alex

The writing's been on the wall for THQ'sWWE SmackDown! vs. RAW series of wrestling games for some time now, especially after last year's WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2011. Over the years, the gameplay had become stale, the features set got too top-heavy with interesting, but only sometimes enjoyable new modes, and the graphics engine felt stitched together out of too many disparate parts. This issue became even more incandescent after the release of WWE All Stars, an admittedly far more arcade-inspired game that nonetheless brought wrestling games back to their risible roots.

Perhaps sensing a sea change in the wrestling audience's tolerance for the usual rejiggerings of year-to-year releases, THQ made the audacious decision for its 2011 title to change... the title. Now re-monikered WWE '12, the series is also making some other adjustments in the realm of gameplay and design, according to a posted Q&A with longtime series Creative Director, Cory Ledesma.

Echoing the sentiments of most developers tasked with releasing a new product in a series every single year, Ledesma stated he was "pleased" with the overall reception to last year's title, but made it abundantly clear that there were a number of problems with the game. Specifically, the execution of the Road to Wrestlemania mode, and some other bugs and online issues that he felt held the title back.

Among the features and fixes he lists as new to this year's title:

• An all new animation system that allows players to dynamically break up other players' moves mid-animation. He specifically cited John Cena's "Five Knuckle Shuffle" move, which can be interrupted mid-taunt.
• A new submission system, titled "Breaking Point," where players enter into a new minigame to break up submissions, and also can now climb to the ropes to break out of holds.
• Wake-up taunts, a la Randy Orton's fist-slamming taunt, where he dares a laid-out opponent to stand up, and then hits the groggy fellow with his finisher.
• A new version of Road to Wrestlemania, which Ledesma says they "went back to the drawing board a bit" for.

Ledesma cites WWE '12 as a "true series reboot," though didn't offer up too many more details on what that actually entails beyond the info above, and a number of broad statements about "...adding new gameplay systems, completely overhauling gameplay systems and improving current gameplay systems." We do know that both longtime series developer Yuke's and THQ's San Diego studio are co-developing the title, and that Yuke's has been working behind the scenes on this new animation technology for a couple of years now.

We'll be sure to try and check out WWE '12 and its new gameplay systems, overhauled gameplay systems, and improved current gameplay systems at E3 next week, where a build of the game featuring four playable wrestlers will be shown. Based on the screenshots below, we're guessing Randy Orton and The Miz will be among the four.

Gallery

When a countdown on Carmageddon.com began ticking away to June 1st, we were pretty sure that it would usher some new game in the long-dormant Carmageddon car combat franchise into the world. After all, the site was called Carmageddon.com. Still, after learning that the site domain was errantly listed as owned by Square Enix Europe (owners of original Carmageddon publisher, SCi), all sorts of possibly scenarios began to percolate. Had some new benefactor purchased the rights to the Carmageddon name from Squeenix Europe? Was Square Enix really behind this, and just deflecting? Was this all a ploy by some European Audi dealership to promote a big summer sale?

Today, we found out as Carmageddon: Reincarnation, a downloadable title from original series developer Stainless Games, was revealed as the title behind the countdown. Stainless reacquired the rights to the series and recently began work on the new title, which it hopes to release in 2012. The press release states that the title is still fairly early in development, and that Stainless is "actively seeking a partner with whom to move the project on to full production."

On the subject of what players could expect from Reincarnation, Stainless co-founder Patrick Buckland clarified that players would not be experiencing a meditation on life and rebirth through the eyes of series veteran Max Damage, as he takes a transcendent journey through time and space in a variety of new forms, both physical and spiritual, but rather will just be driving around killing people and laughing about it like usual.

"Carmageddon: Reincarnation will feature the same black humour and comic violence that made the original game such a success." said Neil Barnden, Executive Director and Stainless co-founder. "All the laughs, the crazy power-ups, and extreme destruction will return. We will make sure the existing fans get what they want and expect from a Carmageddon game, and a new generation discovers the delights of sliding into a Cunning Stunt."

No platforms have thus far been announced, but Stainless has had multiple successes developing titles for the Xbox Live Marketplace in the past. At the very least, an XBLA version would seem likely.

@LoktarOgar: No, the pass saves you $2 on each case.

