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EA shutters Pandemic Studios, PSP Comic Book service, 360 Games on the Cheap, and more - Press Pause

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:42:10 -0800

Welcome to this week/'s Press Pause. This week Carlos and Jason talk about the latest news including: EA shutters Pandemic Studios, RE Director eying Castlevania/Metal Gear movies, PSP Comic Book service, and more. Also they a list of great XBOX 360 that you can get on the cheap. All of that and the week/'s new releases.

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*When purchasing the 28-day auto-delivery program. Continental US only. Other restrictions apply. $25 discount applied to 1st 28-day Auto-Delivery order only.

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FEATURE TOPIC:

Cheap XBOX 360 Games
The Holidays are upon us, and to help you guys out with some gaming action that won/'t break the bank, we bring you a list of great games on the cheap.

First up: Carlos and Jason bring their list of games for the XBOX 360 that you can find for less than $20.

Carlos:
Top Spin 2
Rockstar: Table Tennis
Condemned: Criminal Origins / Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Just Cause
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Stranglehold
LOST: Via Domus
Mass Effect
Lego Star Wars / Lego Batman
Skate
Afro Samurai
Burnout Paradise
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
The Simpsons Game

Jason:
Assassin/'s Creed
Bioshock
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Viva Pinata
Dead Rising
Crackdown
Blue Dragon
The Orange Box
Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Game News:

Pandemic Studios closed by EA

That/'s about 200 people of the major EA layoffs we talked about last week.
Pandemics first games were Battlezone II and Dark Reign 2. Other notables includes Full Spectrum Warrior, the Star Wars: Battlefront games, Mercenaries and Mercenaries 2, and Destroy all Humans 1 and 2.

Resident Evil Director /'Circling/' Castlevania, Metal Gear Movies

Paul W. S. Anderson, director of the first Resident Evil Movie, the first Mortal Kombat movie, and many more movies, is waiting on a script for a movie based on Castlevania. Also it is said that he is interested in making a movie based on the Metal Gear Solid franchise.

Report: 60% Of Britain/'s Xbox 360s Have Died

Following in the footsteps of Game Informer/'s US survey earlier in the year - which found that 54.2% of American Xbox 360s had broken down - CNET have done a similar study for the British market.

PSP Comics Service Coming Soon

According to kotaku sony has annouced the final launch plans for playstations portable comic service.
individual issues ranging from 55 cents to 1.70 - and collections around 5 bucks -- however this is only for japan - and sony says the launch of the American and European comic store will be /"a little later/".

Assassin/'s Creed II gives Super Mario shoutout

There is a small little shout out to everyone/'s favorite princess saving plumber in the just released Assassin/'s Creed II.

Game Releases 11/19 – 11/26

Released 11/19
Peggle – PSN
Peggle Nights – PSN

BIT.TRIP VOID – WiiWare
Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned – PS3, 360
Coldstone: Scoop It Up – Wii
Cook Wars – Wii
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – DS
Hands On! Tangrams – DS
Hello Kitty Party - DS
Karaoke Revolution – PS3, 360, Wii
King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame – PC
King/'s Bounty: Armored Princess – PC (Expansion to Kings Bounty: The Legend)
Madden NFL Arcade – PSN, XBLA
Marines: Assault on Terror – Wii
Rogue Trooper: The Quartz Zone Massacre – Wii
Scene It? Twilight – Wii
Stoked (Big Air Edition) – 360
Tekken 6 – PSP
Winter/'s Tail – DS
Your Shape (ft. Jenny McCarthy) – Wii

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Job cuts at EA, Facebook coming to PS3, Microsoft banning cnsoles, and more - Press Pause

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:57:08 -0800

Welcome to this week/'s Press Pause. This week Carlos and Jason talk about the latest news including: Job cuts at EA, Facebook coming to PS3, Microsoft banning cnsoles, and more. Also they have a discussion about the pros and cons of easy games versus hard games. All of that and the week/'s new releases

Press Pause Special Offers:

MEVIO is excited to present a great discount offer from the leading provider of weight management products and services Nutrisystem. Enjoy an amazing, healthy lifestyle with a delicious, well-balanced, nutritional meal plan. Just go to www.nutrisystem.com/mevio and you can save $25 off your first food order*.

*When purchasing the 28-day auto-delivery program. Continental US only. Other restrictions apply. $25 discount applied to 1st 28-day Auto-Delivery order only.

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Easy VS Hard Games

Is easier better?
Some gamers talk about how much they like a challenge, but the greater gaming audience seems to have more fun when they get to move through the experience without failing much. It seems like patches for games keep making them easier, and never harder (recently, games like WoW and Dragon Age keep tweaking the difficulty downward). On the whole, big popular games of today are a lot easier than the big games of a decade ago. Is this a good trend?

Here are some examples of titles talked about:

Hard
Ghosts /'n/' Goblins/Ghouls and Ghosts
Castlevania
Contra
Zelda II
Any old school Shmup (Shoot /'em Up)
Battletoads

Top 10 most difficult games from Tech E Blog

Easy
Any Wii game
Lego games
Spyro
Fable
GTA -- basically open worlders (easy to play -- *sidenote - dont HAVE to beat)

Game News:

EA to cut 1,500

It was announced in its quaterly financial report. That/'s about 17% of its workforce. About 900 of the jobs come from game development studios. The /"Cost Reduction Plan/" detailed in the EA release involves the closure of several facilities and a huge reduction in workforce in order to /"narrow its product portfolio to provide greater focus on titles with higher margin opportunities./" They/'re closing several facilities and axing about a dozen games.

