G4 TV - TheFeed

Star Trek Online Deep Space Combat Trailer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:58:00 -0800

As if surviving in the cold, unforgiving vastness of space wasn’t hard enough, now you have to worry about a bunch of jerks photon torpedoing your ship into glowing bits? Well, I guess that’s the price you pay for living in some cool sci-fi future. Check out this new combat trailer for Star Trek Online to find out some of the ways you’ll be dealing spacey death next year.

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Before Serious Sam HD Launches, Watch This New Trailer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:00 -0800

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It's been too long since Croteam dropped a new Serious Sam game. A proper third entry in the "oh my god there are 900 enemies at once" series is in the works, but before moving forward, Croteam went back to the original and came back with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, a remake being released on the PC on November 24. It'll also make an appearance through Xbox Live Arcade sometime next month, but a concrete date hasn't been announced.

Lick Up This Trailer For The New Guitar Hero 5 KISS Track Pack

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:17:00 -0800

Guitar Hero 5 fans can now rock their painted faces off to some brand new tracks from rock legends, KISS. The new track pack includes three tracks (“Modern Day Delilah,” “I Was Made for Loving You,” and “Lick It Up"), and will set you back $1.99/160 Microsoft Points/200 Wii Points per track, or $5.49/440 MSP/550 WP for the pack.

While you wait for the black and white paint to dry on your hands, go ahead and check out the new trailer for the track pack to see what kinds of rock-foolery await you:

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Left 4 Dead 2 Dark Carnival Achievement Walkthrough Video

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:12:00 -0800

If you're looking for a guide to get through Dark Carnival in Left 4 Dead 2, X-Play's Abbie Heppe is ready to take your hand and guide you through the darkness and zombies. Abbie's guide shows you how to earn six achievements on the level for 120G too: Bonus!

Check out the video below: Oh, and of course this is nothing but SPOILERS.

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Madden NFL Arcade "Game Changers" Video

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:53:00 -0800

I've been playing Madden games since John Madden's Vibrating Table Football: 1974, and I love the series, so I was curious about the upcoming downloadable title Madden NFL Arcade. Cautiously curious, actually, because the last thing I thought I wanted from a football game was more "arcade-like" action... but now I'm not sure. Check out the "Game Changers" trailer below:

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Usually, I turn up my sports-sim purist nose at any in-game silliness, but after watching this video, I'm confronting the fact that I might have been wrong for all these years. The game comes out next week on he PSN and Live, so I'm gonna get it, try it, and perhaps have my mind changed for all time.

The Sims 3 Takes On The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:42:00 -0800

I'm currently in line to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon for the third time. But maybe you're not so lucky. Too bad for you, loser. Anyway, if you can't tear yourself away from your computer long enough to see the greatest movie event in history (and yes, that includes Citizen Kane), please enjoy the trailer, re-enacted using The Sims 3.

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Resident Evil 5 Downloadable Content Not Planned For PC Version "At This Point"

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:37:00 -0800

Remember the slate of downloadable content for Resident Evil 5 I wrote about yesterday? In the announcement, Capcom seemed to pretend there wasn't a PC version of Resident Evil 5. That's because the company hasn't scheduled the content to be released for the PC version.

"No plans for PC at this point," said a Capcom spokesperson to me this morning.

Capcom has been a surprisingly strong supporter of the PC platform and digital distribution in the past few years, traditionally releasing PC versions of its high-profile games a few months after the console versions. This year, it happened with both Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV.

If you want the extra content, such as two new single-player episodes, you'll need a console.

Have something to share? Have a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Sony Finally Launches The PlayStation 2...In Brazil

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:33:00 -0800

It might be nine years late, but Sony has finally gotten around to releasing the PlayStation 2…in Brazil…for around $465. Not only is that almost five times the cost of a new PS2 here in the United States, but, as Edge Online reports, the games will cost between $55 and $66.

While I couldn’t be happier for all those Brazilian gamers who will now get the chance to experience some of the greatest games ever made for the first time, that price tag will clearly put the console beyond the reach of many potential purchasers. On the plus side, Brazil’s already thriving piracy business is about to have a fantastic holiday season.

