke. He’s the king. And he’s gonna be the King of everything – even vaporware. You gotta hand it to him, you know: you can’t kill the king.

I was looking over some of the comments on our site after the reveal, and quite a few were wondering about a trailer. When do you think we’ll get one, and will it possibly be a demo of what we saw out there?

Randy Pitchford: That’s a very good question. We showed bits of the game today. We knew the hands-on people were going to get only around 15 minutes, so we wanted to show all sorts of gameplay and environments; it’s a really big game. But as far as the trailer goes, we’re gonna have to figure that out, because as far as putting trailer and stuff out there goes, it’s like we’re making promises; we want to walk the walk, not talk the talk.

We’ll see how this goes, and once we get over the shock and awe, then we can reassess and figure out that strategy. But we know a key part is that people need to believe it for themselves before it comes.

I know you said you would announce multiplayer at a later date, but when looking at the demo earlier, and all the vehicle combat, it made me wonder if there would be any co-op.

Randy Pitchford: [It's] one of the things I want to avoid right now. Duke Nukem is all about the entertainment, and I know we’re living in a world right now where all anyone wants to hear about are the features, like how many vehicles are in it and all that, but think that kind of takes away from the bigger picture.

The goal, and the reality, is that this is the Duke Nukem experience. It’s like what we could imagine when we played Duke Nukem 3D, but it’s today, and it’s in today’s world of gaming. That speaks a lot to it – I mean, sometime later we’ll talk about multiplayer after the shock and awe settle, but I thing the biggest story is that it’s actually here.

To be honest, I was a bit surprised when you said multiplayer; other than DukeMatcher, he was pretty much a lone wolf.

Randy Pitchford: Right. But you gotta remember back in day, when we played the single-player campaign, we loved playing DukeMatches. Like, I loved shrinking Brian and stepping on him or freezing him and bashing him to bits. So, we’ve got big plans for that, and many fans were online back in that early era and had a lot of fun with that, and it’s something we have to fulfill, and we’ll get around to talking about it; we can go beyond this scope in the conversation just talking about that alone.

Do you like Duke is going to appeal to the 18-25 crowd as much as the thirty-somethings who remember him from way back?

Randy Pitchford: That’s a very interesting question, and I think it’s a very good question. I have a blast with it. I mean, I have a son who is 10 years old, and I actually showed him some stuff on this [massive groan from PR]. I know, I know, but I am a parent, and I can make that choice, and all parents should make a choice they think is right for their children.

But he thinks it’s freaking hilarious. He’s ten years old, and he loves the thing. But I honestly don’t think Duke Nukem would become the worldwide trending topic on Twitter for six hours straight if Duke Nukem wasn’t relevant to people that are on Twitter.

I mean, Duke Nukem won the internet today, according to the internet. And that’s where we are – 10 years old all the way up to my age.

Now that its all finally out in the open, will you be able to shift focus back onto some other projects? I ask that because I don’t know if your focus was pulled from other projects to focus on Duke Nukem, and because you said in an interview once that Colonial Marines was sort of stopped because Borderlands pretty much took over.

Randy Pitchford: My studio is really powerful when it comes to that, and it’s why we were able to help Duke in his time of need. But yeah, we have some very exciting projects, and during our panel on Sunday we have some more announcements on Duke, and I will be covering some of the other games we’ve announced and some other things going on at Gearbox.

I mean, Colonial Marines has always been very inportant to us, and we are fully committed to that project. Aliens, the movie, really inspired me. I mean, look at Duke Nukem 3D – you have face huggers.

I know that Aliens is kind close to your heart. So to speak.

Randy Pitchford: We have never wavered in our commitment to that game. Now, we have maintained radio silence on it for while. I mean, with Borderlands, we had a huge amount of our attention on it, and when launching it we loved it. We’re still playing it today. In fact, there are more Borderlands things to come. The new Claptrap DLC that we recently announced is actually launching September 28. We’re really, really excited about that, and we’ve got more Borderlands to come.

And because Gearbox is a multi-team studio and we have multi-team projects, when one game gets its day in the sun I know people tend to worry about the other games. But there’ no need to worry at all.

Today is Duke’s day, and we should all get behind him. Hail to the king man. We need him to make it through this. But seriously, no one needs to worry about Borderlands, our the Brothers in Arms brand, or Aliens – we care about these games and what they mean to people.

Regarding that panel on Sunday – when I look at your website on Monday, will those three ‘coming soon’ spots no longer be blank?

