It’s been along time since we last heard news on the latest project from the guys over at Running With Scissors, but in an past interview the developers mentioned that the game will be “bigger, badder and ballsier.” Yeah, it does sound like something a special someone that we know, an I mean that in the full sense of the word, would say. In an interview with XboxCore when asked about gameplay features that have changed, Vince Desi and creative director Steve Wik, mentioned that they’ll be making POSTAL 3 “bigger, badder and ballsier.” And I’ll leave that to you to figure out.

“It’s all about the Gameplay. I like movies as much as anyone, but I’d rather watch ‘em on a big screen. I can tell you from all the fan mail I get that the gamers who liked POSTAL 2 really loved it, and so we will make POSTAL 3 bigger, badder and ballsier.” said Vince Desi.

[Postal 3 First Impression Interview via XboxCore/VG Core]

As long as I could remember there have been wrestling video games, even from back in the days of the SEGA Genesis, but many wrestling games these days have been feed off the same soul. The same old grappling, the same old hits and the same old fireworks. Many of us wonder what has change for the franchise? This time around Yuke’s is taking another shot at the championship, but can they really step things up for the gold?

Instead of the regular old campaign mode, the game steps up and adds a new mode called “Road to Wrestlemania”, which is just great for a person who has watched the TV shows for years. Honestly, this mode is truly unique. There are five characters you a can pick from, like The Undertaker and John Cena. They all have their own unique story separate from that of the show’s. The mode is also very well written, but one thing I really didn’t understand is why there is a change camera view in both this mode and Career mode, because it really doesn’t fit the game at all. On the other hand, this mode may truly be, acting-wise, better then the actual show. There are a lot of plot twists in this mode that’s sure to keep wanting more.

However, if you can’t get pass the missions in “Road to Wrestlemania” mode you can always pick Superstar and play Career Mode, but there are a few issues if you do. Basically, Career mode is were you can pick any Superstar or Diva from any one of the shows and pursue their story. When you start of in this mode, any character you pick will start in the 30s, which isn’t fun for anyone on the path to the championship - Cruiserweight and World Heavyweigh etc.. When you first enter this mode the champion is unknown so your basically fighting to get points, which you need to advance to the championship, to face some unknown character. You’ll also have to unlock the stipulations for this mode, but “Road to Wrestlemania” is still better than last years “24/7″ mode, so if I were you I’ll past on this.

And what kind of wrestling game will this be without the new match types and features, like the newest match type Inferno Match, an interesting and silly match type in the game. In this match type you and an opponent fight it out in a ring that is set ablaze and you’re suppose to pull your opponent in the flames till it gets to a high temperature level, like 500, but I forget these things. It is very sad that the Divas cannot be included into this match because we would love to see them sweat. lol. Anyway, once you pull your opponent in the flames it will go into a button-tapping minigame were you’ll try to push your enemy in or escape the flames. The feature is fun, don’t get me wrong, but it can also be a little silly to see The Undertaker trying to extinguish flames off himself.

Closing Statement:

At the end of the day WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 is a great game that’s full of potential, but it’s just to bad that it really didn’t get there. The newest feature is Create-A-Finisher, but it’s nothing to be amazed by. You can send as much time as you want in the creative modes but anyway you put it, it feels like you done it a thousand times over. Personally, this game amazed me with RTW this feature gives the game a bit of playability, but it’s all about the game and the way you play it.

Score: B-

Well, this just proves that the game isn’t that bad, like as I stated in the article I wrote. According to The Canadian Press, James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace is the second most rented game in Canada on both the 360 and PS3. The game is only second to Resistance 2, on the PlayStation 3, and on the 360 Gears of War 2, which isn’t bad for a movie game. The game is also number one on the Nintendo Wii in Canada. The movie was released two days ago in theaters in the US and was given some very high review all over.

[Blockbuster Video Top 10 game rentals list per platform via The Canadian Press]

Well, the other day I was watching Spike’s Late Night Strip and it came up with the question who has the better games “Tom Clancy or James Bond?” and the picture they had used was the box-art “Quantum of Solace” so I went out and picked up the game, besides the all bad reviews. And to tell you something the game isn’t as bad as they say it is. This is really one of the best Bond game since Goldeneye and this isn’t an opinion, it’s a really fact. The story really isn’t that detailed, but it’s good enough to keep you playing it from the time you pick it up. Compared to all the other shooters out there this is in the top 40, on my list, it even has a Multi-player that is just like in Call of Duty 4, but it plays just like Rainbow Six Vegas’s Multi-player aspect. Anyway, forget what all the reviews say go ahead a pick this game up or at least rent, by the way the review should be up soon and James Bond won.

Question: How are you able to take a hit franchise to present day, make millions of fans, then send it back into the past and keep your fans? Well, first you will have to get all your fans to return to the game. Then you’re going to need the best reason in the world for them to want to buy it and then they’ll tell everyone about the game, and that should do it. And it looks like Treyarch has mastered this skill - no thanks to Infinity Ward’s unfriendly comment that were made last week - but how well did they master it?

Call of Duty games were never really know for long mission or long campaigns, sadly this game doesn’t divert from that fact. The games campaign is still really short, but this time around they really do step up on the voice acting. The game features well known voices from movies like “The Dark Knight” and the hit TV show “24″ and to add to it, it’s very well scripted.

Instead of the normal WWII shooter environment like Normandy and D-Day, Call of Duty: World at War takes place in the Pacific as well as the Red Army’s reversal to Stalingrad. These places give the game some new environments and battle experiences, from sunny beaches and bombed-out cities. But, there’s also a savage part of war and this game doesn’t pass on it one bit. The Japanese soldiers swarm like bees for a hive on to the battlefield, they even play dead and wait for you to walk into their sick little trap, then they’ll get you. Plus it really doesn’t end there, there’s also a very savage Russian Front with plenty of gunning down of wounded and unarmed soldiers by both fronts in the game.

However, World at War really shines in its Multi-player component, which gives you the ability to tackle missions with your friends in co-op or just do a online single or team game. Even if Modern Warfare had, arguably, one of the greatest multiplayer components in history, this game finds away to build, and build on it good. The game still has its ranking system that lets you unlock perks, weapons, and upgrades which you can use to mix and match for your style. Many of us may miss the helicopter which was featured in Modern Warfare, but this game brings in something so much better, dogs. Which swarm around hunting enemy’s to kill, but it’s way more fun to watch then to be attacked.

Closing Statement:

We can all fight and try to say that this game is better then Modern Warfare, but to do that now will be wrong. The multi-player doesn’t have that big explosion as it did in Modern Warfare, but it does brand something new. The game does have a lot more content then the other game, Modern Warfare, and to boot this is one of the best shooters out their and if you don’t own it now what are you waiting for?

Score: A

Well, for those of you who didn’t even think that this game was going to be good we have some very important news for you, it’s better then good it’s pure amazing. We all remember the hit game, Blue Dragon and when it was announced to be reincarnated to in a cartoon many of us were willing to think that it was going to suck, and it didn’t. Well, lets just hope the same goes here for the sleeper hit of the year, Valkyria Chronicles, because we have just received news that there’s going to be a television anime adaptation of the game. That’s right a television anime adaptation which is scheduled for release in next spring which we hope is enough time.

Sega’s Overworks development unit, Sakura Wars, had developed the game for the PS3 console and in recent reports it was revealed that Aniplex’s A-1 Pictures anime studio was given the heads up to develop the anime adaptation.

[2009年春より放映開始！ アクティブ・シミュレーションRPG「戦場のヴァルキュリア」のテレビアニメ化が決定 via Online Player EX]

When we first saw this game I tough that it was a very good idea, but then again I also tough that Turning Point was a great idea. And to me this game isn’t what legends should be made of, but at least it was better then Spark’s last, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty. And for some apparent reason I just can’t stop talking about Turning Point, but lets at least see if this game is the right game for you.

Legendary tells the not so simple story of Charles Deckard, who is somehow duped into opening Pandora’s Box while on a routine heist. Right after opening the box his hand is scared by the signet of Pandora, which gives him the power to absorb Animus energy that emanates out of fallen enemy giving you the ability to restore your health and stun enemy’s.

The game really does play like a normal FPS, but has some very clunky shooting and some of the weapons carry bit of weight, which kinda gives it that troop feeling. And sadly the games AI does help it one bit. Enemies are frequently getting stuck in walls and the games human AI are just as brilliant as the enemy’s. And it’s kinda sad that these were some issues that plagued their last game. Speaking of, some of the perfect shots don’t register with the game, which can make fighting off enemy’s harder.

And it doesn’t just end there, the game has only one multi-player mode which is just happens to be a creative one. In this mode two teams race to fill a node with Animus energy by hunting NPC werewolves, we know it doesn’t sound that bad, but with this game - if more modes were added - it could have been saved by its online community.

Closing Statement:

In spite of Legendary’s many failings, the game is one of those games that you just can’t pass on but if you buy it you may want to know that this game is just a rent, not along term commitment. It does have a really good script set throughout the full game. And if you enjoyed Turning Point: Fall of Liberty this is for you, but if you hated it please give this game a try because even if it has the same problems as it, it’s still better than it.

Score: C-

The original Dead Rising was a solid Xbox 360 exclusive that kept gamers playing over and over again, but that was about it for the game title, until now. A source close to Canadian developer Blue Castle Games has told the guys over at Eurogamer that the studio is making a sequel to Dead Rising. Rumours that the Vancouver-based outfit was working on the zombie project first emerged last year, but neither the developer nor publisher Capcom has confirmed anything on the record.

The source said: “Everyone’s really excited; the team has obviously seen the rumours and it’s been hard to keep quiet, but they can’t wait to show off the game.”

Unfortunately, they weren’t quick to give any details on the title or when we’ll be likely to see it. Blue Castle has so far released two baseball titles all with 2K Games, including The Bigs, and the recently announced MLB Front Office Manager.

[Blue Castle making Dead Rising 2 via Eurogamer]

It’s clear now that plenty of gamers still have plenty of time, even with the so many games coming out, to stop an appreciate a good game. The game that many of us are still to beat, Fallout 3, has ships approximately 4.7 million units worldwide, which reflects the games huge consumer demand. The game officially went worldwide last week and according to Bethesda Softworks the game has made $300 million in retail sales.

For example, in the United Kingdom where it was not released until Friday, October 31 the rapid sales of Fallout 3 have led the game to be ranked number one among all video games, as well as being the number one game on each of its three platforms.

The successful launch of Fallout 3 by Bethesda Softworks follows the success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which remains one of the highest scoring games ever published and earned “Game of the Year” honors in 2006.

While Nintendo is still leading the pack, if you ask Activision Blizzard for their input on the out growth of a system they seem to think that the PS3 will see more growth than the Xbox 360 by the end of ‘08. According to GameDaily, in a conference call Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith provided the company’s expectations for console hardware growth in North America and Europe combined.

Griffith said that while the Xbox 360 is expected to grow by an additional six to seven million units for this calendar year, Sony’s PS3 should grow by eight million units. But, anyway if you were to point to fact neither the PS3 nor the 360 can stack up against the Wii, but it depends on which continues to sell at a torrid pace. But, he does expect the Nintendo Wii to sell by another 15 million units this year.

He also mentioned that Activision believes handhelds will grow by 24 million units, but he did not break that down into DS vs. PSP sales, go figure.

[Activision Expects PS3 Growth to Outpace Xbox 360 This Year via GameDaily]

This is an interesting experiment that seem to be giving fans mixed feelings, but that’s okay because all the experimentation is finally over. Today, Miday announced that Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe has gone gold and is scheduled to be available in retail stores throughout North America on November 16, 2008, and throughout Europe on November 21, 2008.

“We are proud to release to manufacturing Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, the culmination of two years of effort and a rewarding collaboration with our friends at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics,” said Ed Boon, executive producer and co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise.

“So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic, and I can’t wait to get this into the hands of MK diehards and DC Comics fans alike when the game becomes available on Nov. 16 in North America and Nov. 21 throughout Europe! “

Well, Guitar Hero: World Tour has been out for over a week now and Activision has given us a little gift that’s sure to make fanboys happy. We all have seen the last Guitar Hero commercial with A-Rod, Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk and Michael Phelps. Now, in the latest Guitar Hero: World Tour commercial Heidi Klum, go Heidi!, dances around in her underwear to “that old time rock n roll.” The video is called to slightly naughtier version of the commercial and is said to be Brett Ratner’s personal “director’s cut”, but if you ask me, there both just as funny.

“It seems like Heidi Klum is going back to her risky roots with her “Risky Business” shirt-and-underwear style Guitar Hero commercial. This slightly naughtier version is Brett Ratner’s personal “director’s cut.” Were all waiting to see if there are more takes hes still holding on to.”

Yesterdays, rumor of there going to be a new extended ending for Metal Gear Solid 4 was just exposed and was burnt down by Konami. According to the report from CVG, Konami has told them that there are “no plans” to release further expansions for Metal Gear Solid 4. Repeating reports suggested an alternative ending might be delivered via DLC next month, which just happens to be December. “There are no plans to expand Metal Gear Solid 4,” they were told, but “All further expansions are planned for Metal Gear Online,”

The rep states Konami plans to release the next MGO expansion, the Meme Expansion, in November. While on the subject, Konami is also putting out 500 limited edition MGS4 watches for eager collectors to go mental over over at Game Station’s online store. Which was revealed right after the “Metal Gear Online Is One Million Strong” announcement.

[Konami: "No plans" for MGS4 expansion via CVG]

The game has been out since June and even if you had to pay for extra characters the game has been going strong since. And today Konami announced that Metal Gear Online, which is the multiplayer aspect of Metal Gear Solid 4, now has reached million members worldwide, which is a huge number. They also revealed that to celebrate this announcement they will be giving free stuff and discounts just for you fanboys.

During the Commemorative Campaign period of November 25, 2008 from December 9, 2008, all players who own a Metal Gear Online online ID and have access to Metal Gear Online will receive 10,000 reward points each. The 10,000 reward points will be updated to account owners on the last day of the campaign, December 9, 2008.

Player characters who access Metal Gear Online during the Commemorative Campaign period will also have a chance to be one of 30 people worldwide to receive an additional 100,000 reward points.

As it was stated in many reports over the last week, Street Fighter IV will not be spending this holiday season, in Japan, under a tree. In a press event held in Tokyo, Capcom release its plans to reveal Street Fighter IV in Japan in February of ‘09 on both on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The direct release date for the game is still waiting to be know in the United States, but still we can’t wait to play the game in the U.S. This news was released to the public in a fighting game press event by Capcom in Tokyo, just for you guys that missed it in my other article.

The game is yet to release in North American stores, but yet it has been in Japan for sale for the pass few months. And recently, a new chapter of Valkyria Chronicles hit the PS3 network in Japan. The update focuses on Servelia, one of the games main characters, leading an Imperial force into Gallian territory. The pack is available in Japan of the price of 800 yen and it is going to be preceded by two other optional updates, Operation Edie for 600 yen and the Hard EX mode for 300 yen. The game was original set to be released in October, but because of SEGA changing their mind the game will be releasing this month.

[New Content for Valkyria Chronicles via RPGamer]

While 360 fanboys are playing the demo for the upcoming 360 game Naruto: Broken Bond, PlayStation fanboys are patiently awaiting the release of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. Our friends at GP had the chance to go hands on with the game after receiving it in the mail earlier this week. According to them, the game will have a mandatory install of 4GB which will take about 15-20 minutes to install. As you may remember the game has the same download time as the hit game Bioshock, which was recently released on the PlayStation 3. The game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive and is releasing sometime this week so be sure to pick it up.

[Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm To Have 3.9GB Install via GamersPlatform]

I don’t know about you, but the last big update of Burnout was just amazing, it added almost everything that the game was missing. But, that was for this year and it looks like Criterion Games is already thinking about ‘09, but you may want to know why and I’m here to tell you “because they can.”

According to an official update on the Criterion website, they have already revealed the first big content update for ‘09 that will  be added to Burnout: Paradise called Burnout: Paradise Party. The content update is said to add a more social asset to the game by joining players.

The new update will add three new modes Stunt, Speed and Skill. Stunt is exactly what it sounds like, Speed focuses on quick time trials and other timed challenges, while Skill requires you to race through oncoming traffic at maximum speed. They’re also going to pour on some extra Trophies/Achievements, so there’s no reason not to pick up the new Party pack when it becomes available.

[Criterion To Offer New Party Content For Burnout Paradise via PSXextreme]

Attention all PlayStation 3 owner who are planning to get their hands on the PlayStation 3 version of the game Red Faction: Guerrilla. The games Associate Producer Sean Kennedy has just admitted to CVG that the extra help was needed to bring the PlayStation3 version up to speed with the Xbox 360 version. Kennedy even stressed how hard Red Faction: Guerilla is pushing the current-gen technology and then says that the lack of memory on PlayStation3 causes a additional headache.

“I mean, to be honest, we are pushing the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 to the limits,” he says. “I mean, not only has it been a balancing act making destruction work with the gameplay and making it all come together in a cohesive way that’s fun, but it’s been a balancing act getting the game to run on the systems.”

[Volition: We struggled with PS3 Red Faction via CVG]

What are the scariest games to play on Halloween? Well, to answer that question you may want to read this list.

10. Silent Hill: The Room

You are locked in your apartment, completely cut off from the outside. It seems that no one else in your building can even hear your cries for help, and you have begun to have terrible nightmares about the very room you are living in.

Finally, you find a way out. No, rather, you find a way deeper into this other realm- the realm of nightmares. True, this game does not follow the same basic formula of its predecessors, and in fact it’s barely has any story links to the classic original, but if you want an experience that has some of the craziest, most disturbing visuals in video game history, you owe it to yourself to play “The Room”. Truly, deeply frightening.

9. Resident Evil 2

It isn’t very often in any form of entertainment when the sequel is better than the original, but this is definately the case with RE:2. I still remember the first time I played this game on my friend’s system, and boy, did I have a blast! The Resident Evil series has always been more about ‘boo!’ scares than truly frightening imagery, but even so, who can deny that fighting a giant blob-like monster straight out of the fifties is tons of fun?

The best aspect of this game for me was how much emphasis was placed on the ’survival’ aspect of the ’survival horror’ label that the game was given. Truly, every bullet counted in this world, and you had to make strategically smart moves along the way, or else you would run out of options for survival later on. Ultimately, this game is much more action-oriented with a bit of a puzzle-solving aspect to it. If you want a classic game that still delivers the scares today, then I suggest you pick up a copy of RE:2 if you manage to find one.

P.S. It’s scarier with the lights off!

8. Fatal Frame

The creators of this Japanese Horror-fest gave a completely different spin on how we saw and played Horror games. In this gem, you play as a girl who is moving throughout haunted locations looking for ghosts. Your means of defense is . . . a camera? :\

Yes, yes, it may not sound all that fun in theory, but truly, play this game for a couple hours and you’ll begin to see what makes it so great. The use of mood and atmosphere is very good here, as well as how sound and visual play intricate parts in giving the player that feeling of dread just before a scare is about to unleash on their timid gamer soul..

It may not be as focused on violence as its fellows within the genre, but “Fatal Frame” delivers if it’s what you’re looking for in a Horror title.

