Blog Feed: Gamerai -- video game news and stories

JAM Live Music Arcade review

Published on 2012-05-25 17:23:00

Music games are not all the rage as they recently used to be, and a lot of them like Guitar Hero and Rock Band (and even older ones like PaRappa the Rapper and Dance Dance Revolution) simply involve passively listening to music and pressing buttons at the right time as indicated on-screen. What makes the recently-released JAM Live Music Arcade stand out from the crowd though, is that it lets you take control of the music by allowing you to remix it freely.In the game’s main staple mode called [..] > read more

Interview with JAM LIve Music Arcade dev Zivix

Published on 2012-05-16 18:18:00

Music gamers are now able to jam out on the just-released JAM Live Music Arcade, a music game for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network developed by Minneapolis-based gaming/tech company Zivix. What sets JLMA apart from other music games is that it lets you remix songs by letting you play and control the guitar, drums, vocals, synth, FX, and a bunch of other musical instruments.Prior to the the game's launch, we interviewed Zivix's vice president Chad Koehler via e-mail to find out more a [..] > read more

Best Buy’s Darksiders II pre-order bonus includes prequel comic

Published on 2012-05-14 18:27:00

(To enlarge images, right-click on them then open in new tab.)Best Buy announced that those who pre-order their Darksiders II "Angel of Death" edition for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 will get a prequel comic of the game from Dark Horse Comics.Penned by Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe, Batman Confidential, Green Arrow and Black Canary) and drawn by Roger Robinson (Azrael, Batman: Arkham City), the Darksiders II: Death’s Door printed comic is set before the upcoming game as Death travels to Earth to [..] > read more

Space Invaders multi-tool for your screwing needs

Published on 2012-05-13 20:47:00

(To enlarge images, right-click on them then open in new tab.)I was browsing the clothing and accessory outlet Urban Outfitters in my local mall earlier today (Happy Mother’s Day!) and I came across this Space Invaders — or rather Space “Intruders” — multi-tool keychain. At $14, it comes complete with a keyring, bottle-opener and not one, but two types of screwdrivers. Because you can never have enough screwdrivers when you’re on-the-move, apparently. [Note: Gamerai's currently w [..] > read more

BioShock Infinite delayed

Published on 2012-05-11 21:34:00

BioShock Infinite was first announced on August 2010, but it wasn’t slated to come out until the next two years in 2012. But earlier this week, Infinite’s creative dirctor Ken Levine announced that the game was going to be delayed … to 2013.Specifically, Infinite will now be released on Feb. 26, 2013 instead of the original date of Oct. 16, 2012, making the agonizing two-year wait turn into a two-and-a-half-year wait. Clearly, the game was revealed way too soon, and this delay is pretty [..] > read more

Assassin’s Creed III’s first gameplay trailer revealed

Published on 2012-05-11 16:08:00

Ubisoft has released the first gameplay trailer for Assassin’s Creed III showing our new assassin hero Connor doing some lovely assassinating. The trailer, which shows pre-alpha gameplay footage, also shows a glimpse of Boston in early America as well as the Battle of Bunker Hill, according to Ubisoft.I have to admit, at first I wasn’t really impressed with the trailer since it all looked too familiar. Plus, the voice actor in the trailer sounds terrible -- can he sound more white and generi [..] > read more

Tetsuya Nomura says it's time for Kingdom Hearts to return to consoles

Published on 2012-05-09 20:23:00

[Note: Gamerai's currently writing for Twisted Junk so this post was republished from Twisted Junk with permission.] The last major, proper Kingdom Hearts game for home consoles was Kingdom Hearts II, which was released on the PlayStation 2 way back in 2005/2006. Ever since then though, all we’ve been getting are KH portable games that, quite frankly, no one really cares about (I know I don’t).So after over half a decade of KH handheld titles, isn’t it about time we saw the series back on [..] > read more

EA: BF 3 has shipped 15 million units, ‘very significant share’ taken from MW 3

Published on 2012-05-09 17:03:00

Electronic Arts recently revealed how many copies of Battlefield 3 its shipped so far, while also praising the game’s accomplishment against Modern Warfare 3.During an earnings call earlier this week, EA said that 15 million copies of BF 3 were shipped to retailers since launch, reports MP1st. The number of units actually sold was not mentioned, but in February, EA said they sold 10 million copies of its military first-person shooter. In comparison, BF 3’s main competitor MW 3 managed to sel [..] > read more

Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse game out this fall

Published on 2012-05-07 15:33:00

[Note: Gamerai's writing for Twisted Junk so this post was republished from Twisted Junk with permission.] It was announced today that a new Family Guy game titled Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse is in the works.Getting released on “gaming consoles” this fall from Twentieth Century Fox and Activision, the aptly-named Back to the Multiverse is inspired by Family Guy’s “Road to the Multiverse” episode which had Brian and Stewie traveling to parallel universes like The Flinstones carto [..] > read more

Company of Heroes 2 invading PCs in 2013

Published on 2012-05-07 14:03:00

[Note: Gamerai's writing for Twisted Junk so this post was republished from Twisted Junk with permission.] The sequel to 2006’s critically-acclaimed Company of Heroes strategy game is in development and will be out in “early” 2013 for the PC, THQ announced today.Being developed by Relic Entertainment, Company of Heroes 2 will take place in World War II, this time on the Eastern Front as players control the Soviet Union to fight off Russia-invading Nazis.The game will utilize Relic’s Es [..] > read more

The Elder Scrolls Online unveiled

Published on 2012-05-03 15:04:00

An Elder Scrolls massively multiplayer online role-playing is coming out titled The Elder Scrolls Online, Game Informer revealed in a tease for their June cover story of the game.TESO takes place 1,000 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as the daedric prince Molag Bal threatens the world of Tamriel where TESO is set (along with other Elder Scrolls games). GI mentions that there will be solo-quests, public dungeons, player-versus-player conflicts, and “three player factions [..] > read more

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 officially revealed with debut trailer

Published on 2012-05-01 20:30:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been officially unveiled and here’s you first look at it.Unlike past Treyarch-developed CoD games, it looks like Black Ops 2 will take place in the future in the year 2025 as mechs, quadrotor attack drones and hover jets are shown in the trailer. Additionally, there’s a glimpse of Los Angeles and horse-riding as well, and the trailer is narrated by an elderly man named Frank Woods who is presumably the main character from Black Ops 1.Black Ops 2 will be rele [..] > read more

Skyrim’s next DLC is Dawnguard

Published on 2012-05-01 13:29:00

Bethesda has just revealed on their blog that the name of their upcoming Skyrim DLC is called “Dawnguard.”No other details are provided, but Bethesda posted a picture of the familiar-looking Dovakiin with glowing eyes (which can be seen above). Dawnguard will be available for the Xbox 360 this “summer,” and more details are said to be revealed at E3.[Note: Gamerai's writing for Twisted Junk so this post was republished from Twisted Junk with permission.] > read more

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed announced

Published on 2012-04-30 14:31:00

Sega characters will once again be racing head-to-head as Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed has been revealed.The racing game, which is a sequel to 2010’s Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, will feature a mash-up of new and returning Sega characters like Sonic, Dr. Eggman, Super Monkey Ball’s AiAi, Golden Axe’s Gilian Thunderhead, and Skies of Arcadia’s Vyse. Like the name of the game suggests, you’ll now be able to drive in transformable vehicles, which will change into cars, boats an [..] > read more

GameTrailers reveals PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

Published on 2012-04-27 02:16:00

That HUUUGE PlayStation 3 exclusive game that GameTrailers has been teasing about this past week is, in fact, SuperBot Entertainment’s PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, as tonight’s GTTV episode revealed.The game, which was first rumored late last year as “Title Fight,” is a Super Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring a cast of characters from Sony’s PlayStation games. Some of the playable fighters include Fat Princess, Kratos, Sly Cooper, Sweet Tooth, Radec (Killzone) and Pa [..] > read more

Adam Sessler quits G4

Published on 2012-04-26 00:28:00

G4′s X-Play host and editor-in-chief of game content Adam Sessler has left the network, reports Kotaku.“Television personality Adam Sessler and TV network G4 are parting ways, with Adam’s last episode as host of G4′s “X-Play” airing on the network today, Wednesday, April 25,” Sessler’s rep told Kotaku yesterday. G4 also confirmed to the gaming blog that "Adam Sessler is no longer with G4."The departure, according to Kotaku’s sources, was due to contractual issues, with split [..] > read more