As I've been sternly interrogating and periodically shooting my way through L.A. Noire, I have often wondered when we might start seeing DLC content for the game pop up. For as long as those cases can be, some feel rather fleeting, almost begging you to prolong the investigation just a bit in the hopes of keeping the experience going. Plus, hey, I bought the PS3 version--I want my exclusive bonus case, dammit.

I, and other PS3 users will have to wait a bit longer to start downloading all willy-nilly, but for those who are playing the Xbox 360 version of L.A. Noire, Rockstar and Team Bondi today released the first two downloadable cases: "The Naked City." a Vice case, and the traffic case, "A Slip of the Tongue."

Both of these cases can be downloaded piecemeal for 320 Microsoft Bucks ($4), or you could opt to pay for the Rockstar Pass, which as of now goes for $10 (800 Microsoft Points), though will eventually go up to $12 in June. Buying the pass pre-orders all the scheduled downloadable content through mid-July, and will actually save you 50% in total purchase pricing, provided you plan to get them all.

Two more cases are scheduled to hit in June and July. "Nicholson Electroplating Disaster," which those who pre-ordered through Best Buy may already have, will hit on June 21st. "Reefer Madness," which is officially my new favorite case before I've even played it, drops on July 12th.

Additional content available today includes the "Broderick" and "Sharpshooter" suit/gun combos, for $1 and $2 respectively, the "Badge Pursuit" challenge (again, $2) and the Chicago Piano machine gun, which is a free unlock for the Rockstar community.

How many of you armchair gumshoes out there plan to grab all this stuff?

I think most of us can agree that light gun games are effectively dead in this day and age. So it was with some delighted surprise that I found myself rather enjoying House of the Dead: OVERKILL when it dropped for the Wii back in 2009. Sure, all Sega and developer Headstrong Games did was add copious amounts of cursing and some weird Grindhouse-y visual filters to the tired-ass House of the Dead formula, but hey, I like Grindhouse, and I like cursing. Sue me.

Happy news for anybody who doesn't own a Wii and would like to partake in this filth-laden cheese-fest themselves, as Sega today announced an Extended Cut edition of OVERKILL that's headed exclusively to the PlayStation 3 this October 25th in North America, and October 28th in Europe.

The director's cut includes two new scenarios in addition to the seven original ones featured in the Wii version, as well as all the usual PS3-related what have you, like HD-upgraded visuals, 3D support, and (obviously) Move support. Because how else are you going to play a light gun game on the PS3, right?

Be sure to watch our old Quick Look of the Wii version if you're interested in seeing what kind of action might be in store for you. Just try to pretend the visuals are in HD and 3D, and that Jeff and Ryan actually enjoyed themselves.

While North America and Europe have had partially restored PlayStation Network connectivity for a (relatively) solid couple of weeks now, Asian PS3 owners have been sitting idly by, waiting for news of some kind of restoration plan. Now that news is here, and it's mostly good... I think.

Similar to how things relaunched in other territories, several Asian countries, including Japan and Taiwan, will be able to connect to PSN starting tomorrow. Players will be able to play games online, sign in to change login/password info, and, thank the heavens, access to PlayStation Home.

The only territories still sitting on the sidelines will be Korea and Hong Kong, which Sony promises will be restored "as soon as ready."

Also like the rest of the world, Asian countries will be forced to wait a little longer for the PlayStation Store to pop back up, but when it does, they'll have their own unique set of "Welcome Back" freebies to choose from. Asian players will be able to download two of the following PS3 titles:

• The Last Guy
• LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
• echochrome
• WipEout HD
• Hustler King

PSP owners can download two of the following titles as well:

• Yuhshanokuseninamaikida or2 PSP® the Best (What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2)
• Everybody’s Stress Buster
• PATAPON2 PSP® the Best
• LittleBigPlanet Portable
• LocoRoco -Midnight Carnival-

Customers will additionally receive 30 free days of PlayStation Plus, some free selected movie rentals, a month-long free membership to Weekly Toro Station, and their own "special personal space" in Home, which will be detailed later.

No word yet on the restoration of the PlayStation Store, but Sony does have more maintenance scheduled for next week. Just a reminder that next week marks the May 31st deadline that various people have alternately said was and wasn't Sony's official cut-off for getting all PSN services restored. I'm not holding my breath, but is anyone out there banking on everything being back at full capacity by next week?

