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GN Unplugged: Persona 3/4 Official Design Works
Article by: Jeremy Duff
Jeremy dives deeper into the worlds of Persona 3 and 4 thanks to Udon’s recent offerings. READ FULL ARTICLE...
GN Unplugged: Persona 3/4 Official Design Works
Article by: Jeremy Duff
Jeremy dives deeper into the worlds of Persona 3 and 4 thanks to Udon’s recent offerings. READ FULL ARTICLE...
GN Unplugged: Persona 3/4 Official Design Works
Article by: Jeremy Duff
Jeremy dives deeper into the worlds of Persona 3 and 4 thanks to Udon’s recent offerings. READ FULL ARTICLE...

Now Loading for March 4, 2013: Take Your Pick Edition

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We’re going to do things a little differently this week and from now on with the Now Loading feature. In addition to highlighting the full list of official releases for a given week, we’re going to give our picks of the top 3 titles of the week as well, along with a little more information about those games.

This is a huge week for the industry and simply the start of what will be a gigantic month. March has an incredibly line up and it is coming out of the games swinging! There are plenty of choices for you this week, but you might want to pay special attention to the following games (in no particular order):

Tomb Raider: Everything old is new again, or at least it is this week. The original video game vixen is back this week with the reboot of Tomb Raider for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. Lara is back but not exactly in the way we all remember her. This time around we’re going back in time and learning Ms. Croft’s origin story and seeing exactly what made her into the badass, gun-toting adventurer that took the world by storm on the original PlayStation.

The reviews of the game started hitting last week and have been giving the game constant praise. The new vision of Lara appears to be greatly appreciated as the focus is now on great story telling and excellent gameplay rather than just a hot girl with with guns. Our own review is coming soon and let’s just say that our own Cyril was very impressed. You will definitely want to put this one on your list of games to check out!

SimCity: See, I told you that everything old was new again! The second big title this week is another reboot of a classic series with the relaunch of SimCity on PC’s. EA and the developer Maxis are ready to make the series a staple on the PC platform once again thanks to an entirely new game engine and the inclusion of a new, multiplayer component. John and Travis had a blast with the beta version earlier this year and Travis will be bringing you our official review of the game in the very near future.

MLB 13 The Show: Personally, I love the landscape of the sporting game genre in our industry. Instead of one company producing what are considered the best games with each different sport, we have a variety. Madded / EA are the obvious leaders (and only option) when it comes to the NFL; 2K has a monarchy on the NBA franchise; and Sony may be the title holder for the MLB. This week will see releases of new MLB games from both Sony and 2K but Sony’s “The Show” series has taken the edge in the past couple of years. This year’s edition launches this week with cross save features supported in both the PS3 and Vita versions of the game. We have both versions in-house currently and are running them through the review process, so look forward to seeing those very shortly (heads up, it appears to be as solid as ever).

Full listing of this week’s releases:

Weekend News Roundup - 03/03/2013

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3/1/2013 3/2/2013 3/3/2013

What We're Playing This Weekend for 3/1/2013

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RUSSELL ARCHEY, staff writer, Twitter @neoscyther
I'm still working through Skyrim, though I'm focusing less on the story missions right now and trying to clear out any side quests I have as well as do some skill leveling, mainly in destruction and enchanting.

SEAN CAHILL, staff writer, Twitter @seancahill2
Trying to get through Far Cry 3, but having a hell of a time getting through one particular campaign because it's an escort/rescue mission and the guy keeps running into land mines.

NATHAN CARTER, staff writer, Twitter @natedoggcata
Left 4 Dead 2 and probably more Left 4 Dead 2. The Steam Workshop has pretty much gotten me addicted to this game again. I’m having tons of fun downloading and playing through brand new campaigns. If I have some spare time I’ll try to play though the Silent Hill HD Collection. I’m interested in seeing how many problems this game actually has, or how many I’ll notice, at least. Finally, I’ll try to get my party through the Organ Trail on iOS. It’s an Apple IIc version of the original Oregon Trail, except it’s set in a modern-day zombie apocalypse and it’s very addicting.

