Capcom announced today on its Unity-Blog that with the release of Resident Evil Afterlife 3D this week, there will be some discounted goodies on the PlayStation Network to celebrate. For one, the Resident Evil 5 Untold Stories DLC bundle can be purchased for $5.99 (originally $12.49).

Additionally, you can pick up Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 for $4.99.

If you are interested in either one of these deals, be sure to head to the PlayStation Network and queue ‘em up in your downloads. So, which, if any, will you get?

How does this bundle sound to you guys? Could it be the greatest compilation since The Orange Box? Yeah, highly unlikely, but will you still be picking this one up? Let us know below!

Looks like consumers have two Xbox 360/Kinect bundle options to choose from, with the former being the 4GB version. Question is, which, if any, will you be picking up?

Those amongst you counting down the days until Torchlight 2’s release will now have something else to make the wait that much longer. Runic Games confirmed to Joystiq that Torchlight 2 will offer full, free mod support, as well as multiplayer mod support. Fear not though, because it was also noted that players will be able to search for multiplayer games with or without mods, and XP gained in all games (mods or not) will stay with your character.

Lastly, Runic mentioned that all item drops are client specific, so only you can see that uber powerful weapon flashing on your screen. Surely this will make loot hunting easier, no?

So, full, free mod support and XP across all game types – I’d say that’s more than enough to be excited for Torchlight 2, but of course we wanna hear from YOU. Does Torchlight 2 already have a spot in your gaming library?

Nintendo has just released a new firmware update for the Nintendo DSi that is poised to go up against many piracy tactics. Basically, a select number of flash carts have been rendered useless for the likes of homebrew on the handheld system. The guys at GBAtemp.net have found that so far the Acekard 2i, Supercard DSTwo, M3i Zero, iPlayer and DSTTi are unable to run pirated techniques, however, there are still ways around this – none of which will be specifically mentioned on this site.

Let’s hope these “behind the scenes improvements to system performance” hold up for a long time, and hopefully Nintendo can find a way to counter-attack every single piracy option out there.

Does this fill the ‘Axe community with glee knowing that companies are taking a stand against piracy? What do you have to say on the matter at hand? How ’bout you slide your way down to the comment section below and tell us?

Oh, and speaking of handhelds, you can also swing by and let your voice be heard with this week’s Member Battle Cry topic which deals with…you guessed it…handheld gaming!

Joystiq

FACTS:

Publisher:Nintendo Developer: Team Ninja
Genre(s): Action Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Platforms: Wii
Official Website

GAME SUMMARY:

The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages. [Nintendo]

NOTE: BEFORE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EpicBattleAxe.com uREVIEW, PLEASE READ THE SUBMISSION GUIDE RIGHT HERE. All comments/ratings not within the guidelines WILL BE DELETED. Thank you.

The demo will allow you to jump right into a match via the aptly-named “Fight Now” mode to experience two weight classes: heavyweight and middleweight, where you’ll take control of current STRIKEFORCE heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, or utilize the brute strength of former professional wrestler, Bobby Lashley. The two middleweights featured in the demo are predominantly Jiu-Jitsu fighters – the top ranked Jake Shields, as well as the always entertaining Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Matches in the demo are officiated by the best in the business – Big John McCarthy, with fighter introductions by Jimmy Lennon Jr.

For the “Fight Now” experience, step into the STRIKEFORCE cage at the HP Pavilion and test your mettle across four different skill levels. Or learn the ropes via the “MMA 101” interactive tutorial that pits rivals Shields vs. Miller in a ring at the Horizon Center of Japan.

In addition, by sharing the demo with friends, fans can unlock “Classic” Randy Couture as a playable character in the full version of the game. Additional information outlining the exclusive EA SPORTS Live Broadcast mode, as well as other modes like Career, Fight Card, Create-A-Fighter (featuring Photo Game Face), Fighter Share and Online Belt Rank are detailed in the demo.

The full retail release of EA SPORTS MMA will be available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 19. Who plans on checking this out???

Demo: Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Platforms: XBL
Demo Release Date: September 7, 2010 | Official Website

Demo Description: Join with friends on an epic rock journey to save rock n’ roll. Featuring an impressive 90+ track set list, a totally redesigned rock-inspired guitar controller and a host of all-new gameplay features, living room legends and their friends can strum, drum and wail in the most immersive music videogame experience to date.

NOW, GO DOWNLOAD THE DEMO, PLAY IT, THEN CAST YOUR VOTE BELOW AND USE THE COMMENTS TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY YOUR FEEDBACK!

If you have been waiting for the opportune moment to pick up the Resident Evil 5 downloadable content on the cheap, then your patience has finally paid off! Major Nelson revealed that this week’s Xbox Live Deal of the Week is the RE5 DLC, and the discounted prices are listed below. Additionally, a select few Avatar items are on sale as well-Chris Redfield’s uniform (160 MS Points), the puzzle crank (80 MS Points), and the RE5 Hawaiian shirt (80 MS Points).

• Untold Stories Bundle- 560 Microsoft Points (originally 960 points)
• Desperate Escape- 240 Microsoft Points (originally 400 points)
• Lost in Nightmares- 240 Microsoft Points (originally 400 points)
• Versus Mode- 240 Microsoft Point (originally 400 points)

Which DLC pack will you be picking up for a few cheap thrills & chills? Let us know in the comment section below and remember-stay sharp and CRY HAVOC!!!

Grab a soup-bowl and a steak knife, the feedback is thick and hearty this week! Welcome, Axeheads, to another episode of ForceFeedback, the show where we give you the spotlight and read the comments, questions, and malapropisms from the EpicBattleAxe community. This week, we’re talking CoD Black Ops Wager Modes, Japanese-god-of-war type games, Under Siege (sadly not the long-awaited game based on the ‘classic’ Steven Segal film), and the legality of new business models in the game industry.

Pull up a chair, this man-stew isn’t gonna eat itself; its ForceFeedback!

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FACEBOOK

Paul Scondac
I think (hopefully it turns out this is just my imagination) CoD Black Ops’ in-game currency (CoD points) will turn into Activision’s micro-transations business model for the CoD franchise. Or who knows, maybe they’ll have some optional payed CoD points for exclusive weapons, perks etc, or just a way for some people to level up faster. Your opinion on this?

Jared Delahoussaye
Here’s my question: What if I DON’T want all these “special” features that will be added to my Xbox Live account? I’m willing to bet this question has never occurred to the accountants at Microsoft. F*ck ESPN. F*ck Hulu Plus. F*ck anything else. I just want to play without paying out the ass anymore than I have to.

Peter Coster
Supposedly Lenovo is making a gaming console called the eBox. Do Axeheads think that there is room for a 4th console?

Kev Lim
Seriously, you guys should call this the EpicBattleWall. Just sayin’

TWITTER

ingles89
@epicbattleaxe The Witcher 2 guys, do you heard about it? After seeing it on gamescom I say that TW2, not Dragon Age 2 will rule next spring.

wickidwill
@epicbattleaxe I am currently an xbox 360 gamer and have seen all the amazing PC games coming out, I’m now getting a PC espesially for…gameing and I was wondering,what would you recomend I get and what games do you recomend I get for the PC, thnx

Microdroid101
@epicbattleaxe WHAT UP EPIC TRIO! I wanted to put ” Malicious” on your radar Imagine a colourful Japanese God Of War – Instant Buy!!

AzureSkieth
@epicbattleaxe I have really important message that needs to appear on the forced feedback. *ahem* DK’s a Xbox fanboy. That is all. Thx

GAMETRAILERS

JohnApocalypse
I agree with Tony, go-kart racing doesn’t really work in a driving simulator

danixx
Hey guys I just wanted to give a shoutout to this really underrated psn game with playstation move support which, in my opinion, is the perfect match for it. It’s called Under Siege check it out!

KockM08
If you look at the new commercials for the Move, they’re marketing it almost as if it’s a new system. That’s why they have the bundle. Sony is trying to re-energizing system sales. They truly believe that they will be the replacement for the Wii. Sony thinks Wii owners looking to upgrade to HD, will choose the PS3. Whether this happens or not will be only proven in sales numbers, but I have to say it’s a smart move. No pun intended.

Rugbyfan22
while i do like for developers to be able to make significant money off their products, the mass market appeal tends to shift toward a shooter of some kind. And the closer it gets to this genre, the less there is to differentiate from other products other than a name that has critical appeal.

EpicBattleAxe

DickSwinger says:
1º post ever. From Portugal here. I´ve been following you guys since that time where Jesus was crucified. I really like your podcast. My english is not perfect so please try to follow. Regarding Xbox360, in Europe we are paying 59,99 euros a year since year 1, and most of the country’s don’t have half the content that the US has. In my home land xbox live doesn’t have zune, netflix,Fm radio, no video content except trailer for games. its basically empty. So.. what hurt´s me the most is the fact that many of us have been paying more than US customers for content that only US customers are getting. I hope that those extra bucks that some country’s will have to pay are to increase the amount of content that ours servers lack.

Amp21 says: (Double Down w/ Black Ops Wager Matches)
These modes are freaking amazing! Ive had plenty of knife only fights with friends and the reactions and sounds we make while fighting is classic, one in the chamber sounds like the funnest. But now i can actually get cod points for doing it? pure awesome. Cannot wait for COD: Black Ops. O and in the video there was character customization, BOUT TIME a COD game had it.

NANOjam says: (Valve Announces Three ‘Big Surprises’ over 12 Long Months)
From least likely to most likely

1. TF2 Update Package for PS3 and Xbox360.

2. Counter Strike 2

3. Half-Life Ep3

EBA Forums

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero has infected 328,290 people in the single week since its release, meaning if this were a real zombie outbreak, we’d all be dead before the end of the year (assuming the standard exponential bite rate).

Case Zero, the $5 Xbox-exclusive DLC, introduces the sequel’s lead character, Chuck Greene, in a  town completely unique from either Dead Rising or Dead Rising 2, while offering perks like carried-over points and achievements for those who do buy the full game.

