PlayStation Pulls a SUPER SMASH BROTHERS; Announces PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 27th, 2012 at 7:42 am

In 1999, gamers were given the opportunity to see who would win in a fight between their favorite Nintendo characters in Super Smash Brothers.  The series has gone on to become one of the gaming company’s most popular and lucrative franchises, and I was a bit surprised that no one else wanted a taste of the formula.  13 years later, Sony PlayStation has finally stepped into the ring to release their own exclusive character fighting game: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.  According to Joystiq, the company has decided to clone the mechanics of both Smash Brothers and the fighting game Power Stone.

Hit the jump for more including the first footage from the game:

Video Game Deal: MASS EFFECT 3 for $29.99 (50% Off)

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 24th, 2012 at 8:32 am

Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the Day is Mass Effect 3 for $29.99 (50%) for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.  While Bioware and EA have tried to bill the final installment in the trilogy as a place where newcomers can jump on, that’s stretching it.  Technically, you could start playing at ME3 and the massive Codex would fill in the backstory, but that’s not as much fun as playing the backstory.  The half-off is great because it gives newcomers the opportunity to save $30 bucks on picking up the whole trilogy, so today you could pay $66 on Amazon for all three Xbox 360 games (PlayStation 3 doesn’t have the first Mass Effect).  Despite the highly controversial ending of Mass Effect 3, the Mass Effect series is a high-water mark in gaming, and not to be missed.

Click here to go buy Mass Effect 3 for $29.99, and hit the jump for the game’s trailer.  [Note: Collider earns a small referral fee when our readers purchase something on Amazon through one of our links. The money generated helps pay our staff and keep the site running. Thank you for reading and supporting Collider.]

Trailer for BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY Game of the Year Edition; Harley Quinn Story DLC Officially Announced

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 23rd, 2012 at 8:44 am

Batman: Arkham City was one of my favorite games last year (the only two I liked more were Portal 2 and Bastion), but I was a bit let down by the DLC.  The combat is fun, but I didn’t have much interest in playing arena levels with Robin or Nightwing.  It’s one of those things where you can master it and move up a leaderboard, but at the end of the day, you’ve just put a lot of work into becoming good at a video game.  However, if you’ve been holding off on pulling the trigger for the original game, the upcoming “Game of the Year” Edition will include all of the DLC released thus far along with the new “Harley Quinn’s Revenge” story DLC, which had been recently teased by the Arkham City twitter feed.  I love Harley, and after having played the hero with Batman, the mostly heroic Catwoman, I’m eager to play a straight-up villain.

If you already own Arkham City, “Harley Quinn’s Revenge” will be available for purchase on April 30th.  Batman: Arkham City “Game of the Year” edition will hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 29th.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

New STAR TREK Video Game Trailer and Concept Art

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: April 17th, 2012 at 11:35 am

While I usually hate video game tie-ins, everything I’ve seen and learned about the upcoming Star Trek video game makes me believe it’s something special.  Not only does the game look cool, but executive producer and screenwriter Roberto Orci says it will function as canon.  Orci says, “It’s going to be a story that fits into our movies, and fits into between the first two movies.  We would not allow a game to go out if it was not somehow a part of the continuity.”  I’m assuming “we” means co-writers Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, and director J.J. Abrams.

While news about the Star Trek video game has been quiet the past year, last week Paramount Pictures showed off a new trailer at Namco’s Gamer’s Day and they’ve now sent it over so everyone can check it out.  They’ve also sent over a few new pieces of concept art.  If you’re a Star Trek fan and dig video games, after watching the trailer you’ll be sold.

New English-Language Trailer for NI NO KUNI; US Release Delayed until 2013

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 13th, 2012 at 7:46 am

Studio Ghibli and Level-5′s video game Ni No Kuni was one of my most-anticipated games of 2012.  Now it will have to be one of my most-anticipated games of 2013.  The PlayStation 3 game has already been released in Japan, and it was originally schedule to be released in the US this spring.  Then this spring turned into this winter.  Now this winter has turned into early 2013.  I’m not sure why there’s such a long delay, but it looks like we’ll have to tough it out and wait even longer for this gorgeous-looking RPG.

Adding insult to injury, a new English-language trailer has gone online, and it makes the game look even more spectacular.  Studio Ghibli’s wonderful storytelling seems to have easily made the transition to the gaming world, and so here’s hoping that Level-5 has delivered on the gameplay side.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Then remember you either have to wait almost a year to play the game.

