Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about a great deal at Best Buy right now. Batman Arkham City is on sale for $29.99 this week, and if you use the coupon in Best Buy’s magazine Gamer, that is good for $20 off Batman Arkham City this month, you can get it for only $9.99!! Rage, Bulletstorm, and Mass Effect 2 all now retail for $19.99 at Best Buy, and with the $15 off coupons for those games in Gamer this month, they can each be snagged for only $4.99!! To use the coupons, you have to be a Best Buy Reward Zone member, which is free to sign up, and have the coupons from the Gamer Magazine, which can be bought for $5 in store, or free with a $15 yearly subscription to the Magazine, that also includes many great benefits, including: Earn double Reward Zone points on new game software, including digital content, and accessory purchases 10% off all of your pre-owned software purchases 10% bonus credit on the software you trade in Reward Zone Gamers Club exclusive offers A year’s worth of GAMER (10 issues) The reward zone membership is great, and I have probably gotten $500.00 in store reward certificates over the last few years.

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[Great Deals] Batman: Arkham City for $10 Rage, Bulletstorm, and ME2 for $5

#1: Specialized Hardware Has a Place People buy digital cameras in addition to the cell phone cameras they already have because the quality gap justifies a separate device. In the future, even if smartphones and tablets do eventually catch up on the software front, there is always the potential for some gaming specific hardware. Today, analog sticks and face/shoulder buttons are the key differentiating piece of gaming hardware, but tomorrow it might be a head tracking device. #2: The gap between home consoles is small When laptops were far inferior to desktops, people stuck with desktops. When the gap got small enough, the whole market switched to laptops and never came back. The game performance difference between a PSP and a home console (PS3/360) was huge, but between a Vita, it’s not. The PSP launched in 2005, right on the eve of the 360 launch. Today, there is probably still another two years or so until the next big home console. #3: People love portability Portability isn’t just for a long train ride or flight. Look at how people use their laptops: they use them in coffee shops, meeting rooms, on their front porch, into their beds, etc. People want lifestyle flexibility and they want the same thing from games. People don’t want to be confined to enjoying their games in a specific missionary position in their living room. #4: Nicer hardware and system OS than home consoles The Vita hardware is nicer, newer, and has a more premium feel than home consoles. Additionally, the system OS is more elegant in terms of managing your games, multitasking, and chatting/messaging/party functionality. The downsides relative to home consoles are the controls are smaller, the display and resolution are smaller, and the Vita uses much more expensive Flash memory and cartridges compared to home consoles with their cheap 50GB blu-ray discs and their huge laptop hard drives. #5: The Vita is Unique For today, the Vita doesn’t have a close competitor. There is a lot of competition from the 3DS, iOS/Android, and home consoles, but nothing plays high-end console games in a portable form factor like the Vita. Bottom Line Other platforms need exclusive franchises to attract a player base. The Vita’s appeal is that you can play games from the the same pool of top-tier console titles with nearly full parity of the home systems, on a portable handheld device with the physical and system OS improvements. I predict that once some of the hit 2012 multi-platform games get Vita releases, the system will really take off.

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Top Five Reasons To Be Optimistic About the Vita Platform

God of War III was ‘officially’ the last God of War in the series. Sony did mention prior to GOW3′s release that it would be Kratos’ last outing. End of GOW3 Kratos went straight to the top – after finshing off the likes of Poseidan, Hades, Helios and his half-brother Hercules, he fulfilled his vengeance by killing off Zeus towards the end of the game. That for me was the moment of the game I truly realised that there would be no more Kratos adventures for me to enjoy. Of course, I was wrong as we saw the PSP games and the legendary PS2 games remastered – but they were mere episodes of Kratos’ past enjoyed by many originally on a different platform – but now in HD on the PS3 – and they didn’t disappoint. It now seems that GOW3 wasn’t the end of our much loved character, as a certain job requirement has sprung up across the web. A listing posted on Creative Heads states that Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) developer Santa Monica is looking for a Senior Staff Concept Artist for a God of War project. The job description is as follows: “Project: God of War Job Duties(s): Conceptual Development / Illustration Software Utilized: Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter 3D Platform(s): Playstation Genre(s): Military / Combat Relocation: Yes Required Spoken Language(s): English Required Work Auth.: Work Anywhere Start Date: Immediately The Sony Santa Monica Studio is hiring for an unannounced new IP! We are an open and creative environment that strives to make the best games in the industry. Join us as we embark on our next project!” You can view the full Job Advert at Creative Head’s website. To me it seems that this title may ‘possibly’ be for the all-new shiny PS Vita, or it may also appear on the PS3 too? It’s rather hard to tell at this moment in time as the platform on the advert strictly states ‘PlayStation’, however I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for it to appear on both platforms. If a new God of War title is definitely in the works then it looks like I’m going to have to work even harder – to try and save some hard earned cash so I can send my wife and my daughter away for a weekend they will never forget – and one that I will enjoy being Kratos, for which maybe ‘the last outing’ as the God of War!

