Modern Warfare 2 has surpassed sales expectations, selling an estimated 4.7 million units within the first 24 hours; that’s an estimated $310 million in profit within 24 hours. As it turns out, people have been rushing onto Xbox Live to play Modern Warfare 2, respectively, with their friends; pushing the amount of online users to “record breaking heights”.

In a post on his Twitter account, Xbox Live’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb said that, “Over TWO MILLION people [were] connected to the [online] service at once”, something that has never been done before on any online platform; setting a new record for most concurrent users for the service.

If you aren’t happy with the current map selection for Brütal Legend’s Stage Battle multiplayer mode, I have some important news for you. Double Fine, the games developers, have announced Brütal Legend’s first episode of downloadable content entitled “Tears of the Hextadon“, which includes two new maps for the games Stage Battle mode.

In the first map, Circle of Tears, vile waters have carved a rough-hewn circular battlefield into a forsaken land that players must circumvent to destroy their opponent. In the second map, Death’s Fjord, players find themselves on an icy mountain pass with a dense cluster of fans that lie below, waiting to be harvested by those brave enough to capture them without cover from enemy attack. Also, all players who download the new map pack will receive a free axe, the Blade of Ormagöden.

“I play Brütal Legend online every night,” said Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “And I need more maps! Circle of Tears is named after the crying of my vanquished foes on the battlefield, and Death’s Fjord is obviously a tribute to my Nordic ancestors, and their love of fan geysers and… Well, actually I just thought the name was cool. See you online!”

Tears of the Hextadon will be available on Xbox LIVE on November 3 for 400 MS Points and on PlayStation Network on November 5. And to up the anty, those that purchase the game via the PlayStation Network by November 19 will be able to download the content for free.

There’s no doubt in our mines that Heavy Rain is totally going to kick butt when it releases next year; its developers Quantic Dream are very primed on delivering an adult story with an adult narrative. And what wouldn’t be a better way of doing so. Then to do so.

As you can tell by the title, this article is obviously about a “nude scene” that takes place during one of the levels in Heavy Rain – in where the player control a female character who has a gun pointed at her by a mysterious character who is telling her to take off her undergarments (you can view the video by clicking here).

Just to note: Heavy Rain is a game made for the adult gamer. However, this is most likely to draw attention from many “active parents” who are likely going to try an get the games rating reinforced to an “A” – instead of “M” – or they’re going to try and halt the games release, altogether. Anyway, don’t let me ruin your day with this nonsense that’s mostly promoted by FOX, just kidding.

During Microsoft’s E3 ‘09 keynote, they revealed the long awaited and rumored sequel, Crackdown 2. However, it isn’t until now – the Tokyo Game Show – that we’re getting to see the first pair of screenshots, and, well, they’re freaking amazing.

[Show as slideshow]

Activision revealed today that Blur, the company’s highly anticipated foray into the racing genre, is now scheduled to ship in 2010. Stating that they’re moving Blur from 2009 to give the development team at Bizarre Creations more time to enhance the game’s online multiplayer gameplay component.

“We are committed to making Blur a great new racing franchise, and we are very encouraged by the game’s design,” stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing. “The additional time will allow the studio to fully optimize the vision they set out to create for Blur including a distinctive and groundbreaking multiplayer mode that will appeal to a broad audience.” Blur is now scheduled to release sometime in 2010.

Like if you needed more of a reason to watch all of the information that will be coming out of the Tokyo Game Show this year. According to the Examiner, Capcom, one of the biggest game publishers and developers to date, has been teasing on it Twitter of the new titles that it will be revealing at the Tokyo Game Show this year.

“Hard at work on Tokyo Game Show plans,” said the publisher via its twitter feed. “Several new games to be announced in Japan, lots of new content for [Lost Planet 2], [Tatsunoko vs. Capcom], [and Dead Rising 2]. Exciting!” Tokyo Game Show 2009 will be held from September 24 to the 27.

It’s official! DICE announced today that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available March 2, 2010 in North America and March 5, 2010 in Europe.

“The variety of weapons, choice of vehicles and scale of destruction in the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sandbox environment generates countless unscripted and unforgettable moments,” said Karl Magnus Troedsson, Executive Producer Battlefield Franchise, DICE. “When Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ships in March, it will deliver the best online multiplayer experience ever.”

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will deliver a level of destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open world environments never before experienced in a modern warfare action game. By pushing destruction to new heights and delivering a host of land, sea and air vehicles, players will soon witness the best-in-class online warfare experience.

Eidos Interactive, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NVIDIA Corporation today announced that the Games for Windows LIVE release of Batman: Arkham Asylum will feature NVIDIA PhysX technology, which allows for the creation of incredibly realistic worlds full of interactive materials and objects.

As a result, PC gamers will get to experience intense realism and fully immerse themselves in Batman’s journey into Gotham City’s asylum for the criminally insane.

“Supporting NVIDIA PhysX technology has allowed us to add that little bit extra to the PC version of the game,” said Sefton Hill, Game Director at Rocksteady Studios. “As Batman interacts with the world, the aging asylum creates a more immersive, believable world which really draws the player in.”

Hardware accelerated by supported NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, PhysX technology provides an even deeper level of engagement for players of Batman: Arkham Asylum? by utilizing the processing power of the NVIDIA GPU to render stunning in-game physics objects in the environment that not only add to the overall look of the game, but create an immersive and believable world.

To take advantage of PhysX technology in Batman: Arkham Asylum, players must have a compatible NVIDIA GPU and a copy of the Games for Windows LIVE version of the game, which will be available beginning September 15th, 2009 in North America.

Note: To view the box-art click the link below (after video).

The box art for the highly anticipated title, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, was released yesterday, as well as the information that will be located on the back of the retail box.

The back of the box reads:

You are a fugitive, ruthlessly hunted by the very government you used to serve. Your only choice is to improvise to survive. Experience original gameplay based on improvisation in which your environment is your top weapon. Always on your toes, you need to react on the fly to any changing situations and use the environment and the crowds around you to create diversions and deter your enemies.

As a fugitive, quick thinking and adaptation are essential to turn the situation to your advantage. A gameplay experience delivering 100% adrenaline includes close combat and shooting sequences. To survive, build an underground network of allies who will help you obtain high-tech gadgets and stay one step ahead of your pursuers as you struggle to unmask the forces that frame you.

[Box-art and Details via Game-Debate]

Weesnaw. If you love horses and shooting up old school Texan baddies, you’ll love this. Rockstar’s Dan Houser has confirmed with IGN that Red Dead Redemption’s multiplayer mode will feature Horses, Stagecoaches, and Trains.

“Charging around on horses and stagecoaches and trains, shooting each other in a multiplayer world,” said Houser. “It’s pretty epic, but it’s not finalized to talk about in any more detail than that. We’re still learning a lot as we learn how to do multiplayer games successfully.”

He continues to state that their mistakes learned from Grand Theft Auto IV will be applied to its upcoming western.

“We definitely feel there’s something really fun about third-person multiplayer games, just as we feel there’s something really fun with third-person single-player games,” he continued. “Even between GTA IV and the Lost and Damned we made quite a leap forward in how the games were structured and how they played and I think we’re looking to do that again with everything we do going forward.”

We all know that John Connor has to save us from the “rise of the machines”, but, sadly, he can’t do it all by himself.  That’s why the President at Halcyon Games, Cos Lazouras, gave us a look at the upcoming Terminator: Salvation video game. 

Expect an in-depth look at the title’s take on a “3D” cover system, teammate cooperation, rail-shooting levels and more.

Terminator: Salvation launches May 19 on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 right before the feature film hits theaters on the 21st.

There isn’t a gamer out there that didn’t express a bit of concern when it was announced that BioShock 2 would have a Multiplayer mode. But, luckily, it seems that 2K Games doesn’t want you to worry about it.

When speaking to Gameplayer, BioShock 2’s lead level designer Hogarth de la Plante had this to say about the Multiplayer situation.

“We recognise that people might be cynical about a multiplayer mode,” he stated. “A lot of us are big single player fans also so in no way does it compromise the single-player experience.”

Producer Mellisa Miller added that the decision to include online play had not been taken “lightly,” but refused to detail the new mode.

In the words of the famous Robin – who isn’t in this game, apparently. “Golly Gee Willickers BATMAN!” Today, Eidos revealed that “FreeFlow Combat” trailer for the upcoming title, Batman: Arkham Asylum. The trailer showcases the Dark Knight utilizing the unique FreeFlow combat system to chain together unlimited combos seamlessly and battle with huge groups of The Joker’s henchmen in brutal melee brawls. Batman even takes on the immense Bane character in this action packed trailer.

With the recent showing of the “Games of the Year” Halo 3 and Fable 2 Xbox 360 Elite combination, it seems that Microsoft is planning on adding another Bundle to its list. But, this one will feature a Grand Theft Auto combination.

According to a retail listing Kotaku received earlier this week – which showed the Nintendo DS “Mother’s Day Bundle” which was announced recently – it showed a listing for an $399.99 price tag featuring a Grand Theft Auto IV and Xbox 360 Elite Bundle.

No release date, no expanded information on what, beyond GTA IV, will be included in the package. But, it was speculated that its most likely the first downloadable episode, The Lost & Damned.

