Do you eat, sleep, and breathe video games? Can you mold words into masterful works of art? If you answered yes, and are looking to join a site dedicated to providing quality content without conforming its team into style guide humping zombies, you’re in the right place.

Ripten is looking for talented writers that know how to find newsworthy information and craft witty editorials. If you’re interested in finding out more,  drop us a line at chad@ripten.com or check out our “Write for Ripten” page for a very real glimpse into our world.

Make sure to include a few samples of your work when emailing and tell us a little about what makes you the genius that you are.

Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers’ Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward, and several of the teams running backs and offensive line members participated in a Guitar Hero 5 “Pro vs. GI Joe” competition with a group of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 336th Military Police Company stationed in Iraq.

Pro vs. GI Joe is a non-profit organization started by Addie Zinone (still active in the military with two tours in Iraq under her belt) and her husband Greg in June of 2007 as a means to “do a little for those who do a lot.”

“This is an opportunity and a way that the professional athletes can say thank you to the troops from their community in a really fun way,” said Zinone.

This Friday, the service did just that, as it connected soldiers to the Steelers players at their practice facility in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania through used of satellites and the Xbox LIVE service. Steelers Quarterback had the following to say about the experience:

“To be able to interact with these guys and enjoy it – and I could see the joy on their face – and get to beat them a little bit in some Rock band. It’s a lot of fun”

Apparently even Super Bowl Quarterbacks have a hard time telling EA’s Rock Band and Activision’s Guitar Hero apart these days.

While Steelers All Pro Safety, and co-Madden 2010 cover athlete, Troy Polamalu, didn’t take part in the strumming of plastic instruments, he did his part to boost soldier moral by showing up in a grass-covered Ghillie sniper suit. Check out the video below.

In the end, Pittsburgh’s KDKA news station declared the Steelers winners of the competition, and considering the teams performance in last Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, I’m sure they’re relishing the win.

Yes. I’m a bitter Steelers fan. Sue me. I will end this on a positive note by saying bravo to Zinone and her husband for putting together such an awesome organization. If you’d like to find out more about Pro vs. GI Joe, head on over to their website at provsgijoe.com.

You know those emergency “flash flood warnings” that interrupt your television viewing experience with the ever soothing sound combination of nails on a chalkboard and a car alarm? Well, they may be making their way to your video game console in the not so distant future if one government official gets his way.

As it turns out, the state of New York is currently testing an Xbox based emergency alert system. New York State Deputy CIO, Rico Singleton, who seems to be spearheading the push, believes that the majority of kids these days play video games instead of watching TV or listening to the radio — mediums which already have emergency alert systems built in.

The goal is to tap into the online networks already established by companies like Microsoft and Nintendo to more effectively reach this video game obsessed demographic when natural or man made disasters occur.

Okay, serious hat off for a moment. Where the hell are the parents? In the other room snorting cocaine off of dead hookers? “Mom! Dad! The Xbox just told me that terrorists attacked an airport! … Wait, never mind, that’s just a level in Modern Warfare 2.”

I personally find it funny to hear a government type sounding like they miss the “good old days when kids rotted their brains out watching TV, and stayed glued to the raido for a chance to record a new song for their  mix tape.”

What say you? Do you feel that there is a need to have a video game based emergency broadcast system, or is this simply going too far? Sound off in the comments section below, and look out for that killer Yoshi!

[Thanks InformationWeek]

The Sci-Fi fans just shed a tear for what could have been. In an interview with GamePro, Modern Warfare 2 scribe, Jesse Stern, admitted that Infinity Ward actually considered a far fetched alien, and even undead, scenario for their latest CoD sequel:

“In the beginning we talked about having things in Modern Warfare 2 like outbreaks, viruses, chemical warfare, and even outlandish things such as aliens and the living dead,”

Guess those “CoD on Mars” rumors back in 2008 had at least a little truth to them. Sci-Fi fans shouldn’t give up hope completely though. News of a third Call of Duty team being hired by Activision leaked a few days ago, which means we may end up gunning down aliens while fighting off zombies in a futuristic CoD title after all.

Sony and Sega are teaming up to skin one beloved icon with the blue spikey exterior of another. According to the pages of PlayStation’s Hong Kong site, costumes for Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Knuckles, Werehog and Dr. Eggman will be available in that region on December 17th. We will most likely see them release here in the States as well, but nothing official points to it just yet.

In response to a question thrown his way on Twitter, Geoff Keighley, host of the 7th annual Video Game Awards, revealed that there are about ten unannounced games we can expect to see for the first time at VGA 09. One of these is a new shooter by 2K Games.

The teaser for this new game (shown below) opens with several shots of what appears to be the city of Dubai in a war torn state. The narrative comes from the perspective of a stranded soldier, who mentions a failed evacuation attempt and cites a high number of casualties as the camera pans by several individuals hanging from highway street lights. We possibly get a glimpse of the character we’ll be playing as in the final seconds of the clip.

My guess is, anything big enough to hang you from a street light is definitly not human. Could this be a sci-fi type battle set in the future? You can catch the event live on Spike TV December 12th. Don’t forget to get your voting in before then!

GameStop is pulling out all the stops to earn your buck this holiday season. The retailer/glorified pawn shop is promising to give you a little extra cash back on Super Mario Bros. Wii and Left 4 Dead 2 if you buy the titles from them online an return them no later than December 20th of this year.

In other words, you can rent the games from them for a full price down payment and get roughly $20 less back when you return them. Exact verbiage below.

Purchase New Super Mario Bros. online and get a guaranteed $30 trade credit if you trade in the game at a GameStop store by December 20, 2009. Offer valid for online purchases only. Offer valid for a limited time only. GameStop reserves the right to end this promotion at any time. Coupon for $30 trade credit will be e-mailed November 23, 2009 to the e-mail address used to place the order. Wii versions only.

“Purchase Left 4 Dead 2 online and get a guaranteed $40 trade credit if you trade in the game at a GameStop store by December 20, 2009. Offer valid for online purchases only. Offer valid for a limited time only. GameStop reserves the right to end this promotion at any time. Coupon for $40 trade credit will be e-mailed November 23, 2009 to the e-mail address used to place the order. Xbox 360 version only.”

Considering GameFly lets you rent games everyday for about half the price of this so called “deal”, without the upfront purchase requirement, and no limit on when you have to return the game, this GameStop online offer really doesn’t seem all too great.

[Thanks Siliconera]

Over forty new Final Fantasy XIII images were released today giving us a closer look at the game’s Crystarium leveling system, enemy stomping Chocobos, and the summoned Alexander. In addition, a few screens show off the various backdrops in the game — everything from lush green fields to colorfully lit theme park type environment. Have at them, and enjoy the weekend.

Sony talked about their future plans for the PlayStation Network in their latest investor meeting, with the biggest news undoubtedly being the company’s intention to put a “new revenue stream from subscription” into effect.

A subscription model. That sounds familiar now doesn’t it? Is it the end of the world for free loading PSN hippies? I don’t think so, but while I firmly believe that PlayStation Network users will still get more for free than Microsoft’s Xbox Live Silver members, I’m willing to bet that certain currently enjoyed free features will eventually phase themselves into the “premium” package right before our eyes.

It’s likely that Sony’s Home model wasn’t the “hit” they expected, causing the company to come to terms with the fact that an additional revenue option was going to be needed — something closer to what Microsoft has been doing all along. I’m no expert on their inner business workings, but it makes perfect sense that the next logical step for them would be to create value in such a transition so that their free members make the jump.

Some customers will inevitably reject the change, while others will happily accept it as inevitable and move on. Which will you be? Are you willing to pay for a PSN subscription model or does this news have you cursing the video game Gods?

Per a recent job posting, it seems that Microsoft Game Studios is looking for an experienced producer to work closely with Epic Games in order to:

“Lead the publishing side of games made by Epic,” and “drive the success of Gears of War and Shadow Complex.”

This will no doubt kick Gears fans into Locust stomping sequel speculation mode. Is a Gears of War 3 currently under development right now? The Ripten inbox may hold a clue.