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God of War – Kratos Looking To Return?

When Bethesda and id Software, revealed the game Rage, everyone, including myself, was thinking or hoping, that this would be the next Borderlands or Fallout. Well, it does share some similarities to both, however it is unlike them as well. Check out this video, then hit the jump for my take on this great game. Rage, was built using the id Tech 5 engine, which provided a very memorable and fun experience. Rage is one the best looking games I have ever played. The amount of detail in the environments is so good, that it looks remarkably realistic in places. At one point I set the camera angle toward the sky, looking just above some cliffs, and had my wife look at it. She thought it was a real picture. The graphics are truly stunning. Although better graphically than both, the scenery does have a familiar look to both Borderlands and Fallout. The cartoon-esque style of the buildings and characters has a similar look to Borderlands, and the plot of resembles that of Fallout. For a while anyway. You play as Raine, an ex marine and special forces agent, who was cryo-frozen in an underground vault know as an Ark. The Ark program was started to preserve life on earth, after the 99942 Apophis asteroid collides with Earth in 2029. This asteroid actually exists. 99942 Apophis ( /əˈpɒfɪs/, previously known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) is a near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 because initial observations indicated a small probability (up to 2.7%) that it would strike the Earth in 2029. Additional observations provided improved predictions that eliminated the possibility of an impact on Earth or the Moon in 2029. However, a possibility remained that during the 2029 close encounter with Earth, Apophis would pass through a gravitational keyhole, a precise region in space no more than about a half-mile wide, that would set up a future impact on April 13, 2036. This possibility kept the asteroid at Level 1 on the Torino impact hazard scale until August 2006, when the probability that Apophis will pass through the keyhole was determined to be very small. Apophis broke the record for the highest level on the Torino Scale, being, for only a short time, a level 4, before it was lowered. Its diameter is approximately 270 meters (885 ft). As of October 7, 2009, the probability of an April 13, 2036 impact is considered to be 1 in 250,000. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis Raine’s Ark suffered a cryogenics malfunction as a result of seismic activity, and everyone on board died except you. You awake in 2138, escape the arc, and after a few seconds of accommodating to the sun light, begin to be attacked by bandits. You are immediately helped by Dan Hagar, voiced by John Goodman, who takes you to his very small town. He then explains some things to you, and sends you off on some missions. Most of the single player campaign involves running errands for the various people you meet in the towns scattered across the wasteland. Go from point A to point B, fight enemies through this dungeon, find an item, then bring it back to A. Although that sounds repetitive and boring, it isn’t at all. First off, getting from A to B is best done in a vehicle. When driving a vehicle, RAGE changes from a first-person shooter, to a third-person vehicle game that is actually done really well. You start with a basic quad, but can quickly obtain a dune buggy that allows for weapons and upgrades. These weapons and upgrades become important as the game progresses, because the wasteland is filled with bandits driving other vehicles, bent on killing or capturing you at all costs. There are also vehicle races, delivery missions, and even arena battle modes, that provide both rewards and hours of entertainment. The controls and mechanics are surprising very good as well. This made driving itself fun, and I often found myself trying for bigger jumps, spinouts, and tricks, even when not in combat. The driving is necessary to travel long distances in Rage’s vast world. Although open world to some extent, the game actually looks more open world then it is, and with the exception of side quests, is very linear. There are not a whole lot of directional options when traversing a location, but that is fine with this type of game. Rage is definitely a FPS with some added bonuses. You can have up to four weapons ready for fast swap, but can hold all the available weapons in your inventory. One thing about the game that really pleased me, is that when you were carrying a gun and pointed it toward a friendly NPC, you would point the gun to the sky, rather then aim it at them. This is a pet peeve I have with most other first person shooters, so I was happy they addressed it in Rage. With a few exceptions, the guns available, although unique designs, fit your standard pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, and sniper rifle profiles. A very cool crosbow, a rocket launcher, and even a plasma rifle will also come into play. Different types of ammunition can be crafted or bought for the guns, giving each weapon a few choices. There is also a weapon called a wingstick that can be thrown at will. This was probably my favorite weapon in the game. These wingsticks act as a very deadly boomerang, and will return to you, destroying everything in its path, if thrown just right. A lot of the time however, it will be broken up and you will have to deplete your inventory of the available wingsticks. It is not equipped instead of a gun, rather it is equipped alongside a firearm, such as a grenade would be. Wingsticks, along with many other items, can be produced in the game from looted components and an associated schematic. Other notable items include lock grinders, RC bomb cars, sentry turrets, and my favorite, the sentry bots, a spider like robot with a deadly machine gun. You can have up to three active at one time to help you in the heavily fortified areas. The enemies in Rage are done very well. When under attack, they will cover, blind fire, and even switch positions to try and get a better shot at you. Some will even hide behind other enemies holding energy shields. Other, melee type enemies will run at you in a zig-zag pattern, ducking and dodging your bullets, and even jump on walls, and swing from the ceiling, making them almost impossible to target. Besides the main missions and side quests, there are also mini-games to play. I already mentioned the buggy races, but there are also a few easy to learn games. Tombstone is a random dice roll game involving holographic figures. Although simple, it actually became rather addicting. Throughout the missions, and scattered around the world, you’ll find 54 different cards to use in a Magic the Gathering type card game called Rage Frenzy. It is a fun and addicting game as well. There are also a couple other mini-games, including Five Finger Fillet, and Strum, a Simon Says type game. Another mini-game happens each time you are close to death. A defibrillator can bring you back to life and shock any nearby enemies. The amount of health returned to you is determined by how well you play this fast paced mini-game. Before using the defibrillator again, it will need to recharge. If you die before a recharge, you will respawn at the last save point, a good reason to save often. The only real issue I have with the game, is that it ends abruptly without any big resolution. There also isn’t the “big boss” type ending that you would expect. It does however leave you longing for more, and that’s possibly a good thing if there is a sequel to be made. More can also be had in the co-operative play in Rage. There are standalone missions separate from the main story, that are two player co-op. They can be played on-line, or couch co-op via split screen. These missions tell some of the history of other areas and people, you will encounter in the game. The missions can be played over and over again for high scores, with the levels giving multipliers, and bonus points for headshots, less deaths, time completed, and the like. Another very fun part of co-op is the buggy races and combat arenas. You can level up, add different weapon and power ups, and customize your vehicle to look cool. This all helps you to further dominate the competition. The combat arena, although not as complex or in depth, is reminiscent of Twisted Metal, and is very fun. A rush through Rage’s main missions, lasts about 11 hours, however, an easy 40 hours of game play is possible with the side quests and mini-games. The co-op just adds to that even more. With that said, Rage is definitely a great game for your money and I highly recommend it. Review Pros Cons Graphics are Amazing Great Voice Cast Lots of Action Fun Co-op Experience Let Down Ending Rating 93%

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[Review] Rage

I’m not sure how I missed this one a couple weeks ago, but here is the final video in the six part behind-the-scenes series for RAGE. “In “The Sound and Art,” take a look at the sound design of RAGE with the team at id Software to find out how music, sound effects and voice acting come together to create an unforgettable, immersive experience.” RAGE features intense first-person shooter action, breakneck vehicle combat, an expansive world to explore and jaw-dropping graphics powered by id’s revolutionary id Tech™ 5 technology. Set in the not-too-distant future after an asteroid impacts Earth, you emerge into a vast wasteland to discover humanity working to rebuild itself against such forces as bandit gangs, mutants, and more. RAGE promises an experience like no other. RAGE is slated for release on October 4th, 2011.

