General Game News

[TTYT]

Duke Nukem Forever and Deus EX: Human Revolution are now up for pre-order on Steam!

Duke: http://store.steampowered.com/app/57900/

Deus Ex - HR: http://store.steampowered.com/app/39170/

Deus Ex - HR Augmented Edition: http://store.steampowered.com/app/901655/

[Steve-O]

Duke Nukem Forever and Deus EX: Human Revolution are now up for pre-order on Steam!

Keep in mind, if you invested the $45 it costs to pre-order Duke Nukem, you would have $137,000 by the time the game actually comes out.

[Scribblesense]

Video Games are now legally recognized as art by the NEA, Roger Ebert told to suck grapes:

http://gaming.icrontic.com/article/nea-video-games-are-an-art-form/

[TTYT]

Got an email from the Duke Nukem First Access Club (if you have Borderlands on Steam, check your CD keys, you probably have a First Access Club code - enter it here) today - they wanted me to re-confirm my platform preference for the demo by May 15th. Methinks the demo is imminent...

[Compound]

Well, some stealth news here-

Yesterday, Direct2drive, one of the larger digital download sites, announced that they had been acquired by game rental place Gamefly. Hmmm. I wonder if some European outlet might snag Gamersgate next.

[SJP]

In anticipation of releasing Skyrim soon, there's going to be a special version of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion released June 28th called the "5th Anniversary Edition," which will have a $10 off coupon for Skyrim included.

Basically, I'm assuming if you have the PC version with all the add-ons, all you'll really get is a nice Steelbook case and maps of the explorable area, but if you have the consoles it may (but not necessarily) mean that they'll fix that damn vampire bug once and for all.

And if the box on Amazon is to be believed, PS3 owners rejoice...the back cover art shown there says it adds trophy support.  If that is, in fact, the official artwork for the box and not some mock-up crap, that's pretty nice.  If they also include Vile Lair and all the other $1.99 apiece silliness (horse armor, anyone?) that everyone else got, that might mean PS3 owners finally don't get the shaft when it comes to Oblivion.  Only took 'em five years, right?   

Now, if Ubisoft gets around to re-releasing Assassin's Creed for the consoles with the Director's Cut edition the PC got with all the attendant bells and whistles, we'll be in business.  And yes, I'm fully aware that it's, like, 3 additional missions or something, but hey, getting to play that again for any reason would be nice.

[TTYT]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG: http://www.sega.com/alienscolonialmarines/

No Predators in sight, it's being developed by Gearbox - and is a "true sequel" to Aliens (in other words, it ignores Alien 3. Whoo!):

http://kotaku.com/5807389/aliens-colonial-marines-a-true-sequel-to-james-camerons-classic-aliens-out-in-2012

[SJP]

Nice.  I'd heard that this had been in limbo for a long time with little hope it'd see the light of day.

One problem, though: considering the colony was, well, sort of NUKED in the second movie when the reactor blew up, wouldn't it be a little hard to go back to it and walk around?  I'm just saying they could've more believably set up shop someplace else and it would've been just as much fun.

[mrbasehart]

Nice.  I'd heard that this had been in limbo for a long time with little hope it'd see the light of day.

One problem, though: considering the colony was, well, sort of NUKED in the second movie when the reactor blew up, wouldn't it be a little hard to go back to it and walk around?  I'm just saying they could've more believably set up shop someplace else and it would've been just as much fun.

Or they could've just done a sort of remake of Aliens.  I think the story for that would provide a great backbone for a game.

[TTYT]

Nice.  I'd heard that this had been in limbo for a long time with little hope it'd see the light of day.

One problem, though: considering the colony was, well, sort of NUKED in the second movie when the reactor blew up, wouldn't it be a little hard to go back to it and walk around?  I'm just saying they could've more believably set up shop someplace else and it would've been just as much fun.

The trailer seemed to imply it takes place on the Sulaco - or at least starts there. Dunno, exactly. Although I'd assume there'd be hazard suits involved if it went back to LV-426.

[Doctor Who?]

Video Games are now legally recognized as art by the NEA, Roger Ebert told to suck grapes:

http://gaming.icrontic.com/article/nea-video-games-are-an-art-form/

Why is everyone always hating on Ebert?

He doesn't think video games are art,so what?

I am not sure if they art are not myself,and I am a die hard gamer.

He still does his job well,I think he is still the second best critic out there.

The way some people act you would think he had murdered their mothers or something.

[SJP]

Video Games are now legally recognized as art by the NEA, Roger Ebert told to suck grapes:

http://gaming.icrontic.com/article/nea-video-games-are-an-art-form/

Why is everyone always hating on Ebert?

He doesn't think video games are art,so what?

I am not sure if they art are not myself,and I am a die hard gamer.

He still does his job well,I think he is still the second best critic out there.