Child/'s Play 2009 is underway.

Child/'s Play is the charity run by the fine folks at Penny Arcade. The 2008 drive gathered a whopping $1.4 million dollars worth of donations for children/'s hospitals. This year they/'ve added even more hospitals. Helping out is easy - go to www.childsplaycharity.org and pick a hospital to donate to. Then buy something from the Amazon wishlist that pops up.

PS3 Facebook integration coming soon?

Leaked images suggest that a future PS3 update will add Facebook, among other things.

PlayStation father Ken Kutaragi creates new company.

/"Multi-platform console gamers may be making the switch to the PlayStation 3 for sequels to games they may have owned on the Xbox 360, analysis from consumer research and consulting firm OTX shows./"

Microsoft wields the Banhammer!

Microsoft has banned a number of Xbox Live accounts from the online service in a bid to prevent the owners of modded consoles using the service.

Fall 360 Dashboard update on Nov. 17.

Xbox Live/'s Major Nelson has confirmed that the big fall Xbox 360 system update, which adds Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm, and the new Zune video marketplace, is coming to everyone on Nov 17th.

Game Releases 11/13 – 11/19

Release on 11/12
Braid – PSN
Star Trek: D-A-C – PSN, PC

Assassin/'s Creed II – PS3, 360, PC
Assassin/'s Creed II: Discovery – DS
Assassin/'s Creed: Bloodlines – PSP
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – Wii, DS
Buck Fever – Wii
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors – PS3, 360, Wii, DS
EA Sports Active: More Workouts – Wii
God of War Collection – PS3
GTI Club+: Rally Côte d/'Azur - PSN
Gyromancer - XBLA, PC
Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare – PC
Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 – Wii, DS
Imagine: Artist – DS
Jambo! Safari Animal Rescue – Wii
JumpStart: Escape from Adventure Island – Wii
Just Dance – Wii
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight – Wii, DS
Left 4 Dead 2 – 360, PC
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues – PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PC
LittleBigPlanet – PSP
My Hero: Doctor – DS
My Hero: Firefighter – DS
Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution III – Wii
NCAA Basketball 10 – PS3, 360
New Super Mario Bros. – Wii
Petz Dogz Talent Show – DS
Petz: Hamsterz Superstarz – DS
Planet 51 – PS3, 360, Wii, DS
Pokemon Rumble – WiiWare
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles – Wii
Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! – PS3, 360, Wii
The Princess and the Frog – PC, Wii, DS
The Sims 3 World Adventures – PC, MAC
Tony Hawk: Ride – PS3, 360, Wii
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D/'s Tag Force 4 - PSP

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Big vs Small Budget Games, XBL Rewards, MAss Effect 2 DLC, and New Releases - Press Pause

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:28:35 -0800

Welcome to this week's Press Pause. This week Carlos and Jason talk about the latest news including: massive DLC will be coming to Mass Effect 2, Microsoft may be looking to create an Xbox Live rewards program, and consumers may be defecting from 360 to PS3 for big name sequels. They also discuss big budget vs small budget games. All that plus the week's new releases .

Press Pause Special Offers:

MEVIO is excited to present a great discount offer from the leading provider of weight management products and services Nutrisystem. Enjoy an amazing, healthy lifestyle with a delicious, well-balanced, nutritional meal plan. Just go to www.nutrisystem.com/mevio and you can save $25 off your first food order*.
*When purchasing the 28-day auto-delivery program. Continental US only. Other restrictions apply. $25 discount applied to 1st 28-day Auto-Delivery order only.

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Big Budget vs Small Budget Games

Now when we say small budget, that doesn't mean that the game is an indie game. It could just mean a smaller game that was made for a substantially lower budget than your typical AAA game.

Here is a good example of the budget of some of the biggest games of the past few years:

Grand Theft Auto IV - $100,000,000:
Too Human - $80-$100,000,000:
Metal Gear Solid 4 - $50-$70,000,000:
Halo 3 - $60,000,000
upcoming APB MMO - $50,000,000:
Tom Clancy MMO - $50,000,000
Killzone 2 - $40,000,000
Final Fantasy XII - $40,000,000
Final Fantasy IX - $40,000,000

Here is a piece written on the website greggman.com :

It depends on the game. I can tell you that a certain team I worked on which had about 15 people for a year cost 2.5 million and that's development costs only. That does not include advertising, duplication, distribution, returns etc. I can also tell you that the next title from that same team is going to cost 4 times that, twice as many people working twice as long. It all depends on the game.
For example Warcraft 2 (I think it was 2) cost only like $750k but Diablo cost like 3 mill and Diablo 2 cost like 6 or 9 mill. A game like Tetris could be done for like $20k or less, especially like "Next Tetris" for Playstation which if you take a look at as no art. It's as though it was done completely by one programmer (plus some music)

Basically the more people it requires the more it costs. A game like Warcraft2 had fairly simple graphics so it probably only took 3 artists to make all the art. Diablo 2 on the other hand has not only much more detailed graphics, probably required 10 or more artists but it also has CG video sequences also requiring several artists. It took more than 3 years so lets say each artist made $40k (which may or may not be a low figure) Assume 16 artists, that's 40K * 3years * 16, that's almost 2 million right there and that's NOT including overhead (ie, desk, computer, health ins, 401k, heat, electricity) That stuff can add up to 30% more and that's only the artists. Add 5 to 10 programmers., music people, game designers, producers.

