Limbo, Red Dead Redemption lead 2011 Game Developers Choice nominees

Posted on January 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

The nominees for the 2011 Game Developers Choice Awards, which will be handed out on March 2 during the Game Developers Conference, have been announced.

The monochromatic XBLA puzzle-platformer Limbo took seven nominations, more than any other game. But Rockstar’s cowboy opus Red Dead Redeption was close behind with six while BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 received five.

Other big nominees include God of War III, Heavy Rain and Minecraft, all of which received three nominations. Minecraft’s inclusion among the nominees marks the first time a game has received a GDC Award nomination and was selected as a finalist in the Independent Games Festival.

Hit the jump for the full list of nominees.

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FEAR 3 runs away from March release date

Posted on January 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

FEAR 3 has already scared away several release dates during its development and it looks like the game won’t be released on March 22 either. Instead, the game will make its way to stores sometime in May.

The news of the delay comes from FEAR_Tot, an administrator on the official FEAR forums:

The F.E.A.R. 3 launch date will now be in May 2011, as we look to deliver the best possible game for our fans.

Thanks for the patience, I promise it will be worth it.

So basically, he’s saying don’t fear the delay, the game will still be great.

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Modern Warfare 2 hacked to shreds on PS3

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may have been a smashing success, but it has also become a paradise for players looking to exploit online multiplayer games. Although Javelin glitches and leaderboard tampering may have seemed like world-ending catastrophes at the time, these are minuscule compared to how broken the game is now on the PlayStation Network. In Spectator Mode, players can be seen opening up “VIP” menus which include God Mode, wall-hacks (shooting through walls), and some kind of aimbot as large red boxes appear around enemies who attract every bullet. I even witnessed a “Drug Mode” activated where the gameplay is displayed through alternating purple and grey filters and damage seems to be completely negated. After finishing a match with hackers, many players report their Clan Tags being changed; all emblems, titles, and equipment are unlocked; and Infinity Ward’s ticker displays “YOU GOT F****** OWNED!!!” in red along with the player’s kill and score ranks. This appears similar to challenge lobbies online (private matches where players can access a menu to unlock everything in the game), except it’s being used in public matches and accounts are being tampered with by other players.

Users in Infinity Ward’s forums have been reporting these issues since just before the new year, but the community moderators do not seem to have acknowledged the situation. Many have reached out to community manager Robert Bowling on Twitter, but his responses vary little from the usual rhetoric responding to reports of hacking. These issues may be a consequence of the recent hacks on the PlayStation 3’s security measures.

A video showing some of the issues can be seen after the break. Jump to the 2:00 mark to see some of the hack menus being used.

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Jenova Chen of thatgamecompany gives details on Journey

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Jenova Chen recently sat down with Sid Shuman of the PlayStation Blog to discuss the latest game from him and the folks at thatgamecompany, Journey. The two go into details about the unorthodox gameplay, multiplayer, and antagonist in this much anticipated PSN-exclusive title. Some especially interesting parts of the interview include Chen’s thoughts on the lazy work that goes into multiplayer games today, and how Journey is trying to socially stimulate players’ brains.

Previous titles from thatgamecompany include flOw and Flower, two of the most beloved downloadable games this generation. Journey seems to be shaping up nicely to live up to the accomplishments previously set by the development team.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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Daily Scoop: January 12, 2011 – Another Portal Shirt!

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Nicole Kline

I’m sad to report that the snow did not end the world, or even close anything in my sunny city of Philadelphia. Also disappointing is today’s Amazon Video Game Deal of the Day – a pink Wii Starter Kit for Wii Fit. An off-brand pink accessory for the Wii? That’s almost as bad as this half-assed snowstorm we got. Amazon, give us something we want! Something we crave!

At least this part isn’t disappointing: today’s Tee Fury shirt is a mash-up of Portal and Donnie Darko, two of my favorite things! Of course, now I’ll have no-no-notorious stuck in my head all day, but it’s totally worth it, because this t-shirt is awesome. The creator was inspired by the line in the movie, “Have you ever seen a portal?” It’s one of those moments when you want to hit yourself in the head for not thinking of something so simple and obvious.

The companion cube is Sparkle Motion!

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Pokémon Black and White U.S. mall tour urges players to ‘Catch a Mall’

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Ryan Littlefield

Beginning on February 5th, 14 cities across America will be swarming with kids and college students alike. Why, you ask? Well, simply put: Pokémon is back.

For a full month, The Pokémon Company International will be hosting two-day events (on weekends) at various malls throughout the United States.  At these events, players will be able to take part in mall-wide scavenger hunts, meet the three newest starter Pokémon from the Black and White games, and receive a special “event” Celebi through GameStop store distributions.  Game demo areas will be available as well, where hands-on stations will allow players to explore the new world found in both Pokémon Black and White games. Every stop of the national tour will also be accompanied by a free screening of the newest movie in the franchise: Pokémon-Zoroark: Master of Illusions.

J.C. Smith, The Pokémon Company International’s director of marketing states: “We cannot wait to hit the road and give Pokémon fans an up-close and personal look at an all-new world of Pokémon in a fun, totally immersive environment.”

This year looks bright for the Pokémon franchise, promising a new step in the games’ series, a feature-length film, and new merchandise, including an expansion to the popular trading card game.

Hit the jump for the list of mall stops!

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Cataclysm sales make PC gaming market say “WoW”

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Brianne Galli

Though it comes as no surprise, Blizzard Entertainment has done it again with its fourth installment of its highly successful PC game World of Warcraft. With World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Blizzard has set record monthly sales for PC-games, selling more than 4.7 million copies in its first month.

According to internal company records, one-day sales of the game upon its release were more than 3.3 million. Before the release of its third expansion, World of Warcraft had over 12 million subscribers, which makes sense considering its second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, previously held the title of fastest-selling PC game of all time. Cataclysm has since broken that record.

Cataclysm brings new quests and lands for players to explore, and Blizzard CEO and Co-founder Mike Morhaime has called it their “biggest and most ambitious expansion yet.” Blizzard’s loyal community have helped to maintain World of Warcraft’s position as the “world’s most popular subscription-based MMORPG,” and with this recent news, it doesn’t appear to be moving from that position any time soon.

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Lego Battles: Ninjago whirling to your DS in Spring 2011

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games announced today the newest project in their LEGO Battles series with LEGO Battles: Ninjago.  The game will allow players to hone their skills in the hidden art of “Spinjitzu,” becoming tornadoes and vanquishing enemies.  Keeping alive the recent karma trend in gaming, players will have a choice between good and evil single player modes.  Add in Battle Mode challenges and multiplayer showdowns and you have a healthy heaping of family friendly content for your DS.

The game complements the new Ninjago lineup of products LEGO released today, which they will be adding to throughout the new year.  No firm release date has been set for the game, but expect it to drop sometime this Spring.

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