My last email exchange with Cliff was about three weeks ago, as an effort to lock down a future interview with the Epic Games Design Director. While he didn’t come out and say “sure, let’s do it on x-date right after we announce Gears 3″, he did extend the following olive branch:

“Don’t have anything to promote right now. Best to try again after we announce something. :)”

If you take his response into consideration, pair it with the recent job posting, and a little cash cow common sense, you’re likely thinking that developement of another Gears sequel is underway. Only time will tell for sure, but the betting man in me says “heck yeah it is!”

EA just released a new video for Madden NFL Arcade that outlines the “game changers” built into the game. Check it out and skim through the list which I’ve broken down for you below.

Entourage
Allows you to load up on linemen for an unfair advantage over your opponent. Offensive Entourage puts wall of blockers out in front of you turning a run play into a walk in the park. Defensive Entourage gives is Madden Arcade’s version of stacking the box as it sends the a wave of unblockable defenders your opponents way.

Molasses
Turns gameplay into a slow motion wonderland. If David Carr had this available to him his first few years in the NFL he may have had a fighting chance to stay upright.

Hard to Catch
Turn pass happy offenses into rumblin’ bumblin’ stumblin’ fools. This features forces incomplete passes to become live ball fumbles.

Bonus Play
Gives you an extra down to run out the clock or score the game winning TD. I know at least one coach that would have welcomed this feature into the NFL last week. Oddly enough, the example in the video utilizes the New England Patriots. The irony.

Flying Blind
Lets you turn off the icons over the heads of your opponent’s receivers giving you a slightly better chance for an interception on an errant throw.

and now for my favorite…

Flip Flop
This game changer takes it to a level of it’s own as it actually lets you steal your opponents score and replace it with yours. If ever there was a way to teach someone who likes to tack on the TD’s in a blow out — this is it. I’m guessing you have to save this until the last few seconds of the game and catch your opponent off guard right as the clock is about to run out so they don’t reverse it on you with a flop of their own. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Toys“R”Us announced an additional service today. In addition to shopping for bikes, trains, and video games in the biggest toy store there is (gee whiz!), you can now exchange your used Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii consoles at Toys“R”Us too.

You’ve been able to trade-in used games for some time now, but this piece of the puzzle practically eliminates the need to deal with often irate Game Stop employees. Plus, wouldn’t you rather exchange your old console for a few boxes of Legos or some tricked out Hotwheels? I sure would. Full press release below.

Toys“R”Us Expands ‘Big Gift’ Layaway to include video game hardware; adds video game hardware trade-in for gift card program

Company Promises Aggressive Video Game Hardware and Software Deals Throughout Holiday Season, Including Buy One, Get One Half Off and $25 iTunes Gift Card with Purchase of Select Hot Games Beginning Sunday, November 22

WAYNE, NJ (November 18, 2009) – Toys“R”Us today announced it has expanded its popular “Big Gift” layaway to include video game hardware and is also introducing a new video game hardware trade-in program. Now gift-givers have even more convenient ways to pay and save with these additional value offerings just in time for the holiday season, whether they are looking to buy new hardware, rid their basement of old items or both!

“Since the introduction of the ‘Big Gift’ layaway last month, the number one request we’ve received from customers is to expand the program to include video game hardware, and we’re responding by providing more convenient payment options for these items,” said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys“R”Us, Inc. “At the same time, we’re adding a video game hardware trade-in program in our stores for customers who may be looking for ways to save on Christmas gifts for loved ones or to upgrade their own gaming systems.”

“Big Gift” Layaway Expands to Include Video Game Hardware

Effective immediately, video game hardware is now included in the company’s “Big Gift” layaway offering. Through the program, customers can reserve some of the hottest items of the season early when supply is at its best, and make a series of small payments over time. Video game hardware such as Nintendo Wii, DS and DSi, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable systems and related accessories can be placed on layaway. Customers nationwide have been taking advantage of the “Big Gift” layaway as an option for gifting large items such as bikes, Power Wheels®, play kitchens, dollhouses, cribs and more since its introduction in October.

Placing a product on layaway at any Toys“R”Us store requires a deposit of 20% of the total purchase, including all applicable taxes, and a $10 service charge. Payments may be made at the store at any time in the form of cash, check, credit card, debit card or gift card. Items must be paid for in full by December 6 to ensure the gift is available for pickup before Christmas. A fee will apply to canceled layaway orders*.

*The program is not available in Maryland at this time. Stores in Ohio and Rhode Island have different policies for canceled orders. See stores for details.

Video Game Hardware Trade-In Program Introduced

Beginning Friday, November 20, customers can trade in used video game hardware at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide in exchange for Toys“R”Us gift cards**. Whether a dad trades in the Nintendo Game Boy Advance from his childhood and uses the gift card he receives to buy toys for his own kids or an avid gamer wants to upgrade to the newest gaming system, customers will appreciate being able to turn outdated video game hardware into savings on their next Toys“R”Us purchase.

Video game hardware systems eligible for the trade-in program include:

Microsoft – Xbox 360 Core/Arcade, Xbox 360 Premium 20 GB, Xbox 360 Premium 60 GB, Xbox 360 Elite, Xbox 360 Halo Edition and Xbox Original

Sony – PlayStation 3 20 GB, PlayStation 3 40 GB, PlayStation 3 60 GB, PlayStation 3 80 GB, PlayStation 3 160 GB, PlayStation 3 Slim 120 GB, PlayStation 2 Original, PlayStation 2 Slim, PlayStation 1, PlayStation Portable Original, Slim and Go

Nintendo – Wii, DSi, DS Lite, DS, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Advance, Game Cube and Nintendo 64

Customers can participate in the video game hardware trade-in program at Toys“R”Us stores in the United States as follows:

* Used video game hardware may be brought to a Toys“R”Us Guest Services desk.
* Hardware will then be scanned and prices will be offered for each item.
* Customers confirm that they want to accept the offer to exchange any, or all, of the hardware they brought to the store.
* Once the transaction is complete, customers receive an activated gift card equal to the total worth of all hardware traded.
* Immediately upon receiving the gift card, customers can purchase any product from iPods and toys to candy and diapers at any Toys“R”Us or Babies“R”Us location or online at Toysrus.com.

This new trade-in option for video game hardware supplements a video game trade-in program offered since September in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide.

** Video game hardware trade-in is unavailable at Toys“R”Us Holiday Express locations and select Toys“R”Us locations. See stores for details.

In a contrasting string of commercials, Pringles stack their chip against bagged brand competitors. The premise is simple — “not every chip gets you to the crunch.”

And as you’ll see in the Silent Hill video game scenario below, when you finally do get to the “crunch”, a strip teasing Lara Croft will be waiting. The “squelching” non-crunch counterpart is, well, not as entertaining. Enjoy.

First, the “Crunch.”

And now, the “Squelch.”

In the latest edition of Sessler’s Soap Box, Adam says goodbye to Pandemic Studios and shares his thoughts on the economic impact as it pertains to the gaming industry and EA’s new IP experiment. I’ll share my thoughts on the subject with you after you’ve had a chance to watch the video which happens to open with a nice shot of Sessler sporting a Mercenary Mohawk. Kudos to the G4 Photoshop expert.

All interesting and valid points made by Adam. We tend to complain about companies like Activision and EA when the milk franchises like Madden and Guitar Hero but the fact of the matter is that most consumers, especially in a down economy, are going to go with something they know over something they don’t. You can blame a lackluster marketing effort if you like, but I think the problem is larger than that.

I found myself in a local Best Buy a few weeks back with an opportunity to pick up three games for the price of two, when I originally came there to pick up Madden 2010. Having to now choose two other additional titles on short notice, my wallet urged me to go with what I knew. Ultimately my choices were Batman: Arkham Asylum and the latest Uncharted sequel over Borderlands and Brutal Legend.

Batman is a pop culture icon and Uncharted had a track record that I was familiar with. Both Borderlands and Brutal Legend looked cool, and from a marketing standpoint it wasn’t like they were foreign to me, but I just wasn’t willing to shell out forty (normally sixty) bucks for something I had no prior experience with. You can’t blame that on marketing.

