Daily Scoop: July 8, 2011 – Friday at last!

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Nicole Kline

There are few things that put me in a better mood than Friday! It doesn’t hurt that I’ve got loads of games to play all weekend, including F.3.A.R., the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception beta, and Link’s Awakening. I’m also nearly finished A Storm of Swords, which gives me a few short days to inhale A Feast for Crows before A Dance with Dragons comes out. Laundry? Cleaning? Sleep? Pffft.

Amazon’s Deal of the Day in video games today is absolutely amazing. It’s Hori’s Pikachu Charge Stand for the Nintendo DSi and DSi XL. It’s 50% at $14.99, and it is flippin’ cute. Like, way cute.

Amazon’s also having some lightning deals in video games today:

  • 8 AM PDT/11 AM EST: Rule the world – Sid Meier’s Civilization V for $29.99!
  • 10 AM PDT/1 PM EST: The best sound from MadCatz – Tritton AX Pro Dolby Digital Precision Gaming Headset for $122.86!
  • 11 AM PDT/2 PM EST: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: step right up – Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do for $36.99!

We’ll be updating the details as they come in!

No video game t-shirts today, but I’m going to buy today’s Tee Fury faster than you can say Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice:

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Posted in Daily Scoop, DS, Etcetera, News |

Uncharted movie gets Neil Burger as new director

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Neil Burger, director of Limitless, The Illusionist, and The Lucky Ones, is in negotiations to write and direct the movie adaptation for Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Variety has reported. David O. Russell left, citing creative differences, and it seems as though the first draft for the movie, written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, is going to be canned in lieu of whatever Burger has pitched.

This is good news for fans. Hopefully no Russell means no Mark Wahlberg, and no ridiculous storyline involving Drake’s uncle (I mean, come on, seriously?). Maybe dreams do come true for fanboys and either Nolan North or Nathan Fillion will get to play the part of Drake. Whatever the case may be, is it safe for me to say “Nathan Drake is back, baby!” yet? Well, I say that every day, so I guess it doesn’t matter either way.

Sony’s hoping to make a major franchise out of the series, starting with movies, and hopefully ending with books and, I don’t know, maybe plushy Sullivans. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves have sold almost six million copies. The next installment in the popular Naughty Dog series, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, will be out November 1. I’m expecting it will sell a boatload of copies.

Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3 | Tagged

Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Review: The 30 Second Climax You Actually Want

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Adam Woolcott

Japanese role-playing games are almost always lengthy, involved affairs that require hours of your free time. In our modern era of instant gratification, the genre might be a touch out of step… until now. Originally a hit title on the PlayStation Portable, Half-Minute Hero has arrived on the Xbox Live Arcade, complete with a host of enhancements. That, and a totally ridiculous subtitle which perfectly fits the crazed motif of the game. Designed as a super speedy take on your traditional Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest game, Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax presents role-playing in extremely small chunks, with a hearty side of wacky humor to boot. RPG fans looking for something different will certainly find it here.

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Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Fortified Zone, Qix added to 3DS eShop

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has unleashed the latest Nintendo Download and it is chock full of Virtual Console goodness on the 3DS eShop.

The service will be receiving two Game Boy classics today: the run-and-gunner Fortified Zone and the puzzler Qix.

3DS owners will also have access to the four games being added to the DSiWare Shop today. They include Jewel Keepers: Easter Island, a match-3 puzzler; Make Up & Style, a makeup artist sim; Farm Frenzy, a farming sim; and Roller Angels, an insanely colorful platformer.

Nintendo didn’t forget Wii owners eithers as the WiiWare service will receive Just Jam, a rhythm game that lets you “mix, match and lay down your own tunes.”

More information on all of these titles can be found at the Nintendo Download weekly newsletter.

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii |

Daily Scoop: July 7, 2011 – Hello, Thursday!

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Nicole Kline

One of the things I love the most about having a holiday on a Monday is that the week flies by so quickly after that. I thought today was Wednesday, but it’s Thursday! So we’re closer to the weekend than I thought. :D

Amazon’s Deal of the Day in video games today is Capcom’s Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the Nintendo DS. This legal simulation game is only $14.99 today. You should totally jump on that if you don’t own this ridiculously awesome game!

Best Buy’s also having a sale, and, in addition to that sale, they’re also offering a deal on Roxio Game Capture – you can save $20 if you purchase it with Call of Duty: Black Ops. Check it out!

No video game t-shirts today, but today’s shirt.w00t, called “Hang On, Nobody Simply Walk Into Mordor For a Second,” is absolutely hilarious:

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Modders turn COD4 into Star Wars: Galactic Warfare

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Do you still have a copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the PC lying around? If the answer is yes, go download the Star Wars: Galactic Warfare total conversion mod right now. The mod recasts Call of Duty 4’s Marines, SAS soldiers and terrorists as Imperial Stormtroopers and Rebel Alliance members in an all-out battle for control of one of seven maps: “Mos Eisley,” “Bespin,” “Bestine,” “Not A Cave,” “Jundland,” “Jundland Dusk” and “Anchorhead.”

So what are you waiting for? Download the Galactic Warfare mod from the official site of developer BlackMonkeys.de now.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Bethesda reveals Dishonored, a new FPS from Arkane Studios

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Bethesda announced that they had acquired Arkane Studios at last year’s QuakeCon. Today, they’re finally ready to talk about the developer’s next project. Arkane Studios, with Raphael Colantonio (Arx Fatalis and Harvey Smith (Deus Ex) at the helm, will be bringing Dishonored to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.

Publisher and developer had very little to say about Dishonored after that, but thankfully, they talked to Game Informer and the magazine plans to put the game on the cover of its August 2011 issue. Along with that cover story comes the first real description of the game:

Dishonored is the antithesis of a edge-of-your-seat roller-coaster ride. It’s a game about assassination where you don’t have to kill anyone. It’s a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat’s mansion rather than sneak in. It’s a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there. It’s a game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees.

Sounds intense. We’ll learn more when the August 2011 issue of Game Informer hits newsstands, which should be happening any day now.

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

PSN Summer Sale 2011: 11 titles, 30% off, 1 week only

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

If you’re looking for some summer gaming, you should check out our new Second Chances article. If downloadable titles are more your thing, you probably want to check out the PSN Summer sale of 2011. Starting with the June 12 update, hot titles like PixelJunk Shooter 2, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Back to the Future: The Game will be 30% off. Act fast, though, since it’ll only last one week. Hit the jump (or the PS Blog) for the full list.

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Posted in News, PS3 |