With Dead Rising 2 set for release September 28, Capcom has already benefited from its Case Zero experiment in an estimated $1,149,015, including a 30% cut for Microsoft, so we can expect to see more of these cheap, downloadable prequels in the future.

How many of you have thrown yourselves to the horde and downloaded Case Zero? Was it worth the $5? Moan about it in the comments!

Microsoft is covering the nation in Halo madness when Halo: Reach drops next Tuesday, September 14 at 12:01 a.m., hosting two huge marquee events in New York City’s Times Square and at Seattle’s Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.

Best Buy Theater in Times Square will offer the opportunity to play Reach before it officially drops, Halo-themed prizes, appearances from the creators of the franchise and a surprise musical performance.

“Every ‘Halo’ game release has been a major entertainment event, and based on the level of excitement we’ve seen so far, ‘Halo: Reach’ could be the biggest of them all,” said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of the home entertainment group at Best Buy.

Seattle will host developers from Bungie and 343 Industries, early Reach play and tournaments to win Halo prizes.

Apart from the festivities to rival New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York and Seattle, every retailer with a game department and a desire to make money will host a local Halo: Reach launch party, which Microsoft estimates to be in the thousands of stores nationwide.

Xbox LIVE will throw its own virtual party, dubbed “Invasion Week,” from September 14-20 with a slew of Halo-themed perks:

• Connect to Xbox LIVE and receive a free Halo: Reach Invasion Week theme
• Game with Developer: Bungie will play with fans on Thursday, 16^th from 5PM-7PM ET in the US, and Friday the 17^th 8PM-10PM BST in the UK.
• Play & Win: Play Halo: Reach any time during Invasion Week and you will be entered to win tickets to the upcoming UFC 122 Fight (US only)
• Community Events: Themed nights hosted by the community team to play Halo: Reach, including  “Co-op Night,” “Xbox All Nighter” and “Community Playdate”

Where will you be when Halo: Reach launches in one week? Compare your party plans in the comments!

You can check out fresh images of the game right here.

“Top Spin 4 is shaping up to be the most realistic and exhilarating tennis game in the Top Spin franchise,” said Greg Thomas, president of product development for 2K Sports. “For this iteration, the development team is focused on delivering a bold new take on the sport of tennis by allowing gamers to experience first-hand an uncanny level of realism in the player and stadium models, authentic audio captured directly from real tennis matches, and all-new innovative controls to dominate the competition.”

And here’s your official description:

In development at 2K Czech, Top Spin 4 brings the competitive action of tennis to life like never before with redesigned controls, jaw-dropping player models and Signature Style animations, enhanced TV-style presentation elements, and one of the deepest player rosters to date featuring tennis’ top athletes and legendary pros. To commemorate the fourth version in the Top Spin series, 2K Sports is offering an exclusive vintage Andre Agassi playable character with pre-orders, details of which will be announced at a later date.

So, who’s looking forward to taking this one for a spin…???

In addition, five brand new multiplayer maps are being released.

Two new Escalation mode maps include:

• Pulse is an Autobot map and allows players to take a journey inside the Decepticon giant Trypticon, challenging fans to explore his twisted interior corridors to overload the central power core located within.

• Static is a Decepticon map that thrusts players into a bevy of multi-level rooms riddled with environmental traps that can be used for their advantage.

Three new competitive multiplayer maps include:

• Horizon is a picturesque statuary overlooking the war-torn Autobot home city of Iacon, complete with wide open courtyards and tight spaces for close quarters combat.

• Sector is an old maintenance facility used by the Decepticons during the legendary war and allows for open vehicle navigation, especially dive-bombing jets and those with long range weapons.

• Metropolis is set high above the clouds and drops players straight into the bombed out ruins of a high rise Iacon city building. Liquid energon drips from broken pipes and sparking electricity crackles from severed wires as it was once served as a fierce central battleground on Cybertron.

The Transformers: War for Cybertron Map and Characters Pack 2 will run ya 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 on PSN. Who’s in?

Repel their cavalry and advance, its time for another Skirmish of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s episode we relish the news that Gearbox Software will be completing Duke Nukem Forever, place our bets on the Call of Duty: Black Ops wager matches, ponder the possibilities of Dead Space 2 and Batman: Arkham City getting multiplayer, open a savings account to but a 3D television and Killzone 3 next February, and run down the deals from Microsoft’s Fall Game Feast.

First up in the main course this week, we discuss the recently announced $10 per year price increase for Xbox Live and whether this is a necessary bump or just taking advantage of gamers ahead of the fall gaming onslaught. Next up, with the recent introduction of a new iPod Touch, price drops across the Nintendo DS line, and the announcement of a God of War: Ghost of Sparta PSP bundle, we talk Handheld gaming. Are casual games all that portable platforms are good for?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Epic Games’ Epic Citadel demo for iOS, Retro City Rampage, and Mafia II

If you’ve got a comment on the show, sound off below, if you’ve got a Battle Cry you want to share, click here and sound off on the latest topic-started post! Stay sharp.

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