Ultimately, I believe that change in strategy may be in order. One solution developers and publishers can possibly look to employ is a very early demo release backed by significant marketing of said demo, as apposed to simply releasing a demo two to three weeks before a game comes out as a last minute push for awareness. This would give the average consumer juggling a job, family, and some semblance of a social life, a larger window of opportunity to play the game before hitting stores — which would ultimately give them more to base their purchase on then a television commercial and a handful of secondary opinions.

What do you think of all this? Are some games just destined to be cult classics as apposed to block buster hits regardless of marketing and release strategy or do you think otherwise? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Just one day after the Sony next-gen console celebrates it’s third birthday, the PlayStation 3 gets firmware update v3.10, a perfect compliment to half eaten ice cream cake.

The latest update contains the features we reported on just a few days ago, most notably the addition of Facebook and a new gamercard customization option. Feel free to examine the full press release below.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. to Offer Richer Online Social Experience to PlayStation(R)3 Computer Entertainment System Owners with Facebook Integration

Next Firmware Update (v3.10) Enables PlayStation 3 system Gamers to Share Their Experiences with Friends on Facebook, Including Trophies Won In-Game, PlayStation(R)Network Game Purchases, and Game Events

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 18 – Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (”SCEA”) today announced an integration with Facebook to deliver the first phase of a variety of new features to further connect and enhance the online social experiences of PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system owners. Starting on November 18, as part of the system software update, version 3.10, users can easily showcase their game accomplishments to friends and family, and post information about the PS3 games they purchase from PlayStation®Network to Facebook. With the new Facebook integration, PS3 system owners now have access to a truly social and seamless user experience.

With Firmware 3.10, PS3 system owners can now not only brag to friends about their domination as a gamer, but also back it up by sharing unlocked trophies with their friends on Facebook every time they sync their Trophies. Additionally, the system update enables PS3 system owners to share information on games they just purchased with a click of a button. The new system update also enables game developers to set up trigger points in their games that provide PS3 system users the option to quickly and easily publish game related information from their favorite titles to Facebook.

“Launching Facebook for the PlayStation community is a natural fit for our goal of delivering unparalleled connected experiences – from connecting our community to each other to connecting our customers to great entertainment downloaded from the PlayStation Store,” said Susan Panico, senior director, PlayStation Network, SCEA. “As we pass the third anniversary of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network, we’re excited to deepen the social experiences of PlayStation Network and kick-off the first phase of our integration with Facebook.”

“We’re excited to connect Facebook’s 300 million active users with the PlayStation 3, enabling players to connect and share their game experiences with friends,” said Ethan Beard, director, Facebook Developer Network.

Key Facebook Features:

Showcase Trophies: Instantly share trophies you earn in PS3 games in your Facebook stream. Simply sync your PS3 system and easily show off your accomplishments to friends and family.

PlayStation Store Purchase Log Publishing: Let friends and family on Facebook instantly know which PlayStation 3 games you’ve purchased. The PlayStation Store, available to PS3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system owners through PlayStation Network, features over 200 downloadable games, many of which are exclusive to PS3 or PSP system owners, in addition to over 4,000 pieces of add-on game content.

Game Event: With a few quick clicks of the controller sharing select game events, progress and statistics is now easier than ever with the Facebook integration.

Additional New Firmware 3.10 Features (not related to Facebook):

Photos: Photos will now be displayed in a grid format for simplified access and viewing.
Friends List: The PlayStation Network Friends List has an enhanced design that enables users to customize the background color of their PlayStation Network Profile.

The leaks just keep coming today. Japanese mag, Shonen jump, had two pages surface on the web which showcase a gigantic blue monster, a dinosaur looking beast, and a more familiar Final Fantasy enemy — the Cactuar, who apparently has a significant other this time around. High res scan below.

[Thanks finalfantasy-xiii.net]

Spike TV’s 7th annual Video Game Awards is approaching. With nominees selected in twenty-eight different categories, it’s time for you to put your homer hat on and get to voting.

Can Batman: Arkham Asylum beat out Left 4 Dead 2 and a slew of other big budget sequels for Game of the Year honors? Does Borderlands pack enough FPS firepower to gun down Bioware’s Dragon Age: Origins and lay claim to the throne as Best RPG? Will Jack Black’s vocal talent in Brutal Legend rock voters and assure him a win in the Best Voice category?

You have the power to decide, and with great power comes great responsibility. So, consider your living room couch an extension of the venue. Sit up straight and look presentable — the gaming world will be watching.

Catch the two hour event live on Spike TV, December 12th at 8PM EST to find out who takes home the hardware and get a world first look at Halo: Reach as well as a few other unannounced 2010-2011 releases.

If you enjoyed the original Witcher half as much as our own Dan Landis did, you may want to tilt your head a bit and take a look at the sneaky footage captured by a camera wielding ninja at what appears to be a closed session presentation held by developer, CD Projekt RED.

In commenting on the leak, the developer issued the following statement:

“The movie that appeared on the various sites yesterday presents our newest project, The Witcher 2, which we’ve been working on for some time … Currently we are looking for a potential publisher (or publishers) for this title, and this leak is an uncontrolled side effect of that process. For today, we are not commenting on anything that concerns the game itself.”

Considering the developer is obviously well aware of the stolen footage, chances are it won’t be online for much longer. Let’s hope the leak doesn’t adversely effect their chances of finding a suitable publisher for their work.

[Thanks CVG]

According to the translated pages of Japanese mag, Famitsu, Capcom’s “Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition” will feature new costumes, a new chapter, and an updated “Mercenaries Reunion” mode allowing you to play under the same rules of the previous version with characters you couldn’t access before.

North American and European regions will have access to the new content via DLC download, while Japanese gamers will have the option to purchase a disc as well. Below is the pricing breakdown with Microsoft Point information included as well.

• The Lost in Nightmares Episode – Includes the Lost in Nightmares episode, EX figures, and two characters for The Mercenaries Reunion. (¥500/400MSP).
• Costume Pack 1 – Includes two costumes, EX figures, and two characters for The Mercenaries Reunion. (¥200/160MSP).
• Additional Episode Title TBA – Includes the unannounced new episode, EX figures, and two The Mercenaries Reunion characters. (¥500/400MSP).
• Costume Pack 2 – Includes two costumes, EX figures, and two characters for The Mercenaries Reunion. Priced: (¥200/160MSP).

[Thanks Andriasang]

My tendency to go with overly descriptive and often lengthy headlines sort of leaves me grasping for additional things to say in the body copy at times. This isn’t one of them.

The video below showcases an NES remake of Left 4 Dead, complete with instantaneous vanishing bodies and bloodless kills. Remind of you of a more modern censored sequel of the same game? Hmm?

While the absence of persistent zombie corpses lying in puddles of their own blood does remind me of the Australian censored Left 4 Dead 2 game, the NES version of L4D isn’t completely void of blood. It does offer a few random splatters on floors and walls to help set the mood, and that’s more than we can say about its Aussie counterpart. Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself.

[Thanks GoNintendo]

If ever you wanted more proof that Activision just can’t get enough of the Call of Duty franchise, here it is. It now seems that two dedicated teams and a yearly sequel release isn’t enough for the publishers overactive CoD drive.

The tail end of a LA Times article discussing the sheer magnitude of Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 launch reveals that, in addition to Infinity Ward and Treyarch, a third mystery team has been signed to create yet another CoD release. Could Activision seriously be toying with the idea of releasing a semi-annual Call of Duty title? The option would allow them to offer three flavors of CoD; past, present, and future.

A source close to the matter believes that a massively multi-player version of the game is being considered as well. Call of Duty MMO anyone? The possibilities really are limitless considering Activision’s propensity to milk its franchises like a little kid trying to suck every last drop of their beverage through a straw until you finally scream out “STOP THAT!”

We’ve sent an email off to Activision requesting a comment and will definitely update you the moment we hear back.

[Thanks LA Times]

In a recent interview, Square Enix President, Yoichi Wada, was asked if he thought Final Fantasy XIII would be the best selling Final Fantasy ever, and considering the recent US & European announcement video touted Final Fantasy XIII as “possibly the most anticipated game of all time”, his response may shock more than a few Final Fantasy fans.

