Truth is, many developers come out and say how the PS3 or 360 is better to makes games for. Especially first party and exclusive developers’. It’s to simply justify there game being on one console. So why was this one so personal to some?

Here is the excerpt below from CVG, where the statements were said:

“Right now for Left 4 Dead 2 we’re looking at PC and 360 because the community aspects really fit the game – it’s all about playing with your friends,” he said.

“But that’s the short term. What we’re looking at for the long term… if it works out, it works out. Right now don’t not buy it on the 360 because you think it’s coming out on the PS3 – it’s not going to. Right? It’s coming out on the PC and 360. It’s going to be exclusive for that.”

Faliszek replied went on: “In hooking up with your friends and the community aspects, I think the Xbox 360 is head and shoulders above the PS3. The 360 and PC are on par, right?”

On the surface, the graphics are looking more polished then ever before. The interrogation scenes still offer you an array of choices that will ultimately determine your fate as you playthrough the game. Based upon some of the replies and mannerisms of Commander Shepard, he looks to overall be more confident and has an unbreakable no nonsense attitude. When it comes to combat, the system looks to be sharper then the previous Mass Effect. Bioware has promised a more streamlined approach to gunplay and so far it looks as though they are holding that up considerably well. There is also a brief appearance from Shepard’s former squad member Garrus. Based upon the dialogue between the two, there are subtile hints as to what may have happened to our hero regarding his death. Too bad you’ll have to wait until January 26, 2010 to find out. Until then enjoy this video and feel free to leave your comments below.

Shout outs to This is 50.

Mass Effect 2 is scheduled to ship on January 26, 2010 for Xbox 360 and PC.

Below I have a fantastic interview with Jade Tidy who represents Relentless Studios, we have a video version but it was ruined due to noise from the expo. So I have worked hard at writing the interview out for all you fans out there. You can still check out the video version of the interview if you wish to however. Also check out the artwork from the game, and thanks again to Relentless Studios.

 

———-

Gary A Swaby Interviews Jade Tidy of Relentless Studios

Gary A Swaby: Hi jade, we had the privilege of checking out this game yesterday. But could you just tell the fans a little bit about the game.

Jade Tidy: Sure, its called Blue Toad Murder Files. It’s coming out on the playstation network, and will be available in December. You play as a detective; as you begin the game you are having a good time chilling out, until someone gets killed. You then need to figure out who committed the murder. You are introduced to four possible suspects, you then go around the village chatting to the suspects and gathering their alibis. In between this there are puzzles and all kinds of extra clues for the players to figure out.

Gary: That sounds like a very cool concept right there, also unique. Speaking of unique tell us about the art style, because I see it is very fun looking and cartoonish for a murder mystery type of game.

Jade: We made about four or five different prototypes of the game and came up with a bunch of different styles. Then we came up with the sort of Pixar/Disney kind of style and that was a really strong image for us. It was a great job by our artist, and I can’t take any credit for that. It looks great.

Gary: Exactly, I love the art style and the way it looks. So as far as the missions in the game and how the player interacts, could you tell us a little more?

Jade: As a company we like to make games that are easy to interact with, so the challenge should be playing the game aside from actually getting to grips with the controls first. We have controls that are a bit like moving around a board game, so sometimes there’s one location and sometimes there’s multiple ones. So once you pick the location you will then go on to interact with the characters in that specific location. You may then be presented with a scene, and then after that scene you may be presented with a puzzle for instance.

Gary: Just expand on the puzzles for me if that’s ok.

Jade: All the puzzles are different, so they all have their own unique element to them. There is a range of different difficulties on each puzzle, but ultimately it should not be hard for a non gamer to figure them out.

Gary: Ok so would you say this game is very complex, or would you say it’s a very user friendly experience that perhaps a family could enjoy together?

Jade: We really tried to create an element of fun, we don’t try to take ourselves too seriously. We like to work on games where everyone can have fun, so it’s not a serious story where there is lots of blood and gore, it is not that type of game. It’s more about having a laugh as you go along; so it should be a game you could play with your mates, or on a Sunday, or when you have the family around.

Gary: We heard that there will be multiple episodes for the game, so let the fans know exactly how this will work.

Jade: We have 6 episodes in total for the series, two of which come out December the 17th. So you could choose to buy just episode one, or you could buy both episodes together. Then we will be releasing the next four episodes in a similar manner after the New Year. The story continues through, you could play them by themselves as well, you don’t have to play the whole lot. However you will get the full experience if you play them all.

Gary: So is there any chance that the story will continue after the six episodes?

Jade: Maybe not for this particular series, we might move the series to a new location. However we cannot really confirm nothing at the moment, I hope that we will get the chance to though as it has been a great experience for us.