Randy Pitchford: Probably. We’ll see. Some of them. You’ll just have to go have a look and see for yourself.

Gearbox Software head Randy Pitchford has told VG247’s Stephany Nunneley that a Duke Nukem Forever demo in an “important” part of marketing the game, and that the developer can now start working on a demo release date following DNF’s unveiling in Seattle last Friday.

“I think that is an important thing to do,” said Pitchford when asked on thepossibilityof a demo.

“Now that the cats out of the bag we can actually make those plans. Now we can get with retailers and figure out the launch window, and figure out demo timing, and work with the first-parties on that.

“We werent able to do that until this point, because if we did we risked damaging it even further,” he added.

Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel was a little lessforthcoming about a demo before we spoke to Pitchford, though.

“I dont know anything about that,” he simply told us about a demofollowing the title’s announcement on Friday.

Gearbox announced overnight that it had gained the rights to the IP from original developer 3DRealms.

Duke Nukem Forever launches next year for PS3, 360 and PC.

Get our full interview with Randy Pitchford here.

Dont worry. Duke hasn’t nuked Aliens:Colonial Marines or Borderlands out of orbit. Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford’s told us so at the weekend.

The head of the Texas developer told VG247 it remains “fully committed” to the title, despite the studio’s revival of Duke Nukem Forever over the weekend.

“Colonial Marines has always been very inportant to us, and we are fully committed to that project,” he.

“And because Gearbox is a multi-team studio and we have multi-team projects, when one game gets its day in the sun I know people tend to worry about the other games. But there no need to worry at all.”

Pitchford added: “Today is Dukes day, and we should all get behind him. Hail to the king man. We need him to make it through this. But seriously, no one needs to worry about Borderlands, our the Brothers in Arms brand, or Aliens we care about these games and what they mean to people.”

Colonial Marines was teased during Gearbox’s panel last night at PAX, followed by confirmation it was working on a new Brothers in Arms title.

It was also announced in the same panel it had taken over the rights of the Duke Nukem IP.

More stuff on the way for Borderlands

Gearbox also announced a September 28 release for latest Borderlands DLC, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution, as well as a level-cap increase and re-balancingfor the game.

And there’s still more on the way for the RPG-shooter beyond that, according to Pitchford.

“With Borderlands, we had a huge amount of our attention on it,” he said, “and when launching it we loved it.

“Were still playing it today. In fact, there are more Borderlands things to come. The new Claptrap DLC that we recently announced is actually launching September 28.

“Were really, really excited about that, and weve got more Borderlands to come.”

Catch the full Randy Pitchford interview here.

Pfft. Reviving Duke Nukem Forever? Please. That’s only how Gearbox starts off its weekend.

During what was essentially a State of the Gearbox address, the developer touched on all of its key franchises. First up, more Borderlands DLC! Better still, it’s free. So, what kind of bang are you getting for your no-buck? Well, the update will boost the game’s level cap up to 69 and rebalance the whole shebang accordingly – just in time for Claptrap’s Revolution on September 28.

On the Brothers in Arms front, Gearbox definitely has something cooking, but if you’re expecting a surprise blowout, keep walking.

” We’ve got a lot of action right now, but we’re not ready quite yet to bring it out. We want to make sure we know we’ve got it right before we tell you what we’re doing,” said Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford.

“We’ll deal with Baker and his men in future games for sure. But we also may do some other things that maybe treat the game in some different ways and take some different directions,” Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel chimed in.

Different directions? That’s just cryptic enough that it could be anything! We, however, choose to jump to the most logical conclusion: zombies. After all, what else could “Z-Day” be? It just makes so much sense.

Thanks, Joystiq.

Gearbox may have jump-started Duke Nukem’s long-stalled engine this weekend, but that doesn’t mean the developer’s not familiar with Duke Nukem Forever-style stalling shenanigans itself. Aliens Colonial Marines, however, is still alive and kicking, and during its PAX panel, Gearbox gave the audience a quick glimpse at how things are coming along.

Kotaku snapped some pictures of the new screenshots during the presentation. Obviously, they’re not perfect, but a lopsided picture of a screenshot’s still better than no screenshot at all.

Click through the link to see them all, and then wonder Colonial Marines don’t choose to hang out in better lighted locations. Come on! You’re a marine. It is dark. Mathematically speaking, there’s a 99 percent probability an alien is right behind you this very second. How are you guys not getting this?

Bang. Gearbox has just announced at its PAX panel it now holds the rights to the Duke Nukem IP, having been transferred to the studio from previous owner 3D Realms.

The Texas-based developer sent out a press release timed with the announce in Seattle, saying it had “acquired the full intellectual property rights of the Duke Nukem brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms.”

Needless to say, DNF won’t be the last game in the franchise.

According to 3D Realms co-founder Scott Miller, Gearbox was picked because of its “continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms.”

“Fifteen years ago, Duke Nukem 3D helped launch my professional video game development career,” said Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford.

“The Gearbox Software team and I are ecstatic that we have grown to a position to be able to pick up and carry the torch and help Duke rise back to glory in his time of need. Fans of the legendary hero and all the incredible talent that have ever helped him all deserve the very best support that we can bring.”

3D Realms co-founder George Broussard added on the move: “Gearbox was the only home appropriate for the Duke Nukem brand. They are very talented and possess the perfect perspective and understanding of the brand.

“Their vision for its future direction is exciting and unbelievable. I am personally cannot wait for fans to see their unique take on the franchise. This will be a win-win situation for everyone involved, especially the fans.”

Always bet on Duke. Always.

It comes as Gearbox announced on Friday at PAX it had picked up development work on Duke Nukem Forever after a turbulent 12 year spell at 3D Realms.

In 2009, 3DR closed over a lack of fund. Days afterwards, publisher Take Two were suing the studio for a lack of delivery, as well as funds of $12 million given to it to complete the project

While Take Two had maintained the rights to the game, it was rumoured at E3 that Gearbox were kick-starting development on it again.

The rumour publicly surfaced last month, before becoming official on Friday.

Catch Steph Nunneley’s impressions of the game here, and her interview with Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel here.

Duke Nukem Forever launches next year for PS3, 360 and PC.

Press release is below.

Duke Nukem Franchise Transferred to Gearbox Software

Borderlands and Brothers in Arms creators, Gearbox Software, acquire ownership of the legendary Duke Nukem franchise and brand.

Dallas, TX September 5th, 2010 Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the ‘Duke Nukem’ brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms. Gearbox Software is an award-winning video game developer known for the creation of original mega-hit franchises, including Borderlands and Brothers in Arms, which have each earned critical acclaim and have been bought by millions of people worldwide.

“Fifteen years ago, Duke Nukem 3D helped launch my professional video game development career,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “The Gearbox Software team and I are ecstatic that we have grown to a position to be able to pick up and carry the torch and help Duke rise back to glory in his time of need. Fans of the legendary hero and all the incredible talent that have ever helped him all deserve the very best support that we can bring. Please join me in supporting Duke in his triumphant return so that we may all enjoy the unique, one-in-million entertainment experience that only Duke Nukem can bring.”

Since its inception in 1991, Duke Nukem has evolved into one of the most iconic brands in the history of video games. The Duke Nukem franchise is renowned for uniquely engaging and entertaining millions of gamers by providing them with highly explosive content and entertaining gameplay mixed with waggish humor. Franchise highlights include Duke Nukem 3D in 1997 and Duke Nukem : Manhattan Project in 2002.

“Gearbox was handpicked as the new home for Duke Nukem because of their continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms. Gearbox and Duke Nukem make for a devastating match made in video game heaven,” commented Scott Miller, co-founder of 3D Realms. “The gaming community’s love and demand for the Duke Nukem brand never wavered and Gearbox will not disappoint them. As you have seen from titles such as Borderlands, Gearbox will bring the right level of addictively compelling gameplay, humor and high powered explosive action to the franchise. Duke Nukem is back and will be bigger than ever.”

“Gearbox was the only home appropriate for the Duke Nukem brand. They are very talented and possess the perfect perspective and understanding of the brand. Their vision for its future direction is exciting and unbelievable. I am personally cannot wait for fans to see their unique take on the franchise,” said George Broussard, co-founder of 3D Realms. “This will be a win-win situation for everyone involved, especially the fans.”

The first product to be available under the Duke Nukem brand will be the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever. Duke Nukem Forever will be published by 2K Games, which has exclusive, long-term publishing rights to the game and is expected to launch in 2011 on the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. Duke Nukem Forever will bring players back into the Duke Nukem universe with memorable ass-kicking mayhem for the millions of fans who have been anticipating its arrival over the past decade.

For more information on Duke Nukem Forever, please visit www.Duke Nukem .com.

Ubisoft’s released a new trailer for its Kinect launch title, Motion Sports, showing some gameplay from the six event types included on the disc.

The video, which you can see below, shows American football, horse riding, boxing, hang gliding, skiing and soccer.

As you would expect, the game is completely controller-free, so you’ll play through each of the game types and the included 40 challenges by jumping, waving and rolling. Or whatever.

Motion Sports is set to launch alongside Kinect this November.

Some new gameplay footage for Duke Nukem foreverhas hit YouTube, showing both a boss battle and some enemies being gunned down with a large weapon.

It’s not the greatest footage in the world, but it does give you an idea of how the game is shaping up and just how frantic it’s going to be.

Duke Nukem Forever was announced at the weekend and Steph was there to see the game, test it out and interview the developer.

It’s scheduled for release next year on PC, PS3 and 360.

Snoop Dogg is to become the first hip hop artist to have tracks on Rock Band next week.

Drop it like its Hot and Beautiful are both making an appearance.

I consider myself an OG gamer, and to be chosen as the first hip hop artist to appear in Rock Bandwell, it doesnt get any better than that, ya dig?!? Snoop said.

I know my fans gonna get down with tha Pound with this one and tha youngsters really gonna realize who started this gamer ish, u hear me?!?

Here what you’ll get. U hear?!!??!

• Beautiful


• Drop It Like Its Hot


• Ridin In My Chevy


• Sensual Seduction


• Snoops Upside Ya Head


• Tha Shiznit


• Thats Tha Homie *


• Who Am I (Whats My Name)?

All tracks as available for $1.99/.99/160 Microsoft Points, or it costs $13.49/8.99/13.49/1,080 Microsoft Points for Snoop Dogg Pack 01.

Realtime Worlds has sold its Project MyWorld to an “anonymous” American company, according to a Develop report.

It’s not yet known if the 23 staff who were working on the game will lose their jobs, or if they will continue to work on the project.

Realtime Worlds’ other title, APB, is still up for sale. The $100 million game is reported to have 130,000 registered users, spending an average of $28 per month.

Dundee’s Realtime Worlds went into administration last month.

The company then re-employed 23 of its staff to enable MyWorld to be completed.

A video for Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions has popped up, showing the game’s opening ten minutes.

Throughout the video we see the various guises of Spiderman and his abilities in combat and non-combat situations.

It’s looking very polished; let’s hope it plays as well as it looks.

Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions is out next week on Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and DS.

Game Informer’s blown its top on all things BioShock Infinite, putting the Irrational reboot on its cover for its next issue.

The magazine has three new pieces of concept art of the game for the covers, first shown at a PAX panel with the studio yesterday alongside a gameplay demo, and even redoing its logo to the style of the 1912 setting above.

The mag also promises to be “packed with new info about Columbia, protagonist Booker DeWitt, his companion Elizabeth, and the monstrous titan that rules the sky above the city.”

Big stuff. You can get all three covers here.

BioShock Infinite launches in 2012 on PS3, 360 and PC.

Thanks, onlineatron.

Some new footage of Killzone 3 being controlled by PlayStation Move has came out of PAX. Get it below.

As you can see from the videos below, IGN tested out the shooter with Move, showing how you control your character with a combination of the Nav controller, the Dualshock and the controller itself.

Looking good, soldier.

Killzone 3 was dated last night for a February 22 release in North America. No date yet for Europe.

Disney’s released some new Tron Evolution gameplay footage in Seattle this weekend, and it’s all go.

As you can see, the neon glowing world of Tron is looking lovely in HD, as he climbs, speeds and leaps his way around levels.

Later on you also get to see Tron taking down some enemies. Amazing.

Tron is released on December 7 for PC, PS3, PSP, 360, Wii and DS.

Kotaku’s posted up a bunch of Duke Nukem-related photos from PAX.

The game was announced at the show this weekend for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Speaking on the shooter, Gearbox boss Brian Martel told us we can expect a lot of things in DNF that we may remember from Duke 3D.

Check all the images out over at Kotaku.

You can read our first impressions of Duke Nukem Forever here.

The first Ape Escape title for PlayStation 3 is to be Move-compatible and on-rails.

Known as Fure! Fure! Ape Escape, the game will feature a Move-powered net.

Senior game designer Takamitsu Iijima, discussing the game at CEDEC, explained the concept was to make the player the catcher.

