Most Recent: PC

Rockstar may dissolve relationship with Team Bondi

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Things are not looking good for Team Bondi, the studio behind L.A. Noire, after allegations of cruel management and an investigation into such by the IGDA. Now, the Sydney, Australia-based company may need to look for a new publisher.

“Rockstar used to be very keen on making Team Bondi something like ‘Rockstar Sydney’ – the more they worked with Team Bondi management, the more they came to understand that this was a terrible idea,” an anonymous source told Industry Gamers. “I’ve heard a lot about Rockstar’s disdain for Team Bondi, and it has been made quite clear that they will not publish Team Bondi’s next game.”

Of course, it’s hard to question the management of a game that turned out so good, but the source claims, “Rockstar also pitched in with programmers, animators, artists, QA, etc. Part of the conflict between Team Bondi and Rockstar was due to Rockstar’s frustration with Team Bondi’s direction, and eventually Team Bondi’s management in turn resented Rockstar for taking lots of creative control.”

I seriously doubt Team Bondi will have a hard time searching for a new publisher given how well the game has sold. But hopefully the studio can adequately deal with a lot of the negative press it has received.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Second Chances: 5 Games That Deserve Another Look

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Adam Woolcott

Gaming is a time-consuming hobby. Unlike music or movies, which require a minimal investment, video games can be lengthy and involved affairs. As such, it’s much easier to miss out on really good games that come and go without much notice. Perhaps it’s because of a bad release date, or maybe it just didn’t get heavy distribution or advertising. Hell, maybe it doesn’t have a good Metacritic score, or it was completely ignored on gaming message boards. Regardless of the reason why, some games just don’t make it, and that’s a shame. That’s why we’re here, though – to pick out some unheralded gems and give them the attention they so richly deserve. They might not be able to compete with the heaviest of hitters, the so-called “AAA” games that sell millions, but they present entertaining gaming experiences all the same. (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, PS3, Top Story, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Collector’s Edition: longbow not included

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

The Lord of the Rings is a huge franchise, and as such, WB Games is preparing a $130 collector’s edition for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

The awesome quiver to your left contains the game, an art book, three songs from the soundtrack, and a behind-the-scenes DVD about the making of the game. The Xbox 360 version also comes with a Ranger XBL Avatar, while the PlayStation 3 version includes a Theme Pack. I got to check out War in the North at the last two PAXes, and I have to say, it does look pretty good. If you’re a Rings fan, this is one collector’s edition you may not become ashamed of.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North releases on August 24 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

See 12 minutes of Batman: Arkham City gameplay in new trailer

Posted on July 3, 2011 by John Scalzo

This 4th of July weekend, it’s important to remember that if there’s one comic book character who stands for truth, justice and the American way… it’s Batman!

Wait… I don’t think that’s right…

Anyway, WB Games and developer Rocksteady have released over 12 minutes of Batman: Arkham City gameplay footage including Catwoman taking down a bunch of thugs, getting captured by Two-Face and Batman’s rescue mission. And trust me, there’s no shortage of fireworks when those three get together.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

New Releases: Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon, More

Posted on July 2, 2011 by John Scalzo

The Summer slowdown is here. Just five games are scheduled to be released this week. But as a wise (and animated) man once said: “Celebrate your country’s independence by blowing up a small part of it.” And that’s just what I plan on doing with D3 Publisher’s Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (PS3, Xbox 360), the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Starship Troopers video game.

Also available this week is a quartet of games that couldn’t be more diverse:

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

Call of Duty XP 2011 “fan experience” set for September 2-3

Posted on July 1, 2011 by John Scalzo

The Call of Duty franchise is Activision’s billion-dollar baby and it’ll be celebrated this September in the very first CoD “fan experience.” Call of Duty XP 2011 will be held on Labor Day Weekend, September 2nd and 3rd, in Los Angeles. For two days, the festival will immerse 6,000 fans in all things Call of Duty, including an announcement of the full feature for Call of Duty Elite and the world premiere of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3‘s multiplayer mode.

“From the high production values of our live, immersive events – all the way to the smallest details in every design and activity – we’re pulling out all the stops to make Call of Duty XP the ultimate gathering for the global community of Call of Duty fans,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “The celebration will immerse attendees in a Call of Duty experience unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. Over the course of two days, gamers can trade Call of Duty war stories, experience the official unveiling of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer and the full feature functionality of Call of Duty Elite, as well as enjoy world-class entertainment and compete head-to-head for some serious cash prizes.”

Attendees at Call of Duty XP 2011 will experience a ton of other exciting events as well:

  • $1 million Call of Duty: Black Ops tournament
  • Discussion panels and Q&A with Call of Duty developers
  • Onsite Call of Duty armory and museum
  • Paintball matches on a life-sized Call of Duty multiplayer map
  • Speed-run attempts for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2‘s legendary “The Pit”
  • More attractions to be announced

Tickets for Call of Duty XP 2011 will be available July 19 for $150 apiece. All proceeds will benefit The Call of Duty Endowment, Activision’s organization that helps soldiers transition to civilian life.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged , ,

Limbo dancing onto PSN, Steam very soon

Posted on June 30, 2011 by John Scalzo

Developer Playdead likely had to build a whole new wing in their headquarters to hold all the awards Limbo won last year. Now, it looks like the XBLA hit will soon be heading to the PC (via Steam) and the PlayStation Network.

Playdead CEO and co-founder Dino Patti confirmed the good news to Joystiq earlier today:

“This might be the second time around we have been waiting for,” Patti said, referencing his quote from last May in which he said, “You won’t see a PS3 or PC version this time around.” Patti said that “Limbo is in production for Steam and PSN, and is coming very soon.” With a release date of “very soon” he predictably said more details would be coming shortly.

Playdead is also hard at work on an original game, but they’re still not ready to talk about it just yet.

Posted in News, PC, PS3 | Tagged

Dungeon Siege III Review: An Elegant RPG For a More Civilized Age

Posted on June 29, 2011 by John Scalzo

In a lot of ways, Dungeon Siege III can be considered a “first” for the franchise. It’s the first game in the series published by Square Enix, and the first developed by Obsidian Entertainment. It’s the first Dungeon Siege game to appear on a console, and the first new game in the series in five years. With this new beginning at hand, I dove into the Dungeon Siege series myself for the first time and came away with a pretty good RPG experience. (more…)

Posted in PC, PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged