VIDEO: A Game of Thrones: Genesis Trailer

So as some of you know, I've been hacking and slashing my way through the A Song of Ice and Fire series (I'm on the 3rd book now, A Storm of Swords) after really enjoying the first season of the HBO series.

I'm not alone in my enjoyment of this series and universe, and a result of that is this game - A Game of Thrones: Genesis. Let's have a look at the trailer:



I gotta say, apart from seeing some key locations from the books and show, this trailer doesn't really get me hyped up. RTS titles have never fully clicked with me and unless there is some major shift in the core gameplay, I am unsure I'll enjoy this.

What is interesting is how this seems to be a prequel to the books and show. It would be pretty cool to play out the battles we've only read and heard about from other characters, but again.. it's an RTS.

Who knows - if the price is right and it's on Steam, maybe i'll give it a shot.

Payday: The Heist (aka Shut Up and Take My Money!)

Holy crap!

The fine people over at Kotaku just posted a preview of this upcoming PS3/PC title I hadn't heard of called Payday: The Heist. What hooked me was the article title "Payday: The Heist Blends Left 4 Dead With Hardboiled Crime Cinema" - Left 4 Dead? "Hardboiled Crime Cinema"?!

This has my name all over it.

Anyway - of course I had to dig up some video footage. And here we are!



So between Kotaku's crazy preview, and this trailer - I *GOTTA* have this game.

$20, Steam/PSN, 10/04/2011.

VIDEO: Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer Trailer

Here's the latest trailer for Modern Warfare 3, showing off some elements of the multiplayer game. Let's have a look:



Holy crap, that was *BAD ASS*. Can't wait for November!

VIDEO: Rage "Gearhead Vault" Gameplay

Can this game look any cooler?!

BRING IT ON!

VIDEO: Borderlands 2 teaser!!!!!!

At last, a teaser video for Borderlands 2! The first game was really cool in my opinion - a nice hybrid of FPS and MMO game styles with a massive world. I hope the sequel can live up to the original.

In any case, let's have a look:



Boo no actual gameplay. Boo!

HELL YES: Valve Announces Counter Strike: Global Offensive

I know this headline is going to give some people a cold sweat... But Counter Strike is coming back, and *everyone* wins. No matter your gaming platform of choice, be it PC, Mac, PS3 or Xbox 360 - CS:GO is coming early next year.

In a press release, Valve said that "CS: GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more."

Valve has also been kind enough to go ahead and put a listing on Steam, so might as well add it to your wish list.

Just when you think you have that Counter Strike habit kicked...


(I can't wait!)

WTF: Diablo 3 to require internet connection for play

Recently it was announced that Blizzard's upcoming Diablo 3 would require players to have internet access in order to play, which has caused strong reactions from a divided user base.

Before we go any further, I must admit that the Diablo series was something I never really got into (this is primarily due to the fact that Diablo 1 and 2 were never available for the Macintosh, which was my family's computer back in those days), so I am rather neutral about this issue personally. However, Several friends of mine have expressed everything from "meh" to flat out anger at this move - and so I was nudged to comment on this issue.

To start, here is why Blizzard feels this is a good move:

Executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo notes that the wealth of improvements and features Diablo 3 brings to Battle.net necessitate the always-online requirement. Specific additions that he refers to include:

A persistent friends list.
Cross-game chat via the RealID system.
Persistent characters that are stored server-side (no more having to play online once every 90 days, nor item duplication cheats).
Persistent party system.
Player-versus-player and public game matchmaking.
Dynamic drop-in/out for co-op
Larger item stash that gets shared among all of your characters (at the moment, up to 10)
The auction house, outlined here.
The Achievement system and detailed stat-tracking, both of which feed into the final point:
The Banner system, a visual way to display your prowess in the game. Banners start out like emblems, where you can choose from an array of symbols, patterns, and overall shape/design. Then, you can tweak its appearance through Achievements and other accomplishments. Examples Pardo cites include whether the character is in Hardcore mode, how many Achievements have been earned, how many PVP victories, and so forth. Additionally, the Banners also have gameplay features; in-game, rather than use Town Portal, you can click on a player's Banner to instantly teleport over to said player.

But at the same time...

While Pardo recognizes that people sometimes want or need to play offline (such as internet outages, or playing on a laptop during an airplane flight), he notes that the increased security, plus benefits like the above, outweigh those other concerns. "I want to play Diablo 3 on my laptop in a plane, but, well, there are other games to play for times like that."

Really? "Hey thanks for spending $60 on our software, now go play something else".

On one hand, Blizzard makes a good case with it's list of reasons to keep the game online, but on the other - Why should a single player title *require* 24/7 internet access?

VIDEO: Planetside 2 trailer!

Here's the hot new trailer for the SOE Shooter MMO - Planetside 2 - let's have a look:



Uh whoa... this looks kind of rad, right? Looks like some really MASSIVE online battles with some rather sharp graphics. Can't wait to see more!