Launch Trailer for MASS EFFECT 3

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 2nd, 2012 at 10:44 am

I criticized the last Mass Effect 3 trailer for forgetting what sets Mass Effect 3 apart from other sci-fi games is that it builds a universe where humans must cooperate with alien races.  While the attack on Earth is the launching point, the final installment in the trilogy focuses on Commander Shepard rallying the galaxy to bring down the reapers and save what’s left of our planet.  Bioware has now released the official launch trailer and it shows what Mass Effect 3 is truly about.  There’s a bit of re-tread for those who played the demo, but most of the trailer is new stuff and all of it looks incredible.  March 6th needs to get here sooner.

Hit the jump to check out the launch trailer.  Mass Effect 3 will be available this Tuesday on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

New Trailer for MASS EFFECT 3 Forgets What Makes MASS EFFECT Special

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 21st, 2012 at 10:15 am

I’m counting down the days until Mass Effect 3 hits stores and then playing the hell out of it.  What makes the Mass Effect series stand out is how it builds a big, sprawling space opera, and you realize that there are whole galaxies and non-human races that have their own conflicts.  The big selling point of Mass Effect 3 is that Earth is now under attack, and the plot has the series’ hero, Shepard, on a mission to rally the universe to defend against the attack from the malevolent Reapers.  Sadly, this new trailer decides to go ful-on Michael Bay, and make an ad for a game that could easily be Halo, Resistance, or Gears of War, but with different-looking aliens.  Where’s Garrus?  Where’s Wrex?  Where’s Mordin?  Not to be found here.  But there is a shot of a falling building that could have been taken directly from a Transformers movie.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  For comparison, I’ve also included the far superior “Reinstated” trailer, which features the female Shepard.  Mass Effect 3 hits Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on March 6th.

Press Start, Bitch: Check out This BREAKING BAD 16-Bit RPG

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 2:28 pm

If we get ultra-violent video games and shovelware TV and movie tie-ins, is it too much to ask that we combine the two (without the crap, rushed video game programming)?  College Humor came up with a nice alternate universe where we still made 16-bit RPGs and then tied one to Breaking Bad.  It’s not only fun, but a great way to sum up every season!  If you’re opposed to any kind of Breaking Bad parody, you should A) lighten up; and B) remember that the show has a sense of humor.  It’s a ridiculously dark sense of humor, but that’s part of what makes the show so amazing.

Hit the jump to check out Breaking Bad in 16-bit RPG form.

Video Game Trailers for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON, BIOSHOCK INFINITE, MASS EFFECT 3, and More

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 12th, 2011 at 1:34 pm

This weekend Spike TV aired the 2011 Video Game Awards, and like previous years, the VGAs were used to provide plenty of trailers for upcoming games.  This year, debut trailers were released for The Last of Us (a zombie game from Naughty Dog, the creators of Uncharted), Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD, Alan Wake: American Nightmare, Fortnite (the new game from Gears of War studio Epic Games), Rainbow Six: Patriots, Command & Conquer: Generals 2 (from Mass Effect studio BioWare), Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (have any of these games been good?), and The Amazing Spider-Man.  The Spider-Man one is interesting because it’s supposed to be an epilogue to the movie of the same name, but there are also giant subterranean spider robots.  I was under the impression that Marc Webb‘s Spider-Man reboot was supposed to be grittier and more realistic, but then I remembered that a new open-world Spider-Man game was probably in development before Webb’s film.

Hit the jump to check out the debut trailers along with new trailers for Bioshock Infinite, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (I don’t make up the names), Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Hitman: Absolution, Diablo III, and Mass Effect 3.

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 Made $1 Billion in 16 Days

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 12th, 2011 at 8:52 am

It’s no secret that people like video games, but boy do we love a good shooter. Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has crossed the $1 billion mark in a mere 16 days. Yes, $1 billion. This beats the previous record set in 2009 by Avatar, which hit the $1 billion mark in 17 days, solidifying MW3 as the game that everybody is playing. For comparison in the gaming world, it took Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 over two months to hit the $1 billion mark.

It’s important to note that MW3 is available on all platforms and each copy costs $60, with the “Hardened” edition retailing for $100, so that’s considerably more than the average movie ticket price (ie. less people bought MW3 than saw Avatar). However, $1 billion is still an incredibly impressive number and signifies the growing nature of the gamer market. Aiding in MW3’s success is the fact that it appeals to a wide range of gamers and features an extensive multiplayer experience that extends the game’s “I’m not bored with this yet”-ness (though I’ve recently fallen down the rabbit hole that is Skyrim). Hit the jump to read the full press release.