NATHANIEL COHEN, staff writer, Twitter @seven_hells
Still playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but I probably play some Final Fantasy XIII-2. My daughter spent the last of her Christmas money on it. After burning out on the Dead Space vertical playthough, I could use some shiny fantastical insanity. The Dead Space series is so damn dark, scary, and kind of sad. Playing all three games at once only made it more so.

JEREMY DUFF, senior staff writer, Twitter @duff3c
I am sort of on a PC gaming kick right now and am looking forward to getting some quality Battlefield 3 time in between spending time on the new Halo 4 maps that launched this week. Of course, my Vita will get some love as I am on the go throughout the weekend.

CHARLES HUSEMANN, editor-in-chief, Twitter @chusemann
This weekend will be the usual snippets of Black Ops 2 and MechWarrior Online interspersed with The Bridge, a cool new indie puzzle game.

RANDY KALISTA, staff writer, Twitter @randykalista
Somewhere between Mass Effect 3's N7 Challenge Weekend and my three-year-old daughter's 10,000th YouTube viewing of Swan Lake, my Xbox 360 red ringed. Again. I'm exclusively PC gaming for the next two or three weeks while my console's in the shop. So, assessing my mental fortitude as a grown adult, I figure it's time to man up to the final episode of The Walking Dead. Then that's that. At least until this season 1.5 business that's purportedly on the way. Then I'll have to see if I'm up for even more emotional beat downs.

MIKE MAHARDY, staff writer, Twitter @mmahardy
I'll be playing more FTL, as I still have yet to complete a single campaign. I keep losing/dying, but it's the best feeling to get farther each time. Aside from that, I'll be playing through BioShock and BioShock 2 in preparation for BioShock Infinite later in March. If that's not one of my most anticipated games in awhile then I don't know what is.

News Roundup - 02/28/2013

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News Roundup - 02/27/2013

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News Roundup - 02/26/2013

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Need For Speed Deluxe Bundle DLC Trailer

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Need For Speed Most Wanted already includes tons of races and cars but soon you will be able to expand your game with three new DLC packs which can be purchased as a bundle. The three DLC bundles titled Terminal Velocity pack, Movie Legends Pack and Need For Speed Heroes pack which includes all new cars, racing locations, game modes, achievements, milestones, license plates and more. 

Terminal Velocity pack - A brand new expansion featuring the Huges International Airport and new game modes including Drift Attack, five new cars including the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, The Porsche 918 Spyder,  The Ford Fiesta ST, Audi RS3, and the Alfa Romeo Mito QV, 136 new milestones, 10 multiplayer speedlists, 40 new billboards and 8 new achievements. It will run you $15 or 1200 Microsoft Points. 

Movie Legends Pack - Five cars from your favorite action movies including the Aston Martin DB5, Aston Martin DBS, Pontiac Firebird, Shelby GT500, Dodge Charger R/T, 136 new milestones, and 50 new license plates. It will run you $10 or 800 Microsoft Points

Need For Speed Heroes Pack - Five legendary cars from the Need For Speed series including BMW M3 GTR, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Nissan 35OZ, Porche 911 GT2, Lamborghini Diablo SV. new races, and 136 new milestones. It will run you $10 or 800 Microsoft Points.

The Deluxe Bundle pack seems to essentially be a seasons pass as you can purchase them all together and save 25%. The bundle will cost $25 or 2000 Microsoft Points. The DLC will arrive on Origin on March 13th and is currently available on consoles. 
?

News Roundup - 02/25/2013

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Weekend News Roundup - 02/24/2013

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02/22/2013 02/23/2013 02/24/2013

What We're Playing This Weekend for 2/22/2013

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RUSSELL ARCHEY, staff writer
I'll probably be trying to finish up Skyrim, or at least getting to the final act. Last time I played the game crashed to the desktop four minutes after I did a quick save. Provided it plays nice, I'll probably give it some major attention this weekend.

SEAN CAHILL, staff writer, Twitter @seancahill2
My gaming has been locked up by FIFA Soccer 13 and Far Cry 3, lately. I find myself continuing to play online with Ultimate Team in FIFA, while Far Cry tortures me time and time again with various wild animals while I'm attempting to complete a goal. Frustrating, but it makes it far more challenging.