Gary: Ok thanks for your time Jade, the game looks exciting so congratulations. We at the Koalition will let everyone know about the game.

Jade: Are you going to buy it?

Gary: Hell yes, of course.

Jade: (Laughs), thanks guys.

———-

All images are property of Relentless Studios.

The game had Ruthless kid very excited, and for good reason. The game is dope, so good that you cant even believe it’s an indie game. Joe Danger is an indie game that you would think was a full disk distributed game. Just watch the video to see why.

In an interview with Critical Gamer, game designer Danny Leaver stated that at this point releasing LBP 2 would be “the most counter-productive thing you could do” sighting that releasing a new game would fragment the community. Producer Martin Lynagh supported his colleague’s statement by outlining their planes to keep LittleBigPlanet alive via DLC and title updates which in theory could keep the game up-to-date alleviating the need for a sequel.

SOURCE

LittleBigPlanet PSP is due to hit stores on November 17.

On This Episode
- Joe Danger footage + Interview
- Ruthless plays God Of War 3
- Heavy Rain Footage
- Interview with Split Second game director
- Plus more

Notes:
- The video is around 22 minutes
- There’s a point where it says ruthless is playing gears, it’s supposed to be GOW, oops!

Euro PS3 owners will have to wait a little longer for details on how you can get a code. I would suggest you add the Battlefield Blog to your bookmarks as they will be announcing which retailers in Europe will be doing a similar scheme.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for PlayStation gamers to get early access to one of the most action-packed and polished shooters in the marketplace with Battlefield: Bad Company 2,” says Rob Dyer, SVP, Publisher Relations, SCEA. “We’re happy to help DICE achieve their superior level of multiplayer excellence in the game.”

Here’s a little more info on what the beta actually includes.

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta will feature the Arica Harbor map, where up to 24 players can compete in one of the game’s four intense multiplayer modes called Rush. This new map displays a superb balance of vehicle and infantry combat, as the American assault unit attacks the Russian army base with full force, advancing further through a beautiful desert town and towards the industrial area in a desperate attempt to overtake the Arica Harbor. Heavy vehicle warfare on the first bases gradually turns into an intense infantry fight as the level progresses, showcasing this best-in-class online war experience.

Along with the news of the multiplayer beta EA also released a beta announcement trailer which of course you can check out below.

• 48-page hardcover “Art of Mass Effect 2” book,
• Issue 1 of the Mass Effect Redemption comic book, and a
• Bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes and making-of videos.
• Unique in-game weapons and armor that can only be obtained by purchasing this version

The Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition will retail at an MSRP of $69.99 on Xbox 360 and $59.99 on PC.

p.s
Sorry about the lack of detail on the “Unique” items but be assured i will go digging and try and get some details for you. In the meantime checkout the Boxart for the Collectors Edition.

My first impression of the PS3 version of Tekken 6 was far from pleasant, after forcing me to update to Sony’s “optional” 3.01 firmware I then had to  sit and wait for the game to patch itself which altogether took roughly 20 minutes. Once I finally reached the main menu things didn’t get any better, as soon as it loaded I was bombarded with a wealth of information and unnecessary distractions that I quickly had to wrap my head around. On the left were the usual selections (Online Mode, Offline Mode, Gallery, Options etc.), on the the right was my “profile information” which displayed my won/lost ratio, my fight money and my report rank, while in the background a character from the game was moving around in his fight stance while tanks drove by behind him shooting and causing mulitple explosions. This was by far one of the most clunky main menus I have ever seen and navigating through it was a pain until I learned where everything was.

Once I entered the Arcade mode and saw the huge array of fighters my heart began to warm-up. There are over 40 characters available from the start including 6 all new combatants. Arcade mode in itself is a severe disappointment though, forcing you to fight against a seemingly unbeatable robot, an overpowered Jin Kazama and a cheap, larger than life final boss. If you do manage to make it through this torture-fest your sense of accomplishment will be instantly shot down as the credits roll as soon as the final match is over without even so much as a “Congratulations”. Another reason why you may not want to bother with the Arcade mode is the fact that it is no longer the home of the games story, If you want justification as to why you’re going around punching people, robots, panda’s and kangaroos’ in the face you’ll have to consult the awful Scenario mode.

