Most Recent: DS

Weinstein Company gets into the game business

Posted on March 25, 2011 by John Scalzo

Famous film brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein have announced that their company, the creatively named The Weinstein Company, has started a video game division. The equally creatively named TWC Games will tap into the back catalog of The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films to develop and publish video games for mobile, social, and console platforms. Among the Weinstein/Dimension films that could get the game treatment are Scream, Hellraiser, Halloween and Children of the Corn.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if TWC Games teamed up with Freddy and Jason rightsholder Warner Bros. to create the ultimate slasher movie fighting game of Ghostface vs Pinhead vs Michael Myers vs “He Who Walks Behind the Rows” vs Freddy Kruegger vs Jason Voorhees? Considering the fact that Warner Bros. also owns Mortal Kombat maker NetherRealm Studios, it’s practically fate.

TWC Games will be working with Beefy Media, who has worked with Capcom in the past on a ton of projects, to bring their video game dreams to fruition. The consulting company will work with TWC Games to “foster relationships with publishers and create high quality games.”

Bob Weinstein, The Weinstein Company’s co-chairman, is thrilled about the announcement: “The video game marketplace is changing at such a rapid rate. With all of the digital platforms, there are so many opportunities to broaden our audience with compelling, high quality, cost-efficient, video game entertainment.”

Seriously, someone needs to convince Bob and Harvey to make that monster crossover happen.

Posted in 3DS, DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 |

New Releases: 3DS, Crysis 2, Lego Star Wars III, More

Posted on March 19, 2011 by John Scalzo

The wait for Nintendo’s handheld is almost over as the Nintendo 3DS arrives in stores this week. Available in both Cosmo Black and the awesomely two-tone Aqua Blue, the system will be available on Sunday, March 27 along with a launch lineup of 18 titles.

However, if you prefer to do your gaming on a big screen, one of the biggest first person shooters of the year, Crysis 2, will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. More aliens can be had in the latest Lego Star Wars, which is also available this week. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will be coming to the 3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360.

Other new releases this week include Square Enix’s Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy (PSP), Sony’s Ratchet, Jak and Sly crossover PlayStation Move Heroes (PS3) and the medieval people management of The Sims Medieval (PC)

The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

The 2010-2011 Video Game Awards Season

Posted on March 17, 2011 by John Scalzo

Beginning with the Spike TV Video Game Awards in early December and culminating with last night’s BAFTA Games Awards, the 2010-2011 “video game awards season” has come to a close. And after four months of awards, acceptance speeches and arguments, we have a clearer picture of what really were the best games of the year.

The snobbier segments of the game community love to decry the Spike TV Video Game Awards as an embarrassment and not representative of the feelings of “real” gamers. Typically, the show’s world premiere trailers overshadow the actual awards themselves. But the event is spearheaded by Geoff Keighley of GameTrailers TV and the winners are voted on by a well-respected contingent of game journalists, so I guess it could be worse.

That said, this year’s Spike TV Video Game Awards “Game of the Year” was awarded to Rockstar’s epic western Red Dead Redemption. Keighley and company spread the love as the remaining major awards all went to other games: “Best PC Game” StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty; “Best PS3 Game” God of War III; “Best Wii Game” Super Mario Galaxy 2; “Best Xbox 360 Game” Halo: Reach; “Best Handheld Game” God of War: Ghost of Sparta; and “Best Downloadable Game” Costume Quest.

If Spike TV’s annual awards attempt to reach the mainstream, Time Magazine‘s top ten is the polar opposite, reaching into corners of the gaming world that are often ignored. This year’s selections are no different, including Alan Wake being awarded the #1 spot with iOS phenomenon Angry Birds at #2. The rest of the list was pretty typical, but the lack of Alan Wake’s spiritual twin, Heavy Rain, was the baffling part. Also, Limbo received its first love of the year-end awards with a sixth-place selection. (more…)

Posted in DS, Features, Mobile, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

New Releases: Homefront, Okamiden, Yakuza 4, More

Posted on March 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

The Spring thaw is doing more than raising the mercury in your thermometer, it’s also bringing more big games to stores.