NATHAN CARTER, staff writer, Twitter @natedoggcata
Probably more Left 4 Dead 2 on the PC. The steam workshop is such a great thing. I am having so much fun downloading tons of new and unique campaigns, character skins, weapons and more. Hell I hate leaving the safe room cause I love listening to the Resident Evil save room soundtracks that I downloaded from the workshop as well. Other than that I might also hop in some Counter-Strike: Source to play some more Deathrun maps. Its like the TV Wipeout only...in CSS! 

NATHANIEL COHEN, staff writer, Twitter @seven_hells
I finally got around to trying XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Lovin' it. I name all my soldiers after Game of Thrones characters. I'm also doing a "vertical playthrough" of the Dead Space trilogy. "Vertical playthrough" is what I call it when you take a trilogy of games and play one level/chapter/whatever of the first game, then do the same for the second, then do the same for the third, and then you start back with the first one and so on and so forth. Dead Space lends itself well to vertical playthroughs because it's got those clear chapter delineations. Doing so really paints the each games differences in stark relief.

JEREMY DUFF, senior staff writer, Twitter @duff3c
Assuming that I get some time to sink into some games for fun this weekend, I will likely spend a few more hours on the free-to-play Path of Exile, getting my loot gathering fix. Other than that, I really need to start Batman: Arkham City which has been collecting dust in my cabinet since it launched, and wrap up Uncharted 3 which has been half-finished for well over a year.

CHARLES HUSEMANN, editor in chief, Twitter @chusemann
Currently playing more Black Ops 2 PC multiplayer than I care to admit. Just too easy to drop in few a few quick rounds between chores around the house. Also playing a lot of MechWarrior Online and Temple Run 2. Need to scope some time to wrap up Dead Space 3 and get caught up with Halo 4's Spartan Ops.

RANDY KALISTA, staff writer, Twitter @randykalista
Is twelve months late too late to be fashionably late? That's where I'm at with Mass Effect 3. On the upside, I bought the Firefight Pack, Groundside Resistance Pack, and Alternate Appearance Pack 1. There's entirely too much game ahead of me to even consider the big single-player DLC stuff like Omega, Leviathan, From Ashes, or the recently teased Silversun Strip. But this is the pulpy kind of sci-fi I'm absolutely dying for right now.

MIKE MAHARDY, staff writer, Twitter @mmahardy
I'll be playing through Serious Sam DD XXL on XBLA cooperatively this weekend (it's very fun in all of the craziest, best ways) and also playing Metal Gear Rising insert really, really stupid noun here. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is just as amazing as it has always been, and it's never a bad time to play FTL: Faster Than Light when I'm craving that strange feeling of helplessness combined with pure euphoria. God, I love FTL.

JOHN YAN, senior hardware editor, Twitter @thejohnyan
Diablo 3Black Ops 2 multiplayer.
 

News Roundup - 02/21/2013

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#PlayStationMemories tops Twitter trends

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To bastardize a line from Super Troopers, "Nostalgia is a stinky cologne." But Twitter don't care. Wednesday, as the clock counted down to the Sony PlayStation 2013 Conference--where Sony officially announced the PlayStation 4--gamers pushed #PlayStationMemories to the top of Twitter's trends.

So, we sprayed a little Nostalgia on ourselves and recounted a few of our own PlayStation memories.

Sean Colleli
Sorry, I was a late-comer to the house of PlayStation. I got a PS2 very late, in 2006, just to play Guitar Hero, and only got into other PS stuff when I started collecting old games and systems. While I acknowledge the quality of their products, I've never had much allegiance to the brand because everything they make is the freaking Rolls Royce of consumer electronics and it's takes at least three years after launch until it's affordable. For example, I love my PS3--which I only got 
last year--but I wish it would've been less than $500 much earlier in its lifespan so I could've invested most of my money in getting games for it instead of the clunky, ad-choked Xbox 360. As for best memories? The infamously awful "I want a PSP for Xmas" ad campaign from 2006.