New Preview for Studio Ghibli and Level 5′s Visually Stunning Video Game, NI NO KUNI: WRATH OF THE WHITE WITCH

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 1st, 2011 at 11:44 am

Back in October, we told you about an upcoming PlayStation 3 JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Game) called Ni No Kuni.  The game is notable not only for its gorgeous graphics, but because it comes from the celebrated animation studio, Studio Ghibli.  Studio Ghibli has been home to Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and the rest of Hayao Miyazaki’s filmography.  While he was not personally involved with the game, Ghibli has told other great stories and I hope that Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is one of them.

A new preview for the game has gone online and gives a better idea of what we can expect from Ghibli’s collaboration with game developer Level-5 (Dragon Quest IX).  The story revolves around Oliver, a young boy who is transported to a magical world where he attempts to find his deceased mother.  There doesn’t seem to be anything revolutionary about the gameplay, but sometimes it’s better to do a solid job with something familiar rather than innovate for innovation’s sake (I’m looking at you, every Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy X-2).  Hit the jump to check out the preview.  Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is due out in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2012, but it might get pushed back a little.

Find Out How You Can Use Your Geek Powers for Good by Donating Used DVDs, Video Games, and Comics

by David Lane    Posted: November 23rd, 2011 at 5:30 pm

This Friday will be the start of the heaviest shopping weekend of the year.  People rush to get the best deals they can find and they will find plenty.  Some will upgrade their DVDs to Blu-rays.  Old games will be left on the shelf as gamers go for the new releases.  The stack of old trade paperback comics will grow higher as readers opt for the latest collections or go for digital versions.  So what happens to the old DVDs, video games, and comic books?  Usually, they’ll be forgotten, sold on eBay, or traded in for store credit.  But this is a time of year where we should not only give to our friends and family, but to those who would greatly appreciate the entertainment we no longer use.

As a volunteer working in the Family Library at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, I can tell you our selection of movies, video games, and comic books would be cherished more than you can know.  While we treat this entertainment as a fun diversion, to patients and their families it’s a needed comfort and distraction.  Hit the jump for details on how you can donate and help not only children and families this holiday season but for years to come.

SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 14th, 2011 at 8:20 pm

A dildo bat does not a great video game make.  Video game developer Volition landed a cult hit with Saints Row 2.  Rather than try to emulate the dark-and-gritty nature of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Saints Row 2 wisely went in another direction and turned your character into a garish supervillain.  There was a deep level of character customization when it came to your appearance, and the gameplay and design was solid and immersive.  There were glitches (including one that would unforgivably corrupt your saved game), and the controls and driving needed to be tightened, but it played well enough.  More importantly, the game design was terrific and offered a diverse world filled with various landscapes and fun activities like spraying buildings with poop and throwing unruly celebrity hounds into jet engines.

Saints Row: The Third improves the character customization and the controls, but it loses almost everything else in a major step backwards for the franchise.

ASSASSIN’S CREED Deal Terms May Neutralize the Project

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 3:57 pm

When we reported that Sony Pictures had planned to adapt Assassin’s Creed, we told you that “Ubisoft has set the terms of the deal to be a more active participant in the movie’s development.” Mark that as the understatement of the year, because details have emerged suggesting that Ubisoft now exercises an unheard of amount of control over the project. Says one insider: “As a director, even Steven Spielberg cannot get this kind of deal.”

Sony apparently has granted Ubisoft control over the budget, casting, script and release date, in a deal that sets a dangerous precedent. Though, in the history of video game franchises made into movies, there have been more busts than blockbusters. Perhaps Ubisoft and Sony think this is the answer to the problem. Or perhaps Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot threatened the studio execs with a hidden blade. Hit the jump for more details.

First Trailer for GRAND THEFT AUTO V

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 2nd, 2011 at 9:40 am

Rockstar Games has released the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto V.  Unsurprisingly, it’s big on atmosphere and non-existent on gameplay details, and that’s fine for an announcement trailer.  Once again, it looks like the subtext will be about The American Dream, but this time it’s from the perspective of a guy dreaming about going straight and building a good life for his family.  It’s a set-up for a fine story, but that’s not my concern with GTA V.  My concern is game design, which is where Grand Theft Auto IV fell painfully short.  I’m sure folks will rave about the multiplayer, but the single-player experience is a mess. Restarting your mission from your phone is worthless when you have to drive to your objective anyway.  Your friends are a bunch of tough guys who will get pissy if you don’t go bowling with them.  If you have the audacity to fire your gun or get into a minor traffic accident, expect to run from the cops for the next twenty minutes.  I’m sure GTA V will have a large world (this time it’s based on Los Angeles) and a deep story, but will it be fun?

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

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