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Rage Behind the Scenes Part 6 of 6

It’s that time again, when we all gather round and listen to the podcast. Ok, so maybe that’s not how it’s actually done, but I can dream it can’t I?! Tune in to catch Ace, FooBear, and I discuss all the news that has come out of Gamescom this week, as well as a few other things! SPECIAL NOTE: For those of you who haven’t yet beaten L.A. Noire, there is a spoiler spot in the podcast between the 58:00 and 59:20 mark. So just skip that small section when you get to it if you don’t want to hear any spoilers. You’ll hear it coming as well, so I give you plenty of time incase you forget. As always, we want to remind you that the PS3BlogCast is listed on iTunes! So please subscribe and rate/review us there. You can also leave a voicemail for us by calling PS3-888-BLOG or if you want to contact us via email for us you can do so here . Here’s a list of some things we discussed: Battlefield 3 co-op Revealed EA Requires Origin Connection for Battlefield 3 id Software tries unique Online Pass for Rage PS3 Price drop New PSP model PS Vita games will be on the PSN as well Lollipop Chainsaw Trailer GoldenEye 007: Reloaded gets release date Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Rockstar’s Agent image leaks Resistance: Burning Skies inFamous 2: Festival of Blood Uncharted: Golden Abyss trailer Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Gamescom trailer

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PS3BlogCast Episode 14

For one, I am sure many of you have seen some of those ethernet kits that hook up to your electrical outlets throughout your house, using the building’s electrical circuit as a means to transport data to and from the devices. This is one such product, which claims to be able to handle 200Mbps over the lines. I don’t have a connection anywhere near that (who does?), so I can’t say whether it does or not, however, that’s not the most important thing. What IS important is whether or not it works or is useful. I aim to answer that question. First of all, I didn’t know the UPS guy dropped it off at my house, so it was sitting out front over night. I guess no thieves patrol my neighborhood (bullcrap, I had two bikes stolen when I was a kid). Anyway, when I brought it in and opened it, they had sent me two boxes (both weighed considerably). At first, I assumed that each was for a different unit, so I unwrapped both, but after opening the first one, I realized that it was an entire kit, and drew the conclusion that the other one was for the giveaway (which we will have available later). Anyway, after opening the kit, I just kind of sat there, wondering where I could plug it in. The units themselves are pretty bulky, and you have to have one end plugged into the modem and the other in the device you want to connect. I assume that they need to be plugged directly into an outlet and not an extension cord, so I didn’t bother with that. I just had to find a way to get an open plug; one that was near my router as the included ethernet cords are rather short. To get this out of the way, this is not a wireless device, so devices will be hooked up via ethernet. Anyway, after plugging in the lamp’s cord into one of the two power strips over on the other computer’s desk, I had an open outlet to plug this device into. It does kind of push into the cord for one of the power strips, but it still fits in there. Just don’t expect to have any other boxy devices hooked up to the same group of sockets. It would have also been nice if the plugs had a ground post to them, if only for a more secure connection, as it is heavy enough to feel insecure and would slide out, but I haven’t had a problem like that yet. I then put the other device a few rooms down where I normally have things connected by a long, 50 foot or so ethernet cable. Since the devices run off of codes that are paired with each other, they instantly recognized the connection. It is very plug-and-play. The only problem is having a collection of devices in your house if you want to have multiple connections. As long as the outlets are on the same circuit (most houses only have one circuit anyway), any outlet in the house can become an ethernet connection. How well does it work, though? Well, given the plug-and-play nature, setup is easy enough, so you’ll be connected in no time, but if it doesn’t have a solid, stable connection, there is no point in purchasing (or winning) this or other products on the market. I can safely say that it does work, and it works great. To give you an idea of my home network, I have my modem and two Belkin routers; one really old one and a new one. Of course, the first router I changed the gateway address to something different than the old router (as both use the same IP). On the first router, I have my PC, wireless, and the connection to my second router (which is the 50 foot ethernet cable). On the old router, I have my PC, PS3, and 360 hooked up via an ethernet connection (I only use wireless for the Wii and PSP). Since I still needed more than one ethernet connection in my room, I decided to connect the powerline kit as a bridge between the old and new router, and it worked perfectly. It doesn’t have its own IP or anything, since it just essentially makes your home circuit a collection of ethernet wires. The connection was pretty much instantaneous. Having done a speed test before hooking up the device, and then performing another afterward, the speeds were pretty much exactly the same. No drop in quality or anything. And my house was built in the 80s, so this should work for you if you still live in an older house. I don’t think that was my biggest test, though. Not by a long shot. Yesterday, I folded and decided to pick up Mass Effect 2 off of the PSN. I probably could have saved a bit of money getting it at a retail store, but I couldn’t be bothered. The game is 12GBs, and at my connection, that download was going to take a handful of hours (my PS3 can download a megabyte in about a second or so if no one else is using the internet heavily). During the course of the download, I haven’t had any connection drops or the like. In fact, I was still using my computer while it was downloading as well. Without any drops in quality or connection, I gotta say, this device works really good. It does come with software, but it is mostly useless and unneeded. I tried just changing the QoS, but got a weird error, so I just passed on it. As long as it works without having to configure anything, don’t worry about the software. The only thing I don’t know is how using your home’s circuit is going to affect your electric bill. I assume that the data transfer to and from the devices isn’t going to cost anything, but actually powering the devices will. I’m no electrician, but I do have some of the more important specs for you here if things like power consumption are a factor: Specifications Range 200 meters Power Consumption 4.0W, 0.06A; 1.6W in standby (which it will go into if it isn’t connected and only plugged in) Power Supply AC 100-240V, 50-60Hz Temperature Operating: 41-113 degrees Fahrenheit Non-Operating: -13-158 degrees Fahrenheit Humidity Operating: 30 Non-Operating: 30 In conclusion, I will say that this device definitely has its uses. One thing you could do, if you have a limited area to which you need to hook up your modem, this is great for those who want to have a wireless router set up in a better location in the house. All you need to do is hook up the modem to one device and the router to another and you’re good to go! I would definitely recommend this, despite the useless software, the bulkiness, and the weight. If you want to extend your network without laying wires or routing them through the walls (assuming you don’t want a wireless connection), this is definitely a viable way of going about that quickly and easily.