The way some people act you would think he had murdered their mothers or something.

I've got nothing against Ebert...I often don't agree with him (and when we do agree, it's always on the weirdest movies), but the main reason people have a beef with Ebert is that he has gone on record defending movies as art.  People see it as a little odd, then, that he'd say such harsh, negative things about video games, when his own beloved media of choice has gone through roughly the same thing in its lifetime.

To compare, it'd be like Michael Crichton telling people how movie adaptations, especially say, video games to movies, are horrible, pointless things to do, when he made millions on adapting his own books to film for years.

Michael Crichton never did anything of the sort in real life, mind you; I'm just pointing out how Ebert's position seems so odd and confusing considering the business he's in.  Heck, it's almost like a video game murdered HIS mother, when you get right down to it.

[Doctor Who?]

Video Games are now legally recognized as art by the NEA, Roger Ebert told to suck grapes:

http://gaming.icrontic.com/article/nea-video-games-are-an-art-form/

Why is everyone always hating on Ebert?

He doesn't think video games are art,so what?

I am not sure if they art are not myself,and I am a die hard gamer.

He still does his job well,I think he is still the second best critic out there.

The way some people act you would think he had murdered their mothers or something.

I've got nothing against Ebert...I often don't agree with him (and when we do agree, it's always on the weirdest movies), but the main reason people have a beef with Ebert is that he has gone on record defending movies as art.  People see it as a little odd, then, that he'd say such harsh, negative things about video games, when his own beloved media of choice has gone through roughly the same thing in its lifetime.

To compare, it'd be like Michael Crichton telling people how movie adaptations, especially say, video games to movies, are horrible, pointless things to do, when he made millions on adapting his own books to film for years.

Michael Crichton never did anything of the sort in real life, mind you; I'm just pointing out how Ebert's position seems so odd and confusing considering the business he's in.  Heck, it's almost like a video game murdered HIS mother, when you get right down to it.

Look I like games but I will be the first to admit they have not reached anywhere near the level of story telling that films have.  I mean even the best video games feature characters that are barely 2d and plots that if they were films would be Micheal Bay movies.

There has yet to be a video game Citizen Kane or even The King's Speech.  Once games have produced something with that level of character depth and amount to say then you can complain about people saying they are not as good as films until then I do not know what the big deal is. 

He doesn't think they are as good as films he has that right.  It doesn't make him a bad person and I sure don't think he should be personally attacked.

[Edward J Grug III]

Look I like games but I will be the first to admit they have not reached anywhere near the level of story telling that films have. 

But I bet you know the difference between have not and can not, right? Because he claimed can not. And that is dumb.

[Scribblesense]

Video Games are now legally recognized as art by the NEA, Roger Ebert told to suck grapes:

http://gaming.icrontic.com/article/nea-video-games-are-an-art-form/

Why is everyone always hating on Ebert?

He doesn't think video games are art,so what?

I am not sure if they art are not myself,and I am a die hard gamer.

He still does his job well,I think he is still the second best critic out there.

The way some people act you would think he had murdered their mothers or something.

He does his job well, and has made a very good career for himself, I'll give him that.

The problem is people listen to him, even when he is obviously running his ignorant mouth about subjects he himself claims he knows nothing about (re: video games). When he makes claims like that, the thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of people working in the video game industry, who have devoted their careers to making video games, have their work and passion completely invalidated. These people are invested in the industry and moving the industry forward - innovating outwards and upwards to create truly compelling and emotionally involving games.

There's a thing about art - when it's great, the people who have experienced it immediately want to share it. Art unifies people and cultures through shared experiences, and when somebody as high-profile and well-educated as Ebert makes methodically picks apart a medium to conclusively prove it is not art, people are going to listen and it will halt the progress and innovation the video game industry is trying to advance.

The man has never played a video game for more than fifteen minutes. To claim you can know every goddamn thing about a rapidly growing medium through outside observation is just pure arrogance.

Look I like games but I will be the first to admit they have not reached anywhere near the level of story telling that films have.  I mean even the best video games feature characters that are barely 2d and plots that if they were films would be Micheal Bay movies.

There has yet to be a video game Citizen Kane or even The King's Speech.  Once games have produced something with that level of character depth and amount to say then you can complain about people saying they are not as good as films until then I do not know what the big deal is. 

He doesn't think they are as good as films he has that right.  It doesn't make him a bad person and I sure don't think he should be personally attacked.

What's amazing about games is they can tell a story and reveal character without consciously doing either. I got more attached to Yorda, Epona, Leliana and the fucking Companion Cube more than any character in any movie ever. Silent Hill 2 has plot elements more psychologically compelling and disturbing than Black Swan (or at least just as so). And Metal Gear Solid - well, it certainly has tons upon tons to say about everything.

Nobody is above criticism, especially when it's their job to know better and their opinion can be so damaging.