DOOM, remember DOOM, what's it now 6 years old?. That cost probably like 200K and only took 3 people but it was designed to only take 3 people. There are only 10 monsters each with only about 10 frames of animation total if that. The levels are basically laid out in 2D which makes them much much much quicker to build than a Quake level which must be layed out in 3D. And there are only about 15 items. 7 weapons (or was it 5), health, armor, keys, doors and moving platforms. (vs say a character action game like Mario, Gex or Crash where there are hundreds of individually programmed things)

Here is a slide from game developer Factor 5 during a GDC panel that talks about how budgets have grown:

Also mentioned was some big budget disasters:

Sims Online - Estimated budget: $25m
Daikatana - Estimated budget: Unknown.
Ultima 9 - Estimated budget: Unknown (9 year development cycle)
Shenmue - Estimated budget: $70m
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - Estimated budget: over $50m (inflation-adjusted)

Game News:

Mass Effect 2 to have major DLC

This morning a tipster dropped us word and images from the Expert Zone quiz for Mass Effect 2. Created so the retailer can sell the product with more information in tow, it teases what kind of optional content is coming to the follow-up sci-fi RPG. It lists, specifically in the Xbox LIVE Features section, “planned episodic combat via DLC,” weapon and armor packs, new downloadable characters for the “campaign experience,” new downloadable worlds, as well as “full campaign expansions for download.” It also mentions that the game will carry “periodic updates,” which features DLC, via Mass Effect 2’s unannounced in-game “Cerberus Network.”

Microsoft testing Xbox Live rewards program

For silver members - 100 points when you make your first purchase, and 100 points each time you fill out a survey.
For gold members - same as silver, plus "up to 5%" bonus (at 1% per month) for remaining a gold subscriber, up to 60 points (10 points per month) for 1-month or 3-month gold renewals, 200 points for a yearly renewal, 200 points for subscribing to netflix
It's a pilot program right now by invite only.

New Kids on the Block nes game??

"How much would you pay for this New Kids On The Block sample box for the NES game that was never released? If you're off your rocker for NKOTB, then surely $589 isn't too high a price."

Xbox 360 Owners "Defecting" To PS3 For Sequels?

"Multi-platform console gamers may be making the switch to the PlayStation 3 for sequels to games they may have owned on the Xbox 360, analysis from consumer research and consulting firm OTX shows."

Game Releases 11/06 – 11/12

BUZZ! Quiz World – PS3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – PS3, 360, PC
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized – DS
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex – Wii
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans – DS
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast – PS3, 360
Dreamkiller – 360
Excitebike: World Rally – WiiWare
Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection – 360, PC
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade – Wii
Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands – DS
Jonas – DS
Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble – PSP
Petz: Nursery – DS
Phantasy Star Ø – DS
Pop'n Music - Wii
Record of Agarest War – PSN
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – Wii, DS
Sacraboar – PC
Serious Sam: The First Encounter HD – XBLA
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage – Wii
SingStar Motown – PS3, PS2
Style Lab: Jewelry Design – DS
Style Lab: Makeover – DS
Sushi Go Round – DS
Team Elimination Games – Wii

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New DSi, Netflix on the PS3, game reviews, and the week's new releases - Press Pause

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:09:01 -0700

Welcome to this week/'s Press Pause. Jason and Carlos are back from both travel and illness to bring you the latest on new releases, and the latest news. This week they discuss the news about a new larger version of the DSi, Netflix streaming on the PS3, and the release of Crytek/'s new development software. As always they have the week/'s new releases, and they also have a couple of game reviews.

Press Pause Special Offers:

MEVIO is excited to present a great discount offer from the leading provider of weight management products and services Nutrisystem. Enjoy an amazing, healthy lifestyle with a delicious, well-balanced, nutritional meal plan. Just go to www.nutrisystem.com/mevio and you can save $25 off your first food order*.

Games Reviewed:

	1. Nostalgia Set in an alternate-reality version of 19th-century Earth, Nostalgia casts you as Eddie, a headstrong Londoner who amasses a group of memorable companions to traverse the world in his steampunk-inspired zeppelin. As you navigate the open skies, you’ll explore mysterious foreign locales, slay all manner of fantastical enemies, complete a variety of thrilling quests, and ultimately, save the world from unfathomable evil.
	2. DSiWare - Domo Series A series of games for the DSiWare download store featuring the well known Japanese TV mascot Domo.
	3. Torchlight Torchlight is set in the mining settlement of Torchlight, a boomtown founded on the discovery of rich veins of Ember – a rare and mysterious ore with the power to enchant or corrupt all that it contacts. This corruptive power may have dire consequences however, and players set out into the nearby mountains and depths below to discover the full extent of Ember’s influence on the civilizations that have come before.

