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  Batman Arkham Asylum Preview: The Challenge Modes

  Batman video games have not, traditionally, enjoyed the same success as Batman movies. Despite the long line of titles based on the caped crusader dating back to the mid 80s, few video games have managed to deliver an enjoyable Batman experience. In Batman: Arkham Asylum gamers take control of a brutal Batman as he fights…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 27, 2009
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  No DRM For The Sims 3

  Rather than anger their fanbase with intrusive digital rights management technology, EA has opted to stick with tried and true Serial Code protection for The Sims 3. After getting into a heap of hot water over the DRM included in the hit life simulation Spore, it’s probably a wise decision for EA to back off…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 27, 2009
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  Next Week In Rock Band: Journey Under The Sea With Pat Benatar

  There’s something for everyone in next week’s additions to the Rock Band Music Store, with classics artists Journey, Pat Benatar, and…SpongeBob Squarepants taking center stage. No, it isn’t some quirky new band called SpongeBob Squarepants. It’s three tracks from the animated sensation that’s dumbed down a nation – “I Can’t Keep My Eyes Off Of…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 27, 2009
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  Square Enix Eidos Takeover Is Go

  Tomb Raider publisher Eidos will officially become part of Square Enix in May, as shareholders cast an overwhelming majority of votes in favor of the propsed takeover. Eidos held their shareholders meeting yesterday, during which a vote was held to determine if the Square Enix takeover bid would be approved, with 85% percent of the…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 27, 2009
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  BioWare Tackles Elf Racism In Dragon Age: Origins

  You can’t have an ginormous fantasy epic without at least three different races — elf, human, dwarf, etc. — and you can’t have elves and dwarfs without racism according to fantasy standard-setter J.R.R. Tolkien. In typical BioWare fashion of reinventing the plot wheel, Dragon Age: Origins aims to redefine the fantasy genre; and it’ll start…

  By AJ Glasser Published March 27, 2009
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  Brutal Legend Art: Everything Is Metal — Even The Sky

  Here are the ingredients to a successful GDC panel: visually entertaining slides, more than one trailer, halfway-decent public speaker, a game that’s actually coming out in the near future. And Tim Schafer. “The Brutal Art of Brutal Legend” nailed all five – or at least four if for some reason the game gets pushed back…

  By AJ Glasser Published March 27, 2009
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  Slept Late, So Great

  To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Thank Goodness For Honest Neighbors Today I slept in a little late, and it was FREAKING AWESOME. One of the perks of this job is that the commute is from my bed to my laptop. Some days, it seems father than other days… What you missed last night Wii Fit…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009
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  There’s Nothing Cuter Than Kids Singing About Internet Manners

  WARNING: So cute you may get a bit sick. Internet gaming is big in South Korea. So big that online manners can’t be left to chance. They must be instructed, and at a young age. Oh, and yes, this is real. Kids Sing A Made Up Song About Netiquette The Darndest Things

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  Mass Effect 2 Is A “Shooter RPG”

  The first Mass Effect tried to play like a shooter, but never really got there. Still, felt like an RPG, just one you played over-the-shoulder. The sequel, though, is going to be different. Or so developers BioWare hope. Speaking at GDC yesterday, BioWare’s Ray Muzyka explains that, of the “bigger buckets of things we’re working…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  Wii Fit Helps Men Talk To Their Families

  Nintendo weighing game Wii Fit is a big hit. While it’s not guaranteed to make you healthy (it’s not an exercise device), it might help you talk to the family you ignore. “We also researched Wii Fit users here in Japan, and we found that this game has had a positive influence on users,” said…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009
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  PAL PlayStation Store Update: On A Magic Carpet Ride

  And again, the PAL PlayStation Store ends up with some interesting PlayStation 1 content. This week? A re-release of Bullfrog’s classic Magic Carpet. Sure, it’s not as good as the PC version was, but it’s better than nothing. Which, we may add, is pretty much what this week’s update would be were it not for…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  Sony Offering Better Terms, Cash Money For PSN Developers

  The PS3 has struggled in a lot of areas, yes. But there’s one area it’s led the competition, and that’s in promoting a strong lineup of excellent, original content for digital download. So it shiver your timbers to hear that Sony are looking to expand their roster by offering cash for PSN games, with a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  Gran Turismo Creator In PS3 Ad

  Here’s the latest PS3 ad featuring a famous Japanese designer. Previously, the ads showcased Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and White Knight Chronicles designer Akihiro Hino. This time, it’s Gran Turismo‘s Kazunori Yamauchi turn. The ad is short, sweet and self-explanatory. Next up, no doubt inevitable ads with Metal Gear Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima and Final…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009
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  Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease

  Congratulations, Tommy Tallarico! You’ve just won a Game Developers Choice Award for your contributions to game music. Your prize? Sit down and answer some questions. Thankfully, those questions stuck to music, and not Tommy’s disease-riddled body. Ick.

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  Taito Bringing FPS To Arcades (Again!)

  A first-person-shooter arcade game…for Japan? Why not, it wouldn’t be a first. Taito rolled out dual-joystick-foot-pedal-controlled networked FPS Half-Life 2: Survivor in 2006. Now, Taito has announced another first-person-shooter for arcades. Dubbed Cyber Diver, its described as an “original” take on the FPS genre with 5-on-5 networked play and a new game system that displays…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009
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  The Science Behind World Of Warcraft’s Item Drop Percentages

  Strip back the story and the inter-personal relationships, and really, World of Warcraft’s all about the loot. Killing things in return for things. But what’s the science behind those loot drops? In a talk today at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Blizzard have revealed that, when WoW expansion Wrath of the Lich King…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  Virtual Console Getting Game From Famous Japanese Game Hater

  Beat Takeshi is a well-known Japanese comedian, actor, director, writer, painter and pundit. He also made a video game. Takeshi’s Challenge was designed by Takeshi and released by Taito for the Nintendo Famicom in 1986. It is hitting the Japanese Virtual Console on March 31. Takeshi’s Challenge followed a salaryman as he beat up yakuza,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009
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  Project Offset LIVES!

  Whhooaahh, Project Offset! Been a while. The fantasy epic, which may we remind you has been in development for a long time, reared its head this week and let us know it’s still kicking. Not only is there a new website, with the promise of announcements to come, but there’s a couple of trailers as…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 27, 2009
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  My Chemical Romance Writes Final Fantasy VII ACC Song

  Legendary Japanese rocker Kyosuke Himuro, member of seminal band Boøwy, has joined forces with emo vocalist Gerard Way from the group My Chemical Romance for the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. Square Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura is a big Boøwy fan. Back in 2005, Himuro’s tune “Calling” from his 1989 album Neo Fascio found its…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009
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  Are These Box Art Designs Similar?

  Folks are fluttering around on the Japanese internet about the boxart similarity between these two games. Kwinky-dink or sinister thievery? Namco Bandai’s Xbox 360 role-playing-game Tales of Vesperia was a big hit when it was released in Japan last summer, selling 161,070 copies. The game was so popular it caused the Xbox 360 to sell…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 27, 2009