By now fans should be used to Namco’s failed attempts to inject third-person brawler modes in to Tekken games but usually these modes were considered mere extras and playing through the arcade mode provided you with the games story. However Tekken 6 takes the complete opposite approach and now the Scenario mode is the place to go if you want to learn what’s going on and unlock most of the titles achievements/trophies. Here you play as newcomer Lars Alexandersson fighting alongside an AI Controlled Alisa Bosconovitch, as a pair you run around uninspired 3D environments beating up hordes of enemies and collecting loot. I’m not going to waste time trying to explain the illogical, convoluted story but it involves Lars attempting to recover his memory and discover his roots. Early on in the campaign you can choose to play as any other character from the roster but whoever you chose will be replaced by Lars during the cut-scenes with no explanation what-so-ever which just serves to make the terrible story seem even more disjointed.

Like all good fighters Tekken 6 really comes to life when playing against other human opponents and you can choose to do so either locally or online. Local VS mode can be incredibly fun and the game does an excellent job accommodating for both newcomers and series veterans. As the button layout and move lists are relatively unchanged from previous installments I found myself able to jump in a whoop ass with no problems. Newbies will also find themselves pulling off several moves and basic combos simply by mashing on the four face buttons.  While this may sound like a bad thing, all bashing mashing can be countered using perry’s and well timed side-steps so if your girlfriend manages to beat you in a round or two you’ve only got yourself to blame. When you feel like you’re good enough to take on the world you literally can with the excellent online mode. But be warned, as the fighting system encourages you pummel your opponent while their defenceless via air juggles and ground attacks, playing online against skilled players can at times feel extremely unfair and one-sided. Also present are all the game modes you’ve come to expect, namely Survival, Time Trail, Team Battle and Practice. There is also a new Ghost Battle mode where you can fight endless streams of opponents to earn cash (used to customize your characters appearance) and quickly upgrade your rank from a Beginner to a Tekken God.

As long as you have a decent Internet connection or similarly skilled friend to play with Tekken 6 is a fantastic game but the disappointing single player offerings, terrible story and the re-use of animations and voice work from previous games in the series hurts the title overall. If you’re a Tekken fan you’re probably going to buy this game regardless of what any reviewer has to say but for everyone else I suggest you consider purchasing Street Fighter IV, Soul Calibur IV, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe or even Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection on the PSN before you put your money on the counter and take this game home.

Note: The higher ups require me to let you know that the game is rated M for Mature. So don’t watch if you’re under 17, promise.

Global Agenda is a fast paced third person shooter MMO which utilizes the Unreal 3 engine, it takes a very futuristic approach which allows for many nice gadgets and technological advances.

In the wake of severe global disaster, the political face of 22nd century earth has changed and player-created factions scheme against each other for power. Traditional full-scale wars a thing of the past, factions must rely on covert agencies, teams of elite special operatives able to seize and defend key facilities. The future of humanity is their battleground, where knowledge is power, technology is a race, and everyone has an agenda.

As you can see the game has a very strong base as far as a storyline, I get the impression that it will be very engaging. The game will allow you to jump in with friends and team up with agencies to topple the common wealth government, which should provide a strong sense of achievement within the gaming experience. If you have a couple of fellow PC gamers to create your own agency (which is basically Global Agenda’s version of guilds) this will surely provide a very fun experience that you will no doubt come back to over and over again.

Game wise you could compare this experience to a franchise such as Unreal Tournament or Quake. It is an extreme player driven world that is only as good as it’s player community. Global Agenda is a seamless multiplayer experience which should provide months of entertainment building up not only your character, but your agencies, advances in technology, weapons, industrial facilities and much more. Remember however that this is not just a third person shooter experience, it is an ongoing MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game.

Global Agenda will be available with a one time purchase package which gives you the main portion of the gaming experience, and in buying this you are never forced into paying a subscription. However the option for a subscription is there for those who wish to take the experience even further. This subscription will give you tons of extra content; such as more customization options, player crafting with blueprints, a mail system, an auction house with bidding and buyouts, and access to Alliance vs Alliance world domination game play and more.

With that being said, watch the interview below with Stew Chisam the vice president of Hi-Rez studios to find out more. Also enjoy the range of images we have for you below in the gallery, and don’t forget you can enter the beta on the Global Agenda website.

 

Props to mastermynd

Package Details:

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is part of a complete package that contains both The Lost and The Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony episodes on one disc.  The Lost and The Damned was the first DLC released for GTA IV back in February of this year. The recent release of The Ballad Of Gay Tony is the final episode in the three part series. This content is available exclusively for Xbox360 and can either be purchased separately for 1600 Microsoft points ($20) a piece or as a compilation disc for $40 respectively. Please note that if you do purchase the Episodes disc then you do not need the original GTA to playthrough both stories.