In the latest episode of GameTrailers TV, 2K Games revealed the first proper showing of the sequel to BioShock, BioShock 2, in the form of a trailer, which was handed down to GTTV. The sequel looks very remanisant to the first game, but instead of playing a person who stumbled upon the Rapature after a plane cash, you’d be taking on the roll of the first ever Big Daddy. BioShock 2 is set to be released on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in late 2009. 

Yet another bits the dust at EA. In reports today, it was revealed that Will Wright, the creator of Spore, has left Electronic Arts to pursue new projects at Stupid Fun Club, a side project Wright actually started in 2001.

Stupid Fun Club is now evolved in a full fledged entertainment ‘think tank’ focused on developing new IP to deploy across not just video games, but also movies, television, the Internet and even toys. However, EA also invested in Stupid Fun Club and it owns an equal share of the company. The publisher will also have first refusal rights on all video game projects.

“The entertainment industry is moving rapidly into an era of revolutionary change,” said Will Wright. “Stupid Fun Club will explore new possibilities that are emerging from this sublime chaos and create new forms of entertainment on a variety of platforms. In my twelve years at EA, I’ve had the pleasure to work alongside some of the brightest and most talented game developers in the industry and I look forward to working with them again in the near future.”

In an attempt to divert from the ways of the first BioShock, a company spokesperson has revealed 2K Games’  plans to release the game ’simultaneous’ on all platforms.

“We’re aiming for simultaneous release on all platforms (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC),” a company spokesperson told CVG, with the promise of details on the sequel’s illusive multi-player mode “soon enough”, and it really can’t be “SOON ENOUGH”!!! The game is anticipated to be released late 2009.

UbiSoft has confirmed that the sequel to Call of Juarez, Bound in Blood, will be headed towards stores sometime in June, which was stated via a release schedule.

UbiSoft’s release schedule doesn’t give specific dates for each versions, so as of right now the game looks like it will release on PS3, 360, and PC on the same day. It is stated that the game will be a, “bigger and better adventure to fans of shooters and the lawless Wild West.” Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood will release on the PS3, 360 and PC.

Chris Kramer has stated  that Resident Evil 5 signals a new direction for the survival horror series with it “waving goodbye” to many of the story lines and characters seen in previous installments.

When speaking to the Major Nelson, in his recent podcast, Kramer stated that, “It’s a really good time for new players to jump in, because what we’re doing is kind of waving goodbye to a lot of storyline elements from, essentially, act one of the Resident Evil franchise.”

“Resident evil 5 is really setting the franchise up for what’s going to happen now going forwards, so establishing new characters and storylines, and pretty much a new direction for the game.”

“If you’re late to the party and you haven’t been playing the games for the past 15 years, all you need to know is that the game’s a lot of fun and just filled with action, so you don’t have to worry about the plot, as we’re kind up picking up and starting afresh.”

The first BioShock title was all about single player even with the latest re-boot on the PS3 stayed within those factors.

In the latest issue of Game Informer, which included some very in-dept info on the upcoming game, Bioshock 2, it revealed plans for a multi player mode and co-op component.

Detailed for the multi player modes aren’t thin on the ice right now, but we believe they will revealed the modes soon.

When you head over to your local GameStop, or the GameStop website, and pre-order the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game you’ll recieve an exclusive DLC code for the game.

The downloadable content code will give you the ability to take your opponents out in the ‘The Dismemberment Room’ along with other ‘exclusive’ in-game rooms (listed below)- only at GameStop. And to access these rooms players will be loaded into a hallway which acts like a doorway to each room.

• The Dismemberment Room: “Using a control panel, this room lets players select various limbs and body parts on a holographic soldier. Once the selections are locked in, the soldier appears in a tiled room viewed through a glass wall. The selected limbs are severed with spectacular results.”
• The Environmental Kill Room: “This large room features small set-ups of each of the various environments found within the main game. All of these environments contain sharp objects on which Wolverine can impale his enemies. By pushing a red button, players can teleport in a group of soldiers and hurl them against the sharp objects to see them creatively skewered.”
• The Ladder Challenge Room: “Pushing a red button will cause a group of enemies to beam into the room. Each time the red button is pushed, the enemies get tougher and more numerous, laddering up the challenge for Wolverine.”
• The Custom Combat Arena: “This huge space lets players select any combination of enemies from within the game, beam them into the arena, and attempt to defeat them. Face ten hulking Leviathans or a blend of towering W.E.N.D.I.G.O. Prototypes, Machete Champions, and Machine gunners.”

We have been patiently waiting for sometime now, but still they haven been candid on releasing any details on the title. But, now it looks like they plan to change that with the release of the 200th anniversary edition of PC Gamer mag.

In an CVG report it revealed that in the 200th anniversaryedition of PC Gamer BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams will be unveiled to the public – screenshots and everything.