Game News:

CryEngine 3 Released.

Crytek has release their new game development tools that they promise will make game development more simple, even across multi-platform development. Their engine will let developers create and test their game on PC, 360, and PS3 all at the same time.

Netflix streaming comes to PS3

After months of speculation, it appears that Netflix streaming will finally be coming to the PS3. According to the press release: /"Initially, watching movies instantly streamed from Netflix via the PS3 system will be enabled by a free, instant streaming Blu-ray disc that is being made available to all Netflix members. The free instant streaming disc leverages Blu-ray/'s BD-Live™ technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, which must be online via Wi-Fi or Ethernet./"

Planescape: Torment Re-Release?

It appears that Interplay are re-releasing Planescape Torment. Its release date is listed as the 30th October and the price is a – not-much-change-from-the-nature-of-twenty-quid – 17.99 of your Earth pounds. In fact, it appears to be a whole load of Interplay other material too. It’s a surprise to see a decade-old game released at a mid-range price… but it’s also one that I find hard to argue against.

Nintendo officially announces large-screen DSi-LL/XL

After several days of speculation that Nintendo was going to release a new version of the DSi that carried a larger screen, they have gone and announced it.

The new version will have two larger 4.2/" screens, and a larger pen-like stylus. It will release in 3 colors: Wine Red, Dark Brown, and Natural White.

Coming to Japan on November 21 as the DSi LL for ¥20,000 ($221). It has also been announced for Europe and North America for the 1st quarter of 2010 as the DSi XL, though no price has been given so far.

Game Releases 10/30 - 11/05:

First, from 10/27 & 10/29:
DJ Hero – PS3, 360, Wii, PS2
GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City - 360
GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony – XBL
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time – PS3
Tekken 6 – PS3, 360
Painkiller: Resurrection – PC

This week:
Academy of Champions Soccer – Wii
Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders – DS
Band Hero – PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, DS
Barbie and The Three Musketeers – DS
C.O.P. The Recruit – DS
Disney/'s A Christmas Carol – DS
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom – Wii
Dragon Age: Origins – PS3, 360, PC
Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked – Wii
Hidden Mysteries: Titanic - Secrets of the Fateful Voyage – Wii, DS
Imagine: Babyz Fashion – DS
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier – PSP, PS2
Junior Brain Trainer – DS
Junior Classic Games – DS
Jurassic: The Hunted – PS3, 360, Wii, PS2
LEGO Rock Band – PS3, 360, Wii, DS
My Baby: First Steps – Wii
Need for Speed: Nitro – Wii, DS
Ni Hao, Kai-lan: New Year/'s Celebration – DS
NinjaBee Critic/'s Choice Collection – 360
Pool Hall Pro – PC
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 – PS3, 360
Rabbids Go Home – Wii, DS
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – Wii, PSP, PS2
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron – DS, PSP
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition – PS3, 360, PC, MAC
Style Savvy – DS
This Is Vegas – PS3, 360, PC
We Cheer 2 – Wii
WireWay – DS

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Press Pause Halloween - Scariest 8 Games Ever

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:16:16 -0700

Our Top 8 Scaries Games Ever:

1. silent hill

2. manhunt

3. doom 3

4. fatal frame II

5. condemened 2

6. bioshock

7. grabbed by the ghoulies

8. clock tower

Lego Rock Band - David Bowie Trailer

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:41:12 -0700

Ever wonder what Ziggy Stardust would look like rendered in Lego? Well, for one thing, his hair is perfect (of course).

Joining Bowie in the finished product will be Queen, Bon Jovi, Europe, Foo Fighters, Korn, and many other tiny yellow rockers.

Bayonetta PS3 vs 360, World Of Warcraft movie details, new releases, and XBOX Indie Games - Press Pause

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:16:36 -0700

Press Pause Special Offers:

XBOX Indie Games

	1. Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP! A giant Iron Crab appeared, dropping bombs everywhere it goes. What is this all about? Do something, Jumpboy!
	2. Dark My name is Andrew Russell; I am an independent game developer from Australia. “Dark” was my entry in the 2009 Dream Build Play competition. It is a very dark, atmospheric puzzle-platformer.
	3. Kaiten Patissier Grasping, it turns! Gathering the material, it probably will make the candy!

Game News:

Bayonetta PS3 vs. Bayonetta 360
Gametrailers.com recently put up a comparison video for the two versions of Bayonetta. The 360 version was developed by Platinum Games, but they gave the PS3 version over to SEGA to develop, and there were stories out of TGS that said that the PS3 version was not as good graphically than the 360 version.

World of Warcraft movie details
It was announced redently that there would be a movie made based on the MMO World of Warcraft. Fans of the game are caustiously optimistic on account of who is going to be making the film. The film will be produced by Legendary Pictures, known for 300, Batman Begins, and the Dark Knight. It will also be directed by Sam Raimi, best known for the Evil Dead series and the Spiderman films.