At least once or twice a week, a press release falls into my inbox that involuntarily forces me to make that comically confused puppy face. You know, the one where your head cocks to the side violently, your mouth twists into a kind of half-smirk, half-frown, and your brow furrows into an almost painful scrunch, all out of sheer, unadulterated bewilderment?

I had that reaction today when I read Majesco's press release announcement of Hulk Hogan's Main Event, a wrestling game of sorts created exclusively for Kinect. Panic Button LLC., the makers of such fine casual products as Attack of the Movies 3D, and Go Play Lumberjacks, is developing the title.

So what does a Kinect wrestling game entail? I... don't really know...

I've read this press release a half-dozen times now, and its description of a game in which players "train with mentor Hulk Hogan as they build their own wrestling personalities and learn the art of showmanship to win over the crowd" still doesn't quite compute. The release then goes on to describe learning more than "30 punishing combos" and how the Kinect sensor will track "players’ every move; the more dynamic the motion, the more high impact the wrestler’s performance is." It also mentions things like a dynamic wrestler creation mode and different weapons you can wield, but nowhere does it explain what any ofthis means.

Hulk Hogan, for his part, was no help at all.

“Listen up, people! You will feel the power of Hulkamania when you step into this game,” said Hulk Hogan. “Whether you are taking the damage or selling the pain, this game will let you unleash your inner wrestler as you hype up the crowd while putting the hurt on anyone that stands in your way!”

Ack! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! How does any of this work? Will I be clotheslining at empty air? Am I going to be leg-dropping my coffee table? Should I go out and buy one of those old WWF Wrestling Buddies? Without images or video, and only this barely existent website for context, I'm grasping at straws here, people. I guess we'll find out more at E3? Probably?

As a final aside, this press release might contain my favorite useless, barely-contextual quote from a guy in a suit in a good long while.

Hulk Hogan’s longtime marketing agent, Darren Prince, CEO of Prince Marketing Group, said “When we started discussions with Majesco on the format of this game we knew it was a perfect fit for Hulk’s global brand.”

That's it. That's the entire quote. Cool story, bro?

If you're anything like the men of Giant Bomb, collecting all those scattered pre-order bonus costumes for Mortal Kombat was, to you, a calling second to none. Jeff and Ryan, in particular, got into a particularly heated competition to try and earn my unused Scorpion code. Jeff frequently tried to entice me with promises of free shitty PSP RPGs that happened to be sitting on his desk. Ryan took me to a Go! Team show. I think we know who won out on that one--though to be truthful, I ended up keeping the code for myself. Ain't I a stinker?

All that bartering and begging ultimately was pointless in the end, as series honcho Ed Boon let it be known via his Twitter feed yesterday that the first DLC pack for MK would be a collec--erm, sorry, kollection of all seven klassic kostumes--for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Ermac, Jade, Mileena, and Kitana--and the accompanying klassic fatalities--for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile--would be bundled together into a single DLC pack. No pricing or release date has been announced for the pack just yet, though a trailer for the DLC is expected to drop tomorrow.

Boon likes to tease his Twitter followers with questions about what charact--okay, fine, "kharacters" fans would like to see as future DLC. Blind fighter Kenshi and a new female character named Skarlet are still slated to be the first ones released--with Skarlet apparently coming first--but Boon promises many more waves of additional kontent down the road. So don't worry if you're holding out for an updated version of Rain to fill out the last remaining color of the ninja rainbow, or just really want to play as Meat for some reason. Your day may yet come.

David O. Russell's tenure as potential director for Sony's film adaptation of its hit Uncharted game franchise has been fraught with highs and lows. Fans seemed to find his selection curious, though generally welcome, given his pedigree as a filmmaker. Then, he made the mistake of telling everyone what the movie he was going to make actually was.

His vision of a "family-based drama" featuring Mark Wahlberg as hero Nathan Drake, and his family of rare artifact dealers--including, of all people, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci--didn't exactly jive with what fans were looking for. Plus, there's his tempestuous personality to account for. Hiring the man who famously turned the seemingly unflappable George Clooney into a face-punching lunatic, and felt it necessary to call Lily Tomlin, of all people, a c-word that refers to a woman's lady parts, didn't exactly seem like a formula for getting a movie made in a calm and orderly fashion.

Those suspicions were heightened when he reportedly backed out of the project last year, but then in October he opted to sign on to write and direct the Uncharted film of his, and nobody else's, desire. Until today, that is.