Jeremy Duff
My fondest PS-related memory? Probably picking up my first PS2. I was really late to the game in terms of getting one, I was more of an Xbox guy for most of the last generation. When I did finally pick up a PS2, I was blown away at all of the great games I had missed in my time without a system. Imagine picking up a system for the first time and having a selection like Ratchet & Clank, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, and Final Fantasy X...that is one hell of a launch lineup, even if it was just my personal launch of the platform.

Randy Kalista
The entire rise and fall of my never-happened rap career took place between 8:00 PM and midnight for two years in San Diego's Naval Base barracks. Eyes feeling all salty, staring at the Tetris-block screens of the MTV Music Generator on PSone, splicing hip hop beats with classical composers like Wagner and Haydn. Despite my efforts, I still don't have a $30,000 Jesus piece to hang around my neck.

John Yan
My fondest memory was picking up the PlayStation 2. It was a console I was pretty excited about since I had such great times with the PSX. Since it played my old games, I was able to transition to it pretty well. So what made that launch day memorable? Well, I was given a call to pick one up on launch day having pre-ordered one ages ago. I was going to pick one up after work. Before I did, I heard on the news of how some folks got mugged for their PS2 walking out of a local mall near me. It just so happens I didn't live in a very safe area at the time so my friend and I were pretty cautious carrying ours out to the car in the parking lot. It was also how I knew my girlfriend at the time and my wife now loved me. She let me put the entire purchase on her credit card because I was out of money.
 

News Roundup - 02/19/2013 & 02/20/2013

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News Roundup - 02/18/2013

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Weekend News Roundup - 02/17/2013

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2/15/2013 2/16/2013 2/17/2013

Sony's history of the PlayStation

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We're at 2 days and counting for what should be the reveal of the next PlayStation. Sony's looking back at their history in the gaming arena. I remember when I first bought the PlayStation as described in the first video and really was blown away by the hockey game at the time. 
 

The PlayStation 2 was an even better machine with backwards compatibility to the PSX, a DVD-Rom, and network capability that was put in later on down the road. I spent a ton of time playing online with a friend in Champions of Norrath. The console was just awesome and it still sits in my basement today with the hard drive attachment that went unused.
 

The PlayStation 3 was one that I didn't get too excited about. The technology seemed pretty good, but I just remember the broken promises and many changes to the system when launched as well as the high price that Sony was charging. I broke down eventually and picked one up to review some games, but it's been one of the least touched consoles in my household. I can't even remember the last time I turned it on, to be honest.
 

So that brings us up to what we have in store for Wednesday. Again, I'm at a point where I'm not that excited about a launch, but I'm hoping Sony's showing on Wednesday can change my mind. I'd love to see Sony bring out all their big guns for the show and wow us with what they have for the next generation. 

Classic Game Soundtracks have been added to Music Unlimited!

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There are over 18 million songs that you can listen to on your Playstation devices with Music Unlimited there are more songs coming to the service and they are classic videogame soundtracks. Pretty cool! Right now some soundtracks include Assassins Creed, Silent Hill, Prince Of Persia, Final Fantasy and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. New songs and soundtracks will be added weekly to the service. 

Other requested genres are making their debut soon on the service as well in the coming weeks including Old School Hip-Hop and New Wave. The service also saw a HUGE bump in plays for songs and artists featured at the Grammy awards. The Lumineers, Frank Ocean, Rihanna and others. 

If you don't have a subscription you can sign up for a free 60 day trial and if you don't have the service make sure you download it on the PS3 and PS Vita. 

News Roundup - 02/14/2013

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News Roundup - 02/13/2013

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News Roundup - 02/12/2013

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News Roundup - 02/11/2013

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Weekend News Roundup - 02/10/2013

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2/8/2013 2/9/2013 2/10/2013

News Roundup - 02/07/2013

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News Roundup - 02/06/2013

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Pop Quiz: Metal Gear Character or Sex Position?

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Do you know video games? I mean, really, really know video games? Then you're going to love this brand new game show -- KNOW THE GAME! This is a short quiz you can play by yourself. It's simple: I'm going to read you a series of names and it's up to you to tell me if it's a Metal Gear Character or a Sex Position!