Fure! Fure! Ape Escape is due to hit Japan later this year. The game has not yet been confirmed for western release.

Thanks, Siliconera.

Hothead Games has released a new video walkthrough of Swarm, showing how you simultaneously control 50 Swarmites.

The aim of Swarm is to guide Swarmites through levels with a goal of reaching the end with as many survivors as possible.

Despite losses, you can also attempt to collect DNA which will help you ensure that at least one survives.

Swarmites can work together to create combos and pass by the various hazards found throughout the levels. It looks quite fun.

Swarm is due for release in 2011.

Rare has said Kinect does work in small lounges, despite claims you need to be at least six feet away from the screen for proper operation.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Rare senior engineer Nick Burton said such claims had been blown out of proportion, adding people with a smaller living space needn’t worry.

“The camera configures itself, basically, when you set it up. Now, obviously, if you’ve only got that much space [makes a small space between his hands] between your TV there’s just not enough space for you to physically fit in the frame of the camera so you need to stand back a little bit.

“But it’s not like, ‘Hey, look at me over here,’ and you’re in a massive living room. We live in England.”

Kinect launches in the UK on November 10.

Nine minutes of co-op gameplay for Portal 2 has come out of PAX, and it’s looking pretty sweet.

As the video explains, the two-player co-operative mode allows both players to control separate portal guns and also allows players to use each others portals as necessary. Both players take on a different colour to help distinguish between the two sets of portals.

Check out the footage below. There’s some co-op shots over at RPS.

Portal 2 is due for release on February 9.

Warren Spector revealed more from Epic Mickey’s opening movie at the conclusion of his PAX keynote yesterday.

Catch it after the break.

The video, concluding the game’s back-story, follows Mickey Mouse as he regains consciousness in Wasteland only to find himself trapped in the clutches of The Mad Doctor.

Mickey encounters an old foe, meets a new one and encounters his half brother, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, for the first time ever.

You can also catch part one below just in case you missed it.

Epic Mickey is exclusive to Wii. No date has yet been announced.

Sega’s released the launch trailer for Valkyria Chronicles II. Watch it after the break. Then buy it five minutes later.

The video shows off some of the story’s biggest moments, as well as some of the battles you encounter in a civil war in Gallia.

For the record, the game’s awesome. Pick it up, ja? And then see what happens with the teaser for TGS.

Valkyria Chronicles II is out now for PSP.

Thanks, Pocket Gamer.

Sony and Sucker Punch have used PAX to release some brand new inFamous 2 gameplay footage, showing a shaven-headed Cole up to his old tricks.

As you can see from the video, the new look Cole is seen taking out all manner of creatures with his bolts of electricity. Shocking.

It’s a brilliant trailer full of smoke, explosions and plenty of action.

Check it out below.

inFamous 2 is out next year.

THQ has launched the beta site for Company of Heroes Online in North America, with anyone signing up before September 8 getting a free in-game pack.

The Company of Heroes Online open beta features two different armies, Allies and Axis, each with three different divisions.

The test features 17 different multiplayer maps, which will be split between 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 modes.

You can download the beta at CompanyOfHeroes.com.

Epic Games president Mike Capps has said the company is planning to bring triple-A games to iPhone.

Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, Capps said rather than compete with big casual games, the company will be doing what it does best – high quality, triple-A games.

“It would not be smart to compete with the Bejeweleds and Angry Birds of the world on the iPhone,” he said

Capps said Epic would focus on what its proprietary tech will bring to Apple’s handheld.

“Everything’s supported,” he said. “The difference, of course, is that it’s not quite as powerful a graphics processor as on the Xbox 360, so you’ll probably do some custom content work, but you’re using the same tool chain of UnrealEd and Kismet and the same physics tools and everything.”

He added: “With the expansion of the Unreal Development Kit, we’ve got hundreds of thousands of folks who are messing around with the tools doing smaller projects, he adds. So we’re not really just about giant triple-A console games anymore. Those are the ones Mass Effect gets press, but there are lots of small hobby groups or casual gamers using Unreal Engine. I think it’s perfect for them. It’s what they’ve been missing.”

Capps rounded up by saying gaming experiences are not just about Gears, but “like Shadow Complex that we’ve done on other platforms, and bringing that kind of quality to the mobile devices.”

Epic recently announced Project Sword for iPhone, while also releasing an example of its Unreal Engine running on the device in Epic Citadel.

Thanks, PlayTM.