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Hardware Review: HP200AV Powerline Internet AV Kit

According to Kotaku , From Software (creators of Demon’s Souls) has confirmed that Dark Souls will be delayed, thankfully by a week, in Japan! The game was scheduled for release on September 15th in Japan and October 4th and 7th in North America and Europe respectively. The new release date is set for September 22nd in Japan, but there have been no comments on wither the other regions will experience the same delay or not. “From Software” hasn’t given any specific reasons behind the delay.

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Dark Souls Delayed

The Wasteland, part four in the six part behind-the-scenes series for RAGE. In The Wasteland, the team at id Software team discuss creating the world of RAGE, its variety of intense missions as well as co-op and multiplayer combat rally racing. “RAGE features intense first-person shooter action, breakneck vehicle combat, an expansive world to explore and jaw-dropping graphics powered by id’s revolutionary id Tech™ 5 technology. Set in the not-too-distant future after an asteroid impacts Earth, you emerge into a vast wasteland to discover humanity working to rebuild itself against such forces as bandit gangs, mutants, and more. RAGE promises an experience like no other.” RAGE is slated for release on October 4th, 2011. Source: PR

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Rage Behind the Scenes 4 of 6 “Wasteland”

Capcom Japan has put together one of the most epic Resident Evil collections ever! It hits September 8th for $100 US and will have to be imported. This set looks epic. Here is what you get: 1. Software for PS ® “Resident Evil: DIRECTOR’S CUT” 2. Software for PS ® “Biohazard 2″ 3. Software for the PS ® “Resident Evil 3 LAST ESCAPE” 4. Software for PS3 ® “Evil Revival Selection” 5. Original Soundtrack “Resident Evil CODE: Complete Veronica” 6. Original Soundtrack “Resident Evil 4″ 7. Item the 15th anniversary of “Pins and Stickers (STARS & Umbrella)” 8. For PS3 ® “Resident Evil 5″ or “Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition” spacers Enjoy the pics below. Source: Capcom

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Amazing Resident Evil Collection