Tanks A Lot, Capcom! Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Pre-Order Campaign Rolls Out

 

No, you’re still not getting a big honkin’ 40+ button controller, so quit griping. Of course, getting ALL three bonuses in one shot is a no-go unless you want three copies of the game or have your fingers crossed that they get released as free or paid DLC at some point, so three’s always that to complain about if you’re so inclined. Hey, it’s not ALL Capcom’s fault, kids – that’s just the way thing go in this day and age of every retailer wanting exclusive content and your gaming dollar.

 

 

That said, I keep wondering how much longer the industry can keep this up, given the backlash against other things that are a lot less annoying to those of us who want games to ship with as much content as possible, Granted, if you ask around, you’ll hear most people IN the industry saying “this is how it is” or something like that. However, it’s looking as if this enforced means of content division can backfire if enough gamers put their foot down and start screaming as loudly as possible. As for me, I’ll be playing the game with no bonuses because I think it’ll be fine without them.

 

Max Payne 3 TV Spot: Probably The Only Bit of The Game They CAN Show On TV…

 

Rockstar Studios’ long awaited beautiful bullet ballet is almost upon us (and yup, I can’t wait to see how it’s turned out) and here’s the first big TV ad for the upcoming game. Ever since I saw the live demo last year at NYCC, this one has been tickling a few buttons in my head. The art direction, visuals and gameplay all looked solid and that new animation system is brilliant when you see it in motion. While I’m not big on multiplayer these days, I know the story and characters will be what I like to call “Rockstar memorable”. As in there will be quite a few quotable lines sinking into skulls like some of the bullets Max fires off during the game. May is certainly going to be a busy month around these parts, that’s for sure…

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Gameplay: Grimlock Not Look So Dumb Now!

Excellent. I’m liking High Moon Studios’ take on these characters more and more each time I see new screens or videos and it’s clear that this one is going to be a hit when it finally drops into stores. It’s too bad the movies aren’t as good as the non-movie based games, but then again, freed from that license and Michael Bay’s directorial efforts, there’s always room to breathe, I say…

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Update: Classic To Current, Not Lost In Translation

Hey 2K! While this very cool progress update on the tactical version of XCOM is fantastic, let’s also hear about the other game as well. I’m actually one of those fans of the PC classic that’s NOT going bat crap crazy against the first-person origin story at all as I want to see how it turns out. Besides, it’s time that developers and publishers stood up a bit more steadfastly to the constant whining about every damn thing getting in the way of otherwise interesting design decisions.

Sure, keeping fans happy is ONE key to success, but it’s also important to have the freedom to take any IP in a different direction even if there’s some resistance. I think it’s time for some of these angry kids to shut it and eat their broccoli – hell, they may just find that it’s not as bad as they’ve been hearing…

God of War: Ascension Coming For PS3. But You Already Knew That…

OK, now you know why I HATE all this rumors, leaks and  speculation nonsense, folks. This crap is trifling to an extreme to keep track of for someone who just wants to play as many games as possible, grrr. BUT, I’ll try to play along for once and see what happens Ready? GO!

 

 

Sooo, there’s a new God of War game on the way. God of War Ascension, to be precise. Amazon “leaked” this info after SCEA’s teaser campaign on Facebook last week and before SCEA could officially announce it later today. OR: I hope that teaser didn’t cost a dime’s worth of time and effort to put together. OR perhaps this “leak” wasn’t really a “leak” at all, as a few hours of scooping up as much space on the internet after the Halo 4 shenanigans yesterday on Conan plus the news of that game’s launch date:

 

 

Er, Ha ha? Um, OK. November 6, in case you don’t watch Conan or pay attention to the Internet. 343 Studios is obviously doing it up quite well, so fans needn’t worry while non-fans won’t care a bit. Maybe. Back to that new God of War for a sec. It’s really NO big surprise at all to me. Like Sony’s NOT going to have a new game coming with Kratos in it for one more go on the PS3? The only surprise is half the earth not exploding from all the semi-orgasmic fanboy hooting taking place on the internet. We’ll see if SCEA’s PR department even wants to talk to me after this post, I guess. Hey, I like the series, guys – I’m just poking fun, you know. Tough love and all…

I guess we’ll see what’s what when E3 hits. Sony is proving the PS3 isn’t going out with anything resembling a whimper. Or going out at ALL this year or next.

 

Got Undead Stains? Use ZOM-BE-GONE!

Here’s a nicely done viral for Grasshopper Manufacture’s upcoming game, Lollipop Chainsaw, set to hit stores in June for the PS3 and Xbox 360. As I noted earlier, you’ll want to stick this one (the game, not the video!) on your wish lists, as it’s definitely shaping up to be quite a cool slice of action and non-stop fun with a killer 80’s soundtrack…

Star Trek Update: Hey, We May Not Be Here In 2013. Beam Me Up, Already!

Yeah, yeah – some Trek fans want less action and more of the same “nautical” ship combat from other Trek titles or something slower and more procedural like the old show instead of a more action-oriented game that this has been from the start. i say wait and see what a playable build brings as I hope this one gets around to NYC so I can get some hands-on time and let you all know the real deal. I have my fingers crossed Bad Robot does a game any Trek fan can be pleased with, but hey, you can’t win everyone over even with the best of intentions…

Dishonored Trailer Drops, Bethesda Gets My Fingers Tingling…

(shakes fist at monitor)… Blast you, Bethesdaaaaaaa! Showing off such an awesome game to us yesterday here in NYC, slapping us with an embargo until next week THEN unloading this spectacular trailer on the masses! Grrrr! Anyway (very fake rant over and done with), Dishonored is going to be a game that gets talked about quite a lot, especially as it’s definitely one of the more intriguing games I’ve seen this year that’s NOT a sequel or reboot of an older IP. Arkane Studios’ hard work blew me away and I hope it will do the same to you once more news gets out about how amazing it is.

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir Trailer: Ghosts-A-Poppin’ From Your 3DS!

 

Now that they own the Zero (Fatal Frame) series, Nintendo finally gets a new first-party fright-fest back onto one of their consoles. As fun and freaky as this looks, in a perfect world, I’d also want to see the Fatal Frame title(s) we missed on the Wii get fixed up and released at some point. Fat chance on that, it looks like, especially with the Wii U headed out the door later this year. Ah well, I guess I can always play Eternal Darkness for what, the 19th time, right? I think I’ve seen everything it had to offer and then some, but it’s still a fun slice of scare in a few spots. Anyway, this one looks pretty good (Teen rating aside), so it’s on my want list.

Hawken PAX 2012 Trailer: While My Console Gently Weeps (Slight Return)…

 

It’s too bad Hawken isn’t blasting its way onto the PS3 or 360, as I could see a lot of gamers wanting to have at it in Adhesive’s and Meteor’s phenomenal-looking (and online only) mech combat game. Of course, I’m not complaining to anyone in particular, just expressing a wish while being a bit cranky about the state of the industry today with all this free to play stuff. From the beginning, this game has looked one that should get everyone who’s worked on it a nice paycheck, I say. Hell, stick a solid single player mode in (maybe with some split-screen play for those who need it), slap it in a case with some nice artwork and I’d definitely pay up at retail or direct from the developer. That’s how I roll – good games take time and effort to make, and people who bust their asses on them should be able to get something in return other than the thanks of those who get to play the end result.