Game Releases 10/16 - 10/22:

Alien Monster Bowling League – Wii
Army of Two – XBOX Marketplace
Astro Boy: The Video Game – Wii, DS, PSP, PS2
Backyard NFL Football /'10 – 360, Wii, PS2
Bakugan: Battle Brawlers – PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PS2
Borderlands – PS3, 360, PC
Charm Girls Club: My Fashion Mall – DS
Charm Girls Club: My Fashion Show – DS
Charm Girls Club: My Perfect Prom – DS
Charm Girls Club: Pajama Party – Wii
Cook Wars – Wii
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop – DS
CSI: Deadly Intent – 360, Wii, PC
CSI: Deadly Intent - The Hidden Cases – DS
Diner Dash: Flo on the Go - DS
Doctor Fizzwhizzle/'s Animal Rescue – Wii
Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo – Wii
FIFA Soccer 10 – PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – PSP
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade – Wii
Horse Life Adventures – Wii
Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour – DS
Jam Sessions 2 – DS
Jillian Michaels/' Fitness Ultimatum 2010 – DS
Lips: Number One Hits – 360
Littlest Pet Shop: Beach Friends – DS
Littlest Pet Shop: City Friends – DS
Littlest Pet Shop: Country Friends – DS
Littlest Pet Shop: Friends – Wii
Marvel Super Hero Squad – Wii, DS, PSP, PS2
Medieval Games – Wii
Midnight Club: Los Angeles – XBOX Marketplace
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge – PS2
Mountain Sports – Wii
Mytran Wars – PSP
NBA 2K10 – Wii
Pop/'n Music – Wii
Reversal Challenge – DS
Rock Blast – Wii
Safari Adventures: Africa – Wii
Shimano Xtreme Fishing – Wii
Sideswiped – DS
Sonic Unleashed – XBOX Marketplace
Space Invaders Extreme 2 – DS
The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun – Wii, DS, PSP, PS2
Trine - PSN
Tropico 3 – PC
Walk it Out! – Wii
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 – PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2

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DSi/iPhone game reviews, new releases, and a brand new permanent co-host - Press Pause

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:10:02 -0700

Final Fantasy XIII TGS English Trailer

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:25:13 -0700

The Final Fantasy series has had its share of melodrama, and it looks like Final Fantasy XIII will be no exception. Will Snow and Serah"s relationship survive the attacks on the l'Cie? Will Lightning reconcile with her sister? And what's up with the Chocobo in Sazh's 'fro?

The PSP is Go, free Ultima, new releases, and Jason Cross talks indie games - Press Pause

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:36:30 -0700

	1. Gratuitous Space Battles Gratuitous Space Battles aims to bring the over-the-top explodiness back into space games. The game is for everyone who has watched big space armadas battle
	2. Facewound Facewound is a 2D side scrolling shoot em up. Slow motion kills with mouse controls and a unique art style.
	3. Osmos Enter the ambient world of Osmos: elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a minimalist, electronic soundtrack.

Avatar Trailer TGS 2009

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:42:24 -0700

What do you do when a giant alien hammerhead beast knocks your mech suit for a loop? Shoot it in the butt. then get the heck out of the way. Rinse. Repeat.

Assassin's Creed 2 Trailer TGS 2009

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:03:06 -0700

At a weary hour, a gleam of disillusionment. The hungry dilettante, a man and his dog, and the clown meet the doctor. Faustus plays in the magic mountain with Mario and the magician. A sketch of my life, an anecdote of a railway accident and the reflections of an unpolitical man.

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Buddhist gamers are cool. News from TGS, and a guy who sucks at video games - Press Pause

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:43:54 -0700

Visit Gordon Elgart at his gaming site, I Suck at Video Games or his music site, Spinning Platters

Do you suck at video games? Confess your weakness to the world at our Tech Community Pages . Your therapist will thank us.

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NieR RepliCant Trailer

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:59:44 -0700

InTerCaPs aRe fUn!!!!11!
Women in teddies vs. creepy baloon head dudes. That's about all I could figure out from this one. What do you think?

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Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Trailer

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:07:34 -0700

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

SO I CAN CRUSH THEM WITH MY MIGHTY TORCH!

Giant, nigh-unbeatable bosses, pin-point precision gaming, and lots and lots of jiggle (***now controllable with the sixaxis***). It's Ninja Gaiden. I still won't be able to get past the 3rd or 4th level, because my skillz, they are not mad.

Gaming news, new releases, and a review of Scribblenauts - Press Pause

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:27:48 -0700

Kurt Cobain Sings Bon Jovi, Rolls in Grave

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:56:10 -0700

Shot through the heeeeeaad, and you're to blame, you give dead celebrity product placement a bad name.

I blame Fred Astaire. When his re-animated corpse danced with a vacuum cleaner in the 1997 Superbowl, he ushered in the era of celebrity grave robbing. This latest visit to the mausoleum may be the most offensive to fans, to say nothing of the headless, wandering shade that is Kurt's only earthly remains. Seeing his gaping maw crooning with the voices of Jon Bon Jovi and Flavor Flav has fans up in arms all over the Internets.Most blame Courtney Love, who helped Activision extensively during the development of the game. Love, strangely enough, is now suing Activision, apparently for letting her dance on her former hubby's grave.