The Lost and The Damned:

The Lost and The Damned is a story that explores the turbulent lives of the members of a biker gang known as The Lost. You play the role of Johnny Klebitz, the unruly Vice President of the Biker club.  Your life begins to turn upside down when your head boss and club President Billy “ William” Grey returns after a brief stint in rehab. From there you constantly bump heads with him throughout the game, which accounts for a great deal of the missions and story elements you encounter. On the surface this content is reminiscent of the hit FX series Sons Of Anarchy because of its dark tone and excessive violence. The added film grain look provides an edgier glimpse into the shady underbelly that is Liberty City. Overall as a story the set pieces aren’t particularly strong but do enough to tie up the loose ends leftover in GTA IV.

In terms of gameplay, this title is very similar to GTA IV but with the ideal focus on building gang unity. After every intense gunfight that you and your crew win, everyone is instantly leveled up. This concept takes the meaning of “being hardened by war” to another level and will force you to think strategically when fighting. Another addition to the missions are the biker races you can participate in with rival gangs. If you get too close you’ll be able to melee your opponents with bats, therefore making it hard for them to successfully compete against you. Even the Clubhouse itself acts as a safe haven for you to play cards, participate in arm wrestling mini-game matches, and pay respect to your fallen comrades. The overall campaign mode can easily last up to 12 hours depending upon your desire to complete every side quest. Adding new modes like Witness Protection and Own The City have also bumped up the online features. Witness Protection splits players into two teams with one acting as officers transporting a witness to safety and the other as Lost club members aiming to take out that same witness at all costs. Own the City is more of a modified version of Turf War. Overall these modes are extremely fun to play and add replayability to the episode as a whole.

The Ballad Of Gay Tony:

The Ballad Of Gay Tony brings a fresh approach to the tried and true formula distinctly known as GTA. You play the role of Luis Lopez, a former army veteran/ex con turned Bodyguard and Business Associate of Anthony “Tony” Prince. Tony is a prominent Nightclub Owner of the most popular straight club, Maisonette 9, and its gay counterpart, Hercules. Things take a turn for the worse when Tony gets himself caught up in debt and therefore has Luis do favors as his form of repayment to his lenders. Luis also finds himself in a power struggle having to attend to the drug selling ways of his childhood friends Armando and Henrique, while also participating in cage fights to help his mother pay off her own debts she acquired from dealing with a loan shark. As a result the story becomes heavy on explosive battle encounters with the same playful side missions as GTA games of the past. It can easily be debated that this entry in the series could very well be the strongest based on the compelling characters. Yusef usually steals the show with his outlandish demeanor, while Luis’ mother has a softer side only wanting the best for her son. My only knock on it would be the lack of showing conflict when making choices. One of the reasons GTA IV stood out was because there where moments when Niko questioned the morality in doing certain actions. This not only gave the character further dimensionality but also emphasized a sense of humanity and forward thinking. When playing as Luis this isn’t quite as apparent as he only reacts to a situation without worrying about the consequences. I would be interested to see how these ideas are portrayed in future editions.

Again, the gameplay mechanics are similar to GTA IV but with a greater emphasis on offering improved cars and weapons. Some cars also carry nitro, which comes in handy when you need to outrun the cops. Overall, the drivers you deal with on the road are terrible and given that the same came be said about real life drivers today I believe this will force you to become better at maneuvering. In regards to weapons, the sticky bombs are used heavily to blow up trains, planes, cranes, and just about everything else. Likewise adding the p90 SMG offers superior gunplay when getting into intense gunfights. This comes in handy when you playthrough the dock smuggling mission where you and your friends are ambushed and have to shoot your way out. When it comes to having fun in Liberty City, you can do the same activities as before but with the addition of now managing clubs. This may appear to be a boring concept but what makes it fun is the inclusion of dancing mini-games and drinking games you can have with the locals. The dancing side games are time based and require you to sync Luis’ movements to the music. Successfully pull that task off and you’ll be rewarded with a tasteful sex scene between you and the woman you danced with at the nearest bathroom stall. While this definitely isn’t the kind of girl you want to bring home to momma, it can’t be denied that these comedic elements make for a fun experience. The campaign also clocks in at about 12+ hours of gameplay. Once you beat the game you have the ability to replay each mission to get a higher score. Achievement whores will find this beneficial because by doing so they can net themselves bonus points. My one criticism with the online play is the lack of modes. The Lost and the Damned made an attempt to offer new player experiences, while The Ballad Of Gay Tony recycled the same modes from GTA IV. Clearly the inclusion of maybe an online Cage Fighting championship mode, or dancing contest could have easily pushed this concept to a new level.

Final Verdict:

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City surpasses what the definition of value DLC really is. While most gamers will be quick to spend $60 on any game, its hard to deny that at the $40 price point this game offers more bang for your buck. If you have ever been a fan of the GTA franchise I would urge you to pick up this title. Maybe then and only then can you truly live the American Dream.