New Uncharted 3 Gameplay Footage

Remember the demo debut on the Jimmy Fallon show two weeks ago? A burning chateau gameplay with Drake and Sully was shown and now Naughty Dog has released today an extended version of that gameplay. Watch it after the break.

Uncharted 3 was unveiled with a teaser trailer and a gameplay a few weeks ago and rumors hinted the third entry in the series might contain some open-world mechanics.
Game director Justin Richmond has told Eurogamer Uncharted 3 will not be an open-world game but “it will probably feel more open than the other games have. For sure”. He clarified: “we’re never going to let you just ride a thousand miles off into the middle of nowhere. Ultimately the feel we want to get is, yeah, you’re lost in the desert. So it needs to feel like that. But it’s not going to feel open-world.”
“We sent guys to the desert and looked at desert reference and realised that the desert actually does have some natural barriers. There are dunes that are impossible to climb. We sent a couple of our art guys out there and they were trying to climb these dunes and the sand was just sliding. We get away with some of that kind of stuff.
“But at some point we have to do something. And I don’t want to say what we did because I think we came up with a really cool solution. But we try not to kill you.”
For the video and more check out Made2Game

SOURCE - Made 2 Game

Mass Effect 2 / PS3

Mass Effect 2 - BioWare

Its no big secret, we PS3 gamers were jealous of this one. Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and then ported to Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios and became a huge hit.

The game takes place in the year 2183, with the player, assuming the role of an elite human soldier named Commander Shepard, setting out to explore the Galaxy on a starship, the SSV Normandy. The titular mass effect is a form of inertia-suppressing technology, allowing faster-than-light travel. (I got that from Wikipedia!)

A sequel, Mass Effect 2, was released on January 26, 2010, and takes place two years after the events that transpired in the first game. Mass Effect 2 also directly uses players' completed save data from the first game to influence events and story lines within the second game, basing certain events and narrative threads on decisions and actions that the player made in the first game.

Enough of that, the game was (excuse the pun) massive! And when ME2 was released it was an instant success and PS3 gamers wept themselves to sleep as they had missed out on a real treat.

Subject Zero - Tattood

That was until August 18th when it was announced that in January 2011 PS3 gamers would finally be able to take Commander Sheppard through part 2 of the saga. I don't know what happened or what the story of either Mass Effect or Mass Effect 2 are about but there is now a DEMO available on PSN and part of the demo relays the events leading upto Mass Effect 2.  No spoiling here so go download it or buy the game and find out for yourself. All I can tell you is Shepard is tasked with finding out more about the Collectors and why they are abducting entire human colonies. Shepard must recruit and gain the loyalty of a diverse team in order to accomplish what seems to be a suicide mission. 

Mass Effect 2  is part RPG and part 3rd Person Shooter and I can't wait to get stuck in to it...

Black Ops Has Been Relieved of Duty

I haven't played Battlefield Bad Company 2 for a while.  But with the ahem niggles that are ongoing with Black Ops at the moment, I did last night and it was spot on.. There were a few occassions where hit/shot detection was a bit dubious but otherwise great - I wont say it was lag 'cos it didn't feel like it and throughout each game it was pretty solid.

Graphics aren't great on this game as you might know, and unfortunately it doesn't look any better when you blow it up to 40 inches of 1080 - my new TV! That said the game play is good & I had a satisfying couple of hours playing it - with no game drops, no freezing, no issues finding a game, and as I said above no noticeable lag to complain about.  Unlike a certain other FPS you might be aware of....

I would still like to have kill streak rewards and the chance to learn / fly a frigging helicopter... But basically the game rocks!

Of the new maps on Map Pack 7 (Is that right?) there is a great one called Cold War... Its like a small square of about 8 2 storey buildings and a tank (of course). Loads of sniping across the square, shot guns as people are creeping up the stairs to flank you, and with a good coordinated team resupplying ammo and medipacs to each other you can get a good control of the game. I played about 4 games with the same squad members 2 recon, 1 assault and 1 medic (without voice chat) and we just got stuck in on a couple of maps and owned big time!

Of course a feature of BFBC2 is that you can't dig in for too long or the building you are in will get blown up...  All good fun...

Call of Duty: Black Ops - New Patch

A new patch (1.04) is inbound for Call of Duty Black Ops.

Full details can be found in most places on the web but the following link will take you to the official forums and a post by JD2020.

http://www.callofduty.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=313365

The biggest issue affecting gamers have been to do with matchmaking and parties - these appear to be top of the list - lets hope it works...

Issues Addressed:
• Resolved several issues with parties getting disbanded unexpectedly.
• Additional measures to prevent the “Transmission error” and other disconnects. This was most likely to occur with large parties where party members had mixed NAT types.
• Updated handling for UPnP-enabled routers to improve matchmaking conditions where users had strict or moderate NAT types. Also added in-game communications so that all players are aware of their NAT type in the Player Match party lobby.
• Addressed an issue with VOIP icons not appearing when USB headsets were plugged in prior to game launch.
• Prevention of exploit that allowed players to keep custom classes and killstreaks after prestige.
• Addressed an issue where Flak Jacket Pro would not always protect against ground fires left by Napalm Strikes.
# • Prevention of users losing their killstreak reward when switching classes at the start of a new round in round-based game modes.
# • Addressed an issue where the incorrect perks would appear when spectating another player under certain circumstances.
• Added round start explosive delay to China Lake grenade launcher to give it the same round start limitations as other explosives.
• Contracts will now reset when the player Prestiges.
• Prevention of Valkyrie rocket exploding upon release under rare conditions.
• Prevention of Gunship and Chopper Gunner failing to give player full control under rare conditions.
• Prevention of an issue where a player will get teleported outside the map boundaries under very specific circumstances.
• Additional security measures to enhance detection and banning capabilities.

ITV Player and 4OD now live on the PS3

The ITV Player and 4OD are now live on the PlayStation 3, expanding the choice of catch up channels which previously only included the BBC iPlayer.

This is a great scoop for PS3 and expands the choice on online viewing considerably.

PS3 owners can now watch Lovefilm, Mubi, the PSN video store, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4OD. Quite the choice we are sure you will agree.

By entering your postcode you will also be able to view content specific to your region, so if you happen to be an ex-pat (like me), then you will be able to watch programs from regions such as Scotland (the STV player is coming soon), even if you don’t live in the region.

The PS3 seems to be getting better and better.

SOURCE - Made 2 Game

Deus Ex: Human Revolution-Director's Cut Trailer Video

More Deus Ex: Human Revolution Videos

Awesome Deus Ex Human Revolution Trailer from Eidos Montreal.

The game takes place during the year 2027, 25 years before Deus Ex. Nanotechnological augmentations have yet to be developed and biomechanical augmentations are the current state of the art. The main character, Adam Jensen, is a private security officer with Sarif Industries, a leading company that specializes in these augmentations. After he witnesses a chilling attack on his company which leaves him horribly injured and forced to undergo augmentation to survive, "the conspiracy begins". The visuals are a combination of Cyberpunk and Renaissance imagery resulting in a futuristic Baroque world.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is released early in 2011.

SOURCE - PS3 - IGN: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

More detail about the new Tomb Raider

Lara is young and eager to prove herself to the world. That’s why the new ‘Tomb Raider’ sets her in her first adventure looking for a treasure, but something goes wrong and a very inexperienced Lara will have to endure both physical and emotional trauma in order to survive.

Every detail on the upcoming reboot of one of the most popular videogame series in the last two decades after the break.

Made2Game’s decided to give you an inside scoop of what the latest GI issue says about the new ‘Tomb Raider’. Don’t look any further in the net. We already knew a few details, now you can find everything you need to know about the “new Lara” below.

Plotline

A very young Lara Croft “finds herself struggling to carve an identity of her own from under her parents’ influential shadow.” She refuses to go to Cambridge and decides to go to a lesser-known university instead. When the storyline starts, Lara’s 21 and “fresh from academy”, aboard of a vessel with a crew, she’s determined to change history with a big discovery. Before they reach the island, the expedition is derailed by a massive storm, “leaving an unprepared Croft lost in the sea” and soon fighting for her life in a hostile island.

Why reboot the saga?

Lara Croft has been one of the strongest characters in the videogame industry for quite a time. Eventually her games have been loosing steam, though. Crystal Dynamics admits in this GI issue that not even the last games could save Lara from becoming an empty idea. The team at the studio had to do something and the reboot became an act of necessity. Franchise director Timothy Longo Jr. got it right when he basically says that Lara has to “evolve with the times”. Lara needed to be more human and therefore younger and vulnerable, “someone the player will relate to” in a survival and challenging context. Crystal Dynamics claims to have left the “sex symbol” behind. Lara has been completely rebuilt.

The new Lara: What doesn’t kill her, will make her stronger

The older and mature Lara was, in a manner of speaking, mostly invincible. But the new one “bleeds, trembles, cries and ultimately pushes forward”. She also has a new face. Crystal Dynamic has tried to keep a balance between brains, brawn and beauty, but always working really hard on the character and considering the surface secondary this time. “We wanted to [...] ground her as much as we could”, says senior art director Brian Horton. And you will see that on her clothing, much more practical now (Lara’s exaggerated physique and tight wardrobe were key selling points back in the day). Lara’s new sex appeal will be her “toughness through adverse conditions”.

First scenes with Lara in ‘Tomb Raider’

The GI issue describes one of the first scenes of the game. Lara wakes up and finds herself imprisoned inside a canvas sack, suspended upside down. Lara has no tools or weapons. She eyes a sea of candles only to find out soon that she will have to get burned to, at least, be able to hit the ground. The player will deal with the anxiety of a hurt Lara struggling to find her way out of her desperate situation. “Lara is focused on survival. Professional curiosity will have to wait”. She must navigate through corridors and run away from mysterious pursuers.

The new mechanics

“The main philosophy of Tomb Raider is to take the key action adventure pillars that all gamers in the genre are held up to, and to put them through our filter of survival and action”, explains lead designer Daniel Neuburger. “Survival being thematic and having some gameplay implications, and action being the overall pacing and tone”. This can be translated to less traditional puzzle scenarios, more survival escapes, more cinematic camera, a dynamic world filled with usable objects and where exploration and discovery comes to life.

A new combat style

‘Tomb Raider’ will feature a free-aim system that will help make the game competitive among other games in the genre. The team at Crystal Dynamics also think is very important for the combat the fact that Lara is unfamiliar with violence. Combat will become “a function of survival, not a sport”. We can also expect to find items to build weapons for Lara all over the island.

The island

The mysterious pursuers, who are actually natives, are not the only population on the island. There are also survivors of the crew Lara’s was travelling with. In those camps, Lara will increase her abilities and use them as fast travel points. The island works in a similar way to an open world with scripted moments, where Lara will go out and explore and will revisit locations. Gathering food, water and other valuable resources will be essential for Lara as well.

In order to survive, a young Lara will have to unveil the secrets of the island in this single-player action-adventure story that intends to take a rebuilt Lara to the new era of videogaming.

SOURCE - Made 2 Game

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception confirmed

Entertainment Weekly has lifted the lid on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, the third title in the series which will also debut at the VGA’s this Saturday.

According to Naughty Dog’s creative director Ann Hennig, the theme of deception plays out in multiple ways throughout the threequel, from Drake doing the deceiving to Drake being deceived to some mysterious deception about Drake’s very identity.
Entertainment Weekly says the new story focuses on the hero’s relationship with his mentor and father figure, Victor “Sully” Sullivan, and has him searching for a legendary lost city that will ultimately take him to the Arabian Peninsula and the vast wasteland of the Rub’ al Khali Desert, also known as the Empty Quarter.
Although it looks like the new title is set in a desert it seems this may not necessarily be the case, with EW stating they did see some environments which weren’t desert.
The execs at Naughty Dog walked EW through one of the game’s levels, which saw them introduced to several new innovations such as enhanced backward climbing and the ability to fight multiple baddies at once.

Finally, it was also revealed time and effort is being lavished upon expanding Uncharted’s online multiplayer and co-op capabilities.
“We want to take on the big boys of the multi-player genre,” says Naughty Dog’s Wells, “It has become something here at Naughty Dog that will become an important part to all our games.”
Uncharted 3 will debut in full during the Spike Videogame Awards on Dec. 11. You can check out a teaser trailer over at below.

The Facts

• Bigger set pieces and more explosive adventure, driven by Naughty Dog’s signature storytelling and cinematic presentation.
• Competitive and co-op multiplayer return with brand new experiences and massively expanded feature sets. The UNCHARTED universe provides online players with a unique Action Adventure multiplayer experience, bringing the cinematic elements of the single-player campaign into multiplayer.
• Nathan Drake can now take on opponents in more ways than before: hand-to-hand combat with multiple opponents, contextual melee attacks, and new stealth options. UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception also features expanded and diverse traversal moves with deep gunplay.
• Naughty Dog introduces new physics, visuals, and environmental effects. UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception features new innovations in sand, fire, smoke, and water dynamics and effects. UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception will be playable in Stereoscopic 3D.

SOURCE - Made 2 Game

What I want from the next Lara Croft Title... - ThatBoyTim Blog - www.GameInformer.com

Its only fitting that the 300 post on my blog should be to link to the first post on my new blog.

Not exactly new blog, just a user blog at GameInformer.com

Source - What I want from the next Lara Croft Title...

New Tomb Raider Game InBound

Forget what you know about Lara Croft. As of today, all that is changing.

Yesterday news broke of a new Lara Croft game to simply be called Tomb Raider. The following is taken from GameInformer...

In our world-exclusive cover story, we uncover a brand-new Lara Croft. Rebooting the Tomb Raider franchise through an origin story wasn’t so much a choice as an act of necessity, according to Crystal Dynamics. Drastic measures were needed. To build an entirely fresh Lara – a culturally relevant hero worth of the attention that once came so effortlessly – they must break her first. In this new adventure – simply titled Tomb Raider – a younger and inexperienced Lara Croft must endure both physical and emotional trauma to survive.

She looks hot and this game will chart the beginning of the Lara Croft story and we start with a young 21 year old girl.. Its promises brutal game play that pulls no punches - finally an action title worthy of Lara?

Here are some more details that have been leaked:

- It’s not only a reboot of the franchise but a reboot of the entire brand. As a result there will be no “real” Lara model this time.

- They’re doing performance capturing with this game

- There are brutal deaths in the game this time. One is described as a deranged man stabbing Lara in the chest and then closing her eyes after she’s dead. Another includes a boulder falling on her leg to trap her before another falls and crushes her head.

- CD won’t talk specifics on weapons but concept art shows a bow, shotgun and pistol

- The lock on targeting system is gone and it now has a free aim system. CD says that it can compete with any of their competitors.

- “I think that the major difference between this game and the old is the concept of smoke and mirrors,” begins Darrell Gallagher, the studio head at Crystal Dynamics. “There was an illusion of freedom because of streaming and loading that would pop you out in a different location, but this is absolutely real. You can literally go any direction that you see and carve your own way to the finish line instead of being guide.”

- “It was important in the game to not only deliver the character arc of Lara Croft emotionally, but to deliver it in gameplay as well so the player gets to grow into a hardened survivor,” says experienced director Noah Hughes. As the game unfolds, Lara will scavenge new tools and gear that augment her abilities. Lara’s athletic prowess will also evolve. Some areas begin inaccessible due to physical limitations or scarce supplies. With the right skills and gear, however, the island is Lara’s for the taking.

- There are base camps in the game. Here you can combine items to create something new and access a skill system to upgrade Lara’s abilities. You’ll also be able to use base camps to fast travel to different locations to minimize backtracking.

- You’ll need to gather food and water in order to survive

- There are humans in the game, including some of the crew members from the shipwreck off the coast of the island.

This game sounds like it will have elements of an open world game rather than a linear driven path.. My thoughts are that this will look more like Assassins Creed II than Uncharted (which is what most people seem to think will happen.) On the otherhand it could have a large feel like Far Cry 2 or Red Dead Redemption.

Either way it looks pretty good.

SOURCE - January Cover Revealed - News - www.GameInformer.com

Second Homefront developer diary released

THQ’s released a new developer diary for Kaos Studio’s upcoming future warfare first-person shooter Homefront.

The dev’ diary focuses on the multiplayer aspect of the game with the staff from Kaos explaining the fundamentals of multiplayer mode. They mention that the game will have dedicated servers when the game launches, and also mentioning the ground basics of multiplayer.

The main feature of the games multiplayer is of course the Battle points. Battle points is a points system within Homefront which gives you points for doing actions within the game, such as capturing objectives which will give you points to use toward mini tanks, mini helicopters, and rocket launchers etc.

Check out the video at Made 2 Game » Second Homefront developer diary

Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Good Company!

Wow! DICE and EA are doing a stunning job of supporting the Call of Duty beater BattleField Bad Company 2 with amazing new maps and DLC this month.

Right now available for FREE (Yes free) to VIP members are 4 new maps (battlefield locations) converted from the campaign and from Bad Company (the first game in the series). Details Below

Heavy Metal & Cold War

Heavy Metal - One of our largest multiplayer maps ever, chock full with beautiful vistas and vehicles of destruction.

Cold War - Converted from the singleplayer campaign, this snowy little town is about to get destroyed, 2.0 style.

Oasis & Harvest Day

OASIS - The all-time community favourite from Battlefield: Bad Company is back! Urban warfare with tanks and helis, framed by palm trees.

Harvest Day - Another fan favourite gets the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 treatment. Quaint farms, rolling fields -- and multiplayer mayhem.

Oh and did anyone notice the awesome trailer for the Vietnam DLC coming soon...?

The November Recap; GT5, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, Need for Speed and lots of movie love | PS3 Attitude

My oh my, what an insanely awesome month just passed. November is always known for being a big one in the gaming world but both the amount and quality of the games that just hit shelves is staggering. In case you missed any of them, we’ve got them all right here in one place. To go along with it, we’ve also got the latest news on several new streaming movie/tv apps in both Europe and North America.

GT5
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
Assassins Creed Brotherhood
Call of Duty Black Ops
Love Film

SOURCE and MORE Details- The November Recap | PS3 Attitude