Brutal Legend Trailer

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:23 -0700

Once, on the road to Damascus, a wizened old man said to me: "GET THE @#$@$% OUT OF MY WAY, YE WEE PANSY!" That man was Tim Schaefer, creator of Brutal Legend. I think he was late for a GWAR concert. Being a compassionate citizen, I pulled over to let him pass. As he drove by, screaming obscenities, I could smell acrid brimstone waft through the air. It was at that exact moment that I decided to become a trained HVAC Repair Specialist.

Dante's Inferno Trailer

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:14:10 -0700

"Through me is the way into the woeful city; through me is the way into eternal woe; through me is the way among the lost people. Justice moved my lofty maker: the divine Power, the supreme Wisdom and the primal Love made me. Before me were no things created, unless eternal, and I eternal last. Abandon all hope, ye who enter!"

Unless, of course, you've already beat the crap out of Death himself and stolen his scythe. In that case, by all means, come on in!

Apple Throws Down Portable Game Gauntlet, The Week's New Releases, and Seanbaby Is Here With Some Bad Games - Press Pause

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:03:31 -0700

3D Video Games, New Releases, and Jason Cross Talks Downloadable Games - Press Pause

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:35:49 -0700

New WoW Expansion, The Weeks New Releases, and Gabe Newell in a Beauty Contest? - Press Pause

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:39:25 -0700

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	1. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm The upcoming expansion pack features two new races: Goblins for the Horde and Worgen for the Alliance; a new level 85 cap; flying mounts in Azeroth, and a whole lot of destruction. Oh, and the scariest dragon in the world, Deathwing.
	2. New Releases - Our Picks * Champions Online * Guitar Hero 5 * Mini Ninjas * Section 8
	3. Scott Jones' Top 5 Video Game Soundtracks #5: Mirror's Edge #4: Parasite Eve #3: Resident Evil series #2: Final Fantasy series #1: Metal Gear series

Want more World of Warcraft: Cataclysm goodness? Catch the full trailer.

For more Blizzard Bliss, check out the trailers for Starcraft II and Diablo III.

Or, if you can't stand the thought of shelling out $15 a month for your MMO fix, try our guide to free MMOs.

Get to clicking!

Your homework this week:

Tweet us your thoughts on World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Does the secret furry in you long to be a Worgen? Are you angry with the FEMA response to the tragedy in Auberdine? Kin g Anduin Wrynn hates Dark Elves!

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion Trailer

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:07:26 -0700

Where do you go when you've explored the frozen reaches of Northrend, when you've spanned dimensions to reach Outland? Where els is there to go but home? Oh, but you poor, weary traveler-- you can never truly go home again. for the dragon lord Deathwing has escaped his bondage below the sea, and Azeroth is torn asunder.

So goes Cataclysm, the upcoming expansion pack for Blizzard's multi-billion dollar cash cow, World of Warcraft.

While everyone's attention was focused on giving Arthas and his chilly minions a north pole beat down, Deathwing (remember him? Onyxia's dad?) had done snuck out of his cage at the bottom of the sea.Well, not so much "snuck" as "violently erupted, causing the entire world to crack in half."

Old familiar zones from the Barrens to the Badlands have been rent asunder. The new, playable Horde Goblins are refugees, their island homes no more. And somebody let out the werewolves...

New dungeons, new class/race combinations, new level 85 cap, new monsters, and hundreds of new quests to get you excited about dull old Azeroth again. Personally, I'm hoping Onyxia gets the Naxx treatment.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm comes out in 2010.

Diablo III Trailer

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:49:36 -0700

Click click clickyclick OW DAMN CARPAL TUNNEL just... a... few... more... clicks... and now I need $3000 for wrist surgery. Well, since I'm screwed anyway, maybe just a couple more clicks...

Sound familiar? That was my experience with Diablo and Diablo II, and I have no aspirations that anything will be different for Diablo 3. Who shall I be first? Witch Doctor sounds good, but I doubt his sound evvects will have the delicious squishiness that my man the Necromancer had. Guess I'll roll Monk to start out, and let the pugilism flow forth. Time to break out the Ace bandages and Icy Hot...

Diablo III with be causing clickfests from coast to coast when it releases... sometime within the next 2 or 3 years. If we're lucky.

Starcraft II: Old Rivals Trailer

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:36:03 -0700

Do you remember your first love? The way your heart thumped, stomach fluttered, spleen ached? There is something about your first love; something ineffably wonderful, something you can never quite capture again. An unsurpassable, unrecoverable feeling.

Ok, now imagine the exact opposite of that. That is what Zeratul the Protoss and Kerrigan the... whatever she is this time... feel about each other. And baby, it's ON!

Starcraft II comes out... when it's done. Sometime in 2010. Hopefully.

PS3 Slim News, Upcoming Releases, and more Old-School Gaming - Press Pause

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:32:26 -0700

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	1. New PS3 Slim New PS3 Slim announced as well as a price cut (and for older versions of PS3's) to $299. The fan is said to be not as loud, and it has a new surface (said to be for more casual gamers? We're not sure how that makes sense).
	2. New Releases - Our Picks * Metroid Prime Trilogy * Fallout 3 - Broken Steel and Point Lookout * Batman Arkham Asylum
	3. Earthbound Earthbound, mentioned on the show, is one of the coolest old school RPG's out there. If you have never played it - go find a copy on amazon or ebay (or other 'digital' way) and experience this odd little gem.