Robert Bowling forming new game company

Published on 2012-04-24 03:14:00

Robert Bowling, the former creative strategist and community manager of Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward, is creating a new game studio called Robotoki, reports Game Informer.Bowling reveals to GI that the decision to create a new studio came right after leaving IW and its parent company Activision earlier this year. Robotoki, as Bowling explains, will be self-funded, and will be team-focused as it aims to respect its employees, creatively-speaking: Robotoki is focused on being a developer [..] > read more

Skullgirls review

Published on 2012-04-18 20:58:00

With the resurgence of fighting games these past few years, another fighting game has recently entered the ring and is looking to play with the big boys like the Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom series.Enter Skullgirls, a 2D downloadable indie fighter created by the likes of tournament fighting game veteran Mike “Mike Z” Zaimont and artist Alex “o_8” Ahad (Street Fighter Tribute, Darkstalkers Tribute, Scott Pilgrim). Having been crafted by someone who knows a thing or two about fight [..] > read more

Conan O’Brien will be in Halo 4, chats with 343 Industries

Published on 2012-04-18 05:31:00

Conan O’Brien, the red-headed late-night talk show sex symbol and badass, will be in 343 Industries’ upcoming Halo 4, and he recently chatted with the team’s franchise director Frank O’Connor and the awesomely-named executive producer Kiki Wolfkill to discuss his role in the game.Conan will apparently be doing the voice for a super-duper important character in Halo 4, and in the above clip of last night’s Conan episode, Conan discusses his character, possible design concepts for his ch [..] > read more

New Star Trek trailer, concept art

Published on 2012-04-17 13:57:00

A new, dramatic trailer for the upcoming Star Trek game, which is based on J. J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek movie, has just been released after being shown off at last week's Namco Gamer's Day event. Based from the snippets of gameplay in the trailer, I’m getting a Mass Effect vibe from the game, which isn't a bad thing!Star Trek (the game) will be beaming up in early 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Check out the concept art past the break.(To enlarge images, right-click on them the [..] > read more

Skyrim getting Kinect voice support

Published on 2012-04-13 18:03:00

The Skyrim Game Jam, a week-long, post-launch event in which Bethesda developers were allowed to create anything they wanted in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, churned out some amazing concepts. Some of them, like kill cams for magic spells and bow and arrows, have become reality, while other may or may not. Fortunately, though, one of the ideas -- Kinect voice controls -- will actually be implemented in Skyrim, announced Bethesda via their blog.Yes, that means you'll actually be able to unleash th [..] > read more

Skullgirls now available, new launch trailer

Published on 2012-04-11 18:08:00

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Lost Planet 3 unveiled, debut trailer

Published on 2012-04-10 21:32:00

Capcom revealed Lost Planet 3 earlier and the game’s first trailer can be seen above, which shows an armored gun-toting bearded man in a snowy environment fighting off against panther-like creatures on foot and then eventually in a mech.Coming out in 2013 and being developed by Spark Unlimited (Legendary, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty), LP 3 will reportedly be a prequel to LP 1 and it seems like it will be very different than LP 2. Based on Official PlayStation Magazine UK’s preview of the [..] > read more

RE 6 gets new C-Virus trailer, new release date

Published on 2012-04-10 20:24:00

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Skylanders lands on mobile devices

Published on 2012-04-10 17:54:00

A new game in Activision’s Skylanders franchise, which includes games that let your Skylanders action figures come to digital life, has hit Apple’s App Store, as announced in a press release sent today.Developed by Activision-owned Vicarious Visions and available now for 99 cents on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Sylanders Cloud Patrol is an arcade shooter that’s set in a new Skylands region that’s taken over by Portal Master Kaos’ evil minions. Using your sky-ship-commanding Skyland [..] > read more

GTA V out in October, according to Rockstar dev’s CV

Published on 2012-04-09 16:25:00

Rockstar North has been mum on details regarding its upcoming Grand Theft Auto V game, but according to the CV (now removed) and Linkedin page (apparently now edited) of Rockstar’s character animator Alex O’Dwyer, GTA V will be getting released in October of this year, reports Joystiq (via CVG).The release window would fall in line with some of the previous October-released GTA games, however, it was previously speculated that GTA V in particular wouldn’t be released until next year. Looks [..] > read more