Source: Edge Online

Capcom Revealing Super Street Fighter IV Character Soon...Who Is He/She/It?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:14:00 -0800

In addition to bringing back fan favorites from Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Capcom is padding the lineup to Super Street Fighter IV. According to Capcom's Japanese blog for the game (via Andriasang), another character unveil for the sequel update is coming, though Capcom's obviously keeping quiet on the specifics.

Capcom teased an image with Chun-Li, which you'll see to the right. There doesn't seem to be a clue about who the character is, unless that dark half-circle's meant to suggest...something. They've got me stumped.

Let the guessing begin.

At least it's not a countdown this time.

Source: Andriasang

Rock Band Releasing 1,000th Song: It’s Kelly Clarkson!?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:46:00 -0800

MTV and Harmonix have been touting the insane-in-the-membrane number of downloadable tracks for their Rock Band games since the launch of Rock Band in 1974, and next week, a milestone will be reached: One-thousand songs will be available for the game. The historic thousandth game is <insert drumroll here>… Kelly Clarkson’s “Miss Independent!”

…Wait, what? Since Rock Band tracks are generally released in groups, this week’s DLC includes the 1,000th song, but there isn’t a specific title given the honor, so we’ve arbitrarily bestowed the 1,000th Song Award to Clarkson’s track. Sure, "Miss Independent" is really a Lego Rock Band track, but since the DLC can be played across games, it counts.

If you prefer, the 1000th song could just as easily be one of the live Tom Petty tracks in the Tom Petty live track pack, a P!nk track or the Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed"-- but Kelly Clarkson's is our choice, and we're sticking to it.

You'll be able to download all the below tracks on Tuesday for the 360 and Thursday for the PS3:

Go-Go’s – “Our Lips Are Sealed”
Kelly Clarkson – “Miss Independent”
P!nk – “Who Knew”
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “A Thing About You (live)”
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “American Girl (live)”
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Even the Losers (live)”
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Here Comes My Girl (live)” +
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (live)”
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Refugee (live)”

Ubisoft Not Publishing No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise (Aka No More Heroes HD)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:21:00 -0800

Grasshopper Manufacture made gamers who missed out on the first No More Heroes (or don't own a Wii) happy with the announcement of an upgraded, visually-tweaked No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The original game is going under the high-definition knife and will be released in its native territory in February. There's some bad news, though. Ubisoft confirmed to me it will not be publishing No More Heroes on Xbox 360 and PS3 in the US.

"Ubisoft will not be publishing either of these versions," a company spokesperson told me.

The company did not provide any reasons why they're passing. But just because Ubisoft is passing on the revamped No More Heroes, doesn't mean the HD-enabled versions of Travis Touchdown's first adventure won't show up here, but another publisher will have to step up.

Ubisoft is still behind the franchise, however, as the company will be publishing the sequel on Wii over here. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is scheduled for a January release.

Have something to share? Have a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer Video: "He's A Killer!"

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:57:00 -0800

If you thought the underwater, anti-utopian nightmare that is Rapture was a dangerous and deadly place to live in during the events of BioShock, then wait until you see what went down in the lead up to the city’s collapse in BioShock 2’s multiplayer mode. Just ask the poor sap who gets smashed into frozen pieces in this gameplay video...if you can find his ear that is.

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Dark Void Watchers Trailer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:03:00 -0800

Capcom's upcoming PS3, PC and 360 sci-fi game Dark Void features fearsome enemies called The Watchers. Check them out in the video below:

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The game will be released during the dark retail void after Christmas: It hits on January 12th.

ModNation Racers Hands-On Preview

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

You may or may not be familiar with United Front Games’ racing title ModNation Racers for the PlayStation 3, but after checking out our hands-on preview of this unique and ambitious kart racing game, your engines will be appropriately revved. Here’s a taste of what awaits you on the fully customizable roads of ModNation Racers:

“There are few game genres more timeless than racing. The goal is as self-explanatory as they come: get to first place. One of the greatest barriers for racing games to withstand the test of time is that, sooner or later, the tracks are bound to get old. United Front Studio's ModNation Racers seeks to fix that with its intuitive level editor adding "the deepest customization ever seen in a racer,” according to Dan Sochan, the game's producer.”

Read the full hands-on preview right here.

Mass We Pray Trailer Actually A Dante's Inferno Ad

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:31:00 -0800

Earlier this week, I turned your attention to a trailer for a supposed Wii game called Mass We Pray. In it, players use a cross-shaped Wiimote to perform the Catholic Mass. Well, I was tricked. Fooled. Bamboozled, even.

While I knew the game wasn't real, and said as much about the trailer, I didn't know at the time that it was actually a viral ad for Dante's Inferno. I figured it was some clever web comedians making with the ha-ha jokes. Had I just clicked on the pre-order link on the fake website, all would have been revealed.

I'm joining our nation's Nannies in being angry about this game. While they're mad about the "Bad Nanny" achievement, I'm angry at Dante's Inferno's advertising. I hate being tricked, especially when it means I devote valuable, valuable web space to promoting a game and don't even know I'm doing it.

Wait a minute... I'm still posting about Dante's Inferno right now! Must. End. Post. About. Dante's Inferno....

(Dante's Inferno is out for the PS3, PSP, PC and 360 in February...I'm still doing it!)

Feedback -- Left 4 Dead 2 And Assassin's Creed II Tag-Team Combo Edition

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:56:00 -0800

Everyone's caught up with the holiday releases, right? No one's fallen behind? We've all finished Dragon Age: Origins and are contemplating a second run as an elf? Lies! All lies! But as the last week stocked with the year's biggest releases finally passes us by, the Feedback crew headed into the studio to discuss the latest news of the industry and both Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin's Creed II.

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What you have to look forward to from Adam Sessler, myself, Andrew Pfister and Abbie Heppe:

Activision announced big sales numbers for Modern Warfare 2 ($550 million!), the game was reported to have been banned in Russia (but wasn't) and hackers have already showed up and started adding features Infinity Ward decided to take away (can you say...dedicated servers?).
Pandemic Studios has officially closed its doors, but the brand and its games live on. What does this mean for the future of Mercenaries and Electronic Arts' overall strategy?
Andrew reviewed Assassin's Creed II but Adam's been just as obsessed with Ubisoft's latest sprawling epic, while Abbie and I try to play catch up on what we've missed out on.
Valve's zombie horde is back in Left 4 Dead 2, so I used Feedback to help further make the case for why the sequel is justified as something more than just downloadable combat.
A reader asks why we play games, especially ones we finish all the way to the end.

Feedback, munching on the brains of the living before it was trendy. Join the horde and subscribe:

Video: iTunes | XML | Audio: iTunes | XML

Bayonetta The Art Of Destruction Developer Diary

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:55:00 -0800

Hideki Kamiya, the director of Bayonetta takes us on a behind-the-scenes journey into what makes Bayonetta tick. And by tick I mean: kick so much ass. The game developers take pride in being able to "sadistically" kill enemies with torture moves. Other moves unique to the game include Bayonetta using her hair to summon demons or having a giant stiletto crush enemies. Check out this developer diary to see for yourself.

You too can can use stilettos to vanquish enemy angels January 5th 2010 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

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How Shambling Zombies Brought My Girlfriend And I Closer (And Reminded Me That Games Have A Long Ways To Go)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:17:00 -0800

My girlfriend isn't one of those people who likes to sit and watch other people playing video games. The moment the screen lights up and the controller pulses, sync complete, either she's flipped open her netbook, found a book between the couch cushions or simply left entirely to watch a recorded show in another room. But she'll stick around if she can get involved in the action, like a Wii Sports Resort or the litany of LEGO-linked video games (LEGO Batman being her favorite).

It's not that she doesn't like video games; she loves them, proudly carrying a DS in her purse. It's that modern video games, largely dependent on a nuanced understanding of the interaction between two analog sticks complemented by the litany of buttons both on top and to the side of the controller, overwhelm her. I've seen it happen to plenty of other people. They want one stick and an A button, maybe a B. But not X, Y, L1, RB, LB -- you know what I mean. It took one video game to change that.

BioShock, because of its surprisingly deep contextual weaving of the writings of Ayn Rand?

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, due to its respectful treatment of homosexuality?

Nope.

Left 4 Dead, owed to the fact that it let her live out an impossible fantasy: slaughtering zombies.

This is not the first time I've written about this. Almost a year ago when the original Left 4 Dead was released, I first documented my girlfriend's experience coming to grips with the dexterity demands of the video games we debate day in and day out over at the MTV Multiplayer blog. But with Valve having launched Left 4 Dead 2 on PC and Xbox 360 this week and my girlfriend being one of the active participants who helped me review the sequel, it seemed like a topic to revisit here at G4.

As I wrote before, from the beginning I knew Left 4 Dead was a poor choice for introducing her into this environment but I had no options; she wanted to come to grips with all of these new buttons and mapped movement options explicitly because of the subject matter. She'd sought out time with Left 4 Dead because the prospect of properly mowing down a zombie horde was far more appealing than tackling the aliens in Resistance 2 (which she called "ugly") or Gears of War 2 ("no comment").

"My poor friends," I thought to myself during her first game. Instead of sticking to offline split-screen for her first adventures against the undead, my friends asked me to hop online, so I brought her along for the ride. Luckily, both were friends that knew this was her first attempt to try this fan-dangled shooter thing, so they were understanding when nearly every time we failed a stage it was because of her. But even I had trouble remaining patient with her sometimes -- a personal failing of understanding.

"She's trying," I'd tell myself, but that didn't make the frequent Smoker attacks less frustrating.

These were some very clear problems my girlfriend had when first trying out Left 4 Dead:

The difference between left button and left trigger ("Why are there two?")
Having to literally look up to climb a ladder ("Why do I keep falling off?")
Moving and shooting at the same time ("I always have to stop and aim.")
The amount of buttons on the controller ("I keep tapping X instead of Y.")

There was one comment that underscored everything.

She asked how I could move the screen around while running at the same time. "Uh, because the other stick lets you look around?" I said jokingly. Except, she was serious. She'd never put two and two together. And this has proven the biggest obstacle even a year later, after Left 4 Dead 2's release. When we both jumped into the Dead Center campaign to tango with some mall zombies, her ability to manipulate both movement and aiming simultaneously had improved (largely because she became temporarily obsessed with Batman: Arkham Asylum -- remember the LEGO connection?), but it still remained a significant obstacle to success in a twitch-based shooter like Left 4 Dead 2.

We have much further to go to give them [new players] the tools to enjoy the best of what gaming has to offer

I always appreciate playing these games with her because it reminds me how far we've come with introducing casual players to games with DS and Wii...but we have much farther to go to give them the tools necessary to enjoy what we typically associate with the best gaming has to offer on a deeper level. Unlike movies, music or books, a certain skill-set is required to enjoy video games. That doesn't exist in any other medium, but if the concept of slaughtering zombies or the embodiment of Batman was enough to get my girlfriend to dive in and figure it out, maybe everyone has their own hook out there.

The controller will always remain an obstacle. Even though Nintendo has brought gaming to an entirely new audience, they're being indoctrinated on another control approach. Maybe Project Natal and Sony's unnamed motion controller can help bridge the gap. As it stands, even if someone wants something more than what's available on Nintendo's platforms, coming to grips with what's being asked of their hands isn't going to stop being an issue.

The industry has one extreme and the other. It's not enough. We need something in the middle.

For now, I'll keep playing Left 4 Dead with my girlfriend. Boomer! (Not again...)

Have something to share? Have a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

3D Dot Game Heroes Premier Trailer Brings The Adorable

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Atlus’s pixel-tastic 3D Dot Game Heroes takes graphically compelling look at the classic adventure games of old. A quirky style, blocky enemies being blown into blocky oblivion by blocky heroes, and bearing some not so subtle similarities to the original Zelda series? Sounds like a pretty solid combination to me. If you don’t believe me, then check out this debut trailer for the PlayStation 3 exclusive title coming May 11, 2010:

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The MMO Report: Thursday, November 19th

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Casey is back yet again to bring a fresh, steaming helping of MMO news. This week we'll tell you about a possible hint towards the release schedule for Guild Wars 2, a bunch of news about the game we all know too well, World of Warcraft, and how you can get a beta code for The Secret World by playing Age of Conan. I know, life can be so hard sometimes. So grab a cold one and open up your eye holes, because this is The MMO Report.

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