This week, THQ’s Red Dawn-inspired war game, Homefront, will be released on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. In fact, Red Dawn director John Milius was heavily involved in the creator of Homefront’s storyline.

Other big name releases this week fall into a few well known franchises:

  • Capcom will release Okamiden, pint-sized spinoff of Okami, for the DS
  • Sega brings Kazuma Kiryu back to America (but keeps the game’s Japanese sensibilities intact) in Yakuza 4 (PS3).
  • Andre Agassi serves up his first video game appearance in over 15 years in Top Spin 4 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360).
  • And finally, Sega will release Total War: Shogun 2 on the PC.

The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , ,

Call of Duty: Black Ops leads February sales, becomes bestselling game of all-time

Posted on March 11, 2011 by John Scalzo

After becoming the bestselling PS3 game, Call of Duty: Black Ops can now lay claim to just being the bestselling game, period.

According to the NPD Group, the Treyarch-developed game passed Wii Play in February to become the bestselling game of all-time. Exact sales figures weren’t released, but Wii Play is known to have sold over 13 million copies. So let’s call it 14 million. Of course, Wii Play is a Wii exclusive while the sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops have been split across the DS, PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.

Not surprisingly, Black Ops was also the top-selling game in February, where it was joined by newcomers Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Killzone 3, Bulletstorm and Mario Sports Mix. The full top ten (which is still littered with dance games), can be seen right here:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC)
2. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Xbox 360, PS3)
3. Just Dance 2 (Wii)
4. NBA 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, PC)
5. Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
6. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3)
7. Bulletstorm (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
8. Killzone 3 (PS3)
9. Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii, DS, PSP)
10. Mario Sports Mix (Wii)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Radiant Historia Review: An RPG Renaissance

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Radiant Historia is a steampunk, time-travelling RPG created by Atlus. At least, that’s how it’s marketed. But deeper than the gearpunk, deeper than travelling through the timelines, there’s that traditional Japanese story of environmentalism mixed in with sentiments of loyalty and the general idea of good versus evil. And beyond the depth and immersion of the story is even more: brilliant character development, a challenging and satisfying battle system, a plethora of sidequests, and a gorgeous soundtrack. This is not just a successful game; this is a game that should be used as an example for what a successful RPG is really all about. (more…)

Posted in DS, Reviews, Top Story | Tagged

Presidents of the United States of America catch ’em all

Posted on March 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

They sat in a boggy marsh with lump, they crushed a peach in their fist and they performed a duet with Sir Mix-A-Lot. But do you believe that The Presidents of the United States of America can also catch ’em all?

The 90s alt-rock gods (in my mind at least) performed their Pokemon tribute song “Can’t Stop (Catchin’ ‘Em All)” at the Pokemon Black and White launch party this weekend in New York City. If you couldn’t make it down to the Nintendo World Store, don’t worry, we’ve got the song right here:

This is definitely one group of Presidents that I’d never want to impeach.

Posted in DS, Etcetera, News | Tagged

New Releases: Dragon Age II, MLB 11: The Show, MLB 2K11, More

Posted on March 5, 2011 by John Scalzo

One of 2011’s biggest releases will be hitting stores this week. Players will be able to return to the magical land of Thedas as BioWare is bringing Dragon Age II to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

If you prefer the smell of peanuts and Crackerjack to the smell of sliced and diced dragon meat, you might want to consider this week’s double play combo of baseball games. 2K Sports will release its multiplatform Major League Baseball 2K11 on the DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 while Sony is bringing its PlayStation-exclusive MLB 11: The Show to the PS2, PS3 and PSP.

Also available this week will be the Dynasty Warriors spinoff Warriors: Legends of Troy (PS3, Xbox 360) and a new Sims 3 expansion, The Sims 3: Barnacle Bay (PC).

The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , ,