PS Vita Games Announced

Rumors about a successor to the PlayStation Portable began swirling around back in July of 2009, and one year later the Wall Street Journal announced that Sony did indeed have a new portable device in the works that shared “characteristics of game machines, e-book readers and netbook computers.” However, it was not until January 27, 2011 at a “PlayStation Meeting ” held in Japan that the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Kazuo Hirai officially announced what they called at that time the Next Generation Portable (NPG). Since then, details about the PlayStation Vita have slowly been rolling out, and on Saturday, December 17 the device was released in Japan.

Although the PS Vita will not be available in the United States until Wednesday, February 22 (or Wednesday, February 15 if gamers purchase the pre-order bundle), Sony recently released the list of game titles that will be available for purchase the day of the device’s release.

There will be 26 game titles that will be available including: Army Corps of Hell, Escape Plan, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Little Deviants, ModNation Racers: Road Trip, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and wipEout 2048. Launch titles from Sony's third-party partners will include FIFA Soccer, Lumines Electronic Symphony, Touch My Katamari, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Plants vs. Zombies, and Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition.

Sony has said that the pricing of the software for the device will cost you anywhere from $9.99 to $49.99. All of the games for the PS Vita will either be available by purchasing a PS Vita game card from gaming retail stores or digitally on the PlayStation Network. It is important for gamers to note that there will be some games that will be offered exclusively on the PlayStation Network and will not be found in stores.

The Wi-Fi-powered version of the device will be available for gamers for $249.99 and the 3G/Wi-Fi version will cost $299.99. There is also a bundle that is available that includes a 3G/Wi-Fi PS Vita, a limited edition case for the device, a 4GB PS Vita memory card and the Little Deviants game. It is currently available for preorder for $349.99.

As mentioned above, the device was already released in Japan. It had a very solid start, but it wasn’t anything record-setting. In the first weekend, Sony sold around 325,000 devices. Just to give you something to compare that to, the Nintendo 3DS sold 371,000 units in the very first 48 hours, and we all know how that ended up doing…not very well. We’ll just have to see how things go for the PS Vita. It seems like a solid handheld that is more practical and useful than the 3DS, so hopefully it will not share the same fate.

Sources: PCMag - Sony Details U.S. PlayStation Vita Launch Titles and PCWorld - Sony Releases PlayStation Vita Bug Fix Before U.S. Launch

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Xbox Live Doing Away with Xbox Live Avatar Guns

Ever since Barack Obama took office in 2008, there has been a lot of talk about our nation's 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. There was talk of the Obama administration attempting to abolish this amendment, making it illegal for Americans to own firearms. While that law will more than likely never pass, ever (come on, do you wanna be the one to try to take guns away from the South?), it does appear that it will be "illegal" for your Xbox Live avatar to carry a piece, or at least buy a new one.

Sure, you may love playing your "M" rated, death dealing games like Gears of War and Call of Duty on your 360 but that doesn't mean that your avatar has to be so violent! The Xbox dashboard is usable by every single Xbox 360 owner, so naturally it is more family-friendly. However, that family-friendliness seems to be going a bit too far as you will no longer be able to buy guns for your avatar.

Epic Games saw a post on its forums that reveals, starting January 1, 2012, that the Lancer and Hammerburst Avatar accessories will no longer be available for purchase. January 1, 2012 marks the launch of a brand new Xbox Live policy that will see the complete removal of "all gun-like avatar items on the Marketplace." Fortunately, you will still be able to keep whatever gun-like items you have already purchased, but don't expect to find them, or any new ones, after the New Year rolls around.

I'm not going to lie, this makes me a little mad. While I don't particularly see the need for such an item, some gamers love decking out their avatars to look exactly like in-game characters. If they want to have their character hold a gun, that is their choice. I honestly do not see how a little cartoon character holding a virtual gun is going to harm anybody. I find this whole change to be incredibly ridiculous.

Source: G4TV - Xbox Avatars Lose Right To Bear (New) Arms on January 1

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Star Wars: The Old Republic Early Access Has Commenced!

This is the moment fans have been waiting for for nearly three years now, the chance to play the actual, completed version of Star Wars: The Old Republic, EA and BioWare's Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game that puts players in the shoes of their very own Star Wars hero as he or she embarks on a quest to join the Republic and bring peace to the galaxy or side with the Sith and make every inhabitant of the galaxy bow and tremble before them.

BioWare initially asserted that anybody who pre-ordered the game would get early game access as early as December 15, a full five days before the game's December 20 release date. However, the company kicked it up a notch allowing players to get in as early as today, December 13, one full week before the game's launch. I was one of the lucky ones to get in today and you should be thankful I am taking time out of my day to write this piece.

Early access was given out in waves. The process involved inviting players based on when they redeemed their pre-order code for the game, so the earlier you redeemed, the earlier you go in. BioWare decided to insert players into the game in waves for many reasons. The main reason was so the game's servers didn't completely explode on opening day from the millions of players trying to log on simultaneously. The other reason was to reward players' devotion and enthusiasm in wanting to play the game.

Having played the game enough already today to rank my Jedi Consular up to level 6 and also having participated in three beta tests, I can assure you that this game is one of the most fun I have played in a while. I'm not big into MMOs and, to be honest, SWTOR is my first foray into the genre. But I can definitely tell you that I am having loads of fun with this game and I can hardly put it down. I will be writing a more expansive review on the game in the coming days, probably around the time of the actual release of the game so check back here around December 20th to get all the details on what is sure to be one of the biggest games in history!

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EA Source Hints at New Dead Space Games

If there is one thing I love, it is a good ol' fashioned video game rumor. While not all rumors turn out to be true, unfortunately, the sheer possibility of their reality is enough to tickle your imagination for months. The most recent video game rumor comes from Kotaku and the sites unnamed Electronic Arts insider. We all know that secret insider contacts are sketchy at best but Kotaku is a pretty reliable gaming outlet and whenever a rumor drops on the site, people's ears perk up.

This new rumor has to do with a new first-person shooter, space-based flight combat sim or, possibly, an adventure game a la Uncharted set in the universe of Dead Space. Kotaku's source has explained that the brass at EA commanded the Dead Space team to go bigger and badder with the creative property in order to bring it to a wider audience. This of course means FPS, something that the insider says is being actively worked on. In addition to that, a space simulator and adventure game are supposedly being worked on.

These are some pretty outlandish rumors, though Kotaku does have a pretty decent track record this year with its insider source. What's more is that the past six months has seen the leaking of a lot of information about the next Dead Space game so who knows, we all may be in for a surprise.

The first bit of leaked information came in the form of a logo and some artwork for Dead Space 3. This was a result of a sneaky camera guy who managed to capture the footage while taking a studio tour. Less than a week later some plot details followed which revealed that the game's setting is supposedly the ice planet of Tau Volentis. And as if that weren't enough, even more content leaked as to what happened to Isaac Clarke leading into Dead Space 3 and who he will be meeting in his next nightmare.

Do you think possible expansions of Dead Space into other genres is a good idea? Or do you think the property should stick to third-person survival horror games like the previous two? Who knows, maybe we will get both a Dead Space 3 as well as a new FPS or adventure game (fingers crossed).

Source: G4TV.com - Dead Space Getting An FPS? A Flight Combat Sim?! An ADVENTURE Game?!

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Pink Nintendo 3DS Bundle

There have been several different Nintendo 3DS bundles that have been announced recently. The latest was announced on Monday, November 28 and will include a pink Nintendo 3DS with one of two nintendogs + cats games: French Bulldog and New Friends or Toy Poodle and New Friends. The bundle will cost $169.99 and will be available starting December 4.

As I mentioned before, there are several other 3DS packages that Nintendo is offering this holiday season. These bundles include:

• The Legend of Zelda bundle: A special edition 3DS device with the Hyrule emblem and gold embellishments and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D game for $199.99.

• The Mario bundle: A red 3DS with the Super Mario Land 3D game for $199.99.
Nintendo kicked off holiday sales for the 3DS on Black Friday by taking $10 off the price of the device.

Nintendo also announced last week that they would be setting up special kiosks in malls across the nation between now and December 18. There consumers will be able to try out Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo also said that the displays will also have "all the best video games for the holidays."

Nintendo is also offering two other special packages this holiday season. The company is offering a Legend of Zelda package for the Wii featuring The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword game, a gold Wii Remote Plus controller and a CD with music from the Zelda games for $69.99. They are also offering a metallic rose or midnight blue Nintendo DSi XL system and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! game for $169.99.

These packages are all great deals. They would be fantastic, reasonably priced presents to give this holiday season.

Sources: PCMag - Pink Nintendo 3DS Bundle Coming Dec. 4 and Slash Gear - Pink Nintendo 3DS announced with nintendogs in tow

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Black Friday Nintendo 3DS Bundles

If you’ve been interested in buying the Nintendo 3DS, but you just haven’t been able to justify spending the money on the hand held console, as well as games, then Nintendo’s Black Friday deal might just help you justify the purchase. Nintendo just announced that they will be offering two different 3DS bundles this holiday season.

One of the bundles includes a bright red 3DS, as well as Super Mario 3D Land, which was Mario’s first full appearance in a 3DS game. The other bundle is themed around The Legend of Zelda. It features a limited edition black 3DS with a “Hyrule emblem and gold-colored embellishments.” The bundle also includes The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

The Zelda bundle has already been introduced in Europe. Kotaku said that in the United States, the bundle will be sold at GameStop and Best Buy. They did not mention where the 3D Land bundle will be sold, but I would guess that it would be available at vendors like GameStop and Best Buy as well.

Both of the bundles will begin selling on Thanksgiving Day (November 24) and will cost $199.

Nintendo made sure to mention that it will have special setups in malls across the nation between Thanksgiving and December 18. These stations will allow potential customers to try out the two games featured in the bundles. They will also display "all the best video games for the holidays."

The Nintendo 3DS was a huge disappointment for Nintendo when it was released. It was hyped up like crazy, but the sales have not been anything to talk about. In October Nintendo reported that the company has lost close to a billion dollars in the past six months. Between the months of March and September Nintendo only sold 3 million units, much less than the company had originally projected.

Back in August Nintendo dropped the price of the 3DS from $249 to $169. Since this price drop, Nintendo’s sales numbers have been a little better but certainly still not on track. However, this new bundle could help the company boost its numbers for the device at least somewhat. Will Greenwald, a PCMag analyst, believes that the 3DS bundles really could help Nintendo get back on track with the device.

"In the gaming field, Nintendo offers the best buys for holiday gifts," he wrote. "That simply can't be disputed."

If you are interested in getting an even better deal on the bundle, Best Buy is offering both of the 3DS bundles for $179 on Black Friday. If you feel like dealing with the crowds, this could be a deal definitely worth taking advantage of.

Sources: PCMag - Nintendo Offering Two $199 Black Friday 3DS Bundles, GamesBeat - Nintendo 3DS bundles featuring Zelda and Mario Land Nov. 24 and joystiq - Best Buy selling Mario, Zelda 3DS bundles for Black Friday.

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Modern Warfare 3 Breaks Even More Records

Last week Activision reported that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the “biggest entertainment launch ever with an estimated sell-through of more than $400 million and more than 6.5 million units in North America and the United Kingdom alone in the first 24 hours of its release.” Now, on Thursday, November 17 Activision announced that it has broken yet another record with its latest release.

In the first five days, Modern Warfare 3 generated more than $775 million in sales. According to data provided by Charttrack, the game beat both of the records that were set by its predecessors. A year ago Call of Duty: Black Ops made $650 million in the first five days, and two years ago Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 set records by making $500 million in the first five days. Clearly, Modern Warfare 3 blew both of these records out of the water.

"With $775 million of sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in its first five days, Call of Duty has become the first entertainment property in history to set five-day launch records for three consecutive years across all forms of entertainment," said Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, in a statement.

He also mentioned that, as a whole, the series has brought in more than $6 billion worldwide. This has made it one of the most valuable video game franchises in gaming history.

"We expect continued sales momentum, as reviews and audience enthusiasm suggest that this is the best Call of Duty game that we have ever made," he continued.

Modern Warfare 3 has been a huge success for Activision. The company reported that by the end of the first day the game was on sale, gamers had already logged in more than 7 million hours of gameplay. This is a 19 percent increase from the 5.9 million hours that gamers logged on the first day that Black Ops was released. The company also reported that on day one there were 3.3 million unique gamers that played Modern Warfare 3, up from 2.6 million unique users that played Black Ops on the first day.

Black Ops was able to haul in $1 billion in under two months, and I am certain that Modern Warfare 3 will have no issue with breaking that record as well.

Source: PCMag - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Breaks More Records, Hits $775M in Sales

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