Microsoft Store bundling 1600 MS Points with some game pre-orders

Posted on January 19, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Do you plan to pre-order some of this year’s biggest Xbox 360 titles? Then you might want to consider buying them from the Microsoft Store.

Pointing your browser at the New Xbox Products section of the store will produce a list of 11 Xbox 360 games available for pre-order. And if you purchase any of these titles between now and April 6, you’ll receive 1600 Microsoft Points ($20) for free. Sadly, there’s a limit of three per person.

So which games qualify for this promotion? Check ’em out…

  • Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel
  • BioShock Infinite
  • Crysis 3
  • Dead Space 3
  • Gears of War: Judgment
  • Grand Theft Auto V
  • Lost Planet 3
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14
  • Tomb Raider

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2013 Writers Guild Award for Videogame Writing nominees announced

Posted on January 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

wgaThe Writers Guild of America has announced the nominees for their 2013 Writers Guild Awards, and with them, the nominees for “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing.”

To be eligible for consideration, this year’s nominees include games that were released between December 1, 2011 and November 30, 2012 on featured on-screen writing credits. This year, the Guild has continued their love affair with Ubisoft and the Uncharted series by bestowing nominations on Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Other nominated games for 2013 include Halo 4, 007 Legends, and Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.

The 2013 Writers Guild Awards will take place on Sunday, February 17, 2013. A complete list of the nominated writers and editors can be found after the break.

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Posted in News, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , ,

Sony has settled with “Kevin Butler” in trademark infringement lawsuit

Posted on January 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Sony Computer Entertainment and actor Jerry Lambert, better known as Sony spokesman “Kevin Butler,” have come to an agreement in the trademark infringement lawsuit Sony filed against Lambert in October.

In the lawsuit, Sony alleged that Lambert appeared as “Kevin Butler” in a commercial for Bridgestone while promoting their “Buy Four Tires, Get a Wii” contest. In the commercial, Lambert’s character was dressed in a white lab coat, a big difference from the business attire usually worn by “Kevin Butler.” Sony also filed a lawsuit against Bridgestone for creating the commercial, which is still pending.

Under the terms of the settlement, Lambert admitted that his contract with Sony should have prevented him from appearing in the Bridgestone ad alongside a Wii system. He also agreed with Sony that his appearance in the commercial created confusion for viewers who strongly link him with the “Kevin Butler” character.

Lambert has also agreed not to appear in any video game-related ads for the next two years and, for the next two years after that, he will clear any video game-related ad appearances with Sony first.

[Source: MediaPost News]

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Daily Scoop: January 18, 2013 – Wee Friday!

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Nicole Kline

Not only is it Friday, it’s the Friday before a three-day weekend, making it the holiest of Fridays! I would love to play some games on Monday, but it looks like I’m going to have a pile of Responsible Things to do that day. Oh well, getting stuff done amirite? Go adulthood!

Amazon has some decent featured deals going on right now. Borderlands 2 is still going strong at $29.99, while Hitman: Absolution is currently $39.99, and LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is $15.99. Scoop ’em up!

Three t-shirts today, and a bonus shirt I really need to tell you about:

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Bethesda announces that all Skyrim DLC will be available on PS3 in February

Posted on January 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

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After more than six months of delays, Bethesda has finally announced that all the downloadable content for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be available on the PlayStation Store in February.

Bethesda actually plans to go backwards with the PS3 DLC as Dragonborn will be available first, followed by Hearthfire, and then Dawnguard. As a mea culpa for the botched release schedule (Dawnguard was originally expected to come to the PS3 in July/August), all three add-ons will be priced at 50% off during their first week of availability.

And for all the PC gamers out there, you’ll be happy to know that Dragonborn will be available to download on February 5.

Posted in News, PC, PS3 | Tagged

Rumor: Sony is ditching the DualShock design for the PS4

Posted on January 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

ps3boomerangThe infamous boomerang controller Sony debuted alongside the PlayStation 3 certainly would have been different than the company’s previous controllers, the Super NES-inspired DualShock and DualShock 2. Instead, that controller was tossed aside in favor of the similarly-designed SixAxis/DualShock 3. It’d be safe to assume Sony is planning something similar for the PlayStation 4/Orbis, but if a recent CVG report is to be believed, we may be in for something new.

According to CVG’s inside sources, Sony is heaviliy prototyping a variety of different designs for the PS4 including a controller with biometric grips and another with an LCD touchscreen (because Sony can’t launch a new system without ripping something off from Nintendo). Other rumors point to a more integrated PS4/Vita solution. It’s been said before, but perhaps Sony wants to make the Vita the PS4’s official controller.

Whatever happens, CVG reasons that it’s likely the DualShock 3 will be compatible with the PS4/Orbis.

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Curt Schilling’s bloody sock goes up for auction next month

Posted on January 17, 2013 by John Scalzo

38studios-logoSo it’s come to this.

After striking out with the Amalur MMO (internally known as Copernicus), Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios closed up shop last year. Even though the Big Huge Games-developed Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning did well with critics, gamers, and your local retailer, it wasn’t enough to keep the developer’s doors open. Now, Schilling has been forced to sell the infamous “bloody sock” so that his creditors (including the taxpayers of the state of Rhode Island) will be able to reclaim some of the money owed to them.

The “bloody sock” was worn by Schilling during the Red Sox’s 2004 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Schilling loaned the sock to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, where it resided as part of the museum’s FENtennial exhibit last year. The sock is currently in position of Heritage Auctions and will be displayed at their Manhattan office before being sold at a live auction on February 23 (Internet bidding will begin on February 4).

According to Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage Auctions, the “bloody sock” is expected to sell for at least $100,000. Though that’s considered a “conservative” estimate (insert joke about Schilling’s political leanings here).

[Source: Associated Press]

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

Nintendo delays Game & Wario, Wii Fit U, Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101

Posted on January 17, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Nintendo spent the morning announcing official release dates for a huge number of games set to be released between January and April. But they also dropped a delay of game penalty on four high profile titles that were originally part of the Wii U’s “launch window.”

Game & Wario, The Wonderful 101, Pikmin 3, and Wii Fit U will all miss their previously scheduled first quarter release and, according to Nintendo, will now be released in the first half of 2013.

The new release date is vague enough that Nintendo could release any of these games by March 30 and still make the “launch window.” But if that was a possibility, why announce the delay at all?

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