Level 1,000 reached in Gotham City Imposters

Published on 2012-04-07 23:15:00

While everyone’s having fun at PAX East except for me [insert sad face], I decided to kill some time tonight by playing the very fun Gotham City Imposters, and lo and behold, I managed to spot a player that was level 1,000 (which I’m assuming is the max level in the game).GCI came out around two months ago, and while that’s like 9,999 years for hardcore gamers, it’s still always staggeringly impressive that there are people out there have that much time and dedication on their hands. If [..] > read more

Skullgirls hitting PSN, XBLA next week

Published on 2012-04-06 12:04:00

Those eager for some girl-on-girl action in the upcoming, beautiful 2D fighting game Skullgirls will be happy to know that the game will hit the PlayStation Network on April 10 in the Americas (it will be "coming soon" for Europe, Australia and New Zealand), while the Xbox Live Arcade will get the game a day later on April 11 for the Americas, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Skullgirls will cost $15 on PSN and 1200 Microsoft Points (or $15) for XBLA. > read more

2012’s biggest upcoming games previewed on Conan

Published on 2012-04-05 09:41:00

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Xenoblade Chronicles spotted on GameFly

Published on 2012-04-03 13:17:00

It looks like GameStop and Nintendo’s online store aren’t the only places you can get your eager hands on the highly-praised Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles, as the game can apparently be rented from GameFly as well. Visiting GameFly’s official website lets you queue up the game, which was originally a Japan-exclusive, but will now see the light of day in North America on April 6. Previously, is was said that XC would only be available from GameStop or Nintendo’s online store. Whatever the [..] > read more

Dark Horse Comics publishing new Portal 2 art book

Published on 2012-04-02 14:43:00

During the recently-wrapped Emerald City Comiccon, Dark Horse Comics announced that a new Portal 2 art book will be released.The Art of Portal 2 will include 184 pages filled with never-before-seen art and concept art like that of the Aperture Science Facility, some Portal characters, and even Chell’s creation. The art book will also offer a glimpse into the design process, in addition to providing insight from the game’s writers and artists.I liked Portal 2's art style, so it's nice to get [..] > read more

Earn 300 Microsoft Points via Xbox Live’s Triple Play promo

Published on 2012-04-02 13:11:00

Microsoft is giving Xbox Live users 300 Microsoft Points, but you’ll have to earn them, of course. While I usually shy away from promotions — mainly because they ask too much from consumers — Xbox Live’s Triple Play offer seems easy enough and pretty rewarding. You can apparently win 300 MSPs if you do any one of the following during the month of April: Gaming Play any Kinect game for at least two hours.Play online multiplayer games for at least 10 hours.Spend at least 800 MSPs on Games [..] > read more

Boy Loves Girl review

Published on 2012-03-31 08:29:00

You are in love with a girl and you must win her heart. How do you do this? You could take her on a date, give her flowers, and show how her how romantic and caring you are … or you could collect smiley faces, stars and animals for her as you run around with a moon tied to a string, all while dodging harmful clouds.As you might’ve guessed from the oddly specific example above, you do the latter in Grubby Hands’ Boy Loves Girl, a 2D side-scrolling 99 cent iOS game that has you dodging and c [..] > read more

JumpStart giveaway update: First one to e-mail me wins free JumpStart membership, contest ends April 11!

Published on 2012-03-28 21:04:00

We're now making it easier to win a free three-month membership to Knowledge Adventure's fantasy, educational-based MMORPG JumpStart. All you have to do is be the first person to e-mail me at PsyphonD@yahoo.com saying you want to win the JumpStart giveaway. Yes, it's that easy!The winner will be announced, so if you're reading this post and there's no winner yet, that means you could be that winner! Make sure you hurry though; the contest will now end on Wednesday, April 11. Good luck! > read more

Rumor: PS4 named Orbis, due out in 2013, features AMD specs and anti-used game system

Published on 2012-03-28 19:28:00

There have been quite a few rumors about Microsoft’s next Xbox (or ”Durango”), but now it’s Sony’s turn as Kotaku today leaked details about Sony’s yet-to-be-revealed PlayStation 3 successor. Citing a “reliable source” who “has shared correct information with us before,“ Kotaku reports that the next PlayStation home console will be released in holiday 2013 and is reportedly called/codenamed “Orbis.” Interestingly, when combining that word with the name of Sony’s newly-r [..] > read more

Samsung’s new Smart TV commerical shows Kinect-like voice and motion controls

Published on 2012-03-27 01:14:00

First we get HDTVs, then Internet/app-compatible HDTVs, and then 3D HDTVs — but it doesn’t stop there. Now we have motion and voice-controllable HDTVs thanks to Samsung’s new Smart TV. Gotta love technology! As seen in the commercial above — which I saw earlier this month, but forgot to post about it until now — the Smart TV includes Kinect-like features, allowing users to control their TV via voice and gestures. You can, for example, navigate through menus with hand motions, or use yo [..] > read more

BioWare is fixing Mass Effect 3’s ending

Published on 2012-03-24 02:41:00

People are upset over Mass Effect 3’s controversial ending, and the game’s developer BioWare has been listening. In fact, they're doing more than just listening: they're actually going to be fixing the issue. In a sincere open letter to ME 3 players earlier this week, BioWare's co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka expressed how much he and his team cared about the issue at hand, while also mourning over the reaction to ME 3’s ending. “As co-founder and GM of BioWare, I’m very proud of the ME3 tea [..] > read more

Get the girl of your dreams in the now-available Boy Loves Girl LITE edition

Published on 2012-03-22 19:14:00

U.K.-based indie game developer Grubby Hands announced that a free version of their love-filled side-scroller Boy Loves Girl is now available to download for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Boy Love Girl LITE includes the first 13 levels of the full 99 cent game where you have to win the love of a girl by collecting items for her like stars, and apparently even gazelle, as you run around holding a string attached to a moon. If capturing the moon alone -- or even a gazelle for that matter -- isn [..] > read more

Mass Effect art, comic book buyers get Mass Effect 3 multiplayer bonus items

Published on 2012-03-15 19:10:00

Those that buy certain Mass Effect art and comic books will receive a code to download in-game items for Mass Effect 3’s co-op mode, BioWare and Dark Horse Comics announced.The “Reinforcement Pack,” which includes character boosters and the Collector Assault Rifle, will be available for the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the already-released ME 3 to those that buy digital copies of either The Art of the Mass Effect Universe art book or mini-comic series Mass Effect: Invasion from Dark Horse D [..] > read more

New XBLA games getting more Gamerscore points, achievement cap raised

Published on 2012-03-12 17:35:00

Achievement hunters: good news. You’ll soon be able to rake in more Gamerscore points from Xbox Live Arcade games.In a post on his blog, Xbox Live’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb said that all new XBLA games will be offering an additional 200 Gamerscore points, as the Gamerscore limit is raised from 200 to 400. This policy change will be required for all new XBLA titles starting in June, but games have the option of adding more Gamerscore points beginning next month.Of course, this news also [..] > read more

JumpStart review

Published on 2012-03-10 22:54:00

(To enlarge image, right-click on it then open in new tab)“Fun” and “education” aren’t exactly words that go hand in hand. A lot of people -- specifically youngsters -- that are still in school will probably agree that education is just not fun (as a student who struggled a lot in school, I know that was the case for me), but Knowledge Adventure takes a stab at the “edutainment” category nonetheless with one of their games titled JumpStart. JumpStart is a casual 3D massively multip [..] > read more

Jump ... Jump ... JumpStart giveaway!

Published on 2012-03-04 16:29:00

(To enlarge image, right-click on it then open in new tab)If you're a parent looking to give your youngster(s) a game that's both kid-friendly and educational, have we have got a treat for you: > read more

Valve’s making a ‘Steam Box’ video game console, says The Verge

Published on 2012-03-03 07:58:00

Valve has recently been talking about the idea of getting into the hardware business, but it may not be all talk after all. > read more

Assassin’s Creed III’s official box art revealed, get ready for Revolutionary War

Published on 2012-03-01 13:06:00

Hot on the heels of Assassin’s Creed III‘s allegedly leaked promotional art comes something more official: > read more

Warriors battle to the grave in new Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat screens

Published on 2012-03-01 02:46:00

Besides fighting arenas, there’s probably nothing more appropriate in a fighting game than a graveyard level, and 345 Games’ and Spike TV’s upcoming Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat looks to have that part covered.One level warriors will be fighting in is the "Graveyard," which can be seen in the game's new screenshots above and past the break. Hopefully, one of the tombstones doesn't have your name on it. (To enlarge images, right-click on them then open in new tab.) > read more