Your homework this week:

Tweet us a micro review of your MOST favorite old-school game. SNES and earlier only. @presspauseshow

BONUS GOODS:

Follow more Tech and Games Updates and Articles at our TECH BLOG

Press Pause Special Offers:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

God of War III E3 '09 Trailer

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:16:40 -0700

Rosy-fingered dawn spreads her rays upon Olympus. Kratos, now reformed, strolls through a flowered meadow, fauns and nymphs gamboling about his legs.

Nahhh, that'd be a crappy trailer.

How about this one instead. It's full of all the wing-ripping, eye-gouging, blood-spraying goodness we've come to expect from everyone's favorite Spartan. Just the way we like it.

This Week's New Releases, Really Crappy Old-School Games, and a Special Guest - PRESS PAUSE

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:43:32 -0700

Free MMO Roundup, This Weeks Releases, and more - Press Pause

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:22:05 -0700

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	1. Runes of Magic Some people say this game is just a World of Warcraft clone. I say it's a FREE World of Warcraft clone. All the questing goodness without the $15/month aftertaste.
	2. Dungeon Runners There are dungeons. You run in them. Hijinks ensue. Wacky, wacky hijinks.
	3. Puppet Guardian The Celestial Castle. Within its towers, dark memories reside. Roll the dice and wander, but take care. It's dangerous to go alone.

Shouldst thou desirest more gallant yet economical gaming delights, hie thee to freemmogamer.com . This worthy and exhaustive site has, like, hundreds of 'em.Scads. Oodles.

Your homework this week:

Tweet us a micro review of your LEAST favorite old-school game. SNES and earlier only. @presspauseshow

BONUS GOODS:

Follow more Tech and Games Updates and Articles at our TECH BLOG

Press Pause Special Offers:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

Xbox 360 Roundup - Madden NFL '10, Splosion Man, Madballs, and Tour de France - PRESS PAUSE

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:22:31 -0700

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1.Splosion Man

Take a trip down memory lane with this old school feeling platformer in which you explode (or 'splode') to beat enemies and traverse the level.

Website

BONUS GOODS:

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Press Pause Special Offers:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

Cube Discussion - Press Pause Segment

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:19:35 -0700

Karsten and Carlos talk about the upcoming Press Pause show and Lance Armstrong and Saints Row 2...in a cubicle.

BONUS GOODS:

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Bioshock, Lost Planet, and Just Cause - Look Back

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:26:43 -0700

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	1.Bioshock Set in an alternate history 1960, the game places the player in the role of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. The game incorporates elements found in role-playing and survival horror games Buy at Gamestop
	2. Just Cause The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, with a large, open environment to move around in. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, swimming, and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand to hand combat. Players can take control of a variety of vehicles, including cars, boats, airplanes, helicopters, and motorcycles. Buy at Gamestop
	3. Lost Planet Lost Planet takes place in the year known in the game as T.C. -80 on the fictional planet of E.D.N III. The story revolves around Wayne Holden, a "snow pirate" who attempts to overthrow NEVEC (who have taken control over E.D.N. III) and help colonization efforts by defeating the Akrid race. Buy at Gamestop

BONUS GOODS:

Follow more Tech and Games Updates and Articles at our TECH BLOG

Press Pause Special Offers:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

Games Of Chance: Pile Up - Press Pause Special

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:59:58 -0700

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1.Pile Up

Addictive game of chance that could very well be 'rigged'. Won't stop you from borrowing money to keep playing though.

BONUS GOODS:

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Press Pause Special Offers:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

Indie Game Review - Little Wheel, Scarygirl, and Useboxmen

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:57:12 -0700

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Watch what you missed on our Live USTREAM HERE

Check back next week - Thursday 1pm PST to be on the live show

1.Scarygirl

A very cool and artistic, psychnauts looking, game that is free to play and flash based.

Website

BONUS GOODS:

Follow more Tech and Games Updates and Articles at our TECH BLOG

Press Pause Special Offers:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

Red Faction: Guerilla, X-Blades, and Fight Night Round 4 Xbox demos with Nick the Dude - Press Pause

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:34:25 -0700

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Watch what you missed on our Live USTREAM HERE

Check back next week - Thursday 1pm PST to be on the live show

1.Red Faction - Guerrilla

This open world third person shooter is our pick of the showA suprise to us all I think would be that Red Faction (the semi-forgotten First-Person Shooter) has resurfaced as GTA on Mars. But it is FUN.

Buy at GameStop

MEVIO TECH OFFERS:

If you like video games like us you probably like really cool tech gadgets as well - so go over and check out brookstone.com

With our code SHOWPP you get yourself 10% off any order!

First Impressions - Prototype - Press Pause

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:41:39 -0700

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1.Prototype - 1st Impression

Prototype is a new game out for the Xbox 360 and it mixes GTA with Spiderman and Crackdown to produce a fun, albeit destructive, romp through the streets of NYC.

Buy at GameStop

If YOU want to get some free songs and a 14 day free trial, you know..to have some tunes to blast while you destroy monsters in NYC, check out eMusic.com

With out code emusic.com/pause you get yourself a 14 day free trial with 35 free songs! See...we here at Press Pause hook you up with deals as well as give you rad video game programming.