The ‘next month’ page of PC Gamer issue 199, which is in subscriber’s hands now, promises a “world exclusive” on the 2K sequel, which after all the teasing we’ve been succumbed to this month surely must be the first proper look.

According to vague hints on 2K’s viral website, the second game takes place seven years after the original when a spree of mysterious kidnappings of young girls are cropping up in coastal towns along the Atlantic – and it looks like something from the sea is responsible. PC Gamer 200 will be on shelves on April 9.

Jigsaw’s, the guy that we just love to hate, will finally be getting a release date after some, foolish, talk that the game would never see the light of day.

Konami today revealed that it has come to the table with a deal with, Lions Gate Entertainment is to continue the work of  Brash Entertainment, after the the studio closed it’s doors late last year. The deal would entail the movie game so that it will release around the the same time with Saw 6, which is Fall 09.

Here’s a quick question. Are you guys into the Saw franchise? If so, are you looking forward to the game? And we all know that ”The Sicko can’t be let down. Let’s play a game.”

We all know that most Alcoholic drinks have a warning label that warns its users of the after affects that they may receive, like cancer or liver cancer. Now, picture this. A warning label on video games that says, “excessive exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior.” Well, it looks like you don’t have to picture it anymore because it now a reality.

According to ZergWatch, Congressman Joe Baca, a lead advocate in Congress on the issues of violence and sex in the media, introduced legislation that mandates all video games with a Electronics Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating of Teen or higher should be sold with a health warning label. The warning label will read; “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

“The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers – to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products,” said Rep. Baca. “They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products.”

How do you measure the intelligence of a man? Is it by the color of his skin…. Wait, what am I talking about? Anyway, in the past Uncharted title the enemies weren’t as smart as they should of been, but that has seemed to has changed with Naughty Dog’s upcoming title, Uncharted 2.

When speaking to Computer And Video Games, Game Director Bruce Straley gave a little insight on Naughty Dog’s upcoming title Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

And since they have decided to go with an more stealthy element within the game, which, by the way, is going to be awesome, it has inspired Naughty Dog to create some very lifelike enemies. “As a result of expanding our gameplay to account for action-stealth, there are two new behaviours added to enemies, ‘investigate’ and ‘hunt,’” Straley reported.

“With ‘investigate’ the enemies have peripheral vision just like humans. When Drake enters this peripheral vision the enemies will look over in the direction they think they saw him in and depending on how long he was in this vision cone, they may just look or they may walk over and check out what they think they saw.”

“With the ‘hunt’ behaviour the enemies have already spotted Drake and are in combat with him. While in combat the enemies make certain assumptions on where Drake is based on his last known location,” he continued .

Update: G4 has posted the extended trailer from the game. Looks better than the original.

Original: Lead Animator, Tomas Hrebicek, has confirmed that the recently released Mafia II trailer was all created in real-time.

“It really was,” said Hrebicek. “All the scenes were completely created in our editor the same way we create cutscenes for the game. Our cutscene editor is a very powerful tool. Besides, we can see it all real-time which makes our work a lot easier. There was absolutely no need to modify the resulting video in the post production.

“Because everything was created solely in our editor, only our in-game scenes and models were used. So what you see here is great representation of the quality of work that you will see throughout Mafia II. Of course, this is not the end yet, and frame rate and other technical issues are still being tweaked in order to have the game working smoothly on all the platforms we create it for.”

‘The Godfather’, altogether, is one the film industry’s most recognized, and most acclaimed, films and when some in the gaming industry embraces, or finds, that it well make a great game they will go after it. Thus was born The Godfather: The Video Game, the game, being the first game, was a very interesting first try releasing on most of the last-gen systems.

Now, its developer, EA, plans to release it on current nex-gen systems in the form of a new game, The Godfather II, and it was recent revealed that the title will be releasing in February. Now-however, it seems that EA has also finally revealed the Box-Art for the game.

It’s truly one of the greatest things about making a video game, when you make a game that is great, and people like an aspect of the game, you are going to see someone make a game with that same style, or something like it. Now, it seems that the video game adaptation of ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ with be taking a page out of the book from God of War.

When speaking to EGM, developers Raven opened up about their upcoming project ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’.

“God of War was an influence. Devil May Cry, even Super Smash Bros., to a point. When we play [games like that], we just like the simplicity. Every character has their basic set of moves — that’s simple. People get that, and mass market gets that, so we’re making sure we bring that to Wolverine,” said Raven.

“People are going to play Wolverine and then be annoyed with how slow other action games are. We’ve gone back and played highly touted action games we all love, and you’re in these attacks forever. And it’s not just the speed — it’s the ease in which you’re able to [break] out of your attacks at any time.”

Lionhead’s latest title, Fable II did as well as we hoped, it was a very entertaining and fun experience for all that played it. But, that was for the year of 2008, so what is Lionhead planning to do next year, besides the Fable II DLC?