Indeed, Russell is once again out as Uncharted's director. Current reports suggest he may have avoided getting into any verbal and/or physical brawls with those involved in the movie, and just found another project he'd rather work on. Supposedly, he'll be working on a film called The Silver Linings Playbook, and also may be taking star Mark Wahlberg with him for this one, which would leave the role of Nathan Drake open for the taking.

Now seems like a great time to start up your letter-writing campaign for Nathan Fillion again. Or hey, why not really throw everyone for a loop and actually cast Nolan North? I feel like he's earned it, at this point.

Parents instinctively want to celebrate every little thing that pops out of their child, no matter how mundane it might be. That's understandable. It's your offspring, a tiny human representation of all your hopes and dreams for the future. When your kid screams out something about how a bear is a turtle and the mailman looks like farts, that is undeniably the most hilariously creative thing you have ever heard. Undoubtedly, many others will find it hilarious, too. Most would be content to simply film their kids saying and doing absurd things and post them on YouTube. Once in a while, however, someone takes things a step further, and actually puts their child's innocent nonsense to great, creative use.

One such case is Untold Entertainment founder Ryan Henson Creighton. Untold makes a lot of Flash games, some of which you've likely clicked on at some point over the course of your life--possibly on purpose. Ryan has a daughter named Cassie, a precocious, energetic little girl who has an active interest in her father's line of work. When Ryan suggested she come along with him to The Toronto Game Jam--a festival of developers making games over the course of a single weekend--she greeted the opportunity not with the usual scrunchy face a kid might give at the prospect of hanging out with their dad all weekend, but one of pure excitement. So much so, that dad had to have a little talk with her before the event:

Me: Remember, you’re the first little girl who’s ever made a game at TOJam. And everyone’s worried you’re going to run around screaming and making noise and wrecking things.

Cassie: (shocked face) No i won’t!

Me: *i* know you won’t. (totally lying here – i was as nervous about it as anyone) But you have to prove to everyone that little girls can make video games too. If you’re very well behaved, then next year if another little girl wants to come and make a game, the TOJam people will say “the little girl who made a game last year was SO wonderful, we’d LOVE to see more little girls making games.”

Cassie: i’ll be have. i will!

The resulting game closely resembles the child-written comic book Axe Cop, as seen through the dual lenses of My Little Pony and Pokemon. Titled Sissy's Magical Ponycorn Adventure, this Flash-based game operates in the vein of classic point-and-click adventures, but with the added bonus of hand-drawn art and voice work from little Cassie herself.

All programming and animation was, of course, Ryan's work, but all of the drawings are the result of many hours of drawing by Cassie. The imagery is exactly as bananas as you'd expect the art of a five-year-old to be, and that's half the game's charm. The other half is the voice work. Cassie voices Sissy, a girl who friggin' loves ponycorns--which are, like, the best thing in the world because they're like ponies AND unicorns--and wants to collect them in jars. Ryan clearly has a great deal of fun voicing the remaining characters, which include an angry dinosaur, a dickish lemon, and a mysterious ponycorn benefactor known only as "Orangeboy."

Of course the game is incredibly simple and short. It's a project sprung from the unchecked imagination of a five-year-old, after all. But that's what makes it so great. Every aspect of Ponycorn Adventure exists in that spectrum of imaginary loopiness that most of us stop being able to see once we become teenagers and incorrectly learn from our peers that imagination is for stupid babies who cry all the time. Every phrase uttered by Cassie shoots out of her mouth like it's the most exciting thing in the world, and that energy is incredibly infectious.

I don't want to herald this game as more than it is, mind you. It's something that will take you a short few minutes of your day to play, and you won't find yourself thinking much while you do it. That said, in the few minutes I spent playing it, the smile on my face never went away. As a game, it's an adorable trifle, but as an example of a father empowering his child's imagination and showing her how hard work can pay off in the end, it's simply priceless.

If you find yourself having a similar reaction as I did and want to make some kind of contribution for Creighton's effort, you can opt to click through the ad that plays before the game (maybe not the unfortunate one for TNT's The Glades, which features the tagline "Murder is Back in Season"), or send a couple of bucks via Paypal to an account he's set up. All proceeds will go toward Cassie's education fund. He's currently raised over $1,000, which is apparently enough to buy "500 fake moustaches, which she'll use in her campus-wide protest against perceived gender imbalance in comp sci admissions."

Photo taken from Untold Entertainment's Official Blog