“We would like to hope so. When we say that it is going to be the best selling title ever, the hurdle/bar is really high because Final Fantasy VII sold 10 million units.

… it’s not [that] there are new elements that are included into the Final Fantasy XIII, there are elements that are included that is expected out of the Final Fantasy title itself, for example a beautiful story, it being emotional and moving and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy. Those are included, but there is not a lot of newness to it.”

Not a lot of newness? Interesting response. In a day and age when others in his position are screaming from the mountain tops that there game will outsell everything known to man, Wada takes a less dramatic approach. Whether he meant exactly what the translator said or some element was lost during the literal translation, it’s important to note that Wada did contrast the game to that of Western RPG’s, so it may have been more of a comparison thing.

In closing, Final Fantasy XIII will include some advancements. It will feature high def graphics, combat system refinements, and a new weapon modifier feature, but the fact of the matter is  a series with a lengthy proven track record of success, such as Final Fantasy, doesn’t need “a lot of newness”.

My opinion is that the game will sell like 5 cent lemonade on record high hot summer day. Considering it’s one of the main reasons I bought my PS3, I’d personally run through several brick walls to own it on release day.

[Thanks Final Fantasy Union]

Yes. The Sony PlayStation 3 is as old as its generation number indicates. Happy Birthday, you sleek black box that only does everything. May you enjoy a long and prosperous life cycle.

[Thanks PlayStation Blog]

The original standard release box art (shown above left) for BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 game revealed back in July has changed. The new art (shown above right) is what BioWare is calling the”final” box art for the highly anticipated sequel. Maybe the old one showed off a little more female crotch than EA felt parents would be comfortable with? Who knows.

I personally like the new cover choice. While there’s significantly less female anatomy to admire, the in your face close up shot makes you feel like your part of the team, and don’t we all want to be part of the team?

Check out the image below for a closer look at the new cover and make sure to let us know what you think of the new direction in our comments section.

The rumor which surfaced just over an hour ago regarding the possible shut down of Pandemic Studios has just been confirmed via an internal Electronic Arts memo snagged by Kotaku. It seems that the individuals EA deems as the Pandemic “core” team will be merged into the EA Los Angeles office, while the roughly 200 other employees will be left jobless.

EA Games Label Senior Vice President, Nick Earl, made the following statements as a part of the aforementioned memo:

“I want to make it clear that the Pandemic brand and franchises will live on … In the months ahead, we will announce plans for new games based on Pandemic franchises.

“This type of change can be difficult. But the situation calls for us to act decisively, to take control of our destiny and to run a stronger, more focused development operation. That’s how we will continue to make great games in our LA studios.”

It’s truly a sad day for fans of explosions, mercenary style payback, and the catchy “Oh No You Didn’t” track (below). Let’s all raise our glasses to Pandemic and thank them for their service. Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Joe Madueira’s “manga meets graffiti” art style created an Uncanny X-Men comic book craze in the 90s, and his work as Vigil Games’ Creative Director on the company’s action adventure game titled “Darksiders: Wrath of War” looks to be loaded with the same stylistic flare.

If slaying gigantic monsters as a lone horsemen in a sandbox style post apocalyptic world sounds like a good time, you’re going to want to add this title to your watch list. The team at Vigil has done an amazing job translating Madueria’s style into a video game environment, and as someone who still has stacks of his comics stashed away in my basement,  I’m very interested in giving this game a spin.

Darksiders will be available on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles and is scheduled to hit stores January 5th, 2010. In the mean time, check out the video walkthrough below narrated by Vigil Games’ Daniel Isaac for a glimpse into the world of Darksiders’ protagonist “War” and his trusty steed “Ruin”.

According to sources who leaked the information to Kotaku, Pandemic Studios, creators of Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Battlefront, and most recently Mercenaries 2: World In Flames, will be have nearly their entire Los Angles base staff (roughly 200 employees) laid off today. The announcement is reportedly going to take place one hour from now at 11am PST.

Pandemic’s started in 1998 with a good deal of successful game releases and was eventually gobbled up by EA in 2007. A few under-performing sequels and one Dark Knight game that never saw the light seems to have sealed the studios fate. It is believed that a portion of the staff will merge into other various EA teams and their remaining collection of IP’s will be handed off to EA Montreal.