Peter Molyneux, who is head of the Lionhead, has told BBC that the developer is working on a “super secret” project. He goes on to tell BBC that they “might announce it next year.”

Here’s what he said word for word; “And as for Lionhead: now we’ve got Fable II out of the door we can focus on our other project – it’s super secret for now – but we might announce it next year.”

Now, do not expect the title to be released next year, and knowing the team at Lionhead they will most likely take their time with the title. So I would not be surprised if the announce it at this time next year, but I hope we see it soon.

Ubisoft has this afternoon responded to pro snowboarder, Shaun White’s apparent confirmation that a second Shaun White Snowboarding title being in the works.

White had told Reuters, in an article published yesterday, that, once again, a second Shaun White Snowboarding title is in the works. Here’s what he said word for word;

“Now that I have the knowledge and I can speak to programmers better and I understand a lot more about what’s possible and what’s not possible, this will all help with the next game.”

But, when a Ubisoft spokesperson was contacted by VideoGamer.com this afternoon, the spokesperson informed that; “[Ubisoft has] not announced any plans for future projects with Shaun.”

While this maybe true, this does not mean that the game is going to have the title “Shaun White” in it, or that it is a follow-up to the snowboarding game.

Probably one of the most significant criticisms of the first No More Heroes game was the fact that its “open world” wasn’t really all that “open”. But, when being interview, Goichi “Suda51″ Suda informed that all of that was about to change.

In an interview with GameSetWatch, Suda was asked about his desire to build a true open-world game, much like Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row. He acknowledged that No More Heroes was a step towards realizing his goal (or dream), but, as for the sequel, he said to “expect big changes for No More Heroes 2’s open world.” Which can only point to there being a more entertaining and really free “open world” environment.

He was also willing to give a little light on No More Heroes 2’s story: “In the case of No More Heroes 2, it’s just going to be one story again that takes place after No More Heroes 1.” he continues. “…there are still some heroes left.”

Well, this holiday season isn’t as white as it should of been for video game publisher and developer EA, but besides all of its problems they processed to try an fulfill the needs of their Mirror’s Edge fans.

Yesterday, EA confirmed that Mirror’s Edge will be seeing a follow-up, but on the downside, it’s sad to see the company announcing this in the face of a disappointing holiday sales rate.

“While we saw significant improvement in the overall quality of our key products this year, we are disappointed that our holiday slate is not meeting our sales expectations,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello to GI.biz. “Given this performance and the uncertain economic environment, we are taking steps to reduce our cost structure and improve the profitability of our business.”

However, despite slow sales the warm critical reception afforded to Mirror’s Edge will ensure a sequel.

“Many times with a new intellectual property, the first edition doesn’t generate the units that subsequent editions could generate,” Riccitiello continued, “Mirror’s Edge is one that was very strongly reviewed, that one’s going to go forward. We’re probably going to look into some issues around the design to make sure strong IP is married with strong business.”

While many of us are patiently awaiting the official reveal of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in next months issue of Game Informer, in the next episode of the popular gaming magazine EGM, the official video game for the upcoming movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be revealed.

The issue reveals the real-time in-game healing system, the accessible combat system, and some information on a boss fight with the first Sentinel prototype.

There is also an interview with Raven about a few of Origins influences – like God of War and Super Smash Bros. – and a new approach to seamless cinematic in-game cut-scenes that bridge bits of gameplay. There was also some talk about it being the Ninja Gaiden of Wolverine.

Recently, there was also an interview with Jeff Katz, occasional comics writer, by MTV and he stated something about the game.

“A couple of the Fox execs, myself and a couple of the principles involved [in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'], we’re all gamers,” said Katz. “So when it came to the Wolverine movie game, it was like, Let’s do the coolest possible version of an X-Men game.”

Well, if you’re a fan of the movie, like me, you may already know that Ghostbusters is more about jokes then scares, but there also was a creepy side to it. I mean that’s what made Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters. And what should make the game any different?

Appearently, shifting from Sierra to Atari gave Terminal Reality sometime to work on Ghostbusters creepy side. When speaking in London today CVG was told by Drew Haworth of Terminal Reality that, “[Terminal Reality] added some more creepy elements, a couple of more puzzle elements… we feel that the combat is in a very solid spot.”

Ghostbusters: The Game was one of the most unfortunate victims of Activision’s merger with original publisher Vivendi, which left the game floating in limbo, until Atari came to TR’s rescue.

“[The move to Atari] allowed us to go back and tweak and see ‘oh, this experience would be enhanced here by adding more scares, more cooldown areas… – pacing basically. We also upgraded some of the in-game cinematics.” add Haworth.