7. Resident Evil: Survivor

This game is tough to address, because many people have alot of problems with it. For one thing, the game is a part of a much bigger series known as biggest Survivor Horror series, yet Capcom made sure that the storyline took place within the gaming experience. As a result, we get a very interesting game story-wise, but a very unusual entry in the RE series due to its completely re-worked and revisioned control scheme.

In this game, you are someone who has no idea who he is or what he is doing here among the zombies. So your goal is to merely find answers. Along the way you will stumble upon clues that will help fill in alot of the gaps, but the first-person perspective in my opinion bumps up the creep factor to the ninth degree.

I have never been so terrified to open a door in my whole gaming life. More often than not, I would end up entering a new room, then hear the sound of raspy breathing right next to me. As the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up, I had no choice but to look in the direction of the sound. Then– ARGH!!!!

6. BioShock

You are a victim of a plane crash in 1960. You are lucky enough to be the sole survivor of the catastrophe, and among the burning wreckage you manage to see what appears to be a lighthouse and a shore nearby. As you move toward the light, you begin to feel more and more compelled to venture further.

You step inside the tower, and find yourself inexplicably being lowered deeper and deeper underwater by a lift of some sort. This ride leads you into the heart of an underground city known as ‘Rapture’, a place that was envisioned as a paradise where artists and scientists could venture into any curiosity without fear of being reprimanded by a higher authority, but it becomes very clear almost immediately after you take your first steps into the once-happy utopia that something has gone very, very wrong. . .

‘BioShock’ truly is revolutionary because it manages to scare the player without too many cheap moments of merely startling them. Sound is very important in this game, as you can hear the crazed citizens of Rapture talking amongst themselves and/or moving about in the next room before actually seeing them. Other times you will see a long shadow cast on a wall, or you will hear the distant moan of a Big Daddy, and that is when you begin to dread walking any further down your path. The best part about this game is– no undead!

5. Half-Life 2

I know what you’re thinking; Half-Life is more or less an action-oriented game, but let me assure you, HL2 has its moments that send pure fear through one’s body. The most prominent of scary moments in this game is of course the dreaded ‘Ravenholm’; a zombie-infested town that has long been cut off from the rest of the game’s locations, yet you get to take a ’shortcut’ through it’s moaning allyways, oh, goody.

From the terrible screaming of agony from the headcrab zombies to the quick, springy headcrabs that would like nothing more but to swallow your head whole to the strong, cheetah-speed runners referred to as the fast zombies, you will have your survival (and your nervous system) cut out for you in this game.

4. Silent Hill 2

You are James Sunderland, and you have received a letter from your late wife stating that she waits for you in Silent Hill. Personal, searching out the undead incarnation of my nagging significant other within a town that is just crawling with monstrous abominations doesn’t seem like my idea of a vacation, but James here thought it was just what he needed. I guess his life was going a little too normal for his taste, so he needed a good mind-f*ck. This game is argued by many to be the most terrifying of all the Silent Hill entries, and I can definitely see why.

This game was revolutionary in many ways, but something that shouldn’t go unnoticed is the extremely customizable difficulty setting. You can choose to either A: Have extremely difficult enemies and extremely easy puzzles, or B: Have pushovers as enemies and true mind-benders as puzzles. Something that I will never forget about this frightening experience: the sound of metal dragging along the floor announcing the presence of Pyramid Head, the game’s most terrifying enemy. Good times, good times.

3. Dead Space

The newest ’scariest game’, in which you are battling an alien infection aboard a spacecraft that turns crew members into zombie-like antagonists. You’re going to need some diapers if you intend to sit down and play this thing for an extended periods of time.

2. Siren

A truly terrifying experience that is a completely worthy addition to the list. This has been somewhat overlooked for whatever reason, but it still remains one of my favorites. The real-life visuals featured in the game paired with a much stealthier approach at Horror games, playing makes this game a gem worth looking into.

The best part is: a reworked PS3 version of this game is now available for download for PSN in North America and Europe. You owe it to yourself to go and buy it. Off you go.