COOL: Star Wars Total Conversion mod for COD4

So since it seems like we won't be seeing a new Star Wars: Battlefront title any time soon, a group of German game modders have spent the past 2 years working on a total conversion of COD4: Modern Warfare.

They have finally completed this mod, slapped a nice 1.0 version number on it, and now it's available for all to enjoy. Let's have a look!



This mod is only for the PC build of COD4, but seems like a great reason to dig out the disks and reinstall!

HOT: LA Noire coming to PC!

Hot off the presses from Rockstar - LA Noire will come to the PC this fall! Here's the scoop:

PC gaming aficionados, we hear you. And today, we are very happy to announce that L.A. Noire will be arriving on the PC platform this fall.

Developed by Rockstar Leeds and built to run on a wide range of PCs, L.A. Noire's robust feature customization includes keyboard remapping and gamepad functionality to both optimize and customize performance and user experience. Along with increased fidelity and improved graphical enhancements, the PC version will also feature 3D support for an even greater sense of interaction and immersion within a painstakingly detailed 1940s Los Angeles.

HOLY CRAP: Battlefeild 3 E3 trailer

My jaw dropped when i saw this:



MW3 is going to have some stiff competition!

VIDEO: XCOM E3 2011 trailer!

Wow, lots of fresh videos to share this morning! Here's the E3 trailer for the upcoming revamp of XCOM. Let's take a look:



I have a feeling this will be the sort of title that people will either love, or hate based on if they've played the originals or not. I must say, the trailer certainly has caught my attention!

VIDEO: Tomb Raider "Turning Point" Trailer

Hot off the presses, here is the new trailer for the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot. Let's have a look:



I'm sad at the lack of any proper gameplay footage, but the entire mood of the trailer makes me think there's been some heavy influence from the likes of Uncharted.
I hope we learn more at E3!

VIDEO: Alice: Madness Returns Launch Trailer!

I've been waiting to see more about this title! Let's have a look:



The original game was rather twisted, and I loved it. Alice: Madness Returns hits June 14th.

Diablo 3 beta this summer!

How is it that Blizzard manages to build up unreal amounts of hype for it's games so consistently? Seriously, they have this down cold (they even managed to get me to buy StarCraft 2!). Well, here we are - the next step for the Diablo 3 hype train - A summer beta has been announced!

"The game is looking great," Morhaime said during the conference call, "and we're currently aiming at a third quarter launch for external beta testing." A third quarter target would have beta testing for Diablo III launching sometime between July and September of 2011.

However... there is still no sign of a release date...

What Morhaime didn't offer was any sign of an official release date. "I want to be clear that we do not have an official release date or window yet," he said, explaining that Blizzard would not compromise quality to hit a release window. A slide accompanying the conference call did mention the company was "driving hard" to get the game released this year.

"Good things come to those who wait" seems appropriate here. I hope you all remembered to opt-in for the Blizzard beta program...

Rage to include mod tools "out of the box"

You don't see THIS every day!

Speaking to PC Gamer at a recent press event, Id Creative Director Tim Willits revealed that the PC version of Rage will support modding and level design right out of the box

id has always held a special place in my gaming heart - Wolf3d and Doom were pretty mind blowing (I *know* you all feel the same) - and i think this is a REALLY rad move.

Wouldn't it be nice if more game studios were like this?!

Anyway - to access the modding tools:

All you need to do, says Tim, is “Pull down the console, type ‘id studio’, then press enter. Then, bam, there’s all the tools we use.”

I wonder if this will support any sort of plug-ins or any sort of community sourced additions - this could be REALLY wicked!

RAGE - Gameplay trailer!

id Software just unleashed 5 minutes of game play footage from it's upcoming title RAGE!



This game just keeps looking better - I can't wait!!

Uh oh... Star Wars: The Old Republic could slide into 2012...

Owch. First Mass Effect 3... and now this?!

The company did note today during an investor call that there's an "outside possibility" the PC game won't hit this year, with Star Wars: The Old Republic possibly hitting as late as January 2012. Or maybe even later, as EA offered a "guidance range" that stretched to the end of EA's fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2012.

I know more than a few people who will be rather upset with this news. But, Hey! Look on the bright side! More funds in your wallet to enjoy the other upcoming AAA titles this year! Not to mention, us Star Wars geeks will have the movies on BluRay this fall to help tide us over, right?!

Duke Nuke'em Forever PC Requirements revealed

This just in - is your PC up to snuff? (or will you be playing on a console?)

Minimum Specifications

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.0 Ghz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 @ 2.0 Ghz
]Memory: 1 Gb
Hard Drive: 10 Gb free
Video Memory: 256 MB
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible


Recommended Specifications

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4 Ghz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 @ 2.6 Ghz
Memory: 2 Gb
Hard Drive: 10 Gb free
Video Memory: 512 MB
]Video Card: nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS / ATI Radeon HD 3850
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

Sounds like it won't break the bank to run this game (thank goodness!). Personally, I think I'll opt for the 360 build for multiplayer.