“It wasn’t frustrating as much as our course has changed now,” Haworth said of the switch. “We were certainly happy to get a new publisher. After Vivendi decided not to publish the game we were surprised more than anything else. It also allows us an extension to polish and improve the quality of the game”.

When the game was announced the forums went into mass hysteria and almost everywhere you had looked there was a new question about the game. And one question that had seemed to appear most was “if the trailer was in real-time?”, meaning was it using the games engine.

Seeing that in the first game every cutsence was done in that manner, GameZine had to confirm with Naughty Dog if the trailer was done in real-time. It just happen to be that the games lead character artist Richard Diamant who answered the question saying, “yes, it was all rendered real-time in our engine.”

Anyway, GameZine had also asked Richard about the cutsense to game-play differences. Richard responded saying, “the in-game models are the exact same models that are used in the cutscenes. They also use the exact same textures.”

What this announcement means that Naughty Dog is trying to make it so that “there really is no difference between them at all,” so we can expext a very good looking game from them.

Last year, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune became one of the best PlayStation 3 games available, and ever since, many of us have been waiting for a sequel. But, we’ve already heard that Naughty Dog was working on it, we were just waiting for them to announce it.

Well, today we can rest a bit happier knowing that, that time is almost here but to keep you happy Naughty Dog has released a teaser trailer for the game. It also was confirmed today that Game Informer will be revealing the game in the January issue of their magazine. So it looks like we’ll be hearing alot more about the game in the upcoming months.

There was also a little information given about the game. It is said that the game would take Nathan Drake on a quest that revolves around 13th century explorer, Marco Polo. Also, the game will feature a new emphasis on story, as well as a “free climbing mechanic” and stealth gameplay. There was also the official name given for the game which is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – thanks to the cover of the next Game Informer mag.

Anyway, the official trailer will debut on Spike TV’s 2008 Video Game Awards ceremony on Sunday, December 14.

After six months on the market, Wii’s Boom Blox is still selling well and pleasing gamers. Boom Blox came onto the market in early May 2008. Even today sales continue to grow and this Steven Spielberg inspired game shows no sign of slowing down as word spreads about this fun, interactive, group-friendly game.

Based on principles of physics, there is a seemingly unending variety of outcomes, especially in the multi-player mode. The game itself is a result of director Steven Spielberg’s desire to create a game that he would be able to play with his children. Not only was this goal met, but the game attracts players of all ages to join in the fun.

Boom Blox has many options for players, including game play between 1 & 4 players, depending on which gaming mode is selected. One player mode includes practice and adventure mode, with up to 300 levels of game play for individual players. Multi-player options are either competitive or cooperative, and 100 levels of game play can be explored. Players who are really serious about the game can create their own levels in editor mode and can open up many possibilities when playing in adventure mode.

The game itself plays  very well and fluidly, and the ability to accommodate multiple players simultaneously is one of its many attributes. A great family or party game, Wii Boom Blox can surely satisfy the needs of any gamer for fun times all around.

By Line: This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of the top online colleges. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

Yes, I know it’s kind of childish but I love this show and for some reason I can’t get Ben “10″ Tennyson out of my mind, not in that way. But it looks like children all over the world have been hell bent on getting there hands on his latest game because the same guys that published Dark Sector have revealed that Ben 10: Protector of Earth has sold 2.5 million copy worldwide.

According to Edge, D3Publisher said Wednesday that its Cartoon Network licensed title Ben 10: Protector of Earth has sold 2.5 million units worldwide. The multiplatform game, now selling for $19, launched just over a year ago on October 30, 2007. It was the first Ben 10 interactive game, and is available for Wii, PS2, DS and PSP.

“We look forward to even greater success with the recently released sequel,” said Yoji Takenaka, president and CEO, North America and Europe at D3P.

D3P released a follow-up on October 28 this year, titled Ben 10: Alien Force The Game. The new title retails for $39 on Wii and PS2, and for $29 on DS and PSP.The Ben 10 Cartoon Network series revolves around a 10-year-old boy who finds an alien device that grants him superpowers.

[Ben 10 Game Sells 2.5m via Edge]

This game is without a doubt one of the hottest games on the market right now, but according to some reports the game maybe too hot for the 360. Numerous amounts of Xbox 360 users have reported that their game has been freezing up after  the 62 percent progress line, and their really not happy about it. The reports goes onto state that some users have managed to play 65 percent and even 84 percent, but even after that the game freezes up.

“I wonder can you sue a company for putting out a game this buggy?” said a GameFAQ’s member. “Those Ubisoft-****** should send a guy from their staff over here that plays the game till the point where I stopped when it froze. Seriously, I’m not playing 62% of the game again.” stated another one.

[FarCry 2 freezing issues on Xbox 360 via GameFAQ's]

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]

Shigeru Miyamoto only one word can sum up this man and that word is “legendary”, in his lifetime he has been given many upon many key awards. The one that we may all remember was back in 1998 where he was the first man to be included in the “Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame” for his life’s work in the video game industry. And at the Tokyo Game Show Shigeru Miyamoto received yet another award, but this time it was “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize”. The award was given to him preamble with a broad smile at the time of receive his prize.

With almost ten years of development Too Human has finally arrived. I’ll be lying if I where to say that this game is one of the greatest game I ever had the chance to play, but yet it’s still one of the games I wanted to play ever since it was announced. If you are yet to play the game or you haven’t read up on the game, the game take place in a world of Norse Mythology, which is basically Viking mythology. In the game you play a Baldur, a Norse god who has just recovered from a pretty severe injury in battle. And you are one of many race of cybernetic enhanced humans, which is trying defend the human race from an army of machines.

When you first put in the game you’ll have to pick one of five classes of characters and they are Berserker, Defender, Champion, Commando, and Bioengineer. Which if you pick right should help your strategy in the game because each class specialize in different weapons and skills. In the game you battle against all type of Supernatural monsters using your superhuman abilities, which very from by different stages.

This brings me to the story, it’s sometimes hard to tell the relationship between each character, but if there was a relationship it would be very hard to see. Also at the end of the game, not to spoil the ending, the game really doesn’t feel like it ended at all. It’s like who ever wrote the story of the game really wanted you to know that there was going to be another game. Personally I was hoping for an ending much like Gears but, instead we got a ending for a cartoon that is much longer then it should be.

To add to this problem the controls don’t help the game, anyone can tell that the games controls aren’t at all good because the control that you’ll normally use to control the camera is instead used for some kind of attack. But, it isn’t all that bad because after sometime playing the game you’ll get the hang of the controls, that’s after you fully understand which controls does what. This also makes way for another problem in the game, which is the camera, without a right way to move that camera the game is temped to move the camera for and, not like you and me, the camera really doesn’t know where or how to move the camera.

In terms of gameplay the game keeps you now on your feet, the game is full with nonstop action with every waking moment full with some kind. Another important part of gameplay is the types of enemies you face in the game. For a freeroam type of game this game really doesn’t have a strong verity of opponents. There’s basically three types of enemies and they are robots, zombies and big troll-like machine an that’s it. This also cooks up for another problem in the game, an that’s the way you take on these enemies in the game. There really is no strategy change per enemies period.

Final: C+

Some of us were left wondering whether any major players would be attending the upcoming Entertainment for All Expo. Now, we have learned that one of the key company’s in the console race have decided not to attend E For All. Last year at E For All we had a decent show now according to all the reports it looks like no one will be attending the event. According to GoNintendo, Nintendo was kind enough to provide a statement that tells us why they will not be attending the upcoming game event. “Nintendo has chosen not to participate in E for All, as it did not fit into our plans for the year. We wish the participants and show organizers good luck with the event.” said Nintendo. If this continues it looks like this years E For All will be very, very quiet.

Last week I had the chance to pick up Battlefield: Bad Company and I continue loving every second of it. Earlier this month voting closed as we where all allocated a chance to pick, which map pack should DICE begin to work on. A blog post on the Official DICE site went up today that briefly accepted that their will be new content dropping when the patch releases soon, we desire.

The future update will be free.The patch will fix many major bugs,server lags and VOIP issues.With the bonus of a few gameplay tuneups and three new weapons added that where only available if you pre-order the game or played the demo will be added to the game which will be available for everyone at no cost. A list of what you can expect has been posted on the DICE Blog.

Trophy support will be added to the game.While these updates are great we hope to find a release date very soon on when you can expect this update.

Without a doubt one of the most anticipated games on PlayStation 3, Killzone 2, is once again ready to pose for some new images. After getting a little taste at the Games Convention, a gaming event, the people over a Guerrilla are ready to give us just a little bigger piece of the pie. For the view point we are given the game really doesn’t disappoint and it seem like every time we see or hear something about this game it’s comes with a screenshot of the game or video. The likeliness of their being a video soon is very high so you can expect to see something new on the game at TGS, a upcoming gaming event. The game is gaped for a February 2009 release date.

It sure does take alot of work to be the greatest Lara Croft you can be. In a new trailer just in from Eidos Interactive we get a inside look at what we can expect from the next installment in the Tomb Raider franchise currently in the works at Crystal Dynamics. In the early information we have been given, from top down you can tell that the game will be action-pack. While Lara will have her signature dual guns she will also have to depend on her physical strength and the environment along with her archaeological tools to complete her mission. Lara leads a quest that circles the world to uncover the secrets of the Norse underworld and a forgotten power that if unleashed could lay waste to all civilization. Tomb Raider: Underworld will hit the store shelves across the world on November 21st.

Do you want more Viewtiful Joe video games? Well do ya? According to Christian Svensson, Capcom’s Corporate Officer, Capcom is up on the idea of another Viewtiful Joe video game. That’s, of course, if the if potential is recognized, or so says information given to the people over a Nintendo Everything.

“There’s no ‘percentage chance’ that I could give you [Viewtiful Joe this generation] that would at all be accurate. If it strikes someone of influence (a producer of note, Inafune, Takeuchi, perhaps even me) that it’s something that has potential (both gameplay and sales) then it could happen. If not, it won’t. I can’t predict who might or might not see that potential.”-Christian Svensson

In an recent interview with video gaming site Kikizo, Denis Dyack, set down and talked with them about the upcoming game Too Human and it’s campaign. In interview he explained how long the game should take, heres what he had to say “The opening menu has about probably 45 minutes or maybe half an hour’s worth of dialogue just talking about the Eddas in the story, so you can just watch it circling the cyberspace tree and learn about the game…” The interview goes on to say, “First play through is probably around fifteen hours, I guess, it depends.”

He goes on to say why it will take so long to complete the game’s campaign “There’s a lot there to want to dig! And to get all the epic loot – I don’t even know if it’s possible to get everything in the game, it’s probably not – not for a single person.”

In a post on the Official PlayStation Blog, Simon Phillips Criterion Games designer made a confirmation that It’s open world set in the fictional Burnout Paradise City will soon support PS3’s upcoming trophy system after the future update Cagney which will hit on July 10.

As for the post made he did mention that the trophy support will be retroactive meaning that that the saves are locked into a single PSN ID with the progress that you have made in the game will be unlocked as the update is release.

Trophies, Timed Challenges for Burnout Paradise [PS Blog]

There have been a lot of controversy over this game (with it’s many bad reviews and scores) and now it seems that the game will continue to get more Contrivercial. According to information given to VideoGaming247, a playable demo of the highly Contrivercial Alone in the Dark 5 will be hitting online next week. The game was once called “one of the most promising games of the year” by many sites but, thanks to many bad reviews from websites like Game Reactor Norway and other ones such as Game Reactor Sweden and Denmark the game gave a very bad reaction to the press and it’s fans. We are yet to receive the game but, if it’s really as bad as it many review scores we will be reviewing it to tell you whats up.

Update:

We understand that many people may not understand how this game could bring about controversy, so i’m going to tell you why it’s so controversial. It’s too my understanding that Atari has been going around trying to defined it’s games bad review scores saying that ” Alone in the Dark was only sent out to” the game reviewer the day before they wrote the review, causing the reviewer to re-do the review. And by bring the demo online right after these controversial statements, they are building up the demo to be a very controversial demo. That’s why i name the article “Alone in the Dark 5 Gets Controversial Demo” because the intial impression of the game isn’t looking too good and a demo would give gamers to at least form their own opinion and expectations of the game.

Thanks to AclayPS3 (from N4G)

We didn’t even see this one coming, one of the longtime creators of Electronic Arts, Neil Young, has left the company for an "new project." I have never reported about some leaving a company before so i really don’t know what to say, i’m kind’a at a lost of words right now.

But, anyway just forget about me a lets get back to the story. As i was saying, Neil Young was working at Electronic Arts for about or even more then 11 year. He worked on games like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, following that Young was put in charge of Maxis during the production of Sims 2 before being promoted to vice president and general manager of EA Los Angeles. When in Los Angele Young supervised Medal of Honor Airborne and Boom Blox.

"Neil Young has decided to leave EA to manage his own company. Neil is an 11-year EA veteran who has created a lot of great games and many good friendships at EA.  We wish him the very best on his new project. Neil will always be welcome at EA."

[Exclusive: Longtime Electronic Arts Creator Neil Young Leaves Company via Level up]

If your like us you have not been able to put down this PS3 gaming greatness game. As you know this week nothing was really important as MGS4 coming out except for the death of journalist finest Tim Russert, you will be missed.So now is your turn to tell us what you think about this game.

Please If you leave a comment don’t mention any part so that people who have not played the game can enjoy this masterpiece.

Early this week Microsoft vindicated that Halo Wars was not ready to be shown to the public which shows that they are working very hard on this upcoming game although today with the released of one screenshot we where able to pull some strings with some very close sources to attract to you three new screenshots. Hope you like.

Halo Wars is set in 2531, prior to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved which is set in 2552. It follows the story of the UNSC’s discovery of a Forerunner artifact and the first battles with the Covenant after the fall of the first planet, Harvest, to the Covenant. It will allow the player to control the crew and vehicles of a UNSC ship, CFV-88 Spirit of Fire, and receive instructions and commands from its AI Serina.

{GamerCenterOnline 2.0. Coming Summer 2008}