1. Silent Hill

Yeah, three Silent Hill games in one list may seem like a bit much, but the fact remains that this series has always managed to be the scariest of them all, every time, and that deserves recognition. What better way to tip our hats to this amazing, frightening series than to give the number one spot of our list to the one that started it all?

Well, there you have it, ladies and gents; a comprehensive list of some of the most terrifying virtual experiences available thus far. I hope you enjoy every last one of them. Oh, and . . . you might want to cover the couch with something easily washable.

Well, there once was that rumor going around that Obama and Palin will be playable characters in the hit EA game Mercenaries 2. When watching G4 today, yeah we watch it, I tuned into one of my favorite shows on the network, X-play, and in their Gaming Update they confirmed that both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin will be playable characters in Mercenaries 2.

“Mercenaries 2 is a game seemingly ripped straight out of today’s headlines and fueled with the same type of over-the-top action found in the best summer blockbuster films. It only makes sense we inject the game with a spin on current affairs. The timing was too good to let pass.” said Tom Stratton, Pandemic Studios.

[X-play's Gaming Update via G4TV]

Wow, out of the many company’s that I though would be laying off people, EA had to come and pull this trick. Today, word has hit the web that Electronic Arts has “massive” layed off 6 percent of its staff, which adds up to be about 600 people.

“EA is continuing to make progress against our business plan, but we have the constant imperative to keep our costs in line as we grow our revenues and improve our margins,” said Electronic Arts spokesperson, Mariam Sughayer. “Decisions that impact people’s jobs are always extremely tough but all of the people affected will be treated fairly and respectfully.”

The spokesperson goes onto reveal that the company has “reduce hiring” and that “open positions that - they - had previously planned to fill this fiscal year” were closed. This is because they are tiring to “adjust employee numbers” to ensure that their resourced in a ways that allows them to continue to grow, revenue-wise.

“These are challenging economic times around the world, and it’s impossible for any business leaders to predict the future. However, EA has made good progress in improving product quality, building a holiday lineup of titles that is extremely strong, filling our new IP pipeline, and expanding our Direct-To-Consumer and online businesses. As well, our talent remains the best in the industry.”

[Electronic Arts Lays Off Six Hundred via Kotaku]

With all the videos shown over the past year of Final Fantasy XIII, there was only so little of it shown that can be considered gameplay. And with so much time in development we were all wondering when we would be able to seen any gameplay of the game, beside in the teaser trailers. However, according to a post on the NeoGAF Forum, there will be gameplay of the game shown by the end of this year. Square-Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura spoke about the game in an interview with Gemaga, he mentions that before the end of the year we’ll see the battle scene in FF13, which is just another way of saying game. He also revealed in the interview that they have no immediate plans to release information on the voice acting cast for the game.

[Square Enix TGS report via NeoGAF]

Guess what? It’s what you’ve been waiting for. Jimi Hendrix will now have downloadable content for Guitar Hero: World Tour. After announcing the news before the games release, the rock legend will now have a set of three songs coming out on November 13th. To be more specific the DLC will contain the songs If 6 was 9, Little Wing, and a live version of fire. The content will be available for 440 Microsoft points on Xbox Live Marketplace and $5.49 on the PlayStation Store. If music fans can not afford the DLC, the following week on November 20th. There will be another trio of songs by the band called “The Raconteurs”. The songs Salute your Solution, Hold Up, and Console of the lonely. These three songs can be purchased separately on XBL for 160 MP each, $1.99 each on the PSN also on the Wii Store for 200 Wii points each, the game is now out on all three next gen consoles.

It was once mandatory that game developers check with Sony on there games content in Europe. Now, when speaking at the Casual Connect conference in Kiev, SCEE’s George Bain confirmed that PS2 would now be “effectively an open platform” in Europe. This is thought to be an attempt to encourage regional developers in countries such as India and Russia to make “low-development cost titles and release them in their market”.

George Bain also confirmed that Sony’s entire content approval system has been streamlined into a single global system. Which makes it easier for developers to submit their content online under one website not separated by regions. Therefore, it makes it easier for developers to get their further downloadable content out, after there first one passes through which makes it faster because they don’t have to go through the process again.