XBOX Game Demos with Nick the Dude - Press Pause

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:01:51 -0700

News Roundup - Press Pause

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:47:10 -0700

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	1.High End PC Graphics Does anyone care about PC graphics and the new AMD and Invidia Cards coming out? With consoles becoming such a big part of the gaming landscape is the way of the slightly improved PC graphics on the downslope? Website
	2. Heavy Rain In Alpha Even though everyone is excited for Heavy Rain for PS3 developers Quantum Dreams says the game is onlye in Alpha. Late 2010 release? Will we all still care by then? Website
	3. 17-Year Old Opens Game Store Kudos to this youngster who took hardship and turned it into success and helped build up community. Website
	4. Main Drag Music Video A band (Main Drag) that came out of the Harmonics group has a rad new music video that riffs off Calvin and Hobbes. Check it out. Website

Video Game Website Roundup - Press Pause

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:33:48 -0700

On today's show we look at some video game websites we think are important

and that should be part of your bookmarks, if you're a gamer.

On today's show we mentioned quite a heck of a lot of websites that have to with gaming and games. There are still some great sites we didn't mention on the show and we included them in the link list below.

We obviously are gonna miss some amazing sites we know, and we didn't mention the many great audio podcasts out there (such as eat, sleep, game and geekbox, good grief on 1up, listen up, etc) - but this is more of a starter set of sites.

Oh and here's the link to the video we mentioned of Jimmy Fallon playing Project Natal .

List (in no particular order):

1. Kotaku

2. Destructoid

3. Joystiq

4. Gamefaqs

5. Giant Bomb

6. 1up.com

7. Broken Pixels

8. The Irate Gamer

9. Zero Puncuation

10. CO-OP

11. Game Trailers

12. Ctrl Aly Delete

13. Penny Arcade

14. Overclocked Remix

15. 8bit Peoples

16. Gamesweasel

17. IGN

18. Gamespy

19. UGO

20. Gamefly

21. Gametap

E3 Roundtable Discussion - Press Pause

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:02:42 -0700

Here is the newest episode of Press Pause. This week we are discussing E3 and our opinions on some of the announcements from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

E3 2009 Highlights:

Microsoft:

The Xbox Live Video Marketplace will get an upgrade to 1080P HD Streaming.
The interface will soon incorporate Facebook and Twitter integration.
Microsoft introduced their motion control scheme. It is called Project Natal, and creates a completely controller free experience. There is a motion capture camera that does full one-to-one movement. You will also use it to go through menus.
Announce to go along with this is Milo. It is a virtual AI character that you will interact with through the Natal interface. It will recognize your face, and voice, and you will be able to interact with it as if it were real.
After a very long absence, Alan Wake was shown, and it looks like it is finally getting close to release. Although the date for release is still sometime next year.
Valve managed to shock and surprise everyone involved when they announced a sequel to Left 4 Dead that will release later this year.
And finally, Microsoft managed to get another feather for it's cap with the announcement of a Metal Gear game. The title, Metal Gear Solid: Rising will feature Raiden, and will also be release for PS3.

Sony:

Sony also demoed a motion controller, and while it could be very good, it will probably fall a far second to the Natal project from Microsoft.
What Sony did have was a lot of software announcements, both known and unknown. To name a few: Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2, Modnation Racers, A new game from Rockstar North called Agent.
To add to that was the surprise announcement of of Final Fantasy XIV, which will be an online only title like number XI was. So far it has only been announced for PS3 and PC.
Also, the leaked video from last week turned out to be true, and the latest game from Team Ico was shown, and is now called The Last Guardian.
On the PSP side, there were several announcements, the first being the worst kept secret in E3 history: the PSP Go! It will release in October at a price of $249.
PSP games that were announced were the long awaited Gran Turismo, which will launch with the Go!. Also a new Resident Evil game made especially for PSP, and a new Metal Gear game that will be a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3. The name will be Metal Gear: Peace Walker, and will be set in the 1970's.
And lastly, God of War III was shown in playable form, and was a gory and violent as expected, which should please most of the fanbase.

Nintendo:
Of the three companies, most people were fairly unimpressed with Nintendo's showing this year, even with some pretty big title announcements.

Two new Mario games will be released. The first is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy, appropriately titled Super Mario Galaxy 2. The next is a Wii sized sequel to New Super Mario Bros. which originally was released for the DS. It will feature 4-player cooperative/competetive gameplay.
The only other major announcement was a new Metroid game co-developed with Tecmo's Team Ninja. Called Metroid: Other M, it looks to be an origin story for Samus, but it is hard to tell from the trailer. The one thing that is know is that Samus will finally be given a voice.
Other than this, Nintendo trotted out the WiiMotion Plus and Wii Sports Resort, just like last year. They did add the new Vitality peripheral that is a pulse monitor. Interesting, but not really that exciting.

Moving back to almost 100% of it's former glory, E3 was a major success this year (especially compared to last year). The next year will show just what all three companies will be up to, and we look forward to next year.

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For more great gaming goodness, come back to MEVIO Tech every Friday for another episode of Press Pause.