No official statement on the part of EA has been made yet, so file this under rumor for the time being. If true, it will likely go down as a very sad day for our own Jon Zungre, who openly shared his love for Pandemic explosions with the world.

The news we reported earlier last night is now live according to a recent tweet made by Major Nelson exactly 14 minutes ago. Go check if you like. Per our previous post, there’s no update required.  The Major’s tweet along with details from his supporting post are below.

First the Tweet:

The new features coming to Xbox LIVE are now available. Details here: http://bit.ly/ohSaY Commence #Xboxtweet

And here are the details from his post on majornelson.com:

New Xbox 360 features now available (Twitter, Facebook, Zune Video and Last.FM)

We’ve just released the latest new features for your Xbox 360. In case you’ve been off the grid for the past few months and don’t know what is in this update, allow me to give you the some of the highlights: Facebook, Zune Video, Twitter and Last.FM. Here is how to find ‘em: Facebook and Twitter will appear automatically on your dashboard in the new My Community channel, Zune Video is in the Video Channel and Last.FM will be found under the Music Channel.

Assuming you have the latest Xbox 360 system update from Xbox LIVE, these new features will automatically appear sometime over the next few hours. Availability of these features will vary by region.

Remember, if you are under 18, you’ll have to wait a little longer for some of these features.

There you have it. I’m off to check it out right now. Let me know what you think of the update in the comments section below after you get a chance to mess around with it yourself.

There’s “The News”, and then there’s “Duh News” … kind of like “Da Bears” only spelled differently and way less comical. So without further ado, let’s get to it.

Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, Robert Bowling, commented on the relationship between their studio and Treyarch (both of which put out Call of Duty games) in a recent GameTrailers’ interview. Host, Geoff Keighley, asked how Infinity Ward felt about another studio developing sequels for a title they created, whether or not they collaborate, and if there was any “rivalry” between the two teams. Here’s what Robert said:

“The teams are completely separate. And our design schedules and our design philosophies are completely different tracks. It’s not like they might be leapfrogging in terms of franchise but the design state of mind from the teams at Infinity Ward and Treyarch are completely different. We don’t work together, we don’t collaborate.”

Geoff then brought up the fact that Treyarch made use of the CoD4 engine that Infinity Ward developed, to which Bowling responded:

“They licensed our Call of Duty 4 engine from our last game, but other than that… From a business standpoint, that’s all on Activision’s side. The teams are very focused on what we’re doing and we really don’t let what happens in another game impact that.”

Well duh. First off, I love Geoff. That’s like asking a guy how he feels about another guy banging his girlfriend periodically because he can’t have frequent enough intercourse with her to meet her needs. In this scenario, “the girl” is Activision’s bottom line and “sex” is Call of Duty. The moment Activision realized the magnitude of a hit they had on their hands, they became CoD nymphos, and wanted to crank out a sequel every year. In order to do that, they brought in another studio. Enter Treyarch.

Of course there is a rivalry. Is Infinity Ward going to say that publicly? Chances are slim. Robert admitted that the leasing of their engine was a “business decision” on the part of Activision, and that’s probably the closest we are going to get to a direct comment on the subject so you’ll just have to read between the lines.

I’ll drive my point home by referring to our analogy again. You’re Infinity Ward, and you get behind closed doors with “the girl” knowing full well she is comparing you to that other guy every time you go at it. You had better believe you are going to want to make sure she knows damn well that there is NO comparison.

Infinity Ward may not be able to meet the aggressive release schedule that Activision demands, and they may decide in the future that they no longer want to work on Call of Duty at all, but as long as they do, they are going to do everything in their power to make sure Activision, and more importantly, we as gamers, know exactly who “the man” is — and Infinity Wards is “the man” when it comes to CoD. End of story.

Nintendo Wii’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii title has been on store shelves for less than two days now, and there are already a few level editors out there. The above 1-1 remake is far from perfect, but considering the game hasn’t been out long at all and the modder himself claims it was 2AM when he made it, we should probably cut him some slack.

Check out the video below.

[Thanks Kotaku]