Personally, I never really notice that these games were different and it looks like THQ has found out why. According to Patent Arcade, THQ has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard over trade dress and copyright, which means box-art in this case. The news site reports that the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard is about the upcoming game “SCORE International Baja 1000 The Official Game”. THQ alleges that the game from Activision Blizzard infringes the trade dress and copyrights in THQ’s game “Baja Edge of Control,” which was released in September 2008.

The file (linked below) states that Activision is trying to gain more sales by using the same box-art to confuse consumers that buy the game. Also, it says that Activision Blizzard must change the games box-art prior to it’s release, which is on October 28, 2008, but if Activision Blizzard wins nothing changes.

PDF - THQ Inc. v. Activision Blizzard, Inc. [Patent Arcade]

Many of us were left upset by the ending of Saints Row 2 because it left a room of questions waiting to be answered. Now, in a recent interview with Play, Volition’s associate producer Dan Sutton confirmed that there will be a Saints Row 3, but there was no word on if the game is already in production. It was said that the developers over at Volition were waiting for the fans reactions on the game to reveal Saints Row 3, but by the news we can already tell that they have received a vast amount of fan responses on the game. Along with the news Sutton also confirmed the game will have a “new direction”, other then the ones in the first to games.

“Well, we knew a lot of people were upset with the last one because they were playing it and it was like “oh gosh, I’ve got to wait for the next one”, but in SR2 we tie-up a lot of loose ends. I think we tie it up deliberately. We’ve already started work on Saints Row 3, and we have a new direction we want to go in with that which we of course can’t talk about. We wrap up a lot in this one. There’s no frustration.” -Dan Sutton

[Interview Dan Sutton on Saints Row 2 via Play]

For all you PlayStation fanboys that were hoping to jump in the skintight leather pants of Violette Summer and thwart German Nazi’s on your PlayStation 3 next year, you maybe in for a little disappointment. According to PSU, PlayStation fanboys won’t be getting the chance to sample Velvet Assassin on the PlayStation 3. The games publisher, Gamecock has revealed why the game won’t be headed onto the PlayStation 3 simply saying that Replay Studios is not developing a PS3 version of the game.

“Unfortunately there will not be a PS3 version of Velvet Assassin,” said the representative. “The reason being that Replay Studios started off as a PC development team, then branched into 360 development as the transition was ‘relatively simple’, but their engine does not support PS3.”

[Velvet Assassin showing no love for PS3 via PSU]

According to Variety, EA is planning on producing sequels to recent hits Army of Two and Battlefield: Bad Company. This news comes from EA boss, Frank Gibeau, who loosely confirmed EA’s plans for some new franchise iterations in an interview with Variety.

“If you look at the year “Gears of War” shipped the first time, it was one of the best sellers. “Bad Company” has come out and done very well. “Army of Two” sold very well. We’ve got sequel ideas planned for those.” -Frank Gibeau

There was also some talk about there being some new toys for their recently released game, Dead Space because EA is talking to some partners about it. There’s was also talk about there being a Dead Space movie in the making and EA Redwood Shores general manager, Glenn Schofield, also revealed that there is a “Dead Space” sequel is already in the works.

[Army of Two sequel, Dead Space movie talks, and more on EA's new approach to original properties via Variety]

Bioshock has influenced many people’s look on video games, but little did we know that Bioshock was also influencing something big. When being interviewed by Computer and Video Games, Capcom’s Masachika Kawata admitted that Resident Evil 5 was heavily influenced by the popular underwater video game, Bioshock.

“It’s a classic game which really utilized the next gen power very well. The world is very strong and very believable, and the whole game was quite inspiring”.

He also continues to state that the game was also influenced by many other western gaming titles that they can’t talk about at this time, but they were “incorporated” into the game. The game is right now set to make its way on to consoles this March on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

[Resident Evil 5 Interview via CVG]